Tom's jaw clenched. "Can I speak to you in your Ready Room, Captain?"

  Will grinned broadly. "So we can have the same argument as the last time I wanted to go on an away mission? Sorry, Commander. This time I go. There are things going on down there that you know nothing about."

  "With all due respect, Captain." Tom spoke with deadly quiet. His eyes flashed dangerously. "I think I have a pretty good handle on things."

  "We'll see if you're still saying that in an hour, Commander." Will chuckled. "I'll meet you in Transporter Room Two in ten minutes."

  "Yes, Sir," Tom said tightly as Will strode off the bridge into the turbolift.

  *****

  Deanna walked into the ship's nursery with a growing smile on her face. The happy chatter of children echoed happily through the brightly colored room. In the glassed-off area a few children napped in silence, but chaos ruled for the most part. She sensed both her sons, one sleeping, the other playing, and her smile grew. As she stood there, B'Elanna came up behind her and stood silently.

  "Good afternoon, Commander," she greeted the other woman without turning around. She heard B'Elanna's soft chuckle. "What brings you here?"

  "K'Leena and Robert have checkup appointments." Her voice held a slight note of irritation. "Tom was suppose to take them, but...."

  "Ah," Deanna sighed knowingly. "I'm surprised he didn't take you on the away mission."

  "He wanted me on board because of the problems with the gel-packs. Besides, the new Chief of Security went with him," B'Elanna smirked. "She can handle any engineering problems they might have."

  Deanna laughed. "Poor Harry. I thought he was going to lose it when Will promoted Seven on the spot."

  "Tom said he grumbled on the bridge all day. Just kept saying 'Eight years, eight years to make Lieutenant J.G. and she does it in four months!'"

  "But he was promoted to Full Lieutenant two years later."

  "I know," B'Elanna smiled. "We just love to tease him about being the 'eternal ensign.'"

  "Lt. Hansen is doing a remarkable job. Will is very pleased with her new security protocols. She's managed to tighten things up very...efficiently."

  B'Elanna rolled her eyes. "Don't you start." Deanna grinned. "Why aren't you down on the surface?" B'Elanna asked suddenly.

  "I haven't been cleared for full duty yet," Troi grumbled. "The Commander took Dr. Bashir and Lt. Dax. Ezri has been handling my patients while I'm on maternity leave."

  "Okay. Did Tom really take Will along?"

  "Yeah, but he wasn't happy about it," she laughed, glancing over to where Lucas was playing with B'Elanna's daughter. "They're playing together again," she commented.

  Their children were working intently with an enormous set of small, colorful, interlocking blocks. Tom Paris had replicated them for the nursery, saying there was nothing like Lego for building things. It seems he was right.

  "Playing is better than fighting." B'Elanna followed the counselor's gaze with a rueful smile. "What are they building?"

  "Who knows?" Deanna walked over to her son and crouched down next to him. He barely gave her a second glance. B'Elanna did the same with her daughter and was rewarded with a tiny scowl. "What are you building?" she asked Lucas.

  "A ship," he replied, grabbing a block from K'Leena's outstretched hand. "What're you doin' here?"

  "It's time for you and Kyle to come home." Deanna smoothed a hand over her son's dark, shiny hair.

  "Why?" he asked.

  Deanna laughed and shook her head. "Because it is."

  "I'm busy." Lucas' attention switched back to what he and K'Leena were building. Deanna gave B'Elanna a helpless look.

  "K'Leena," B'Elanna crooned softly to get her daughter's attention.

  "Huh?"

  "Come on. You have a checkup in Sickbay."

  "Nuh uh," K'Leena stated firmly, stubborn defiance flashing in her clear blue eyes.

  B'Elanna made a mental note to find something unpleasant for Tom to do when he got home tonight. "K'Leena Isobel, you are coming with me."

  "No," the child defied. "I'm going with Daddy!"

  B'Elanna smile almost sadly and quietly said, "Daddy is off the ship, honey. You have to come with me and Robert."

  "What 'bout our ship?" she whined.

  B'Elanna exchanged a look with Deanna. "We'll have your teacher put it away and save it for later since Lucas is leaving for the day too. Would that be okay?" B'Elanna looked over at Lucas.

  The little boy bit his lip in concentration for a moment then nodded his head. "'kay," he agreed. "We'll do it tomorrow, 'Leena."

  The two mothers rose to their feet and smiled at each other. They were going to have their hands full with these two.

  *****

  "Tell me what you know, Commander," Captain Riker asked upon entering the Transporter Room. The rest of the away team was already assembled. Commander Paris, Dr. Bashir, Lt. Dax, Lt. Hansen and two of her security officers.

  "Scans of the surface picked up one inhabited settlement. No measurable EM readings, but over a hundred humanoid life signs."

  "And the distress signal?"

  "Transmitting from the settlement, Sir. It's weak and losing power by the minute."

  "Very well." Riker stepped onto the transporter pad and the rest of the team followed. He nodded to Paris.

