TITLE: Intimate Reticence
AUTHOR: QDestinyy@aol.com
SERIES: TNG
CHAPTER: (Complete)
RATING: PG-13
CODES: R/T (Imzadi)

DISCLAIMER: Characters are the property of Paramount/Viacom, etc.. The ideas expressed herein are copyright by me. This story is not for profit and may be archived anywhere, so long as no monetary benefit shall be obtained for same, and proprietary/copyright information remain intact.

AU / NON CANON -- some time after Generations, before First Contact.

SUMMARY: While on a routine diplomatic mission, Commander Riker is kidnapped and forced to marry an alien ruler's daughter whose planet is on the brink of civil war.

--------------------

Chapter One

--------------------

"Captain's log supplemental – The Enterprise remains in orbit around Levarra III while we sort out a situation of some magnitude. Our most recent diplomatic away mission has gone somewhat awry due to a cultural miscommunication, and in less than seventy two hours our own Commander Riker is to be joined with the Proconsul's daughter, against his wishes, in a union similar to marriage. The problem of his unwillingness to cooperate with the ceremony is more than understandable, however, the Levarrans are a matriarchal race who are not yet allies with the Federation. They have made it abundantly clear that to insult the very fabric of their culture in this way would be akin to a declaration of war.

"In the meantime, Commander Riker is being confined on the planet's surface and the Levarrans have made transport to and from his location an impossibility while they continue to prepare for the ceremony. Perhaps adding insult to injury, their council has deemed his status to be ‘second class', without the right to defend his actions, and I fear we may be running out of options. A declaration of war is never an alternative – however, neither will I abide the kidnapping of any officer under my command."

Picard finished his dictation with a curt "End Log" and promptly began starring into space. It was easier to think when the stars appeared near enough to touch. Somehow, the vastness of the universe offered a kind of solace which was unequalled in all his experience.

He winced when door to his Ready Room beeped.

"Come."

Glancing away from the enormous window before him, Picard gravely regarded his visitor for several silent moments.

"You asked to see me, Captain." She ventured, finally.

"Yes. Counselor, you've been studying Levarran social structure in detail for the past eleven hours and I'm sure you're aware that time is not on our side in this instance. I need some options." He sighed.

Deanna Troi stood unmoving before him, though she appeared nearly as distant as the stars he'd been searching. She'd been this way, capably efficient, yet uncomfortably ‘detached' ever since their return from the Planet's surface... without Commander Riker. She was quite obviously in a tremendous amount of angst, and the fact that he could do nothing to asuage that discomfort for her, made him both angry and guilt ridden for having underestimated the facility of this most recent assignment.

As though she had sensed the turmoil of his emotions, Deanna frowned. "As far as viable options are concerned, I'm not sure there are many, Captain." When her voice finally spoke, it was with a controlled measure of calm which he was certain she was not actually experiencing. "Either we attempt to rescue him without their consent, a course of action which would lead the Federation into war. Or we step back."

"Unacceptable." Picard murmured his frustration.

"And war?" She countered, still wearing an impassive expression.

"Equally so." He sighed.

"The Levarrans are allies with the Benova and the Rekku. Have you contacted Starfleet?" She asked the question simply, knowing that it's answer was anything but.

"Counselor, you know as well as I what will happen if I send that communique. Starfleet headquarters will deliberate for several hours, they'll send us encouraging messages while they ‘discuss' the matter, and in the end we will receive orders to protect the sanctity of peace." He glanced up at her for a moment and was unsure if the fleeting expression of anger he saw reflected in her dark eyes was real or not. "The Vulcans have a saying, you know." He continued. "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

"Then it would appear you have already discovered what your decision must be." Troi regarded him seriously. Honour, duty, sacrifice, all qualities which were demanded of a Starfleet officer. Will knew that signing on, he upheld those principles with his life. And now he was about to uphold them with his future. Deanna forced her expression into a mask of calm.

Picard dropped his head and swore in french.

"Counsellor, in your research, did you discover how the Levarrans view the concept of kidnapping?"

Troi frowned thoughtfully. Internally or externally? They obviously hadn't hesitated for a nanosecond before taking Will hostage. Her scowl deepened.

"From what I could gather, their entire existence is based upon the principal of necessity. The old adage ‘the ends justify the means' would probably be the best way to describe a generalized example of their philosophy. I suppose that it would likely depend on the ‘ends'."

"Indeed." The Captain agreed, glancing at a PADD on the edge of his desk which contained the latest demand of the Levarran government: That they turn their ship around, leaving Commander Riker to his ‘fate'. Picard continued to stare at the PADD until a small smile curled up the corners of his lips.

Deanna tossed him a curious gaze, but he shook his finger and leaned in towards his desk. "Computer, display a schematic of the Levarran central government compound."

Immediately, an intricate map appeared and he studied it wordlessly for nearly two minutes.

"This is where they're holding Commander Riker." He finally pointed to a small alcove in the design. Troi nodded soundlessly. "We know that a transporter lock is impossible throughout this section, but not the entire compound. We were able to beam in right here." He again indicated a new section of the grid.

"..Where we were met by the Proconsul, her daughter and their attendants." He paused in thought. "You were alone with the First Daughter for nearly half an hour, Counsellor, where did the two of you go?"

Deanna glanced at the schematic and then singled out a corridor adjacent to the one which the Captain had just indicated. "She showed me one of the council suites. Hers I believe. And she asked me a lot of questions about Will. In retrospect, I should have known something was amiss, but I sensed no duplicity from her."

"You mustn't blame yourself, Commander. None of us had any reason to distrust their motives up until that point. She wasn't attempting to hide anything, she never believed for an instant that she or her government were wrong. As I recall, she was an extremely charismatic, self assured young woman." He didn't add beautiful to the list of adjectives, though it went without saying. Troi shook her head.

"Having had no previous contact with the Levarran race, my empathic sense of them was limited. The emotions I gathered from her were primarily passion and a strong determination directed towards her responsibilities.."

She sighed. It had all spiralled so completely out of control after that. What had begun as seemingly innocent flirting between the First Daughter and the Commander of the Enterprise had quickly transformed into something far more dangerous when she'd asked Riker point blank whether he felt that she was attractive.

It was not long after his polite admission to the affirmative that the young woman had announced their engagement, in acknowledgement of a custom he had never been made aware of. Perhaps for the last time, Will Riker's tendency to flirt incorrigibly with the opposite sex had finally caught up with him.

If the implications were not so severe, Deanna might even have found the entire situation humorous. But a lifetime as a second class citizen on a matriarchal world seemed more than punishment enough. Almost as unthinkable to the Counsellor of the Enterprise as a lifetime without her best friend. She shut her eyes, banishing the thought. There _had_ to be a way to see him through this...

++[[Picard to Crusher.]]++

The Captain's voice jostled Deanna from her thoughts.

++[[Crusher here]]++

++[[Doctor, the Counsellor and I would like a word with you in my Ready Room at your earliest convenience.]]++

Troi couldn't help but smile at the brief look of amusement which crossed the Captain's features when he qualified what was truly a direct summons with the alternative of a suggestion. Here was the man who commanded the flag ship of the Federation, and yet very rarely found himself able to issue their fiercely independent doctor an actual order. It was a situation which was never overtly brought up, but one which Deanna felt certain Beverly Crusher secretly enjoyed.

++[[Acknowledged. I'll be right there.]]++

Crusher's solemn voice brought a stiff nod from Picard who promptly returned to studying the grid display once more.

* * *

Doctor Beverly Crusher stood silently in the doorway to the Captain's Ready Room. She had apparently walked in on a fairly animated discussion. Deanna was shaking her head emphatically.

"No...she had one attendant who went everywhere with her. As I recall, she seemed to shadow the First Daughter's every move, somewhat like a valet." Troi pursed her lips in thought just as the Captain looked up.

"Ah, Doctor, we were just discussing the Levarran social structure. Please come in."

Crusher nodded. "Speaking of which, I have the results on the genetic analysis we ran just before Commander Riker was.." She tossed Troi a sympathetic look, and quickly turned back. ".. taken." She continued.

"Excellent, we will likely be speaking of those next." Picard removed a PADD from his desk and began scanning it's contents. "One other thing, Counsellor."

Deanna glanced up and watched him expectantly.

"According to Levarran custom, their joining ceremony is irreversible, is it not?"

Troi nodded. "Yes. They have no concept of divorce or re-joining. The ceremony is absolute."

"So the only way to prevent Commander Riker's assimilation into their race would be to prevent the ceremony, wouldn't you say?" He glanced between the Doctor and the Counsellor, noticing their identically puzzled expressions.

"Bear with me please, there is a method to my madness." Picard smiled at Beverly's almost imperceptible smirk. "I believe that's called insubordination, Doctor." He quipped, returning his gaze to the map at hand.

"Whatever do you mean?" Crusher placed her most innocent expression at the forefront of her reply, but Picard had suddenly become serious.

"Counsellor, Doctor, what I intend to discuss with you now may be considered by some to be a direct violation of the Prime Directive." He paused for a beat as though to emphasise the magnitude of his statement. "However.." Glancing at Deanna, Picard continued. "In this instance, I believe that the ‘ends... justify the means', so to speak."

When he was rewarded with the Counselor's small smile the Captain returned it in kind, using her name more familiarly when next he spoke.

"Deanna.. I won't pretend to understand what exactly your relationship with Commander Riker entails." Off her downcast expression, he added.. "..but I will ask you this. If I requested your help in this highly unorthodox mission to rescue my second in command, would you agree?"

Her expression became gravely serious, and for just a moment, Picard pondered the implications of such a response, nearly mistaking it for hesitation before she spoke. Her words were quick to dispossess him of the notion.

"Captain. If you hadn't asked me this way, I'd have asked you for your help instead." With a nod and a slow sigh, she confirmed his request. He turned to the Doctor.

"Beverly, I'm about to ask you to–"

"Jean Luc, you're my Captain _and_ my friend." She cut in. "I'd follow you into an exploding star if you needed me to."

He caught and held her gaze for several long moments -- longer than was likely proper -- before clearing his throat and pulling down on his uniform self consciously.

"Well.." He whispered. "Lets hope it doesn't ever come to that."

Whether from frustration, worry, or anticipation, all three officers smiled nervously.

"Alright then. I'm glad we're all in agreement, because I've come up with a plan." Glancing from one woman to the other, he finally settled his gaze on the Doctor. "Beverly, what were the results of your genetic analysis?"

Crusher pulled out a PADD, more out of habit than any true need to examine it's contents. "Their physiology is remarkably like our own, I'd say a little closer to Bajoran than Human, internally, but extremely close, none the less."

"Excellent."

"Excellent?" Beverly echoed, uncertainly.

"Indeed. You see, while it's true we cannot remove Will from the planet without causing an interstellar incident... we _can_ remove the Proconsul's daughter."

"Remove her?" Deanna queried.

"Quite so...and replace her." Picard raised both eyebrows before turning to regard the Counsellor of the Enterprise. "... with you." He finished.

"Well, one good kidnapping does deserve another." Crusher smirked.

"I think it's time the three of us looked into a little temporary reconstructive surgery, don't you think?" The Captain glanced at each of them individually.

For her part, and quite to his amusement despite the situation, Deanna Troi tipped her head and smiled.

---------------------

Chapter Two

---------------------

The view was incredible. Spectacular really. An orange and gold rolling vista which carried on for hundreds of kilometers away from his vantage point, high up within the central Government complex of Levarra III.

Commander William Riker stood motionless; a shadowy silhouette against the massive open window before him. Here where the beauty of a shimmering sunset rushed to meet it's end in civilization, he remained. Outwardly calm. Inwardly – screaming.

It had been nearly four hours since his last visitation. The Proconsul's daughter, Jynelle, who hadn't the slightest idea why he should be this upset, had come to congratulate her fiancé on their impending life together.

She was a beautiful woman, in truth. Magnificent long ebony hair, dark eyes.. not unlike the eyes of another woman whom he'd loved, in another world. Riker concentrated on the latter, forming an image of her in his mind. If she were with him in this moment, even in spirit – he could get through this. For she had always been his strength, an anchor which his soul clung desperately to, even if his rational mind refused to acknowledge the link. Where was she now?

Suddenly, as life in general began to seem far less magnanimous than it had even a week ago, Riker found himself wondering whether or not he'd made the right choices. It was a bittersweet pill to swallow when you'd been banking on the fact that time stretched on for all eternity. There had always been tomorrow... until today. And now perhaps he'd never have the chance to measure up and find a way to do and say the things he'd always felt he could and would.. some day.

Starfleet be damned for this incomprehensible paradox. He knew what the score would be. Peace, above all else. Above any officer, or any single starship crew... Peace. Who was he to wish for exception? Will frowned, reaching out towards the open window with one hand, he closed his fingers into a fist and it felt.. hollow.

He hadn't exactly been thinking of Starfleet or his career in the past few hours, either. He'd been thinking... of Her. And what was that supposed to mean? Riker sighed. Their mental link was almost as faint as the peppering of dusky starlight overhead. Still, if he closed his eyes...reached out to her across the distance... perhaps....

There was a whisper, a breathy caress at the very edge of his mind for only an instant. It was enough. He smiled, imagining her words at his predicament; imagining her presence and her friendship. She embodied such fire and passionate determination. Perhaps ironically, so did his current hostess. Though Jynelle's focus was markedly different. Completely career driven. Not unlike himself? The thought made him shudder.

The First Daughter had a temper to match her personality; livid when she realized he was less than pleased with their ‘arrangement' – she'd stormed from the room and left him to himself. To think.

"Perchance to dream?" He mused in a covetous whisper.

If only they would listen. If only they would recognize his ignorance and let the matter drop. But as the seconds grew into minutes, grew into hours which had already transformed into a standard day, Will had come to realize that none of it would happen. Not in the way he wanted it to, at least.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the Commander, only several corridors away in what was deferentially referred to as a ‘Council Suite'...

First Daughter Jynelle, a lady in waiting, and an as yet nameless man-servant froze in surprise and mid-motion as their proximal bodies flickered briefly, and promptly vanished.

* * *

"Well GET him ready!" Proconsul Melynn scowled at her man-servant, clicking her tongue in irritation. "Jynelle has been in her chamber for nearly as long as it would take an entire army to assemble, she's obviously upset."

"Yes, Proconsul." The tiny slip of a man cowered before her. Middon – for that was his name – was short, even for a Levarran male, whose average height was not much taller than their female counterparts. His fearful gaze never left the powerful woman before him. She could destroy him with a word, and he knew it.

Melynn pursed her lips as though she were going to speak once more, but then thought better of it and turned her back on him wordlessly. He spun around and hurried from the room, accepting the dismissal as a welcome reprieve.

Taking the corridor in a sprint, Middon scurried towards the chamber assigned to their newest guest. The First Daughter's betrothed. The man from the starship who insisted he speak with his ‘Captain'.

But Middon knew better. He knew that there would never be any further outside communication for their guest. There never was.

Nearing the doorway to the newcomer's suite, the little man paused. What if he grew angry? For a male, this ‘Riker' was a towering giant. If there was ever a reason to be concerned, it would be now, when some ill spent act of aggression might hurt someone.. or worse. Midden swallowed.

If he didn't enter the chamber and see to the readiness of the ‘Commander', he would definitely end up in the ‘worse' category, the Proconsul would see to that. His choice suddenly appeared not quite so difficult, after all.

Gathering himself up to his full five feet and four inches, Middon steeled himself and opened the door definitively...

"Good afternoon."

The voice came from behind him. Middon spun around towards it's source.

"It's a lovely day, I've been thinking of taking a walk outside.."

The tiny man's eyes grew wide at the statement, did this newcomer think he was free to roam the grounds of the complex as he chose?

"I'm afraid that would never be poss–"

Middon began, glancing away just long enough to be struck in the head by a blunt object. The man-servant froze mid sentence, his head thrust forward with the impact before he toppled to the floor in an unceremonious, unconscious heap.

"Never say never."

Will Riker took one last, grave look at his victim and then disappeared through the open doorway with a plan of his own.

* * *

--------------------------

CHAPTER THREE

--------------------------

Deanna Troi was speechless. What was there to say, after all, when you looked into the mirror and saw the face of another staring out at you? Her hands crept to her face in what had become something of a bad habit in the past two hours since the procedure. She touched her new features gingerly.

"It won't fall off, I promise." Beverly's very new, very different voice intruded into her moment of awe. "Doctor Selar did a wonderful job, if I didn't know you were... you, I'd never be able to tell the difference."

Troi spun around, momentarily startled. "I could say the same." She muttered, frowning.

Despite having foreknowledge that Crusher's usually porcelain visage would be that of Jynelle's female attendant, actually seeing her this way was more than a little odd. Deanna shook her head.

"You only saw the Proconsul's daughter for a few minutes, the rest of the Levarrans have known her all her life. The real test is yet to come." Dark, luminous eyes regarded the Enterprise's C.M.O.

Deanna had been somewhat lucky in that her body's natural dimensions as well as her facial structure had lent themselves well to the transformation. She and Jynelle were similar in appearance as it was, but now that they had perfected that similarity, Beverly was certain not even the young woman's mother would be able to tell the difference. At least, she hoped not.

"Are you ready?" At their Captain's question, both women turned. They were, all three of them, standing inside of the First Daughter's spectacular living quarters. One thing was certain, the young woman didn't live spartanly.

Enormous and often unidentifiable artwork hung from massive stone pillars which stretched across the circumference of the circular suite. Floor to ceiling windows, lined up like soldiers along it's edge, and most of these were left open, allowing a slight breeze to trickle inside, hinting at the tropical atmosphere without.

Levarra III was a beautiful planet. Almost as lush and enchanting as Risa, certainly similar in climate to Betazed, though it's magnificent red sky was somewhat different than the latter. If it weren't for the situation, circumstances being what they were, Deanna might even have enjoyed this place... in another time, or another universe perhaps...

Was she ready? The Captain's question returned to haunt her thoughts.

"I suppose.." Deanna tossed one quick look at her reflection in the mirror before ridding herself of the nervous thought. "I guess, I'll have to be."

Picard smiled reassuringly at her. In truth, she was enchantingly beautiful. She looked like a vision in the long flowing jumpsuit, traditional to her character's people. Adorned with various articles of sparkling jewelry which must have felt as delicate as they appeared, the entire ensemble seemed to shimmer when she moved. A play of light which shone against her ebony hair and made her eyes seem even darker, even larger than they actually were. "In no way is this to be construed otherwise negatively Counsellor, but I must say.. you look lovely." He shook his head. "However, when this is all over, I'm sure everyone would agree with me that you'll look even more radiant as yourself."

Troi smiled despite herself. The Captain could be very charming when he wanted to. She afforded Beverly a knowing glance, but the Doctor was too busy grinning and shaking her head to notice it.

"While I appreciate the compliments sincerely, there will be dinner with ‘my mother the Proconsul' in less than half an hour." Deanna announced, suddenly taking charge of the scenario with the practised grace of a woman who had been born and bread to the aristocracy. Picard couldn't help the half smile which found it's way to the surface of his expression as she spoke. She had indeed been born and bred to the aristocracy, hadn't she? This might work out even better than he had planned, after all. Deanna continued..

