Cheyenne Troi-Riker laid on her bed in her dorm room, letting the little ball of fur roll around on the bed in front of her. Jean-Luc Picard had given her the tribble when she had left the Titan for the academy. He had given it to her in hopes that she wouldn't miss her parents so much. She had named the furry ball Jean-Luc after her godfather because he had given it to her. She had a lot of friends here at the academy, one in particular, her roommate Ri Jereni, a Tamarisan, but she preferred to spend her time she wasn't in class with Jean-Luc.

But she didn't have classes anymore. She was set for graduation tomorrow morning at 0800 hours. It would be at the commencement ceremonies that she would be recieving her first assignment. She had requested to be stationed on the Enterprise, but she would have to patiently wait to be told if she was going to get it or not. Both of her parents had wanted to her requested being posted on the Titan, but they both were just as happy that she wanted to serve under her godfather.

The comm panel on her bedside table beeped and she leaned over to press it to answer it. "Troi-Riker."

"The Titan has docked and the crew will be beaming down."

Cheyenne smiled, snatching Jean-Luc into her grasp and placing him in his home. It was reminiscent of a cat tower from the 20th century, and Jean-Luc could roll around in there all day, and night.

"Thank you, Frankie," Cheyenne told her friend from the communication center who she had asked to notify her when her parents arrived so she could be there to welcome them when they came in.

Cheyenne left her dorm room and headed toward the transporter room in the Archer Pavilion.

It had been almost a year since she had seen her parents, even if they communicated on subspace communications all the time, so she was excited to see them. Entering the transporter room, nodding to the transporter engineer.

"They will be here momentarily," he told her.

She smiled back at him. "Thank you."

In a few moments, the swirls of lights and molecules began to form in front of her on three of the pads. She didn't know someone else was beaming down with her parents, but she didn't pay it any mind until she saw her godmother, Beverly Crusher-Picard, materializing there beside her father and mother.

Cheyenne smiled brightly, and met all of them at the bottom of the pads, wrapping her arms around her father first. "I'm so glad you're here. I've missed you."

Will kissed the top of his daughter's head, trying hard not to let the news he had to share with her dampen the mood of reuniting with his daughter after so long. "We've missed you, baby girl."

Cheyenne pulled back, looking up at him, biting her lip. Something seemed off, but he was smiling... Smiling, even with the extra lines on his forehead above his eyebrows.

She turned to her mother, smiling even though she could feel that something wasn't right with either of them. "Mama!" They wrapped their arms around each other. Cheyenne was even more sure now that something was wrong, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Pulling back from her mother, she shook her head, her eyes narrowed for a moment before turning to her godmother. It was at that moment, when she wrapped her arms around Beverly that she knew something was wrong. Taking a step back, she shook her head, not wanting to hear what the answer to the question she was about to ask would be. "Where is Jean-Luc?"

Cheyenne was one of the only people who called Captain Picard Jean-Luc. In fact, the only people in the world who did were standing right there with her. But right now, who did and did not call Captain Picard by his given name didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was what everyone seemed to know but Cheyenne right now.

"Where is he?" she asked again, tears starting to sting at her eyes. "Where is he?"

Will and Deanna looked at each other, but it was Beverly who answered. "He's missing, sweetie." Her answer came out in a whisper, but she was the only one who was able to speak.

Cheyenne's gaze flipped directly to her parents. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"We didn't know how to, baby girl," Will spoke, finally able to find his voice.

Cheyenne shook her head. "That's no excuse! He's my Godpoppy! You should have told me!"

Deanna took a step toward her daughter to try to comfort her, but Cheyenne stepped back, not wanting them to touch her. "Chey..."

Cheyenne shook her head. "No! No! Don't talk to me." She continued to shake her head, stepping away from them.

The door hissed open and she continued shaking her head before turning around and running away from them. Cheyenne needed to be alone. Jean-Luc was one of the four people in this world she was closest to. She just needed to be away from everyone so she could think... Or so she could cry. Either way, she needed to be away from everyone so no one would see her break down. No one ever saw her cry. In fact, she rarely cried, but when she did, no one ever saw it. No one would believe for a moment that Cheyenne Troi-Riker ever shed a tear. The truth was, she did, far too often, because of the feelings she felt, because of the feelings she didn't want to feel. But what was she supposed to do about it? She was only a quarter Betazoid, but she still had almost as powerful of empathic abilities as her mother did, due to her mother helping her train them when she was younger. Had Cheyenne known that she would regret that training when she got older, she would have not wanted the training. She would have embraced her human heritage and none of her Betazoid heritage.

She ran out of the Archer Pavillion and almost ran into a blonde, almost knocking her down in the process.

"Whoa! Chey! Where you going? What's wrong?" the blonde asked, grabbing a hold of her wrists and not letting her go anywhere.

Cheyenne looked up into the blonde's eyes, shaking her head and pleading with her as tears fell from her eyes. "Let me go, Jereni. Just let me go."

