SILENT WHISPERS
by Carol Sandford

Chapter six

Chapter six

Deanna yelped, causing the child in her arms to react with a tiny sqwauk as Will gently began to massage her stomach. Moments later, she was surprised to feel another contraction coming and another large object fall free of her loins.

Will tenderly spoke to her, "It's all over now, Deanna. The afterbirth is out and I'm just going to clean you up and then you can sleep, okay?"

Deanna drowsily watched him as he fussed around, oblivious to her intent gaze. A tidal wave of emotions went through her as he went through the act of washing her and then removing all the soiled cloths that only a short while ago made her lounge look like a bloody battle zone. She was even more surprised when he suddenly disappeared, reappearing a moment later with a pair of her panties and towelling, then deftly slipped them on her as though he'd done it a hundred times before.

Deanna thought Will was going to leave her where she was, but once he'd squared everything away, he leant down and scooped her, and baby up into his arms as though she weighed nothing at all, and walked her into her bedroom.

He lay her gently onto the bed, its cover's already pulled down, ready and waiting. But being laid down finally allowed Deanna to succumb to the fatigue that had been with her for weeks, if she allowed herself to admit that fact. She was tired. Not just from giving birth, but for the days and nights of worrying about everything and anything.

But now her saviour had come, seemingly from the heavens themselves. Her baby had been born alive, and she knew without a shadow of a doubt that her loneliness was over too because there was no way in this universe that Will would leave her again.

Will watched Deanna's eyes flitter down, her exhaustion finally taking over her beat and battered mind and body. Will marvelled at how strong she had been, and still was. They both knew that if she'd have wanted, she could have called Earth anytime and the Enterprise would have come running. HE would have come running.

But she'd wanted to prove to not only herself, but to everyone else, that she wasn't a quitter and she had excelled. Will was so proud of her that he smiled, watching her cradle her newborn protectively against her breast, her breathing slow, shallow and peaceful as she slept.

Reluctantly though, Will had to disturb her. He hated to do it because he was more than aware of how tired she was, but she needed to get some nourishment into the little one, quickly. Gently Will stroked Deanna's peachy cheek with the back of his index finger, but she was oblivious to everything.

Will chewed his lip for a moment as he watched her, then, decision made, he made his way to the other side of the bed so that he could manoeuvre Deanna and the baby easier.

Reaching forward, Will undid the few buttons upon her nightgown until enough were undone for him to push the fabric aside and bare one full breast, its nipple already engorged from the months of preparation before. Not so long ago, Will would have been beside himself with need if this had been a different time and a different circumstance. But knowing that her body had nurtured a child and her breast were now a continued source of that, sexual need hadn't even entered his mind. How times had changed.

Freeing the tiny infant enough for it to nurse, he gently lifted and guided the minute bud lips to the nipple, stroking its cheek softly with his fingertip, whilst guiding the rosy tip into its mouth with his other hand.

Cooing quietly, Will coaxed the baby to open wide enough to take in the impossibly large nipple, "Come on, baby," he coaxed. The baby fussed as it struggled against the intrusion, until suddenly it seemed to know that somehow, this was what was supposed to happen and it began to suckle noisily, earning a tender chuckle from Will. "Atta...Hey!" as a sudden thought occurred to him, "we don't even know what you are yet!"

Gently pulling aside the towel enough to see its nether regions, Will grinned stupidly at the still dozing Deanna, whispering, "Congratulations, mommy, you've got a beautiful baby boy."

Will watched the scene for a few minutes longer as he waited for the baby to stop suckling, then gently reaching in, he disconnected him from Deanna's breast, lifting him away from her arms and wrapping him snuggly back into the fluffy towel. Deanna whimpered in her sleep, reaching out for her child, obviously registering the loss but too tired to waken from the heavy, healing rest.

Smiling, Will stood, leant over and covered her exposed body tucking the baby back into her arms. He pulled the coverlet back up before leaning in and kissing her now dry brow. His tender, "Sleep well, mommy." went unheard as he quietly slipped from the room.

Chapter seven

The room was in darkness when Deanna woke, apart from one solitary illumination that shone like a beacon, telling her she was safe, that she wasn't alone and that someone was there, with her. It was that same someone who had swept into her life and become her knight in shining armour, and Deanna dimly realised that it was always Will that fitted the role. It was always Will that came to her rescue. She guessed that somehow, someway, it would always be him, for as long as they both lived.

