As Riker chased Carmen and the children all over the ship, turning them into his own army of targs, Beverly went to her room and pulled out a bottle of wine. Even as she downed her first glass, it was hard to believe that Deanna Troi was sitting on her couch, listening to her ramble about old times on an old ship called the Enterprise.
She told the counselor everything she could remember about Carmen, starting with the night she delivered a dark-haired baby to a young Will Riker and Deanna Troi. She told her about that fateful mission a few months later, the one Troi never returned from, and how Will refused any comfort or company in the wake of his wife's disappearance.
"Carmen was just a baby then," Beverly explained. "He asked me to take her one night so he could have some time to sort things out. One night turned into a week. Then a month." She blew out a sigh. "Nearly five months went by before Will was strong enough to care for her on his own."
Troi drummed her fingers against the side of her glass, the image pulling on her heart until it threatened to break. "Carmen doesn't know much about those early days, does she?"
"No, it was too difficult for Will to revisit. And I never told her because…well, I felt guilty I suppose."
"Guilty about what?"
Beverly pressed her lips together, tilting her head to the side. "You wanted to be a mother so badly. And five months-that was a long time. More time than Carmen had with you. It was five months of learning how to crawl and talk and eat solid foods." She gripped the stem of her glass tightly. "It didn't feel right, being the one to celebrate those milestones. I kept hoping they'd find you and we could celebrate together, but that never happened. Will kept searching and Carmen...Carmen kept growing up."
Troi reached for the hand that sat idle in the captain's lap. "I'm so grateful you were there, Beverly," she said, interlacing their fingers together. Tears glistened from her eyes as she continued. "You chose to look after my family when they were hurting the most. Not many would stay and deal with a difficult situation like that. And I know how Carmen can be a difficult situation."
A laugh from both women broke through the tenderness of the moment. "She wasn't so bad," Beverly insisted. "I mean...okay, she was pretty bad." They laughed together again. "I mean, Trevor thinks Namida is a handful, but she's a saint compared to the Carmen I knew."
"Namida?" Troi repeated. "You mean that little Betazoid girl?"
"That's the one." Beverly tilted her head back, downing another sip of wine. "She can be quiet, but when she speaks, the other children listen. She has a way with them. I'll miss having her around." A cloud passed over her face, darkening it briefly. She hid behind another sip of wine.
"Why does she have to leave?" Troi asked, deciding to follow that cloud.
Beverly glanced at her sideways. "Didn't you hear? We're taking the children to Haven One. There's a whole Betazoid village on the Western Isle. It'll be good for her to be among her own people again."
"But Namida grew up out here, in war."
"Yes, exactly. She deserves the chance to go home."
"She deserves the chance to have a home," Troi shot back, leaning against the cushion with a smile. "It doesn't have to be on the Western Isle."
Her reply made Beverly pause as she was about to take another sip. "What are you saying?"
"Being a soldier, it goes against the very nature of a Betazoid," Troi explained. "I'm just saying that maybe she'd rather have the chance to help and to heal-to embrace her nature and use it for good." She searched the captain's eyes earnestly. "It's what helped Carmen."
The thought crept into Beverly's mind, the thought of being spared another painful goodbye. "Well," she said, trying her best to keep a growing sense of excitement at bay. "Ultimately, the choice will be hers. But it would be nice to have another troublemaker to look after. Speaking of which-" A grin spread across her face. "Did Carmen ever tell you about the time she was trapped in a jefferies tube for two days?"
"She was what?"
Laughing, Beverly rose to pour herself another glass of wine. "It happened during a game of hide-and-seek," she continued. "Someone had last seen her in Main Engineering, and Will was sick to his stomach thinking she had fallen into the warp core and vaporized herself. More wine?"
As an hour passed by, unheeded by the women, Beverly continued to delve into some of her most carefully guarded memories. She told the counselor about Carmen's school troubles and their chocolate milk traditions and that time in the second grade when she accidentally set her father's sofa on fire. She told her about Haven One, and the oppressive life that the council forced her to lead, and the messages she exchanged with Jean Luc in secret.
He had written to her about the day Will died. About how and when they recovered the body of Carmen's mother. Things that, in time, Troi would later reveal to the young woman.
Eventually, their privacy was intruded upon by a little girl with curly brown hair. She stole across the room, flashing the counselor an impish smile as she took her place on Beverly's lap. Troi could feel her thoughts dancing along the outskirts of her mind like a curious animal that stays just out of reach.
"What are you doing here?" Beverly asked. "Is your game of targ tag finished already?"
She nodded, giggling as Troi sent her a mental image of a herd of targs running loose in Starfleet uniforms.
"Well then." Beverly set her glass down and wrapped her arms around the girl tightly. "How about some lunch?"
"Can they stay for lunch, too?" Namida asked.
"I'm afraid not," Troi replied, reaching over to cup the girl's cheek. "We really should be getting back to our own captain."
