Will picked Kelly up at exactly ten the next morning, wearing a white cotton button down shirt and khaki slacks, a pair of sunglasses on his handsome face. Giving Brianna and her family a hug good bye, Kelly walked home side by side with her father.

"Have fun, Sunshine?" Will asked and Kelly nodded her head. After a moment of silence, she looked up at him.

"Where is she?" Kelly asked, trying to sound disinterested.

"At home, with Jess." Will answered her and Kelly stopped short.

"You left Jess alone with her?" Kelly asked incredulously and fear shone in her eyes. Her voice rose to become almost hysterical. "What were you thinking? What if she decides to leave again and takes Jess with her?"

Will grabbed Kelly's shoulders and shook her. "Kelly, stop! She wouldn't take Jess away from us and she is not leaving again."

"You don't know that!" Kelly said and shook her head vehemently. Tears threatened to fall, but she kept her brave front up. "You don't."

"Oh, Kelly." Will sighed deeply and in one rough, yet at the same time tender, movement he pulled her to him in a huge bear hug.

Kelly stiffened before relaxing into his embrace and hugging him back hard. They stood there in the sun, until Will felt Kelly begin to release him. He let go and tucked a lock of her black hair behind her ear, making her smile. She took his hand and they continued their walk home.

"When we get home, take a shower, get changed, and then pack an overnight bag. We are going to go have dinner at a nice restaurant with the Picards and then we are staying over the night." Will said and Kelly nodded, keeping her head down so he couldn't see the secret little smile she wore.

That smile disappeared as she caught sight of Deanna on the wooden porch, holding Jess on her hip. Deanna wore a pale lavender skirt and matching top, her dark curls piled up into a mass held with a lavender clip. Jess was dressed in a flowing skirt of light green that reached her tiny knees and a light green top with tiny sequined butterflies on it.

Jess waved and Will waved back, but Kelly just gripped his hand tighter. They reached the porch and Jess scrambled to get down. The young girl raced over to Kelly and threw her arms around her older sister's waist.

"Missed you!" Jess said and Kelly couldn't help the loving smile that appeared on her lips.

"I missed you too, Little One." Kelly said and ran a finger down Jess's baby soft cheek. With Will's chocolate brown hair along with his blue eyes, there could never be any doubt that she was his child. Kelly frowned slightly and fingered Jess's hair, which was back in a classic French braid. A distant memory played in the back of Kelly's mind.

*****************************

"Mommy, will you braid my hair today?" Young seven year old Kelly asks, rushing over to where her mother sits, brushing her own black hair.

"Of course. Anything for my Little One." A loving voice says, as smooth and gentle hands reach out to pull her onto a soft lap. The tugging sensation begins on her head and Kelly lets her eyes drift shut.

"All done, Little One." The voice says moments later, but little Kelly doesn't open her eyes. She just leans back and smiles as she feels slender arms encircle her. Feeling a soft kiss being pressed against her hair, the young girl smiles.

"I love you, Mommy." Kelly says and snuggles into her mother's safe and strong embrace, feeling as though nothing could hurt her.

****************************

Kelly blinked quickly and bit her lip hard. Her mother had left not more than two weeks later. She hadn't realized that she was staring at Jess until Will's voice broke into her head.

"Kel? Sunshine, are you all right?" Will asked and she just gave him a look as if she had just remembered he was there.

"Kelly, I would be more than happy to braid your hair too." Deanna said, stepping forward, her hand reaching gently for the girl. Kelly felt unbridled and unexplained panic rise up in her and she took a giant step back.

"No!" Kelly cried, wrapping her arms around herself. "Don't touch me!"

With that Kelly turned and ran into the house, leaving a shaken Deanna and Will. Jess began to cry softly and Will drew her close to his side, trying to shush her.

"What just happened here?" Will asked, his eyes wide.

Deanna gave him a sad smile and said, "One step forward and two steps back."

It wasn't a half hour later when a somber Kelly came back out to where they were waiting on the porch, dressed in a pale blue sundress with a matching choker necklace and flat sandals. Her own dark hair was usually in the same natural curls Deanna had, but today she had blown it straight with the ends curled softly. Even so, the resemblance to Deanna was uncanny.

Will had gotten the hover car ready, putting their bags in the trunk, and was now buckling Jessie into her car seat. He walked back up the porch where Kelly and Deanna stood in an awkward silence.

"You look beautiful Kel. So grown up." Will said and Kelly gave him a hundred watt smile. Will looked at Deanna and smiled at her. "All my girls look beautiful."

