Unbelievable
By Lorien
Disclaimer: All belongs to Paramount.

Setting: Insurrection never happened, this is how I saw Will proposing.

..:::::::..

Feels like I'm standing in a timeless dream
Of light mists of pale amber rose
Feels like I'm lost in a deep cloud of heavenly scent
Touching discovering you

Deanna was bored. And not just any kind of bored. She was so bored that she wouldn't have minded listening to her mother babble on and on about those holy rings and the crusty chalice that sat sacredly in their home on Betazed.

Her shift would be over soon, she could probably go annoy Beverly a little, or maybe even Worf. Data was always interesting to talk to, now especially, with his emotion chip. Deanna ruled out Goerdi, she knew he would be in engineering, either that or talking to his girlfriend Leah. Honestly, it was all the man did.

Sighing, she stood as Data entered with the rest of the night shift brigade. He greeted her with a neutral "Counselor." And Deanna replied with a smile, "Hello Data." She took the seat next to the right of her second officer, hoping for some sort of anomaly or quantum fissure or SOMETHING! Just something to get her out of this boredom sitting.

Data unexpectedly came to her rescue. "Counselor, is there something I can do for you? I have observed that this is your usual time of rest."

"Yes Data, you're right. But I'm not very tired right now, and I'm extremely bored at the moment."

"Ah. Boredom. A feeling consisting of having nothing in particular to occupy your time."

"Yes that's correct. You know, on second thought, I'm going to Ten-Forward. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night."

"Good night."

..:::::::..

Those days of warms rains come rushing back to me
Miles of windless summer night air
secret moments shared in the heat of the afternoon
Out of the stillness soft spoken words

Jean-Luc and Beverly were cuddling in the far corner of Ten-Forward as Deanna was on the other, reading a western with a cup of hot chocolate in the other hand. She had actually went to check on Will before deciding on coming, but she found out he had already turned in for the night.

The large room was starting to empty, for all except the remaining senior officers. Deanna turned off the PADD and gulped the rest of the hot chocolate, decided that her captain and best friend probably wanted some time alone.

As she was just about to stand, a tired looking Will sluggishly walked to the bar, ordering the usual glass of synthehol. He turned and broke into one of those heart-pounding smiles that made Deanna melt into a nice little Betazoid puddle.

"Hey Will."

"Hey yourself. What are you doing her so late?"

You've got me almost melting away

"I couldn't sleep. Didn't feel like it."

"Me neither. I kept dreaming of Alexander's western on the holodeck for some reason."

"Really."

"Yes really."

A beat passed between the two, as they stared into each other's eyes. It was something they did often, even when they were just friends. It was just something that the two did unconsciously.

"You haven't been by lately."

"You have really blue eyes."

"What?"

"Nothing. I just thought you would've liked some time to yourself with the offer to captain the Titan and everything."

"Oh."

"So are you going to?"

"Maybe. It depends."

"On what? The captain's recommendation? I'd say you've pretty much got it buster."

"Buster? I think those westerns are getting to you Deanna."

"They. Are. Not. I just thought that if you wanted to captain the Titan, don't let me stop you, you should take it. It might be your last chance...you..."

"Be my wife."

"...never know."

Deanna stared at him with her wide brown eyes that he loved so much and asked, "Why? I mean, that was pretty sudden, don't you think?"

"I know, but as you know, I was trying to sleep, and all I could think about in bed was how I was going to be leaving the Enterprise soon, if I take the captainship, and everything was just so perfect, and then something made all of it shatter into little shards of glass. I mean, I could actually see it all shatter. I would be leaving you behind, under no doubt, the discretion of some new pompous fool of a first officer who thinks he could look at my Imzadi that way, when clearly..."

"I'll be your wife."

"...you're not interested."

"Will! Don't look so surprised! I'll be your wife. Just tell me something."

"Anything!!"

"Why are the captain and Beverly laughing at us?"

Turning his head, Will saw this captain and CMO smiling and pointing at them. "I have no idea."

From across the room, Jean-Luc yelled, "It's about time, Number One!!"

Exotic sweetness magical time

End