Copyright 2001, Susan S. McCrackin  Reprinted with permission of the author.

Ketaria looked at the Doctor and B’Elanna, her expression both excited and serious.

"Are the two of you ready?"

They nodded at her, but she could tell they were both nervous.

"Ketaria," the Doctor’s concern was obvious in his voice, "are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Doctor, to be honest with you, I don’t know. But I do not think I will be able to hide the fact that you are alive from your daughter. She will know. And I have to see her. We try to talk every night. It is the only thing that controls her. We have to do this."

He nodded at her, still concerned, but agreeing with her. They had been arguing back and forth for the past hour. He agreed but he could not understand how she could possibly keep secret the fact that he was alive. Plus, both Ketaria and B’Elanna were adamant she had to be told, and that the best thing for Kathryn B’Elanna would be for them to visit. He was not convinced, but he was going along with it. As much as anything, he wanted to see his daughter, even if only in the non-physical world. Giving B’Elanna a worried looked, he prepared himself.

Ketaria reached for B’Elanna’s hands, then looked at the Doctor, "I hope this will work. Without your mobile emitter, I do not have anything physical to connect with you. We will just have to try this and see what happens."

He settled himself near them and watched as they closed their eyes. All he could do now was wait.

Ketaria left awareness and waited for B’Elanna. As soon as B’Elanna joined her, they started to move. 

"You are getting more and more comfortable with this."

"Yes," B’Elanna laughed, "it is starting to feel more natural to me."

"Have you tried it without Kathryn B’Elanna?"

"No," B’Elanna gave her a surprised look, "I haven’t even thought about trying it by myself."

"You might," Ketaria smiled back at her, "the more you practice, the more capable you become. It might be possible for you to do this on your own."

"I don’t know," B’Elanna’s voice was uncertain, "I don’t know that I would feel comfortable."

"You might be wise to be cautious. Maybe when things have…calmed down, we will explore your abilities." She gave B’Elanna a meaningful look, "And your limits."

B’Elanna did not respond, but concentrated on the figure she could now see moving toward them. Her face broke out into a smile as she heard the small voice yelling her name.

"Bala. Bala."

"KB," B’Elanna called to her, "hello sweetheart." She watched as the child came running up to them, her face lit up with excitement. She was aware that Ketaria was exerting a calming influence over both of them, working to keep them from allowing their excitement to send them out of this place. B’Elanna worked to calm herself and received an appreciative look from Ketaria. Together, they worked to calm KB.

She was talking to them, her words coming so fast neither of them could understand her. They could make out some words such as Gwanpaw, which she said often, but not too many more. Ketaria started laughing, "Kathryn B’Elanna, slow down. You are talking too fast."

They watched as the child sighed, clasping her hands in front of her, finally saying, "Gwanpaw got me."

They looked at each other in amazement. B’Elanna kneeled down to talk to her, "KB, are you living with your Grandpa?"

"Yes," her face lit up, "with Gwanpaw."

She looked up at Ketaria, "He must have filed for custody. And won." She reached her hand to her head, "That is wonderful news."

Ketaria nodded, "That will make it easier to get her. We’ll just have to get word to Kathryn and…."

"Dada?" Kathryn B’Elanna looked up at Ketaria, her eyes going wide. 

Ketaria’s words were silenced immediately, and she looked down at the child. She realized she was both surprised and not at all surprised. She knew Kathryn B’Elanna would know once they met. She had just been too distracted to realize it immediately. She kneeled beside B’Elanna and gave the child a gentle look, "Yes, sweetheart. Your Dada is on Kahkar’s ship. He is waiting on you to bring him here. Do you think you can bring your Dada here?"

She had barely spoken the words when the Doctor appeared beside her,

"Dada!" Kathryn B’Elanna’s voice cracked with emotion, and Ketaria saw the tears falling down her face. Then, she watched as she reached for her father and he for her.

