"All right. You wanted to talk. So, talk. I'm here. I'm listening. And don't even try to lie to me again. I know you were pregnant with our kids. Why didn't you tell me?" It was the first time Will had spoken since Kat had left the room. They sat on the couch, Riker's eyes practically boring into Deanna's.
"I tried to, Will." Her voice was quiet, as if chocked with the dirt of a grave. "Honestly. I sent you a subspace message as soon as I realized I was pregnant."
"Well, I didn't get it. Obviously."
She winced at the sting of his voice. "All I knew was that you didn't respond to it. I thought you didn't care."
Will stared at her in disbelief. "How could you even think I wouldn't care, Deanna? I would have cared then, and I certainly care now. Tell me what happened. All of it. I need to know the truth."
She nodded and cast her eyes downward, fighting back tears. After a few moments and tears, she said, "And the truth is what you shall have." Wiping away the wetness on her pale cheeks she took a deep breath and continued. "I told you I sent the message but got no reply. For a while I thought you didn't care, and one night my mother saw me sitting on my bed crying. She came in and put her arms around me like she did so many times before. I hadn't told her about the twins, and I wasn't showing yet. I didn't think she was powerful enough to actually sense their presence. I was wrong. She took my face in her hands, brushed away the tears and said, 'Go to Risa. He might be there. It's what is best for you, and your Little Ones.'"
She paused, to collect herself before going on. "Shortly after that, I was on my way to Risa. I landed a day a head of time, and booked us a room for our honeymoon. After that, I went outside and waited for you to arrive. I waited for three days, and you never came. Brokenhearted, I went home . . . back to . . . Betazed."
Deanna closed her eyes in a futile attempt to block the tears that were now flowing freely down her face.
Will took her delicate hand in his own. "It's all right. Dee. It's all right. Calm down. You can tell me later if you need to."
All she could do was shake her head. Claiming momentary control over herself, she said, "No. You need to hear this now. I might not be able. . .to tell you later." Closing her eyes tightly, she continued with her story.
"About a week after I arrived home, I went into premature labor. Something was wrong, I could feel it, but the doctors wouldn't listen. I was in such pain. It hurt to breathe. But, finally, after twelve hours of labor, I finally delivered them both. A girl and a boy. I was so weak, because I had lost a lot of blood and could barely keep conscience. But I heard one of the doctors say something about both of the twins having severe brain dysfunctions, and nothing they could do would help. Shortly after that, I slipped into a coma. I was like that for about a day, and when I awoke, my mother was standing next to me, holding the twins. I asked her to let me hold them. At first, she refused, saying that I was too weak, but she finally gave in. I remember holding them closely against me, one in each arm, and crying. I cried because I had picked up on a thought in my mother's mind. They expected the twins to die within the next two hours. Laying there in the bed, I thought about them and the unfairness of the universe. I thought about my future, and what I was going to do with myself. And I thought about you and what you were probably doing at that moment while I was holding our dying children. During the middle of that thought, I felt a little piece of my mind start to shrivel and fade. I looked down in my arm and saw our son, Tommy, close his eyes for the last time and die. Only five minutes before his sister, Katarina."
By now, tears were flowing like rivers down Deanna's delicate face. Will sat next to her, shocked and numbed to the point he couldn't move. He was about to say something, but she beat him to it.
"I wanted to tell you so many times. I almost did when I gave birth to Ian. But then he died, and I couldn't bring myself to reliving all the pain again. Then there was that night when we were in Ten Forward and you warned me about getting too close to Tom. I came so close to telling you, but something stopped me. I...I ..."
"Deanna. I am so sorry." He finally said, pulling the trembling counselor into his arms. "I am. Please forgive me, Imzadi. I...I didn't want to hurt you. Please."
They rocked back and forth for minutes, only the sounds of two parents grieving for their lost children filled the cabin. Deanna looked up and was surprised to see tears rolling down his cheeks. She had never seen her Imzadi cry. Never.
"Are you all right?" She asked him brushing away the wetness on his face. He took her hand and held it tight, willing her to truly understand how sorry he was.
"Yes. I am. And I am also very sorry for the way I acted. I would never hurt you, Imzadi. Never."
"I know." She stood, wiping away the rest of her rebellious tears. "Why don't we go to Ten Forward? I could go for a chocolate sundae right about now."
"Sure." He got up and hand-in-hand they headed for the ship's lounge. Halfway there, however, Riker's communicator beeped.
Picard to Riker
"Riker here."
Will, report to the bridge. The results of our scans are coming in.
"Aye sir. I'll be right there." Then he added, "Deanna is with me. I am assuming you want her too."