Kelly's smile quickly evaporated and she headed towards the car, ignoring Deanna completely. Deanna watched as the child climbed into the back seat of the hover car and Will buckled her up as if she were still as small as Jessie. The look of total adoration in Kelly's eyes when she looked at Will was like an arrow in Deanna's heart. Will said something making the girls laugh. Kelly said something back and this time it was Will who laughed. Kelly continued to talk to him in an excited chatter, moving her hands to accent her words. Deanna took a deep breath and made her way down the wooden steps and over to the car. Climbing into the passenger seat, she noticed that Kelly had stopped talking abruptly and was now staring stonily out the window. Deanna's eyes met Will's and he reached over to squeeze her hand. She gave him a small grateful smile and settled back into the seat.

Jessie began to chatter on about her new tumbling class, while Will and Deanna nodded and made comments when necessary. Soon enough, Jessie's talking slowed and Will glanced in the back to see her head beginning to droop and fall into a light sleep. Deanna saw Kelly watching her in the rearview mirror and caught the child's gaze. Kelly's eyes were thoughtful until she realized that Deanna was watching her too. Her eyes changed back into a cool icy blue filled with wariness. She scowled and again turned to look out the hover car window. Although she glanced into the rearview mirror a couple more times Deanna never saw Kelly look at her again. About twenty minutes later, Jessie was startled into being awake by the loud sounds of a building being constructed. Yawning and rubbing her eyes, she spoke up loudly.

"I'm hungry, Daddy. Can we stop and have a snack now?" Jessie asked, in a pleading voice.

Deanna turned in her seat and smiled at the little girl, then turned to Kelly.

"How about you, Kelly?" Deanna asked, cheerfully. "Are you hungry?"

The child continued to stare out the window and remained silent. Deanna sighed and turned back around to face the front. Will decided to try this time, catching Kelly's gaze and frowning when he noticed she was still scowling.

"Hey, Sunshine." Will said, winking at his older daughter. "You hungry yet? Cause I think that we are all gonna hafta eat you if we don't stop at that diner over there."

Kelly's scowl turned into a small smile as she listened to her father. She nodded slightly and he winked again, making her smile grow. Deanna felt a huge stab of envy in her heart, but was determined not to let it show how much she was hurting.

Will pulled into the parking lot and Jessie wiggled anxiously to get out of her seat. Kelly and Deanna reached over at the same time to unbuckle the small girl, causing for their hands to bump. Kelly recoiled as though she had been burned and practically flew out of the car. Deanna felt on the verge of tears and through blurred vision struggled to get the car seat undone. By the time she finished, Will and Kelly were waiting for them inside the restaurant. They had already been seated and Kelly had sat as close to Will as possible. Deanna lifted Jessie into the booster seat on the other side of the booth. As soon as she sat down next to the little girl, the child piped up.

"Mommy, I have to go to the bathroom."

Deanna smiled and got up to take her to the restroom. Suddenly Kelly appeared to her right and snatched Jessie's hand away into her own.

"I'll take her." Kelly said forcefully and coolly. "I always have."

There was a deliberately accusing tone in her voice and it made Deanna take a step back, looking as if she had been hit. For a second guilt flashed across Kelly's young face, but was soon replaced by cool indifference. She led a surprised Jessie away towards the bathroom without another word. Deanna felt Will tug on her hand and she let herself fall blindly into the seat next to him. She leaned her elbows onto the table and covered her face with her hands. Will pulled them away and looked at her closely. Tears were flowing down her face silently and she let him wipe them away with a napkin. She took another and blew her nose, trying to get back the reserve she had lost.

Looking at Will she took a deep breath and said, "She hates me. My beautiful daughter, one of the things that kept me going these five years, hates me."

"She doesn't hate you, Dee." Will said, shaking his head. "She just doesn't understand."

"How can she when she won't even let me explain?" Deanna asked, spreading her hands out in front of her.

"Maybe Beverly and Jean-Luc can help reach her. She grew very attached to Beverly after..." Will trailed off and Deanna raised her chin.

"After I abandoned her." Deanna finished for him.

"Dee, you didn't abandon her. We both know that." Will said, cupping her cheek in his hand and she leaned into it gratefully.

"We know that, but she doesn't. That's the whole point, Will. We have to think of this from her point of view. She is angry and hurt and very confused right now. We have to take it slow, for her sake." Deanna said and after a long sigh he nodded his agreement. Deanna turned her face and kissed the inside of his palm, just as the two girls returned to the table.

Kelly's eyes widened at this gesture and also at the fact that Deanna had taken her place by Will. She glared at both adults and ungracefully plopped herself down next to her sister. Silence ensued throughout the small meal, icy from Kelly and awkward from the two adults. Jessie sensed the tension and ate her side of Earthen cheese fries in quiet too. They all piled back into the hover car twenty minutes later and continued on their way. Kelly wouldn't talk to either of them now, angry with Will as well, and just glared out the window. He had caught her gaze once, but it had been so full of betrayal and hurt that he had looked away first. Will and Deanna exchanged a look, conveying each other's thoughts, which happened to be the same thing. They hoped that the Picards could help break the wall around their daughter's heart, if only enough to let her hear the truth she so desperately needed.