Heir Apparent

THE IMZADI SAGA
Title: Heir Apparent pt1
Author: IzzY
Rating: R
Paramount owns all

Will Riker held the small brown paper wrapped box in his lap.
Tracing the handwritten address label with his finger tip, the familiarity of the manuscript brought back painful memories of his childhood. Will let out a heavy and burdened sigh as he recalled the many days that he would come home from school to find a note attached to the door stating that his father would not be home until late. And late usually meant the next day, or two days...sometimes three days. Dad...

Why now?, he thought. After how many years...?

Shifting the box from hand to hand, he acted as if he was unsure what to do with it. It was addressed to he and his wife and yet, for some unthinkable reason, he felt the urge to hide it from Deanna. To throw it away without even seeings its contents.
He was sure she would find enough reason to open it. Insist that his father was at least trying to make amends. And then of course, she would certainly encourage him to call the bastard and thank him.

But thank him for what? Thank him for not being there for his wedding? Thank him for not even acknowledging his promotion to captain? Yea, sure...he'd like to thank him alright.

The door opened suddenly and when he fumbled the box to the floor, silent curses rang through his mind for not being more aware that she was near.

Without a word, he knew her attention was focused on the box despite the fact that he tried to hide it between his feet. "Hello, love," he said, standing to kiss her.

Undaunted by his supposed sly tactics, Deanna accepted the kiss then quickly bent over to retrieve the box. "What's this?"

Defeated, Riker fell back to the couch. "We received it when we took on those medical supplies this morning from Starbase 332."

Deanna smiled as she read the label, "To Captain and Mrs. William Thomas Riker." She looked him and giggled. "I like the sound of that."

Will tried to smile back but the lack of shared enthusiasm prevented it. "Its from my father."

Deanna turned the box over in her hands looking for a return label. "How do you know?"

"When I was a kid, I learned his handwriting well. I used to have to forge letters...every now and then."

"Will Riker. Are you telling me you lied to your teachers?" she playfully admonished.

"Only when he wasn't around to write excuses for illnesses, or permission slips, or sign report cards."

Deanna felt his emotional upheaval and sat down next to him. Placing the box on the table, she took his hands, "Will, I know you felt betrayed again the day we got married. It ripped my heart out watching you peer out into the audience...looking for Kyle? Watching your head spin every time the door to the banquet hall opened? And to be honest, I hurt that day too. In fact, I was mad as hell that he didn't show up. Knowing the damage he caused, again."

Will stood abruptly, startling Deanna. "A simple 'congratulations' would have been nice! Or maybe 'hey...thank god you finally got your own ship. Now I can be proud of you son!" Will stopped and looked out the window. "Anything would have been better," he said quietly. "So now what, that...that gift is supposed to take care of everything? Make everything all better? Does he think I'm going to forgive him all over again?"

Deanna stood and walked to the window and made Will look at her. "I can't Deanna. I can't even talk to that man."

"Can't or won't?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes. Yes, it does. He is your father Will. And no matter what he has done in the past, or what he will do in the future...you can't go on like this. You must find a place in your heart for him."

Will laughed. "You know, he never spoke to me after he found out about Thomas? Hell, as far as I know, he doesn't even realize that Thomas is in prison."

Deanna suddenly looked ill. "He knows."

"What?"

Deanna sought out the wall and leaned against it. "I said he knows."

"How?" Will tried not to sound furious but the word came out as a growl.

Deanna sucked in a deep breath. "He and I...were in contact months after Thomas left for the Ghandi. He was aware of my feelings toward him and kept in touch. Will, I-"

"He talked to you?" Will shook his head in disbelief. "He talked to you," he repeated only this time it was a statement of acknowledgment. "I was his son, and he talked to you. Thats great. That's just great."

"He was concerned for you as well. There were a number of times that he asked how you were dealing with the whole thing."

"Well, let's throw a party! Kyle Riker SHOWED CONCERN FOR HIS SON!" Will's sarcasm bounced off the walls and brought tears to Deanna's eyes.

"Will stop it! He knew he couldn't talk to you because all you ever did was fight! So he backed away. He backed away...again. And when he said he was coming to our wedding, I thought that would be starting point for you two."

"Well guess what? Kyle Riker lived up to his reputation, didn't he?" Will slapped the back of a chair as he turned it to sit.

Deanna wiped the wetness from her eyes and went to her husband. "I'm sorry I kept this from you. I should have told you but he asked me not to."

Will looked at her and spoke with softer words. "Why? Was he really that afraid to ask for himself...afraid to show his concern for me?"

Deanna kneeled in front of him and took his hands once again."Yes."

Will pulled his wife into his lap and hugged her, hugged her as if she was about to be taken from him forever. "Dea...god help me if I ever become that callous."

She agreed by holding him just as tight as he held her but then pulled back to look in his eyes. "Will, be a better man than him. I don't know his reason for staying away when he promised to come. But I think you need to show him what you've become. Show him that you are in no way...like him at all. Show him you are William Thomas Riker." She stopped to kiss his lips. "Captain of the USS Titan." Again, another kiss. "Married to Mrs. William Thomas Riker."

With that last statement, Will grinned and planted a heavy wet kiss against Deanna's mouth. "I like the sound of that," he repeated her earlier sentiment and kissed her again.

****************************************************************

"So, do you want to open it, or me?" Will asked, holding the package at arms distance as if it contained a virus.

"I got to open all the other gifts. Its your turn."

"Gee, thanks." Will teased the outer brown wrapping until he found a place to secure a finger hold, then pulled, ripping it to shreads. He sighed when he saw that box inside was wrapped again. Only this time, the wrapping was white with silver lettering that said 'Congratulations'.

After a few seconds, Will reached into the box finally and pulled out a holographic stand that was to hold a holopicture, a picture of Will's mother that he had never seen before, and finally a computer chip containing a video message with the words explicitly stating 'FOR WILL ONLY' across the label.

Deanna draped her arm around Will's waist and looked at the picture he was holding. "She was beautiful."

Will nodded and continued to gaze at the gentle face that was somehow able to put up with his father. "How'd she do it?" he asked queitly.

"I'd say she must have been a woman of tremendous praise and great patience." Will handed her the picture and picked up the computer chip.

"So you think he's going to explain the birds and the bees to you?" Deanna joked. Sensing that Will was actually eager to see what was on the chip, she got up to leave. "I'm due for an appointment."

"This late?" Will asked somewhat unbelieveing of her statement. "Look what ever is on this," he held up the chip, "can be seen together. To hell with his request."

"Thanks, but I really do have an appointment." She kissed him lightly then whispered, "with an ice cream sundae in Central with Mora."

"Now don't be sharing any stories about me. I always end up in hot water whenever you two get together."

"Don't worry, loverboy. I think she wanted to talk about something other than you, this night."

Will listened for the door to close before he slipped the chip into the computer view screen. After a few moments, the aging face of Kyle Riker showed brightly against the dark background of the room he was in.

