Chapter 1 - Star Date 12112.27- Ravenswood- 6:42 AM

"Isn't she so cute?" This older woman walked up to Katie and pinched her cheek. "You are such a sweet little girl."

"Madam, I play a twelve-year-old girl. I'm not 12." Katie grimaced at the woman's antics.

"Sure, you are sweetie." The older lady patted her cheek. "Be a good girl, and I'll have a peppermint for you later." The lady tottered off.

Katie bit her lower lip but kept the smile on her face. "My how Craven's grandbaby has grown up." A gentleman looked Katie up and down, making her skin crawl a bit. "He would be proud of you. It is so nice that his friends find a place for you in their shows."

"I auditioned like everyone else in the show sir." Katie tried to keep her tone pleasant, but her irritation was seeping in.

"My dear I'm sure that is true, but you will never get past this little theater. You can never get out of Craven's shadow." He reached out to touch Katie.

"Don't touch me!" Katie shoved him away, only to trip into a pit of inky black stuff.

The man looked down at her, "I told you. You can't escape his shadow." As the man turned away a wave the blackness swallowed over Katie's head.

Katie awoke tearing the bedding she was wrapped in off her bed. She couldn't stop shaking. She pulled her knees up to her chest to hug them. Dreams had been haunting her for the past couple months, ever since she quit the Byrd Production Company. She liked her co-workers, but the enjoyment of performing was being lost. No one had said anything, but Katie knew her last few performances had been 'phoned in', as her grandfather use to say. Her heart was no longer in it. Katie had thought by coming home and spending time with her family the spark would return. It did in a way. She had enjoyed singing to tease Sam and Beatrice, and when she broke out her point shoes to do little bits of the Nutcracker for the family and their guests at the Scotland estate. She got to sing and dance because she wanted to. In the way she wanted, not how someone else made her perform. She got to be Katelynn April Skyler, dancer, singer and performer, and not fit into the hole others expected her.

Once her breathing had calmed down, Katie looked around her room. Her cotton tee shirt and sweats were sticking to her skin from all the sweat. Turning, Katie pushed herself to her feet and grabbed her dressing gown. After the nightmare, she wasn't getting back to sleep anytime soon; so, she made her way down the stairs toward the kitchen. If she had to be up at this hour, she could at least have some coffee to keep her going.

Clumsily Katie stumbled her way into the kitchen only to be drawn up short at a very cheerly voice greeting her. "Hey, Katie bug!"

Katie tried to focus on the person sitting at the kitchen island reading a pad. It took a couple blinks for her eyes to focus onto Lilly Rose, her maternal grandmother.

"I didn't expect to see you up at this hour." Lilly sipped her tea and gave her granddaughter a knowing smile.

"Are Mom and Dad up yet?" Katie acknowledged her grandmother and shuffled her way over to the replicator to get herself some hot coffee with cream. Katie wasn't awake enough to handle her grandmother's morning cheeriness without it.

"Your Dad is off with Jack. Said something about taking Christopher to 'meet' his grandmother and then stopping for breakfast." Lilly shrugged, "Your mom is upstairs in her room. Your sister has the morning shift at the hospital, so Christine shouldn't be home for a few hours, and you didn't answer my question bug. What's wrong?"

Katie shrugged and leaned against the counter. "Didn't sleep that well. Too much running through my head." Katie sipped her coffee. "Have you seen everything that Sam has done to the Nest?"

"I saw the layout and the final look projected. Sam did a good job on the ironwork. I can't wait to see it in full bloom." Lilly sipped her tea but continued to watch her granddaughter.

"I tried to keep as many of the original plants as possible. Unfortunately, I was off planet since last June, so I didn't get a chance to see it in first bloom. However, we made minor tweaks that should make it lusher this spring and summer."

"You will get your early blooms in a couple of months. I'm sure it will look good once it is in full bloom this spring," Lilly sat down her teacup, "But you're not wandering the halls at this hour over some gardening. So, what's really on your mind?"

Katie shrugged, "I haven't been sleeping well. I've got a lot on my mind, and sleep is not coming easy."

"What is on your mind?" Lilly sipped her tea again, "Usually, you are so opinionated that you have no problem sharing what is bothering you."

With a sigh, and a sip of her own coffee Katie began, "Grandma, how did mom do it?"

"Do what?" Lilly asked, confused.

"Theater. How did mom manage to perform in the shadow of Grandpa Craven?"

Lilly thought, "Your mom did it because she loved to do it, not as a profession. She didn't mind being in Craven's shadow, and his shadow was big."

"Don't I know it." Katie groused.

"What's wrong, Katie bug?" Lilly reached out and laid her hand on Katie's.

"I just feel … stuck." Katie tried to explain. "I've been under study and relief performer for various shows, and it doesn't feel like I'm going anywhere with my career."