If she were truly honest with herself, Deanna never ever wanted it to be any other way, not even when she was married to another. It was their bond, she knew that and so did Will. Only Will had never given up on its power, or them, like she had done, and it still pained her when she remembered what she had put her Imzadi through.

Why did she marry a stranger; a man that deep in her heart, knew was wrong for her? It was a question she had asked herself time and time, and then time again. Even when her common sense had slapped her around the head, telling her in no uncertain terms that she was wrong. That she was abusing what her heritage had bequeathed to her, trusting her to take Betazed's most revered gift and treating it with the respect that it deserved.

But she had callously thrown it aside, along with her Imzadi's shattered heart and married an outsider. Deanna bit back the stinging tears as she stared towards the door in the dimness, accepting that the Gods' had dished out their punishments and these were it; A failed marriage and her tiny dying baby and a man that couldn't possibly love her anymore, even though Deanna was sure that something akin to love had washed over her on several occasions during the past few turbulent hours.

Her throat, dry and sore from the constant effort and usage she had used to push her baby into the world, seized as she huskily tried to call out Will's name. She badly needed to use the bathroom almost as badly as she needed to see her son and the man caring for him, but Will was too far away to hear her feeble call. So gingerly pushing the heavy quilt to one side, Deanna wearily pushed herself to a sitting position, grimacing at the unaccustomed soreness in her groin area.

Putting her bare feet to the cool floor, Deanna tentatively pushed herself to a stand. Her legs wobbled uncontrollably, causing her to sway and reach for the night stand to steady herself until she regained her equilibrium and allow her woozy stomach to settle enough to come upright again and take enough steps to bring herself to her bedroom door, welcoming its solidness like a long lost friend.

But the unexpected sight before her, made her heart swell with such tenderness that she couldn't stop the stream of tears from falling, her mind instantly snap-shooting the picture for an eternity of memories.

Will sat on the floor cross-legged in front of the fire cradling her tiny new born son against his bare chest within his huge arms. His little finger was gently stroking his tiny cheek as his low, soft voice murmured something inaudible to her.

The room was almost steaming as the heat swirled about them both, leaving a sheen of glistening sweat on Will's body. But without a shadow of a doubt, that same heat was keeping her baby alive. Will was using it instead of an incubator. He didn't have any other choice. She knew as well as he did that the small child wasn't technically ready for this world yet. He was pitifully tiny and before Will had wrapped him snugly and securely in the fluffy towel, Deanna could see how thin his skin was, its milky protective layer evident and against her own olive complexion.

The urge to use the bathroom became too strong and Deanna reluctantly broke her loving gaze away from Will and her son and slowly headed towards the bathroom. She was weak even from just the few minutes she'd been out of her bed, but even so, she managed to drag a comb through her sweat-soaked hair enough for it to resemble hair and not a tumbleweed on a stormy day.

Will heard the toilet flush, mentally cursing himself for not hearing her stir. He mumbled agitated as he carefully pushed himself to a stand, his eyes never leaving the minuscule face that slept peacefully against his chest, "Pipsqueak, that mother of yours can't keep still for one damned minute."

Will caught her just as she was climbing back into bed, taking in the way she violently shook, her face draining of colour. Hurrying over to her, he pushed her feet further into the bed and rapidly pulled the covers back over her, his worried eyes never leaving her face, "Damn it, Deanna, can't you ever ask for help?"

Silence and accusations hung in the air between them at the double meaning to his words, but Deanna chose deliberately to opt for the safer answer to his question knowing that the other answer was for another time and another place, "I needed the bathroom, Will, I'm sorry, I couldn't make you hear me. I did try." she squeaked.

Instantly contrite after hearing the way her voice quietly croaked out her explanation, Will's face softened. Lowering himself to sit on the edge of her bed, he gently apologized. "I'm sorry, I should have known. Are you okay. Can I get you anything?"

Deanna nodded tiredly as she reached out her arms for her baby. The need to hold him was as strong as her need to rid her heavy heart of its burden, "I'd love a drink please, Will."

Reluctantly, Will handed over his precious cargo, protectively tucking the towel closer to its body so's as not to let the cooler air touch its skin, "Sure, honey, I'll just be a minute."

But Deanna wasn't even listening. Even though she was still exhausted, the short sleep she'd had had been enough to stave of the worst of her fatigue. Now she wanted to meet her baby, properly. Tucking the tiny bundle close to her, Deanna was already staring down at the little features with wonder, her smile radiant, her love flowing freely.

