Disclaimer and author's note in Part I.
Part VIII
"Where's Elizabeth?" Beverly asked poking her head into the library where Jean-Luc sat reading.
"She's out riding her pony."
"You let her go off by herself?"
He looked up from his book sensing that he was in trouble. "Yes," he said cautiously.
"Jean-Luc she's only five years old. She could get hurt or, or lost. What were you thinking letting a five year old go off riding by herself?" she demanded standing in front of him, hands on her hips.
"I was thinking she's not an average five year old. You know how precocious she is, and she rides like she were born on the back of a horse," he said defensively.
Beverly sighed. "I guess you're right, but she still shouldn't be out there all alone. Something could happen."
"Nothing's going to happen."
Beverly made a disgusted noise, annoyed at her husband's calm. *How can he not be worried?* She turned to go, but Jean-Luc grabbed the back of her shirt pulling her back until she fell into his lap. "She'll be fine Beverly," he whispered, his lips brushing against her cheek. Although she was trying very hard, Beverly just couldn't stay mad.
"Just remember, it'll be all your fault if something does happen."
"Mm hm all my fault," he mumbled kissing her neck.
*Well at least it give us some time alone,* she thought as she turned her full attention to Jean-Luc.
********************
Elizabeth was riding her new pony bareback through a huge field behind the barn, the tall grass brushing against her bare legs. She trotted the mare up a large hill and stopped to have a look around at the top. Down in a little valley she could see a sparkling blue ribbon cutting through the grass. She loped the mare down the hill towards the stream. Once there she urged the mare into the water and then slid off her back. She waded through the water with the pony following happily along for several minutes, stopping every now and then to smell the wildflowers growing on the edge of the stream. Suddenly she felt something. She looked up and at the top of the hill could see a lone figure silhouetted against the slowly setting sun. At first she thought it was her father, but this person didn't feel like her father. She wasn't sure who it was, but he felt familiar somehow. She jumped up onto the mares back and galloped her up the hill towards the figure.
He watched as the little girl galloped up the hill and smiled. This was who he had made the long journey to see. It was she who had drawn him here. "Hello Elizabeth," he said when she had reached the top.
She slid off the pony and stood studying the man carefully. "Hullo."
"Do you know who I am?"
She scrunched up her face, thinking. "You're my brother."
"That's right."
"Mamma told me all about you. She said that you're a traveller."
"Yes, I am and I travelled here to see you."
"'Cause of my dreams," she said looking down at her toes.
"And also because of something else."
"What else?"
"You know that you're different don't you?"
"Yeah, I know."
"That's because you're like me," he said sitting in the grass.
"I'm a traveller too?" she asked sitting down opposite of him.
"Not exactly, but you are very special."
"Because of the experiments. I know."
"That's where you're wrong. You were always like this, the experiments just helped it along. Because of the experiments you are much more advanced. Right now you are where you would be in ten years without them having interfered. That temporal disturbance that brought you to your parents wasn't just some random occurrence and it wasn't something the Cardassians did. That was you. You pulled yourself out of where you were and, without actually knowing it, brought yourself to a place where you'd be safe. You are connected to your parents in a very special way and so you found your way to them. That's only a very small part of what you're capable of. I came to help you understand."
They spoke for a long time, Elizabeth asking questions and Wesley giving explanations as best he could.
"I want you to come with me," he said as he stood and offered her his hand some time later.
She hesitated looking uncertainly down at the house. "To where?"
"I'm going to take you travelling with me. Don't worry, they'll never know we were gone so they won't worry. I want to show you something that will help you. I'll show you that you can control what happens to you. It will stop the dreams."
"What is it?" she asked eagerly.
"Nevermind that. Are you ready?" She nodded her head and he took hold of her hand. They stood for a moment, half there and half not, before they disappeared completely.
