CHAPTER 14

I was twenty-seven, and had learned how to trust for the first time. I was standing in the transporter room, ready to leave the first place that I could have called home.

"Tasha, you know that you don't have to leave," Will said.

"I do," I answered. "I can't stay here."

"Why not?"

"Because I need to make my own life. I wouldn't have anything to do here, nothing important. There's no place for me."

"We coul—"

"Will," I interrupted. "This is what I want."

He nodded. "Okay."

Captain Picard had come to see me off, as had Dr. Crusher. Will stepped back away from me as Picard stepped forward.

"I wish you the best of luck," Captain Picard said. "I hope you find what you're looking for."

"Thank you, sir," I said.

Crusher stepped forward. "It's been very interesting studying your physiology," she said, smiling.

"Thank you. It was interesting for me, too." It was true. I'd spent several hours in Sickbay, allowing Crusher to run scans and tests on me. I'd learned more about shapeshifting in the past few days than I had in the past sixteen years.

Crusher stepped forward and hugged me. Startled, I hugged her back. When she pulled away, she smiled at me. "If you ever need anything, you can come here."

I smiled. It meant a lot for Picard and Crusher to come to see me off. It was surprising. I'd spend a lot of time with Dr. Crusher over the past few days and we had gotten along well, but I wasn't used to people caring.

"I will," I promised.

"Good luck," Crusher said, repeating Picard's words. The two of them turned and left, leaving me and Will alone. I wondered if they had planned that.

"I'm going to miss you," Will said. "This week has been—"

"Weird?" I cut in.

"Fun."

I laughed.

"You're sure that you won't stay? Captain Picard said that you could stay as long as you wanted."

"I know, and I appreciate it. I just need to make my own life."

"On Risa?" I could see laughter in his eyes.

"It seemed as good a place as any," I said. "I have the feeling I'd enjoy working there now."

"You've changed," Will said.

"I know. Thanks to you."

"Me?" Will honestly looked confused.

"Yeah." I looked up at him. "You didn't know that you did it?"

"Did what?"

"Changed me. Before I met you, I was scared, distrustful, suspicious—"

"Tasha—"

"No, Will, I mean it," I said. "I didn't trust anyone or believe in anything. And then I met you." Seeing his expression, I continued, "I'm not saying you're my saviour, I'm saying that meeting you made me realize that not everyone was selfish and trying to hurt me. That's what I thought. But you weren't like that."

"I thought you were a cat," Will pointed out.

"Yes. And I thought that all Starfleet officers were stuck-up and self-centered." I grinned. "We were both wrong."

I looked over at the transporter operator, some unnamed ensign.

"I need to go."

Will reached forward and hugged me. I hugged him back, tightly.

"I'll miss you, Will," I said.

"I'll miss you, too, Tasha." I pulled back, and he reached down and kissed me on the cheek. "You're the most unique person I've ever met."

"Thanks," I said, raising an eyebrow. Then I turned away and hopped up onto the transporter pad.

"Maybe I'll stop by sometimes," Will said. "See how you're doing."

"Next time you're on Risa, just look me up," I said. I nodded at the transporter operator.

"Energize."

The blue light encased me, but this time I didn't think it was death. It was a new life.

THE END

Well, that's it. Thanks for reading and to everyone who reviewed. I really enjoyed writing this story, even though when I started I really didn't think I'd even finish it, let alone publish it here. Thanks again for reading.

"A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been,

accepts what you have become, and still gently allows you to grow."

-William Shakespeare