Before she could warn him that he could not pick her up, he lifted her in his arms, and they hugged tightly. Ketaria’s mouth dropped open.

B’Elanna spoke beside her, "How can they do that?"

Ketaria stood with her hand over her mouth, not believing what she was seeing. They should not be able to touch in this place. The Doctor should not be able to hold her. She closed her eyes a moment, then opened them, expecting the vision before her to go away. But, when she opened them, the Doctor was still standing in front of her, holding his daughter tightly in his arms. Hesitantly, she reached forward to touch them and her hand passed through, not feeling anything. She quickly moved back and worked to control herself.

B’Elanna was watching, her look unbelieving. Even she knew that what she was seeing should not be possible. She waited, wondering what would happen next.

Finally, the Doctor pulled his head back, looking into the face of his daughter. He saw his wife’s face in hers and shut his eyes tightly, leaning forward to kiss her forehead, "Dada loves you sweetheart."

She squeezed his neck and they exchange grunting hugs, laughing as they did. Kathryn B’Elanna turned her head to look at Ketaria, "Dada, Keta. Dada!"

"I know, sweetheart. Your Dada is with us on our ship. But," she moved forward, putting her finger to her lips, "Dada is a shhhh. Dada is a secret."

Kathryn B’Elanna frowned, "Shhhh?"

"Yes," the Doctor placed his finger to his own lips, "Dad is a shhhh. You must not tell anyone about Dada."

Her lips tightened, "No tell Gwanpaw?"

"No," the Doctor shook his head, making his face serious, "no tell Grandpa. No tell anyone."

"Shhhh." She put her finger up to her lips. "Dada a shhhh."

He kissed her on the cheek, "That’s my best girl." At his words, his face clouded, and he fought for control of his emotions. Kathryn B’Elanna took his face in her hands, and they touched foreheads. After a moment, she whispered, "Miss Mama, too."

B’Elanna had to turn her back to them. She felt Ketaria assisting her, but even Ketaria’s help could not stop her tears. She stood away from them, fighting for control. It took her a minute to realize that Ketaria was speaking.

"Kathryn B’Elanna, we must return. You go back to your Grandpa, and we will return to Kahkar’s ship. Do not tell anyone about this. We will be coming for you soon. You must keep our secret."

"Shhhh."

"Yes, shhhh." Ketaria nodded to her, "It will not be long now, Kathryn B’Elanna. I promise you, it will not be long now." She looked to the Doctor, and he lowered his daughter to the floor, after sharing an intense hug with her. "Now, you go back to your Grandpa. Do not tell anyone. Do not look for the bad man. Kahkar do. Kathryn B’Elanna not do."

The Doctor kneeled down to look at her, "You do what Ketaria says, Kathryn B’Elanna. Remember that Dada loves you. And we will be together soon."

She nodded, putting her finger to her lips one last time, "Shhhh. Love Dada." She ran up and gave him one last hug, then turned and walked away. They watched until she disappeared from sight. Ketaria turned just as the Doctor disappeared from the place where they were. She glanced at B’Elanna, and they began to return to awareness.

As soon as their eyes opened, they looked around, each relieved to see the Doctor beside them. 

"How did she do that?" He was looking at Ketaria, his eyes wide with surprise and concern.

"I don’t know, Doctor," she understood exactly what he was questioning. "I have never know it to be possible to touch in that place. But then, I would never had imagined that she would be able to bring you to that place, either. If she can do that, it would make sense that she would find ways to do other things that would be impossible for me."

He gave her a knowing look, "She is getting much stronger, isn’t she?"

Ketaria nodded, "Yes. She is." She rose slowly, "We must tell Kahkar. It is more important than ever that we get her as soon as possible. We can no longer afford to wait."

They followed her as she left the small meditation room. B’Elanna slipped her hand into the Doctor’s and squeezed. He squeezed hers in return, giving her a worried smile.

"Motalli!"