~Hello son. Its been awhile. Before you go and condemn me for not being at your wedding, I thought you should know that Starfleet held me up on Sontra Three. It was unavoidable. I'm sorry. And be sure to give Deanna a kiss for me. I am really happy for the two of you.~

"Yea, sure you are," Will frowned.

Kyle's face became a little more friendly when he spoke next. ~The Titan, eh? Magnificent ship, Will. I saw her when she was being built. Not bad for your first command.~ He stopped and appeared to look at his hands for a moment. And when he looked back at the screen, his face looked terribly grief-stricken.

~Look, I don't have much time before I am sent to deep space so I'll make this as quick as I can. Part of the reason why I am sending you this instead of telling you face to face is because I'm scared. Scared that you'll hate me more than you already do. This way, I don't have to face your self-riteous condemnation and us end up in a fist fight. Lord knows I'm not getting any younger~

"Afraid you'll lose this time, Dad?" Will grumbled.

~What I am about to tell you is for your own good. Take it as a warning, Will. Long before you were conceived, I had an affair while I was with your mother. Just like my father did, and grandfather, and so on. Will, its in the Riker blood that we screw up when it comes to women. I am telling you so that you take all precautions against it. I know you love Deanna, but someday Son, someone is going to come along that...that you will want to bed. I sent you a picture of your mother to remind you of what not to do.~ Kyle's face was filled with such anguish that Will would have sworn wasn't possible.

~Will...she died without ever knowing what I did to her. I never told her. I am so sorry.~

Will's eyes welled with tears but it wasn't tears of mercy, it was tears of hatred. "You son of a bitch."

~I am asking you for forgiveness, Son. Please, don't hate me any more than you already do. I just hope and pray that you do not fall victim to what the rest of the Riker men have done. Break the cycle, Will. Please, for your future...for Deanna's future...for your childrens future...break the cycle.~

Then the screen went blank.

****************************************************

THE IMZADI SAGA
Title: Heir Apparent pt.2
Author:IzzY
Rating:R
Paramount owns it all

**Hey...don't laugh at the name I have given to the new first officer. Its the least I could do for my fav. player. He's the only bright spot on a team the is in the cellar and will be the rest of the season. :((

And please forgive me on my Spanish. Its been way too many years and if anyone notices mistakes, please tell me. Just for my own interest . Thanks!!

Three weeks later...

captains log:

we are enroute to Earth for a rendevoux with
the James Madison. Starfleet has agreed to
honor my request to have Mr. Samuel Sosa
transferred to be first officer of the Titan. His
application was littered with letters of recom-
mendations, as well as commendations
stemming from the last Borg attack. I feel that
he will blend in nicely and will be respected
among the crew. I am eager to meet him in
person.
We have been granted five days of shore leave
before Starfleet has ordered us out into deep
space. It will be good for the crew members to
see their families before we depart as we will be
gone for a minimum of two years. End Log.

Captain Riker walked around the front of the ready room and picked up a PADD Lt. Langau just dropped off. He wasn't but a few sentences into the report when the door opened and he was ambushed by a small woman who immediately jumped up into his arms. Luckily the door closed quickly enough and the bridge crew was not privy to the punishing kisses she dealt next.

"What's this for?" asked Will.

"Don't you like it?" Deanna began to nibble just below his left earlobe.

"Its a nice surprise," he agreed then yelped when she bit down a little too hard. "Hey!"

Will sat her down on his desk and pulled away leaving Deanna a chance to smile wickedly at him. "You're not...."

"No, silly. I'm not in phase. Yet."

Will relaxed slightly. "Good. Because you know I'm not going to have much time to spend with you while we're on Earth?"

Deanna frowned. "I figured as much. So that is why Beverly and I are planning a girls retreat."

This time it was Will who frowned then slowly lifted an inquisitive eyebrow. "There's more to your excitement than just seeing Beverly."

"Well, I guess I could tell you." She leaped back into his arms. "But then I'd have to kill ya."

"Some things are worth the punishment." Will smiled brightly when he felt her legs tighten around his waist.

Deanna held his cheeks in her hands and grinned as large as she possibly could. "Beverly and Captain Picard are meeting on Tholonia in two months! She said she would give me more details when we see each other tomorrow. Isn't that great?!"

Will nodded and smiled but his thoughts were evidently elsewhere as his hands glided around her bottom. "Thats wonderful," he murmured into her hair. "Now... about that punishment?"

*****************************************************************************

"Beverly said that you are to make yourself at home while we're away." Deanna said as she threw one last outfit into the suitcase.

Will bent down and retrieved a rather delicate piece of clothing from the case. "And this is for...?"

Deanna whisked away the bathing suit and placed it back with her other belongings before she slammed the lid closed. "I told you she was taking me to some place called Playa Forti in Cur..Cura..."

"Curacao."

"Thats it. Now, we'll be gone for four days. She also said there's plenty of food-"

Will leaned against the wall. "I doubt that I'll be able to get there much other than to sleep. But tell her I appreciate the hospitality anyway. It beats staying in the officer's quarters."

"Hopefully you can tell her yourself when we return. Do you think you'll be done by then? I would like to spend at least one day with you."

"Should be." He watched her struggle with getting the suit case to the door before he took over. "Seems I recall doing this for another Troi woman years ago." He grunted when he snatched up the case and started down the hall.

"Thats because we like to see your big bulging muscles from behind," Deanna grinned and watched his uniform tighten around his rear when he walked.

"Keep it up Imzadi and we'll both be missing our departure to Earth."

******************************************************************************************************

Starfleet Headquarters

"Captain Riker, I would like to present to you the former first officer of the James Madison...Mr. Samuel Sosa." Admiral Reynolds introduced the officers and took her seat behind her desk.

"Captain Riker." The medium built man stood at the unnecessary attention pose. "Commander Samuel Juan Sosa reporting for duty."

"At ease Commander." Riker smiled at the commander's insistance upon proper yet outdated etiquette.

"Thank you, sir. I just want to say that it will be a real honor to serve with you, sir."

Will shook the proffered hand. "I hear good things about you Mr. Sosa. Do you prefer Samuel or Sam?

"Sam will suffice, sir."

"Very well, Sam. Hungry?"

"Pardon, sir?" Sam looked confused at the simple question.

"Hungry. Are you hungry? I thought it would be a nice and informal way to get to know each other."

"Uh, sure. I can always eat."

"Good. Admiral, it was nice to see you again." Will stood and bowed slightly toward his superior.

The middle aged woman rose from her chair just before the men walked out and said, "The pleasure was mine, Captain."

Will studied his new first officer as they made their way down to the lobby of the building. Sam was ten years his junior but looked like he just stepped out of the Academy. Thin built and not excessively tall--probably around six foot, Will thought--he supposedly was an expert in hand to hand combat. And though the man was born in the South American Continent, he had lost most of his natural accent and now only a hint of the spanish brogue was heard when he spoke.

