5.

She caught him completely by surprise; how could she possible not want to know?! Ever since the Iolandra's destruction his mind had been filled with questions; who had killed his daughter? And what reason could they possible have had? Anna was only five, innocent as a newborn kitten and yet unaware of any danger. He'd been so angry, and still was, that he was willing to chase whoever had killed her down until he could rip their hearts out in the most painful way.

"Because it was an accident, that's why." Her voice was un-canny calm as it sliced through his angry thoughts, cutting them off abruptly, in total contrast with the tears that rolled down her cheeks. "They were never meant to die."

"What do you mean?"

She took a deep breath and knelt down at his side, looking up at him with tragic black eyes. "If you find out who destroyed their ship, what will you do?" When he didn't answer immediately she continued. "Suppose it was an Andorian, or a Klingon, or any of the species flying around in space, what would you do? Seek vengeance by killing every member of that species? And even if you didn't, suppose an officer of that species would be assigned to the ship, what would you do then? Transfer him, ignore him, deny him the opportunity to advance? Send him on the most dangerous away missions?"

Stunned by her questions he lapsed into self-defence. "I wouldn't! Dea--"

She rose, still crying but with determination shining in her eyes. "I can feel your anger...I share it." She confessed. "But it will lessen in time and I will not allow you, or myself, to hang on to that anger for vengeance. I refuse to betray their memories that way."

He rose too, robbed of his ability to speak by her passionate plea. Betazoid to the end; hold no grudges, seek no revenge. Cupping her face in his hands he leant to touch his forehead to hers, then slowly brushed his lips over hers.

"There's something you're not telling me." Deanna tried to move away, but he quickly slid his arms around her trembling body. Instinctively he knew that whatever she'd been hiding from him wasn't benevolent in nature, but he also knew she needed to let it go. He'd been waiting for her to bring it up herself, but as her shock revealed she hadn't expected him to notice. "Don't try to take on the Universe by yourself Imzadi."

She smiled at that, grateful that he reminded her. "I...Will, I miss them, I always will, but I can't...I don't have the energy to hunt down whoever attacked them. I know it was an accident, because Mother read it in their minds...I know she wouldn't want us to hold on to our anger, because she told me. I know how frightened they were because I felt it...and" she choked back a sob and forced her eyes on his "Anna told me she loves you, us...I told her we loved her and that we would never forget her...Please Imzadi, I want to remember the good things, not the bad. Please."

His tears joined hers as he finally understood what she'd been through and he realized that if he read that final report they would be remembered of this heartache every time they heard, read or saw anything related to the attackers, and they would have made their world more of a hell than it already was.

===tbc...===

So...the plot's been revealed and the story shall continue... Thanks once again for the reviews, they mean a lot :)