New Beginnings

Author:             D. Destiny

Paring:             T, R/f

Timeframe:       Fifteen years after The Wedding

Disclaimer:       I think you've figured it out by now: THEY'RE NOT MINE! (Well Troi, Riker and the Picards aren't...)

Summary:         Will and Deanna meet again.

Author's note:    Again I remind you to read the other two stories (The End and The Wedding) of the h Katara-Trilogy

Archive:            Sure, as long as you leave my name on it, you can even eat it if you like...

WARNING:       It's not a pretty end :(

In 'The Wedding'

"And further. I am nervous, scared to death and angry. I'd like to be able to predict how we'll react to each other, but I can't. I don't know him anymore; it's been six years since we've seen each other, or said more to each other than standard pleasantries." Angrily Deanna wiped the fresh tears of her face.

"You haven't told him, have you?"

"No, I tried and gods I wanted to, but I couldn't. Not back then, not now and I'm not sure I'll ever can." Without saying another word Beverly moved to Deanna and enveloped her tiny form in her arms. In the safety of her friends embrace Deanna let her tears flow freely after keeping them back for far too long. "I don't know if I can face him Bev...It still hurts...*so* much!" Harsh sobs racked the Empath's body, interrupting her words. "I-I still miss him...l-love him...but I *hate* him!"

New Beginnings

"Mom, will you stop doing that?!" She always believed Aunt B's nail-biting was bad, but that simply paled against the agony of watching her mother pace in a confined room for thirty minutes! Never once in her lifetime had she seen her mother this nervous.

"Oh give me a break Liz, it won't kill me any faster." More than hearing the words Beverly saw the delay between the moves of Deanna's mouth and the words she heard. She was speaking Betazoid again. It happened more and more during the unguarded moments where Deanna would speak before think.

Immediately sensing the sadness her words invoked in her daughter Deanna dropped her head and drew Kyleigh into her arms. "I'm sorry Liz, I shouldn't have said that." The two women hugged each other tightly as if hanging on for dear life. ~You're right, you shouldn't~ came the mental reproach from the youngest.

Over her daughter's shoulder Deanna locked her eyes on Beverly, finding a mild reproach and compassion in them. "Gotta go now ladies. Don't forget the final check-up in Sickbay Dea and I'll see you at dinner in two hours. See ya!" Light-heartedly the redhead made her retreat, hoping to kill the heavy sphere that had entered the room.

When the doors had closed again mother and daughter let go of each other and sat down, Kyleigh curled up against Deanna's side. "Have you decided what to do yet?"

"Hmm, I'll await this mission and then try to get a posting on the Enterprise. With two Admirals backing me up, how could I not get the position?" Grinning broadly she watched her mother's reaction. "Just don't think I'll come over and do your laundry young lady," she grumbled.

"You won't?" Oh she was becoming too good at acting, Deanna thought to herself, all those drama classes. "Nope," she said aloud, "your Uncle Luc can do that." Kyleigh chuckled and shook her head. "And then they say I'm bad."

"What can I say? You take after your mother." With a nudge she ordered the twenty-one-year-old to get up. "C'mon let's get that check-up over and done with."

~*+*~

Bridge to Captain Riker. Throwing an apologetic glance at his family Riker retrieved his commbadge from a nearby table and activated it. "Riker here, go ahead."

Sir, we've received new orders from Command. He nearly caught himself at sighing loudly, how come he could never have a quiet day with his family? In all the years he'd been captain, the only true days off had been when he wasn't onboard the ship. "Patch it through to my quarters."

Yes Sir. Will pushed himself out his chair and reluctantly walked to the secluded corner where the display was stored, kissing his wife on her cheek as he passed by her. He keyed in his clearance code and pressed the display button. A holographic 3D image of Fleet Admiral Picard appeared and informed him of his new orders. The Titan was to take the Federation representative and her aides to Romulus for the peace negotiations.

When he rejoined his family his wife immediately noticed the tension that had etched his face so quickly. "Will?" For a minute he cast his eyes down and studied the *very* interesting surface of the table, then he raised them to meet Serah's green gaze. "We have to take the Federation representative to Romulus."

"What's so bad about that?" His youngest son queried.

"Lwaxana Troi." Two words that had the same meaning to most captain's, admirals and ambassadors of the Federation. A woman that could make anyone feel but one inch tall and naked into the bargain. Ambassador. Daughter of the Fifth House of Betazed. Chalice of Rixx. Rings. Telepath. Deanna Troi. The words that would spin through his mind whenever her name was mentioned. Oh this trip to the Romulan Empire would be a challenging one to say the least. Or perhaps 'frightening' would be a better word.

"I'm dead," Riker muttered, before attacking his dinner as if it would be his last.

~*+*~

Picking up the empty dishes from the table Deanna and Beverly disappeared into the kitchen area to prepare desert. In the distance they heard their children firing question after question at Admiral Picard and Beverly couldn't help but wonder what it was they didn't know after twenty-one years of questions. Even Wesley had them.

"Wesley looks great Bev, he's become a handsome young man." The Doctor glanced at her friend from the corners of her eyes. "This mind-reading of you is getting uncanny," she muttered and then grinned when Troi raised her eyebrows in a dramatic gesture, "but you're right. He looks so much like Jack. It's almost like going back in time." At that Deanna smiled and gently squeezed her hand. "And what better way to remember him? Okay, dessert's ready."

