Klingon Hearts 08 Timeless - I Will Find You Read online

  This is a sequel to "Beginnings" that takes place 28 years after the birth of Tom and B'Elanna's daughter, K'Leena, this is her story. This story does not stand-alone. If you haven't read "Beginnings" you will not know what's going on.

  I never realized how compelling it would be to write this, and I certainly never anticipated the number of requests I would receive to do it. I hope you all enjoy.

  I blatantly stole the idea for the "Alpha Team" from TPTB. It is one of the concepts being tossed around for Series V. It just seemed like a fun idea to work with, a Special Forces/Mission Impossible team in the Star Trek universe. What possibilities.

  Star Trek belongs, lock, stock and barrel, to Paramount. I make no claim on it. This is just for fun and the enjoyment of my friends. Lucas Riker and K'Leena Paris belong to me, as well as this story.

  Rated NC-17 for sexual situations.

  Klingon Hearts and Beyond

  Timeless--I Will Find You

  By: Tracy L. Sobieski

  "You're kidding, right?" Lucas Riker asked his father in angry disbelief. "You didn't really send her out alone!"

  "She's the best pilot I have, Lucas. You know that." Admiral Will Riker told his son with quiet calm, in an attempt to diffuse the oncoming explosion. It didn't work.

  "That's right! She's a pilot! Not an operative!" Lucas paced the room, furious with his father. "What the hell is the matter with you? A lone woman on an intel extraction? Since when does Starfleet go in for all the cloak and dagger stuff anyway? I thought that's what I'm for." An uneasy thought came to him. He stopped pacing and pinned his father with a hard stare. "Tell me you didn't do what I think you did."

  Will Riker knew there was no point in denying it. Lucas could read his mind if he choose to.

  "She was the best person for the job."

  "That's why she left the "Time Bound" project right after the first jump. You offered her Special Ops, didn't you? She would have leapt at the chance for covert operations. It's her dream assignment." Lucas sat down in the chair across from his father. "Jesus, Dad, what the hell were you thinking? You know how Tom feels about Special Ops. If he doesn't kill you for this, I'm sure B'Elanna will."

  "Please, allow me." Commander B'Elanna Torres growled as she and her husband burst into the Admiral's office.

  "B'Elanna.... let me handle this." Tom Paris placed a restraining hand on her arm. "Lucas, could you and B'Elanna leave us alone for a minute?"

  As much as he didn't want to, Lucas escorted the Captain's unwilling wife from the office. He knew the look in Tom Paris' eyes. He almost felt sorry for his father ...almost.

  Tom waited for the door to close behind them before facing the other man.

  "How long have we been friends, Will?" Tom asked expressionless, the "Paris mask" firmly in place. It was a look that could intimidate the fiercest opponent. And the scariest thing about it was that Will Riker knew what lurked behind that facade. Tom Paris was a hard man. It was hidden behind charm and humor, but if you crossed him you saw it. Will had seen it on many occasions, in battle, in negotiations, in dealings with Command, but never directed at himself. It was disconcerting to say the least.

  "Almost twenty-five years."

  "And in all that time, have I ever done something that has gone against your beliefs?"

  "No. Never."

  "Then, could you please explain to me, how this happened?"

  "I'm sorry, Tom. It wasn't supposed to be this way. She was just going to shuttle an agent out of Breen territory."

  "But it wouldn't have ended there. It never does. Dammit, Will! You know that as well as I do! Section 31 almost cost you Deanna. It almost cost me the lives of my two best friends!"

  "Tom, this isn't Section 31. It's Starfleet Special Ops."

  "There's not much difference, as far as I'm concerned."

  "She wanted it, Tom. K'Leena came to me and asked me for this. She's your daughter. You know what she's like. After the time jump was a success, she felt she needed a new challenge. What was I supposed to do? Tell her no, because you have a problem with covet operations? She's a Starfleet Officer, she makes her own decisions."

  "You should have at least let me know what was going on. I could have talked to her."

  "She made me promise not to tell you. K'Leena knew you would try and talk her out of it. She didn't want to fight with you over this. Besides, it wouldn't have worked. Don't you think I tried to talk her out of it? Deanna and I both tried. She finally told me if I didn't want her, she was sure Admiral LaForge could use a good pilot. It's bad enough Geordi has Lucas. Deanna and I don't hear from him for months on end. I never know what hazardous mission he's been assigned to and I can't tell you the number of times he's been brought back from one in a stasis tube, too injured to be treated in the field. I thought if I kept her, I would be able to keep an eye on her better. Of course, I should have remembered whose daughter I was dealing with. If there's a way to get into trouble, she'll find it."

  Tom couldn't deny that. He couldn't deny that Will was right, either. It didn't help though; it was still -his- daughter that was in danger.

  *****

  Admiral Riker watched his son walk back into his office. There was a meaningful look that passed between him and Tom as the Captain left them alone.