"The two of you will, of course, not be in attendance, but you'll need to accompany me to the dining hall, and I'm sure there will be an opportunity for us to speak afterwards. Shall we meet back here?"

"Don't worry about us, First Daughter." Jean-Luc smiled. "We are here to serve your leisure." He bowed grandiosely.

"Correction." Beverly grinned. "*I* am here to serve her leisure, *you* are here to serve mine." She winked. "Oh, you know, so that she doesn't ever actually have to deal with your trouble making kind." Her smile was infectious.

"Ouch." Picard feigned insult. "I shall consider myself firmly reminded of my place."

"I should warn you." Troi cut in. "While we're in the public eye, I may do or say things I would never normally dream of. I was with Jynelle for some time, my sense of her was nearly overwhelmed by her pride. And after having studied her people for an even longer period, I think it's safe to say that decorum is not her first priority with anyone beneath her station."

"We understand, Deanna. Truly, all three of us are probably aware by now that this mission isn't going to be easy." Crusher nodded, as did the Captain.

"I'd also like to let Will know what's happening as soon as possible." Troi continued.

"Whenever it is safe to do so, I doubt he'll be joining you for dinner." The Captain responded, though he'd secretly wondered on his own when their first meeting might be.

"No, he probably won't be attending any official functions until after the ceremony. Until then he's simply a hostage." She sighed.

"Well then, lets not keep your ‘mother' waiting, hmm?"

The Counsellor drew in a deep breath ... and the three Enterprise officers, now Levarran nationals, walked briskly from her chamber. A triumvirate, with Jynelle at their apex.

* * *

-----------------------------------------

CHAPTER FOUR

------------------------------------------

It wouldn't be long until they found his victim. He'd only knocked the smaller man unconscious, but even that was certainly not going to sit well with his ‘hosts'.

Will Riker glanced around the corner of a long corridor and quickly retreated to his position before four Consulate Guards marched stoically by.

Damn! He could sure use a phaser right about now. Either that or a well balanced baseball bat. Anything would do. Will bit back a curse. Kidnapping was never a particularly ‘fair' circumstance to find one's self in. He glanced around the corner one more time and sighed. The security team seemed absent.

Making his way quickly along one wall, Riker managed to side step another group of Guards and promptly found himself in an open courtyard. One of many within the vast compound structure, and certainly not the ‘way out' he'd been hoping for.

Still, with any luck, he'd be able to get to a communication device and send the Enterprise a message, they could beam him out of there and deal with the consequences later. Or at least, he hoped so.

"This ought to teach you to keep your mouth shut, Riker."

His whispered avowal was lost to the breeze as he ducked through yet another doorway ...and nearly died of a heart attack.

Freezing dead in his tracks, Will found himself face to face with a very tall, very unforgiving female security officer. And she wasn't alone. Two more Levarran officers appeared from behind her, each of them with a charged weapon.

"You are not to be in this corridor, Offworlder."

The first one spoke as the two behind her moved forward to apprehend him. There was no where to go, not without acquiring a few first degree phaser burns, at least. Will didn't even bother struggling as his arms were pinned behind him and his body was thrust forward for inspection by the tallest of the guards, apparently also their superior officer. Her hair was blonde; cropped short against her head in a utilitarian fashion, and her eyes were the coldest blue he'd ever seen.

"How did you escape your quarters?" She demanded. When Riker didn't respond, she raised her arm and backhanded him across the jaw. His eyes widened. She had quite an arm.. but he made no sound, turning his head away in disgust instead.

Angrily, she moved to repeat the action.

"Hold Sec."

A very low, very authoritative voice behind them suddenly cut in, using a Levarran familiar – and somewhat patronizing -- term for a security officer. The tall woman before him froze in mid motion and lowered her head, taking one step backwards simultaneously. The two who held Riker's arms in check remained as they were, however.

"How dare you touch my property." The voice continued.

"My apologies–" The Sec Chief began.

"How dare you insult my station."

"First Daughter, I assure you–"

"How DARE you VIOLATE what is MINE." First Daughter Jynelle was flanked on either side by her attendants, one male and one female, both displaying identically unmoved expressions.

"He escaped his quarters, he was attempting to–" The taller woman blurted, her face now white with an emotion Riker could only assume was terror. What exactly did Jynelle do to those who disobeyed her commands? The Commander of the Enterprise remained very still, waiting for the scene before him to unfold before taking any further action.

"I will hear nothing more from you, Sec." Jynelle continued, her voice a cold and dulcet mask of calm. "Take your team and leave us."

"But the Offworlder, First Daughter?" The taller woman asked, well aware of her duty despite the rebuke.

"Will be dealt with." Jynelle made a gesture as though a dismissal was issued, and the two who held Riker's arms suddenly released their grip. Will pulled himself upright and massaged his forearms briefly before taking one last glance at the Sec Chief.

She made a sound in the back of her throat, an almost imperceptible click of disgust, and then turned, issuing a gestural command at her team to follow.

Several onlookers milled on either side of the hallway, by now, and Riker was certain they were waiting to see just exactly what the ‘dealt with' portion of their First Daughter's statement would mean to his current predicament.

It was now or never. Will turned to face Jynelle, full on, this time ready for whatever attack she might throw at him, verbally or otherwise. He met her eyes...

And froze.

Her expression was impassive, impossible to determine, but there was __something__ different. Something which chilled him in a way he hadn't imagined he could be affected. Jynelle and her attendants regarded him with the same kind of detachment they always had, and yet she FELT different. She felt like...

Riker shook his head. That had to be the craziest, most misguided feeling he'd ever had in his life! Being trapped down here was beginning to affect his sanity. He swallowed and regarded his ‘fiancé' more closely.

"Saran." Jynelle turned to her man-servant, without warning. "Inform my mother the Proconsul that I will not be able to attend dinner with her this evening, let her know that one of her Secs is responsible for damaging my intended, and that I am attempting to...'repair' the situation."

Without waiting for a response, she then turned her attention towards the woman next to her. "Fetch a med detachment, and meet me back at my suite." Both Levarrans nodded, turning in opposite directions to attend to their tasks, though Riker noticed that the First Daughter's man-servant cast a furtive look back at her, meeting her gaze before he too disappeared at the end of the corridor.

"And as for you.." Jynelle rounded on him, her eyes flashing. The small group of citizens in the corridor drew in a collective breath when she spoke.

"You made a mistake back there." Riker glared at her. "You should have let your security team finish me off."

"Perhaps. Perhaps not." She shrugged, marching past him in the direction of her suite. She finally turned once she was several metres farther down the corridor and motioned him to follow, with one hand.

Riker glanced around him at the hesitant faces of the passing officials in the corridor. Taking a quick breath, he shrugged. He would go with her, for now. Bide his time. Wait until he'd discovered a chink in their armour. It was only a matter of when... He moved forward slowly, and as he passed Jynelle without so much as a glance in her direction, he heard her voice, almost too loudly, behind him.

"Attempt to escape again, and I'll kill you myself."

Will heard her, saw her, knew what she was capable of.. but for some reason, this encounter was different than the others. This time, whenever he came within proximal distance of the First Daughter, something inside of him felt... felt...

...as though he were completely and utterly out of his mind.

* * *

-------------------------------------

CHAPTER FIVE

-------------------------------------

"You know, if you wanted me that desperately, you could have just asked.." Will Riker smirked where he stood, gazing at the evening sky from a window within the First Daughter's suite.

She scoffed. "Ask for your _permission_ do you mean?"

A pair of unfamiliar male servants scurried back and forth between them, preparing a small table and filling it with food. He barely glanced at them except to notice the haste with which they moved. How could such a backwardly mobile social structure have attained warp technology? It didn't even seem worth his effort to sigh this time. It was very like ancient Earth, only in reverse, for the most part. But even inside out, the idea of it didn't seem to grow any more acceptable to his way of thinking.

"Where I come from, we don't force our partners into unions of any kind" Riker continued, this time turning to face her.

"Oh really?"

He could have sworn he saw her smile.. almost. But it was gone just as quickly as it had been there if she had.

"And I suppose you waste interminable amounts of energy ‘chasing' one another around – playing meaningless games and trying to imagine yourselves intimately together while in the meantime it ends up taking you YEARS to even realize you might never end up that way." She fixed him with an intense stare and he narrowed his eyes.

There it was again. That _feeling_ he'd been getting over and over again ever since she'd pulled him from the corridor.

"Something like that." He shrugged. "If I didn't know any better, I'd swear you actually understood what I was saying."

This time she laughed, and then shot one of her servants a reproachful stare when he regarded her in surprise.

"Oh I understand you perfectly. I think it's ridiculous."

"You have no foundation on which to base that generalization, First Daughter." Riker pinned her with an sharp look.

Jynelle's eyebrows rose. It was difficult not to wonder just how far Will might have gotten with this particular line of logic were she the _real_ First Daughter, and not the Counselor of the Enterprise in full Consulate regalia. Perhaps it was horrible of her to feel this way, yet Deanna found herself insanely curious none the less. A philosophical version of Will Riker? Impossible. Still...it couldn't hurt to probe just a little deeper, could it? He'd make her pay for it later, she was sure, but in the meantime? Her lip curled into a tiny smile. How could she deny the opportunity?

"I have every foundation I require, Commander." Her voice was calm, collected. Absolutely Jynelle.

"On your world, First Daughter, but you're forgetting one thing. I'm not a willing citizen of this Empire."

"Yet." She tossed him a wry, pointed look.

"Ever." He corrected, matching her expression with one of his own.

"Are your people always this stubborn?" She turned from him and made her way towards the now-set table, picking a small grape-like fruit from it's surface and popping it into her mouth.

"Why don't you let me contact my ship. We can save ourselves all a lot of hassle in the future." His face was impassive.

"I'm afraid that would never be possible." She shrugged in a way that made Riker's jaw clench with frustration and anger.

"Funny." He tossed back. "That's exactly what one of your servants said to me on my way out of my quarters this evening."

Her eyebrow rose.

"Are you threatening me, Commander?"

"Are you holding me hostage on your planet without my consent?" He threw back, in the same tone of voice.

This time when she advanced towards him, Jynelle's eyes seemed much darker, much larger than they had when last he'd met her, and the nearer she came, the more his traitorous body began singing a completely different aria than his mind was screaming at him to attend.

"Don't you find me.. attractive?" She whispered, this time within very, very intimate distance of his face. It wasn't the first time she had asked him this very same question, though for some reason he was unable to fathom, lying to her at this point seemed moot.

For her part, Deanna knew she had just pushed the envelope to it's farthest reaches. Beyond this point, there was no telling what may or may not be the outcome of such a line of questioning, and she was forced to admit to herself that a part of the reason she did this was out of a very irrational sense of hurt. Hurt and anger at him which even she refused to acknowledge until this very moment; betrayal at watching him flirt so coyly with another woman despite the fact that she herself truly held no claim on him.

When Will chose to answer her question with silence, she wondered briefly whether or not she had gone too far. A sense of guilt swept over her for the entire ordeal, and she glanced nervously at the two servant-class males who stood unobtrusively off to one side of their ‘dinner table'.

It was when she looked away, that Riker finally did respond, however.

"Yes."

She held back the vice which had suddenly descended over her lungs and turned from him instead, hoping he'd mistake the gesture as one of arrogance, rather than pain.

This time his voice was serious, almost wistful when he continued. "You remind me of someone. Someone else. She was...the most beautiful woman I've ever known."

For a moment, Deanna found herself unable to speak and she had no idea what to do, or say next. It was perhaps one of the most mortifying experiences of her lifetime. Thankfully, one word managed to find it's way to the surface of her lips despite her temporary lapse.

"Was?"

"Is, was, what difference does it make down here?"

"Who was she?"

"Why do you care?"

**Because I want you to say my name..** Her mind spoke for her, but not to him. Verbally, she managed, "I suppose I don't."

"So there you have it, First Daughter." He smirked, placing emphasis on her title all the while. "From the very beginning you've held me here, preparing for your _ceremony_ and all along my compliment to you was second hand. An indiscretion because your eyes reminded me of ... someone else's."

Deanna was almost certain of who he spoke by now. Hours of being complimented and patted on the back because she looked ‘so much like Jynelle' that it was going to make ‘the entire procedure go by in half the time' – hours of those voices left very little doubt in her mind at his admission.

But why admit it here? Why now? And to a complete stranger? She cleared her throat, right before ‘the Counselor' inside of her took over.

"There's something you need to know." Jynelle finally spoke after what seemed like forever. Riker had even begun to wonder for a few moments if he'd hurt her feelings. In the damnest way, she *did* remind him of ... someone else. Right down to the way he felt when she was around him; to the way he could almost kid himself into believing she actually did seem confused and maybe even a little upset at his admission. But how could he know that?

Will watched her thoughtfully for several seconds before speaking. He watched her face, her hair, the way her body moved when she shifted from one foot onto the other, he watched her eyes. Her large, luminous eyes...

And then he swallowed when he felt his heart creep slowly but surely.. into his throat. Oh Gods.. He let out a slow breath of air.

"You know, come to think of it. You're probably dead on about the whole concept of relationships among my people. It really is a waste of time." He turned away from her -- feeling her eyes bore a hole into his back.

"What?"

"I mean.. when you get right down to it, all of that useless energy spent trying to _convince_ someone that you're completely in love with them. Wasting time pining over the day you realize that you'd do anything just to see them smile..." He trailed off wistfully, but didn't turn around, or he'd have seen the First Daughter with a decidely uncharacteristic look on her face.

Her servants pretended not to notice. Finishing their tasks, the two men slipped quietly from the room, tremendously greatful for the reprieve. But Riker continued...

"You do all of that -- only to have the other person tell you that they don't even believe you were ever sincere to begin with. You're absolutely right. What _is_ the point?"

He turned around this time, and noted with no small amount of satisfaction, that she was starring at him open mouthed.

"Can I tell you something in confidence?" He whispered.

Jynelle glanced around the room, as though noticing for the first time that her attendant staff were missing.

"I take back what I said earlier. I think *you* are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my entire life."

He watched her face; her eyes grow wide, her mouth open and then close again as though she were going to speak ...and the touch of color which crept into her cheeks, though he suspected it's cause was something other than embarassment or self consciousness. Her dark eyes flashed at him.

He was serious! She nearly choked. The idiot had some nerve. And she was about to tell him so before he took three giant steps, crossed the room entirely ...

...and pulled her into a passionate kiss.

It took her a few moments, a few desperate, incredible moments with his lips over hers, his mouth devouring hers in the most all-consuming kiss she'd experienced in years... a few moments like that, before she registered what had happened.

But by that time, her traitorous body had already nearly taken over. She felt herself respond, pressing forward automatically when he touched her; before her mind took fierce control over the situation and wrenched her body free. But by that time, Will had already pulled back and was looking decidedly smug.

"You know, I wasn't sure in the beginning, First Daughter, but you certainly do *kiss* a lot like my best friend." He tipped his head and tossed her a look of challenge.

She could have killed him. Instead she held her calm, hoping to play this out with at least some semblance of dignity intact. How long had he known?!

"You kiss your best friend like _that_?" Her voice was incredulous, but Riker could hear the undercurrent to it, it was a very familiar undercurrent.

"Well, not recently." He admitted, grinning conspiratorially. "But I could amend that if she'd let me.." He winked this time ...and Jynelle lost it.

Glancing around quickly as though to reassure herself one final time that there was no one else present, the ‘First Daughter' marched forward and slapped her guest.

Hard.

"Ow...hey!" He rubbed gingerly at the injured area.

And then she turned her back on him. "Not on your life, Commander."

"I didn't think so." He grinned, shutting his eyes for a second before he grew more serious. "I knew I could feel you."

Deanna/Jynelle turned and regarded him thoughtfully before speaking. For a moment she even considered saying nothing. She was that angry. But pragmatism and a profound sense of relief finally got the better of her.

"I was terrified you'd recognize me in the corridor and that we'd make a mistake." Her voice was so sincere, and the alternative was so unthinkable that he suddenly (and irrationally) wanted nothing more than to gather her close and reassure her. Whether she needed reassuring or not. Hell, maybe *he* was the one that needed reassuring. Hadn't he wished over and over again that this entire week hadn't happened?

Except that it had, and he was a Starfleet officer. Trained to handle anything. Still, despite his every attempt at logical analysis, a profound sense of relief washed over him. Selfish relief that they had launched a rescue attempt despite the possibility of war. Will suddenly felt disgusted with himself.

"I didn't have a clue. You were very convincing." He swallowed and did his best to banish every insecurity before she'd have the time to sense his distress.

"I'm sorry, Will. I was going to tell you immediately." Deanna frowned.

"There were always other people around." He defended her, despite the fact that she could tell she'd unnerved the brash Commander a lot more than he was willing to admit.

"Deanna" He whispered suddenly. "How in the hell did you manage to make the switch? Jynelle's got at least two servants who shadow her every move.. and then there's the–"

Off her expression, Will gaped.

"Just how many of us are down here?"

"Only three. Beverly, the Captain and myself. Will, Starfleet doesn't know about this. We're hoping to avoid an incident, but we'll need to handle this very carefully." She took a deep breath.

"I was afraid you were going to say that. Look. I knew what the risks were when we beamed down here, and it was my own arrogance that got me into this mess.." He began.

"Well arrogant or not, Will Riker, there are a few thousand people up there who depend on their first officer to see them through a crisis, and we couldn't very well leave him down here to serve eternity for a slip of the tongue." She rebuked, once again injecting the poignant reminder that things were most definitely not about only him. He sighed and nodded.

"I hope you've made Jynelle and her attendants more comfortable than they made me." He quipped, ruefully.

"Oh they're fine. Secure quarters on the Enterprise, but they're being well looked after, I'm sure." She suddenly smiled.

"What?" His dazed expression told her everything she needed to know.

"Nothing really. I was just thinking about how BIG you're going to owe me when this mission is over.. *Commander*." She shook her head, running one hand self consciously over her long jumpsuit -- which still seemed iridescent.

He grinned. "It's a date."

She rolled her eyes.

"I have to admit, Dee, it is a little odd, looking at you like this.. and your voice..."

"I know! Even I don't know it's me speaking half the time." She raised one hand in a frustrated gesture towards her lips.

[[How's this?]] She teased, tossing the thought directly into his mind in an intimate way they hadn't shared communication for some time. His eyes widened and he whispered hoarsely.

".. Uhm..much better." Riker cleared his throat. "But I'm still not terrific at responding that way." His verbal answer sobered them both. The fact remained that no matter how they communicated, they were still going to have to find a way to get off this planet – and the resultant conflict was one which neither of them was looking forward to.

In the meantime, the door to the First Daughter's suite chimed for a visitor, and the vid-unit on the wall revealed Jynelle's female attendant; a med kit in hand.

"Enter." Deanna called out, watching the massive doors part dutifully to reveal Doctor Beverly Crusher. A woman who looked absolutely nothing like herself at the moment.

