[Betazed] How times have changed...

[Katharina Rayner]

By Kat and Mel, featuring a couple of old favourites.

***

“... can’t BELIEVE IT!!!” Tamaris Rogan stormed into the apartment she shared with her husband and their daughter in the Longterm Facility on Betazed. She paced about almost throwing off sparks, emotions spiking off of her, making Maeve giggle that her mother was so mad. 

Reyu took several deep breaths. The telepathic field meant he could feel a little of Tamaris’s emotions, and his old self began an answering warcry in his chest. But, he had learned better, and let those emotions pass over him like a river flow. “What is it, my love?” he asked calmly.

“Section FU-udging,” there was a child present after all, “31,” Tamaris all but howled. “JUST when I thought we were done with their b-Big Problems,” she said. “Maeve darling - go play outside,” she insisted. Maeve obediently got up and pottered out into the garden and got in the sandpit.

“What? What happened?” Reyu asked.

“They trained more like me,” Tamaris said in a small voice. “She’s version two.”

“Who’s version two? What now? They trained - how many? Are they a threat?” Reyu asked.

Tamaris closed her eyes and shuddered.

“I went to investigate an anomaly in the paperwork. - It was a blacksite. A house in the hills. She has her own ship - and she was sweet and kind and so very alone and took my hand and let me lead her out of there so trustingly,” Tamaris whispered. “She feels so young - and there’s another somewhere that I need to find.”

“Crap. Did you figure out who is still running this from Section 31? I mean, they were disbanded, right?” Reyu said.

“Yeah, we got them all… she’s just been sat there all abandoned. No one’s running them now - she’s… I can’t believe they did that to more people Reyu. What they did to me. I think they took what worked on me and did it to her and left out the bits that… didn’t work. I probably should have been her mentor,” Tamaris said miserably. “And they left out the bits that broke Beverley too. - She was so lonely Reyu. So lonely. I just wanted to love her.”

“Has social services placed her somewhere acceptable?” Reyu asked.

“She’s not that young,” Tamaris said. “And she’s currently in the care of Sarah Henna and Starfleet medical. I plan on working with her a lot, I said I wouldn’t abandon her and I mean it.”

“Of course you won’t,” Reyu said, drawing Tamaris into a hug. “You’re going to be a wonderful, supportive friend and companion, and she will come out of this just fine. She’s got the best people looking after her, including you. Now, you said there’s another?”

“Can’t we just have sex to distract from this hot mess of a situation?” Tamaris wheedled. 

“Hmmm, therapy says no,” Reyu said. “We’ll finish talking this through, then we can have sex.”

“Gah, Therapy Reyu, so sensible,” Tamaris griped but kissed the tip of his nose. “I’m so proud of you, y’know that, right? - Yes, fine, there’s another one,” she added at his Look. “I don’t have many more details as yet.”

“Well, you’ll find them, and get them help,” Reyu reassured her. “You’re amazing that way.”

“And you make me be better every day my love,” Tamaris murmured. She held him tightly. “You are still one of the biggest blessings in my life. - Has Norah said if she can come to Family Dinner on Saturday?”

“I haven’t heard,” Reyu said. “I didn’t want to push her.”

“I do worry for that girl,” Tamaris sighed. “Still… she wanted to take on the duties of Daughter - it will be very strange when she comes of age and I then call her Mother,” she snorted.

“That will be strange,” Reyu said. “What coming of age are they using, biological or chronological?”

“Chronological,” Tamaris said. “That way it can give her time to grow more and also it will be more like I retired and gave her the mantle rather than mentally unstable parent never took up the duties in the first place.”

“Ah. Good point,” Reyu said. “She’s going to do a great job.”

“Yeah. Though she’ll never be too high and mighty for us not to tell her off for not taking care of herself,” Tamaris said with a smile.

“Oh, of course not,” Reyu said. “That’s our job!”

“Yeah… so. I’m feeling complicated things of pain and anxiety about my old life - have we discussed this enough yet?” Tamaris asked.

“Talk to me more about the pain. I want to support you,” Reyu said.

Tamaris muttered curses at the therapists under her breath and then inhaled, taking Reyu’s hands. 

“It really hurts to remember,” she said after a moment. “It hurts to remember how scared and alone and broken I was for so long. It hurts to know that there is someone else - several others out there who went through the same pain - that it didn’t end with Beverley and I,” she said softly. “What if there are more somewhere, all lonely, just waiting? What… what if I never find them?” A tear rolled down her face.

Reyu thumbed the tear away. “You’ll find them,” he said fiercely. “I know because you won’t stop until you do.”

“It hurts so bad Reyu,” Tamaris sniffled and then began to cry, sobbing into him. “It hurts so bad.”

“I’m so sorry, love,” Reyu said, rocking her in his arms. “But I know you’re a strong, wonderful, capable woman who survived. That matters.”

Tamaris cried herself out in his arms. Then, all puffy faced and snotty, she looked up at him. “You know… it fucking sucks, but I think you and your therapists might have a point about letting it out being good in the longterm.”

Reyu smiled. “They do have a point. And you got to it a lot faster than I did, that’s for sure.”

“Love you,” Tamaris said with a wet chuckle. “Shall we go see what our little sand monster has managed to get up to?”

“Yes,” Reyu said. “I’ll bet she’s positively coated.”

Tamaris laughed, wiped her face and they went out into the sunshine together.

End