"Hmm, meeting all you has made me revise quite a few of my opinions."
That made the older woman laugh out loud. "I would imagine it did."
"It's almost as if K'Leena is all Klingon on the outside, but very human on the inside and Robbie is the exact opposite. Does that make sense?"
B'Elanna nodded. "I used to worry about them, when they were younger," she admitted. "K'Leena embraced her Klingon heritage so fervently, I often wondered if it was because she felt the need to make up for my short-comings as one. And Robbie wanted so much to be like his father, I think he learned to hide some of his more "Klingon" tendencies."
Sherise laughed. "Tom Paris is just a ridgeless Klingon."
"Funny, isn't it? Deanna has a field day with our little dysfunctional family."
"I do not!" the woman referred to spoke as she made her way down the tree lined garden path, toward them. "And, if anybody has a dysfunctional family, it would be me," Deanna sighed.
"Hmm, the shoemaker's kids have no shoes?" B'Elanna teased.
Deanna rolled her eyes. "The therapist's son has lost his mind, is more like it. He's in there right now, driving your daughter to matricide."
"Did you try talking to him?"
Troi arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms in front of herself. "Talking to Lucas about his emotions is sort of like telling K'Leena to be careful."
B'Elanna chuckled softly. "In one ear and out the other, huh?"
"He just shuts me out. Always has."
"Maybe Melanie can help," Sherise suggested.
"She's trying," Deanna sighed again. "I don't know how much she can do, though, with him fighting her every step of the way. What I'd really like to know, is how the hell he passes his Psych Evaluation every six months."
"You're kidding, right?" B'Elanna laughed. "His mother is the head of Starfleet Psychiatric Services. He knows more about pulling the wool over a counselor's eyes than anyone has the right to. He's practiced on the best, for years. I'm sure he says all the right things, gives all the correct answers and they buy it hook, line and sinker."
Deanna's attention was suddenly drawn to the guest house where she saw her other son escorting Melanie down the path to the beach. She frowned causing B'Elanna to turn her head and see what was upsetting her friend.
"You don't want them together?" B'Elanna was confused. She knew Deanna loved Melanie like a daughter. They were very close.
"No," Deanna shook her head. "It's not that. I just don't want anyone getting...hurt. Kyle's in for more than he bargained for, I think."
"Kyle's never been one for casual relationships, Dr. Troi," Sherise reminded her. "I think he's in love with Melanie."
"I know. That's what I'm worried about."
The concerned eyes of a parent watched the couple as they walked....
Even though the sun was shining, the winter air was still chilly and damp. Melanie pulled her sweater closed, sliding her hands into it's deep pockets. With the casual atmosphere of the estate, they'd all switched to civilian clothing. It was nice to be out of a uniform, but it also made things more intimate. It made her feel vulnerable. She'd taken to wearing jackets or sweaters over all her clothes. Almost like an extra layer of protection. Kyle noticed immediately and put his arm around her shoulders, drawing her close to his body to warm her, thinking it was the cold that made her pull inward. Melanie froze instantly at his touch, her breath catching in surprise. She stumbled slightly.
"Easy." Kyle stopped and pulled her against him, an arm sliding easily around her waist to hold her there. He frowned at her startled expression. The broad tip of his finger tilted her chin up high so he could see into her troubled eyes. There was a wariness there that he didn't like, but a curiosity too. A desire that seemed to shock her more than his embrace.
A desire he shared. One he could no longer deny. Just a small kiss. Just one. Just so he would know if she tasted as good as he imagined. If they fit together as perfectly as he suspected they did. Just one.
His head dipped. He stopped just before his lips met hers. She felt the words more than she heard them. "Kiss me."
Eyes wide, she met his gaze and before she knew what she was doing, she lifted up and kissed him. Only a brush of her lips over his, but it was enough. Enough to know Kyle Riker was going to be a problem. Melanie drew back to look at him again. He smiled, threaded his hand into her hair and brought her mouth back to his.
Then, he kissed her.
His lips were firm, but not demanding as they moved over hers. He didn't push, he coaxed. Soft, gentle kisses. His hand flattened over the small of her back, pressing her closer. She shivered slightly. His tongue traced the slightly parted seam of her lips. "Open for me."
He felt her hesitation, but a moment later she did as he asked, opening her mouth and letting him in. With a growl of approval, he slid deep inside to taste her.
*****
He pressed the button to activate the surveillance camera and watched her as she slept. Her cheeks were wet from the tears she'd cried. Tears he put there. Now she knew a little of what she'd done to him. Not enough, though. Never enough.
Gellis focused the camera in closer, wishing the bed sheet didn't cover her so completely. His fingers stroked over the outline of her breast, feeling instead the smooth acrylic of the monitor.
