A Rip In Time
Chapters Sixteen through Eighteen
Chapter Sixteen
Two more days had past and the hope for anyone being left alive in the rubble of the once large city was fading fast. It had been too long to expect there to be anyone left alive under the fallen buildings. All that was left was a mircle.
One that Riker hoped would come soon for Calana. She had looked everywhere among the living for her mother and had not yet found her. She would return to Charles in the evenings to check on him. She reported the same news everytime and when night fell, she would fall asleep near his cot.
Meanwhile, Beverly spent her off hours either visiting with Deanna or resting near Jean-Luc. He had not regain consciousness yet and she was begining to worry. He was still critical, but his life signs were good, even though they were weak.
Everyday Beverly hoped that all of this was just a nightmere and that she would wake up soon. She was greatful that the critically wounded had started coming in less frequently, but she worried for the survivors who had not yet found their loved ones. She also knew hope was fading fast for those still missing.
Geordi approached Commander Riker excitedly. "Sir! Communications on Betazed are now up and working."
"Good job, Geordi. Have you put through another distress call to Starfleet?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Now all we can do is wait."
Captain Sarato overheard them talking. "Actually, we just received a message on our ship's communication. Starfleet has sent out six ships to our destination to assist us. They will arrive here sometime today."
"There's some hope." Riker said flatly. "Are they all medical or are they also crew who can assist us with the next stage of recovery?"
"They didn't say, Commander."
Riker blow air out of his mouth in discouragement. "Well, some help is better than no help."
"In this situation, we need any and all we can get." Sarato said.
"True. Geordi, now that communications are working again, see if Starfleet is going to send out crews to help rebuild."
"Aye, Sir." Geordi left to contact Starfleet.
"Well, Commander." Said Sarato. "We're making a fine team on this side of the planet."
"Yes, but it's not enough."
"Oh, I don't know. We've saved lives."
"But lost thousands all over the planet."
"Commander, I know it's been difficult these last three days, but may I remind you, the death toll could have been far greater if we hadn't done anything. It may have been a blessing in disguise to have had to evacuate the Enterprise."
"Maybe."
"That ship is as good as distroyed. My crew had to work in enviromental suits to see if anyone had not made it off the ship. Life support finally failed completely, probably about as fast as Dr. Selar got Captain Picard off the ship. The generators gave out. The damage is great and it's probably why they had troubles starting. Your whole crew, though some severely injured, were luckly."
"Yes, but we lost over a hundred crew members."
"True, but save all the rest. More could have died. That's an accomplishment."
Will digested all Captain Sarato was saying. The crew evacuated the ship quickly and in an orderly fashion. They brought with them several injured and save fellow crew members in the process. All that remained on the ship were those that had already parished coming through the rift.
"You did well, Son." Sarato complimented him. "I maybe an old doctor that's been through a lot of rescue missions, but this one was a real miricle. More could have died given the circumstances. I'm going to recommend you for accomodation."
"Thank you, Sir." Although Will was not sure why. He still blamed himself for this horrific incident. "I guess I better get back out in the field."
"Yes, and I have to get back to work myself. Before you leave though, would you do me one favour?"
"What's that?" Will asked.
"Will you get Ambassador Troi out of here? She's giving me a damn headache!"
"I heard that!" Lwaxana said while sasheing over to where the two men stood. "Really Doctor, ah Captain, ah whatever you are! You could have a better bedside manner than what you do. My son and daughter have been through a lot and need attention for their injuries."
"I assure you, your son's bruises have healed quite nicely, ma'am and as for your daughter, she pulled out very well. It could have been far worse."
"Well, you certainly didn't help much!"
"Commander Riker!" Sarato demanded.
"Yes, Sir. Ambassador Troi, why don't we go see Counselor Troi."
"Yes, but I still insist that a constant vigil be kept on her."
"Dr. Cusher has been doing her best with that. Now, if you come right this way."
Lwaxana seem indignant, but followed Will to Deanna. "Hello, Mother."
"How are you doing, Little One?" Lwaxana sent.
Deanna flinched at her mother's mind sending. "I'm fine, but my head still hurts a little."
"She can't even send back to me! Something has to be done! She's in pain and every word I send to her hurts her!"
"Ambassador Troi, we are doing all we can." Beverly said gently. "It's going to take some time, but she will recover."