"Have you had the chance to run over the specs of the Titan?" Will asked.

"Yes, sir. The moment I heard the position opened up. Its a shame about Commander Hampton. He and I were at the Academy together."

"Yes." Will frowned at the thought of his former first officer. "I hope you don't have any grandios ideas about killing me off, Commander?"

Sosa looked his captain dead serious. "No sir. Like I said earlier, it is an honor to be able to serve next to you."

"Good. Because I--" Will's voice faded away when a beautiful young woman approached them and gave Sama hug. Will allowed his gaze to linger a little longer than he should have, but it was hard to tear his eyes away. Jet black hair cascaded over slim shoulders. Tall, thin...incredibly stunning in the form fitting dress she wore. Will felt twenty years younger just standing next to her.

"Captain Riker, I would like to introduce my sister, Isabella. Isabella, this is Captain William Riker."

"Buonas dias, Capitan Riker. It is a pleasure to meet you." Her thick accent provided an air of elegance when she spoke. Isabella offered her hand, palm down to Riker who immediately snatched it up and kissed the soft skin near the fingers.

"Isabella came here to see me before we departed," Sam explained then went on to speak in his native tongue to his sister. But Isabella seemed to not be listening as her eyes were on Riker.

Will shifted his stance nervously when he caught her dark eyes that seemed to be penetrate to his very soul almost as if she were...as if she were his wife. His wife....Deanna. Yes. Deanna. Thats it. Deanna, his wife. "Pleasure to meet you as well, Isabella," he finally hammered out after he sucked in a deep breath of hot air. Did the temperature just rise in here ten degrees, or what? he thought.

"Isabella was heading for the bay but if its not a problem, Captain, would it be alright if she came? I won't have much more time after today to see her."

Hell yes its going to be a problem, he thought but spoke, "No. That'll be fine."

Isabella immediately took Will's arm as they exited the building and gave it a gentle squeeze, alarming him even more when he felt her breast against it.

***********************************************************************

Nestling down in the warm sand, Deanna turned to Beverly and regarded her friend with a frown. "All right. You've made me wait long enough. I know you're doing this on purpose and I think I'm going to have to strangle you soon if you don't tell me!"

"Paybacks are a bitch, aren't they?" Beverly snickered.

"What?" Deanna turned to her side and rested on one elbow. "When did I...oh," she curled her top lip, "nevermind." She immediately recalled the three weeks that passed when she failed to announce that she agreed to marry Will. "You know that was Will's idea?"

"Oh sure! Blame on the guy thats not here!" Beverly's eyes remained closed against the bright hot Carribean sun and she continued to chuckle inwardly. This was really getting to her friend and she was loving every moment.

"Okay, fine. I don't need to know. And I won't tell you my good news neither." Deanna flopped back down on her blanket and pulled her sunglasses off the top of her head and placed them over her eyes..

A single blue eye opened and looked at her best friend. "Dea, you promised you'd tell me if you were..."

Deanna smiled indignantly and then felt Beverly's laser beam glare on her belly. She couldn't lie. "No. I'm not pregnant. Well, at least not yet. But we are talking about it."

Beverly didn't look all that surprised. "He's been talking about that since the day you guys got together. So thats not any new news." And in a not so professional manner, Beverly stuck her tongue out as soon as Deanna looked at her.

Both women began laughing so hard their bodies shook. And if two beautiful women alone on a crowded beach wasn't enough to grab attention, then their hysterical laughing was.

"Oh, Beverly," Deanna wiped the tears from her eyes, "I missed you."

Having calmed herself down, Beverly sat up and pulled her knees up to her chin. Resting her head against her legs, she began, "I think we're going to get together, Deanna. I really think its going to happen."

Deanna leaned over and despite their surroundings and what others might think, she gave Beverly the warmest hug she could give. "I am so happy for you. How did this come about?"

"A lot of long communications and late night chats. Actually, I think we owe a lot to you and Will. Jean-Luc came to realize after your wedding that he wanted something more than what Starfleet had to offer."

Deanna hated to bring this up but the counselor in her would not allow the moment to pass. "What about Anij?"

"He claims that since she won't live in space, and since he won't leave Starfleet just yet...they decided it was best to leave it as is."

"And how about you? Are you ready to go back into space?"

Beverly smiled and nodded. "Yes. If it means being married to him...then yes, I would do just about anything."

"Seems as though we have nearly come full circle, doesn't it? Would you have guessed ten years ago, that we would end up here, talking about my husband and your hopeful one?"

"Well, I always knew you and Will were destined. You even said so yourself."

"Yes, and to be honest...it happened a lot sooner than I would have thought. I knew it would take Will awhile to settle down."

"You mean because of his...desire to explore and discover?"

Deanna knew her friend wasn't talking about Starfleet's mission. The image of Will talking to her about the video his father sent him surged through her thoughts making her suddenly uncomfortable about the subject. It had been a long time that she had seen him so distraught and angry and it took every ounce of her small frame to keep him from darting out across the galaxy to find his dad. Then hours later, when Will came to realize that in a way he had already fallen under the 'Riker legacy' with Wendy Roper, he was absolutely horrified. It took another two hours to calm him down after that.

"Really, both of us had a lot of growing up to do," she sounded almost too defensive so she added quickly, "But fate does have a way of making things work out for the best. You just have to bide your time."

"Easy for you say when its your toes that get to curl every night." Beverly sighed just before she and Deanna burst into another fit of uncontrollable giggling.

**********************************************************************************************************

Riker turned the wine glass in his large hand and watched the fluid swirl around the edges. He was trying everything he could to keep from paying too much attention to Isabella but she seemed quite intent on making him talk to her. So far, he had learned that she was thirty years old, single and had starred in two spanish speaking holofilms. And despite the several references to his wife, Deanna, Isabella flirted with him unmercilessly. And now it had become quite unnerving when he found he had to bite his tongue to keep from using his natural charm and flirt back.

Will Riker was genuinly nice. And it didn't matter who he was speaking to, unless they were his enemy, he tried to treat everyone with respect. Unfortunately, it was Deanna who made the comment once that he tended to favor the opposite sex more when it came to offering that respect. All he could do at the time was smile and shrug his shoulders.

Leaning back into the restaurant booth, Will politely listened to family stories involving Sam and Isabella and even laughed quite heartedly at some. The more Sam spoke, the more Will began to really like the man.
The more Isabella spoke, the more he became intrigued. Maybe it was the accent, or maybe it was the soft inflection in her voice. Either way, he knew he had to get out of there quickly.

"Commander, I have some business I need to attend to back at Headquarters and I believe I have made you late for your appointment to finish up things on the Madison." Will stood to leave. "We will meet up tomorrow onboard the Titan and begin the orientation process then. Isabella..." Will nodded and caught her eyes traveling the length of his body.

