Klingon Hearts 10 Exposed - In The Light of Evil Read online

  K'Leena sighed at his distress. She put her arms around his neck and let him pull her to him.

  "It's okay," she reassured him. "It kinda scared me too."

  "Do me a favor?" he asked.

  "What?"

  "Take it easy for a few days. Please? You had a hard time of it, Blaze. Give yourself some time to recover."

  "Lucas, I'm part Klingon. We heal faster. I'm fine, really. Just a little tired," she insisted.

  "A week, K'Leena. That's all I'm asking. Is that really too much?"

  She wanted to tell him it was. She was fine, she didn't need to be treated like a china doll. The determined look on his face made her stop cold. It would be a battle if she said no.

  "You're damn right it will," he told her in a firm, quiet voice.

  "One week, Lucas." She gave in, hoping it wasn't a mistake, but also knowing she wasn't really up to fighting with him right now.

  To his credit, he didn't gloat. He didn't even smile. Lucas just helped her back into the bed and sat down next to her.

  "I'm going to take Michael to Sick-bay, the doctor wants to check him out and your Aunt Ani has been waiting to see him, but she didn't want to disturb you. We'll be back in a couple of hours. Get some sleep while you can, I'm sure he'll be hungry when we return," Lucas told her with a smile.

  She slept, even though she thought she couldn't possibly sleep another minute. Michael's insistent crying woke her sometime later as he demanded to be fed.

  Lucas brought the baby to her in the bed so she could lie down to nurse him. It took a few minutes to get him properly positioned. By that time, his tiny face was beet red from his screaming.

  "I guess his lungs are okay," his father commented wryly.

  "Guess so," K'Leena chuckled.

  Then silence fell heavily as he latched on, causing his mother to draw in a sharp breath.

  "No one ever tells you it hurts," she muttered.

  Lucas grimaced in sympathy. "Can I get you something?"

  "No," she replied. "I'm fine."

  "What about dinner," he asked. "Are you hungry?"

  She shook her head. "Not really."

  "K'Leena," he sighed. "You need to eat. You're nursing now."

  Like she could forget that with the little glutton hungrily attached to her breast.

  "Later, Lucas," she appeased.

  It was going to be a -long- week if he kept this up.

  Wisely, Lucas dropped the issue.

  "Your Aunt Ani is so good with him. I'm surprised they only had Tessa. I remember how much she loved having us kids around."

  "Yeah," K'Leena smiled at the memory. "Who would have thought a former drone would be such a good mother?"

  "Your Uncle Harry, I guess," Lucas deadpanned.

  She rolled her eyes. "Somehow I think Aunt Ani's parenting skills weren't what Uncle Harry was...attracted to."

  Lucas grinned broadly. "Really?"

  K'Leena shook her head with a little laugh.

  After Michael finished Lucas took him to the small crib they were using and settled him down. He paused over the sleeping child, amazed that this tiny, helpless being was part of him and K'Leena. Just the thought of it almost brought tears to his eyes. -They- had created this little person. He was the best of both of them.

  When he turned around, Lucas was surprised to find K'Leena asleep again.

  He frowned. She still looked so frail. Why was she fighting him every step of the way? All he wanted was for her to take time to recover. Was that really so much to ask? Didn't he have the right to be concerned for her? It was his responsibility to take care of her. And Michael.

  She was just going to have to learn to accept it gracefully.

  Uh huh. And he was going to sprout wings and fly.

  With a self-depreciating chuckle he kicked off his boots and changed out of his uniform before crawling into the bed with her.

  Dinner could wait. He was kind of tired himself, now that he thought about it. It had been a rough couple of days.

  He pulled her into his arms, curling his body to hers. Within minutes he was sound asleep, dreaming of another time and place....

  Hi, I'm Lucas. My daddy's the Cap'n.

  Lucas Riker, you're just a big mean boy!

  Mommy is always so sad. I wish Daddy was still alive.

  Do you want to dance with me?

  Can I hold your hand?

  What do you mean you're leaving?! Why does everybody leave me?

  It's just two years, then we'll be together at that academy.

  I want to kiss you before I go.

  Lucas, no...I can't...please don't be mad.

  I'm not mad, 'Leena. I understand.

  Cadet Paris, welcome to Starfleet Academy.

  Stay with me, Lucas. I've missed you so much.

  If I stay, 'Leena, I'm going to make love to you.

  I know.

  I love you.

  jiH dok....

  This bed is too small, we should live off campus.

  I, K'Leena Isobel, take you, Lucas Ian....

  I've never seen her smile like that before. She was so happy. Why did he have to die? She needed him! I needed him!

  Lucas! I got it! The Time Bound Project! It's mine!

  I was thinking...after the time jump...well, I think I might want to take a break and...have that baby we talked about.