"Why do you say that?" Lynn squeezed her hand.

"I keep being asked, 'Aren't you Craven Rose's granddaughter? No wonder you got the part.', 'You are just coasting on your grandfather's reputation; no wonder you can't get good parts on your own." Katie put her face in her hands.

Lilly squeezed Katie's shoulder, "Katelynn, you are good. Better than your grandfather, I would bet."

"I've had success in younger roles, but I want to break into more mature roles. They have trouble taking me seriously. They see me as cute little Katie." Katie rolled her eyes, "Oh, you were cute in…, but you're just not quite ready for the big leagues." Katie mocked the casting director's tone. "If I try for a more dramatic part, all these people see is cute Katie or me trying to get a part based on grandpa's reputation."

"Sadly, in the theater world, that is going to happen. The only way to get around it is to prove yourself on your skills." Lilly patted her hand sympathetically.

"The only way to prove my skills is to perform, which I can't do because people won't hire me." Katie frustratedly tugged on her hair.

"Oh, stop that, Katie bug," Lilly playfully pushed Katie's hand back to the table. "You know where you could get the performance experience and the additional credentials you need."

"Grandma, you know I hated that school. They were just a bunch of stuck-up twits." Katie glared at her grandmother.

"And you weren't?" Lilly glared over her teacup, "You thought you were all that and couldn't wait to get out there on the stage and show the galaxy what real talent was."

Katie tipped her head down, embarrassed, "I may have said that when I was younger."

"That was two years ago, baby girl." Lilly pointed out a matter of fact.

"A lot of growing up can happen in two years," Katie said under her breath.

"You still have that open invitation to finish your bachelor's degree at Rangimoana." Lilly pointed out. "You loved taking classes there."

"I did, but I did not want to be away from mom and dad." Katie answered honestly, her hands wrapped around her mug.

"And you aren't now? Sweetie, how long have you been home? 4 months out of the past two years?"

"Give or take." Katie rolled her eyes.

"What would be the difference between you spending nine months at Rangimoana, which is located near a Star Fleet base, and you living out of suitcases eight months of the year doing tours?" Her grandmother glared at her.

"At least on Shaloo V, I'd have the same bed each night." Katie sighed and stirred her coffee.

"Bug, you are good. You have a year left before you graduate. At least finish your degree and choose your next step from there." Lilly squeezed her hand, hoping to get Katie to smile. "Maybe you might even find a nice director or producer that piques your interest." Lilly playfully teased.

"Grandma!"

"What? You are a beautiful and talented young lady." Lilly smirked mischievously.

"The problem is that most of the men I've run into like me for the characters I portray, not the real me." Katie groused.

"At least at Rangimoana, all the students face that same issue." Lilly reminded her.

"True..." Katie consented.

Lilly picked up her tea again, "Just do your grandma a favor?"

"Which is?" Katie gave her grandmother a bright smile.

"Stay away from those Star Fleet boys. They are all trouble."

Katie laughed, "No promises, grandma. They look awful cute in their uniforms."

Lilly glared at her with pursed lips. "That is what worries me."

Star Date 12112.30- Ravenswood- 0845 Hours

Still in her bedclothes and dressing gown, Lynn reached the bottom of the stairs and rounded the corner into the kitchen to see Katie, Sam, and Lilly sitting at the table. All three of them were eating fresh banana bread and were at various stages of morning coffee consumption. "Good morning." Lynn yawned as she fetched her cup of tea from the replicator.

"Morning," they said in unison, obviously not all awake yet.

"What's everyone up to today?" Lynn quizzed as she got her piece of banana bread.

"I'm taking Miss Katelynn here to meet with the dean of theatre studies at Rangimoana Academic School for the Arts on Shaloo V. We have to be there in 3 days, so we are leaving soon as we finish our coffee." Lilly smiled and squeezed her granddaughter's hand.

"And you're sure that this is what you really want, pumpkin?" Lynn asked for the 100th time in the past few days.

"Well, it really won't hurt to at least see what my options are." As Katie sipped her coffee, she replied, "I don't have any tours coming up for a while, and I can still catch some open auditions if I don't like what I see." Katie shrugged.

Lynn's eyes switched to Lilly, giving her a stern glare. "And you're not going to pressure her or exert any undue influence on her?"

"Of course not, my dear. I just want to see what's best for my lovely, talented granddaughter." Lilly smiled and hugged Katie. "Besides, if I did pressure her, my girl here would tell me right off, as her mother would."

"That I have no doubt, but it doesn't mean you won't attempt it," Lynn fixed her eyes on her mother with a great deal of skepticism. "And that is all?"

"Why would I need to do anything more?" Lilly looked at her attempting to look innocent.