Jereni shook her head. "Not until you told me what's wrong. What are you running from?"

Cheyenne let her head fall. "My grandpoppy is dead."

"What?" Jereni knew how important Captain Picard was to her best friend. She knew that he was one of the closest people in the world to her.

"He's dead," Cheyenne sobbed out. "My parents are here and my godmama is here, and she told me herself that Grandpoppy is gone. My parents couldn't even tell me! They couldn't open a subspace communicae and tell me! He's gone, Jereni! He's gone!" Cheyenne fell against her, sobbing into her best friend's shoulder.

Jereni held Cheyenne in her arms, looking around, knowing Cheyenne didn't want everyone to see her cry, but she didn't know how to keep everyone from seeing her without interrupting her sobs. She knew that all she needed right now was to cry her eyes out.

Cheyenne looked up at her friend, shaking her head. "I can't believe he's gone, Jereni. How can he just be gone? He can't be gone. He's invincible. Nothing can defeat him." Cheyenne knew that wasn't the truth, but she had always looked at him like that. She had always looked at Picard and her daddy as though nothing could ever hurt them, that nothing could ever break them down, even if she knew differently, even if she could feel their mortality just like every other feeling she had ever felt from them.

"Come on, sweetie," Jereni spoke softly, caressing the back of Cheyenne's head. "Let's go back to our room. We can talk there."

The next morning, Cheyenne woke up in Jereni's bed. Jereni had her arms around Cheyenne and Cheyenne's head rested on Jereni's breast. This wasn't anything Cheyenne wasn't unused to. It was part of Jereni's cultural traits. She was a Tamarisan, after all. A group of Tamarinian's had broken away from the planet and settled on a planet near Risa, the planet where Cheyenne's father liked to take shore leave when given the opportunity to, and called themselves the Tamarisans. They were a very sexual people, adopting the ways of the Risan resort. Cheyenne was used to it.

Lifting her head up softly, she smiled at Jereni who was looking down at her, smiling softly. "Sleep well?" Jereni asked, her voice low and seductive like.

Cheyenne knew there was nothing meant by it. It was how she was and Cheyenne knew it was just who she was. "I did," Cheyenne told her softly. "Thank you for being here for me."

Jereni ran her fingers through Cheyenne's hair. "I wouldn't have rather been anywhere else, Cheyenne. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you."

Cheyenne knew that was true. She knew Jereni loved her, as a best friend, or even a sister. Cheyenne never had siblings before. Her parents had only had one child. But Jean-Luc and Beverly had had a son that Cheyenne considered her brother. And then there was Wesley, Beverly's older son. Even though Cheyenne had only met him a few times, and he was a good twenty years older than her, she always thought of him as family as well, more so like an uncle than a brother, but family just the same.

"I think I need to go speak to my parents before graduation. I left things a mess with them last night."

Jereni nodded. "Of course you do, my dear. Go on. I'll see you later."

Cheyenne got up out of bed, pulling her pants and her shirt on over her panties and tank top she had slept in, sitting down on the bed as Jereni got out of bed, completely naked, walking to the bathroom to take a shower. Cheyenne left the room and headed toward the guest quarters wing at the academy. Her parents always stayed in the same room, so she took the turbolift up to the fourth floor and walked down the hall toward their quarters. Standing in front of their door, she pressed the comm panel to alert them to her presence.

Inside the room, Will and Deanna were getting ready for their daughter's commencement ceremony. The comm panel beeped and Deanna patted her husband's shoulder. "I'll get it," she told him, accepting his kiss as he leaned over to briefly give her one, walking out the room. "Come," she told the person on the other side of the door after entering the main part of the quarters. The doors hissed open and Cheyenne walked in the door. She hadn't meant to start crying, but once the door opened and she stepped inside, looking at her mother, the tears started to fall.

"Oh, sweetie!" Deanna closed the distance between them as the door shut, and she pulled her into her arms. "I'm so sorry, baby."

Cheyenne cried softly into her mother's arms. She already missed Jean-Luc more than she could even tell anyone, just as much as she'd miss her parents if they were to die. She didn't want to think about that. She knew that her parents, and Beverly for that matter, were missing Jean-Luc as well. She couldn't dwell on her own pain. But last night she had cried out of anger that they hadn't told her, this morning, she was mourning her godpoppy. She was grateful to have her mama's arms wrapped around her, comforting her through this.

"Who's at the-" Will asked as he came into the room, stopping when he saw his daughter wrapped in his wife's arms. He didn't need to ask what was wrong. He knew why she was here and what was wrong. Walking over to them, he wrapped his arms around the two most important women in his life and they both turned into him, wrapping their arms around him. He rested his head on Deanna's and ran his finger softly over Cheyenne's head. Will remembered the times Picard had gone MIA when he had been with him on the Enterprise. He remembered how he felt when Picard was taken by the Borg. He remembered how he felt when they had to pronounce him dead and Riker had to assume command of the Enterprise. This time felt no different. They were still mourning the loss of their best friend, their brother, their family member. Losing him would never be easy on them.