She regarded the pair from her vantage point in the open doorway. Both of them looked extremely guilty about something and Riker was regarding her entrance quizzically, as if trying to decide whether or not they'd met before.

Crusher couldn't resist. Thrusting her enhanced buxom forward, she cleared her throat and announced in a low, feminine voice:

"Good to see you again, Number One."

Deanna watched all the color drain from Will's features. Clutching a nearby stone column, the Counselor doubled over laughing.

* * *

---------------------------------

CHAPTER SIX

---------------------------------

It had only been an hour. But if felt like ten. Will sat uncomfortably at the elegant -- and as yet untouched -- dinner table before picking at some fruit half heartedly. From the moment he'd discovered that the Captain was here, along with Beverly and Deanna, Riker had felt two very conflicting emotions. The first of these, of course, had been relief. A tremendous sense of it which nearly overwhelmed him. The second emotion was guilt.

His situation not withstanding there were now four officers at stake, not the least of which was the Captain of the Enterprise himself. Friendship was one thing, but it was his responsibility as First Officer to maintain the Captain's safety at all costs.. including those most personal to himself. Quite obviously, he had done one hell of a botched job on more than one count so far. And their situation was only beginning.

Beverly and Deanna had been sitting towards the opposite end of the room while they worked, and Picard, who had only joined them fewer than fifteen minutes ago, was already hard to task modifying a Tricorder in order to potentially disrupt the Levarran sensor's long enough for an escape route -- once they'd determined their next course of action, that is.

Troi looked up suddenly and regarded Will's stoic posture. Her frown was almost imperceptible.

"What is it?" Beverly traded a sharp look back and forth between her two good friends. Riker was too far away to have heard her question, but neither was it directed at him.

"I'm not sure." Deanna sighed. "He's been this way ever since you arrived.. conflicted, angry, almost to the point of resignation."

"Think you should talk to him?" Crusher continued, leaning back on one arm.

"I'd thought about it. But I'm not sure that it would do any good. When he gets this way, he usually has to sort things out on his own." She thinned her lips.

"Well you have to admit, this isn't exactly the best possible scenario we're in right now." Beverly pulled a small med-scanner from her waist and rose to her feet. "Maybe I'll give him another once over and send him to work. It might take his mind off of things, at least for a little while."

Deanna smiled at her friend gratefully. She didn't need to thank her, she already understood. The Counsellor watched for several more silent moments as Beverly made her way across the room and pulled up a seat next to Will.

"Feeling sorry for ourselves, are we Commander?" The doctor asked, smiling at him.

"That's for damn sure." He grinned ruefully. "I've been a real idiot about all of this, haven't I?"

"Will -- even idiots need to move on after their mistakes. And you, my dear, seem fine..." She finished tracing his features with the med-scan unit. "So I'm discharging you from medical leave." Beverly smiled lopsidedly and Riker smirked.

"Back to work, Doc?"

"On the double, Commander." Beverly nodded in Deanna's direction.

"I'm going to help the Captain with his Tricorder problem, and I'd appreciate it if you'd help Deanna chart out the rest of the compound. Our grid map was apparently only partially accurate – which makes sense when you consider what they'd been planning all along – but it means we've now got to go back and make sure we know where the hell we're going when we make our way out of here... and since you've already had the ‘scenic tour'.." She shrugged and he grinned. It was a welcome change in his demeanor.

"Yes ma'am." He tipped his head and she rose from her chair, only to make her way towards the Captain, where she promptly sat herself down in front of him. Crossing her legs, she regarded his lack of progress for several silent moments before snatching the Tricorder away from her frustrated companion.

Picard glanced up at her as though this were the first time he'd realized her presence and she'd managed to grow a third eye in the interim. But anyone watching the two of them ‘play' would have known better. Smiling and shaking her head, Beverly cleared her throat softly (and smugly) as she fixed a problem which he'd been working on for nearly ten minutes.

For his part, the Captain tossed her a shocked look which quickly turned to one of amusement and grudging admiration. She was truly a master of instrumentation, medical or otherwise, his doctor.

* * *

Deanna was studying a PADD intently when Will arrived by her side. She knew he was there, of course, she always did, but out of a sense of politeness or maybe it was even deference to human telepathic inability -- she would never pre-affirm a person's presence until they had given to announcing it themselves.

"First Daughter." His voice was teasing, but Troi could still sense the underlying upheaval of his more recent thoughts.

"Hello Will." She looked up at him, her large, dark eyes penetrating his soul. Suddenly he felt as though there was something he needed to confess to her... although he hadn't a clue what it should be. Just.. *anything* perhaps. It was in her gaze, as though she were silently compelling him to ‘talk about it' (whatever 'it' was). A pretty remarkable technique, he mused, simultaneously wondering why he'd never realized just exactly what it was she DID with her patients until right in this moment. True, he'd never actually been to see her professionally, but after seven long years on a starship together -- even longer than that when you considered their history -- it was fairly incredible that he was still discovering new facets to the mysteriously beautiful Betazoid, every day; hardly a wonder that she was the most celebrated professional Counselor in Starfleet since the advent of the position. Hardly a wonder that no matter what she looked like right now, she had the same uncanny ability to reach his soul in a way no one ever had, or ever would.

At his scrutiny, Deanna half frowned, half smirked in puzzlement. It was one of those rare moments when he was eternally grateful that she _couldn't_ read his mind.

"I heard you needed a little topographical advice." He quipped.

"In a manner of speaking." She seemed willing to let the matter drop. He sighed when she returned her attention to the PADD. "The ceremony is likely to be held here.." Motioning to a section of the grid which had only partially been filled in, she indicated a corridor. "But I'll have to explore the area further before we can complete these calculations. Unless you've already been there?"

Glancing up at him, she found – not for the first time – that he had been starring at her with the oddest expression on his face.

"Never." He admitted. "Although I've been _told_ that it's the most beautiful part of the compound. Reserved only for the highest functions and for special occasions."

"Like a joining ceremony." She continued the thought for him. The two of them regarded one another in silence for several long moments until he spoke.

"Deanna, are you really sure you want to go through with this?" It was his tone of voice which startled her more than the question.

She shrugged. "Why not? It isn't as if we're _really_ getting married, Commander. The ceremony is sacred to the Levarrans, not to us. That's what we're counting on."

"You're probably right." He frowned. "But you and I both know that Starfleet recognizes any willing union performed in accordance with the laws of the culture apparent."

Off his somewhat serious expression, she smiled ruefully.

"Well, that would be true if either one of us were a Levarran national. But since that is not the case, and in consideration of the fact that this is something of a hostage situation, I'm certain they'll make an exception."

"I suppose." He let out a long, slow breath of air and she patted him on the arm.

"Don't worry Will, I'm not going to move in and cramp your style when we get back to the Enterprise." Her smile was real enough, but so was the undercurrent to her statement.

He cringed. "That wasn't what I meant."

And for the first time in his life, Will Riker knew that it was true. Somehow, somewhere, something inside of him had altered it's course and suddenly, the prospect of spending a lifetime with one person – more pointedly, one person in particular – seemed far less terrifying than it ever had before. So when exactly had this revelation occured? And why did it take a hostage situation of impending disaster to force him to acknowledge the truth of it? He frowned..

...and she mistook it.

"I think you should leave the socio-cultural aspects of our contact to me, Commander. It is my area of expertise. I wouldn't worry." She shook her head -- and returned to the matter of the PADD in her hand. She was angry. That much was clear. But, in typical Deanna Troi fashion, she was choosing to rise above it.

Riker ran one hand through his hair, suddenly feeling as though he'd managed to put both feet into his mouth, but completely unable to pin-point exactly when, or how it had happened. She'd always had an uncanny ability to do that to him, too. He wasn't even sure how he felt about that anymore.

He and Deanna had been friends for longer than he'd ever been friends with anyone in his entire lifetime, and yet she was still a bit of an enigma at times. Whether he chose to admit it or not, she was usually the winner of most of their arguments, and she _certainly_ knew how to frustrate him thoroughly -- when he wasn't completely captivated by something she said or did which, by all rights, shouldn't have even phased him.

In the beginning, when they'd first met all those years ago on Betazed, he'd thought she was the very antithesis of the kind of woman he would ever be with in any sort of ‘long term' relationship. But since the words ‘long term' and ‘relationship' weren't even in his vocabulary back then, and since she was also (and continued to be, for that matter) the most incredibly beautiful woman he'd ever known – he had managed to trip all over himself trying to impress her before she'd ever said a word to him.

He could still remember the look she'd tossed him on the fateful day they'd met. A mixture of surprise, amusement and... something else more difficult to define. He'd like to have thought it was mutual attraction, but of that, he would probably never be certain. One thing *was* for sure -- and that was the way his breath caught in his throat when he'd stood there in the gathering of celebrants at her best friend's marriage ceremony, all of them naked as the day they were born, and had seen HER for the very first time.

It was a moment etched forever in the timelessness of his memory, one he found himself still reminiscing about even in the present, much to his chagrin quite often. She had ‘sensed' his unabridged arousal from well across the ceremony suite and had turned, seeking it's source to satisfy her own curiosity (and perhaps even to indulge in a somewhat ‘alien' experience for her -- though she'd never have admitted it back then).

Thinking she had read his mind, Riker had nearly crumbled in embarrassment at first. But as his stay on Betazed grew longer, he had come to integrate fairly well into their social structure, finding that it wasn't quite as invasive as he had first thought. His education on the whole came not without a large measure of Deanna's own help, of course, but the instinctive skittishness of sharing his mind with half a billion others didn't seem to bother him quite as much once he'd become accustomed to it.

She had been there the entire time. Patronizing at first (she could still be that, even now, when she grew impatient or frustrated with some aspect of what she affectionately termed his ‘bull headed human hormones') – but she had had good reason. Neither one of them was even remotely prepared for what had begun to happen to them, and the thought of actually falling in love with a stranger terrified her as much as it had confused him in the beginning. They were two very different minds who had as much to teach one another as they had to learn, themselves. And eventually, despite all of their differences, their arguments and their empassioned conversations which often kept them awake well into the early morning hours, Deanna Troi became someone Will Riker would never have imagined possible:

The only person who'd ever touched his soul.

Until he met her, Riker hadn't even been willing to discuss the philosophical existence of a soul. That kind of wishy-washy soapdish was best left to those who considered themselves artists or dreamers. He was a man with a mission; with a goal and a life all set out ahead of him. And no where in that great scheme of things did it say anything about spirits or soulmates, or discovering that despite all of their differences, Deanna Troi would end up bringing him face to face with not only his own soul – but the fact that he'd managed to irreversibly end up sharing it – with her.

"That's incredible Will.."

Deanna's breath on his neck made him shiver and brought his mind sharply from the past into the present. She'd crept up behind him and now kneeled, gazing over his shoulder at the PADD in his hand.

PADD in his hand? When had he picked that up?

"You've got three quarters of the grid done, that means we'll only need to physically chart out one more section!" Her happy voice, which wasn't really hers at all, filled him.

He stared at the PADD in disbelief. She was right, there before him was a nearly completed grid-section, and it appeared to be exactly as he remembered it. Except that he didn't even remember *doing* the work on it.

He shook his head slowly as if to clear it, and she regarded him in amusement.

"You're a million miles away.." She whispered, curling around so that she now sat next to him; she bumped him playfully with her shoulder. "Want to talk about it?"

He looked down at her and studied her face, trying to piece together the contradiction of her unfamiliar appearance with the _very_ familiar feeling of her he always seemed to have when she was near. It was the craziest thing, but he realized right then and there that it didn't even *matter* to him what she looked like anymore. It was just.. Her. And as long as he had that, he'd be okay.

Riker suddenly found that his mouth was dry and he had no idea what to say next. It was definitely another first for him; this damned planet -- this situation -- seemed to be making a whole lot of firsts happen in spades.

"I–" He began, but was never able to finish the thought.

The entry chime to the Jynelle's suite rang out three times and all four officers looked up in alarm. Visible in the vid-terminal, standing just outside the doorway to her daughter's chamber, was none other than the Proconsul herself. Prim and proper and – Deanna sensed, inwardly cringing – very, very angry at something, or some *one*.

* * *

----------------------------

CHAPTER SEVEN

----------------------------

There was very little time to lose. With one final glance at the imposing figure of the Proconsul through the vid-terminal, Deanna tossed a meaningful look at Beverly who nodded briefly. She and the Captain rose to their feet and quickly hid all evidence of their instrumentation within the concealment of their own clothing.

Riker stood, pocketing the PADD; he made his way towards a window, where he stopped and gazed outside while Deanna herself adjusted the line of her garment one final time. When all appeared in readiness, she drew in a deep, cleansing breath.

"Enter." Jynelle called out, and watched without a flicker of emotion apparent on her features as her ‘mother' entered the suite, alone.

"Mother, a welcome surprise." The First Daughter finally smiled and noted (quite thankfully) that the Proconsul returned her gesture in kind. It was fairly apparent that this woman cared deeply for her daughter; whatever else happened, that in and of itself could well turn into an asset later on.

"Daughter. It gladdens me to see you well. I was disappointed to hear of your... problem." Proconsul Melynn pierced the man she knew as Saran with a jagged stare. Picard, for his part, did well to pretend to look somewhat cowed under such appraisal.

"Your Sec officers are becoming careless." Jynelle tossed back, regaining her equilibrium. Her mother frowned at her. "I imagine you've dealt with the situation." The younger woman continued.

"As always, my dear. As one day you shall too. Is he damaged?" Melynn turned her gaze to the impassive form of Commander Riker where he remained, unmoving, his back to them both.

"Not physically." Jynelle smirked. "He is stubborn."

Her mother's thoughtful expression became a wry smile. "I am sure you will cure him of the ailment. You're more than adept at such matters."

"Of course, Mother."

"You have not touched your dinner?" The older woman now circled the table slowly, running her fingers along the surface of the delicate cloth which lay across it's circumference.

Jynelle shrugged. "In time."

"Now who's being stubborn?" Melynn smiled affectionately at her daughter.

"Mother, please. He and I have much to discuss." It was odd, but to a certain degree, Deanna would have sworn that the Proconsul's relationship with her daughter wasn't all the very different from her *own* relationship with the formidable Troi matriarch. Not to mention that, though rarely enforced in the egalitarian structure of this day and age, it was also the women of Betazed who symbolized the heads of each household.

"And how can you speak with my presence in your chamber as a distraction.. is that what you are saying?" The Proconsul added, still smiling. "Very well, I will leave you." Turning towards Jynelle's two attendants, she continued. "Both of you may retire to your chambers for the remainder of the evening. My daughter requires her privacy."

Picard shifted from one foot onto the other, trying very hard not to respond verbally. He had hoped to continue their plans throughout the night, at least formulate something a little more concrete than they had already, but now it appeared as though they would have to reconvene in the early hours of the morning and sort those matters out then.

With difficulty, he inclined his head in a gesture of acquiescence, and Beverly did the same. Taking his cue from her since she was of higher station than he, the Captain followed the Doctor from the suite glancing backwards only one time. He caught the gaze of his first officer for a fraction of a moment and inclined his head slightly, as though silently communicating that they would discuss this further at a later time. Riker nodded almost imperceptibly and then crossed his arms over his chest, watching as they disappeared from sight around the corridor. Melynn was next.

"I leave you with your intended, Daughter." Her voice was once again the regal, commanding one it had been upon their very first encounter. She didn't so much as cast the Commander a second glance, nor speak in his direction. Despite the fact that, ultimately, her discounting him was fortuitous, he couldn't help the stab of anger which nearly boiled his blood at her flippant dismissal.

As the doors to Jynelle's suite hissed shut behind the Proconsul, Commander Riker let out a breath of air he hadn't even known he was holding.

"Privacy lock." Deanna commanded, suddenly echoing Will's sigh as the computer obediently engaged her request – she sank into a chair at their dinner table and shut her eyes for several moments.

"How long did you study Jynelle?" Will's voice finally brought her out of her trance, and Deanna glanced up at him where he stood, framed in the enormous window behind him.

"Long enough." She whispered, shaking her head. "That was probably the most harrowing ten minutes of my life."

At her admission, he came forward and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I would never have known, Deanna, you acted just like her. I don't even think Jynelle could have done a better job."

"Lets hope not. She seemed to accept me, didn't she?" Troi tipped her head back and glanced up at him in askance.

"I'm positive she did." He reaffirmed, then uncharacteristically grew pensive, and made his way back towards the window.

"After tomorrow it will all be over."

His silence at her statement communicated more to her than his words ever could have. She rose to her feet and found him gazing out the window once again.

"You really do have a certain fascination with that portal, don't you?" Her voice was light, teasing, but he took no comfort from it.

"Dee– I owe you an apology." He began, and she stopped speaking, allowing him to compose his thoughts. "I owe all of you an apology for getting us into this mess, and I don't even know where to begin."

"We understand, Will–"

At the sound of her voice, he rounded on her.

"Damn it, Deanna, that's not the point! I screwed up. I acted like an idiot, without thinking, I was careless and now all of us are paying for my error. I'm the first officer onboard the flag ship of the federation and I can't even stop myself from rattling off at the mouth like a first year cadet.." He slammed his fist into the bulkhead next to the window.

For her part, Deanna, who had previously been allowing him to vent his frustration, finally snapped. Letting fly an angry mental sword, she confronted him simultaneously. "Alright Will, you _screwed_ up. Is that what you want to hear me say?"

He gazed at her, dumbfounded.

"If you hadn't been thinking with your hormones instead of your head, we'd _all_ be on our way to the Legallos system and I, the Captain and Beverly wouldn't have to be stuck in these... stranger's bodies... trying to rescue you from living out the rest of your life as a second class citizen. Is THAT what you're looking to hear?" She repeated, and Riker nearly fell over in shock.

He nodded mutely instead. Deanna *never* lost her cool this way. Well, almost never. There had been one or two other times, and in both cases he'd deserved every word.

"Good." She pierced him with a sharp gaze. "Then now that I've said it, can we move forward with reality please? Because the _reality_ is that we cannot change what is past, not you and not I, Commander. And if you don't stop standing there feeling sorry for yourself, you're absolutely right, we will never get out of this alive."

"Is that an order, Counsellor?" Riker asked, his gaze still locked with hers.

"It's an imperative, Will."

"Then come here."

"What?" She shook her head, still exasperated with him.

"I've finished the map." Will pulled the PADD from inside of his tunic and held it towards her. She moved to stand next to him, studying the image.

He heard her exhale softly, the way she always did when she was thinking. "This is perfect."

"I'm glad you approve." He watched her turn towards him, saw her eyes flash in annoyance and then watched that very same emotion replaced by something far less tangible.

"We're going to get out of this, you know." This time, when she spoke, it was very softly. Will hadn't even realized just how tense he'd become until he felt her thoughts gently probing him, entreating him to allow her offering of absolution; the very same absolution he'd been denying himself all this time.

She knew. Despite anything said, or inferred, she always knew.

Very gently, Will cupped her face in his hand, caressing her features lightly with the pad of his thumb. He opened his mind to her and felt a wash of warmth flow inside.

