Loire Valley, France

Tuesday 8th February 1994

"Marie-Claire, un instant s'il vous plaît." Krang addressed his housekeeper in careful French, a language which he had learned to speak fairly well, if not fluently. He had come home early, especially to speak with her before she left for the day, and once he was done, he would have to return to his own work.

About to put on her coat, she turned to face him, giving him an enquiring look. "Oui?"

"I must tell you," he began, "that in a few days, I will be leaving Earth and returning home to my own world."

"Well, you have been working very hard," she said comfortably. "A holiday will do you good. How long will you be gone?"

"You misunderstand me," Krang informed her. "This is not a holiday. I am leaving permanently."

"Oh! That is very sudden, Monseigneur." She had known that the two years of his contract were almost up, but he had implied that he was considering staying longer. "You will be missed, of course." That was the truth, actually. She had become used to his ways and although she had never said so, she'd grown fond of him. He was prickly and bad tempered but he had always treated her and the other villagers with respect. Nor had he ever harmed her in any way – and quite apart from all that, his departure would leave her in need of another job. A frightening thought crossed her mind. "Who will replace you? Will they continue your policies? I pray it will not be someone like…" She stopped, realising that no matter how kind he might seem, he was still a Klingon and it was not a good idea to insult or criticise his people. Even so, the thought of someone like Colonel Karg taking command was terrifying.

He shook his head. "There is no replacement. We are done with Earth; the invasion is over."

"Mon Dieu!" Marie-Claire could not hide her surprise. "You mean all of your people are leaving? Permanently?"

He nodded. "Oui. That is correct."

"And Madame Chrissie? She will go with you?" Marie-Claire had no doubt of the answer. The two were plainly in love and the children adored their new father; of course, they would go with him.

"No," Krang said harshly. "Chrissie will remain here on Earth. I cannot take her with me."

That was definitely not the answer the housekeeper had expected. "But… you will come back for her of course?"

He shook his head, not quite trusting himself to speak.

"But you are both so much in love," Marie-Claire protested.

"After you got to know me a little…" Knowing that what he was about to say was sensitive, Krang picked his words with care. "…you honoured me with the truth about your origins. Will you tell me now, what happened to your father at the end of the war?"

The housekeeper's face was very pale as she answered. "I did not learn the truth for many years, Monseigneur, because my mother kept the information from me. But after she died, I looked for him." She fell silent, lost in the memories, harsh and painful as they were, and he waited patiently for her to speak again. "I eventually found out that he was arrested and tried by the Allies at Nuremberg. They… they found him guilty of war crimes and hanged him."

"And that, Marie-Claire," he said quietly, "is why I cannot take Chrissie with me."

Aware from her horrified expression that she had understood, he held up a hand, preventing her from speaking. "It is Chrissie's fate that I must discuss with you now, not mine."

"Je comprends, Monseigneur," the housekeeper said shakily. She did not believe for one moment that her employer had committed anything that could be considered war crimes here on Earth but nevertheless she respected his wish not to discuss it further. Instead, she asked, "What can I do to help?"

"I need reassurance," Krang told her. "I must know if, once my people have gone, will Chrissie and the children be safe here?"

"I believe so," she said slowly. "Saint Philippe sur Loire is a small community and you are well respected here. Jean-Pierre is very fond of her – he told me that anyone who knows how to prune apple trees the way she does is welcome in his garden, even if her French isn't very good."

Krang grinned, recognising that as a significant compliment from the grumpy old man who looked after his garden. "So, he will offer her his protection then?"

"Oui, certainement." Marie-Claire nodded vigorously, before adding very seriously, "I cannot, however, guarantee the lack of reprisals from further afield. We will do everything we can to keep your family safe, but some things are out of our control."

"I understand," he said soberly. Jean-Pierre was influential in the village community and if he was willing to accept Chrissie, then the others would follow his lead. This was the best he could do for her, the rest was in the hands of whatever gods or higher beings chose to intervene in their affairs. Momentarily he regretted that the Klingons had killed their gods, but maybe the God Chrissie had spoken of… the one she'd said was loving and caring… would look after her. He could only hope.

"Is there anything else, Monseigneur?"