Will felt a tinge of jealousy along side the pride and happiness he felt for Deanna. Against all odds, Deanna's son had made it through the first six hours of its life. He was by no means out of the woods yet, but with every hour that past, Will's hope of a happy outcome increased ten-fold.

But come the mornings first show of light, no matter what the weather was doing outside, he, Deanna and her baby son were leaving the planet, come hell or high water. He knew it was the baby's only chance. He also knew it was he and Deanna's only chance too and he wasn't going to lose this opportunity to put a few things back to rights, and leaving there was the first one.

Will's footsteps were quiet as he approached the bed once more, the tall glass of milk in his hand forgotten as he looked down at the duo snuggled up in bed. Deanna had successfully manoeuvred her body enough to nurse the baby boy that suckled noisily at her breast.

Will eyes broke away from the child's face to Deanna, tenderly smiling at the serenity that lit up her features, giving her skin, her eyes that magical glow; The glow of a new mother. This was her chimera. It was all Deanna had ever wanted. Almost.

Deanna sensed Will's intense scrutiny and his wonder. Raising her still weary eyes to his, they smiled at him with contentment and peace, and he knew that he was the sole reason for that feeling. Inside he welled with hope and pride as just that one look, and that smile had given him the answer that had tortured his soul for the last two years of his miserable life. She still loved him, of that he was now sure.

After quietly putting the milk down and hunkering down beside the bed, Will brought himself to Deanna's eye level, but both sets of eyes settled back onto the tiny being between them. Will gently moved the fluffy towel away from his face so that he could watch the child nurse, moved once more by his smallness and his perfection.

He whispered, "He is so tiny, Deanna and yet so perfect in every detail, it truly is a miracle."

Deanna lifted her hand and stroked the peachy skin, tenderly touching a feather light kiss to the soft downy fluff on top of her sons head, "I know, I have been truly blessed, in more ways than one."

It was a long moment before Will's thoughts brought him back to the present and her words. He found her eyes boring into him again. Drawn by their longing and the moisture that swam in them, he couldn't stop himself from reaching forward, touching his lips to hers, and then even more reluctantly, forcing himself to sever the kiss before it had barely begun.

Unspoken words, questions and answers leapt between them in the dimness of the room until the baby's snuffling alerted them to his presence. Taking a deep, thankful breath, Will came to a stand again, his huge hands already reaching for the little body,

"Come on, little guy, you've had your breakfast, now it's mommy's turn for a sleep." Gently lifting the boy to his shoulder, preparing himself to somehow get a burp out of the tiny form, Will watched as Deanna wearily pushed herself to sit up, forcing himself to ignore the lush breast that she had not yet re-covered, "Drink your milk, Deanna, and then get some more sleep. When you wake up, we'll be all packed up and ready to get out of here, okay?"

Deanna looked up at him, her worry etching her features, "But what about the weather, Will. Are we going to be able to make it out of here?" she asked, the fear that had long past rearing its ugly head again with her question.

Will knew what she was thinking; she was worried about the baby. He was worried too, but she wasn't going to know that, not yet, "We'll be fine, Deanna. The storm has almost blown itself out, and I guarantee you, we'll be heading away from it. As soon as we've cleared the planets orbit, I'll send a communique to the Enterprise and before you know it, you'll have Beverly Crusher giving you several long lectures, and your son so many cuddles, he'll eventually wonder who his real mommy is."

Deanna chuckled tiredly as she downed the last of her milk and allowed her head to fall back on the pillows, her eyes already closing, but not before she uttered with relief, "Oh, Will, I can't wait. I have been such a fool, for so many reasons."

Will reached down and pulled a strand of hair away from her face, allowing his finger to trail a path along her jawline, his voice serious, "Hey, don't beat yourself up about it, okay? You're fine, your baby is fine, and everything else is fine, that's all that matters now. Now sleep, Deanna," he pleaded, "please, for me."

But she was already drifting off as he spoke. Cradling the baby against his huge chest, Will gave her one last, tender, lingering look and left the room and closed the door quietly behind him. He had a lot to do in the next couple of hours.

Chapter eight

Deanna didn't know what woke her, only that something did. Silent whispers floated through her dreams. There was no words, no coherent sounds, just a dying silence, one born of desperation, its invisible arms reaching out, pleading, begging for help.

Groggily pushing herself into a seated position, Deanna searched her mind for the whispers that still floated through her mind. No words, no sounds, nothing coherent, but she knew, she ~knew~ that something was wrong, that some ~one~ was in trouble.