  "Energize," Tom commanded.

  The shimmering of a transporter beam appeared on the planet's surface as six forms materialized. Will opened his mouth to bark orders, but managed to restrain himself in time. This away mission was Tom's show, he was just along for the ride. Questions would need to be answered when someone first laid eyes on his double. He briefly wished Deanna was here, her empathic abilities would have been useful. He smiled slightly. He was spoiled. Not every starship had an empath. Most of them had to muddle through with standard search and rescue techniques.

  "Captain, you're with me." Paris' voice left no room for argument, not that Will had any intention of doing so, but the command tone of Tom's voice brought out the mischief.

  "Yes, Sir," he snapped smartly, ignoring the scowl Tom gave him. Will followed the commander with a wicked grin as he stalked toward the compound.

  Paris used his tricorder to pick up any lifesigns. When he did, he turned to Will. "How much would I have to beg and plead for you to hide?"

  A sharp crack of laughter came from Will. "I don't hide, Commander."

  "Then at least stay out of my way," Tom grumbled as he strode quickly from his commanding officer, moving towards the point from which the lifesigns emanated. Upon entering the building, the first thing he saw was a seemingly lifeless body lying on a pallet on the ground. The sight made him swallow hard. Gathering his resolve he walked over and knelt down next to her. She was Bajoran. Her eyes opened suddenly and widened in surprise when she saw her face.

  "Nick?" she gasped.

  Tom frowned slightly in confusion. "Commander Tom Paris of the Federation Starship Enterprise, we're here to rescue you."

  She stared for a moment longer. "Sorry, for a minute there you reminded me of someone else."

  "What's your name?" Tom asked.

  "Sito," she replied, forcing herself to sit up. She was still a Starfleet Officer, no matter what, and he was her superior. "Ensign Sito Jax, Sir."

  "Can you stand?" he asked, concerned.

  "Yes," she nodded, grasping his arm for support as she struggled to her feet. "There are others, you know."

  "We know," Tom said grimly.

  "Who is 'we'?" a deep, familiar voice asked from beyond the shadows.

  Paris stood up and looked to the approaching figure in shock.

  "Captain Riker?" Tom asked, more than a little taken aback at the man before him.

  This couldn't be their captain. This man was thinner. A little older looking too, as if life had worn him down faster than the man they served under, and his expression was harsh with distrust.

  No, this wasn't Will Riker, but it sure as hell looked like him.

  "Captain Riker, huh?" the doppelganger chuckled. "Nice to know one of us made it."

  He thrust out his hand. "Tom Riker, nice to meet you, Commander Paris."

  Again, Tom was stunned. "You know who I am?"

  "We may have been prisoners, but we still got the occasional news vid," he smiled. "Voyager's journey was of great interest to us. Many of our friends traveled with you, Commander. We kept you in our thoughts and prayers."

  The sound of footsteps echoed behind them, yet neither man looked. Tom Riker sighed after a moment and turned around with a slightly crooked smile. Will Riker nearly wilted in relief.

  "You look like hell, brother," Will told the man before him with a relieved grin.

  "Yeah, and you look far too comfortable in those captain's pips."

  The Captain laughed and hugged his twin. "It's good to see you, Tom," he told him honestly. "We'd given up hope years ago."

  Tom nodded and turned slightly to the woman standing just behind him, holding a small, dark-haired child.

  "I believe you already know my wife Laren," he said, drawing her to his side. "And this is our daughter Marissa."

  Will Riker stiffened. He hadn't recognized her. The hair was longer and lighter from the sun, but it the face was the same. She'd aged well in the last ten years. Ro Laren was still one of the most beautiful women Will Riker had ever known.

  And she had betrayed them all.

  "Lieutenant," he addressed her formally, stressing her rank, reminding her that regardless of her desertion, she was still a Starfleet officer.

  Tom Riker's eyes narrowed. "Don't start, Will," he hissed.

  The Captain met his gaze. "Ensign Michaels will escort you to the ship. We'll talk more later. You must be tired and the ship's doctor wants everyone to report to Sickbay for an exam."

  Laren and Tom watched the Captain turn on his heel and leave without another word to either of them.

  "Somehow," Ro Laren began softly. "I wonder if we wouldn't have been better off just staying here."

  "And slowly starve to death?" her husband asked quietly, sliding his arm around her waist. Laren shook her head and leaned into the embrace.

  "I hate the Cardies," she sighed.

  Tom Riker chuckled and kissed the top of her head.

  *****

  B'Elanna glanced up when they entered Sickbay and then back down at her son, whom Dr. Selar was still examining. A second later she looked up again in shock, sure she hadn't seen who she thought she had.

  "Ro?"

  The dark-haired woman turned when she heard the broken whisper. Her face lit with a smile. "Torres!" she exclaimed.