He jerked up, hitting his head on the ledge above him as he did. "Ow!" He quickly reached up, rubbing the small knot starting to rise on the top of his head. Looking over his shoulder as he backed out of the small place where he had been working, he responded to the voice behind him, "What?"

"Sorry," Lane gave him an apologetic look, "we just received a message and I thought you would want to hear about it immediately." He handed him a PADD.

He took the PADD with one hand and rubbed his head with the other. Glancing over at Seven, he noticed that she had not stopped her work. Laughing silently to himself, he read the message, the laughter disappearing from his face. He gave Lane a serious look, then slowly got to his feet. He nodded with his head, indicating to Lane he should leave. Lane did not question him. He turned on his heals and quickly left the shuttle bay. Slowly, Motalli made his way over to where Seven was working.

"Seven."

"What?" She did not raise her head.

"I need to you to stop work a minute."

The sound of his voice drew her attention. As she looked up, he handed her the PADD. Curious, she dropped her eyes, reading the PADD. She raised her eyes to him, noting his concern. She turned away, thinking.

"They will land soon."

He nodded at her.

"Then, we should go to meet them."

He gave her a funny look, trying to read her reaction. He watched as she pulled the headband from her belt, slipping it over her head and carefully arranged it around her face. Suddenly, he understood what she was doing. He pulled in the sides of his cheeks, "Sure. Let’s go."

Together, they walked out of the shuttle bay, neither speaking as they entered the turbolift and rode down to the planet’s surface. As soon as they emerged from the open doors, Wooton met them and excitedly accompanied them toward the descending cargo vessel. They watched as it landed, stirring up a small amount of dust as it did.

Motalli could feel Seven preparing herself. The next few minutes would be interesting. He hid his grin from her and crossed his arms in front of him as the doors of the cargo vessel opened and the stiff, limping passengers disengaged from its dark interior. Noticing that Seven had not moved, he stepped forward, hand offered in greeting.

"I am Motalli. Welcome."

The first man out took the offered hand, "Thank you. I am Harry Kim. This is Neelix," he turned to the Talaxian on his right, "and this is Supala," he indicated the redheaded young woman on his left. "It is good to be here."

"And exactly what brings you here?"

"We are looking for a friend of ours."

"Oh? And what makes you think your friend is here?"

"We ran into Volik. He led us to believe we might find our friend with your people."

"My people?"

Harry hesitated, "Yes." He took a deep breath, "Borg sympathizers."

"Really?" He glanced over at Seven, noticing that Harry Kim did also, only to turn his eyes away quickly. He saw that neither Harry Kim or the one identified as Neelix paid much attention to Seven. The female, however, was a different story. She kept looking at Seven as if trying to figure out if she knew her. His attention was drawn back to Harry Kim as he heard the young man speak again.

"Yes. We also are…Borg sympathizers. We were on Voyager." He took a deep breath, "We are looking for Seven of Nine. She is our friend, and we are hoping to find her here." He crossed his arms in front of him and waited. He allowed himself to study the man in front of him carefully. He was taller, and his shoulders were broader. Harry could see the sturdiness of his build. Motalli was a strong man, but he sensed a…friendliness about him. Maybe it would work to their advantage. Slowly, he turned his attention to the female beside him. They stood closely, and he suspected they were more than acquaintances. She was almost as tall as Motalli. He glanced down her body, seeing the brace running down her leg. He could not help but notice the weaponry she wore. He did not think he wanted to get into an altercation with her as he suspected she would probably best him in a fight. He glanced up at her face, first seeing the scar on her chin. Too bad, he thought. It was a red and ugly scar, and he knew it would mar whatever beauty she might have had. When he looked into her eyes, their blackness unnerved him. He found he had to look away from her. The coldness of her eyes went through him like a knife. He turned his attention back to Motalli. 

"Can you help us find her?"