"Captain, would you mind if Isabella walked back with you to the guest housing at Headquarters? She's not familiar with the area and I'd hate for her to get lost?"

Will felt the blood drain from his face. "Uh...no. I would. love. to." he stuttered and flat-out lied.

Will' spanish was definitely rusty so all he made out from the sibling's departure was that they would see each other later. Feeling Isabella's arm wiggle its way around his, they made their way from the restaurant out to the street.

A cool breeze blew off the bay and washed over Will like a muchly needed cold shower. There were plenty of times where he had been around beautiful women and yet, never had he felt this way. Well okay, maybe once. Deanna.
Good grief, man. You have a woman just as beautiful back home, he thought. Imzadi...
Attempting to quell the ache arising in his stomach, he beagn to play the word over, and over, and over in his head until the image of his wife became his focus once again.

They came to an intersection at the top of a hill when Will finally realized she was shivering from the cold. He gentlemanly removed his outer jacket and placed it around her trembling shoulders. "Better?" he asked.

"Muchos gracias, Capitan," she said and stared up at him. Marveling at the way the evening sunset danced in his eyes, she spoke again. "Usted tiene los ojos mas azules."

Will bit the inside of his cheek. "If you just said something about my eyes, thank you." He was blushing and for the life of him, couldn't believe she was making him feel this way.

"Yo soy perdon," she shook her head and then changed to english, "I forget that my language is alien to you."

"Its just been awhile since I've heard it. Its a shame that I'm that bad with a language from my own home world. I think I speak better klingon than I do spansh," he laughed.

"I'll forgive you this time." She smiled then pulled the jacket a little tighter around herself before she reached and grabbed his hand. "Shall we move on?"

Hoping to God she meant 'move on to their destination', Will led them down the longest city block of his life.

***********************************

THE IMZADI SAGA
Title; heir apparent' pt 3
Author: IzzY
Rating: R probably NC-17
Paramount owns it all

Isabella moved across the room towards him like a spring breeze, slow and gentle. The anticipation of what she was going to do would have driven any man insane. And he was no exception.

She had sat across from him in her guest quarters while they talked and he was mesmerized. Utterly and completely mesmerized. Every word that came from her lips dripped with such sweetness, he wanted to savor each delectable bite. Then, not completely unexpected, she rose and came to him.

Will stood to leave... to run away, but she caught his arm. Standing between him and his escape, she slowly walked him backwards until he was held captive by her and the wall. She then lifted his hands and placed them on her shoulders as she took another short step further.

His mind screamed, his body ached. There was no escape from her sensual torment. He tried to speak but nothing would come out and she laughed. A sweet, musical laugh that made him shudder with excitement.

Acting upon raw instinct, his hands began to slowly move downward and he felt her move against him, imploring his body to react--as if he needed anything to get him started. He found it hard, if not impossible to breathe when Isabella's body pressed fully against his.
He knew what she was seeking, and when a well-satisfied grin drew across her lips, he couldn't help but smile back.

"Usted es muy grande," she whispered.

Her lips burned where they touched and they seemed to be all over, all at once. The soft reverent kisses that she began with quickly became punishing blows to his body. Hot, moist and incredibly erotic, he screamed when they attached themselves to the one place he wanted them most.

His hands searched the wall for anything to grasp to. But she was a tease.
Standing back up to her full height, her devilish looking face drew him near and she bit his bottom lip. Without so much as a yelp, Will pulled away then leaned back down devouring her mouth so that she could not take the advantage.

His hands returned to their earlier wanderings when quick flashes of his father's image burned into his mind.

Isabella seemed to feel his hesitancy so she leaned into him once again. But when his hands abandoned their caress just as they reached her breasts, she slapped him hard.

"Hacer amor a mi, Capitan," she growled and when he refused to acknowledge her request, she reached back to slap him again when...

Will bolted upright in bed. His hair was wet and his skin slickened with sweat. "Oh, God," he panted. "Oh, shit," was his next statement after he removed his hands from his face.

Quickly glancing to the other side of the bed, he was never so glad to see that that side was empty and completely unslept in. "Thank god," he said hoarsley.

Rising to get a glass of water, Will nearly jumped out of skin when the door chime to Beverly's house rang and he heard,

"Capitan Riker, abrir! Su Isabella!"

******************************************

THE IMZADI SAGA
Title: heir apparent pt4
Author: izzy
Rating: R
Paramount owns the universe

I put a few translations (that I think might be correct <g>) at the bottom of the page.

Will's head spun toward the door. "Shit," he muttered again. Looking out the front window of Beverly's house, sure enough, Isabella Sosa was standing at the entry. Well, standing might not have been the right word: she was more like leaning heavily against it.

"She's drunk," Will sighed.

Quickly walking back to the guest bedroom, he pulled on his pants and t-shirt before checking the chronometer. It was 0330 and Deanna was due to call in forty-five minutes as planned. Wishing he had not asked her to be his wake-up alarm, he stumbed back down the darkened hallway to the door and pressed the access panel. "Isabella, how did you find-"

Will's question was stopped short when she literally fell into his arms. "Buonos dias, Capitan."

The strong pungent smell of alcohol burned in his eyes and he recoiled slightly. Helping her sit in the chair cornered in the entryway, he took a few steps back. " Now, how did you find me here?"

Isabella tried to regain as much composure as she possibly could and slurred her answer. "Mi hermano, I took a shuttle. I wanted to see you." She stood on wobbly feet and walked to Will. Taking one of his hands, she began to draw lazy circles in his palm and gazed up at him with glassy eyes. "Yo quiera sentirle."

"Look, Isabella...I told you before that I'm married." He snatched his hand back.

"Si. But your wife es not here. No?" She leaned into him again and wrapped her hands around the back of his neck.

"No. She is not here. But that doesn't mean that I am willing to do this to her." He removed her grip and held her hands in front of him. "I'm going to make you some coffee and call another shuttle to take you back. Unless of course, you'd like me to call Sam?"

A round of slurred spanish expletives echoed off the walls and she slumped against him. "Okay, I'll take that as a no." Will walked her to the kitchen and deposited the seemingly weightless body in a chair.

Seconds later, he placed a mug of hot black coffee in front of her. "Drink."

Without argueing, she sipped the steaming liquid. "Gracias."

Will checked the chrono once again. Twenty minutes before he had to get her out of here, he thought. "I called a shuttle. It will be here shortly." I hope.

She nodded and by the not-so-dazed look in her eyes seemed as if she was regaining her senses.

"Do you do this often?" Will asked.

"If you're talking about getting drunk...I consider it a hobby," she said without a hint of sarcasm. She then reached around her head and pulled out a black glossy barrette that had held her bangs and tossed it to the table.

Wondering what would make a bautiful woman such as Isabella feel the need to drink, he shook his head. "Well, if I might say so, it doesn't suit you. It seems like you have too much going for you than to drink it all away."