Yes, Number One. Both of you come to the bridge, immediately. Picard out.
Will and Deanna looked at each other, then turned on their heels and headed for the bridge, where they had a date with destiny.
"I tried to, Will." Her voice was quiet, as if chocked with the dirt of a grave. "Honestly. I sent you a subspace message as soon as I realized I was pregnant."
"Well, I didn't get it. Obviously."
She winced at the sting of his voice. "All I knew was that you didn't respond to it. I thought you didn't care."
Will stared at her in disbelief. "How could you even think I wouldn't care, Deanna? I would have cared then, and I certainly care now. Tell me what happened. All of it. I need to know the truth."
She nodded and cast her eyes downward, fighting back tears. After a few moments and tears, she said, "And the truth is what you shall have." Wiping away the wetness on her pale cheeks she took a deep breath and continued. "I told you I sent the message but got no reply. For a while I thought you didn't care, and one night my mother saw me sitting on my bed crying. She came in and put her arms around me like she did so many times before. I hadn't told her about the twins, and I wasn't showing yet. I didn't think she was powerful enough to actually sense their presence. I was wrong. She took my face in her hands, brushed away the tears and said, 'Go to Risa. He might be there. It's what is best for you, and your Little Ones.'"
She paused, to collect herself before going on. "Shortly after that, I was on my way to Risa. I landed a day a head of time, and booked us a room for our honeymoon. After that, I went outside and waited for you to arrive. I waited for three days, and you never came. Brokenhearted, I went home . . . back to . . . Betazed."
Deanna closed her eyes in a futile attempt to block the tears that were now flowing freely down her face.
Will took her delicate hand in his own. "It's all right. Dee. It's all right. Calm down. You can tell me later if you need to."
All she could do was shake her head. Claiming momentary control over herself, she said, "No. You need to hear this now. I might not be able. . .to tell you later." Closing her eyes tightly, she continued with her story.
"About a week after I arrived home, I went into premature labor. Something was wrong, I could feel it, but the doctors wouldn't listen. I was in such pain. It hurt to breathe. But, finally, after twelve hours of labor, I finally delivered them both. A girl and a boy. I was so weak, because I had lost a lot of blood and could barely keep conscience. But I heard one of the doctors say something about both of the twins having severe brain dysfunctions, and nothing they could do would help. Shortly after that, I slipped into a coma. I was like that for about a day, and when I awoke, my mother was standing next to me, holding the twins. I asked her to let me hold them. At first, she refused, saying that I was too weak, but she finally gave in. I remember holding them closely against me, one in each arm, and crying. I cried because I had picked up on a thought in my mother's mind. They expected the twins to die within the next two hours. Laying there in the bed, I thought about them and the unfairness of the universe. I thought about my future, and what I was going to do with myself. And I thought about you and what you were probably doing at that moment while I was holding our dying children. During the middle of that thought, I felt a little piece of my mind start to shrivel and fade. I looked down in my arm and saw our son, Tommy, close his eyes for the last time and die. Only five minutes before his sister, Katarina."
By now, tears were flowing like rivers down Deanna's delicate face. Will sat next to her, shocked and numbed to the point he couldn't move. He was about to say something, but she beat him to it.
"I wanted to tell you so many times. I almost did when I gave birth to Ian. But then he died, and I couldn't bring myself to reliving all the pain again. Then there was that night when we were in Ten Forward and you warned me about getting too close to Tom. I came so close to telling you, but something stopped me. I...I ..."
"Deanna. I am so sorry." He finally said, pulling the trembling counselor into his arms. "I am. Please forgive me, Imzadi. I...I didn't want to hurt you. Please."
They rocked back and forth for minutes, only the sounds of two parents grieving for their lost children filled the cabin. Deanna looked up and was surprised to see tears rolling down his cheeks. She had never seen her Imzadi cry. Never.
"Are you all right?" She asked him brushing away the wetness on his face. He took her hand and held it tight, willing her to truly understand how sorry he was.
"Yes. I am. And I am also very sorry for the way I acted. I would never hurt you, Imzadi. Never."
"I know." She stood, wiping away the rest of her rebellious tears. "Why don't we go to Ten Forward? I could go for a chocolate sundae right about now."
"Sure." He got up and hand-in-hand they headed for the ship's lounge. Halfway there, however, Riker's communicator beeped.
Picard to Riker
"Riker here."
Will, report to the bridge. The results of our scans are coming in.
"Aye sir. I'll be right there." Then he added, "Deanna is with me. I am assuming you want her too."
Yes, Number One. Both of you come to the bridge, immediately. Picard out.
Will and Deanna looked at each other, then turned on their heels and headed for the bridge, where they had a date with destiny.