"I certainly hope so!"
"Mother, please. I really could use some peace and quiet."
"My own daughter! We have no home! No place to go and you talk to me that way!"
"No, I say that, because your ranting hurts my head." Deanna informed her mother.
"Really!" Lwaxana said and stormed off to where Barin and her neice were sitting.
"Well." Will said softly and kissed Deanna on the cheek. "I have to get back to work. I'll see you later. Get some rest."
"I will."
"Take care of her, Bev." Will said, patting her on the shoulder.
Beverly was about to respond when they heard a moan coming from Jean-Luc Picard. Beverly and Will turned towards the captain. Deanna was about to sit up, but changed her mind and laid back down on her cot.
"Jean-Luc." Beverly said as she scanned him. "His vitals are improving and he seems to be coming around."
"Oh." He moaned.
"Jean-Luc, can you hear me?"
"Yes." He said weakly. "Where are we?"
"Don't try to sit up." She said, placing a gentle hand on him, trying to avoid his surgery.
"We're on Betazed. Or what's left of it." Will informed him.
"Inform." Picard tried to say.
"No, not now." Beverly ordered. "You still need rest. Commander Riker can give you all the details later."
Picard did not pursit, but instead fell back to sleep. "That's a good sign." Will commented.
"Yes. He's still unstable, but not critical."
"From the looks of things, none of us are out of the woods yet."
"True." Beverly said sadly.
"I best be going." Beverly nodded as Will left to join one of the search and rescue teams.
When he finally reach a team, they were pulling a woman out of the rubble.
"Oh, Gods! No!"
Will turned to see Calana screaming and felt heartbroken.
She fell to her knees and hugged the lifeless woman. "There's no life in her!" She cried. "No, she can't be gone! She can't be!"
Will walked over to Calana. "I'm sorry."
"She's dead." She sobbed. "My mother's dead."
Will wanted to help, but he did not have any clue what to say to the young woman. He wished Deanna were not hurt, because he knew she might have been of help.
"Calana, I wish I knew what to say."
"I've lost everything! My home, my mother. There's nothing left!" She wailed and then just cried loudly.
"You still have Charles."
The woman paused for a moment. "Yes." She sobbed. "But you don't understand. The last time I saw her." She could not continue for the tears.
"I might." Will said trying to get the woman to talk to him.
"I said some horrible things to her!"
Will was starting to feel a little uneasy. This woman's story was all too familiar.
"Now she's gone and I can't tell her I'm sorry." She started to cry loudly and buried her face on her mother's chest. "She's gone now!"
"Why don't we go back to the mobile unit?" Will said gently.
"She's dead!"
Will guided the mounful Calana back to the mobile unit. "She's gone." Was all she could say all the way back to the unit.
"Doctor Crusher!" Will called.
"She's gone." Calana seemed completely dazed now.
"I'm on my way." Beverly called back.
"Calana just found her mother." Will informed her.
"She's gone." Calana wrapped her arms around herself and rocked back and forth in an effort to comfort herself. "She's gone."
Beverly took one look at the woman. "She's gone into shock. Pulled out of their fallen home?"
Will nodded. "Looks just like all the rest of the homes around here."
"She's gone."
"I'm going to sedate her. Hopefully, they'll send some Trauma Counselors." Beverly said with a discouraged look. "She's not the first patient who's gone into shock over all of this."
"Doctor?" Charles called out. "Is Calana going to be alright?"
"Eventually, but in the meantime, all you can do is be supportive of her. It's been very hard for her to have to experience a lost like this."
"Actually, Doctor." Will began. "There's more, which I wish Counselor Troi was able to with, but unfortunately."
"I know. I wish she could, too." Beverly sympathized. "She'll get better soon and maybe then she'll be able to help, but until then, there's nothing we can do."
Will nodded his head. Then another shimmer of light appeared out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head to see who finally arrived. To his astonishment he saw an old crew member.
"Commander Shelby?"
"Yes. We're here to help anyway we can."
"Glad you could make it." Will smiled. "Right now, we need all the help we can get."
She glanced around. "Obviously."
"How many people are beaming down to help?"
"We're being scattered planet wide, but there's three ships up there now, that just arrived. So, you'll have quite a bit of assistance, now."
"About time!" Beverly exclaimed. "We could have used the help days ago."