The room was dark, the corners shrouded in shadows as Deanna struggled to see her surroundings, trying hard to remember her last waking hours, the fog of lethargy dampening her normal senses. She shifted uncomfortably, wincing at the stinging pain in her tender nether regions, the gasp that slipped from her lips released by not only the pain, but its reason; The tiny being that had been born too soon.

Her baby! Her son!

Her cherished baby son was beyond the door fighting for what remained of its tiny life within Will's giant arms.

As Deanna hastily threw aside the bed covers, she put her feet to the floor and quickly pushed herself to a shaky stand, but she wasn't ready for that level of speed. Her legs, still weak from childbirth and heavy from fatigue wouldn't hold her weight, and before she had even took one step, she crumbled to the floor.

But the eerie silence urgently summoned her and she knew she had to go, she ~had~ to make it. Quickly swivelling onto her knees, Deanna scuttled across the floor, the feint glow from the ajar door leading her way. Using the door as a leverage, Deanna shakily pulled herself back to a stand, moving the solid hulk wider, one half of her desperate to see what was happening to her child, the other too scared to know.

The last time Deanna had peeked from behind the door, Will was seated in front of the fire, holding her baby against his naked chest, keeping him warm, keeping him alive.

The scene was the same. It seemed to be the same, only it wasn't. This time, Will's giant hand was gently rubbing her sons ridiculously small chest, and blowing gently into his tiny mouth.

Her baby wasn't breathing.

As she stared wide-eyed at the scene before her, everything turned into slow motion. Huge uncontrollable tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched Will repeat his ministrations over and over.

He was in complete control. Unable to stop herself, Deanna watched Will massage the boys chest with movements so minute, one wouldn't realise what he was doing. But it was when he gently lifted his tiny face to his and blew the puff of life-giving air into his lungs that told its own story.

On and on Will steadfastly kept the motions going, until at last, one tiny, scrawny arm twitched, and a euphoric gasp of utter relief washed over the room.

It was Deanna's strangled gasp that alerted Will that he had an audience. He watched her step falteringly further into the room as the unspoken questions bounced between them. She wanted to know everything, but he didn't want to tell her anything.

His eyes held hers as he fought against her intimate probing. The last thing she needed to know right now was that it had been the fourth time her son had stopped breathing. He was just grateful she hadn't seen the first time that it had happened and he been running around the room like a headless chicken, clutching the lifeless body tightly in his arms, frantically wondering what the hell to do.

And then his commander mode kicked in and he physically stopped himself in the centre of the room and forced himself to think rationally, just long enough to help the poor little scrap, and it had worked.

But Deanna didn't have to know that. Not yet.

Will watched as Deanna slowly made her way towards him, but his relief turned to worry as he watched her begin to sway. It was then he dropped his gaze to her lower body and as the colour drained from his heated face, his eyes widened in horror, and his hushed, "Oh, my God..." broke Deanna's captive spell, and she dropped her own startled eyes downwards.

She was haemorrhaging, profusely.

A vivid scarlet stain trailed a path from her loins, getting bigger and darker with each inch. The material of her nightgown dragged down with the weight of the warm moisture, and as she reeled back with shock, two perfectly formed footprints stood out amongst the rapidly growing puddle on the floor.

Carefully balancing the infant in his arms, Will quickly pushed himself off the floor and hurried to her side, finding himself not only holding onto the baby for dear life, but Deanna too as she struggled to stay upright. One traumatic moment had passed, and now another one was unfolding.

If Deanna hadn't been so heavy on one arm, and if he had not have had the baby in the other, Will would have become the headless chicken again. What the hell was he supposed to do now?! Bringing a baby back to life and keeping him alive was one thing. Stopping a haemorrhaging woman, a woman he adored from dying was another.

William Riker was out of his depth and he knew it.

The baby squeaked pitifully in protest as Will inadvertently held onto the tiny mite harder than he meant to as he struggled with his mother. Knowing he had no other choice, Will manoeuvred himself better and gently lowered Deanna's trembling form to the floor, his voice miraculously hiding the terror eating away inside of him, "Come on, sweetheart, down you go."

He felt her fear all the way down to his boots and saw it even moreso in her tear-filled eyes. But she must have seen the fear in his own too and tenderly reached out and touched his face with her trembling hand. The touch held so much for him, but his heart soared at the one thing he needed from her most; Trust. Deanna was trusting him with her slowly ebbing life, as well as her cherished son's.