"Oh! That reminds me!" Depositing Namida on the couch, Beverly hopped up and went to a cabinet in the corner. She came back with a book in hand, its cover faded and its binding reduced to threads. Troi thought she glimpsed a slip of paper nestled between some of the yellowed pages.
"What's that?" she asked.
Beverly chewed on the corner of her lip, staring down at the tattered remains. "I borrowed this from Jean Luc just before they sent me to Haven One. It ended up in my crate of belongings they sent over. Would you…? Do you think you could…?"
Troi unfolded her legs and stood with a tender smile. "I'll see that it's returned," she said, taking it from the captain. "I promise."
They found Riker in the mess hall, sitting across from a pair of Romulans. One was dressed in a military uniform, his hair streaked with gray. The other looked much younger and wore plain clothes like the other children. Though Carmen sat beside her father, several boys had wedged their way between them and were giggling amongst themselves as they played some sort of card game with the Romulan teen.
"Mom!" Carmen shouted, noticing the women first, and raced towards them excitedly. As she hugged her mother, several children appeared at her heels and joined in. The Romulan soldier turned around, watching the scene with a sad and strange smile.
"This is Deanna Troi, I presume?"
"It is!" Carmen cried. "Alidar, I'd like you to meet my mother."
Riker folded his arms across his chest. "We've been doing a little...catching up," he said, and Troi could tell by his tone that there was a lot more to the story. But it would have to wait. She could feel her mother prodding her mind, impatient for their return.
"Come on and have a seat," Carmen offered. But Troi pulled her daughter back to her arms.
"I'm afraid there's no time for that, darling. We have to be getting back."
"Oh." Carmen's heart grew heavy. She stroked her fingers through the hair of a small girl at her feet. "Can I...I just need a moment."
Children climbed down from the tables, crowding around the young woman in doleful silence. As Carmen crouched to their level, giving them a lecture about being good for the captain and listening to Commander Hale, Beverly pulled Troi aside.
"It was good to see you again," she whispered, hugging her tightly.
"Oh, Beverly," she replied. "Thank you for everything. Including the wine." They laughed together for a moment, if only to hold off their tears.
"Mind if I have a turn?" someone interrupted.
They pulled away from each other to find Riker wading through the children. Beverly's tears broke through her resolve. "Come here, Will," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'm so glad you found us."
"Me, too," he said, squeezing her in return. "And hey-take care of these kids for me. They're a good bunch."
"I will," she promised.
"I know you will. And I know there's no one better for the job."
She leaned back to beam up at him appreciatively. "Thanks. And you take care of Carmen and Deanna for me," she said, going in for one more hug. "There's no one better for the job."
By then, most of the children had wandered off. Namida stayed behind, clinging to Carmen's leg and waiting for the last possible second to let go. Carmen wrung her hands, glancing between her parents and the captain and the girl.
"I guess this it?"
"It is," Beverly said, letting go of Riker and opening her arms towards the young woman. "But at least we get to say goodbye this time."
Carmen went crashing into the hug, dragging Namida along with her. "I just...I'm going to miss you," she murmured, hiding her tears against the captain's uniform.
"Hey, hey," Beverly crooned. For a moment, she was holding the same little girl that used to come crying to her office. "I'll miss you, too. Especially our little chats in the evening. It'll take me awhile to stop listening for your knock at the door. But you know something?"
"What?" Carmen sniffled.
Using her knuckle, Beverly tilted the young woman's chin to the side and planted a kiss on her cheek. "From now on, whenever I think about you, I'll know this-that somewhere out there, you're a family again." She tucked a stray lock of hair behind Carmen's ear. "So that makes this a happy goodbye."
"But it's still goodbye," Carmen lamented.
"I know, love. I know." Beverly pulled her back in, holding her close for a little longer. Over Carmen's shoulder, she saw Toleel lean against his father, and his father's arm went around his small shoulders. Beverly smiled. In a way, a piece of Carmen would always stay behind. "Now come on. It's time."
"What about you?" Carmen asked, trying to compose herself before she had to face the others. "Will you be alright?"
"I'll be just fine," she assured. "I've still got work to do, but...it's good work. And I have all the help I'll need." She winked at Namida, then turned the young woman around by her shoulders and gave her a nudge towards the door. "Go. You've got more work to do, too."
Carmen stepped up onto the transporter, taking her place between her parents. She had said nothing since they left the mess hall, walking alongside them in a numb state of silence.
"Ready?" Riker asked, squeezing her shoulder to get her attention.
She looked up at him, braving a smile. As she met his eyes, the numbness began to wear off. And something peculiar, something peaceful, was taking its place. "Yeah. Let's go home."
Riker nodded to the transport officer, who began preparations on his console. "Three to beam over to the IKS Kahlorn," he reported. "Stand by."