"Thank you." He whispered, gazing down at her as though she were a priceless artifact. She nodded wordlessly, though he felt her presence in his thoughts like a compelling caress.

On impulse, he captured her hand in his and drew her forward, pulling her body flush with his and stilling the look of surprise she proffered him with one finger against her lips.

"Shhh... listen. Do you hear that?" He tipped his head towards the open window and watched the puzzlement in her eyes transform into wonder.

"Yes!" She whispered back. "What is it?"

"I'm not sure exactly. I heard it last night as well, it seems to be music." He smiled down at her. "But it isn't any instrument I've ever heard before.."

"Me neither. It's very peaceful though."

Deanna shut her eyes for a moment, as though trying to ascertain the source of the sound. It was almost like a pan flute, of sorts, soft and mysterious and playing a melody neither one of them had ever been familiar with.

"Well it's not exactly Dixieland either." He quipped and she grinned at him.

"Forgot your trombone?"

"Very funny." Riker felt her laughter against his chest before he heard it. It wasn't the first time he'd felt this way, but every time he did he wanted to kiss her desperately.

Somehow, in the confusion of the moment, they'd managed to remain very close. Will inhaled the familiar scent of her hair, even in this incarnation, and more alluring to him still was the way her small body fit against his.

If he closed his eyes he could almost pretend that it was just the two of them, in his quarters perhaps.. or hers. That there was no hostile planet. No rescue attempt and not a concern in the universe except to be near her. So many times after a mutual hug, or a sibling-type kiss, he'd wished he could pull her back against him; feel her body next to his and know that she wasn't going to go anywhere afterwards.

Without thinking, he'd slipped his arms around her waist and felt her slide into his embrace. Her hands slid up along his shoulders and around his neck and her head fit snugly against his chest. For a few brief minutes, they let the world around them fall away and it was just the two of them. Slowly moving to the soft caress of the music outside, he shut his eyes and she closed hers and the breathy caress of the scented outdoor air was their only companion.

-------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER 7b

-------------------------------------------------

"I'd almost forgotten you were such a good dancer." Deanna murmured, pulling back even as she spoke. It was becoming more and more difficult to part company of late. More difficult for her to refute the way the touch of him made her feel; the way his arms around her seemed so safe and so secure. All these years she'd placed a fair amount of pride into the knowledge that she was completely in control of where she wanted her life to go; in knowing that William T Riker was most definitely a security risk where that was concerned.

"I had a good teacher." He smiled at her, his hands sliding easily from around her waist to settle at his sides.

"For a moment there, I almost forgot." Deanna sighed.

"Forgot where we were?"

"When we were, actually." She blushed lightly.

"Me too." His crystal blue eyes melted into her dark gaze. "Deanna.. do you think–"

"Oh, Will. Please don't." Her quiet voice cut him off. "I know what you want to say, I can feel what you're feeling, I just–"

"Don't feel the same way." He finished for her, a look of quiet understanding etched on his features.

"If only it were that simple." She smiled at him, reaching up to brush a wayward lock of hair from his face. "I know that this situation is a difficult one. We're both under a lot of pressure and it's easy to search for solace. But Will, at the very best of times, you and I have already come to an understanding where our relationship.."

"Or lack thereof." He injected and she nodded ruefully.

"Or lack thereof.. is concerned. You know and I know that when we let ourselves think about this, rationally, there are simply too many reasons why it wouldn't work out." She frowned thoughtfully. "But we keep coming back and reliving the same conversations.."

"Why is that? Do you think?" Will tried to smile and made it half way.

She tossed him a wry, sharp look. "I'm not certain I'm ready for the answer to that question just yet."

Riker laughed this time, pulling out and twirling her around as though they really were on a dance floor, before folding her back into his arms. He held her that way, and she held him; clinging to one another in an embrace which just barely broke the boundaries of a familial hug. They savoured their tiny broken rule for several all too short minutes – until each of them knew that the moment must end.

Finally disengaging, the Counselor and the Commander took one long look at one another before Will, ever Will Riker, shrugged his shoulders and grinned lasciviously.

"Well, you know, I just figured, since we're getting married tomorrow..."

Deanna rolled her eyes, though she too was silently grateful for the respite. Time to think at least. "We are _not_ getting married tomorrow, we're participating in an Levarran Joining Ceremony."

"There's a difference?" He kept on, still grinning.

"Are you Levarran?" She challenged.

"Not a chance."

"Then I leave it to you."

He waggled his eyebrows and she stuck her tongue out at him. But before she could hit him with the ready remark she had planned, Riker suddenly side stepped her and hurried to his Starfleet issue pack, next to the window. It was the only item of personal belonging he'd been allowed to keep since his capture and he toted it everywhere with him, as any good Starfleet officer would.

She turned around and watched him dig through it for several seconds before he emerged with a self satisfied look on his face. In several long strides, he had crossed the room once more and stood facing her.

"So tomorrow..." He began, glancing down at his closed palm. "... when we stand before the Proconsul, if I were to.. ask for special dispensation... seeing as how I'm not from around here and all... if I were to ask her for permission to place this on your finger.."

He held up a beautiful latinum ring, whose twin white and gold bands were twice intertwined. Deanna couldn't help but gape at it. It was the most exquisite ring she'd ever seen in her life.

"Where did you get that?" She whispered, heedless of his question.

"It was my mother's" He answered simply. "It's all I have left of her."

She met his eyes and her own grew serious. "And you brought it down *here*?"

"Not exactly. I bring it everywhere with me. It's kept me safe. My dad gave it to me when I was eighteen years old, and I've never gone anywhere without it since."

Her expression became so thoughtful in that instant that he wasn't quite sure what to make of it, she was looking at him as though she'd never seen him before, or as though she were meeting him now for the very first time.

"You haven't answered my question." His voice grew playful again, in typical Riker fashion as he tried to dispel any semblance of ‘seriousness' from the topic at hand.

She sighed, shaking her head.

"What, if you tried to turn this into an Earth ceremony, you mean?"

"What if I did? You're half human.." He grinned.

She glanced at him coyly. "I'm afraid I'd have to let everyone know what was going on."

"You'd sacrifice my very life?"

"In order to save my own?" She tossed back with a playful look.

"Ouch. Touche." This time he exhaled slowly.

"Will, what is it, really? What's bothering you?" He felt her hand on his arm, and realized she'd somehow managed to pick up on the truth of the matter despite his best efforts. She was uncanny that way.

"I don't know Dee." He met her serious expression with one of his own and covered her smaller hand with his larger one. "Or I do know, but I'm trying to ignore it. This place is starting to get to me, I think."

"Starting to make you think." She studied him with wise eyes. He couldn't refute her claim.

"Yeah. I guess so. It's not so much the situation even, not really. I think it's just me. I've been down here trying to reconcile how the hell I got myself into this mess, and at the same time part of me started thinking that if I'd already been married none of this would have happened...and of course as soon as I started thinking _that_ I was a complete goner."

"Your biological clock is ticking." She smiled sympathetically.

"Like a time bomb." He let out a short breath of air.

"Will, we *are* going to get out of here. But once we do, and life returns to normal on the Enterprise, will any of those same questions remain for you? What do you want? Do you even know?"

As soon as she asked him the question, he had the answer without a single doubt in his mind. But she wasn't going to like it. Hell even *he* wasn't sure if it was the right thing to want. He'd certainly never have been honest about this kind of thing before, even to himself. And yet something inside of him dared him to toss his entire poker hand out onto the table; to finally let it go.

There she was, standing there asking him the very same question he'd asked himself hundreds of times in the past, most often where it concerned his feeling about _her_ and he knew all at once that she was asking for herself, as much as for him.

He watched her through conflicted eyes and he could tell that she was desperately trying to understand what was happening to him, so all of a sudden. That she wanted to help him, as she always did. Only this time, he was going to ask for a lot more than her help.

Or was he? Glancing out of the open window behind the Counselor, probing into the darkness of the alien world without, Riker finally made up his mind.

"Deanna when we get out of this place.." He fixed her with an intense stare. "There are some things I need to tell you, things I can't talk about right now."

She nodded mutely. It was evident that the combination of his conflicting emotions as well as the cryptic way he'd just spoken had confused her. But as always, she was willing to wait for him to come around; willing to reach out to him with a tendril of comfort from her own mind, filled with warmth, understanding and friendship which he readily embraced.

Her eyes grew worried, but he smiled reassuringly at her. Whatever he needed to say, there would always be tomorrow.

Will shut his eyes. Please Gods, let there be tomorrow...

* * *

Tomorrow came with a loud chirping in his ear. Riker opened his eyes and squinted into the dim pre-dawn light of the chamber, noticing the iridescent rays of orange-red sunlight which trickled in through every open window. A hush lay over the entire suite and the crisp clean smell of the outdoor air reminded him, uncannily, of an early morning back on Earth.

He started to get up, but stopped when he realized he seemed to weigh a lot more than he had yesterday. Blinking to raise the slumber from his groggy senses, Will watched the room come into focus and realized his plight.

He and Deanna had stayed up late into the night, talking about the ceremony. She'd shared all of Picard's plans with him and he'd given her some input of his own which they were going to impart to both the Doctor and the Captain as soon as they saw them today. He wasn't sure exactly when, but at some point when the threat of exhaustion became all too real, they had both fallen asleep on the great area rug towards the centre of the chamber, he on his side where he lay speaking with her and she.. she'd been just across from him, face to face.

This morning, however, she lay curled up protectively in his arms, half of her body over his; her head against his chest. He could feel the steady in and out of her breath and for an insane moment, he wondered what it might be like to just lay there and watch her sleep. One of her small hands was curled in half and resting atop his torso and the other had somehow ended up next to his head. Had he come to her in the middle of the night and gathered her close, or had she come to him? The answer to that question wasn't to be realized.

The chirping sound interrupted his thoughts once again, and this time left no doubt as to what it's source had been. Riker glanced up at the vid-unit on the wall and noticed that both of Jynelle's ‘attendants', most notably the good Doctor and their Captain -- had returned. They still had a lot of planning to do.

Very gently, he pulled one of his arms from under him and brushed his fingertips against her hair, noticing that in sleep ... with her eyes shut and her hair tumbling down across her features... "Jynelle" really did look a lot like Deanna. They could have been sisters.

"Deanna.." He whispered. She stirred briefly and then reached up, pulling her body closer to his. Riker had to remind himself of what she would do to him if he gave in to his impulse to pull her into his arms and kiss her desperately. He swallowed instead, increasing the pressure of his hand against her hair.

"Dee... rise and shine. Beverly and the Captain are here." He exhaled when she began to open her eyes. "And my right side feels like a pin cushion." He added, smiling.

"Will?" She finally looked at him, her eyes still heavy with sleep.

"Apparently, I also make a good futon." This time he grinned and she pulled herself up into a seated position, regarding him gravely.

"I'm sorry." She shrugged, only beginning to be amused by the realization of their sleeping arrangement.

"Don't be. Feel free to use me as a throw rug any time."

Deanna frowned at him and reached over, yanking a pillow from a nearby chair, she tossed it at him and managed to get him in the side of the head.

"Hey! That's gratitude for you.." Off of his disarming smile, she scrunched up her face and frowned.

"How long have we–"

"Been asleep?" He glanced outside.

"Don't finish my sentences, Will, it's too early in the morning."

"I apologize, about 4 hours, give or take."

She nodded.

"We'd better let the Captain inside or he'll wonder whether we're still alive." Will tipped his head towards the door which only she could authorize an entrance for and Deanna had the good sense to look chagrined.

"Oops." She shrugged apologetically. "Computer, disengage privacy lock."

The doors slid open and both officers on the outside stepped quickly within. Beverly only raised one eyebrow at the sight of Will and Deanna still sitting on the rug in the centre of the room. Picard cleared his throat.

"Did we wake you?" The Captain wasn't smiling, but Deanna knew he would have been if he hadn't been trying so desperately not to.

"We only fell asleep four hours ago, sir, I'm afraid we forgot to set a wake-up call." Riker grinned and moved to stand, reaching out and pulling the Counselor to her feet as soon as he had done so.

"That's alright, the same thing happened to us, probably an hour before it happened to you." Crusher smiled and the Captain tossed her an unidentifiable look which only made her expression even more intriguing.

The Counselor glanced at one and then the other before looking pointedly at Will.

"Shall we get started?" She laughed. "Before this conversation becomes even stranger?"

"I agree." Picard murmured, extracting several small instruments from his clothing. Once he'd removed the Tricorder and placed it on the table, he looked at each of his officers one at a time.

"I know I needn't remind all of you that we cannot afford any mistakes today. The ceremony will begin in less than seven hours. Everything hinges upon it's successful completion. After you're legally–" He cleared his throat. "–joined, I'll send a coded signal to the Enterprise and they will return Jynelle and her attendants while the three of us return to the ship. It should be obvious to the Proconsul what has happened by that time, and I'm certain she'll be livid at first, however, her own laws will prohibit her from doing anything about it. Not to mention the fact that RE joining a person who's already participated in the ceremony is unthinkable to the Levarrans. We may have a fair amount of diplomatic crow to eat afterwards, but at least there shouldn't be any bloodshed."

Watching their nods, the Captain exhaled slowly.

"Once again, I put it to you." His gaze shifted to Troi. "Are you certain you are willing to do this, Counselor? There may still be time to discover another way–"

"Captain, I'm positive. And there won't be time for any other way, we spent days on the Enterprise trying to come up with any other way. This was and is the best alternative." Her expression was resolute. Picard nodded.

Riker turned towards the Counselor and sighed when she smiled reassuringly at him. If only she knew..

Beverly also watched Deanna for a moment before moving past her, briefly stopping to whisper in the Counselor's ear.

"Let me know if you're going to be picking out monogrammed towels.. I know this place on Castral IV.."

The Doctor grinned as she continued on her way, but Deanna suddenly made a sound similar to a child being tickled.

"Oh Bev?" She called out after her retreating friend. "I'd be careful if I were you. I never did have to take the Hippocratic oath."

Crusher smiled widely at the tiny Betazoid, and Picard, who had only heard Deanna's retort, gave each of them a curious glance. Riker was already laughing.

"I dunno Beverly, she was the star pupil in Worf's callisthenics classes, don't forget." The first officer clamped down on his smile when Deanna rounded on him, her face gravely serious, though her eyes were filled with laughter.

"That's it. The wedding's off." Troi folded her arms across her chest and smirked.

* * *

It started with music. Soft and mysterious, the lilting song of an accomplished flautist. Will Riker took a deep breath, surveying the surrounding area. The air was crisp, but filled with the sweet scent of some native flora he was unable to identify. The day itself was likewise as beautiful; as beautiful as any day might be in the midst of a hostage rescue. Levarra III's bright orange-red sun spilled down over the festival area from a crimson sky -- even the dusting of cloud cover above seemed tinted with splashes of color.

He'd been ‘removed' from Jynelle's chamber several hours ago. Three attendants had arrived, escorting him out without comment, and though Deanna never let on, he could tell that she'd been worried for him. It was in her eyes and in his heart; in the way that he so often found himself able to know her feelings whether he truly understood the reason why or not.

Ultimately, his three ‘hosts' were gracious enough. Never really speaking to him, they had perfunctorily clothed the Commander in what he could only assume was proper ceremonial attire. Once garbed, two of them proceeded to lead him out into the largest of the Compound's courtyard areas.

There, gathered in amongst the stone columns and sparkling holographic fountains, was the most incredible collection of candle-like statues he'd ever seen.

No doubt, they were meant to be lit. Fire having some sort of a cleansing connotation to the Levarran culture in much the same way it did with so many others of humanoid origin.

As he was lead along the edge of the courtyard area, Riker took a good look around. Everyone seemed to have already assembled and it was doubtless only a matter of moments before the ceremony began. He could see Jynelle's two personal attendants, the Captain and the Doctor, standing off to one side of the Proconsul.

For her part, Melynn was in full ceremonial regalia. Covered from head to toe in the lavish jewelry and robes of her office, the lady who held Levarra's highest station stood proudly, like the Queen she truly was. But even that couldn't have kept his heart from slamming into the front of his chest when he finally noticed Deanna. Or rather, Jynelle.

Will felt his breath catch in his throat. She was heart rendingly exquisite. Dressed from head to foot in deep crimson, her long ebony hair fell in loose, though carefully controlled curls down over her shoulders and onto her back.

Riker felt a moment's guilt, for as he swallowed down hard, attempting to quell the initial rush of emotion upon seeing her, he'd remembered almost immediately that she held Jynelle's visage, and not her own. Yet in that same instant, he realized also that it was more than simply her appearance which brought him up short and struggling for breath.

He could *feel* her. Her anticipation, her nervousness, all wrapped up inside something akin to excitement; an adrenalin rush bourn of the very real danger they were in. Riker had almost forgotten how paradoxically alluring the petite Betazoid seemed to find risk. He smiled. It was perhaps one of the reasons she'd dated a Klingon, even if the somewhat torrid affair hadn't lasted very long; the thrill ride which played counterpoint to her otherwise very demure modicum of decorum; the ‘dark side' of the woman who held the position of Counselor aboard the flag ship of the Federation.

It was a side which the Commander had been privileged to see only a few times in the past, one she swore to him had never existed, and yet he'd always known it was there; as exciting for him as it had been to her, once discovered. On the surface, she was everything a well bred member of the Betazoid nobility (or a Starfleet officer, for that matter) should be – but every so often..

For several moments, her presence in his thoughts was so overwhelming that it brought his mind back in time, a galaxy and a lifetime away, to their shared intimacy on Betazed. Only there had he ever been able to sense her this clearly. So how was it possible now.. of all times...?

Then it hit him. She'd been concerned for him. More than likely, she had left herself open, searching for the sense that he was okay and hadn't been mistreated. At the moment, she was probably enduring three of four times the emotion level of those around her than she would normally ever tolerate by doing so, and she was doing it.. for him.

He exhaled slowly, concentrating solely on her in the way she had taught him so many years ago. Searching for her mind in amongst the tangle of his own thoughts... It seemed to be working...

Deanna raised her head, suddenly scanning the crowd in his direction. Their eyes met and he could see the relief etched in her features. He nodded almost imperceptibly at her, and watched the short lapse in her mental control blink out of existence behind a carefully constructed mask of serenity. How did she always make the most monolithic feats of mental discipline look so easy?

Almost as quickly as her control returned, Riker's intimate sense of her diminished to a more familiar level. It appeared he'd been correct about his former assumption as well.

But then she was with him again, not as intensely and without even raising her gaze to meet his, she'd somehow returned. Like a tickle in the back of his mind, he felt the caress of her projected emotion inside his head. In the physical sense, it was almost as though she'd woven her fingers through his across the distance.

He would have thanked her, tried to let her know just how much the comfort she offered really meant to him, except that there wasn't any time left. This was it.

Momentarily, Riker was escorted onto the podium area where he took his place, standing, oddly enough, next to the Proconsul herself.

