Chapter 14: Three years later.

A/N: this chapter skips ahead three years. I hope that everyone likes it. It takes place during the episode "The First Duty".

Lisa Riker, member of zeta squadron, waited in her friend, Wesley Crusher's quarters. He was a member of Nova Squadron. He had asked to talk to her. And she could tell that he was upset about something. She had her hands on her lap, waiting. She turned and got to her feet when she heard the door chime go off. "Come," she said. Wesley barged into the room, breathless. He started pacing back and forth. "Wesley?" she asked, watching him for a few seconds. When he didn't stop, she grabbed him. "Wesley!" she called, bringing his attention towards her.

"Lis," he said his mouth shaking as he spoke, "I need to talk to you about Josh."

Lisa's eyes widened. Josh was hers and Julian Bashir's, her boyfriend, closet friend. Aside from Wesley. "What happened to Josh?" she asked, letting him go and sitting back down. "We're practicing for graduation, something happened and Josh died." Wesley sat down next to her.

Lisa looked directly at him, "what kind of "accident"?" she said, glaring at him. Wesley took a deep breath and explained the whole situation.

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When he was done, Lisa was on her feet starring at the wall. She couldn't look at him. Her fury rising by the second. "You need to tell them the truth," she said, grinding her teeth as she spoke. Her hands were balled up into fists. She turned and looked at him, "if Nick knew what was going to happen, then you should have reported him to the commanding officer, you know that you idiot!" she hissed under her breath. She walked over and slapped him on the cheek. "Josh died because you were stupid," she added. "You believe Nick when he said that it was going to be ok?" She said, taking a step back. "You know what Nick to me and how I felt about him after you joined Nova Squad."

Wesley brought a hand up to his face, his eyes watering. He couldn't say or do anything for a full moment. Then he got to his feet, placing his hands on her arms and making her turn and look at him.

She shook free from his grip, opened the door with the anger of a battle ready klingon and slammed the door shut behind her with so much force that it caused a crack to form at the top of the door. Leaving her friend with his injured arm in her wake.

He did remember what Nick did to her when she turned him down for a date, he started a rumor that insulted both her and her dead mother. When she challenged him publicly, he denied it and called her an outright liar. Leaving her no choice, but to go over his head and go directly to the head of the academy. She reacted swiftly and prompted Nick to leave the Riker family alone. Especially since she had taught Lisa's mother herself. She also docked his grades and ever since then, Lisa and Nick had stayed away from each other. She was dismayed when Wesley joined him instead of coming over with her to Zeta.

She felt betrayed, and she let him know. But she had learned to forgive Wesley and their friendship grew much stronger as a result. But he wasn't sure that it was going to recover from this. He slumped down to the floor and placed his head in his hands and cried.

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When Lisa got back to her dorm, she was on the verge of tears and losing the battle. She slammed her door and, biting her lower lip, slumped to the floor with her head against the door and cried. Her hands relaxed and she brought them up to her face as the tears fell down her cheeks. She brought herself to her feet when she heard the door chime go off. She wipped her eyes, "COME!" she called. When the door opened, she smiled and threw her arms around the person on the other side. Who returned the hug.

"What's wrong?" Julian asked. Looking at her with great concern. She wipped her eyes again. "I just got back from Wes's," she said. "I think that you should sit down, I have something to tell you about Josh," she added. Julian nodded.

End of Chapter.