********************
For a moment there was nothing but blackness. Slowly, as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could make out the all too familiar walls of the dank filthy cell. The nightmare again. She reached out for her brother's hand, but her fingers only closed around the blackness. Her breath came short and quick as the cold familiar grip of fear clamped around her throat. Where once there had been air there was now nothing, as if the air she breathed had no air in it. But what did a trivial thing like breathing matter now? *Nooo. No. No. No. Not again.* Then suddenly anger, provoked into showing itself by some strange force, began to replace the fear, flowing thickly through her body. She stood in the middle of the cell, her fists clenched at her sides, and allowed the anger to form into a hard ball in the pit of her stomach. It grew bigger and bigger until it finally burst. She threw herself against the door and beat her fists against it screaming her anger. The door, much to her surprise, gave way suddenly, and she tumbled out onto the floor. She sat up feeling dazed and rubbed her head where it had banged against the wall. She found herself in the long dark corridor she could remember being dragged down so many times. *But this isn't how the dream goes,* she thought as she pushed herself to her feet. Confused, but with the anger still boiling deep within, she started cautiously down the corridor. She moved slowly at first but built up speed as the need to escape built itself up.
She ran looking over shoulder and so didn't see the Cardassian standing in the corridor. She slammed into him and fell sprawling on the ground. Looking up she could see Gul Madred himself looming ominously over her like a vulture ready to pick her bones clean. A menacing grin spread across his face, and he had that look in his eyes that had always seemed to strangle her very will to survive. Reaching down, he took hold of her arm and jerked her to her feet. "Thought you could get away did you? Well think again my dear child. You're mine. You will never get away from me." She struggled against him, but his grip was too tight to break. "Soon I'll have your parents as well. I won't be as kind to them as I am to you. Your family. Mine to do with as I wish. Subject to my every whim."
"You can't. You are not competent enough. Papa is better than you and he won't allow a degenerate dastard like yourself get away with this."
His fist slammed hard into her stomach. She forgot that this was really nothing but a dream. Her mind held fast to the idea that she was back when it had been real. To her it was all happening over again, and everything about her life and family as it had become was forgotten. There was only the long days of torture and Gul Madred. Again his fist sunk into her tender stomach, and again, and again. She could no longer breath, all the air had been forced from her body. *If he keeps on like this I'll die. If he keeps on he'll kill me.* Another blow. *But what if he doesn't? That's what you're really afraid of. What if he doesn't kill you?* she thought with mounting terror. The fear of more of this, of living like this for years to come began to build inside her. Along with the anger it made a perilous combination.
"Nooo!" she screamed suddenly finding her breath. "NOOO!" Something from deep within, something dark and merciless, found it's way out. Impetuously she lifted her eyes to his and twisted herself from his grasp with a sudden show of strength. All the ruthlessness, vindictiveness, and spite drained from his pale cold eyes as her frighteningly intense gaze bore into him rendering him helpless. A part of her mind that was pure instinct and self-preservation took control. Powers she had been completely unaware of showed themselves. There was a long moment when time seemed to stand still and nothing dared to move as her mind penetrated his. Then slowly, as if being eaten away from the inside out, the Cardassian began to disintegrated before her eyes. His screams of agony tearing through his throat were the last sounds he made. Startled and shocked, yet somehow morbidly pleased, she stood staring blankly at the place where Gul Madred had been standing just moments ago. Then, as she regained control of her mind and realised what had just happened, she felt completely sick with herself and turned and ran as fast as she could down the corridor.
She ran with tears blurring her vision and didn't notice when the dark walls fell away. She ran until she couldn't any longer and collapsed into a breathless heap on the ground. She cried for what felt like hours and then stopped abruptly. She sat up and rubbed her arm across her eyes. Wesley stood silently before her. She looked up at him and an understanding flowed between them. It was over. She had done what she had to, she had taken control, and it was over.