"We got here as soon as we could." Then she turned to Will. "Where are we now with this mission?"
"Well, Search and Rescue has been down graded to search. We're still hopeful we'll find more people alive, but it's been three days. The chances of finding people alive are getting slimmer and slimmer."
"Yes." Shelby agreed. "But we'll keep hoping. Let's set up some tents for these people. Gets blankets and more medical supplies. How are food supplies holding out?"
"We've had to ration since day one."
"That bad, huh?"
"Could be worse considering." Will said.
"Water?"
"Rationed."
"OK, send down some more food and water, also."
"We had to abandon the Enterprise with what we could carry. The replicators on the shuttles and the Glassior has been of help in that area, but with this many people without homes, pickings are slim even with food and water."
"We'll set up another place for people to get food and water." Shelby informed. "Where have people been sleeping?"
"Wherever they can find a place to lay down. Most have been wandering around or staying by the side of an injured loved one, though. Sleep has been a commodity around here."
"I bet it has judging from the looks of things. We'll do our best to make as many people as we can as comfortable as we can."
"Commander Shelby." Beverly finally greeted. "Is there anyway we can get at least one counselor down here? Our counselor has been badly injured and so there's been no one to help with emotionally traumatized cases."
"I'll see about sending down our counselor." Shelby replied. "Hopefully, there will be more soon."
"Thank you, Commander." Beverly said gratefully.
Everyone went to work setting up make shift shelters and giving out food and water. More medical teams went to work with treating people all over the planet.
Will and the rest of the Enterprise crew were begining to feel like the calvery had finally arrived. The light of hope was starting to get brighter.
Chapter Seventeen
It had been a little more than a week since the Enterprise and Betazed went through the rift. The few bodies that were found in the rubble now, were just that. Nothing but lifeless bodies. Their families torn and emotionally scared from the loss of family members. There was not a single family unaffected in some way or the other from the incident that happened over the past week.
However, Deanna was now up and about. Trying to cope with the situation at hand and trying to get back to normal. Whatever normal was in this situation. She could not help but wonder how her people were going to rebuild their lives from this tragedy.
Her head was feeling somewhat better, although a nagging headache still lingered. Her eyes were better able to handle the sunlight and voices did not make her head pound quite as bad. At least, as long as they were not crying screams from the horrors of the past week and right now was one of those times.
"I don't want to talk about it!" Calana screamed at the counselor from another ship. "Just leave me alone!"
"Let me try to talk some sense into the child, Dear." Lwaxana said. "After all, we are both Betazoid. Maybe a person of similar origin can be of help."
"Be my guest." Said the frustrated counselor.
"Hello, Dear. I do hope you remember me."Lwaxana sent.
"Yes, you were one of my mother's friends." She said mournfully.
"You know, I may have an understanding of what is upsetting you."
"How would you know?"
"Well, your mother did confide in me a few times. You know, my daughter and I had words with each other long ago. Well, we still do every now and then, but that was the worst."
"I've never met your daughter and really, I rather not discuss it."
"You know, Dear, you're going to have to talk about it some time and if not with me, then who?"
Calana thought for a moment. "Is your daughter around here anywhere?"
"Why yes! She is, as a matter of fact." Lwaxana said joyfully. "Deanna! Could you come over here?"
"What is it, Mother?"
"Well, it seems Calana would like to meet you. You know she was Triana Johnson's daughter from the Eighth House of Betazed."
"I'm not sure I ever met Triana Johnson."
"You did years ago, but then she went to live on Earth for a while with her husband. She took her husband's surname. Why I don't know. It's beyond me. Her Betazoid surname was far better. Sernun is what it was. Anyway, when she lost her husband she returned to Betazed with Calana. This was after you left for Starfleet."
"I see." Deanna replied.
"Well, you two seem to have a lot in common." Lwaxana stated. "Why don't you get to know her."
"Mother, I'm not really up to a counseling session, just yet." Deanna sent as a warning that she was not feeling well enough yet.
"Maybe not, Little One, but maybe you two could just talk."
"Oh, alright."
"I'll leave you two alone." Lwaxana sent to both of them.
"You're Commander Riker's fiancee'." Calana stated.
Deanna smiled. "Yes, I am."
Calana smiled back. "I had no idea you were Mrs. Troi's daughter. Now, I know why I sensed what I sensed from him."