"Capitan Riker, was that a compliment I just heard?" She held her chin in her hand and looked at him with a most endearing look. Drunk or not, she was one gorgeous woman.

Will nervously cleared his throat and peered outside. "I think your shuttle is here." He took a step toward the door but she caught his arm and turned him to face her.

"Will we see each other again?" She ran a finger down the middle of his chest to the top of his pants, smiling when she felt his muscles quiver beneath her touch.

"I...I'm afraid I'm going to be tied up the rest of the time."

"That is a shame, Capitan Riker." She pressed aginst his body and wrapped her hands around his buttocks.

Isabella parted her lips and leaned her head to the side. Acting as if she was going to devour his face with a kiss, she brushed her mouth against his and whispered in his ear, "Yo habria hecha algo usted deseaba."

Will stood absolutlely motionless and unable to breathe when she walked out the door. And if it wasn't for the incoming call alarm buzzing, he might have stayed like that forever.

After a few painful seconds, he answered the call.

<Rise and shine, handsome!> Deanna's smiling face lit up the entire room.

"Good morning, Dea." Will tiredly answered back and then watched her bright smile turn into a concerned frown. Somedays are just plain hard to be married to an empath, he decided.

"Fine. Just fine," he answered back quickly. Too quickly. "How is your trip?' he said hoping to get the subject off of him.

<Well, its been great! But they are calling for a tropical storm to hit tomorrow night so we decided to return a day early.>

"Great! I've...missed you." He smiled but he knew she saw through it.

<Will, tell me, what's wrong?>

"Its kind of a long story, and I'd prefer to tell you face to face." He rubbed the back of his neck trying to relieve the knot that was beginning to tighten.

Deanna suddenly looked suspicious. Watching him fidgit and the guilty emotions she was sensing caused certain alarms to go off. <Will...I'm going to ask you something, and please don't be angry for me asking. But...are you alone right now?>

Will's head jerked up and his eyes narrowed. Damn. Part of him wanted to tell her what had happened but another part was telling him he did nothing wrong. And in reality, he did do nothing wrong. But for some damn reason, his conscious just wouldn't agree. "Yes," he finally answered truthfully.

Deanna looked saddened when he thought for sure she should have smiled. He knew then she realized something was up.

<Okay, Will. I have to go. Beverly is waiting for me.>

"Deanna, I..." he paused and tried to send a reassurring expression. "I love you."

Then the screen went blank.

*************************************************************************************************************

They sat in silence during most of the trip back to San Francisco. All Beverly knew was that Deanna had talked to Will earlier in the morning and walked away very concerned. After a few attempts to get her friend to discuss whatever had made her anxious to get back, she decided Deanna would talk when she was ready. Besides, another twenty minutes and they would be home.

"This was fun. I'm glad you came with me," Beverly layed a gentle hand on Deanna's arm.

Deanna finally smiled. "Yes. It was fun. Its a shame the storm was coming or we might have been able to do that snorkling you wanted to do."

"Next time. And you better believe I'm not going to trust you to pick out any more beaches after today!" She suddenly had the urge to scratch an intimate place that had not seen the sun up until today. "Leave it to you to find a nude beach."

Deanna laughed when she recalled the look on her friend's face when they arrived at the secluded area only to find that there was a strict 'NO Bathing Suit' rule. "That young gentleman didn't seem to mind that we stumbled upon the beach. He nearly fell over when you walked out of the changing room."

"I think he was looking at you." They laughed some more and Beverly decided to make one last effort, "Dea, you know you can talk to me?"

"I know." The Betazoid frowned. "And I would, if I knew what the problem was."

"Is it Will?"

Deanna nodded. "He seemed so...so, guilty, when I talked to him this morning. He said he'd tell me when we had the chance."

"Then I'm sure he will. Who knows, maybe your new first officer is worse than the old one and he feels guilty for knocking the guy out cold."

"No. I don't think so." Deanna said hastily. "It was...something else," her voice faded and Beverly knew that that was the end of the conversation.

*****************************************************************************************************

It was late evening when they returned to Beverly's house. Having spent too much time in customs and being aggravated by the officers, both women were happy to be able to sit back and relax.

Deanna glanced around the house and peeked into the guest room. "Well at least Will didn't destroy the place before we got back."

"He still has two days," Beverly joked. "Coffee?"

"That sounds nice," Deanna called from the livingroom.

Beverly entered the kitchen and something shiny caught her eye when she walked past the table. After a second look, she spotted a large black metallic barrette resting against the decorative vase. Knowing it wasn't hers, she poked her head around the corner and tossed it at Deanna. "I don't want you to lose it."

Deanna caught the hair clip in her hand and studied it closely. Slowly walking back into the kitchen, she leaned aginst the doorjam. "Where did you find this?"

"On the table. I just assumed you dropped it before we left. Why?" Beverly tried to hand Deanna the cup of coffee but her entire focus was on the piece of black metal.

"Because, this isn't mine."

Beverly watched the face of her best friend turn completely white and her body begin to shake. She turned to set the coffee cup down on the counter when the front door opened.

It was Will's voice. "Where's my favorite Betazoid?" he called from the entryway.

************************************************************************************

translations (I hope their close):
hermano:brother
Yo quiro sentirle: I want to feel you
Yo habria hecho algo usted deseaba: I would have done anything you wished.

THE IMZADI SAGA
Title: Heir Apparent pt 5
Author: IzzY
Rating: R
Paramount own all

In the split second she heard his voice, Deanna promised herself that she would remain calm and listen to whatever excuse Will could offer. Her heart told her that her husband would stay faithful to her, and even her logic told her that Will would know that he couldn't keep such deception away from her.
But her head was a different matter.
And it was her head that won.
In the next second, all rational sense was tossed aside when images of their past reared up before her. Especially the image of Will's naked, passion saturated body that rose from the sheets, and when the woman with him untangled her equally nude form from his. The evidence was there before her very eyes, and it was all Deanna saw as she stood face to face with her husband. The love of her whole life, the man she had envisioned spending her life with. Her Imzadi.
But at the moment, that fantasy all but disappeared as Deanna was hurled back in time and she was that same angry and hurt young woman on Betazed who had just discovered him in bed with Wendy Roper..

She waited for her husband to enter the kitchen before she growled, "How could you?" The barrette flew from her hand hitting him in the chest before he captured it in the crook of his arm.

Will paled as he glanced at the object in his hands before recognising Isabella's hair piece. "What?" He hurled it across the room as if it had suddenly caught fire, his now terrified eyes never leaving his wife's face. "Deanna, this isn't what you th-"

"I don't think I want to hear it, Will." He could tell she was on the verge of tears and a quick glance to Beverly offered no help as she stood with her head down, unwilling to meet his eyes.

He was facing this battle on his own, and he already knew he'd lost. He always lost when it came to Deanna. Even though he hadn't done what she was accusing him of, the thought was there, the image was there, and that was all she saw.