********************
When they finally returned the sun was still in the same position in the sky as it had been when they had left. It was as if time had stopped and waited for their return. Elizabeth stood for a moment feeling a little dazed. Everything that had just happened was fading from her mind. She only vaguely remembered what had occurred while she was with her brother, but what was clear to her was that everything felt right somehow and that the heavy weight that had been sitting on her chest for so long had vanished. She smiled at her brother feeling better than she had felt in weeks. "It's getting late. Mamma and Papa will be worried. Come back to the house with me. They'll want to see you."
The pony still stood grazing as if nothing had happened. Elizabeth gathered up the reigns and smiled up at her brother. "Thank you," she said quietly. He smiled back, and they walked hand in hand down the hill in the fading light.
Part IX
Beverly ran through the house with Jean-Luc hot on her heals. She screamed and continued to laugh as he grabbed her shirt from behind and yanked her back into his arms. She turned as he pulled her and fell against him. They both laughed and Beverly leaned forward and kissed the tip of Jean-Luc's nose.
A voice from the doorway interrupted them. "Hi mom."
Beverly turned in Jean-Luc's embrace. "Wesley?" For a moment she didn't quite recognise him. He had changed a great deal from the last time she had seen him. No longer was he a scrawny know-it-all kid. Now he was a full grown man with broad shoulders and a kind handsome face. "My god, Wesley. I can't believe it's you." She broke away from Jean-Luc and threw her arms around her son. "How've you been?"
"Fine Mom. I've been fine. I just thought I'd come and help out my baby sister." He paused and looked at Jean-Luc. "Hello Captain."
"Hullo Wesley."
"So you've met our little Elizabeth," Beverly said smiling down at her daughter. "How is it you're going to help?" she asked sounding a little confused.
Wesley motioned for them all to sit at the small table in the kitchen. He then proceeded to tell them all that he had explained to Elizabeth, and about their travelling, although he refused to say what had occurred during that time when he and Elizabeth had been gone, and Elizabeth herself had only fuzzy half memories. When he had finished, Beverly and Jean-Luc sat silently looking at their daughter. They had know that she was different from other children. She had tested above all the other kids on the ship and was far more advanced than any of them, but they had never thought it went beyond being extremely precocious.
"Well that explains a lot. I mean why she's so different from other children."
"Yes it does," Jean-Luc added not knowing what else to say.
They were all quiet for a while before Beverly said, "Well Wesley, dinner's almost ready. Why don't you stay and eat with us?"
"Sure mom, I'd love to."
They talked all through dinner trying to catch up on all they had missed. When dinner was over they moved into the library still talking.
"I'm sorry it's been so long Mom. I should have come sooner. I kept meaning to, but I always seemed to get side-tracked."
"That's all right Wes. I understand how hard you've been working. At least you came when we needed you," Beverly replied smiling tenderly at her son. No matter how old he got or how many plains of existence he visited he would always be her little boy, and no matter what Elizabeth became she would always be her darling little girl. Beverly looked down at her daughter who was curled up next to her with her head in Beverly's lap. She had fallen asleep.
Jean-Luc followed Beverly's gaze to their daughter. "I'll take her upstairs and put her to bed," he offered. Standing, he gathered up his little girl and carried her upstairs. When he came back down he found Wesley and Beverly by the back kitchen door. "Leaving already?" he asked Wesley, sounding disappointed.
"Yeah, I have to get back." He stuck out his hand. "It was good to see you Captain."
Jean-Luc grasped his hand and shook it firmly. "As it was to see you," he replied.
Wesley then hugged his mother. "Good-bye."
"Good-bye." They said in unison. As they watched he walked out into the yard and disappeared.
They went back into the house, turned off all the lights, and silently went upstairs. They stopped when they came to Elizabeth's door. Jean-Luc opened it quietly and peered in with Beverly looking over his shoulder. They couldn't help but smile. The light from the full moon spilled in through the open window and fell across the tiny figure asleep in bed. A sense of peace filled the room, for tonight she would sleep straight through til morning.
The End