Hurriedly pushing a cushion under her head, Will grimly noticed Deanna's colour ebbing away as the blood continued to drain from her body. He had a choice to make. Did he put the child down while he tried to help Deanna and risk him flat-lining again, or did he continue to practice his skill at being only one handed? An art that was rapidly becoming as natural to him now as breathing. It was only now he was beginning to understand how mothers managed to do half a dozen jobs at once whilst nursing an infant, a talent he was fast learning to appreciate.

Deanna stared up at Will, her huge onyx eyes fixed steadily upon his face as he sat on his heels beside her, her baby cradled tightly in his muscular arms against his still bare chest. He was torn, she could see it. Will was at a loss with what to do. She could see the commander in him, trying to focus on which course to take, but at the same time, she saw the man who loved her and who was scared stupid and in dire need of help.

Lifting both arms, Deanna held them out to him, her eyes and voice pleading. "Give him to me, Will. Do what you've got to do. I'll be alright."

Her words snapped him into a decision and he unconsciously realised that it was what he had been waiting for. His eyes shifted along the rest her body, paling once more at the stain that stood out like something from a horror story against her once pure white night gown. He had to get it off her. He had to remove the evidence of his failure. It was an irrational thought, but it was one that somehow kept slipping into his head, more and more as time ticked past. Will was blaming himself for all that was wrong before him, and he didn't have a clue as to why, only that he did.

So many, 'if only's'. So many regrets. So much love, but too late, he was always too damn late. And now it looked like he was losing everything that meant anything to him; Deanna, their bond, the same bond that had brought him to her in her hour of need, and God help him, as Will tenderly, tearfully looked down at the tiny boy in his arms that now slept peacefully and unaware of the terrors surrounding him, he loved him too.

A moment later, Will had torn the child away from the safe haven of his chest and lay him upon his mothers. As he watched Deanna's arms instinctively surround her baby, not only with her arms, but with her love too, he felt another emotion rip through his soul; Loss. Everything he needed, and loved, lay before him on the floor, and with each heartbeat that painfully left their dying bodies, they moved further and further away from him.

Chapter nine

Will could see no other way of removing Deanna's nightgown other than tearing it from her now inert body. He was loathe to raise it over her head mostly because he didn't want to disturb the baby who had settled between her full breasts, moulding himself against them as though he were joined to her.

He watched them both until he was satisfied that they were breathing naturally; Deanna's shallow, but steady, her sons rapid but equally steady. Only then did he feel confident enough to move away and find some clean clothing for Deanna along with the necessities to make her more comfortable. Will was aware he was going to have to get them both out to the shuttle and to the precious medi-kit within it. Inside he knew there was a supply of various hypo's, one of which would hopefully ease up Deanna's bleeding, even if it was just for long enough for him to get airborne and out of this nightmare situation.

Crawling around nearer to Deanna's head, Will tenderly brushed away a strand of hair that had settled upon her pale cheek and watched his Imzadi breathe. He was losing her, he could feel it. The serenity that had settled over her face cleverly camouflaged her true condition. Only someone with a tricorder in their hand or a precious link into her psyche would be aware that her life force was slowly but surely dissipating. The fact that he had the latter was both a blessing and a burden.

But for now, they were both holding their own and taking a deep shuddering breath, Will began to carefully rip away the soiled gown, trying to keep the noise to a minimum, so's not to disturb the slumbering child. As he got higher, he gently lifted Deanna's arms and slipped the material off, keeping his mind and his eyes averted from the horrific sight lower down her body.

Her slender thighs were marbled with the blood that still seeped from her torn insides. Finding the only thing that deemed suitable, Will formed a triangular shape with a bath towel he'd found in her bathroom, slipped it beneath her sleeping body and fashioned a knot at her waist. Oddly pleased with his invention, Will smiled grimly at the gigantic nappy before beginning the arduous task of slipping the fleecy bathrobe onto her.

As he reluctantly pulled and tugged at her, gradually edging the bathrobe over her cooling body, Deanna woke long enough to raise her arms to lift the little one from her chest, but Will laid his hand upon hers, halting her movement. "Leave him where he is, Deanna, he needs your heat, and you can feel his heartbeat against you, can't you?" he asked gently.

With a slight nod, her eyes heavy with fatigue and worry, her arms settled once more and Will finally pulled the bathrobe over the front of both her and her baby, carefully leaving his tiny face free. As soon as he'd finished, Deanna's arms moved and cradled the newborn and as she did so, Will breathed a huge sigh of relief. But as soon as the breath left his lips, his thoughts turned to the next daunting task; Successfully getting them all out to the shuttle.