  "I'm assigning your team to the Enterprise." Will informed him emotionlessly. "You're going after K'Leena. Captain Paris requested you himself. He seems to think you'll be able to find her because of the link you two share."

  Not going after her had never been an option as far as Lucas was concerned. He was so angry with his father, however, that he wasn't going to make this easy on him.

  "We haven't done that since we were kids. I don't think it's there anymore." Lucas told him.

  It wasn't the truth, but he wasn't comfortable telling his father that. He wasn't comfortable admitting to -himself-, much less anyone else, that he could still sense her. That late at night, when silence reigned, he could touch her mind with his thoughts. That right now he knew they were hurting her.

  "Well it doesn't matter, you're still the best choice for the job. This is what Alpha Team was designed for." Will replied, not believing his son was telling him the truth for a second. Lucas was the one who had stormed into his office less than an hour ago, demanding to know where K'Leena was. So agitated that when Will had tried to avoid his questions Lucas almost took a swing at him. Her disappearance was still classified, but his son knew she was in trouble. If Will Riker had not been worried about her before, he was now.

  He had tried to talk Tom out of using Lucas. He was too close to it.

  "I think he's too upset...."

  "Wouldn't you be, if it was Deanna?" Tom interrupted, "I can remember pulling B'Elanna's tail out of the fire on more than one occasion with my heart firmly lodged in my throat." God...when they were on Voyager it had been a weekly event. A small shudder raced up his spine at the thought of how many times he almost lost her. Time doesn't heal all wounds.

  "I still don't..."

  "Do you think you can -stop- him from going after her?" Tom asked incredulously. "I seem to recall the one and only time, in my tour as your First Officer, that you and I went head to head was when Deanna had been kidnapped and you insisted on going after her; in a war zone, on an unknown planet, without a security officer. Until that day I thought no one in the galaxy could out stubborn my wife."

  "This is different, they're not..." Will gave up when Tom cut him off yet again.

  "What? Married? Mates?" Tom almost snorted at this. "You've got to be kidding me. They've been connected since they were three years old. It's only a matter of time before
they realize what they have. You know it as well as I do. I'm surprised it's taken this long."

  *****

  Tom Paris stood in the back of the Enterprise's briefing room and watched Lucas fill his officers in on their mission. Lucas' ship was holding course off the Enterprise's starboard bow. It was small, but very impressive. Tom knew he had a crew of over 20 on it, not including the strike team that was assembled in this room. They respected him that much was obvious. He was their Captain, they deferred to him. Tom hadn't realized Lucas commanded the team. The Captain's bars on his Special Forces uniform had been a surprise. He probably should have been expecting it, though. Lucas was his father's son.

  "Captain, are you sure this is where she's being held?" Lieutenant Burns asked. He was the team's tactical officer and could see the problem immediately. "It's not the most protected area. I would think they have her here," he touched the map.

  "I know it doesn't make sense, but she's here. Trust me." That was all it took, no one else questioned on that again.

  "Cruthers." Lucas turned to his medic. "Make sure the medical bay is fully operational. We may need it." He ignored Tom's sharp intake of air.

  "Aye, sir."

  "We leave at 05:00. Get some rest. You're dismissed."

  Tom waited for the other six officers to leave before he spoke.

  "She's hurt, isn't she?"

  "Yes." Damn, was the man psychic?

  "Take the Doctor with you."

  "I can't. The Valiant is a classified ship. No unauthorized personnel allowed on board. We have a fully trained medic."

  "A medic isn't a doctor. Take him in the mobile emitter. You won't even have to turn him on if she's okay, but he'll be available if you need him."

  "All right, you win." Lucas gave in with a sigh. "I'll take your holodoc. Just keep this between you and me, Admiral LaForge will have my ass if he finds out."

  *****

  Lucas lie on the bed, arms crossed behind his head. It would be a long time before sleep came, if it did at all. Dammit, K'Leena. I can't lose you again.

  Slowly he lowered the barriers in his mind. The ones his grandmother had taught him how to use to keep out all the stray thoughts of others, to protect himself. Unlike his mother, Lucas was a full telepath. He shouldn't have been, being only one quarter Betazoid, but for some unknown reason, he was. His grandmother told him once that he was even a stronger telepath than she was. He was 14 and having a difficult time dealing with the telepathy. His mother was only able to help him so much. Lwaxana offered to take him over the school break and teach him on Betazed, help him learn to use the mental powers instead of fighting them. It was the same summer that K'Leena was going to spend with her Grandma Miral on the Klingon homeworld. He decided that spending those months with his grandmother was definitely preferable to staying on the Enterprise without K'Leena. He learned a great deal about mental discipline in those months, and he learned a great deal about his grandmother. Both things he never regretted doing.