Deanna/Jynelle was the very portrait of aristocratic grace. If she moved a muscle or betrayed any semblance of nervousness, it certainly didn't appear in her outward countenance. Every centimetre of the ‘First Daughter' was decorum and Riker knew that no small measure of that was probably owed to the great, Lwaxana Troi, her mother.

He shifted his gaze to the Captain whose eyes flashed him a knowing response. They would wait. Hold their positions until the ceremony was over ... they would bide their time and then disappear in a transport cross-over which would end their liaison on Levarra III, hopefully for good.

Everything had been planned down to the nearest nano-second, and the Enterprise was standing by. All that remained at this point .. was the ceremony itself.

As if on cue, an exploding chain of fire lit both rows of giant, candle-like statues, forming a kind of ominous, glowing, pathway towards the compound. The music ceased, a hush fell over the courtyard, and the Proconsul began to speak.

* * *

Will Riker had always found it difficult to stand at attention for any length of time. There was something about the very prospect of knowing you weren't allowed to go anywhere which always made the seasoned Starfleet veteran feel like fidgeting, despite himself. Of course, if it was an immobility of his own volition, that was different, but Riker had never been fond of pomp and circumstance, elegant social niceties or other kinds of perfunctory (and generally fake) pleasantries.

Standing next to the striking figure of the Proconsul of Levarra III, the first officer of the Enterprise couldn't help but wish it was all (already) over. The formidable woman had been speaking for what must have been at least forty minutes straight, without so much as a cough or a cleared throat having emanated from the crowd of dignitaries and onlookers, gathered to witness the joining of their First Daughter and her intended.. one William T. Riker.

It was, of course, a lot easier knowing that Jynelle was really Deanna, and that in just a few minutes they were all going to transport out of the area, leaving this entire nightmare behind. But that didn't seem to make the waiting any more palatable to the Commander. Soon.. wasn't nearly soon enough.

After nearly three days on the planet, Riker was more than ready for a respite. He watched as the Doctor and the Captain, disguised as Jynelle's personal attendants, stood stoically off to one side of the ceremonial platform. Will would have given a lot to have had the Captain's ability with tense or nervous situations right about now. There was a tremendous amount to be said for the older man who held the position of Captain on board the flag ship of the Federation. Riker may have been offered his own command on more than one occasion, he may even have considered himself more than capable of taking that step, but none of those confident feelings ever made following in the footsteps of "Jean-Luc Picard" any easier a prospect; ‘a tough act to follow' was the understatement of the year.

And now, as he was about to escape within a breath of his life from yet another incomparable situation – with thanks to his Captain – Riker was even more frustrated with himself than he would ever have admitted.

"...proclaim the Joining to be complete."

Will was ripped out of his daydream by the sound of the Proconsul's voice and the fact that his hand was being lifted by a nearby attendant, and placed next to Jynelle's. He glanced up quickly and met Deanna's expression. She was waiting, just as he was, for the transporter lock to take effect just as soon as the ceremony was called to a close.

Will watched, without assistance, as his arm was placed next to the First Daughter's and their hands were bound between three multicolored scarves. He tensed when the Proconsul leaned forward, extracting a long, thin wood-like object from her robes and sticking it into one of the great ceremonial candles near their position.

The older woman held the flaming instrument aloft for several short moments while the crowd looked on, and he felt Deanna's arm stiffen next to his as well, though neither of them betrayed their feelings outwardly.

It was only when Melynn actually did set the scarves around their joined hands on fire that Will's eyes grew wide and he prepared to divest them both of the fabric in short order. Before he was able to do so, however, the gauzy fabric simply flashed around them, painlessly, and vanished. It was remarkable -- and quite obviously, judging by Deanna's own expression, something she hadn't considered either.

With an inaudible sigh of relief, Will watched as the Proconsul dipped her head towards one of the Sec units who began the first of the fireworks in the plaza. This was it. The end had arrived, and just on time he felt a familiar tingle rush through his body – he saw the Captain and the Doctor disappear and turned towards Deanna, expecting the same.

Unfortunately, it was in that precise moment, that everything went horribly wrong...

"Noo!" Will's yell sliced through the courtyard, echoing in every direction at once. He lunged forward, latching onto the Proconsul's arm just as her bodyguards moved forward with lightening precision. His sudden change in position coupled with the physical contact of another individual had been enough to disrupt the transporter lock. And now he stood, mere nanoseconds away from the livid form of the Proconsul -- who held Deanna's body flush against her own, a long and deadly ceremonial dagger poised across the Betazoid's slender neck.

--------------------------------------

Chapter 11

----------------------------------------

Will froze. In a matter of seconds, she could be dead, gone forever, and how he chose to respond in these next precious instants could mean the difference. Even now, a tiny trickle of blood dripped from the pressure point at Deanna's throat where Melynn held her silver dagger ready.

The Proconsul wasn't bluffing; might not even want to negotiate, and Riker wracked his brain to figure out how it was that somehow -- she knew. This wasn't any ordinary hostage situation, this was a matter of honour which was almost certainly going to be settled immediately, before he, or anyone else would ever have the opportunity to speak.

More terrified than he had ever been in his entire life, Will Riker held out both hands and took one step backwards. He met the Proconsul's infuriated gaze with the most level headed eyes he could fabricate. His heart hammered against the inside of his chest and he helplessly watched as Deanna remained deathly still, unmoving, unblinking, surprisingly unflinching within her captor's grasp.

Unbidden images of the beautiful young empath in the hands of a Sindareen terrorist nearly twenty years earlier, sprang to the fore of his consciousness and Will realized, not without a tremendous dose of fear, that he'd stood a hell of a better chance of saving her back then, than he did right in this instant.

"Please..don't." He managed in a thin whisper, barely a breath of what his normal voice would bring. He sucked in trickle of air, watching Troi's eyes for only a moment longer before returning his gaze to the older woman who held her.

[[Harness your fear, do not allow it to control you.]]

He heard the words in his mind, he was sure of it, though a quick furtive glance at Deanna yielded no further clues. The advice she'd given him seemed to be the same advice she was taking herself. How in the hell was she able to be this collected?! Something in her demeanor suggested that she'd been over this before, in her own mind. Rehearsed a scenario such as this over and over again ever since her capture all those years ago. Perhaps she had vowed that it would never happen again. Whatever it was she had done, it was helping her through this, somehow. At least it appeared that way to him. He could only hope he was right.

Riker swallowed hard. "Proconsul.."

"Imposters, all of you! What have you done with my daughter?" The older woman snarled, and Deanna let out a small sound as she increased the pressure of her knife point. Will spoke quickly.

"She's fine. She's safe on board our ship." He raised his eyes to meet those of the woman who held his fate in her hands.

"What proof have I of this?" Her eyes were daggers. "I will kill this one where she stands if you do not return Jynelle to me immediately!"

Troi's eyes fell shut for more than a second, and Riker could tell that she was in considerable pain. Taking his lack of response as a negative, the Proconsul increased her grip and Will lunged forward despite being restrained by two large, male body guards.

"No! .. Please, please don't hurt her. Please... I beg you." He'd never begged anyone for anything in his entire life, but this time, Riker knew that he would happily have traded his soul to save hers.. if only she would live. The realization of the moment didn't hit him, but it hit Deanna. Her eyes flew open and he felt her with him, in his mind. It was a comfort he was unable to receive.

[[It isn't your fault..I understand.]]

She spoke again, her voice sang in his thoughts and his hands fisted at his sides while he struggled to regain his equilibrium. This wasn't right! This wasn't how it was supposed to be, that she should die this way while he was helpless to prevent it from happening; die trying to save *him* from a mistake of his own making.

"Proconsul" He began again, desperate to find a way. "I will *do* anything, I will be anything you want me to be, I'll stay here, with your Jynelle – forever. I swear to you, but please, please let her go. She's nothing to you."

Troi had never seen him this way before. He was frantic, filled with a kind of desperation and urgency that left her nearly breathless when she opened herself to his thoughts. This wasn't like Will – he was self assured, ready for any scenario.

Hadn't he even lectured her on the day of her promotion to full Commander? The self same day she'd had to give the order to sacrifice an entire crew of officers in a Starfleet command simulation? This was not the same Will Riker. This man's entire objective, his entire being was focussed on keeping her safe. And, knowing this, how could she allow him to die for her?

"And to you, Commander of the Enterprise? She must mean a great deal to you for you to give up your life for hers so readily. Or are you always this gracious with your crew?" Melynn relaxed, if only marginally, and Riker wasn't willing to let the moment lapse.

"Yes, yes she does. She means.." Will stole a quick glance at Deanna who seemed just as surprised to hear his words as the Proconsul had been. But this was neither the time or the place to lose control. "..she means a great deal to me. And *I* would be of far greater value to you. I promise you won't be disappointed."

The older woman seemed to consider his offer for several eternal instants before she suddenly thrust Deanna into the arms of a waiting Sec. "Take her from my sight. See that she is restored to her own appearance, I will not tolerate her wearing the face of my daughter."

The amazon-like woman, whom Riker recognized immediately as the Sec Chief from the corridor, nodded curtly and shoved Troi forward, towards the compound. The young empath struggled briefly in the arms of her new captor before she was grudgingly released, to walk on her own, two steps ahead of the security team.

Riker sighed almost audibly and felt his knees nearly collapse out from under him at the sudden rush of relief which swept through his body. She would live. For the time being, she would be alright.

"But *you*, Offworlder, overestimate your value." The Proconsul rounded on him. "You and she – " Melynn turned towards the now disappearing Sec team. "-- are joined according to our laws. Your usefulness to my daughter is forfeit. I should kill you where you stand."

"My ship will not negotiate with you if you kill either one of us." Riker shot back, the immediate danger having gone. Quite obviously, the Captain and the Doctor would have realized by now that something was wrong. They hadn't sent Jynelle or her attendants back to the surface, and that could only mean that they were hoping to be able to use them as leverage later on. He silently thanked whatever higher power had left them at least that much.

"You are arrogant for a man who nearly lost his mate." The Proconsul smirked at him. "But you may yet prove to be worth something." She turned and barked at another security detail. "Remove him, and confine them both once the woman has recovered from the procedure. In the meantime, prepare a transmission for their Starship. I will speak with their Captain, and he will release my daughter to me, or their executions will be immediate." With that, Melynn turned on her heel and marched from the courtyard, leaving an astonished group of Levarrans to whisper and disperse.

Will Riker was yanked to one side, this time by a detachment of male security officers. Six to be precise. The Commander was then shoved into a nearby corridor where he was harshly stripped of his clothing and beaten, for the second time in as many days.

-------------------

CHAPTER 12

--------------------

Darkness. When he opened his eyes, it was everywhere, inky and black. Squinting into the murk, Riker found that his initial concern was unfounded. He was not blind. Narrow trickles of luminescence filtered towards him from across the room. If this was a room. It was an enclosed space, at least.

Grunting in pain as he tried to rise, Will wished he had even a field med kit with him, if only to stop the pounding in his head and the dull ache still present at his abdomen. There had been six of them to begin with, though he'd lost count after the fourth one began beating on him; lost consciousness not long after that.

He'd put up a fight, of course, but nothing substantial. The possibility that anything he might say or do could still impact upon Deanna's safety had weighed heavy on his mind, and so he'd been relatively complacent, so unlike himself. But that was okay, as long as she was alright, he could swallow a measure of his pride. If it kept them from hurting her, he could do just about anything.

He managed to stand, and found that, while sore, his injuries were not debilitating. Apparently they needed to keep him in tact for some reason. Or the Proconsul had taken his warning to heart, wanting him able to negotiate with the Enterprise for the safe return of her daughter.

Jynelle.

His mind drifted back to Troi. She was so calm, in the end, so proud and uncompromising. It was just like her to mock her captors in that particular way. She embodied the very essence of the Betazoid philosophical perspective on hostage situations: "You may hold my body captive.. but you will never hold my mind."

Once, a long time ago, he had held both. Though she'd given herself freely to that particular form of 'confinement'. Riker shook his head in self reproach. What in the hell was he thinking? Half dazed, with the tease of full cognisance only slowly returning in increments, he began to search for a way out. It was something, at least. Something to keep him occupied.

The walls and floor were smooth, metallic, and cool to the touch. In the corner where he'd awoken, there appeared to be a cot, of sorts, attached to the wall, next to a hygiene unit, half of which vaguely resembled a sink. Will peered into the empty space before him, cursing his only partially alert senses. If only it weren't so damned *dark*...

As if on cue, harsh, orange lighting suddenly spilled down over him from an overhead beacon and he shut his eyes, squinting to adjust. Very slowly, the room began to come into focus, revealing as sombre an actuality as had been alluded to in his tactile exploration.

It wasn't a particularly bright light, either, Riker realized -- now that he was more able to see it clearly. The room was only dimly lit, and an eerie sort of shine sparkled off of the edges of the sparse furniture.

It was then that he noticed his clothing had been replaced, and that he'd probably also been bathed. His cuts and bruises not withstanding, they were the clean sort, and he was grudgingly grateful that at least they'd had the decency to allow him that much.

The door to the cell slid open without warning and a tall Levarran female Sec officer stepped inside. Regarding him warily for a brief moment before nodding to herself, satisfied at some unnamed circumstance, she then gestured behind her and a smaller figure was half lead, half pushed into the room.

Deanna.

Will watched her from a distance though she had yet to meet his gaze. She looked ... incredible, though. Incredible for her ordeal, incredible for the procedure she'd only just been forced into. Her face was now her own, as was her hair, her eyes, every bit of her restored to the way it had been before she'd masqueraded as Jynelle. It was a tribute to the Levarran medical team who worked on her that nothing had gone wrong. A tribute and an answered prayer.

Deanna's hair spilled down over her shoulders, long tumbling curls, loose and unbound, her features were soft and unenhanced by the makeup she usually wore, and to Will Riker in that very moment, she was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.

Were it not for her silence, Will might have even been able to breathe his sigh of relief. But she still hadn't looked at him, and he could tell that something was wrong.

Her task done, the Sec officer smirked disgustedly and made good her escape, punching a short security code into a nearby panel, she sealed the door shut behind her.

For the longest time, Will was afraid to breathe. Afraid that if he moved even a muscle, something would happen and she would be gone...

But then he finally did move, and she looked up at him, her eyes large and dark and filled with sorrow, and he *knew*... He finally knew.

Just as she'd known... when he was beaten. She had opened herself up to his emotions and felt every blow. And now she blamed herself, because such truths came not without a price. Deanna felt not only his pain, but his resolution to endure it.. for her. To keep her safe. And now she had no words, though her eyes were sparkling and luminous with moisture.

Riker couldn't speak. Couldn't articulate how grateful he had been to watch her walk through that door, or how terrified he'd been in those precious few moments when her life had hung in the balance. But that too, was alright.

He didn't have to give voice to any of it, because as always, she understood. And as he moved forward to pull her gently, ever so gently into his arms, he heard her whisper her most heartfelt apology in his mind; heard her vow that she was safe, and fine, and so lucky to have had a friend like him with her through all of it.

His forehead pressed against hers, their eyes closed, their breath mingling, Will Riker had never felt more relief, more irrational happiness in his entire life.

And then she kissed him. Raising up on her tiptoes, she moved to place a gentle, comforting kiss on his cheek. Except that she missed her mark. Whether through fortune or fate, Deanna never touched his the side of his face, instead, he felt the brush of her lips across his mouth very lightly.

There was a moment of realization between them, his eyes flew open but in less than the fraction of a second it took him to do so, she'd come forward once more, and this time her kiss was entirely sensual and entirely... planned.

He felt her mouth close over his -- once, twice, a third time -- never lingering long enough for true passionate abandon to take over, but that wasn't what either of them wanted right now..

Will felt as though he'd finally come home. He kissed her back; slowly, repeatedly, savouring the sweetness of her the way her eyes remained shut while their mouths clasped and unclasped beyond their ability to count the instances. She tasted like an exotic mixture of relief, hope and, incredibly -- innocent desire -- he couldn't get enough of her.

Feelings he'd been holding in check, bottling up for fear of losing control suddenly spiralled outward beyond his ability to contain them. The terror he'd felt at the prospect of losing her, the absolute benediction when she'd been allowed to live; all of it swirled and coalesced inside his mind making him giddy -- drunk on the way she felt.

When her ebony eyes finally did open, she found him staring down at her in silence, the raw emotion so apparent in his features that it nearly broke her heart. She couldn't resist him. Not now, not when the entirety of her soul cried out to him, knowing that it's other half was in so much conflict, so much need. She couldn't be the Deanna Troi who counselled the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, or even the rational, Starfleet officer she'd forged over the years. She could only be the woman who'd loved this man for nearly half her lifetime. The one who's spirit knew only him.

Taking in a heady breath of air, she fell forward and found him waiting. Without words, without coherent thoughts exchanged, he wrapped her in his arms and found her lips, soft and yielding, her eyes, her nose, the delicate curve next to her ear. He made love to her fully clothed, cupping her face reverently between his hands, Will brushed his lips tenderly across every centimetre of her skin. He shut his eyes and bent forward, tracing the shell of her ear with the edge of his open mouth. And at her soft intake of breath, he pulled back, but only long enough to cover her mouth with a worshipful kiss.

Deanna was beyond words and beyond thought. When his tongue sought access to the warm recesses of her mouth, her spirit remembered... and she welcomed him back, gladly, pulling their kiss still deeper. Distantly, she heard her own sigh, a gentle moan against his lips as her arms reached up, cupping the back of his neck with one hand while she begged him closer with the other...

--------------------

Chapter 13

--------------------

Picard was livid. In the hour since his return from sick bay, he'd had time to think about what might have gone wrong down on the planet's surface. He'd had time. But he hadn't come up with a damn thing.

Both he and Doctor Crusher had been fully restored to their ‘natural' appearances, but far from the celebratory experience they had all been hoping for upon their return to the Enterprise, they were now short *two* senior officers, and God only knew what was happening to the both of them down on Levarra.

"Merde!" He swore under his breath and then muttered a few additional curses, just for good measure. As if in answer, the door to his ready room beeped.

"Come."

"Captain–"

"Data, unless this is an answer to the problem at hand, I need time to think." Picard frowned at his second officer who merely raised his eyebrows and nodded.

"What I have to say does directly impact upon the situation at hand, Sir."

The Captain sighed. "Go on."

"I believe there may be a non violent way to extricate the Commander and the Counselor from their confinement." The android paused for affirmation.

"You have my full attention, Mr. Data."

"I have been speaking with the Proconsul's daughter, Jynelle. It is possible that she may be able to help."

"Jynelle?" Picard leaned forward in his chair. "As I recall, she had her heart set on marrying my first officer, what could she possibly do to help?"

"Hm." Data nodded in agreement and then sucked in what sounded like a short breath of air, but obviously wasn't. "I believe you were misinformed, sir. Jynelle did wish to use Commander Riker during the ceremony, however, she was not attempting to become his mate."

"I beg your pardon?"

"She was attempting to acquire his assistance in over throwing her mother, and changing the Levarran system of government."

"A revolution?" Picard murmured, glancing down at his desk.

"In a manner of speaking. Captain, perhaps you should speak with her, yourself."