Shifting his body so that he could reach down to Deanna's pale face, Will tenderly touched his lips to hers and whispered softly, "Hang on, sweetheart, we're going on a little adventure." Will didn't even wait to see if she'd heard him and a second later, he threw on his jacket, threw a blanket over them both, reached down and swept Deanna and the baby into his huge strong arms and hurried towards the door.

Freezing wind and bitterly stinging snowflakes buffeted them as soon as the door slid open and fearing the chill would reach Deanna and especially the baby, Will quickly stepped out into the blizzard. Head down against the onslaught, hugging them both as tightly as humanly possible, Will hurried towards the shuttle. He could just make out the roof as he approached, but his eyes got drawn to another structure that sat beside it and his footsteps reluctantly slowing as he eyed it suspiciously.

'That's odd,' he thought, puzzlement creasing his brow, 'I don't remember that being there when I arrived.' Now wary, Will studied it, blinking away the icy flakes as he made his way towards his shuttle, and the nearer he got, the more apprehensive he became, especially when the object began to take shape. Fear gripped his heart when he at last got within a few feet of it and realization dawned. It was a shuttlecraft, and judging by the lack of snow adorning it, it clearly had only just arrived.

When the shuttle door opened and a tall, shadowed figure stood against the light beyond, Will's fear turned to dread. There was no mistaking the giant of a man, a man even bigger than he was, and it could only mean one thing. Jal was back.

'Why now, dammit!?' he seethed, as he his hatred poured from inside and amassed in his blazing stormy-blue eyes. 'Another hour and he would have been far away from here and she would have been mine!' He cried silently. 'We would have been safe aboard the Enterprise and Deanna would have been mine again!'

But as Jal stepped down the ramp with bewilderment and suspicion in his eyes, Will pulled himself to his full height even though the blizzard tore at him, intent on knocking him down but very conscious of the precious cargo in his arms. As he stepped onto solid ground, near enough to see the hooded man before him, Jal's eyes turned from puzzlement into narrowed slits as he surveyed the scene before him, taking in the bundle in his arms and the way he protectively held her against him.

Seeing too much, but not enough, his voice was laced with violence as he spat out, "Going somewhere with my wife, Riker?"

Chapter ten

Will stared at the man through slitted eyes, partly because of the loathing that he felt for him right at that minute and because the snow battered at his face relentlessly with each tiny shard of ice piercing his frozen face only to freeze on contact, a million stinging needles impaling themselves into it, painfully reminding him that his situation was desperate. What the hell was he going to do?

Did he plead to Jal's better nature - if he had one? Did he tell him of Deanna's urgent need for medical care? Hell, did he tell him about the tiny baby cradled in her arms, a baby that he wasn't even sure the man knew about? Or did he stand his ground and treat him like the scum that he was for abandoning his Imzadi in her hour of need?

William Riker was torn in two. So intent at staring each other down, it was a long moment before Will registered the frantic movements beneath the blanket that he'd thrown over Deanna and her newborn. The rhythmic, thump, thump thump and the small rising of the blanket in time with each thump could only mean one thing; Deanna's baby had stopped breathing again.

Breaking his stare away from Jal, Will's eyes dropped to Deanna's half hidden face and gasped when he saw the terror etched upon her almost blue, icy wet face, mixing in with the tears that streamed down to her temples. 'Help me, Imzadi!' she silently cried, the desolate plea carrying off with the winds that tormented them.

Her desperation gave Will the decision that he needed. Will carried on stepping towards his own shuttle only to come to a halt again as Jal stepped in front of him, barring his way. "You're not...." he started to say before Will spat back at him, "Get out of my way, Collser. I need to get Deanna inside before she dies, you son of a bitch!"

Will decided not to tell Jal about the baby, he didn't find it pertinent, nor necessary at that point. To him, Deanna and her child were one. They were all one now. They were a family. His family.

Warned by the fear in Riker's eyes and by the quick glance he dared to take at the bundle in his arms, Jal started to ask, "What's wr...?"

"Not now," Will warned back, twisting his body as he pushed past the big man and hurried towards the panel to release the door to the shuttle. Impatiently, Will bobbed on the spot as he waited for the hatch to slowly drop down and even before it hit the ground, Will was stepping onto it, ducking his tall frame as he hurried inside.