Deanna brushed past him and moved toward the livingroom. WIll followed determindly and took her by the shoulders so that she faced him, so that she could see the sincerity in his eyes. So she would know he was telling the truth. But she was unwilling to look at him. He bowed his head searching and willing her eyes to meet his, "I swear Deanna, I did not sleep with Isabella."

"Isabella?!" She finally glanced up. "Who the hell is Isabella?"

"Look, we need to discuss this calmly-"

Deanna brought her hands up between his arms and knocked them away. "Eight months Will. Eight months! Before it took you to revert back to your old ways!"

Horrified, Will stepped back from the stinging accusation. Of everything that had been said to him in anger, that had been the worst, the very worst. If that was how she was to think, Will knew he didn't have a hope in hell's chance of winning this battle. But he had to try, he had to make her see reason, his pride if nothing else, demanded it. C'mon Deanna. You have to know that I'm telling the truth?"

Deanna shook her head. "All I sense from you is panic and guilt. Now you tell me what my conclusions should be?" She had been able to keep the tears from falling up until this point. But now, they flowed freely down her reddened cheeks and she couldn't brush them quickly enough away.

Will watched those tears fall and felt the minute change in her fury. He tried to tap into it by saying the one word that always defused all her doubts and insecurities. "Imzadi..."

A moment of shocked silence fell between them before Deanna's face twisted into a bitter scowl. Her words shook as she forced them past her lips, "How dare you? How dare you call me that?"

Will was incensed, "I call you that because I can. Damn it Deanna! I did not have sex with anyone! At least give me a chance to explain what happened!"

She remained silent for a moment as she tried to push her own seething anger away. His emotions were in just as much upheaval as her own and yet the guilt...his guilt seemed to overshadow anything else that he might have felt. She walked to the bedroom and when he followed, Deanna blocked the entrance with her body. "No Will." Her hand hovered just above the door control. "I think...maybe you need to find another place to sleep tonight." And the door closed.

Will leaned against the frame and let his head thump against door. "Deanna?" he called, knowing that he had lost the battle for tonight, but he had to try just once more.

But the numbing silence accompanied his long shallow sigh. Frustrated at himself for letting her think something happened, he walked away knowing she would have to calm down before she would listen. "Fine. Have it your way."

Walking past the kitchen, he saw Beverly had taken a seat at the table but once again, she appeared too disgusted and too disappointed to look up. "I'll be on the ship...should she ask."

Feeling her own tears beginning to build, Beverly simply nodded and took a sip of her coffee.

*********************************

THE IMZADI SAGA
Title:Heir Apparent pt 6
*****************************Co-written by Carol :)))
Rating:R
Paramount owns all

**You guys can thank Carol for most of this chapter, if not all. She is a wonderful writer...
and Carol...I wasn't joking when I said this was all a ploy to get you to write <G>

The cold of her breath now replaced the steam that had recently radiated a comforting warmth from the cup she still held between her hands. Staring down into the untouched liquid, Deanna seemed to not notice the chilly breeze that was whipping hair into a state of frenzy around her wearied face or that fact that Beverly was now standing directly behind her.

Resting her elbows on the top rail of the deck, Deanna looked over the edge and watched as the pale moonlight illuminated the waves below as they crashed against the rocky cliff. The soothing sound she had prescribed to many patients was now but a solemn reminder of the anger and hurt that burned deep within.

"Dea, it's two o'clock, and it's cold out here. Why don't you come inside?" Beverly clutched her bathrobe tightly around her neck and tried to shield herself from the skin chapping wind.

For the first time since she stepped onto the wooden platform, Deanna finally felt the chill and yet, she continued to stare out over the ocean scanning the horizon as if she were looking for something in particular. "He's on the ship?"

"Yes."

"He seems closer." Deanna's eyes narrowed as her gaze turned skyward.

"Look...I'd love to chat, but can't we do this inside?"

Deanna followed Beverly back inside to the livingroom and was handed a fresh cup of coffee. "Thanks."

Sitting on a nearby chair, Beverly tucked her long legs underneath her and waited for Deanna to continue. It was hard seeing her best friend like this. The normally calm and rational Betazoid was nothing short of a mess. Her downcast spirit was only accentuated by her wind-whipped hair and sickly complexion.
Never before could Beverly remember Deanna Troi-Riker looking so defeated.

"Do you believe him?" Beverly asked truly afraid to hear the answer.

"Yes...no. I mean, he says he didn't do anything and yet he's feeling guilty about something."

"You need to talk to him, Dea.Who knows...this all just might be a case of a simple misunderstanding."

"There's nothing simple when it comes to Will Riker," Deanna snorted and after a long moment of silence she wiped the wetness from her eyes.

"Look, I may not know Will as well as you, but I find it hard to believe that he would cheat. My God, Dea...he practicaly worships the ground you walk on! He absolutely adores you." She moved next to Deanna and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "And I'd bet that if you called him right now, he would be awake and explain everything."

"Not yet. I don't want to talk to him yet."

"Why torture yourself in thinking the very worst has happened when all you have to...do..is...talk....ahhhhhh, I think I'm getting the picture. You want him to suffer as well." Beverly bit her bottom lip and shook her head. "Don't you?"

Deanna smiled for the first time on a long while. "Well, maybe a little." She held up two fingers only millimeteres apart.

It was a relief to see her smile again, even if it was very brief. "You guys give me a headache, you know that? You and Will have got to be the most frustrating couple known to mankind." Beverly started for her bedroom.

"We wouldn't have it any other way," Deanna whispered then pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them tightly as a familiar shiver ran up her spine.

****************************************************************************************************

Will never did make it back to the ship.
Having walked along the streets in the outskirts of San Francisco for the last six hours, Will decided it was pointless to try and sleep for fear of the nightmares that were sure to haunt his dreams this night.

It was just after two a.m., and he was right back where he started...at Beverly's house. He watched as the light turned out in what would be Beverly's bedroom and then shortly after, a light in the livingroom shut off.

Knowing Deanna was coming back a day early from her vacation, he and Sam worked hard to finish the orientation so that he could spend the last two days with his wife. But now, all that work seemed fruitless after her reaction earlier in the evening.

He really did plan on telling her everything, including the dream. And if it wasn't for that damn barrette, he was certain things would have turned out different. She would have been calm and understanding, instead of furious and unwilling to listen.
Not that he blamed her of course, given his previous history. Even he had a hard time telling himself the dream wasn't real, because it was his body that told him otherwise.

He kept remembering the video his father sent him. Certain that he now fell perfectly in line with the Riker heritage, he cursed himself, he cursed his father...hell, he even cursed his great grandfather he never knew.

Will sat on the decorative concrete bench that rested in the front yard and held his head in his hands. How could he have let things get this far? How could he ever go back now and ask forgiveness yet again? Did he really do anything wrong? How many times is she willing to go through this? Will this be the last time?