  I'll be back before you know it.

  You better be.

  Lucas slowly came awake to her sobbing. She was still asleep.

  Damn! He never wanted her to know. Their link was getting stronger everyday. He should have realized she'd be able to pick up on his dreams now, like he could hers.

  "'Leena,...wake up. It's all right. It's only a dream." Lucas sat up and pulled her into his arms.

  "Nooooooooo," she cried, brokenly, into his warm chest. "It's not...it's not a dream! Kahless, Lucas! What did I do?!"

  K'Leena's sobs were tearing him apart. She was going to make herself sick if she kept it up.

  "Shh...don't!" he rocked her back and forth as he spoke. "It's not your fault! You had no choice. That life was never meant to be. You had to do it...I know that."

  And he did know it. Any lingering anger he had disappeared upon seeing her distress. This was the life that the two of them were destined for. What they knew before was a mistake. They found each other again, that was all that mattered.

  "I'm so sorry, Lucas. How could you ever forgive me? You must be so angry," she cried harder, shaking from the tears.

  "You stop this right now!" he demanded harshly and forced her to look at him. "That was another life and another time! You had no choice! We're together now, that's the important thing."

  "But...."

  "No! You are not going to make yourself sick over this!"

  "Lucas...."

  He groaned. Why did she -always- argue with him? He bent his head and covered her mouth with his, kissing her gently as he brought her back down to lay in his arms.

  "Enough, K'Leena," he breathed into her wildly tangled hair. "You can't second guess something you did in another life. That woman wasn't even really you."

  Quiet came over them as he curled his body protectively around hers, his hand softly stroking over her.

  "I really -hate- this nightgown," he told her, inching the hem up so his hand could slide underneath in an effort to distract her.

  K'Leena smiled slightly through the tears. "Yes, you've mentioned that before."

  His fingers lightly caressed the top of her thigh them moved higher still to the hollow of her hip and across the still soft expanse of her stomach; causing her breath to hitch.

  "How long do we have to wait?" he asked huskily.

  She moaned softly. "Two weeks."

  His hand gently massaged her stomach, where she was soft and swollen from childbirth.

  "Does it still hurt?" he wanted to know.

  "A little," she admitted shyly. "Especially when he nurses."

  Lucas purposely ran
his finger over the scar on her lower abdomen.

  "Why won't you let the doctor remove this, Blaze? It would only take a few minutes."

  "It doesn't bother me, Lucas. Why does it bother you so much?"

  "Because I know why you keep it," he said angrily. "You think it a well-deserved punishment for putting Michael at risk. You keep it to remind yourself, everyday, that he almost died. And you're convinced it's your fault. I don't like you beating yourself up like this, K'Leena! It's not healthy."

  "Maybe not, but it is the truth."

  "Dammit, 'Leena! It was not your fault! The shuttle was sabotaged! You can't blame yourself for all this."

  "Yes, I can. I shouldn't have been in that shuttle in the first place," she told him stubbornly.

  "-I- was the one who brought you with me. I thought you would be safer."

  "Only because I forced you."

  "Arrrrgh! You are the most stubborn woman I've ever known! Michael is healthy and strong. It's over."

  "It will never be over for me! Don't you get it?! I almost -killed- our son with my recklessness! I don't keep this scar as penance! I keep it as a reminder. A reminder that my life is not my own anymore. It belongs to you...and it belongs to him. I won't be the cause of pain to either of you ever again with my thoughtlessness. That's why I keep it!" She was sobbing again by the time she finished.

  Lucas bit back a curse. She was taking everything he said the wrong way today.

  *****

  "Hey, gorgeous," Kyle greeted his mother's assistant counselor with a grin. "Is the old man in with Mom? I need to talk to him."

  Melanie smiled at the handsome man sitting on the corner of her desk. Kyle Riker was the biggest flirt.

  "Yeah, he's in there...but I wouldn't barge in on them if I were you. She asked not to be disturbed."

  Kyle smirked knowingly. "Hell, you'd think the two of them were newlyweds."

  She shrugged. Melanie thought it was wildly romantic herself. The Admiral and his wife had something that you didn't come across everyday.

  "What are you doing here, Kyle?" she asked him. "I didn't know the Zosa was in orbit."

  "It's not," he replied, a bit annoyed. "I received a 'royal' summons from the Admiral. He'd better have a good reason, too. I was right in the middle of the flight evaluations for my department. Now I'll have to start all over when I get back."

  Kyle was the Chief Helmsman on the Zosa.

  "Oh...sorry. That must be frustrating."

  "Yeah, but I'll get over it. How long have they been in there?"

  "About ten minutes."

  "Hmmmm. They'll be a while. Want to go and get some lunch? I haven't eaten yet."

  Kyle knew what her answer would be. He'd asked her out before. He steeled himself for the rejection.