As the two women re-entered the dining area the conversation that had been going on stopped abruptly as their eyes fell on the unnaturally bright colours of the food. "What is that?!" Smirking Beverly and Deanna gave each of them a plate and sat down. "I'm not sure. It looks kinda like Betazoid Rhi'yat, but the colours are off." Totally confused Kyleigh probed the puddle of brightly coloured food with her spoon. Picard's eldest son Jack was a bit bolder and shut his eyes when he quickly took a bit and swallowed it. "Hey! It's actually quite good!" He exclaimed and took another. His enthusiasm soon was picked up by his younger brother Chris and his sister Deanna and the three finished the green, red, purple, blue and yellow coloured deserts in no-time.

Wesley and Kyleigh started to eat as well, not to be outdone by their younger siblings and cousins. ~Mom, how did you do this?~

~Hang around in space long enough and you'll see.~

~Mom!~

~Noisy Flower I can't tell you, or I'd have to kill you.~ She shouldn't have said that, she realized the second she did. With tears already brimming in her eyes Kyleigh pushed herself away from the table and yelled, "WOULD YOU STOP JOKING ABOUT IT!" She ran to the door, her posture rigid and her jaw set. "Kyleigh!" Deanna called after her, but she kept running. Deanna quickly apologized and then left to track down her daughter.

"What was that all about?" Jack queered, noticing the grave mood that had settled in his parents. Beverly and Jean-Luc quickly exchanged a look and then turned back to their plates, not making a single sound. Fortunately the kids took the hint and didn't ask further.

Kyeigh ran through the corridors, her sight blinded by tears. She rushed into her quarters and to her bedroom where she collapsed on her bed and released her tears. She felt her mother's mind reach out to her but ignored it best she could. Being only a quarter Betazoid her mental powers were limited and although she was able to block most empaths and telepaths, blocking out family, especially her mother was something she hadn't quite mastered yet. Luckily Deanna would never intrude upon her privacy and when she'd sense Kyleigh wanted to be left alone she would let her be. Usually giving her a mental hug before doing so. Quite different than her grandmother who wasn't quite foreign to prying.

Her mother would come looking for her now though, being the direct cause for her daughter's distress Deanna would come to apologize and talk things over. Forever the psychologist, as the Picards always said. Outwardly composed Troi walked through the corridors on her way to the quarters assigned to her and her daughter. Her mind told her exactly where Kyleigh was and that she was crying. And indeed, when she entered their quarters she heard the quiet sobs coming from the bedroom.

Without speaking a word she climbed on the bed, drew her daughter's head against her chest and held her tightly. ~I'm sorry Flower.~ The youngest Troi sniffled and crawled even closer against her mother. ~I just wish you wouldn't joke about it.~ Stroking her daughter's hair Deanna momentarily strengthened the bond between them, comforting her child on as many levels as possible, wrapping a warm and soft blanket of love around her. ~I don't want to loose you.~

~You won't Little One, you never will. Not in your heart.~

~I know that, but not to hear your voice, not to see your smile or eyes...~ She broke of her sentence, unable to put her feelings into words, but relying on her mother's ability to pick them up.

~Oh Kyleigh, I may have decades ahead of me.~

~Yeah, if you go living on a planet with no sentient beings within sensing range.~ Slightly taken a back by the sarcasm in her voice Troi sighed and wiped the tears of her daughter's face, not realizing she herself had started to cry as well. ~I'll miss you mom, I'll miss you *so* much!~ The admission brought new tears to her eyes and she shed them freely, clinging onto the familiar body that was her mother's. ~Shh, I'm still here and I don't plan on going anywhere soon.~

Deanna kept her arms around Kyleigh and shared her tears until both were exhausted and drifted off to a deep sleep.

When Beverly Picard popped in an hour later to check on Deanna she found the two Troi's sleeping in each other's embrace, both wearing a content smile. It was one of the rare opportunities to watch them closely. Kyleigh look so much like her mother it was almost spooky, but now that both were laying still the few differences were easier to see.

Her Goddaughter's hair had lightened the past couple of years and was now chestnut brown. Since Deanna had stopped dying hers, her long curls had once again turned coal black. Fortunately for her she had inherited the Betazoid set of genes that prevented her hair loosing colour.

Beverly knew that if you looked closely Kyleigh's eyes weren't black as her mother's were, but a very dark blue. Her bone structure was nearly the same as that of Deanna, only she was three inches taller, less curvaceous and her features were just a bit less delicate than her mother's. In behaviour Kyleigh took more after her grandmother and father, but she had inherited Dea's sense of humour and serenity.

Mrs. Picard quickly retrieved a holographic camera from the living area and shot a picture. She'd frame it for Kyleigh's next birthday. Then she cautiously walked to Deanna's side and tried to wake her with a gentle nudge.

"Dea? Time for your medication." She was surprised to see the Betazoid reacting, because she normally took a couple of minutes to wake up. Without opening her eyes Troi held out her hand and when Beverly put the hypo in it she brought it to her neck and injected the medicine. Smiling the Doctor took the hypo back and quietly left the room. Only when she was down the corridor she held still to wipe the tears out her eyes.