Harry watched as Motalli glanced over at his companion. Feeling his frustration growing, he spoke to the female, "Well, what about it? Can you help us find our friend?"

The female turned her head to Motalli, giving him a slight movement of her head, before turning back to him, but she did not speak. Harry could feel his anger building. He closed his eyes, fighting for control.

Motalli stepped forward, "Yes, I think we might be able to help you find your friend."

Harry’s eyes shot open, for the first time showing some kind of hope, but also surprised at the response. He narrowed his eyes, studying Motalli’s face carefully. Finally, he said, "Wonderful. When? Where?"

Motalli looked over at his companion, and Harry followed his line of vision. He watched as the female moved up close to him. For the first time, he noticed she walked with a slight limp, favoring the leg with the brace. As he forced himself to look into her eyes, he heard her speak.

"Now and here, Harry."

His jaw dropped open slowly, and he blinked his eyes in shock. He heard Neelix exclaim behind him.

"What?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Supala moved to stand in front of the taller woman, looking up at her, "Hello, Seven. It’s good to see you again."

Harry Kim watched as the female reached up, grasped the headband in her hand and slowly pulled it from her head. He had to admit to himself, that if he had not seen the Borg implants, he probably still would not have been able to recognize her.

Her long blond hair was gone, instead it was shorn short and rough cut and died a dark brown. There was a long scar running down the side of her face, almost circling her chin. And her beautiful blue eyes were cold black, giving her face a hard look that chilled him to the bone. It was only when she spoke to Supala that he was certain it was her. It was Seven’s firm, clipped tone.

"Hello, Supala. It is good to see you, also. Neelix." She nodded at the Talaxian. Then, she turned to look him full in the face, "Hello, Harry."

He swallowed, "Seven. I…I can’t believe it is you."

She gave herself a moment to respond, "I understand." She turned to look at Motalli.

"Why don’t you join me in the meeting hall. I think we all could use a drink."

Admiral Paris watched the man in front of him carefully. He was struck by how different the man was today from the last time he had seen him. Thinking over their conversation of the last hour, he was searching for anything the man had said to shake his belief in his words.

Even as he did, he knew he would not find anything. He believed every word he had heard. He had recognized the truth of each word as it had left the man’s mouth. In some ways, what he had heard had given him some sense of relief and a great deal of comfort. His faith in the leadership of the Federation was somewhat restored. If what he had heard was true, what had happened had been the work of a person or a group not directly tied to the entire leadership. But the words had given him a deeper sense of fear that the leadership could be so easily compromised.

What was surprising him more was the pain he heard in the man’s voice. He also heard the deep sense of remorse. That did not surprise him. He thought through his words before he spoke.

"What do you suggest we do?"

As soon as he asked the question, he knew there was a ready answer. He smiled inwardly, knowing that, even as the man had come to him hoping for his assistance, he had been "handled." He allowed himself to explore how he felt about that and realized it did not bother him in the least. Handled or not, he was ready to take action and do something about the situation. He did not want to admit it, but he wanted revenge.

This incidence had cost him his faith in the Federation, in the organization he had spent his life serving. It may have cost him a relationship with his son and his son’s family. The feelings of anger he felt over that still threatened to overtake him. 

Thinking back to the message he had received from Tom, he frowned. He had not even had the chance to say goodbye to his son or hug his grandson. They had just left. Their actions had been confusing and had angered him. Now, he was wondering if they had been driven away. That would make more sense than their just leaving. It would explain B’Elanna giving up Kathryn B’Elanna. That action had shocked him almost as much as their leaving. Now, it was all starting to make more sense. He gave the man in front of him his full attention as the man began to speak. As he listened to the plan, he found himself nodding.

It made sense. The plan was sound. Even as he listened, he knew the outcome of this plan would probably change his life forever. As the man finished, he allowed himself to carefully think about what the man said and the implications it would have for him.

Finally, he nodded his head, "It is a good plan. I do believe you have covered most of the issues and concerns I would have. I believe it will work."

