Klingon Hearts 09 Hidden - What Lurks in the Darkness

by Tracy Sobieski

  He watched intently as the reality of it hit her.

  "A baby?" She whispered the word like she didn't completely understand it.

  "Our baby," he replied softly.

  "When did you...."

  "I started to suspect a couple of days ago." Truth be told, it occurred to him a month ago, but he dismissed it as stress, considering what she'd been through. It was the recent onset of morning sickness that made him realize she was indeed carrying their child.

  K'Leena still couldn't quite grasp it. A million thoughts collided in her head all at once. Slowly she rose from the bed and walked over to the glass doors. She stared unseeingly out them, her emotions running wild. A baby. Kahless...what was she going to do? What kind of a mother would she make? She couldn't keep -herself- out of trouble, much less anyone else. And so quickly. They hadn't even had time to enjoy being together as a couple. It was too soon, too much.

  "Are you upset?" Lucas asked, watching her closely He was having a hard time reading her emotions they were in so much turmoil.

  "I don't know," she answered honestly, quietly, still looking out on the city. "How do you feel about this?"

  He was thrilled, but didn't want to put any pressure on her. This was unplanned and much sooner than either one of them ever expected. Still, he wanted the child... a lot. Something about it felt so -right-. He knew instinctively she had conceived the very first time he made love to her.

  Can you hear my thoughts, Imzadi? I can hear yours.

  Lucas startled when the words touched his mind. A touch of an evil grin played at her lips. She loved doing that to him. He could get into her head whenever he wanted, but she could only do it if his guard was down.

  "Very funny. Okay, you know how I feel." Lucas became serious. "I want to know how you feel."

  She turned and looked into those amazing black eyes of his, seeing the concern...and the hope.

  "Give me a little time, okay?" she asked, her breath catching slightly.

  Lucas nodded, he could feel how shaken she was.

  *****

  "Doc, I need some information." Lucas began.

  "If I can, Captain."

  "How often does a contraceptive booster fail?" He hadn't wanted to alarm K'Leena, she was upset enough as it was, but something bothered him about this unexpected pregnancy.

  "It doesn't, not without extenuating circumstances."

  "Such as."

  "Wrong dosage, malfunction in the equipment, use of the antidote...that type of thing. Why?"

  "Because K'Leena is pregnant and I find it hard to believe it just happened by accident."

  "Have you kept up to date with your boosters? You weren't lax in getting them on time, were you?"

  "No, never. Is there a way to check if it was given to me properly?"

  "A scan for the drugs components will determine the date of your last injection." The Doctor flipped open his tricorder and proceeded to scan Lucas.

  "Interesting."

  "I take it you found something?" Lucas wasn't surprised.

  "According to this, you haven't received a booster in more than six months."

  "That's what I figured."

  "Why would someone do this?"

  "To let me know just how close they are...and how vulnerable she is."

  "Correct me if I'm wrong," the doctor began, "but you and Admiral Paris' daughter have only been together for a couple of months. Since the Breen incident. Someone set this in motion well before that."

  "Yes, they did," and that's what worried him the most.

  Whoever did this has been watching him for a long time. They knew about his feelings for K'Leena long before he acted on them. This was a fail safe. In case the plan with the Breen failed, they would still have leverage against him.

  Lucas Riker was beginning to feel like a puppet made to dance to some unknown tune. Every time he turned around his strings were being pulled. It was going to stop.

  "Doc, would you be willing to see to K'Leena's pre-natal care in our home, and keep it a secret?"

  "Of course."

  "Thank you. I don't want anyone to know about this. I'd rather whoever did this not know it worked."

  "I understand, but you do realize that in a few months no one will be able to keep this a secret."

  "Yes, I know, but for now, I don't want anyone to know."

  *****

  ...and exploits....

  "I don't get it, how did someone know that long ago?" Admiral Tom Paris asked his soon-to-be son-in-law. Lucas had decided it was time to tell K'Leena's father about the baby. He hadn't been able to find anything out on his own over the last couple of months and was hoping to enlist his help.

  "The reunion. I think whoever is behind this had someone watching us at the last Voyager reunion." It was the only thing that made sense. "Some...things happened between K'Leena and I that weekend. If we were being watched, it would explain how they knew our relationship was changing."

  "Watching you? When?" the Admiral asked. He did not like the implications of that. The reunion was held at the family estate. Only close friends and family were there.

  Lucas looked at Tom for a long moment while he tried to decide what to tell him. 'Someone must have been watching when I almost took your daughter on the floor of your office,' just didn't seem like a good idea.

  *****

  "What?" K'Leena asked Admiral Riker in a dangerously quiet voice.