Gently, but quickly, Will pulled down the fold away bed and lay Deanna upon it, tugging away the blanket as he did so. Urgently, he whispered to her, "How's he doing, Deanna, did you manage to restart him again?"

Trying to see the baby for herself, her voice, laced with tears, wobbled as she answered him. "I...I think so. Oh, Will, help us!"

Hearing the terror come from the very heart of her, Will offered her a tender smile, briefly reaching out to caress her cheek with the back of his chilly hand. "I will, sweetheart, you have my word that nothing is going to happen to you, or this little one."

Frantically rubbing his hands together and blowing his warm breath into them after reassuring her, Will lay his gigantic hand upon the ridiculously small child's back. Gratified and relieved when he felt him jump beneath his still chilly fingers, Will breathed a sigh of relief and grinned at her through a sheen of tears that had welled when he'd felt life beneath his hand. "He's okay, Deanna. You got him going again. Well done, mommy."

Pushing himself to a stand, he murmured, "Now let's get you sorted." As he turned and spotted the forgotten man standing in the hatchway staring with bewilderment at the scene before him, completely stunned, everything fell still and silent except for the howling wind outside, reminding Will that he'd left the hatch open as it quickly began filling the small shuttle with frigid air.

Barely giving him a glance, Will pushed him aside again as he reached for the medikit that was tucked away in a locker behind him.Will growled at the frozen man, "Either come inside and close the door, Collser, or get the hell out of my shuttle so that I can get Deanna and her child to a medical facility before they both die."

Will didn't see the need to pussyfoot around the dire situation, and even though he outwardly didn't give a damn about the man, Will did concede that Deanna was still his wife, and the child that she had given birth to was still his son, whether he liked it or not.

The word, 'die' broke Collser out of his daze and turning, he flicked the switch on the panel, closing the hatch, sealing them all inside. All of a sudden the shuttle seemed to shrink in size. With two giant men and one prone woman, the interior soon filled, and not only with people. A tangible cascade of emotions flared within, all swirling around them, tearing them this way, and then that way. Anger and despair. Desperation and hope. Hate and love. They were all there, tying them all together. A triangle of sheer unaccountable passion.

Locating the phial that was needed for the hypo, Will quickly loaded it and returned to Deanna's side, dropping to his knees beside her. Gently moving the neck of the bathrobe aside, Will pushed the entire contents into her system, along with a prayer to aid it along it's way. "That should do the trick until we reach the Enterprise," Will said with more confidence than he really felt. Studying her pale face he asked her softly, "How do you feel?"

"Tired." Deanna murmured quietly, her eyes drifting shut with fatigue and worry.

Removing the cold damp blanket away from her, Will pulled down three of the shuttles own thermal blankets and re-covered both her and her slumbering baby. Satisfied that they were both okay, Will moved away and started to make preparations to start the shuttle.

It wasn't until Will sat in the pilots chair and began switching everything on, including the heating, that Jal finally broke the silence. Moving apprehensively towards Deanna, his eyes never leaving hers, he squatted down beside her face, her weary eyes opening again when she heard the rustle of clothing at her ear, knowing that it was her husband.

For a long moment, he didn't say anything and Deanna didn't ask. She knew what he wanted, but she was going to wait until he asked. Asking meant that he'd accepted that there had been a child born. His child. A child that he'd known nothing about when he'd abandoned her so long ago.

"Can I see him?" he asked quietly, his hand already moving the blanket aside. Deanna's own hand moved to softly pulling it further back, revealing the minuscule face that lay peacefully upon her chest. Deanna watched him study their son, realizing then that what they'd had between them had long died.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked quietly, his words etched with anger and regret.

Very conscious that Will was near and listening in on what should have been a private conversation, Deanna whispered wearily, "You weren't here to tell, Jal, you were never here."

Deanna felt the guilt before she saw it. "I have to work. I couldn't be here for you all of the time." No apology left his lips.

"You left me virtually a prisoner in my own home, Jal. I had no way of communicating, no friends, nothing. You abandoned me, Jal, completely, without no shame or conscience."

At least he had the grace to look shame-faced just for a long moment, and then another look took over, one of suspicion. "How come your old boyfriend is here? Is that what you've been doing behind my back? Seeing him while I've been out making a living. How do I know this child is even mine?" He added, just for spite.