Lynn set her tea down and leaned on the counter, facing her mother. "Because when I was their age, you hovered over me and micromanaged my every move and decision. Doing so just about drove me out of your life. And I don't want that to happen to my girls." Lynn crossed her arms and glared at her mother more intently.

"And look at the wonderful job you did raising them." Lilly beamed, trying to defuse the situation.

"Well, Richard helped." Lynn gave her mother an eyebrow but sternly looked at her mother. "Despite what you thought at the time."

"Yes, I admit that my doubts about him may have been unfounded, but you did an excellent job raising these young women into fine, strong, and capable individuals," Lilly admitted begrudgingly.

"Thank you, mom." Lynn nodded in acknowledgment but blushed slightly when she noticed Sam sitting awkwardly in the corner. Lynn changed the subject. "And as for you, Samuel. What are your plans for the day?"

"Finishing up a project in the Forge before I go back to school. It's a delicate piece, and I'm having trouble getting the carbon and the temperature to cooperate. Which" He looked to Lilly and cleared his throat, " 'stinks.' I've had to redo it three times already, and each time, it cracks right at the critical part." Sam grumbled and drank the last of his coffee.

"And Miss Beatrice?" Lynn playfully teased.

Sam's cheeks pinked, "Spending time with her family today." Then, pushing himself to his feet, Sam put his dishes in the replicator for recycling.

"She is a wonderful young lady. A perfect choice." Lilly saluted him with her mug. Lilly's compliment caused Sam to blush deeper. Then, hoping to escape the situation, he went to the door to grab his shoes.

"Hey, wait, Squirt!" Katie ran over and grabbed the front of his shirt so he would bend down. Begrudgingly Sam bent down so that her five-foot height could reach around his neck for a big hug and a peck on the cheek. "You're not getting out of here that easy without saying goodbye."

Sam laughed and swung her in a small circle as he stood to his full six-foot height. "Wouldn't dream of it, Katie-bug." Then, hugging her tight and giving her a small kiss on the cheek, he sat her back down, nodded to Lilly and Lynn, grabbed his mittens, and headed out into the cold towards the Forge.

"We better get going, ourselves." Lilly sighed as she put her mug in the recycler. Smiling, Lilly looked around the room with pride. Three generations of her family stood around the kitchen island.

"I gave Jack, Grace, and Christopher goodbye love last night. But you are not getting away without giving me some." Lynn went over to hug and kiss her daughter. "I love you, Katie bug."

"I love you too, mom." Katie smiled up at her mother and hugged her tighter. "I'll be right back with my things, grandma." Then, with one last cheek kiss, Katie ran upstairs to get her last things.

As she came around the corner Katie ran into her father's chest. "Oof, sorry Dad."

"Where are you running off to pumpkin?" Richard took a step back to look at his daughter.

"Grandma and I are leaving today for Shaloo V today. I came up here to get the last of my things." Katie looked up into her father's eyes.

"And you're sure that this is what you want, Bug? You're going to be going in at a considerable disadvantage and you're going to need to push twice as hard to catch up. I know you're good for it, little one. But do you?"

"I've been miserable for a while now, and this is a chance to start things again after a little bit of a reality check."

"If this is what you really want, you know you have my support." He hugged his youngest. "With Jack and Christine gone and now you leaving too, it's going to be…a bit of an adjustment for everyone that's for sure. But I always knew that my little girl was destined to dance among the stars one day."

Katie rolled her eyes at him, "I need to go grab my stuff before Grandma decides to leave without me. Besides, I left her and mom alone together.

"And I am meeting up with Jack, Grace and the Scotts," checks his chronometer, "ugh.. ten minutes ago, on the Haida."

"Then you better hurry before Robin throws you in the brig." Katie adjusted her father's collar.

Richard laughed and took her hand into his. "Before I go, promise me one thing?"

"What is that?" She smiled at her father."

"That no matter how far you go, you never lose sight of where you've been? That's what makes you so special, Katie bug." He kissed her cheek, "Now I need to give your mother a kiss and go see what kind of meddling your grandmother has been up to before I leave."

"Don't keep Robin waiting or she really will have your hide!" She gave him one last cheek kiss before heading into her room to grab her bag.

A few minutes later, Katie bounded down the stairs with her bag over her shoulder. She found her mother and grandmother eyeing each other over their mugs. As she did so, her eyes flicked back and forth between the two women. Something had happened while she was gone, but she wasn't sure what it was. Deciding it was best to not ask, "I'm ready."

"Then we will head out now." Lilly got up and hugged Lynn, "Stay safe out there, my little flower."

"I will do my best." Lynn smiled and released her mother's hug to take her own daughter into her arms. "Katelynn, promise me you will call when you get settled. I want to hear all about what you are doing."

"I promise, mom," Katie kissed her mother's cheek before letting go.

Lilly and Katie made their way to Ravenswood's transporter with a wave and disappeared.