"Indeed. Perhaps I should." Picard rose from his seat, tugging down on the hem of his uniform tunic rigidly. "Lets go have a chat with the First Daughter, Mr. Data. Lead the way.."

* * *

"Captain, incoming transmission from Levarra III. It's the Proconsul."

"On screen." The Captain of the Enterprise leaned forward in his chair and watched the great ‘window' at ops flicker to life with the visage of the leader of Levarra.

"Greetings, Proconsul..."

"Captain, I suggest that we dispense with the pleasantries. I demand that you release my daughter to me at once, or your people will be executed."

"Very to the point." He quipped. "It would be my pleasure."

"I beg your pardon?" The Proconsul's look of shock was a brief one, before she regained her equilibrium.

"I believe it would be in the best interests of both our peoples, if we were to cooperate with one another. Too many misunderstandings have cost us valuable diplomatic relations already, don't you agree?" He stood now, matching her stoic expression with one of his own.

"Then you will transport my daughter and her attendants to the coordinates I have provided." It was a statement, meant to be obeyed, not a question.

"Agreed. And I will expect the safe return of my officers once the exchange has been made."

The Proconsul nodded. "As you say, Picard."

The giant view screen flickered once more, and then disappeared, replaced by the vast vista of a red planet's orbital horizon, set against a rolling starscape.

"Lay on Macduff." The Captain whispered, just under his breath.

"Sorry sir?" The officer at ops turned in her chair.

"Oh, it's nothing, Lieutenant. Just an excerpt from an ancient piece of Earth literature." He tossed a glance at his second officer. "Mr. Data, see to it that Jynelle and her attendants are transported safely to the coordinates provided."

"Aye Sir." The android nodded, ducking into the turbolift and disappearing from view.

As the ship continued it's ‘peaceful' orbit around the Levarran Home world, Picard thought of his two senior officers yet again. Truth be told, he wished them a healthy dose of good fortune. More than likely, they had no idea that they were about to become the unwilling participants in a struggle which even he could not prevent for them. But in the end, it would save their lives.

In the end, it would have to.

---------------------------

CHAPTER 14

---------------------------

"Are you alright?" Riker's concerned voice expressed the first words spoken since the two officers had been locked together in a cell. He still held her close, staring into twin dark eyes and brushing the wayward strands of hair from her face while he searched her features for any hint of discomfort.

Deanna sighed, trying desperately not to remember the way his kiss had made her feel; the shiver she experienced at his gentle, all too familiar caress. She raised her hands to her face in order to still his movement, instead. Catching his fingers in her own, Troi fixed him with a serious gaze.

"Will, we're both in shock." Her whispered announcement came as less of a surprise, and more of an affirmation to both of them.

"I know." He refused to look away. "I'm sorry." This time, he dropped his hands from hers and turned towards the only apparent exit – now sealed shut. He exhaled slowly.

She lay her hand against his arm. "Don't be."

He turned to face her. "So you're alright?" He repeated, neither one of them ready to discuss what had just happened between them.

"I'm fine. Gods, Will I should be asking you the same question. They hurt you. I felt it." Swallowing the growing lump in her throat, Troi reached up and gingerly brushed her fingertips over a small cut on the side of his face.

"I didn't feel a thing." He tried to grin, but only made it half way.

"Liar." She smiled, sympathetically. For several eternal moments, neither spoke. Then she confronted the awkward silence between them. "Do you think there's a way out of here?"

He shook his head. "Possibly. We should definitely start looking, there's no sense in waiting around."

"The walls are so smooth.." Troi ran her hands over the surface of the metal in a way that made Riker wish she'd done the same thing to him.

"I noticed that as well. No corners, no cracks, nothing to pry at or dig through." He frowned.

"The perfect prison." Deanna tossed him a wry smile.

"How Orwellian."

"Why Commander, I didn't know you read Orwell." The Counselor looked genuinely impressed.

"Why not? I did collect a few books, growing up." Riker shrugged.

"I didn't mean it that way." She amended. "It's just, I've never taken you for the type."

"Actually I wasn't." He conceded. "But I surprised myself actually. I started reading a lot of things I never thought I would a few years ago."

"Really? What was the catalyst?"

"You."

Deanna nearly lost her balance. For a confident Starfleet Commander, Will suddenly looked very unsure of himself. Troi opened her mouth to speak when he glanced at the floor. She never had the opportunity, however, for the door to their cell suddenly hissed aside, and two Sec officers appeared.

----------------------------------

Chapter 15

----------------------------------

"Come with us." The lead Sec gestured into the open hallway while Riker and Troi exchanged a furtive glance.

"Where are we going?" Will asked, ever filled with audacity.

"That's not your concern, Offworlder." The Sec officer smirked.

Riker stood protectively in front of Troi until it became clear that the guards weren't there to hurt either of them. Wherever they were going, apparently they were required to attend in one piece. Turning towards the Counselor, he nodded once and she returned the gesture. They were every bit Starfleet, the both of them.

With two Sec officers in front of them, and two behind, Troi marched stoically one step ahead of Riker. Neither one of them spoke.

As though in an anticipatory dream scape, making their way along the sombre corridor seemed to take forever. At the end of the hallway, they were lead into a small, white room where their Sec escort disappeared, leaving them alone with the exception of three other Levarrans.

To be fair, they were the last three people in the Universe either one of them had ever expected to see in that instant. Riker felt as though the breath had been knocked out of him. Dimly, through whatever unseen force governed their bond, he also recognized the exact moment in which Troi had shared his shock. All hope was lost in an instant. The instant they came face to face with -- Jynelle.

"I take it you're not happy to see me." The young woman smirked.

Deanna sighed audibly, but made no comment. For his part, Riker remained... speechless.

"The two of you are more trouble than you're worth. Especially you, Commander. Do you realize what you've done? Can you even comprehend what you've managed to almost bring to pass? Had I not arrived when I did, *everything* would have been lost -- EVERYTHING!" Jynelle's eyes flashed in anger and Will raised his gaze to challenge hers.

"Well you'll have to excuse me, First Daughter. I don't do well when I'm abducted and held prisoner by a hostile government." He spoke levelly, calmly, and Deanna had to marvel at the way he maintained control without blowing up – based on what he'd truly been feeling after her comment.

"You're lucky your Captain saw things differently, or we would all be dead right now." She shot back.

"I beg your pardon?" This time it was Deanna who spoke.

"Counselor, it gladdens me to see you again." Jynelle smiled at the Betazoid as though she were noticing her for the very first time, and quite in contrast to her reception of Commander Riker. The smile was very genuine, in fact. Deanna frowned. How could she be truly pleased to see her?

"I wish the feeling were mutual, Jynelle." Troi shook her head.

"I understand your hesitancy. We have much to discuss."

"I don't see how anything you can say will change the fact that you're still holding us here against our will." Riker shot back.

"Unfortunately, even I cannot release you just yet, Commander." This time, Jynelle spoke much more softly when she addressed him. As though the moment of anger had passed and she was trying to make amends. "My mother the Proconsul holds my people firmly in her grip. I was to take a mate by this day, and honour the traditions of my ancestors."

"But I'm not even one of your people!" Will returned.

"Which is why you were the perfect choice, Commander. As an Offworlder, one who was not raised in oppression and therefore does not share the Levarran standard view of gender distinction, you would have made the ideal candidate to assist me in reforming our laws... and you posses the strength of will to have been a perfect icon for the men of my race to follow. I would have released you once I became Proconsul and we had begun an irreversible process together." She tossed him a sharp look.

"It seems to me that by kidnapping me against my will, you weren't following any kind of ‘reformed' outlook. Did you ever once consider *asking* for my help?"

"I had no choice." The First Daughter frowned. "There wasn't time to find a better candidate."

"We all have choices, Jynelle. Especially those of us who are in positions of leadership." Deanna interjected.

"The past is as it was." Jynelle pursed her lips. "Unalterable."

"That is a damn annoying way of putting it." Riker frowned and Deanna noted, Jynelle seemed to smile just slightly. She'd have to watch this woman. It appeared that her ‘plan' not withstanding, the First Daughter probably truly *did* have more than a small crush on the Commander of the Enterprise. And for reasons Troi wasn't willing to analyse right now, that seemingly innocent fact... bothered her a lot more than she'd have liked.

"So what happens now?" Riker regarded both women momentarily. It was the weirdest sensation, but having related to Deanna as Jynelle these past few hours, he found himself somehow better disposed to the Proconsul's daughter -- certainly more than he should have been. He also noticed the physical similarities between his companions, and truly, it was remarkable.

"Now Commander," Jynelle tipped her head and smiled. "You become intimately acquainted with your mate, of course."

-----------------------------------

CHAPTER 16

------------------------------------

"Excuse me?" Will Riker nearly choked. As it was, he had to suck in a short breath of air and quickly reorient his mental keel. Had she just said...?

"You were not aware of the customs of my people?" Jynelle glanced first at him and then at Troi.

Riker shook his head. "I don't know exactly which ‘customs' you're referring to, but I can assure you that–"

"Surely you, Counselor?" The First Daughter cut him off, nodding towards Deanna, instead. "You have studied our ways.."

The Betazoid frowned. "Well, to a degree, yes, but there wasn't as much time as I'd have liked. If I recall correctly, the Joining Ceremony is not publicly discussed." Deanna's heart lept into her throat. She couldn't possibly have overlooked a detail like *that* – just thinking about Will Riker and the young, beautiful woman in front of her – together – was beginning to make the Counselor very, *very* uncomfortable.

"That is true." Jynelle sighed. "The nuances of the ritual are private. I should explain then. Commander, in a few moments, you and.."

"Wait just a minute." Riker broke in, placing his hands before him as emphasis. "Regardless of what the ‘ritual' entails, First Daughter, there is no way that you and I are going to–"

Jynelle froze -- and then she laughed. "You and I?" The Proconsul's daughter shook her head emphatically. "Commander Riker, you are to become intimately acquainted with your mate. I'm afraid I can no longer prevent that. However, you and *I*... are not joined." She finished, studying him in amusement.

"Oh.." Will frowned, and then, as realization began to dawn upon him. "Oh!" He tossed an alarmed glance at Troi whose shocked expression mirrored his own.

"Are you saying that we are expected to become sexually involved? Here? Now?" Troi found her own version of amused incredulity rushing towards the surface of her query.

"Sexually? You mean–? Oh, no, no... of course not." Jynelle sighed. "I believe there may be a barrier in our communication; a word for which there is no equivellant in your language? If you will allow me to continue, perhaps I can clarify–"

"By all means." Riker ran one hand through his hair, thoroughly confused. "Please do. I'm beginning to wonder which end is up."

The First Daughter smiled at him unexpectedly. "Among my people, it is customary that a newly joined couple become completely honest with one another. Since the woman is expected to know her heart and soul with far greater accuracy than a man, she is given the means by which to ensure the honesty of her mate."

Troi's eyes widened, while Riker's narrowed. "What sort of ‘means' – exactly?" He frowned.

"A drug." Jynelle's gaze suddenly became serious. "The effects of which you should be feeling within the hour."

"I was drugged?! When? How?"

"Please.. please.. it is a harmless narcotic. It was administered through your skin when the lace of the joining fabric was ignited. The male body chemistry responds uniquely to it's effects. It has been thus among my people, for thousands of years."

"How can you be certain that it will be harmless to human genetics?" Deanna interjected as a worried look crossed her features.

"Our species are not so different as you might think." The First Daughter gave them each a reassuring glance. When she saw that it had afforded very little effect, she added: "And I gave your Doctor the primary chemical ingredients of the compound. She confirmed to me that its effects will be harmless and temporary."

"Our Doctor? You mean our ship is aware of this?" Riker stepped forward without thinking, eager for any information he could gather on the status of the Enterprise.

Jynelle merely nodded. "They released me, in order that I might assist them in recovering the both of you."

"You'll forgive me if I don't celebrate just yet." Will's gaze remained suspicious.

"As I said earlier, I understand your trepidation, Commander. For both of you." She turned her eyes on Troi. "It will not be easy, but there is little time and we must act quickly. If all goes well, you will be able to leave my planet within the next forty eight of your hours. In the interim, however, I'm afraid that even I cannot help you escape the consequences of the agent in your bloodstream. That is why I called you here. This room at least, affords a degree of comfort and privacy." She gestured around the sombre, white interior. But she hadn't been lying. There were several upholstered benches and tables, all white – yet they were far more hospitable than the ones their previous cell had hosted.

"I can see to it that you are left here to recover on your own, Commander. Or you may choose to remain with your– with the Counselor." She paused, awaiting a response.

Riker sighed.

"I'm staying." It was Troi who ultimately broke the silence. Will afforded her a questioning glance.

"*Commander*" She began, placing unusual emphasis on his rank. "I can't sit away somewhere else while you're locked up on your own – and in an altered state. The risk to yourself, not to mention Starfleet would be–"

"Unacceptable." He finished for her, silently thanking her for coming up with a *logical* reason for his not having to endure this– whatever was about to happen-- alone. Whether due to his own stubborn pride, or any of the unknown risk factors involved, he could never have _asked_ her to remain here with him, and she'd known it.

"I understand." Jynelle nodded slowly, gesturing towards her attendants, neither of whom had moved or spoken since the arrival of the two officers. In an instant, the male known as Saran scurried forward and placed two identical pins on one of the benches. "I was given two new communication devices, by your ship. You may use them at your discretion, but I warn you, this entire half of the compound has been surrounded by a dampening field. Your devices will only function as external communicators once you are inside the imperial quarter."

"Which is patrolled every ten minutes by a Sec unit." Riker finished for her, and was rewarded by an admiring nod from their ‘host'.

"Correct. I will help you, but in the meantime.. there is more you must be made aware of. About–"

"The drug." Troi cut in, tossing Jynelle a wise glance.

"Are you mates?"

"Are we–what?" Riker stumbled over his words, unsure how Jynelle's question related to Troi's.

"Mates. Joined. Commander, there is little time, are you and the Counselor *mates* among your own people?" The First Daughter's voice betrayed her urgency.

"We're–" He glanced helplessly at Troi. Twenty five years in Starfleet and *this* was the damnest, most difficult question he'd ever had to answer. What exactly did ‘Imzadi' mean outside of their quiet, comfortable ‘status quo' relationship? And if *he* wasn't sure.. how in the hell was he supposed to describe it to someone who knew nothing of the term *or* it's meaning?

"We're not joined." Troi finished his sentence for him, ducking her head before she continued. "Not in the way that you are referring to." She whispered.

And in that moment, Will Riker felt like a total cretin. But what was he to have said? Deanna had sensed his discomfort and his indecision, and she had -- once again -- stepped in and solved the problem for him. Only this time, he was certain that he had somehow hurt her in the process. How he knew that was yet another mystery for which his confused brain had no answer for.

Troi's response seemed to satisfy their host, however, for she inclined her head. "That may complicate the issue, for you both. According to my people, you are now legally joined. I realize this may come as a surprise, but our laws state that you must now share.. everything."

"That sounds somewhat similar to the ‘marriages' of our people." Troi tossed in.

"With the exception of the fact that we don't drug each other in the process." Riker quipped.

Jynelle frowned. "If I could reverse the effects of the narcotic at this stage, Commander, rest assured I would do so. I can only assume by your candor, however, that the drug has begun to take effect. In the next short while, you will find it difficult to fabricate anything. What you are thinking, how you are feeling. It is the purpose of the compound to allow the female time to receive an absolute understanding of her mate."

"Will I be.." Will began.

"... able to think clearly?" Deanna finished.

Jynelle glanced from one officer to the other, nearly smiling at the way one continued the other's sentences more often than either one of them would probably admit. There was something in the way of their interaction together which belied a closeness that most joined couples could only have dreamt of. And yet they claimed no such affiliation. She frowned slightly.

Neither one of them could possibly be prepared for what was about to happen. She only hoped that, in discovering the truths they were about to, they would not be hurt in the process. She had seen far too many of her own people harmed spiritually, in just this way. Whatever secrets an individual hoped to keep sacred, it remained her opinion that some ‘truths' were better kept in confidence. Needless to say, this ancient ritual, would be among the first to go once she became Proconsul.

"You will retain a full command of your mental faculties, Commander." Jynelle noted his marginally relieved expression before continuing. "My attendants and I will leave you both now. I will return as soon as I can. Rest assured that you will not be harmed or disturbed in the interim. That much is the least I can do. I apologize once again, for the rest."

The young Levarran sighed and Troi placed her hand on the other woman's arm. "Thank you. We do appreciate everything you are doing to help us. This situation is – undesirable, at best – for all of us."

Jynelle nodded, gesturing towards her two attendants, who promptly exited the suite. "Be well, Counselor. Commander. I shall see you shortly." The First Daughter smiled warmly at both of them, an expression which lit her features. Then she too, left them alone.

The soft hiss of the doorway as it slid shut behind her was the only indication of there ever having been any other occupants in the room, and as Will surveyed their stark surroundings, he couldn't help the long, slow intake of air with which he calmed his senses.

He turned towards Troi. "So..."

She could sense his discomfort, and the very real presence of.. (worry?) he harbored.

"You're scared, Will." It was a statement, not a question and she regarded him with a concerned expression.

"I guess, a little." He surprised himself (and her) at the admission. Apparently, whatever was about to happen.. had already begun.

"What are you afraid of?" She spoke softly. She always spoke softly when she could feel that he wasn't on sure footing.

He swallowed. "You."

At the second jump in his emotions, she tossed him a quizzical gaze. And in that instant he knew. He knew that by the time this confinement was over, he would probably have told her... everything.

TO BE CONTINUED.

-----------------------------------

CHAPTER 17 A

------------------------------------

He hadn't said a word in nearly half an hour. Deanna glanced up and found him watching her, not for the first time, since their confinement in the small, white room.

"Are you alright?" She asked, more worried than she would have liked to admit. The fact remained that he was supposedly under the influence of a powerful narcotic. And despite the seemingly ‘unaffected' state he remained in, there was no telling what was really going on inside of him. That was another thing which worried her; his apparent lack of emotion. It was as though he was keeping everything carefully locked away.

"I don't know." He responded truthfully. It was the only way he *could* respond at the moment, and he cringed as the words left his lips, confirming Troi's earlier suspicion that a great measure of his silence stemmed from the fact that he was afraid to speak; afraid of what he might say.

"It's alright, you know. I would never repeat anything you said in here, Will. I hope you know that." She sighed and leaned forward in her seated position, gently stretching the muscles of her calves.

"I know." His voice was quiet and he shrugged his shoulders where he sat -- across the small room. "I trust you Deanna."

She regarded him carefully. It was odd, in a way, being here with him like this. *Knowing* that whatever he said was likely as honest a statement as even he was aware of. He trusted her. It was such a small, nearly insignificant statement, and yet, knowing where it came from somehow lent it far greater weight and significance. Almost too much, in fact.

"You know.." He began without prompting. Deanna sat back, letting him say whatever it was he felt he needed to. "It's not really you at all. It's me. I don't trust myself." He smirked and shook his head slowly.