As the tears and despair welled within Deanna at his cruel accusations, Deanna's arms instinctively moved to protect her son. What little she had felt for the man beside her was now completely gone. Did he not see the tiny ridges upon their child's brow? The little pixie ears on the side of his head? The adorable double dimple in his chin? How could he even consider that he wasn't his son or that she had been unfaithful to him? There had been no one to be unfaithful with. He was blind with jealousy and for no just reasoning, other than his own selfishness, a trait that Deanna abhorred, especially when, not only her son's life was at stake, but hers too.

Swallowing convulsively, Deanna's voice rose loud enough for the man in the pilots seat to hear. "I'd like you to leave now. I need to get my son to a medical facility. Please let us leave, Jal."

Pushing himself to his feet and reaching to his weapon tucked into his belt, Jal growled, "You're not going anywhere with him." Turning his head towards Will who was now moving from his seat. It only took a nanosecond before Jal spied the phaser in Will's hand and laughed, pulling his own small hand phaser out and aiming it at Deanna's chest. "You think that's going to stop me, Riker? You shoot me and she dies, the brat too, if I'm lucky."

Will didn't even hesitate as he fractionally moved the phaser, aimed it at Jals hand and fired. "Get off my shuttle, you worthless piece of scum."

Jal howled in anger and pain as the phaser fire burned a hole through his hand, his own phaser skittering off, clattering against the metallic hull somewhere at the back of the shuttle. Clutching his bleeding hand, Jal made to lunge for Deanna, but Will second guessed him, leaping forward and putting the phaser within inches of his head. "Don't you even dare, Collser. I'm giving you one last chance to get off this ship before I kill you. The choice is entirely yours."

Snarling, Jal spun away from both Will and Deanna and made for the door. Will followed him over, jabbing the opening mechanism with his spare hand, the phaser still aimed steadily at Jal's head. Taking one final glance at his wife, Jal stepped back out into the blizzard. Before he had barely stepped from it, Will had punched the closing mechanism, salvaging what little heat was inside the shuttle and shutting Jal firmly outside.

Breathing hard from the fear that consumed him when he thought he was going to lose Deanna yet again, Will spun away and dropped down beside her, catching her trembling fingers within his own not-so-steady hands. Not even thinking about it, Will place his hungry lips upon hers, needing to feel the response that she readily gave. The kiss was brief, so brief, but long enough to reassure him that she was alive and with him again.

"Are you okay, Imzadi?" he croaked. At her teary nod, he gently lifted the blanket and studied the tiny sleeping form beneath. "And the boy?" he asked, holding his breath.

"He's fine, Will," she reassured. "Get us away from here. I want to go home."

For a long moment they simply looked at each other, each grateful for too many things to list, the watery smiles telling them even more. "Home," Will smiled, "That sounds pretty good to me."

Planting one last quick kiss upon her mouth, Will hurriedly tucked her back in and made his way back to the pilot's seat. Relieved at last to be finally moving off, Will started up the engines and prepared to lift off. He'd barely got ten feet off the ground when the ship shook like a rag doll, rolling precariously to one side as the impact to the near side pushed it over.

Deanna screamed as she frantically clung onto not only the bed, but the child upon her chest. "Will!"

"Hang on, Deanna, Jal's trying to ram us. Guess that means he's pissed at us." Will shouted, as he tried to right the small shuttle. Just as he got it levelled out again, Jal's shuttle slammed into them again. But this time Will was ready for it and hung on to the steering column for dear life, managing to bank it away before it tipped over.

Now Will was really pissed. "So you wanna play, you bastard. Well, guess what? So do I." Even though his visibility was practically next to nothing, Will swung the ship away sharply, away from the pursuing shuttle, giving Jal the impression that he was running, and then, out of the blue, Will slammed on his anchors and spun the ship around to face his quarry. A second later, Will fired a missile at the blurry lump ahead of him, taking a very good calculated guess at what he was aiming for. Another second later, the boom of an explosion along with a ribbon of smoke and fire sent Jal's shuttle hurtling to the ground, nose down into a thick bank of snow that on impact, puffed up like a huge, exploding white marshmallow.

Terrified, Deanna pushed herself up onto her elbow. "Will, is he...?"

"No," Will assured her, "I've just crippled his ship. He won't be following us for a while."

Relieved, Deanna sunk back onto the bed and relaxed. 'Thank God. Thank God. Thank God', she murmured over and over again.

"Try to sleep, Deanna, we've got a long journey ahead of us." Will told her. But Deanna was already drifting off, the exhaustion finally taking it's toll and the relief of being free giving her the peace of mind that she hadn't had for a long time. She was going home, home to the Enterprise. Home to her friends, and home to Will. tbc...