"So, I can count on you?"

"Yes."

The man hesitated, "You realize this could be dangerous? And that it could mean the end of your career in Starfleet?" 

Admiral Paris gave the man a hard stare, "I knew that before you ever started talking. That is the least of my concerns."

"You are more worried about your family?"

"Yes." He sighed, "And about Kathryn B’Elanna."

The man in front of him nodded his head slowly, "I understand." He looked up, his eyes sad, "I have thought about her so often. I cannot believe I was involved in something that cost her so much. I do not know how I will ever be able to make things right for her."

Admiral Paris thought carefully before speaking, "She will not be safe here."

He watched the confusion on the man’s face, "What do you mean?"

"There was a reason her mother was incarcerated and her father killed. I think it is also the reason her mother was killed on the transport ship. It is that reason she is in danger. I have come to the conclusion that she cannot stay here. She is at great risk. We may all be at risk because of her. I have decided there is only one safe place for her."

There was silence. Finally, the man spoke, "You know what that reason is."

"Yes, I do."

The man sighed, and Admiral Paris knew he was seriously asking himself if he wanted to ask what that reason was. He understood the man’s reluctance. After what seemed forever, the man looked at him, his eyes asking the question.

Admiral Paris leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. Slowly, he started to speak.

Tayroe Orvis waited. It did not take long for Elena to come through the door.

"Yes?"

"Please, have a seat."

She moved to the chair in front of his desk and sat down. She did not allow herself to smile, but she had expected this meeting. It was normal for them to have a long talk after she had presented him with the kind of report she had given him yesterday. She knew he would spend the night thinking about what he had read and the discussion they had subsequently had. She sat back, waiting.

"Can I get you a cup of coffee?"

His question surprised her. For a strange reason, it also unsettled her. She nodded her head, watching as he stood and prepared her drink. He crossed back to her, carefully handing her the steaming mug. She accepted it from him and tried to relax into her chair, watching him intently as he turned toward the window in his office and looked out of it, his hands clasped behind his back. She sipped her coffee and continued to wait on him to speak.

She frowned as he stayed silent. She was almost ready to say something to him when the computer announced a visitor. She listened as Tayroe ordered the computer to allow the visitor in and looked up in surprise as Don’nae Hawkins walked through the door.

"Thank you for coming." Tayroe indicated the empty chair near her, "Coffee?"

The two women exchanged glances, and Counselor Hawkins nodded at him. As he prepared her drink, she looked at Elena and shrugged. Once he had handed her the cup of coffee he had prepared for her, he sat behind his desk and leveled a look at Elena.

"I look. I listen. I think." He gave her a small grin.

She did not allow herself to look over at her friend. She just looked at Tayroe and raised her forehead.

He laughed, "Elena, I have depended on you and your ‘special contacts’ for years. I have been content to allow you to have your secrets and have depended on the insight of you and your friend here to give me guidance and support. It has been convenient for all of us for me not to ‘know’ about how you have put together your puzzles." He paused and looked away from the two women sitting in front of him. They exchanged quick glances, then looked back at him, neither quite certain what to expect.

Don’nae Hawkins reached out, testing his emotions and finding that both his emotions and his thoughts were shut off from her. She did not allow herself to react to this realization, but his ability to do this surprised her. She had never tested him before, but she had never been aware that he had any such abilities.

He turned his head toward her, "Before I joined the leadership of the Federation, I studied with a strong telepath. I felt it important to learn how to protect myself from people who might try to control or influence me in some way. I considered it an important tool for me to acquire. It has served me well over the years. You, Counselor Hawkins, are someone I have come to respect for your skills and the sensitivity with which you use those skills. I am aware that you have been testing the leadership, and I believe you have found a weakness. I want you to tell me who has been compromised."

He saw the look on her face and knew she was bothered by his demand. Telling him anything would put her professional position at risk. It also meant she would be at personal risk. He understood her reluctance to speak.

