"How much damage did he do?" La Forge asked as he crouched next to Barclay. The Lieutenant had already begun untangling the mess left from Ensign Sud.

Reg stopped his work and sat back on his haunches and pointed with his spanner, "Looks like this assembly was fused together but it is running…remember how the hologram in the facility had no audio?"

"Yeah Reg"

Barclay looked thoughtful, "perhaps th- the- the audio is corrupted or in some other way damaged uh"

La Forge jumped onto his train of thought, "And Sud tied in the ships computer to try and retrieve the data."

Barclay pried loose the cluster-block of chips and placed it in a scanner. "There are elements of the ships library in here…see the data set?"

La Forge looked over the Lieutenants shoulder, "Yeah Reg I see it... recommend we purge it?"

Reg nodded, "Aye Sir, we purge the library data from this and sever the connection to the main computer that should stop the comm. system from playing the collection"

La Forge stood up, "In the meantime I have to figure out what the hell Shiall did to comm. system or it won't play anything ever."

Reg snorted, "After this morning that might be a good thing."

La Forge went back to the double doors leading to the ships corridors as they swept aside he shouted, "Lights are back on, at least we won't be working in the dark. Looks like we may have this one wrapped up, feel free to get changed."

Reg thought about leaving the Holodeck for his uniform and a pair of shoes, but the holo-matrix was singing to him. The severing of the connection was simple, however the purge of library data was tedious. Also the hard floor of the Holodeck wasn't providing comfort. Since he was already in the Holodeck he called for his only saved program, the forest. Since his treatment for Holo-addiction he had removed all of the doppelgangers he had created leaving only the forest. He would come here every so often to remind himself of how far he had come and how far he still had to go. He heard the exit vanish but he was still engrossed in the purge. Something at the field of his vision caught his attention, it was his comm. badge, and a voice accompanied it. "I hope you don't mind I went and got this from your quarters."

Reg smiled, it was Ro. He stood and stretched, Ro watched appreciatively. He reached and took the gold device it was still warm from Ro's fingers. He saw that she had changed into her uniform. She was so very beautiful, he couldn't help himself he cupped the back of her neck and pulled her to him for a kiss. He wanted her but the crimson of her uniform reminded him that this was not the time. "I don't mind" he answered as he nuzzled against her. Knowing that if he looked at her for any longer would probably result in them being brought up on charges of conduct unbecoming he sat back down and went back to the purge.

Ro could feel something was different the air around them seem to be charged. Reginald was surprising her. Instead of chewing on her lips to keep from giving a scathing reply she now biting her lip to keep from smiling.

Shiall had inadvertently pushed the volume control beyond their limit causing an overload which disabled the entire comm.. system. La Forge had seen nothing like it, the resulting overload of communications had also knocked out the lights. In all it took 2 hours from the initial screeching through the ship for everything to be resolved, three hours later Reg had purged the matrix and restored the audio to holographic record. Thanks to Ro he could notify the Captain.

I am doctor Rek. Today we will be immersing the specimens into the gel. This will increase the growth rate by 47%. Cloned material should be ready within eight hours.

Picard and Crusher watched as the hologram moved about.

"Is there anymore?" Picard asked his voice stony and his face stonier.

"No sir this was the last in the series." Barclay informed.

"That's consistent with the state of lab." Crusher added.

"Do we have identification on the species?" Picard asked.

Crusher shook her head, "Not on what was being cloned but doctor Rek is-"

"Arcturian" Picard supplied, "I need to speak with Admiral Nogalis…Thank you Mr. Barclay."

Barclay seemed to grow 5 centimeters under the Captain's praise. Riding the wave of exhilaration Barclay returned to his quarters. Upon entering he saw that Ro had retrieved his comm. badge and touched nothing else. He removed the badge placing on his night table and went to make the bed. It was silly but he reached for the pillow trying to see if Ro's scent was on it. He wondered if he could surprise her after her duty shift. He went to his closest his amount of non-uniformed items was limited. A pair of pants caught his attention since they were on the floor in the back of the small space. He grabbed them and his heart seemed to stop, they were the pants he wore on Darvos II. Not knowing how his hand moved he pulled the garment closer to him.