"Why do you say that?" She asked, finding as intense a gaze pinned on her as she'd ever seen from him.

"Because it's true. Because there are things I've never told anybody. Things that right now, I feel like I could just blurt out. It's strange in a way." He paused for a beat. "I don't really *feel* any different physically, but it's as if, all of a sudden – these things I haven't thought about it a long time – they're all suddenly so much more real and vivid. It's hard to keep quiet." Riker swallowed, but didn't meet her gaze.

"I don't know what to say." She whispered. It was just about the last thing he'd expected. Will looked up, finding her staring alternately between the floor and himself.

"You're a trained psychologist, Deanna. Somehow, I find that hard to believe." He smiled disarmingly. Hoping -- as much as feeling -- that it would make her more comfortable.

"That's part of the problem, I think." She tossed him a wry smile. "I know how awkward this must be for you, Will. I can't even imagine what you're thinking – and I don't want to violate your trust. I don't want to ask questions which will put you in a position of compromise and to be frank, I'm not sure *who* I'm supposed to be in a case like this. You're my dearest friend, but this is a situation where there is potentially a medical element involved, regardless of how ‘normal' you might appear to be responding. So I'm not sure. Am I a Counselor, or am I a friend?" She trailed off..

"What do you think?" He asked. Knowing in one insane moment that it was probably exactly what she would have said to him under similar circumstances. The irony nearly made him smile.

"I think I'm feeling pretty inadequate as EITHER at the moment." Her self deprecating shake of the head prompted him to rise and make his way over to where she sat. He lowered himself down next to her.

"I think you're perfect."

She shot him an incredulous expression – but he simply shrugged in return.

"I always have, you know."

"I don't think you're going to like where this is going, later on." She quipped, sucking in a deep breath of air and then letting it out again, slowly.

"Well, if you promise not to remind me, I'm sure I'll be fine." He watched her for a moment, her head was turned away from him due to his nearness, and so he reached out and brushed his fingertips across her cheek, causing her to face him.

"You never make a mistake. You always have an answer, for everything. A good answer, most of the time." He continued, while she frowned.

"That isn't true." She shook her head.

"It's not? I think it is. When was the last time you had a patient you couldn't help?"

"I–" She opened her mouth and then stopped. Truthfully, she couldn't remember. Her success record was remarkable, even for a Betazoid. Of course there were always kinks, along the way, that was par for the course. But in the end? In the end, she always found some way to break through. She prided herself on that. She didn't believe in giving up. Deanna clamped her mouth shut and threw him a disparaging look.

"I thought so." He grinned. "I've never come to you with a problem you weren't able to help me solve."

"You've never come to me as a patient, either." She returned, finding his tangent somewhat uncomfortable.

"True." He admitted. "But you're my best friend, Deanna. You've helped me through a lot of scrapes. No matter what happened, you've always been there for me, and you've always known exactly what to do or say to make me feel...I don't know... like it was going to be alright."

Troi made a sound in the back of her throat which was half laughter and half .. something else. She ran her tongue over her lips and sighed. "Whatever they gave you is more dangerous than I thought."

She smiled at him coyly, but he demurred. "I don't think so. Maybe I can just see things more clearly now."

"Will.." Deanna began. "As flattering as that is..and it *is* flattering to hear you say that." She shook her head. "You can't image what it's like to hear those words coming from you. YOU. Will Riker, you have the most decorated Starfleet service record of our entire generation! You've got more accolades on your wall than the Captain of your own ship does. You want to talk to me about an answer for everything? I've never known anyone more driven than you are."

"I used to think I was special." He acceded.

"You *are*." Troi confirmed. Riker shook his head.

"No. No I'm not." Off her perplexed expression, he continued. "It's not ME, Deanna. *I* am not the one who's special. It's everything and everyone else... the whole universe. You. Especially you." His eyes pleaded with her to understand. "But there's a difference. You make me *feel* special. The others.. everyone else.. they make me feel almost .. artificial, somehow."

Deanna opened her mouth to speak, but he silenced her when he beat her to the option. "Sometimes, Dee, I sit by myself and I wonder what it is that makes some people into icons, legends or heros and others into... just every day, average people. And I discovered something. I discovered that it doesn't matter who you are, really, inside. You could be anybody and the chips might still fall in the direction of fame and acclaim. A farmer might save an entire colony and you or I would never see his name come up in conversation. But if you ask anyone in Starfleet who "Will Riker" is, they'll all have a story to tell. And in the end, what does that mean?" He frowned.

"I'll tell you what it means. It means *I* am not the one who is special. I'm just a person playing a role. And it isn't even a role I've been given the opportunity to write for myself. Other people have already laid the path down in front of me, and all I have to do is walk it. I've spent my entire lifetime trying to be the best damn robot I could be. To ‘fit the archetype' as precisely as possible, and now when I look back on what I've got – I see..very little that belongs to *me* personally."

Deanna simply stared at him in stunned silence for several long moments. That was, perhaps, the most profound thing she had ever heard him say. It wasn't even that she'd never have expected to hear those particular words in a million years. It was the *way* he had said them. As though their consequence had shaken him down to his very soul..

She reacted without thinking. Placing her hand on his, Troi unexpectedly leaned forward – and kissed him. She kissed him deeply; touched him with her body and with her mind, gently shifting aside the frustration, the confusion and the uncertainty she'd sensed in him. She replaced these with understanding. -- And as they broke for air, what seemed like an eternity later, the only emotion she could still feel present within his thoughts – was longing. A poignant sense of it, at that.

She sighed, her lips mere centimetres from his, their breath mingling. Troi opened her eyes slowly and met his gaze. He certainly wasn't talking anymore.

"And how do you feel, right in this very instant?" Her breathy whisper tickled the edges of his mouth. He said nothing. Instead, he drew her forward, into his arms, and kissed her back.

-----------------------------------

CHAPTER 17 B

------------------------------------

When he looked into her eyes again, he knew. Riker pulled away, for the second time in as many minutes. But rather than increasing the distance between them, he cupped her face between his hands and pressed the top of his forehead to hers. Sensing the brush of her mind against his was nothing compared to understanding just how much he could feel in one, tiny instant. Clarity? Hell, this was absolute conviction, if ever he'd known the experience of it.

"Do you still feel as though you own nothing of your past?" He heard her voice, felt her breath against his skin and shut his eyes. By now, she'd hooked her own hands over each of his, but did not, herself, pull away. It was offered strength and he knew it. He knew it as surely as he knew that he could ill afford to allow himself the luxury of receiving it – under the circumstances. She was giving him an anchor. Something to hold onto in a moment when he'd felt most vulnerable. She was being – his Imzadi.

Part of him knew that he could never; would never, be complete without her constant presence in his life. But the other part of him, the part which had forced him to shove aside his question and his longing, his insecurity and even his ego, on occasion – that part was telling him that she had made her choice. And so had he. And this – whatever this was – would end.

He wanted to tell her. Gods, he wanted to reach out and envelop her in his arms and just *feel* – but if he gave in to that impulse, if he allowed the moment of weakness out of some sense of passion, or perhaps even a narcotic induced daze – how harmful would such a revelation be to both of them in the long run? Even if she allowed it, in this instant. She'd been very clear, before:

::There are simply too many reasons why it wouldn't work out.:: She had said.

He remembered that. Drug or no drug, he was still in control of his rationality.

"I'm sorry. You're right." He whispered. And this time when he did pull back, it was to sit opposite her; to watch her dark, onyx eyes fill with emotion – though, emotion of which sort, he found himself woefully inadequate in discerning. Apparently, the drug in question had indeed given him a healthy dose of insight into his own mind -- but it did nothing to enhance his perception of her. All the same, their link was enough to lend him the sense that she was definitely.. troubled.

Deanna nodded slowly. He heard her sigh, and then her eyes were on him once again.

"Regret is a purposeless emotion, you know." She tried to smile and made it half way.

"So I've heard." He swallowed.

"I promised myself I wouldn't ask... not like this." Her voice was soft and she glanced at the floor while she spoke.

He could have inquired what it was she'd been referring to, but somehow, he already felt he knew. His only answer was to continue watching her until she raised her gaze, once more.

"What good is the truth, anyway. If you don't know what to do with it?" His voice nearly broke with the emotion required to utter the sentence.

Troi nodded soundlessly, her eyes glassy, though whether from actual moisture or simply the play of the light, he was never sure. Watching her this way, fiercely determined not to break in front of him, equally resolute to be strong.. for herself. Will Riker felt as though his chest had been ripped into two equal pieces. And in the end, for what?

"Maybe.." He began "...for a little while. We could pretend... pretend that we did know."

Troi tipped her head and tossed him an apprehensive look. "Pretend that I did ask?" She watched his expression.

"Pretend that I answered."

"Not very Starfleet of us.." She held her breath.

Riker nodded. But before he spoke, he shifted to his knees, reached forward and drew Counselor of the flag ship of the Federation into his arms. He felt her body melt against him, her head tip sideways into the crook of his arm where she closed her eyes – and he brushed the side of his face against her thick, dark hair, breathing in deeply.

Troi curled her arms around his and reached out to him, meeting his mind half way, they embraced in the most ancient, most intimate way of her people. She felt his thoughts envelop her, and knew that she had welcomed him, in kind. He pulled her even closer, physically – if that were possible – and then he did finally whisper:

"Starfleet isn't here right now."

------------------------------

CHAPTER 18

------------------------------

When the doors burst open, a well armed Sec-Unit found the tiny white room to be unoccupied.

Search the corridor!" A tall woman with the blazing crimson emblem of a Team Leader etched into the fabric of her uniform, barked. The rest of her team scurried to obey the directive and the tall woman frowned, casting one final glance across the room before muttering something unintelligible. Stalking outside, she sealed the door shut behind her.

* * *

For long moments, the small, almost featureless cell was silent, and then the soft sound of scraping could be heard in one corner. An immaculate sleeping-unit was shoved aside slowly and two Starfleet officers crawled out from underneath.

"They're gone." Riker stated the obvious. Troi nodded, as though verbal confirmation of the fact was somehow better than what their eyes had already shown them.

"That was close. Do you think we should continue to wait for Jynelle?" Deanna straightened her tunic and stood, tossing Will a look of askance.

"I don't think so." He frowned. "I think we have to assume that whatever happened out there, Jynelle has other priorities right now or she'd never have allowed that Sec team to search this room. We're on our own."

Deanna nodded, resigned. As though his was the answer she'd been expecting all along.

"We should get moving." The sudden lift in Deanna's voice was unmistakable and Will couldn't help but admire the way she was keeping a level head. He only hoped he appeared half as cool, under the circumstances. They really had very few options and both of them knew it.

"If you don't mind my venturing an idea?" Troi grew thoughtful.

Will shrugged and smiled. "Would it matter if I did?" He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Funny." Deanna shook her head, returning his lopsided smile, but she just as quickly swung back to business. "I saw an access panel two thirds of the way down the corridor when we were lead over here. I think it may re-open the north doors. We might try to backtrack and make our way towards the central courtyard where our communicators will function."

Riker considered for a fraction of a second and then nodded towards her. "I agree. I think our best chance is to see if we can contact the Enterprise. If Jynelle's been captured, or worse, we may not have many friends around here."

As if on cue, a series of loud shouts echoed outside in the hallway and both Riker and Troi slipped into the shadows, silently willing their potential guests away. The shouting grew fiercer in intensity and suddenly an explosion resounded through their prone position. The door to their cell blew inward, shaking the confines of the tiny room and leaving the two officers to stare helplessly at the now-empty entryway.

When no one entered, and the shouts began to retreat, both Troi and Riker breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"I don't know if that was your guardian angel or mine, but I don't think we have much time left.." Deanna stage-whispered.

Will's intense blue gaze met hers and he nodded. "Lets get out of here."

* * *

As they made their way stealthily along the narrow corridor, Deanna had time to think. The last time she'd used Starfleet's tactical training this way had been in a series of simulated scenarios during auxiliary officer refresher field exercises, mandatary twice each year and designed to keep the fleet's finest up to par. Though she'd hated the exercises at the time, in this very moment, pressed against a wall, alert in every direction, she found herself very grateful for the drills she'd once despised. Every one of them, going back all the way into her academy years. If she were lucky, they would save her life this day.

Will, of course, was a born tactician. As he moved only inches ahead of her, taking point, Deanna couldn't help feeling almost – envious – of the nearly graceful way he carried himself in situations of peril. His emotions at this point could only be described as.. focussed. Will's entire being seemed wrapped around the notion of their escape and yet (she knew), he could probably sense her every move behind him even so. That he had done this before; that he had gotten into and out of situations likely far more risky to his health -- was moot. Because every instance was met with the same new determination. That was Will Riker – that was the man she had come to know so intimately over the years of their serving together on board the Enterprise – the man she–

"Dee – can you see the panel?"

Will's voice ended her train of thought abruptly.

"I think so." Troi peered forward into the dusty corridor. Whatever had passed through here, it had made a mess of the once beautiful stone and alabaster carvings on either side of the hall. Dust hung in the air so thickly she could nearly choke on it, if she'd given herself enough time to dwell. The faint outline of the access panel glinted into her line of sight...

"Yes.. I see it. There." Deanna pointed forward and Will shifted in order to allow her to pass him.

"You're going to need to crack the code."

"Me?" Deanna took a step backwards. "I thought you were the expert on things like this."

"Tactical maneovers, yes. But this is numbers and mathematical code." He shook his head.

"I fail to see your point."

"Deanna, you graduated at the top of your class in spacial physics and statistical analysis."

For a fraction of a second, she said nothing, and then, so quietly that he almost couldn't hear her, she whispered: "How did you know that?"

"I checked.." Riker tossed her an intense look.

"Will Riker, I can't believe that you would–"

"Deanna, there isn't time for this!" His sudden remark brought her up short and she clamped her mouth shut indignantly. "When we get back on board the Enterprise, I promise you can lecture me for a whole day, but right now we need to get out of here and you're our best shot at cracking this code, am I right Counselor?"

When she said nothing, but looked away in frustration, he repeated: "Am I *right*?"

"Yes." She afforded him a venomous glance. "*..sir*" Placing emphasis on his rank, she turned away from him, slipped past his position and began punching numbers into the keypad of the access panel.

For several seconds only the distant sounds of skirmishes farther down the corridor could be heard between them, and finally, what seemed an eternity later, Riker heard a distinct set of beeps and the tell-tail hissing of an opening entryway. He let out a breath of air he hadn't even known he'd been holding.

"It's open." Deanna remarked, somewhat distantly. Still unwilling to look at him.

Will glanced from Deanna to the flashing six digit number on the console. He hadn't known for sure that she could do it, but it had been a gamble which paid off. As had his partial truth to her. He hadn't actually delved into her secure Starfleet record, but he had been curious a few years back when the two of them had had a discussion after a poker game.

Deanna had brought forth a concept involving statistical probability that had thoroughly confused him, and tough she'd changed the subject fairly quickly once it was apparent he'd become surprised at her insight, he'd always wondered *why*. Certainly an ability with mathematics was something to be proud of, even flaunt, and yet Deanna had never openly acknowledged her ability. It was as though she were afraid of something... as crazy as the thought sounded, even to his own mind, Riker suddenly felt with clarity that it was true.

Unfortunately, now was not the time for him to broach the subject with her. The access doors at the end of the corridor were open and they had only a few minutes to get out. Tossing his bag over his shoulder, Will nodded to Deanna and she wordlessly took the lead.

The central courtyard was dark and silent when they got there. The moment they crossed the threshold, even the remote and distant sounds of fighting which had accompanied them throughout the corridor had all but ceased, plunging the pair into an eerie and unnatural quiet. Troi leaned back against one of the outer walls and her eyes narrowed with concentration.

"There's no one here." She finally whispered, almost absently.

"No kidding."

"No, it's not the obvious that I'm sensing here, Will, there's really no one around – anywhere." At her whispered declaration, he turned towards her.

"Anywhere in the compound?"

"Well.." She sighed and glanced upward. "..the compound is a very large place, I am sensing other presences, but they're very distant, as though they were kilometres away."

"That doesn't make any sense. This entire compound can't be more than five standard kilometres." Will brought down his bag and reached inside, pulling out a tiny square device. He held it aloft for several seconds and then dropped both hands to his sides, shaking his head in confusion.

"The field-Tricorder seems to agree with you. I'm not detecting any life for a 13 kilometre radius."

Deanna swallowed, almost unwilling to believe the information which she already knew to be true. "*Any* life?" She repeated.

He shook his head gravely.

"Not even ours."

* * *

-------------------------------
CHAPTER 19a
-------------------------------

"Mr. Data, report." Captain Jean-Luc Picard rose from his chair, tugged on the bottom of his uniform tunic and took two steps forward.

"Sensors are picking up increased seismic activity on the planet's surface sir."

"An earthquake?" Picard leaned forward marginally.

"I do not believe so, sir." Data's hands danced over the computer console in front of him. "Possibly a volcanic eruption of some sort. However, with the energy discharge caused by the weapons on the surface, it is difficult to tell whether the disturbance is above or below ground." Lt. Commander Data inclined his head and seemed to frown.

Picking up on the subtle gesture, the Captain cut in. "You have a theory, Mr. Data?"

"Yes sir."

"Go on."

"It is unlikely that seismic activity such as this would spontaneously occur in an environment which has been otherwise stable for hundreds of years." Data paused and glanced at the Captain for affirmation.

"Indeed." Picard nodded and frowned.

"I find it more likely that the disturbance may be attributed to some new form of technology, or perhaps a weapon, for which we have no other frame of reference."

"A weapon powerful enough to harness the energy of an entire planet?"

"Levarra III does have a molten mineral core similar to Earth's. It is therefore possible that what is occurring on the planet's surface may not be a natural phenomenon at all."

"That is a disturbing assumption." Picard furrowed his brow. If what Data was saying turned out to be true, it would certainly cut Levarra III out of any possible negotiations for joining the federation. Indeed, it might even make the sanctity of peaceful relations with Starfleet, which all of them had struggled to maintain until now ...a moot issue. "If this is true, it may also be the reason we've been unable to re-establish communications with Jynelle."

"That is possible as well, sir." Data confirmed.

The Captain sighed. It appeared that their simple plan to rescue their two remaining officers from the planet's surface had suddenly become infinitely more complicated.

"Mr. Data, I'd like you to work with Ensign Biggs and see if you can find a way to allow our communications to punch through the dampening field below. It's imperative that we know what's going on down there. If we can't establish a link in the next two hours, I'll have no choice but to order another away mission."

When Data glanced up in surprise at his commanding officer, Picard thinned his lips. "I won't allow the kidnapping or extortion of my crew under any circumstances. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir."

"Very good. I'll be in my ready room for a short while. Keep me informed."

"Aye sir." Data rose from his seat without further comment and, accompanied by an Ensign from tactical, took over a console towards the rear of the bridge. Satisfied for the time being, Picard marched into his ready room, and the doors hissed shut behind him.

* * *

"Do you feel that?" Deanna glanced up and regarded Will. He was frowning and his eyes seemed distant, as though his thoughts weren't entirely with her. As quickly as she'd noticed his apparent dissociation, however, it was gone and he afforded her a level gaze.