About to say no, he reconsidered. "Actually, yes, several things. I am aware that I am effectively terminating your employment with very little notice. I do not, however, intend to leave you destitute. I will be transferring enough funds into your account to cover your wages for the next few years. The same is true for Jean-Pierre, although I will speak with him myself on that subject. And finally…" He continued quickly, forestalling her shocked thanks. "I wish to purchase this house on Chrissie's behalf. Will you make the arrangements with the house owner? I will, of course, pay whatever he considers to be a fair price."

"I will go and see him at once," Marie-Claire promised. Picking up her coat, she put it on and fastened the buttons before reaching for her car keys.

"Tres bien." Krang inclined his head in satisfaction. "Thank you for your service, Marie-Claire. You are dismissed."

The Neutral Zone, London

Wednesday 9th February 1994

With the children safely at school, Chrissie had Grenn take her to London to have lunch with Maggie. Wednesday was not the best day for such a venture, since it was always a half day for French schools, but Marie-Claire, deciding that a little time with friends her own age would be good for Chrissie, had arranged for the children to have a play date with her grandsons.

Hopefully, Kolana would be there as well. Chrissie had asked Krang … told him, rather… to pass on an invitation to the Klingon woman, letting it be clearly known that if Kolana was on duty, he had better fix it so she wasn't. It was not like her to be so assertive, and he'd looked at her with surprise – and was that approval? – and agreed.

The truth was, Chrissie was feeling confused, isolated and very much in need of a friend. During the years of her marriage, Diego had controlled her friendships, although she had been too young and naïve to realise it at the time. He'd liked Sarah though, perhaps because she had fallen for his act, declaring him to be a 'charming gentleman'. And of course, she lived thousands of miles away in the USA, and was therefore no danger to him and his plans. Whatever the reasons, she and Sarah had maintained their friendship via regular letters and phone calls until that fateful vacation that had left the American woman stranded in Europe. They'd grown closer during the eighteen months they had lived together with her brother, becoming sisters in every way that counted.

That was all gone now. Chrissie understood Sarah's anger, she really did. Krang was not just any Klingon, he was the leader of the forces who had sunk the Enterprise, killing Joe and everyone else who had been onboard. Millions more had died, many of them in the fighting and some, like Diego and Miguel… and she still felt sadness when she thought of her husband's cousin… executed for crimes against the enemy invaders. Chrissie knew all that and loved him anyway – and that was something Sarah could not forgive. Not that Sarah was alone in that opinion. In the eyes of her fellow humans, she was a collaborator, an outcast to be reviled and hated. Despite her best intentions and attempts to stay positive, Chrissie could not help being a little afraid.

"We are coming down to land now." Grenn's voice broke into her thoughts, bringing her back to the present. As he spoke, there was the slightest bump as the underside of the shuttle made contact with the road. Just as he always did, he cut the engines, opened the shuttle door and stepped into the street, making sure it was safe before allowing her to disembark. She would miss Grenn as well, she realised suddenly. She'd spent quite a lot of time in his company and had come to consider him a friend.

Despite her despondency, she felt her spirits lifting when she saw the now familiar frontage of the restaurant, its windows filled with bright pictures of the food they served. She might have lost Sarah but she had made new friends… friends who understood and did not judge her. Both Maggie and Kolana, while very different women, from very different backgrounds, had been kind to her that evening and she was looking forward to spending a little time with them both.

Satisfied that all was well, Grenn ushered her inside, where she found Maggie and Kolana sitting at a table. They both waved vigorously when they saw her and she made her way to join them, leaving her guard to take his usual place at the bar.

As they enjoyed the food that Grapok brought them, mostly Terran dishes since Kolana had decided she wanted to try local food, the women found that they had many things to talk about. They were just discussing whether Kolana would like chocolate cake when the bell above the door jangled loudly. Maggie looked up in annoyance. It was late now and the restaurant had closed for the afternoon. She was about to say so when Chrissie exclaimed in surprise. "Marla! I didn't know you were coming."

"Kolana invited me," Marla explained, coming over to join them and pulling up a chair. "Sorry I'm late. I've been absolutely swamped with work and didn't think I would make it. We've been doing all the engine calibrations for the time jump home."

"Well, I am glad you are here," Chrissie said. "Maggie, do you know Marla?"