It was the one thing he regretted about the way things had played out. He'd become her superior, her "friend." He could never touch her the way he wanted if his plan was to work. He would watch, though. Whenever she wasn't looking. At Command. In her home, where the hidden camera's caught her every move. At the Paris Estate. He watched it all.
Unfortunately, Alpha Team members had their homes monitored too closely so he'd never been able to watch her at Burns' apartment like he wanted to. That had angered him. Just like his desire for her angered him.
Burns had become a thorn in his side from the minute he arranged their first meeting. His protective behavior toward the girl had surprised him. He hadn't planned on it. Burns was known for never getting involved with women for any length of time. He never went for commitment. With Tessa, he had immediately. It was an unexpected problem for the admiral.
Within a week of their first meeting, the Alpha Team lieutenant had all but installed the girl in his apartment and life. He'd show up at Gellis' office and pick Tessa up every night he wasn't on duty. They never stayed at her apartment, either. Burns always brought her back to his.
Tessa had fought it for months. She'd even confided in the admiral on occasion that she was afraid she was becoming too close to the lieutenant. Jack had smiled in a fatherly manner, patted her knee and encouraged her to continue the relationship. It was essential to his plans, even if Burns wasn't following the rules.
The night of the wedding between the Paris bitch and her interfering husband had gone horribly wrong because of Burns. He needed the Paris girl and because of his failure then, plans had to be changed. He had to accept the blame for that. He'd become distracted.
He'd watched Burns enter Tessa's room that night. Watched him profess his love and watched her accept it. He'd shook with lust and rage when he watched them make love. She was his. She belonged to him and no one else. Her body. Her soul. Her life. It was all his. She had no *right* to give any of it to anyone else. He owned her.
When Burns had left the room to help the newly married couple, Jack was supposed to stall him, offer to help and lead him away, but he'd been so shaken by what he'd seen he hadn't been able to move for a few precious minutes, and that had been enough.
Still, in the end, things had worked out better than he'd hoped. So much better, he thought with a grin.
*****
K'Leena stalked up to Tessa's room, still steaming from Lucas' controlling attitude. She knocked on the door softly and waited for Tessa's "Come in." Mike opened the door a second later. The shades were drawn so the room was darkened but K'Leena could still see her friend sleeping on the bed behind him.
"Sorry," she
whispered. "I just wanted to let Tessa know her parents are almost in orbit and will be here in a couple of hours."
Mike nodded and stepped into the hall, closing the door behind him. He took K'Leena's elbow and led her across the way to her and Lucas' room. She waited until he closed the door behind them before she spoke again.
"How is she?" Concern laced her voice. Tessa was the closest thing she had to a sister. Even with the age difference, there had been a connection between the girls since they were small children.
"Upset," Mike sighed, dragging a tired hand through his hair. "Angry. Heartbroken. You name it, she's feeling it."
K'Leena bit her lower lip. "How about you?"
"Furious." He was probably more than that, but right now anger seemed to be the only thing he could feel. "Did you know the drug he used to induce the miscarriage was probably the most painful way to abort a fetus there is?"
K'Leena recoiled in horror. She was still trying to grasp the fact that it was Admiral Gellis that had been doing this to them. She'd known him most of her life. A family friend to be trusted and loved. Not a murderer. It just didn't seem possible.
"Not only did he kill our son!" Mike raged on. "But he *wanted* her to suffer while it happened!"
She laid a comforting hand on his arm. "I'm so sorry, Mike."
"Do you know where Lucas is, I need to talk to him." He changed the subject, unwilling to discuss it anymore.
K'Leena stiffened and stepped away from him, tossing her hair back defiantly. "Don't know and don't care."
Mike raised an eyebrow at the tart reply. "You two have a fight or something?"
"Or something," she muttered. "He's probably still downstairs in the library."
"What's wrong?"
"Trust me, Mike. You don't want to know."
*****
"I'm not very good at this," Melanie breathed against his mouth, her hands grasping his shoulders for support.
"Could have fooled me." She felt him smile into the kiss.
Her hands entwined in his hair, pulling him closer. Kyle deepened the kiss, making her head spin wildly. She felt his arms tighten around her, drawing her to stand between his slightly spread legs, fitting his body to hers. Melanie stiffened with a jolt when she felt how aroused he was. Kyle's lips trailed down her neck and he chuckled softly.
"I don't know why you're so shocked," he whispered. "I walk around like this all day long since you've been here."
Startled, deep brown eyes met his. "Really?"
He stroked her cheekbone with the pad of his thumb and frowned. "Why is that so surprising to you? You have to know I want you. Hell, everybody knows that."
Melanie's hands nervously worried the collar of his soft gray shirt. Kyle felt the change in her instantly. Slowly, he removed his arms from her and took a step back, letting her hands drop to her sides.
She looked at him helplessly for a moment, then a small shrug lifted her shoulders. "I should go...." She turned slightly to leave.
