I don't own them - the rich and powerful Paramount people do. They're just a vehicle for my venting. :O)

Of all the infuriating, imbecile, immature things Will Riker had ever done, this one took the cake.

It had happened without warning. Deanna had walked into Ten-Forward to see a completely inebriated Will Riker attempting to amuse the crowd by playing his trombone. Attempting being the operative word. His arms were flaying everywhere and he kept falling off his chair. People were laughing at him and yet he seemed to be under the impression that it was the truly inane jokes he was telling that was entertaining.

Normally Deanna would have just have just laughed like everyone else and left him to his own devices to get out of the predicament he found himself. But she had sensed him this morning, more powerful, more distracting than anything she had felt in a very long time. It had left her confused with a terminal case of the warm fuzzies. And the next thing she knew...

"Come on Riker. Let's get your sorry butt out of here before you hurt someone."

She couldn't explain why she did it. But there she was, hauling him off like a child, with cheers and whistles following them out the door.

He didn't say anything as they went down the corridor but leaned heavily on her, his breath tickling her ear. Annoyed as she was, her body couldn't help but respond to the physical contact. Which annoyed her even more. His weight wouldn't allow her to walk very fast and while she could swear he was trying to feel her up she couldn't find anything in his actions to justify that thought. She couldn't read him thanks to the demon drink.

Finally they got to his quarters and she maneuvered him over to his bed. She somehow managed to get his feet up and surprisingly he wasn't fighting her at all. Something seemed wrong but she couldn't figure it out. He looked so innocent helpless like that so she reached down to brush the hair out of his face when his hand jerked up and grabbed her wrist.

"Deanna."

Waves of need and love washed over her and as she watched he shook off the inebriation and his eyes cleared and became pools she was quickly drowning in. She didn't know how he was doing it but he was sending to her, his soul crying out for release. The world, the past, the future all disappeared and there was just him, completely open to her in the way she had dreamt of many a night but never truly believed she would see.

"Deanna, I'm a fool." His voice, soft as silk, sent a shiver through her. "An idiot, a jerk, whatever name you want to call me would not be sufficient to describe how blind I've been."

She sank to her knees, no longer able to stand. Words lay dead in her throat.

"I worship the ground you walk on, did you know that?" He released her wrist and brought his hand up to cup her cheek. "I look into your soul and I'm just awed by what I see there. You are an angel I feel completely unworthy to be in the presence of. Yet my heart keeps hoping that despite the pain I've caused you that you will let me into your heart and allow me to caress your soul. Will you do that, Deanna? Will you let me in?"

She still couldn't speak, tears running down her cheeks. Her eyes shone with happiness and a warmth glowed within her and arched out to enrapture them both. But she couldn't stop shaking her head. He gave her slow, sweet kiss.

Deanna found her voice. "What was with the drunk act?"

Laughing, he pulled her into bed with him. "It wasn't an act. I woke up this morning with all these thoughts that I've just shared with you and they terrified me. I was trying to work up some liquid courage, but of course all I could get was synthehol. And then, don't ask me why, I somehow thought that being completely goofy might help hurry the process along. And that was when you, my lovely angel," he kissed her gently, "you came waltzing in, coming to my rescue. So I just went with it. Figured it must have been fate."

"You don't believe in fate."

"There are a lot of things I never used to believe in that I've reconsidered since you came into my life, Imzadi." He pulled her close to him and kissed her. "Like soul mates."

He kissed her slowly until they both came up for air.

"Like psychic connection."

His hands roamed over her body and he kissed her again.

"Like forever."

No more words were said as he began the process which made them whole.

And their souls sang.

End