"What did you sense?"
"Well, happiness, sadness, shock and then suppressing of emotions once he saw Charles. It was like he had a similar story, but was not telling it. He only gave parts of information, but not anything more. His feelings told me a lot though. He did admit his fiancee' was part Betazoid also and that's how he guessed I was too."
Deanna's smile became bigger. "Well, there is a long story to our relationship. Which started years ago."
Calana sadly looked over to Charles who was now resting. "Much like ours, from what I gather."
"Maybe." Deanna replied. "Why don't you tell me how you and Charles met."
Calana's smile became dreamy. "We met at a Betazoid gathering. The officers from the Embassy were invited to come. When we looked into each others eyes, it was like an instant connection. Like we had known each other all our lives. Then he asked me to dance. As our hands touched and it was electrifying." She then paused.
"Then what happened?"
"We saw each other a few times after that and then my mother became very upset that I was seeing a human. A Starfleet officer at that. She tried to stop me from seeing him, but I saw him anyway. What upset her most was one little word, which is actually a big word if you think about it." She suddenly started speaking rapidly. "Because it has a lot of meanings, but yet it is far more meaningful than any of the meanings one could give it. Even so she became very irrate, even more so with him when she heard him say it. Then she forbid us to see each other again and then that day."
Deanna tried to clear her mind as she closed her eyes and slowly shook her head. "Calana." Deanna could sense Calana's emotions esculating.
Calana continued, still speaking very fast as though she did not hear Deanna. "It was just awful! I can't believe I said all those things and my mother..."
"Calana, please slow down and take a deep breath."
Calana stopped for a moment and did as Deanna said. She took a deep breath.
"OK. Now, continue. Only this time slowly and not so fast."
"We got into a big fight about me seeing Charles and how she knew everything about Starfleet officers." She began again. This time a little slower. "Even told me that Lwaxana Troi knew all about Starfleet officers and the heartbreak that comes with them. I refused to believe her, much less listen to Mrs. Troi, after all, Charles was only human, just like my father was, but he wasn't Starfleet."
Calana became very sad again. "He died a few years ago from a hover craft accident and now my mother is gone too. I can't tell her how sorry I am for what I said to her. I have no one now, except Charles and I don't know if he's going to recover to fulfill his dreams. It's all my fault!"
Calana started crying very hard. The tears came like a raging waterfall. "If I hadn't had the argument with my mother and dragged Charles out to the Jalara, none of this would have happened."
Deanna was confused. "You mean this, from going through the rift or what?"
"No, my mother may not have died and Charles and I may have gotten the warning and stayed in the city, but no! I had to drag him out there so we could be alone and now he's paralyzed. It's all my fault!" She screamed and her last words reverbarated through Deanna's still aching head.
"It's all my fault!" She continued to scream. The tears rolled even faster down her face.
Deanna sympathized with her. She sensed the woman's pain from her loss. "You didn't cause your mother to die and it's not your fault that Charles is paralyzed. Who knows. He may walk again after surgery and physical therapy."
"No, it's my fault this happened. It wouldn't have if I hadn't ran off and drag him out there." She sobbed. "He'd be able to walk and my mother would be alive still."
"You don't know that." Deanna tried to explain. "With everything that's happened to Betazed and all, the outcome may have been the same. Only a different senerio. You didn't cause the rift to do all this damage, especially not to your love ones."
Calana continued to cry profusely. "I have nothing now!"
"I wouldn't say that." Deanna reassured her. "You still have Charles and from what I can tell, you two are deeply in love. He loves you dearly and you have a bond, that I believe, will see you through all of this. If you let it."
"Really?" She sobbed, looking at Deanna unbelievingly.
"Yes, I do." Deanna smiled at her. "I bet you two will do just fine even if he doesn't walk again. He doesn't blame you because he can't walk now, but he is worried about you and you've closed your mind to him. Open your mind and reach out to him."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Oh, I was about your age when I met Commander Riker. We also went through a lot, but our bond is stronger than ever. When two people are truly Imzadi, nothing can break that bond."
"Are you sure?" She sniffed.
"Trust me." Deanna smiled at her again. "Why don't you talk to him. Who knows. With a little help and time, you can rebuild your home and you two may decided to stay here or you two may end up travel through space together. Whatever happens nothing is going to tear your bond apart."
"I hope you're right."