  "You're grounded and on restricted duty for the next twelve months. If you'd rather, I could put you on leave for the year," Will offered, he knew she wouldn't like 'desk duty.' A year off might appeal to her more.

  "What I want, is to do my job."

  "Sorry, it's not an option."

  "Why?" she growled menacingly.

  "You know why. I won't put you in a dangerous situation when you're pregnant."

  "Other officers don't get hauled off duty because of that. Why me?"

  "I'm not going to argue with you about this. The decision is final."

  "This is Lucas' doing, isn't it?" K'Leena was furious. "Where is he? I'm going to kill him."

  "Lucas didn't...," but she stormed out of his office before he could continue.

  K'Leena slapped her comm-badge as she walked through the hallway.

  "Computer, where is Lt. Lucas Riker?"

  --Lt. Riker is in Admiral Paris' office.--

  She spun around and headed to her father's office.

  Tom and Lucas looked up from the desk in shock when she flew into the room. Her mate felt her anger like a physical blow.

  "K'Leena what's wrong...."

  "As if you didn't know!" she snapped. "How could you do that?! Didn't you trust me enough not to put our child at risk?! I can't believe you would be so underhanded. Dammit, Lucas, I trusted you! Why couldn't you trust me?"

  "I don't know what you're talking about." Lucas was confused.

  "He didn't do it, K'Leena," Tom interrupted. "I did."

  "What?" she was stunned silent.

  "I grounded you. It was my call. I went to Will yesterday, after I learned you were pregnant. I'm in command of Starfleet Flight Operations. This was my decision."

  Lucas looked at him in shock. Tom never even told him he was going to do this. He could have warned K'Leena, she wouldn't have gone into it blind. Tom had guts, he wouldn't have crossed his mate like this. No matter how much he might have wanted to.

  "Why?" she asked, her voice laced with hurt.

  "I don't think you're fit to fly," Tom told her honestly. "You've been through too much recently, the accident, the capture by the Breen and now this. After the baby is born and Deanna's released you, I'll reinstate you."

  He could not have hurt her more if he'd struck her. Being a pilot was all she knew. It was the constant in her life. The one thing she would always have. She learned at an early age, life was uncertain. K'Leena accepted the fact that her parents were Starfleet officers and at constant risk. She grew up knowing the danger of starship life.
The transient nature of it. Losing friends when their parents were posted elsewhere. Even losing Lucas when his father made Admiral. But she always had flight, now it was gone. Of all people, she thought her father would understand. If she couldn't fly, she was nothing. Being a pilot defined her.

  She left the office without another word.

  "K'Leena...," Tom called after her.

  "Don't, Tom," Lucas said quietly. "Let her be.... I wish you had told me you were going to do this. I could have talked to her."

  "I didn't want her to think you had anything to do with it. I knew she was going to be upset."

  "Upset?" Lucas was astonished at Tom's callousness. "This goes way past upset."

  "She'll get over it, it's just temporary."

  "You know," Lucas said thoughtfully. "I thought you knew her better than this. When we were growing up, it always amazed me how close the two of you were. She worshipped the ground you walked on. The measure of a man for her is by your standard. Believe me, I know. I've -seen- what she'll sacrifice for you. Hell! I -am- what she'll sacrifice for you.... We were -happy-! She had a good life with -me- and she gave it all up for -you-.... You have no idea what you've done to her."

  Lucas held the older man's gaze for a tense moment, somewhat surprised at the primitive feelings raging through him. It didn't matter who Tom was, he had hurt his mate. Lucas had to forcibly rein in his anger and aggression. He actually -growled- at the Admiral before he went in search of K'Leena.

  "I do know," Tom told the empty room in a pained voice.

  It was better for her to be angry at him than to have to face a Caldik Prime. He would live the rest of his life with her hating him if he had to, if it meant protecting her from herself.

  *****

  K'Leena sat on the bench next to a yellow rose bush, idly playing with the closest blossom. She was still in shock. How could her father do this?

  "Commander Paris, it is good to see you," a voice from the past greeted her. K'Leena looked up with a grin.

  "Tuvok!" She leapt up and hugged the Vulcan, not caring that it always made him uncomfortable. Deep down, she knew he loved her as much as she loved him.

  "May I sit with you?" he asked.

  "Of course." They sat side by side on the bench. "What are you doing here? The last I heard you were on Vulcan, Starfleet Liaison."

  "I am here to help your father," Tuvok said cryptically and raised an eyebrow when she growled at the mention of Tom. "Is there something wrong?"

  "Just an overprotective father," she replied, angrily.

  "It would not be the first time."