"Wait a minute-" Carmen said, though she could already feel a disconcerting sense of weightlessness. "That's a Klingon name! How did you guys-"
The transport room disappeared in a haze of white. When Carmen's vision returned, she found herself standing in a much darker room, with black walls and a red lamp overhead. Before she could finish her question, or even remember what she was in the middle of asking, someone crashed into her with a kiss. Sheppard held her against him, his lips stirring up memories that cleared her mind of everything else.
"Allan," she breathed, halfway between a scold and an exclamation of awe.
He grinned apologetically, brushing the side of her face with his thumb. "Sorry, I just...I missed you."
She smiled back, basking in the glow of his thoughts. "I missed you, too," she said, and leaned in for another kiss.
Someone cleared their throat, interrupting the couple, and Carmen opened her eyes to see Lwaxana pushing her way towards them. Kyle followed in her footsteps, holding a bundle of blankets in his arms.
"Nana!" she cried. "You came, too?"
"Of course I came," she said, and grabbed the young woman in a hug so tight that for several moments, Carmen couldn't breathe. "My girls needed me. And my boys." She let go of Carmen and pinched the side of Kyle's cheek, turning it pink. He made a light, awkward laugh that sounded more like a cough and took sudden interest in something across the room. Carmen raised an eyebrow.
A soft coo came from the bundle of blankets in his arms. He pulled back a corner to reveal a baby boy on the verge of sleep. Billy rubbed his eyes with a fist and yawned. His yawn turned into a gaping smile when he noticed his big sister, and he began to bounce up and down with an elated screech. "Oh, uh...here," Kyle offered. "I think he wants to see you."
Carmen pretended to struggle as she held the boy out at arm's length. "You weigh a TON!" she exclaimed. "How did you get so big? I thought I told you no more growing until I get back!" He blew a raspberry at her, a line of bubbles forming in the drool of his lower lip. "Oh come here, you little rebel," she laughed, holding him close. He sighed happily to be snuggled by his sister again. His bright blue eyes flashed a smile at their parents that made his mother melt.
"Ow!" Kyle hissed, startled by a sharp nudge in his ribs. He threw Lwaxana a bewildered glare, and she responded by nudging him again.
"Go on," she whispered harshly, and with a series of little pushes, ushered him towards Carmen.
The young woman didn't notice until he was already standing in front of her. The smile slowly slid from her face. "So you're still here," she said, her features drawing taut.
Kyle winced, wondering if she blamed him for any part of her suffering. If she believed he had known Leyton's plan all along. They had reached a tenuous understanding before she left, but he couldn't be certain where they stood now. "Yes," he replied slowly. "I am still here. And I just wanted to say...well done."
He offered a hand, unsure of what else he could offer the young woman. She shoved it aside, and then, to his surprise, she stepped forward into an embrace. "Thank-you," she said, and her voice sounded like it was on the edge of tears. "For taking care of them."
It felt awkward and clumsy at first, especially as he attempted to hug her back. But the longer he held on, staring down at his two grandchildren, the more his old heart began to soften. Wherever they had left off, it was somewhere far from where they stood now. And it felt as if somehow, a piece of himself that he once thought lost forever was now nestling its way back into place.
Footsteps heralded a new arrival. Carmen's eyes widened at the sight of a massive Klingon striding into their midst. He was even taller than her father, with a barrel-like chest and a long, graying beard. He stopped before the young woman, and though she stiffened defensively, an unusually gentle smile graced his lips as he gazed down upon her.
"It is an honor to meet you, Carmen of the Fifth House," he said. "You are welcome aboard my ship."
"You're the captain?"
"This is T'argon," Lwaxana explained, patting a thick swath of muscles on his arm. "He let us use his ship to come rescue you. Wasn't that nice of him?" And he's a hopeless romantic. You should hear his poetry.
Carmen bowed her head in what looked like a show of respect, but was actually a way to hide a fit of giggles that suddenly seized her. "Qaqihnes," she greeted, managing to keep her voice steady. "And a thousand thanks."
He lit up to hear her use his native tongue. "You speak like a Klingon! And you fight like one, too. Come, let us celebrate this victory properly! There is a feast to be had!"
Sheppard tugged on her hand, giddy with excitement. "They have bloodwine! I didn't like it at first, but you know what? I could get used to it."
"Is that so?" she purred, looking him up and down unabashedly. She started to follow after him, only to be stopped in her tracks by Riker.
"Not so fast," he warned, stepping between them. "No bloodwine for either of you. You can celebrate with a glass of water."
Carmen's fists went to her hips. Riker's did the same, and for a moment they squared off against each other. "Nana!" She resorted to tattling when he did not relent. "He said no bloodwine!"
"Oh, don't be a spoilsport. They've been through enough." Lwaxana looped her arm through Kyle's as if they had come to the decision together. "Go on, kids. Have some fun."
They dashed off before the commander could say otherwise, leaving him standing and sputtering and stripped of authority. "Okay, but-just one glass!" he shouted after them. "Carmen? You hear me?"