"Talk to him."
"OK, when he wakes up, I will, but I don't want to disturb him now. He needs his rest."
"Are you going to be alright now?"
"I think so."
"That's good. I need to get some rest myself."
"I'm sorry if I caused you any trouble."
"No, it's alright. I'm still not feeling like myself yet, but it has nothing to do with you. I'll be fine."
"I hope so, and I still think you two are very lucky."
Deanna smiled at her. Then she rose and went back to her cot to lie down.
"Are you alright?" Will asked as he saw her lying back down on her cot.
"Yes, just a little worn out."
"You need to take it easy. You're still not fully recovered."
"I'll be fine." Deanna said tiredly. Her head was begining to hurt worse again and all she wanted to do was rest.
Will leaned over and kissed her. "Get some rest."
"I will."
Then Will left to help clean up the debris that surrounded the area. He still could not believe all the homes that were lost. It was all a visible reminder of the nightmere they had gone through in the past few days. He wondered if Betazed would ever recover or if it would ever be the same.
Meanwhile, Beverly was visiting Jean-Luc. "How do you feel today?"
"Like a damn Ferengi whip hit me repeatedly across my chest."
Beverly almost laughed, but tried hard to refrain. "It will take a while for you to recover. You lost a lot of blood and your ribs still need to mend as well as your aorta. You were very lucky."
"So, when are you going to give me the lecture about almost loosing me?"
"I'm not. Not yet at least." Beverly replied. "But don't you ever almost die on me again, Jean-Luc, and that's an order."
"Aye, Captain."
"Well, your vitals seem stable, but you can not get up yet." Beverly warned. "You still need to stay on that cot. Comfortable or not. No sneaking off to try and go back to duty just yet."
"Well, I see you're the captain for sure now." Picard said, sounding as though he was starting to loose what little strength he had regained over the last few days.
She lean over and kissed him. "Get some rest, Jean-Luc."
"Could you have Commander Riker give me his report later?"
"No, I won't. You need your rest." She told him again. "You're still not well enough to worry yourself with his report yet."
"Oh, well. I'm sure you'll let me know when I am." He said irritatedly. His energy was quickly giving out to tireness though.
"Jean-Luc."
"I'll rest now, Doctor." He closed his eyes and started to drift back to sleep.
Beverly stood and her eyes roamed the mobile unit. There were still many people recovering from their injuries. Most were out of the critical state, but some were not. Others were unstable, while others had become stable, but still needed to be in the mobile unit.
The only good part she could see at the moment was that there were no more people coming in need of immediate treatment. The major crisis had ended and the loses had decreed, but the nightmere still lingered in her mind.
Still, she was very thankful that Jean-Luc had not died. Her fears of loosing him were starting to alleviate. Now, all he had to do was get better again and for now, they seemed to have all the time in the world for that.
She sighed and went to check on other patients to see how they were fairing. She wondered if she would ever sleep peacefully and if everyone would eventually have homes again, instead of living in what resembled shanty towns and camps.
She could not help but wonder, for the make shift shelters lay all around the mobile unit. Yet another visiable reminder of what had happened.
People set up their shelters near by the mobile unit, so they could be near their injured family members. Thus, contributing to her dreams when she slept. They were another vivid reminder of all that had happened, but yet, every patient that became stablized and started recovering was one more ray of hope that the living nightmere would soon end.
Chapter Eighteen
It was a week later now and Deanna was feeling a lot better than the week before. Her concussion was healing well and the physical pain was as good as gone for the most part.
She looked at the scene before her and for the first time since the incident she felt the same feelings as her fellow Betazoids did. Everything she had once known was now gone.
"Deanna?"
She turned to him and sadly invited him to join her. "Will, walk with me to the mansion."
"Are you sure about this?"
"Yes, I'm sure. I want to see it."
Will nodded. "OK, I'll take you there, but I must warn you, it's not the same as before."
"I know, but I have to see it."
They headed towards the mansion, while the people behind them quarreled in silence.
"Take that back, Garth Xerx, now!"
Their make shift homes were only about a foot apart and tempers were flaring. Now, another thought unmeant to be heard was heard and two men argued.
"I swear to you, I did not mean for you to know what I was thinking. It was just a passing thought."