"Don’nae, you have nothing to fear from me. To prove it, I am opening my mind to you and am inviting you to explore my thoughts. I suspect you will find there is much knowledge we share about this situation."

He looked directly at her. She looked down at the front of the desk, thinking. Finally, she raised her eyes to his and started to fully explore his thoughts. After a few minutes, she broke her stare with him and looked at Elena, giving her a smile.

"We haven’t been fooling him at all."

Elena looked at her boss with a concern in her eyes. He grinned at her immediately, "Don’t worry about it, Elena. I never considered anything you did or said a deception. I didn’t expect you to tell me everything. I depended on you to talk to Don’nae. It was better for me not to openly know everything. It protected you and Don’nae as well as me. Now, however, I do not think we have that luxury. I think we must act together if we are going to fight this new enemy. The stakes are too high for us not to."

Elena took a sip of her coffee and sighed. She nodded her head and gave Don’nae a rueful smile. They both turned to Tayroe.

"Now, we will each tell what we know. Then, we will plan."

Kahkar walked around the room, thinking carefully. He was not certain they were ready, but he knew they had run out of time. He looked at the people in front of him.

"Okay. It is time. This is what we do."

Kathryn Janeway hurried across the room and reached to open the door. As soon as the door slid open, she looked in shock at the person standing in the doorway. After a moment of stunned silence, she found her voice, "Please, come in."

He walked in, taking out a small device as he did and activated it. Studying it carefully, he looked up at her and nodded his head, "It is safe to talk."

She let out a quick breath, "Otoro. It is good to see you." Impulsively, she reached out and gave him a quick hug. "Did you get my message? Are B’Elanna and Tom safe?"

"Yes, we received your message, and Kahkar found it a sound plan. Do not worry about Tom and B’Elanna. They are with us on our ship and are safe. I am here to bring you a message from Kahkar."

"What?" She was leading him to a chair.

He sat, "Kahkar said it is time. We are moving forward with our part of your plan. Kahkar has made an initial contact, and the response was favorable. It will be a safe hiding place – at least temporarily. He is not convinced it will be a permanently safe place to hide, but it will buy us time. Are you certain you can carry out your part of the plan?"

She laughed, "Certain? Absolutely not. But we do not see that we have any other choice."

"Kahkar does not either. He is worried that Kathryn B’Elanna cannot be controlled much longer. Both he and Ketaria are worried that she will seek out whoever it is that is behind this. They are very concerned for her safety."

"Do they know that Dr. Zimmerman has been given custody?"

"Yes, they do." He grinned at her, "She and Ketaria talk almost every night."

"Otoro, do they know who is behind all of this?"

"Yes, they do, but they have not told me. They were concerned for me if I somehow was captured. Kahkar said that ignorance was an important defense."

"I would have to agree with him." She stood, walking around the room, "So, when do we start?"

"Kahkar says the sooner the better."

She thought carefully, "It will take time to put everyone in the right place." She put her hand to her mouth, rubbing her fingers over her lips slowly. "Tell him we will make our move at ten hundred hours tomorrow. Where will we meet?"

He removed a small PADD from his jacket and activated it. She watched as he keyed in a series of security commands, then handed the PADD to her. She read it carefully, committing the information on the PADD to memory.

"Okay. Tell Kahkar we will see him tomorrow."

"He told me to tell you he looked forward to it." He grinned at her, "Where is everyone?"

"Tuvok and his family are spending some private time in their quarters. Chakotay is giving a talk about some of the species we met in the Delta Quadrant. Dr. Zimmerman and Kathryn B’Elanna have gone to a play area for her to have some fun."

"Everyone is acting as normal as possible?"

"Absolutely. It was an important part of our plan. They will be back here by dinner."

"Will that give you enough time to prepare?"

She looked at him, her smile firm and confident, "We have been ready. We have only been waiting for the word to go."