They're just pants, just a blend of fibers nothing more His mind screamed.

He folded them and in the act of doing so a piece of the un-worked crystal from Darvos II fell out of one of the pockets. The walls of his quarters seemed to close in on him, his instinct told him to leave and he did.

Ro became concerned when Barclay didn't respond to her attempts to raise him. The computer said his location was his quarters but since she was currently standing in them she knew that was untrue. A quick check showed all his uniforms were still hanging neatly in his closet. Where would he go?

After half an hour she found him in the Holodeck, he was running the forest simulation.

"Reginald, what's the matter?"

He didn't turn to face her but he spoke, "I found this in my quarter and I panicked and came here." He had extended his hand and she saw the material from the vein she had discovered. She moved to stand before him and took his face in her hands.

"This chunk of rock, it's-it's inanimate yet-"

She stopped him speaking with a kiss; he dropped the crystal on the simulated forest floor and kissed her back. This, this is what mattered not a piece of crystal. Her small hands ran underneath his shirt to caress the warm expanse of his back. The sensation caused him to snap his head back.

Good, feel this, think of this! Ro's mind rallied. She was delighted when he expertly unhooked then unzipped her uniform tunic. She retaliated by peeling off his shirt. This time she was able to get a good look at him and he looked good. She aided him in removing the rest of her uniform. Clothing littered the forest floor; reverently he laid her down on the makeshift bed. Tracing her face he looked long and hard at her so much so that Ro began to shift in uncertainty.

She wanted him to do something instead of just looking at her. Her discomfort grew until she felt his lips on her collarbone and she sighed. Lips met lips and skin met skin, each body welcoming the other. For Reg it had been so long since he had felt the pleasures of the flesh and it had never been like this. He was free to touch and he did. His hand wandering to the flare of her hip, he swirled his fingertips over the smooth skin and moaned into her neck. Taking advantage of his distraction she hooked her right leg over his hip letting her center make contact with his.

His eyes sprang open and she smiled wickedly before using her powerful legs to pull him closer. Tilting her pelvis changed the angle allowing him complete access to her. It was too much and it wasn't enough Reg made a sound that consisted only of vowels and pushed forward the action making the woman in his arms sigh in contentment. The forest itself sighed with a breeze while the two unlikeliest of people in Starfleet made love beneath the oak.

Sixteen years later

Miles Edward O'Brien was late; he had a huge pile of PADDs in his hand. Not once since he had started teaching at the Academy had he been late he was determined not to break his record. A PADD clattered to the ground, "Damn!" the Chief hissed.

A tall dark-blonde Bajoran reached down and retrieved the item giving it to the Chief, "Here you go Mr. O'Brien."

"Thank you son" The Irishman said genuinely, "First day?"

"Of formal classes yes" the blonde answered.

O'Brien studied him carefully, "Where do I know you from?" During his time on Deep Space Nine he had met many Bajorans but this one was different there was more familiarity associated with him. His memory was tickled by something before his time on the space station.

The blonde smiled making the feeling of Déjà vu resonate more with the Chief.

"Better not be late" the Youngman stated.

O'Brien's curiosity won out, "Wait, wait, wait. What's your name son?"

The Bajoran turned, "Rowan Endicott Barclay but only Mom calls me that…everyone else calls me Ro."

Jupiter Station

"Your wife for you Commander" A crewman informed.

Commander Reginald Barclay sat down at a communications terminal and saw his wife she was upset, "Lala, is everything all right?" He asked.

She smiled weakly, "Remember how I laughed at you when you wouldn't leave the entrance to the primary school on Rowan's first day?"

Reg ran a hand through his graying hair, "Yes I do."

"Well now you can laugh at me, I can't seem to leave the Academy Quad." She moaned.

"I'll be there in half an hour." He informed her. Terminating the comm. link he addressed his team.

"I'm going to Earth, try not to decompile anything until I get back." He ordered and with that he left the Holo Programming facility to catch a transport to comfort his wife.