A million questions flew through his mind simultaneously and he did not notice that the front door had opened.

"Will?" a soft voice broke through the gut wrenching silence of the night.

Will looked up quickly and saw the shadowy curvaceous figure he knew all too well. His mind wanted to scream with thankfulness that she even spoke calmly to him, but he held back his joy and simply said, "Hi."

Deanna shivered once again when she felt the wind swirl around the entryway. "I thought you went back to the ship?" She sounded almost accusatory, and Will cringed at what might possibly be running through her mind.

"I...I wanted to be alone for awhile." He straightened his back and folded his arms in front of himself. He too felt the cold and it wasn't necessarily all from the weather.

Deanna couldn't help herself and the accusation flew from her mouth before she could stop it, "Whats the matter Will, wouldn't she lie down for you this time?"

The joined gasp from them both met half way and reverberated back, searing through each others hearts as sure and true as if it had been a knife. The stunned silence hung between them as they both wanted to flee from the words but at at the same time needed to stand their ground in the vain hope that it would create the conversation that they both desperately wanted.

Deanna's heart hit the floor as Will pushed himself wearily to a shaky stand, showing her just how much her words had stung. "I think I had better go."

But as he turned, Deanna's whispered hoarse plea barely reached his ears. Or was it that he imagined it? Either way, it brought him to a halt, "Please don't go." But before he could turn to face her, to let her see just how much her words were killing him, he had to ask. He had to know.

"Why?"

The answer was simple, as simple as breathing. "Because I love you, and I want to believe you. I need to believe you. I need you to help me understand why this is happening to us. What are we doing wrong, Imzadi?"

It was the final word that made him turn. If there was one word guaranteed to make his heart melt, it was that one. That and her tears, and he knew there were tears streaming down her beautiful cheeks just as surely as he knew his own heartbeat.

This time when he faced her, it was she who held her hand out to him. Will counted how many seconds it took to take that step to her. 1...2... Two of the longest seconds of his life crept by before he reached out and closed her slender fingers within his strong, firm grasp,pulling her trembling body hard against his own not so steady one.

The two lovers clung to each other as if their whole life depended on it. And in reality, it did. Neither one could function without the other. Not now, not ever. But every so often a spanner was thrown into the works to test that theory. But somehow, someway, they always managed to pull through...always.

But this argument kept coming back, time and time again, and it was time it was laid to rest, for once and for all. Moments later when they separated, there was a determination in each others movements, Will pulled Deanna back over towards the seat he vacated. This time when he sat, he pulled her with him, nestling her close to his form, needing to hold her for the pure sake of having a second chance, the other to keep her warm.

Deanna settled her head against his shoulder, soaking up his warmth and his love, and waited for his words. It wasn't long before the deep timbre of his voice spoke. "I want to tell you something, Deanna. Something my father told me." He took a deep calming breath before continuing. Deanna thought it was about to explain Isabella, but was surprised when he revealed something else.

"I told you that my father warned me that unfaithfulness runs in the Riker genes? Well, what I didn't tell you is, and I quote, 'Will, its in the Riker blood that we screw up when it comes to women'. He said that 'someone is going to come along that I will want to bed'..."

Deanna lifted her head off his huge shoulder and looked deep into his eyes. She felt his heavy breath against her face. Felt the sorrow pour from his soul. Heard the honesty in his whispered words, "but its not true, Deanna. I have never wanted any other woman but you. I swear it."

Deanna cupped his chin tenderly, her thumb pad grazed softly over his bottom lip before she gently placed her lips against his, her own quiet admission poured into his mouth, I know."

But as she released his lips, she looked into his eyes once more. Will felt the tension build tenfold as he waited for her to speak, stunned when she finally did so. "I need you to tell me about Wendy Roper. Why did you do that to me? After everything we had gone through...I need to know why you trashed the sanctity of our union so soon."

Will turned his head away from her as he remembered that fateful night so long ago. Deanna thought he wasn't going to answer her as the silence stretched on, but then Will began to talk, and it was like the dam had burst forth, releasing its pressure. Releasing his heart.

"When your mother turned me away from your door...when I watched you turn your back on me and tell me we had no future, it was just about the worst moment of my life. I was angry...and hurt, I just wanted to crawl into a bottle and just die. And I did do just that. I downed so much whiskey I'm amazed I was even conscious when Wendy knocked on my door. My God, Deanna, I wanted it to be you so badly, I didn't even consider it to be anyone else...well not for awhile anyhow. Wendy had called me and said she was coming over, I figured we could hit the bottle together, and I could grill her about the intricasies of the female mind and how they worked, and how I could get you back. But she was already there and I..."

Will swallowed hard as the image replayed before his eyes, but he had to tell her, he had to explain. "I was just so angry at you Deanna, I wanted to hurt you as much as you had hurt me. But I failed, the hurt I saw in your eyes will haunt me for the rest of my days, and is the reason why my father's words affected me the way they did. I would never do that to you, ever again."

Will sighed heavily before searching out her eyes once more. Deanna saw the clarity there, saw the honesty and willed him to continue. "After we had...afterwards, when you came, when you saw us and ran away, it was then, and only then did it hit me just how much you meant to me. How much I loved you, Deanna. I know now that if I hadn't made...had sex, with Wendy Roper, I would never have known. What I had with her and what I had with you isn't even comparable. What we have is beyond everything I have ever known, or ever want to know. If I went out there and had sex with a million women, Deanna, not one of them would even come remotely close to you. I don't need them, or the good time they are offering, everything I want and need is right here, in my arms."

This time it was Deanna who sighed heavily as she fell against Will's shoulder once more. But this time it was with peace in her heart and mind. It was time to let go of the past...

"Take me to bed, Will. Show me again just how much you love me."

Will grinned widely as he moved them both to a stand, this time it was he who held his hand out. "Gladly Mrs. Riker."

Epilogue to follow.................

THE IMZADI SAGA
Title: Heir Apparent' epilogue
Author: IzzY
Rating:R
Paramount owns it all

Will snuggled closer to Deanna's small frame and kissed the tip of her nose. She had fallen asleep a short time ago and even though his mind screamed for sleep as well, he opted to lay awake and meditate on his wife's beautiful and naked form.
Holding his breath so as to not make any more noise than possible, he slid a gentle finger tenderly down the center of her chest and torso, pulling the top sheet along with, then kissed her again.

Absorbing the love that radiated from her tranquil mind, he rested his head on her shoulder and slowly let out the breath that he had been holding, then grinned when he saw the goosebumps his expiration had created.

After a few moments, her soft voice broke the silence,"Do you think Beverly heard us?" He recognized the playful tone in her voice rather than the annoyance he might have suspected after such a short period of rest.

Still smiling, he turned slightly and met her gaze. "Don't look at me. You were the one who couldn't control the moaning. I was as silent as a mouse."

Deanna's chest quaked with her chuckle. "Yes, well...it was your fault."