"Not well," the waitress admitted. Relaxing, she offered the newcomer a welcoming smile. "You were here on Friday night. Grapok told me you'd just got married." She raised her voice. "Hey, Grapok, can you bring a bottle of champagne over?"

Grapok came over with the requested bottle, opening it and placing it on the table before asking if Marla would like anything to eat. Thinking about it, she decided on a lightly cooked burger, not really sure what it was but thinking that it looked interesting and it might be her last chance to try it.

Pouring the sparkling liquid into glasses, Maggie handed them out and then raised her own into the air. "To the bride and groom!"

Slightly unsure what to do, the Klingon women followed Chrissie's example as she held her glass up and then drank from it. When Grapok returned with Marla's burger and generous portions of chocolate cake for the other women, they were all laughing and joking together, slightly tipsy after the wine and champagne they had drunk. Quickly, he retreated to the bar, hiding an amused smile. Maggie worked too hard, it was good to see her relaxing and having fun.

Noticing how Maggie was watching the chef as he walked away, Chrissie grinned. "You like him, don't you?"

Maggie blushed. "I've liked him for ages. Not that he's ever noticed."

"Have you tried to make him notice?" Kolana asked thoughtfully.

"Well, no…" Maggie shifted uneasily. "I mean… what if he doesn't like me?"

"Maybe," Chrissie suggested, "you should ask yourself what if he does?"

Kolana nodded her agreement. "You must realise, Maggie, that we are a very direct people. If you want him, then grab him and tell him so. Hit him over the head if you need to and if that doesn't get the message across, try biting him. I will be very surprised if he refuses you."

"Bite him?" Maggie laughed as she tried to imagine herself doing that. "Really?"

"Yes, really," Chrissie confirmed, remembering just how much Krang had liked it when she'd bit him. "If that doesn't work, nothing will."

"Maybe so, but…" Maggie sighed. "What's the point? He's leaving. I'm just going to end up falling even more in love with him and then he'll be gone and I'll never see him again."

Chrissie sobered. Maggie's pain echoed her own and finding that she could not speak, she reached out and placed a hand on Maggie's, giving it a sympathetic squeeze. Even Kolana was silent for a moment. "Tell me," the Klingon woman said eventually, breaking the silence that had fallen, "will you not miss him anyway? Would it not be better to have something to remember him by? Make the happy memories while you can, otherwise you will regret it for the rest of your life."

"That's easy for you to say," Maggie said bitterly. "You both get to go with your men, you'll get your happy ending."

"There will be no happy ending for me," Kolana said. "I like it here on Earth and I do not wish to leave. I have a freedom here that I will never have back home."

"But you will have Koreth," Chrissie pointed out.

Kolana shook her head. "Koreth is married and there is no way that she will agree to a divorce." She sighed. "I thought I just wanted sex, a good time with no commitment. I was wrong. He is someone I could love and I do not want to lose him."

"There's no happy ending for me either," Chrissie said quietly. "Krang is leaving and he's not taking me with him."

All three women stared at Chrissie in shock, not completely sure that they had heard right. Krang was leaving Chrissie? That was just… unbelievable.

"But…" Kolana shook her head. "You are pregnant. I do not understand."

Marla remained quiet. Compared to the other women, she was lucky. She'd avoided a forced marriage and she had Kay'vin. Whatever happened, she knew that Krang would do everything in his power to shield them, to prevent Kay'vin's part in his treason from coming to light. Still, Kay'vin was guilty and the risk was huge. Klingon justice was brutal and there was every possibility that their immediate future consisted of arrest and execution. In many ways and for many reasons, Marla, realised, the Klingon withdrawal was a disaster for all four of them.

Note: I think the French bits in this chapter are easy enough to figure out without me including translations. If not, let me know.

In many ways, both Krang and Chrissie are guilty of rehashing the same thoughts over and over... in Krang's case, the fact that he expects to be executed. While he isn't afraid, I do think it natural that it would be constantly on his mind. The same is true of Chrissie's concerns.

The usual thanks to the usual people for their kind words, support and encouragement. If you didn't know by now, that's JDC0, Solasnagreine and RobertBruceScott. All three are writers here and their stories are in the same category as this one. I highly recommend you take a look.