  "No, but he's gone too far -this- time. He grounded me, Tuvok! Said I was unfit to fly."

  The Vulcan silently contemplated the younger woman. He spoke with Tom last night and knew the situation. He even warned the Admiral that this might be over-stepping his bounds, but Tom never did listen to logic. Tuvok knew what motivated his friend, it was difficult to argue logic against old wounds.

  "Perhaps, your father has some reason to be concerned?" he suggested gently.

  "Perhaps," she admitted, grudgingly. "But he should have talked to me first!"

  "You are probably right. However, I have known your father for a long time...he would not do something like this without good cause."

  "Maybe...I still think he's overreacting."

  "How much do you know about your parents' time on Voyager?" Tuvok asked.

  "I don't know," K'Leena was taken aback by the sudden change in topic. "A lot, I guess. I've read the official logs, heard enough stories from the 'source'."

  "I am not talking about the experiences. I am referring to what they went through as people and as a couple."

  "I'm not sure I know what you mean."

  "When we were stranded in the Delta Quadrant personal problems needed to be put aside for the ship and her crew. Everybody made sacrifices. It was necessary to ensure survival. Your father received a second chance at life aboard Voyager. One that would never presented itself if the ship had not been lost. He carried a great deal of guilt because of the situation. His freedom came at the expense of others. It was the pain your mother went through that was the most difficult for him. There was never enough time to heal on Voyager. Old wounds were constantly reopened and new ones inflicted almost daily. He could not protect her...even from herself."

  "But he can protect me," she said softly, beginning to understand.

  "Yes."

  "For a man who doesn't feel emotion, Tuvok, you certainly have a good grasp on what they are."

  "Indeed."

  "I guess I should try to be more understanding, huh?"

  "It may be of some value to discuss this with your mother. There were events that occured that would assist you with this understanding."

  *****

  "Are you okay?" Lucas asked tenderly.

  "Can we go home? I don't want to be here," K'Leena evaded his question.

  "I have to stop by my office to pick up some stuff, then we can go." He held out his hand and she got to her feet.

  Mike was still working when they got to Lucas' office.

  "I told you to go home an hour ago, Lieutenant," Lucas said, a trifle angry.

  K'Leena looked at him in surprise, it wasn't like him to be so testy with Mike. Then she glanced at Mike...he looked like hell.

  "I wanted to finish this."

  "And I told you it could wait," Lucas ground out.

  "I'm almost...."

  "That's an order, Lieutenant!"

  Mike gave Lucas a wry smile. "That's not playing fair, and you know it, Lucas. I've never disobeyed a direct order from you."

  "I know it. If it's the only way to get your ass out of here...."

  "It's better than going home to an empty house."

  K'Leena's lips twitched. "She still won't see you, huh?"

  "Oh, she'll see me...dinner, some dancing maybe, back to my place for the night and then 'thanks for the great time'," he said sourly. "I have to play by her rules, you see. No personal questions, no pushing her for more than what she's decided to give...no caring about her."

  "I bet that stings," she said, not unkindly.

  "Yeah, and I know I deserve every bit of it, K'Leena, but it doesn't make it any easier to take."

  "Actually," K'Leena began slightly annoyed. "I think Tessa is behaving like a spoilt child. You've never played with someone's affections like this."

  "So...what should I do?"

  "I have no idea. It's not that she doesn't have good reasons for the way she's acting. In a way, I really can understand it...but it's not fair to you. The strange thing is, I think she -wants- to be with you. That's why she will go out with you, but she's too scared to open herself up."

  "I -know- that!" he bit out. "I wouldn't have spent the last two and a half months jumping through her hoops if I didn't think we had something together! But I don't know how to get through to her. Patience and understanding obviously aren't working."

  "Maybe you should stop being so accommodating, Mike," K'Leena suggested thoughtfully. "Maybe you should just be yourself and see what happens. It can't get much worse than this."

  He laughed harshly. "No, I don't suppose it can."

  *****

  Tessa wasn't watching where she was going. It was late and the Admiral had kept her working longer than she would have liked. She was stifling a yawn when she collided with Mike. His hands shot out instantly to steady her.

  "Sorry," she said automatically, then realized who was holding her. "What are you doing here?" she demanded.

  "I wanted to talk to you," there was a hard edge to his voice that was new to her. She looked at him questioningly.

  "Well, I'm on my way home, I don't really feel like 'talking' tonight, Mike. Maybe next time."

  His jaw clenched in anger. "I said talk, Tessa, and I meant it. We need to work some things out."

  She raised that damned eyebrow of hers at him and he just about snapped.

  "What could we possi
bly have to 'work out'?" she asked imperiously.