  Melanie's knee jerk response hovered on her lips. Then she considered the man in front of her. It was just lunch. She could do this. Kyle posed no threat, she'd known him for more than a year now.

  He watched her closely, wishing he had his brother's telepathic abilities. This woman was such a mystery to him. Smart, drop-dead gorgeous, funny, incredibly sexy...and she never dated. Ever. He'd asked his mother about it once and was told point-blank to mind his own business.

  "Yeah," she agreed with a voice that shook almost imperceptivity.

  Kyle's eyes widened slightly. He got the unmistakable impression that this decision was far more than it appeared.

  "Great! Any place in particular you'd like to go?"

  She stood up and gave him a small smile. "Do you like pizza?"

  Kyle grinned broadly. "A girl after my own heart. Come on." He held out his hand.

  His smiled dimmed when she cringed from him. Hell and damnation! She was -scared- of him! Dropping his hand he gestured to the door instead.

  Kyle was a weak empath and didn't use the ability much. It was a struggle for him to read anything other than faint impressions of people. As they walked silently through the hall though, he realized the feelings of unease and fear he was experiencing were coming from her.

  "You okay?" he asked.

  Melanie jumped slightly. "Sure...why wouldn't I be?" She should have been an actress.

  "Just a feeling."

  They enjoyed a quiet lunch. Chatting amicably about everything and nothing.

  Kyle did his best to appear relaxed, but for the life of him, he just couldn't shake the feeling that someone was -watching- them!

  A couple of times he scanned the restaurant with his eyes, trying to pinpoint the source of his unease, but he couldn't identify who, or what was bothering him.

  Being an empath was a pain in the ass, if you asked him. What good was it to -know- something was up, but have no clue as to -what- it was?

  Melanie was oblivious to it all. So surprised to discover how much she liked just being with him, she didn't realize how tense he was under the charm he exuded.

  The soft tone of his voice seemed to almost embrace her and his gentle, soothing manner put her at ease. Something she hadn't had with a man in a very long time.

  "Hey," he broke into her reverie softly.

  She looked up with a guilty smile.

  "Sorry," she apologized. "Just 'gathering some wool' as my grandma would say."

  "It's okay," Kyle assured her. "You just looked so sad. Something wrong?"

  "No," she denied with a shake of her head and a little chuckle. "Something was actually...right."

  Kyle returned the grin. "Good."

  They finished their meal and Kyle walked her back to Command, careful to stay close because whoever had been watching them earlier, was still with them. He knew that for sure.

  When they returned to his mother's office, his parents were waiting for them. Kyle reluctantly left Melanie to speak with them in private.

  "You mean to tell me that not only are these people targeting K'Leena and Lucas, but -all- of us?" Kyle asked his father, stunned that someone could be so ruthless as to kill innocent people just to get at Robbie.

  "I'm afraid so," Will replied in a frustrated voice. "Anyway... we feel it would be safer if all you kids were together until we can take care of this. We've set up extra security at the Paris estate. Once everyone is there, we'll fill you all in on the rest."

  "Who's there now?" Kyle asked.

  "Lucas, K'Leena, the baby, Mike and Tessa. Robbie and Sherise are inbound from the Dakota...."

  "Sherise? Not Sherise Cupthland?"

  "Hmmm, yeah, I believe that's her name. She's someone Robbie has been seeing. I guess they're pretty serious...serious enough that Tom insisted Robbie bring her anyway. It's become obvious these people enjoy using you kids against us."

  Kyle considered this for a moment. "They've been watching all of us, haven't they?"

  "Yes, for a while."

  "Damn," Kyle cursed. He had been right. They were being watched at the restaurant.

  "What?" Deanna picked up on her son's distress instantly.

  "I was being watched today. They're going to believe Melanie and I are involved."

  "Why on earth would they think that?" his mother demanded to know. She didn't like this. Melanie didn't need this.

  Kyle sighed. "Because the very first thing I did after beaming planetside was come straight to your office and take her out to lunch."

  "Melanie went out with you?" Deanna was stunned.

  Kyle frowned at the shock radiating from his mother.

  "Yeah. Amazing, isn't it? Someone would actually want to be with -me-?" he mocked.

  "Watch your mouth, Thomas Kyle," Deanna replied sharply. "It's just that...well, never mind. What's done is done. You're right, she needs to be there too. I'll tell her I need help dealing with all of you and what's going on."

  "What?" he snorted. "You really think she'll believe we need her counseling services?"

  "Listen, Kyle. I have the feeling you're hoping for something a little more than just lunch with Melanie. If that's the case, the last thing you need is her feeling pressure
d. Trust me. I'll tell her K'Leena needs some help and won't talk to me anymore because I'm Lucas' mother. It's the truth."