"Just because my "lean-to" as you called it doesn't stay up doesn't mean I can't even make a piece of plywood stand up with a two by four! It's these rowdy kids and for your information, I can cook for my kids. Just because I lost my wife and a child doesn't mean I can't survive without her. I can feed my own kids!"
"Really, it was just a thought. I didn't really mean it."
"Yeah, right!"
"Gentlemen!" Lwaxana interrupted. "I realize we are living closer than we usually do, but you can't get upset about every thought that crosses a person's mind. You know this already, Zark. Honestly, why you can't just let things blow over lately, I really don't know."
"She's right, Garth. I'm sorry. I'm under a lot of stress lately."
"It's understandable. We're all under a lot of stress, but the clean up will be over soon and we can rebuild our homes again soon and try to get back to normal." Garth replied.
"Yes, and I'm sorry I've been taking my loss out on everyone."
"Oh, Zerk." Lwaxana replied. "Everyone's nerves are on edge here. We're too close together and we all need a break from each other, but until we are back into our own homes again, we just have to deal with everything and not let every thought get to us so easily."
Zark nodded. "Yes."
"Now, let's get started and see what we can do to put our lives back together." Lwaxana insisted.
The men proceeded to go about helping with various clean up procedures. They spent the rest of the day trying not to snap at each other over passing thoughts. No matter how difficult it was to let them pass.
Will and Deanna arrived at the pile of rubble that was once the Troi mansion. Deanna winced at the sight and was greatful Mr. Homn's had been away on a holiday. However, she knew that by now he knew Betazed had been declared a disaster. No one was allowed in or out, except Starfleet personnel.
She leaned against Will and put her head on his chest and cried. "Mother was right. Everything is gone."
"Shh." He consoled her as her kissed the top of her head. "It'll be alright. We can rebuild it as good as new."
"I know, but it still hurts to have lost the home you grew up in." She cried.
The mansion was flattened. The once large home was now just a pile of wood.
"Come on." Will encouraged. "Let's go back."
Deanna nodded and allowed Will to guide her back to the mobile area. Though, she was not sure if she was able to go back now. She was so upset, that she was afraid she could not help the others with their traumatic experiences, but she knew she had to try.
"Will, wait." She said with urgentcy. "There's some place else I want to go."
"Deanna, haven't you had enough looking around."
"No, I really want to go see the museum."
"What?" Will said in shock. "Deanna, it doesn't exist anymore."
"I know, but I want to go."
"Alright."
They walked past many fallen buildings and watched clean up crews collect the debris that was left. Building after building was being picked up piece by piece.
Finally, they reached what was once the museum. Deanna walked slowly and cautiously into the rubble.
"Deanna, becareful." Will warned.
"I am."
"What are you looking for?"
"If I can find it in this mess, you'll see." She said as she threw a piece of wood aside.
She struggled with the next piece and Will entered the mess to assist her. "You know, it would be helpful if you told me what it is you're looking for." He paused and then, with sudden realization, he knew just what it was she was hoping to find. "You're looking for the painting, aren't you? Hoping beyond hope that it is still here."
"Yes, I am." Deanna replied. "I can hope can't I?"
"This is like looking for a needle in a haystack, Deanna."
"Well, if it's here, I'll find it."
Will sighed and shook his head. He seriously doubt she would find it or anything else in the ruins.
Deanna searched for what seemed like hours. She was about to give up when she noticed a broken frame peaking out from the destruction. She tried to pull it out, but it would not budge. She tried to pull a piece of wood off of it, then another.
"Will, could you help me over here."
Will stumbled over to where she was trying to unbury the frame. He tried every piece of wood until one moved. Then they tried to move another and soon they were able to release it from it's prison.
Deanna picked it up and there, in her hands, was the picture they looked at long ago. The one with big goopy swirls.
They stared at it in awe for a while, until Will broke the silence. "Big goopy swirls."
Deanna smiled. "Yes, you remember. Is that what you still see?"
"No, I see the mixing of two souls that were meant to be together for eternity."
Deanna looked up at him with amazement.
"I also see the recreation and rebirth of a planet."
Deanna smiled again. "You see all of that?"
"Yes, and it's beautiful."
She put the picture down gently and kissed him passionately and lovingly. Then she sent to him, "I love you, so very much Imzadi."
"I love you, too." He sent back with a smile. Then he returned her kiss, just as lovingly and passionately as she had kissed him.