"We're going to have to talk about it someday." Kyle didn't pretend not to know how upset she was.
Melanie froze. "No. We don't."
"One of these days, Melanie," he began grimly. "This thing between us will go too far and you're going to end up flat on your back, in my bed. I'd like to know what you're hiding before that happens."
She gaped at him. "You're awfully sure of yourself, Kyle Riker! I don't sleep around!"
"Neither do I. When I make love to you it will be with my heart as well as my body."
She crossed her arms in front of her. "Don't you mean if?"
Kyle smiled then. He might not have the superior presence of either his dad or Lucas, but he was still a Riker.
"No," came his arrogant reply. "I mean when."
Her eyes widened slightly before she turned on her heel and headed up the rocky path back to the main house. Kyle's cocky grin faded as he watched her steady, determined stride take her back to the main house. There was a terrible certainty gnawing at his gut. He had the feeling he knew exactly why she was so frightened of him.
*****
With a sigh, Sherise climbed off the boulder and glanced up at the estate house to see Melanie all but stomp up the path. Guess she wasn't the only one in bad temper.
She'd spent enough of the day hiding out. It wasn't in her to be so reluctant for confrontation. And confrontation was what had been brewing between her and Robbie for days now. There were things that needed to be decided. Issues they desperately needed to discuss, and every time she tried to talk to him he ended up making love to her. As wonderful as frequent mind-blowing sex was...it wasn't something to base a long term relationship on. She was also fed up with being treated like an irrational child, easily distracted when she wanted answers. It was going to stop, and it was going to stop now. Brushing the sand from the seat of her pants, she stalked up to the main house with determination.
It took a while to find him. When she finally did track him down, after meeting just about every other member of his family in her endless search through the monstrous house, Robbie grinned at her disgruntled expression.
"This was a hotel before you're grandparents lived here, right?"
"Nope." He shook his head with a chuckle. "Sorry. It's been in the family for several generations."
"Figures," she grumbled. "We need to talk."
"I really should check on Tessa...."
"She's sleeping," Sherise stopped his retreat. "I just ran into Mike, he was hunting for Lucas in this mausoleum. Sit down, Robbie."
He crossed his arms in front of himself and perched on the corner of Tom's desk, his long legs stretching out in front of him. His eyes were mocking as he obeyed her curt order. "Okay."
She hated when he did that! Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "I'm going back to the Dakota."
Robbie startled slightly, then shifted forward, his hands dropping to grip the edge of the desk as he leaned toward her. "No."
No discussion. Not even a "why?" Nothing. Just--no.
Sherise bristled. Her head tilted back defiantly. "I wasn't asking your permission, Robbie. I'm leaving in the morning."
The air shifted around them. Even though he hadn't moved a muscle, Sherise got the unmistakable impression that he was poised for battle. "No, you're not."
The low growled command was the preverbal straw. This was going to end here and now.
"I don't see how you can stop me. The last time I checked, I was still a free citizen of the Federation."
He stood up now, unfurling his body like a large feline, ready to pounce. "Don't push me, Sherise." A shiver raced up her spine at the quiet, controlled warning.
"Or what?" Her shoulders squared with reckless challenge. Just who did he think he was, anyway?
"Your mate."
She hadn't said that aloud, had she? "I never agreed to that! I don't belong to you, Robert Paris!"
"You are carrying my child! You will not put yourself in danger!"
"This is my child too! You have no say in what I choose!"
"Sherise," he growled. "Don't think for a minute you can win this. You are a Starfleet officer. My father is an admiral. I hold all the cards here. Accept that you will remain with me for the time being and stop upsetting yourself. It's not good for you or the baby." His condescending tone infuriated her.
"I'll resign." Resign from Starfleet? She'd worked her whole life for this. Damn, why was he pushing her like this?
"And you'll still stay here with me. There's no way on heaven or earth that I'll let you leave, Sherise. Your life is in danger. Until that danger is eliminated, you'll be within shouting distance. Do you understand?"
"What I understand is you are the most arrogant, stubborn man I've ever known! I don't want to be with you! Don't you get that?! I don't want to be here!"
Robbie frowned. She was getting herself too worked up. "Hey...." He stepped forward, reaching out to put his arms around her.
"No!" She leapt back, striking his hand away. "Do
n't touch me! That's your solution to everything! Well it's not going to work this time!"
Sherise stormed from the office with Robbie fast on her heels.
"Don't do anything foolish, Sherise."
"Like getting involved with you?" She tossed the bitter question over her shoulder. "Don't worry, *Lieutenant*. I won't leave the estate as long as you stay the hell away from me!"
Robbie watched her march up the stairs with a shake of his head. How had it deteriorated to this?
"Problems?" Kyle asked his friend from the arm of a chair in the living room, having witnessed Sherise's parting shot.
Klingon Hearts 11 Controlled - Limitations of the Mind Page 2