He gave her a nodding grin, "I will see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow." She reached out and took his hand, holding it tightly in hers. After a moment, she let go and Otoro left. She walked around the room, her excitement growing. She had a thought, and it surprised her. She would be glad to have Earth behind her.

He was monitoring her carefully. He had the device turned up to maximum, waiting. His people were going after the child. Once they had her, he knew the word would go out immediately. He had enough of his people ready to spread the word. He had made certain word of the kidnapping of the child would be broadcast as soon as possible. Someone would get word to her. He was certain that once she heard about her child, he would hear her thoughts. She would seek him out. When she did, he would give her back her child. But she would have to come to him for that to happen. 

His people would do what they had to to capture the child. The only rule they had to follow was they were not to kill her. He remembered his promise to the Borg queen not to hurt the child. He laughed lightly. That demand had never been one he had understood. Regardless, it really did not matter. What she did not know would not cause him any problems. As far as he was concerned, she was really out of the picture. This was between him and the Borg, but not the queen. His Borg was Seven of Nine.

He sat back in his chair and concentrated on listening.

Dr. Zimmerman listened to the sounds of laughter around him, marveling at how musical it was. He did not think he had ever allowed himself to listen to the sound of children laughing as they played. As he sat on the bench and watched around him, he realized how much he had missed in his life. He looked up as his granddaughter played with a new little friend. It had not taken her long to find a friend. She had walked up to the small child immediately, almost amazed at not having to look up at another human being. He had laughed as they played with each other, and he could see the expression of pure joy on her face as she ran and played and spent an hour being nothing more than a child.

Even when she tripped over something on the playing field on the holodeck and fell forward onto all fours, she did not cry. She quickly pushed herself up from the field, brushed off her hands and started running again. He watched as her blonde hair flounced in the air as she ran, then matted itself to her head as the artificial warmth of the day caused her to sweat. When she ran up to him for a quick hug, he felt her dampness and smelled the sweetness of her scent. As she ran away from him, both her moisture and smell stayed with him, giving him a sense of happiness and contentment he had not ever thought possible. He did not believe he could ever remember feeling so complete.

He looked up to see Counselor Troi walking toward him. He smiled at her as she sat down beside him, her eyes locked on the child now running after a ball.

"Is she having fun?"

"She is having a blast!"

"And you?"

He gave her a huge grin, "I don’t think I have ever had so much fun."

Counselor Troi laughed at him and sat back, draping her arm across the back of the bench, "This could be one of the more normal experiences she has had."

He did a double take as her words sunk in, "You’re right." He leaned back against the bench, crossing his legs as he did. "It is hard to look at her right now and think about what has happened in her life." He looked at Troi, "I am glad she can still enjoy herself."

Troi concentrated on the child, then nodded her head, "She is having a good time. And she really likes her new friend." She stayed quiet a moment, then added, "And I think the feeling is mutual."

They sat together, watching the children play and enjoying the escape from the real world. After a while, Dr. Zimmerman checked his chronometer, then looked at Troi, "I guess it’s time to take her home."

Troi started to stand up, when she saw Kathryn B’Elanna stop running and look around uncertainly. She watched as the child’s eyes searched, her look going blank. Troi reached out to grab her companion’s arm, "Dr. Zimmerman….."

Before the words were out of her mouth, she saw a swarm of men around them and Kathryn B’Elanna start to run to her grandfather. She heard the child yelling for her grandfather. Dr. Zimmerman started to move toward his granddaughter, but was hit immediately by a phaser shot and fell heavily to the ground. Troi started to yell for help when she felt a stabbing pain in her side and found herself falling to the ground. Even as she was losing consciousness, she was aware of Kathryn B’Elanna screaming in her mind. The sound of the child’s thoughts were so loud, they were almost as painful as her side. As darkness overtook her, she managed to glimpse the now limp child in the arms of a man who immediately dematerialized.