Will sat up and rested on his elbow. "My fault?" he asked teasingly.

"Yes. Your fault. If you hadn't been so preoccupied, I'm sure a few cry's of your own would have been heard."

He pulled her on top of him. "Hey! Your the one who stuck it in my face."

Deanna leaned into his hair and nibbled near his ear. "And I'm sure you detested every moment."

"A fate worse than death," he kidded and felt a sharp slap against his shoulder. Will grabbed her hands and quickly flipped her onto her back and straddled her waist, putting most of his weight on his knees so as to not to smother her. He then began to tickle her rib cage but stopped suddenly as if he just realized something.

Deanna felt his confusion and watched his eyes examine her torso. "What?"

"Well, I remember you packing a rather revealing little bathing suit. But I don't remember it it being that revealing. I mean, you have a great tan but..." He turned her over slightly while she was still underneath him said quizically, "you have no tan lines!" Then he slapped her on the rear hard enough to leave a hand print and watched her squirm.

"Ow! You want to be heard now?" she chastised. "I'll give you something to scream about!" Deanna jokingly jerked her knee up to his groin then stopped as his hands immediately cupped over the sensitive area.

"Thats not funny." He waggled his pointed finger near her face.

Deanna turned serious then bent her neck forward and captured that finger between her lips. "No. But this is," her words were mumbled with the lengthy digit in her mouth. She pulled Will back down to her so that his tongue now replaced his finger and quickly, without hesitation, they were making love again the only way they knew how. With complete reverence and adoration toward one another.

******************************************************************************************************

A few hours later, Beverly Crusher disgustedly threw the last outfit she owned down onto the clothe-littered bed. Standing in front of the floor length mirror in nothing but her bra and underwear, she placed her hands on her hips and let out a very frustrated sigh. "Jean Luc...you have no idea what you are putting me through, do you?" Brushing away a lock of her strawberry blond hair from her eyes, she left her bedroom and heard the quiet hum of the shower in the nearby bathroom.

Glad that Deanna was awake and moving and eager to give her the news that the Titan would be taking her to rendevous with the Enterprise in deep space, she opened the door to the bathroom and stepped inside the steam bath. "Its me, Dea. Just came in to get my brush." Concern for her friend's well being, she opted to not tell her of Starfleet's new orders just yet. Instead, she came up with a lame excuse then tried to grasp the thin handled brush but it slipped from her fingers onto the floor.

Before he heard her voice, Will assumed it was Deanna who was coming in to join him. Preparing to pull her in with him, he stood on his toes and peered out over the top of the shower door . But thank the heavens, he heard Beverly's voice first, then saw the doctor's smallish rump sticking nearly straight up in the air directly toward him.

In a flash, he ducked back down into the water hoping like hell Deanna would not walk in now.

"Can I fix you breakfast?" Beverly asked, hoping then would be a good time to give her the good news.

In the best imitation of Deanna's exotic, high pitched voice he could muster, he answered, "Sure." And slunk further into the water.

The strange voice did not go without notice but Beverly chose to not pursue it. The poor thing must have cried all night long, her throat must be raw, she thought then walked out closing the door behind her leaving Will able to breathe again.

The sweet smell of something delicious filtered from the kitchen into the rest of the house. Following the trail of the appetising aroma, Deanna made her way to the kitchen and saw a hand-high stack of chocolate chip pancakes waiting on the table.

"Mmmm. Are these for me?"

Beverly turned from the old fashioned griddle and smiled when she saw the admirable look on Deanna's face. "You must be feeling better," she noted. "Have a good night?"

Deanna grinned widely. "Very."

Not having seen the satisfied look on Deanna's face, Beverly, now dressed, sat beside her friend. "Good. Because I could have sworn I heard you crying periodically throughout the night."

The forkfull of scrumptious fluffy pancake stalled just as Deanna raised it to her parted lips. Unable to tell if the doctor was trying to goad her into some juicy story, or if she truly did not know that Will was in the house, Deanna quickly jabbed the fork into her mouth. "This is delicious," she mumbled.

After swallowing, Deanna added, "I thought you said you had some errands to do this morning?" She suddenly remembered Will's preference to walk around in his underwear after a shower and hoped he would not come strutting around the corner before she had a chance to warn him.

"I do. But I wanted to be sure you were alright. You sounded a little hoarse earlier. I have something for a sore throat if you need it."

Deanna opened her mouth to explain that she had not taken a shower yet but quickly held a hand over it to quell the ensueing laughter. "Beverly, I'm afraid to tell you this, but..."

Surprised that her friend was feeling this much better than she was last night, she raised in inquisitive eyebrow. "What?"

Just then, Will rounded the corner to the kitchen...and not just in his underwear. In fact, he wasn't just wearing anything at all except a towel wrapped around his waist. "Something smells go-" He stopped dead in his tracks and turned a bright shade of red. "I was told you'd be gone," he explained looking at Beverly and hoping she would be looking at his eyes and nothing else.

"Please, tell me, Deanna..." Beverly said, slowly dragging her eyes from him to look at the empath, "that you were in the shower when I walked in earlier?"

Still holding her hand over her mouth, Deanna slowly shook her head.

By this time, Will had moved behind the center island in the kitchen and his color was returning back to normal. He then felt, rather than saw...Beverly's icy glare. "William Riker..." she said in a tone reminiscent of how he once heard her scold her son, Wesley. "Tell me you did not look past the shower door?"

Will nervously clung to the towel around his waist as if his life depended on every minute thread it held, "Sure," he said in an identical voice he had used earlier. "I looked....er, over it." He watched Beverly rise and appear to get into position to beat the tar out of him. "But I didn't see a thing, I swear!" he said quickly and looked to Deanna for support but she remained silent and quite amused. "I thought you were Deanna! You were lucky I didn't drag you in with me!"

Will moved around the island as Beverly moved closer. "Lucky?" she said as she continued to stalk him. "Lucky? she repeated and this time was said without a hint of humor.

Will finally stopped moving when he stood next to Deanna and put his hands up in a gesture of peace. "Listen, Beverly..." he was going to apologize for not telling her at the time it was he in shower and not Deanna, but his drooping towel distracted him and he took another step toward the hallway.

Deanna discreetly pinched a corner of the towel and when he moved away, the towel stayed with her and left him completely buck naked.
Will ran full steam to the bedroom.

Something unintelligible echoed from down the hall causing the women to burst into fit of laughter. And as minutes passed and the giggling died down, Riker tried to regain his captain-like composure in the safe confines of the still dark guestroom, he heard Beverly yell,

"Aren't you glad Captain Riker...that you'll have one full month of me to remind you of this little incident?"

Will felt the color drain from his face when he remembered a passenger order that had come through just before he left the Titan. "Aargh," he moaned and fell to the bed as shreiks of happiness echoed from within the kitchen.

THE END (to Heir Apparent)