  As his mind opened he focused his thoughts on K'Leena. They were closer to her. The link was stronger. She was hurt. He could feel it. She was scared too, but she was hiding it well. And she was mad. She wasn't bothering to hide that at all. With a grin he closed his eyes and reached out with his mind....

  I'm coming.

  I know.

  After a while he got up, threw on his uniform and left the quarters. The still of the night was letting him think too much. He needed to get out of there.

  *****

  "Computer, locate Lucas Riker." The Captain asked, surprised that the man was not asleep in his quarters.

  Starfleet had just sent them updated intelligence that would require a course correction. He needed to let Lucas know they would be delayed almost three hours in reaching their destination.

  --Lucas Riker is on holo-deck 2.--

  Tom headed to the holo-deck. What the heck is he doing there at 02:00?

  He should have known. Captain Proton...it had been a -long- time since Tom was in here. Lucas sat on the step of the simulation. Just watching him as he surveyed the room, somewhat lost in the old memories. It seemed like another lifetime ago. In many ways, it was.

  "Do you remember when you first found out K'Leena and I were playing in here?" Lucas asked him after a few moments.

  Tom laughed out loud.

  "I doubt B'Elanna will -ever- let me forget that..."

  "You're not really going to do the overprotective father thing, are you?" His wife asked in amusement.

  "My fifteen year old daughter is sneaking out in the middle of the night to meet a boy and you have to ask me that?"

  "Don't you trust her?"

  "It's not her I don't trust, it's him. I remember the stories about his father's 'conquests' at the academy. I don't want my daughter alone with him."

  "Right." B'Elanna drawled with a grin and debated reminding him just who, at the academy, was a bigger womanizer than Will Riker.

  "That's different," he told her as he left their quarters.

  Tom Paris could hear his wife's laughter all the way down the corridor.

  "You thought we were meeting in here for -that-?" Lucas was more than a little surprised and very amused.

  "Yeah, well, I listened to some of the ship's gossip. I should have known better. Imagine my chagrin to discover the two of you 'saving the universe' instead of what I expected."

  "Don't you remember?" Lucas was laughing at him outright now.

  "Remember what?"

  "That was right after K'Leena spent the summer with Miral on Kronos. She was so wrapped up in 'Klingon Honor' she wouldn't have let -anyone- touch her, much less me." Lucas grimaced at the memory. "Klingon women don't have sex outside of a mated relationship, Captain, it's not honorable. I certainly wasn't a Klingon, so she couldn't possibly mate with me."

  Tom -had- forgotten that. Blocked it out was more like it. K'Leena didn't just learn the Klingon traditions and beliefs that summer she embraced them. When she returned home B'Elanna swore it was like living with her mother again. K'Leena asked him to teach her how to use a bat'leth. She wanted to participate in the Klingon holidays B'Elanna avoided. Learn the language. All of it. It made life in his house very volatile. Mother--daughter battles with out of control Klingon tempers. It's a wonder they didn't kill each other. The whole time he was caught in the middle. He wanted K'Leena to learn what being Klingon was. He also knew the struggles his wife endured as she wrestled with her Klingon half. A rock and a hard place had nothing over his wife and daughter. Tom almost shuddered at the memory.

  "I guess I forgot that. I should have trusted her ...and you. I know you would never hurt her."

  "No, I wouldn't." Lucas grew quiet.

  "You love her." Tom stated with certainty.

  The Captain watched the younger man stand to face him. Lucas was so much like his father. There were subtle differences though. He was as tall as Will but much leaner, his face longer, narrower and the Betazoid black eyes seemed to reach into your soul when he looked at you. Still, Tom saw much of his friend in him.

  "Yes, I love her." Lucas admitted and met the other man's gaze unflinchingly. "I've always loved her. Across time and space, in this life... and in another."

  It was like a blow to the solar plexus. The air sucked from his lungs. This possibility never occurred to him. Tom stared at Lucas, stunned.

  "You remember."

  "Some." Lucas acknowledged with forced composure. "In dreams, for the most part. Faint glimpses. Images. Feelings. It's elusive, but it's there."

  "I'm sorry Lucas...damn.........she did it for me. I couldn't stop her." He must hate me.

  "I know. It's not your fault."

  "When did you...?"

  "The dreams started about three months ago, just after the time jump. It took me a while to figure out what happened."

  "Why didn't you go to K'Leena then?"

  "And tell her what? She's not the same person now. Having you around while she grew up chang
ed her. She didn't need me. She doesn't love me."

  "Are you sure?"

  "No....I'm not sure about anything." Lucas was bitter. "I wake up every morning, still expecting to find her in my arms. So angry that she choose you over me. When I'm with her, half the time I want to make love to her and the other half I want to strangle her."

  *****

  Huddled on the floor in the corner of the cell, K'Leena fought sleep. She focused on the pain to keep her alert. There was enough of it. She hoped he'd get there soon. She didn't know how much longer she could hold out.

  Hurry.

  I am.