“Leap of Faith”

Author: Pia Pedersen

Rating: PG-13

Feedback: Always appreciated

 

Usual disclaimers apply.

 

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”I don’t know. I just don’t know.”

 

Her words left her lips in a whisper, and Deanna saw his expression change from one of hopefulness to stun, and she hurt. She hurt for him, and for herself. The whole situation was spiraling out of control, and she was still trying to catch her breath.

 

“Well, if you figure it out, you know where to find me.” He leaned in and dropped a kiss on her cheek, and Deanna protested when he attempted to back away again.

 

“Don’t,” she whispered. “Don’t go, Will. You don’t have to leave.”

 

“Yes, I do.” His smile was a pale imitation of the one she knew so well. “But I won’t go far. If you hurry, you can still catch me.”

 

“If I hurry?”

 

He kissed her now, letting her know what she already understood in her heart. He was hers, and no matter what her answer would be, he would be there. He would never go so far that she wouldn’t be able to reach him.

 

“I’ll wait. But, please, Deanna, don’t make me wait too long.”

 

Then he left, and she stood there for a few lasting moments, going over every word he had said, every feeling he had conveyed. It had all been so unexpected, so sudden. That was really why she had hesitated, not because she didn’t feel as he did. Deanna just hoped that Will understood that.

 

~**~

 

Riker was pacing the floor in his quarters, behaving like an encased animal. He, too, was rehashing every word of their conversation. Okay, so maybe he had sprung it on her. Maybe they should have talked about it more. Maybe. There were a lot of maybes here, but Will didn’t want to deal with them. He wanted her, and if she needed time to think, he could give it to her. Even if the waiting was killing him.

 

Will decided he would lose his mind if he didn’t get out of there, so he exited the cabin and set course for the gym. Hopefully a workout would take his mind off Deanna. He smiled ironically at the thought. Who was he kidding? He wasn’t likely to get any sleep until she let him know what she had decided.

 

~**~

 

“Will?” Deanna called out for him, but there was no answer, and she decided to go in there and wait for him. It had been several hours since he had left her quarters, and she had been sitting in her office, thinking about all the years that had gone before this day, and about what caused him to finally make this commitment.

 

He was sleeping, and she smiled, an idea forming in her mind. Deanna undressed quietly and slipped into bed next to him. God, it felt good to be so close to him again …  it felt right in a way that nothing else had in what seemed forever. She kissed his shoulder and snuggled up close to him. Her hands slipped around his waist, and she smiled, when he closed a hand around hers. “I thought you were sleeping?” she whispered into his back.

 

“I was,” he said and turned in bed. “Mm. You look incredible, and you feel even better.” He kissed her neck and let his lips move lower while he captured her soft breast in his hand. Deanna whimpered softly. She had imagined this so many times, but she had never thought that it would actually happen again. “I love you,” he told her, seriously, and she smiled.

 

“What took you so long, Riker?” She kissed him with such passion that Will thought he was going to burst into flames, and he crushed her to him, silently wowing that he would never again let her go. This was meant to be, he was sure of that, and who was he to keep fighting it? Deanna Troi was the most amazing woman he had ever met, and he would be a fool to let her go twice. Riker withdrew a little to look at her, and Deanna caught the adoration in his eyes. He had made up his mind, and so had she. It was time to take that leap of faith and trust in the strength of their love. It was time to start over.

 

[-end-]