Hours later, Deanna and Will were sitting up on the stand ahead of the vast audience that had assembled for this year's commencement ceremonies. Will was scheduled as the highlight speaker for the ceremony and Deanna was a visiting dignitary. She had been an Ambassador for Betazed for years now, since Lwaxanna had died, and served as liaison between the Federation and Betazed for years. Beverly had chosen not to sit up on the stand. She would do better sitting down in the audience. She knew everyone's eyes would be on the back of her head, but she could deal with that. At least she didn't have to look at all of their faces.

Cheyenne stood behind the stand with the rest of this sessions graduating classmates. She was younger than most of them, and valedictorian. She'd be up on the stand, speaking just prior to her father's speech. She was glad she was going before, and introducing him, because she couldn't do it if it was the other way around. The music started to begin the march into the room. Cheyenne walked out ahead of everyone else, walking up onto the stand, walking past her mom and sitting on the other side of her father as the rest of her classmates filed into the seats in front of the stand. It took quite a few minutes for everyone to take their seats, but once they did, the commencement began.

The few who spoke before Cheyenne and Will didn't take long welcoming everyone to the ceremony and announcing the program. After Will spoke, Captain Carrington would be speaking briefly before Admiral George announced the graduates. Carrington hadn't even been on the program, but he had been added at the last minute. When it was Cheyenne's turn to speak, she spoke about Integrity and Perseverance, two things she learned quite a great deal on from her godpoppy. She threw in a few stories about professors and classmates, but for the most part it was strictly on topic. When she finished her speech, she introduced her father. Turning to him, she gave him a hug and Will stepped up to the podium.

Will spoke on alliance. He spoke on working with the crew you have been assigned to and doing it with a full heart and a dedicated attitude. Most of the students would be going on to serve on different ships, different substations, or even starting to work here at the academy, maybe some would go work at Federation Headquarters. But for the most part, they would all be advancing onto various positons within Starfleet. He urged all of them to get to know their crews. Get to know how they work, get to know them on a personal level. Since working on the Enterprise, his crew's have all been like family to him, and he urged all of the graduates to allow for that with their crews, starting with their first.

After Riker was finished speaking, Captain Carrington addressed the graduates. "I'd like to congratulate all of you. I have an announcement to make. Starfleet has just released it's newest flagship, the USS Colorado, and I will be taking command as Captain. We will be starting with a fresh batch of newly appointed ensigns, some of you will be my staff aboard this glorious ship. Some of you will be given senior staff positions, and those of you who have been chosen for this amazing opportunity has been based on your performance her at the academy. While not all of you who have been chosen to serve aboard the Colorado will be given senior staff positions, I want you to know that I chose each one of you personally and I look forward to serving with each one of you aboard the USS Colorado.

"As chief of engineering, I'd like to offer the position to Trey Kline." Down in the rows of graduates, Kline nodded his head in acceptance and surprise. "As Security chief, Ri Jereni." Cheyenne looked down at Jereni who sat wit ha smug, confident smile on her face. Cheyenne knew how excited she was for this position, she could tell just by looking at her. "Chief Operations Officer, Cameron Jacobs." Jacobs, on the front row of the graduates, beamed brightly. "And last, but certainly not least, our ship's counselor, Cheyenne Troi-Riker." Will immediately wrapped his arm around his daughter and Deanna reached in front of her husband to give her daughter's leg a gentle squeeze.

Once Carrington had taken his seat, Admiral George took to the podium and announced the graduates. One by one, they each came up and recieved their diploma's and their new pips for their new positions. He congratulated all of them and everyone took their seats again. Once they were all seated, he presented the class to everyone and announced that they were all now gratuated. The room went from silence to an uproar of cheering and celebration. The celebrating subsided and everyone started to file out of the auditorium. Beverly made her way up to the stand finally and congratulated Cheyenne not only on her graduation, but on her swift promotion as well.

Will decided to take everyone out for dinner to celebrate. They left the academy grounds and set out into the city. They would all be leaving the day after tomorrow and they wanted to spend the night together. Will, Deanna, and Beverly would all be caught up in the investigation hearing about Picard's death tomorrow, and then Will and Deanna would be leaving on the Titan. The Enterprise would be staying docked until a new captain was appointed. The crew not under investigation had already been reassigned and either shipped out or awaiting departure. Beverly herself decided she would stay on Earth for a while, visit La Barre France, where Jean-Luc was raised. She wanted to feel close to him, and she couldn't be on the Enterprise, so she was heading to the East of France to see where her husband had lived prior to joining Starfleet. But for tonight, they were a family enjoying a nice dinner and evening out, celebrating and not thinking about the past, but only looking toward the future.