Troy had spent three hours keeping Kitty distracted, while Jonas had his supervised visitation. He had taken her to lunch and they had window shopped. He had insisted on picking up some items for their baby that would be born in only a few months. They had found several onesies, Kitty had found a baby book she couldn't resist getting. He had then had her indulge in a massage and a soak in a hot tub. Finally, they returned to their quarters to find Tara holding a very upset Arianna curled up on Tara's lap. Pikachu watched near Tara's feet. Zachary sat on the couch talking quietly with Kassia.
"What happened?" Kitty asked, immediately alarmed by the sight. She knew something had gone wrong.
"Visitation didn't go as smoothly as hoped," Tara replied. "But not to worry. The children are fine. Just a little frightened and angry."
"Arianna's frightened," Kassia corrected and Zachary's angry. There are a lot of unresolved issues here relating to their father, Kitty."
"That son of a bitch! What did he do?" She asked. Her eyes grew narrow and her lips became a tight line. "I will kick his ass personally if he so much as hurt a hair on their heads!"
"It's all right," Troy soothed, attempting to calm her down. "Think of our baby. You getting this agitated isn't going to help the pregnancy any."
"This is the man that took my babies and made me believe they were dead, Troy!" she said, her voice poignant. "I promised myself and them that he'd never hurt them again . . . Ambassador or not, if he's hurt them, I will kill him!"
The look in her eyes was deadly. He let go of her shoulders and took a step back so she could go to her kids.
"I don't ever want to see my father again!" Zachary said. "Troy is my dad! I don't need another dad!"
"Did he hurt you?" Kitty asked with seriousness and tenderness in her eyes. She caressed the hair off his forehead.
He shook his head. "No, but I hurt him. And if he ever comes back, I'll hurt him again. He's never going to come near Arianna and me again!"
"He's very serious," Kassia replied, looking at Kitty. "He still hasn't dealt completely with the incidents that have happened to him relating to his father. He remembers some of the abuse with you and himself. Not to mention the Naussicaan ship where he and his sister were thrown in with the slaves to be sold."
Kitty was shaken to her core. She knew Zac had hard feelings for his father, almost like her own, but hearing it made her realize that maybe this wasn't something she could just turn her back on and try to let it sort itself out.
"What about Arianna?"
"She crawled into my lap and hasn't moved," Tara said. "She was terrified her father was going to take her again, I believe."
Kitty knelt by her daughter and looked her in the eyes, as she watched her daughter sucking on her thumb for comfort.
"Sweetie, Daddy is never taking you away again," Kitty said. "I promise you that. He can't hurt you. Not anymore . . ."
Suddenly Arianna opened her arms for her mother to take her. Kitty scooped her daughter into her arms and did her best to comfort her. She took a seat on the couch and slowly rocked her daughter. She then looked at Kassia.
"I think I should make appointments with you for the children," Kitty finally said. "It seems they have more than they can deal with on their own."
"Let me know a good time and I'll work it into the schedule," Kassia smiled gently. As she got up, she hugged Zac. "Everything's okay now. All right?"
Zac nodded. "Okay, Kassia."
She left as she gave a friendly wave. Then Tara stood. "I believe you have no further use for me. I will, however, have a report for you on this incident on your desk first thing in the morning."
"Thank you, Tara."
"I'm happy to help where I can."
As Tara left, Troy went to Kitty and Arianna and embraced them both as she sat beside them. "I'm sorry you're in pain. I wish I could take it away."
"I know," Kitty replied. "I'm sorry I snapped at you. But look what that man did to my children . . . my angels . . . He doesn't deserve to breath their air let alone see them!"
"Shhhhh . . . It's okay, Kitty . . . He can't hurt you either, right now," Troy said as she tenderly kissed her temple. "Let's get the kids settled down. After that, lets try to forget this even happened."
"I don't think I want to forget,' Kitty replied. "Forgetting, when it comes to Jonas, is just too dangerous, I won't give him the chance to hurt us again."
"I won't either!" Zac said as he held the Klingon blade in his hand.
Kitty and Troy looked at each other with concern.