  A med-tech came over to Robert's biobed and nodded to B'Elanna that she would watch the baby. The commander smiled her thanks and rushed over to her friend. The women embraced tightly, unable to stop the tears that formed in their eyes. B'Elanna pulled away first, dashing away the moisture from her face in embarrassment.

  "I thought you were dead," she told Ro. "All the others...."

  Laren smiled sadly. "I know. We thought we'd lost you too, you know. We couldn't believe it when we heard about Voyager. And look at you!" She waved with her arms. "A Lt. Commander! Chief Engineer on the Enterprise. In the name of the Prophets, how did -that- happen?"

  B'Elanna laughed. "I'm not sure myself."

  *****

  "How many total, Commander?" Riker asked his XO after they'd beamed up with the last of the former prisoners.

  "One hundred and eighteen, Sir."

  Will nodded and tapped his comm badge. "Riker to the bridge."

  --Kim here.--

  "Get us out of Cardassian space, Lieutenant, warp eight. We're done here."

  --Aye, Sir. Kim out.--

  "What's the status of our guests?" the Captain asked Seven of Nine, who was waiting for them outside the Transporter Room.

  "Dr. Bashir is almost done with the exams. I have assigned individual quarters to the families and the rest are temporarily housed in Cargo Bay Two. Ship's Services is seeing to their needs."

  "Very good, Lieutenant. I'll be on the bridge."

  Seven raised her ocular implant high when his terse "Bridge!" could be heard before the turbolift door closed.

  "Captain Riker is upset," she observed.

  Paris chuckled. "You think?"

  *****

  The chime sounded throughout their quarters. Deanna quickly covered Kyle with a blanket and moved to the outer room to answer the door. With a steadying breath, she pressed the button to open it. She knew who was standing on the other side.

  "Hello, Tom," she greeted her husband's double with a smile. "Welcome home."

  He grinned back and hugged her briefly. "Thank you."

  "Come in." She gestured to the living room.

  Tom Riker quickly noted toys scattered on the floor, the baby seat on the coffee table...and the plain gold band adorning her left hand. His eyes flew to hers.

  "You're married?"

  "Yes," she replied calmly. "Will and I have been married almost five years now."

  Tom smiled at that. "Five years, huh? Sure took his sweet time about it, didn't he?"

  "Tom...." There was a warning in the word.

  He held up his hands in defeat. "Sorry. None of my business." He paused a moment before continuing, "I just came to see how you were, Deanna."

  "I'm fine," she assured him. "We're very happy."

  Tom nodded. "Good. That's all I ever wanted for you."

  "What about you? Will filled me in a little. How are you? Did you really marry Ro Laren?"

  "Yes, Laren and I are married. We have a daughter. Her name is Marissa. Aside from being in a Cardassian prison for the last ten years, I'm great."

  She frowned at the sarcasm. "You don't have to pretend with me, Tom. I know you too well."

  "Yeah," he sighed. "I guess you do. I don't know, Deanna. Everything is happening so fast, I haven't had a chance to breathe, much less think. But I needed to see you in person. I owed you that much."

  "You don't owe my anything, Tom. I'm here if you need me," she offered.

  "I know."

  "Where is Laren, by the way?"

  "Oh, your Chief Engineer was in Sickbay when we arrived. B'Elanna and Laren knew each other back before Voyager was lost. She offered to help Laren get settled in. And Marissa was thrilled with the idea of a playmate. She hasn't had another little girl to play with so close to her age. She thought the world of Leena when she met her."

  "Her name's -K'Leena-," Lucas said from the bedroom doorway, sounding out each syllable with deliberate precision and more than a little attitude. "And she's mine!"

  Tom Riker's eyes widened at the belligerent stance of the little boy. Deanna rolled her eyes. "Don't ask," she warned him, then turned to her son. "Lucas. I want you to come meet someone." She held out her hand.

  He walked over to his mother with a fierce scowl planted firmly on his face. Tom struggled to keep from laughing. "Like father, like son," he murmured.

  "Lucas, this is your Uncle Tom. He's Daddy's...brother."

  The miniature version of himself gave him a quick once over with his distrustful black eyes, then he lifted he chin slightly to say:

  "My Daddy's the capt'n."

  "Yes, I know." He hoped his voice held the proper respect the child expected of him.

  "You look like him."

  "We're twins. Do you know what that means?'

  "I'm not a baby. Marianne and Michele are twins. I go to school wit 'em."

  "Well, your father and I are kind of like that."

  Lucas seemed to consider that for a moment. "'kay," he nodded in understanding, then looked up at his mother. "I want to play with -K'Leena-."

  The older Riker bit back a grin when the child again stressed her name and glared at him.

  "Possessive, isn't he?"

  "You have no idea," she muttered under her breath before addressing her son. "Not now, Lucas. K'Leena is with her mother and Kyle is napping. You can see her tomorrow."

  "But," he began to whine.

  "Lucas," his mother cut him off in mid-snivel. "Not now, understand?"

  "Fine!" And he stomped off to his bedroom. "Meanie!"