"Yeah..come to think of it. It's colder here than I ever remember it being. And the air seems thicker, somehow." Riker gathered his gear closer to his body and took a quick surveying glance of the courtyard area. If he'd worn a jacket, he'd have offered it to the Counselor, but as it was, neither one of them was spectactularly clothed. A pair of neutral tunics and loose fitting pants on each of them.

"Whatever's causing the strange readings on the Tricorder.."

"And my own senses.." Deanna added.

"And your sense of things..." He tossed her a look that clearly indicated he wasn't pleased about the latter, but didn't comment on it. "I don't think we want to hang around here and find out." He shook his head. "Under normal circumstances, there might be a reason to explore the possibilities, but not like this, and certainly not on an alien planet during a civil war... agreed?"

He caught her gaze and Troi was certain that he was sticking to protocol only to preserve his own sense of reality. She didn't blame him a bit.

"Yes. I want to get out of here as much as you do, believe me. My desire to explore *anything* other than an escape route isn't very keen right now." She smiled ruefully and he took her hand, squeezing it lightly.

"Then lets go."

Hands still joined, they made their way through the eerily silent courtyard and wound around one of the larger alabaster rows of columns, weaving in and out until a familiar avenue appeared. It was the pathway to and from the compound -- and it was their only way out.

As they sprinted the rest of the distance towards their goal, it occurred to Riker that leaving this way seemed almost too easy – but he banished the thought from his mind as errant, focussing instead on the prospect of freedom. *Any* sort of freedom at this point. Even if that only meant a remote, hidden place where they could try their communicators and pray that the Enterprise was out there somewhere – listening.

At the end of the pathway, Deanna suddenly froze mid-motion and pulled Will back towards her by the hand, effectively halting their progress.

"This is wrong." She shook her head.

"What is? Deanna, this is our only way out.." Riker glanced around the pathway and started forward once again.

"Will, stop!" Yanking back on his arm yet a second time, she tolerated his mildly irritated glance and hushed his protest with her own.

"If we try and walk out of here, the next few steps we take will be our last. I don't know how I know that, but I do. I know it as clearly as I know my own name. Please.." She met his gaze. "Trust me."

For an eternal moment, he looked into her eyes. "I trust you." He whispered finally. Deanna let out an audible sigh of relief. Bending over, she scooped a stone up from the edge of the walkway and tested it's weight in her hand.

"I believe this is one you taught *me* Commander." She watched him recognize her intent and he shrugged, gesturing forward towards their open escape route. She threw the stone.

Not three metres ahead of them, the rock disintegrated into a billion points of light.

"An energy field.." Riker stood back in surprise. ".. how did you know that? You couldn't possibly have sensed.."

"I didn't." Troi shook her head. "I didn't sense anything, and that was the problem. We were heading out into the open countryside, presumably, and there wasn't a whisper of sensory input from anywhere. In the compound, I wasn't certain – it could have been due to any number of things, but heading out into the wilderness at night, there had to be *something*" She trailed off... "I haven't felt this way since that time on board the Enterprise.."

Will reached for her and placed his hand gently against her shoulder. "Can you sense anything from me?"

She regarded him for several silent moments and then shook her head dejectedly. "Nothing."

"Well that explains the lack of life signs. An electromagnetic field that powerful would dampen the entire area. I couldn't begin to speculate on how it would affect your empathic senses, but since the rest of our bodies operate on electro-chemical energy, it may also be responsible for your current predicament." Will shut his eyes momentarily. "That was good thinking, Deanna. You saved our lives."

Troi hadn't realized how much pride she could feel in an instant until he'd praised her that way. In an area in which he was hands-down her superior. It wasn't that she felt otherwise inadequate, or that he never told her what he thought, but his opinion in a tactical situation was second to none... and so she allowed herself an all too brief moment of gratitude towards him for his recognition.

"Unfortunately, I'm afraid I just exhausted my tactical knowledge on that one..." Deanna smiled.

Will grinned at her self-deprecating humor. He knew better, but he found her ability to lighten the mood of great comfort for the moment.

"So now what?" He answered, with a wry twist of his lips.

"That is the question, yes."

He sighed. "I don't know of any other way out of here without going through the war-zone."

Will reached into his tunic pocket and extracted his communicator. "And I can pretty much guarantee that these won't work in here if the Tricorder doesn't."

Deanna agreed, shaking her head. "Can we cause a short-circuit somewhere? Place something extraordinarily large in the energy field and see if we can disrupt it somehow?" She ventured.

"I don't know. I suppose that's possible but we'd need something enormous to withstand that kind of power, and then we'd have to get it over here. That dais for example." Riker gestured towards the enormous metal gazebo-like structure in the centre of the courtyard. "It's mostly metal, and it might work. But it's not exactly going to slide over here." He tossed her a quick smile. "Unless you're a lot stronger than you look."
He'd expected her to huff indignantly at the remark, or smile and shake her head the way she usually did when he exerted a particularly pathetic attempt at humor. But she did neither of those things this time. Instead, she hung her head and frowned.

"Deanna.. it's going to be okay." He crept up beside her and tipped her chin up with his fingertips. She knew he'd completely mistaken her present unease for worry over their situation and she sighed.

"Are you certain there's no other way out of the compound?" Troi asked again and he nodded.

"..move it." She mumbled.

"What was that?" Will leaned in closer.

"I said..." She sucked in a deep breath of the heavy-feeling air. "I can try and move it."

This time, he grinned widely. "I knew you wouldn't let that last one go." At his continued chuckle, she maintained a serious expression.

"I'm not joking, Will. I can try.."

Suddenly sober, Riker thinned his lips. "How, exactly? That thing weighs at least a metric tonne."

Deanna didn't answer. Instead, she moved away from him towards one of the towering alabaster columns and he saw her turn and lean against it, facing the dais. He watched her tell-tale body language and knew that she was doing what she'd done all those years ago on Betazed the day they'd climbed a tree together and hung there, suspended in mid air for over an hour. Well she had, at least – he'd managed to lose his grip only a few minutes into the exercise. But Deanna seemed to have an incredible kind of power over her own mind. Right now, she was finding that same sort of inner peace, and Will was more than a little uneasy about the entire scenario unfolding before him.

"What are you doing?" He called out. But there was no response. She'd shut her eyes and was either deliberately ignoring him, or she wasn't with him at the moment.

After seconds which seemed like hours of the same unnatural silence, Will felt a slight vibration in his feet and he glanced down at them nervously. Tiny grains of sand seemed to shiver and roll over his boots unnaturally. An earthquake? Of all the inopportune moments! He had to get them both out of the open, now!

Sprinting forward, he hurried towards Deanna, ready to pull her away from her prone position against the column, except that he never made it to her. The vibration in the ground continued and he lost his balance, tumbling forward in a fraction of a second. As he glanced up, he noticed that Deanna had not moved a millimetre from her place, and that in her state, she seemed to be as oblivious to the shaking around her as she had been to the pain in her arms on the day of their exercise in the tree.

"Deanna! Get out of there!" Will called out to her and scrambled to his feet, moving forward once again. But he wasn't able to reach her, before it happened...

The dais began to rise. It was the most surreal experience of Will Riker's entire lifetime and he watched, slack-jawed as the enormous metal structure shivered in it's place and then begin to move, very slowly, in the direction of the energy field.

That it was impossible never entered into his mind. That it was somehow connected to whatever Deanna was doing -- *did* – and so before he reached her, his arm outstretched as though to touch her and re-affirm that she indeed was alright, he held himself back; afraid of breaking whatever spell of concentration she'd cast over herself.

Helplessly he watched as the giant metal object moved ever forward -- seemingly of it's own accord. And then, in a blinding flash of light where thousands of sparkling embers seemed to crackle to life simultaneously, the dais collided with the energy field, causing a shockwave which rolled over the entire courtyard, toppling nearby trees and upturning columns in it's pathway.

When he saw Deanna's balance falter, Will knew that she would fall. Lunging towards her prone position, Riker hooked the relaxed form of the Counselor's body into the crook of his arm and dove aside from the path of a giant alabaster pillar only instants before it hurtled to a final resting place in the earth; mere millimetres from where they had been standing.

Glancing up, Will felt a sudden breath of air caress his face and then a breeze which quickened, every passing second. If he had needed proof the barrier had been breached, he had it now. Currents of fresh air from the wilds beyond began to shove aside the cold, stale air of the enclosure. He took several grateful gulps of the stuff before scrambling to his feet once more, coughing as the dust within his lungs burned a pathway, somewhere inside of him. He gathered Deanna's inert form close to his body and carried them both over the threshold, even as the shouts of Levarran soldiers appeared from nowhere and grew loud behind them.

Onward and onward into the night, Riker half-jogged, half-ran. Keeping pace until he voices grew more distant; until the inky darkness of their landscape seemed to close in all around them, yet still -- he never stopped.

Nearly two hours later, shivering in the blackness and utterly exhausted, Will slowly lowered his precious cargo to the mossy surface of the forest floor and scrambled to divest himself of the pack on his back. The only sounds he heard were foreign to him, and yet familiar. Various kinds of forest dwelling insects, chirping in the night, the occasional rustle of the breeze amidst the treetops high above them – but for all of that – they were alone.

After rummaging in his pack for several moments, Riker swore. The communicators were missing and now he knew exactly where. In his haste to get them out of the courtyard, he'd barely had time to grab his equipment bag. The two tiny pins lay, even now, somewhere amidst the rubble where they'd fallen from his hand while he'd been scrambling to get to Troi.

Sighing deeply, and trying not to dwell on the implications of their loss, he pulled himself together and extracted a tiny phaser from the pack. It took only a minute or two to gather a few stones and right them into a pyramid-like pile. He set them alight, watching, nearly spent, as an orange glow surrounded the tiny perimeter in which they'd come to rest. It seemed as safe as any place else. And he couldn't have gone any farther, even if he'd had to.

Glancing at Deanna, he saw that she was still unmoving, though the telltale rise and fall of her breast revealed to him that she was still alive – he closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. At least she wasn't hurt, that he could tell. Whatever needed to be said – and there would be much to say indeed – would have to take place later.

------------------------------

Chapter 20

------------------------------

Crawling forward, Riker lifted Troi gently and placed his hand against her cheek.

"Deanna.." He whispered. "..can you hear me? We're safe for now."

She began to stir, though only slightly.

"I think." He added wryly, taking in another quick glance around them. "Dee.. can you talk to me?" Letting his fingertips lightly trace the line of her jaw, Will couldn't help but catch his breath at the sight of her. A soft orange glow seemed to spill across her features like liquid gold and it had been a very long time since he had studied her face this way, by moonlight. A very long time indeed.

Unbidden, images of Jalara danced across his memory. And though the distance of years had separated these moments, she looked to him the same as ever. Her soft ebony hair tumbling waywardly down her back, as carefree as her spirit. The tiny curve of her lips turned up in just the way they had the day she'd plundered his mouth with kisses bourne of their mutual need and desire. Even her long dark lashes and the even darker, onyx eyes he knew were hidden beneath them. All those years ago and yet..

"Dee?" He whispered again. This time he felt her body move within his arms. She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue and her eyes slid, ever slowly, open. What he saw in the first instants of her languid gaze made his heart hammer against this inside of his chest and his entire body tremble with an emotion he hadn't experienced in a very long time.

Without words, she tipped her head and studied him frankly for several long moments and then she sighed, bringing one hand up from along her side and placing her palm against his face, her fingertips felt like satin on his skin. He'd forgotten for a moment that they were free; that she could likely sense his every emotion. But he realized it now -- though it was much too late to hide what he had felt.

He knew she'd sensed it all from him; knew she'd looked at him with an expression he hadn't seen for a very long time. There was no way he could deny it. And so he smiled back down at her instead. A mixture of encouragement and friendship now etched across his features. He saw her swallow and the almost imperceptible nod which accompanied the action.

They hadn't spoken. But they'd agreed.

"I guess we made it." She finally broke their awkward silence.

"You did it again." He grinned, tiredly and she shook her head.

"I'm fairly certain I didn't get us out here." Her voice was barely a whisper in and of itself, but the fact that she hadn't removed her hand from his face wasn't lost on Will.

"Deanna... what happened in there.." It was almost a question, but not, exactly. She sighed and dropped her arm back to her side, moving to rise of her own accord. He helped her sit, and took a place right next to hers.

"So now it's come full circle." Deanna hung her head briefly.

"What has?"

"Guinan once told me that no matter how hard I tried, there were some secrets which could never be kept from certain people." She smiled wryly as though the memory stirred her sense of irony.

"Guinan's usually right." Will affirmed, sitting up straighter while Deanna brought her knees back to her chest and held them there. It was a gesture of nervousness he'd only seen her do a very few times in the past. "I'm guessing that by ‘certain people', Guinan was referring to me?"

Troi nodded soundlessly and then added. "You know something, even my mother, as adept as she is -- has never known. Or if she has, she's mercifully never let me know she did."

Will waited for her to continue.

"I moved the dais." Deanna stated simply.

"I gathered that. What I was wondering is -- how?" His lack of surprise was only due to the fact that he'd had even a minute measure of time to contemplate the feat he'd witnessed. He'd realized it was she who moved the object only instants before the explosion. And in those instants, there had been no further time to explore the alternatives. He added, softly: "I didn't know that Betazoids could be Telekinets.." Will used the Terran Standard term for those extremely rare individuals who somehow possessed the ability to move objects with their minds.

Deanna shook her head in answer.

"They can't. They aren't." She murmured.

"Then I'm not sure I under–"

"Humans can."

His eyes grew wide. He hadn't even considered that possibility, though it was true, now that she pointed it out. Albeit very very rare. "I've only ever heard of a handful of documented cases in the past millennium."

"Did you hear of Ian Andrew Troi?" She seemed to squeeze her legs in tighter to her chest, if that were possible, and to Riker, she looked like a frightened little girl.

He reached around her and began to stroke her hair gently. "No. I never knew–" He whispered.

"Well, I never told anyone, either." Deanna unconsciously leaned into his caress, resting the side of her body against his and suddenly feeling as though the world wasn't quite so foreboding as it had been a minute ago. Will could tell that her tension had lessened, and he continued to hold her.

"Your mother?"

Deanna smiled. "Oh she knew. I should clarify that it wasn't exactly a secret while my father was alive. A lot of people knew what he could do, but it was never much of an issue while I was little, nor did anyone believe it was a particularly hereditary gene to pass on. The odds are..."

"..immense.." Will continued, and she smiled at him.

"One in one point six million, to be precise."

He shook his head in baffled awe. "I don't want to know how you figured that out, do I?"

"I've never told you the story of how my mother met my father, have I?"

At his silent shake of the head, she thinned her lips.

"My father was sent to Betazed by Starfleet command. He'd been living on Earth for most of his life, stationed as a science officer in one of the primary research facilities of San Francisco. As a child, he demonstrated an uncanny ability with numbers. Mathematics, certain areas of physics and statistical analysis. He was considered especially gifted, and then they found out once they'd tested his abilities more thoroughly, that he could do a lot more than factor the most complex equations."

"So they kept him close to Earth.." Riker stated in understanding. Troi nodded.

"Starfleet would never have admitted they were sequestering his freedom, but they forged him into an officer and made sure that his assignments were always within range of their study. People like my father are very very rare.."

"And very very precious." Will added, reaching out to trace the edge of her face with his hand. Deanna swallowed hard.

"When he came to Betazed, my mother was asked to ‘tutor him' if you will, to help him master his own mind with the traditional mental disciplines of Betazed. He was around 24 at the time and she was 25. But the older he became, the more wayward his powers seemed to grow. Starfleet thought it best if he'd be able to control his abilities for the safety of himself, as well as–"

"For the good of the Federation's interests. I think I can guess where this is going." Will frowned distastefully. "Sounds to me like they wanted a trained lab animal.."

Deanna nodded once again and Will could see that the knowledge of this had upset her for a great many years.

"They were willing to assign him to Betazed for a few years, in he hopes that he would return with superior mental discipline and an ability to govern his own power effectively. In theory, even I agree with that concept, however, I don't think they banked on the fact that he would fall in love and want to stay..."

She finished in a whisper and dipped her head. Will could see that she was visibly upset and that she wasn't going to continue... He leaned forward and cupped her face in his hands.

"You never told your parents, did you?"

Again, she shook her head mutely, her gaze suddenly resolute. "By the time I realized– my father had already died." Her eyes became glassy while she continued. "But I was old enough to know what they'd done to him and to imagine what my life would be like if I let anyone know. I spent years training myself to keep things under control. I took classes in mental discipline which made my *mother* cringe, and yet she never questioned my reasons. In retrospect, I'm almost terrified to wonder if she actually knew – but we never spoke about it, and I got so good at keeping my thoughts and my abilities in check, that eventually it didn't even matter. I never wanted to be a scientist, Will.." She sounded as though she were pleading with him now, for his understanding, perhaps for more than that-- and his heart broke for her.

"I wanted to help people – I've never been happier in my life than I have been as a Counselor. It's all I ever wanted and I knew that if I ever let them find out – they would find a way to take it all away from me. To take you all on the Enterprise away from me.." She was genuinely crying when she finished.

"Oh, Dee.." Will pulled her gently, sobbing, into his arms and rocked with her back and forth. "Imzadi... you didn't have to deal with this alone. All these years... you could have come to me.."

For a long time, he simply held her, letting his fingers slide through her hair and whispering reassuringly. When she finally spoke again, it was barely audible. "I was afraid at first. And at the same time, I hated what my own fear was forcing me to do. I knew that the path I'd forged was never something I could force on anyone else. Not even you. So..." She took on the obvious voice of a direct quotation when she said: "I mastered my anxiety and I put it behind me," With a wry twist of the lips, she returned to her normal cadence.. "..just as my instructors taught me."

This time he pulled away from her and held her shoulders at arms length. "Deanna, don't you know by now that you can tell me anything? That no matter what happens or how crazy things get, I'll *always* be there for you? I'll *always* be your friend.."

She smiled ruefully, her eyes still moist and her face still flushed. "You, Will Riker–" She tapped his chest affectionately with her finger. "..are Starfleet's most decorated officer. If you knew about me, it would have compromised your objectivity and I could never have known when it might force you to make a choice which could either condemn your career, or place us both in a very awkward circumstance. We both believe in Starfleet as a noble organization, and for the most part that's true. But there are instances where even Starfleet can become.." She sighed as if searching for the right words. "Self serving. They're fallible, just as any of us are. Some more than others, but orders would be orders if they came to you from a superior officer, Will .. and there was simply no way I could place you in a position like that–"

While she spoke, Deanna noticed that Will was shaking his head to negative, slowly at first and then more emphatically the closer she moved to conclusion. Finally, he simply slid forward, catching her off guard and drawing her towards him at the same time as he moved towards her -- and then he kissed her. His lips pressed against hers, gently at first and when she didn't protest, he deepened the encounter, exalting when he felt her lips part and their mouths began an achingly wonderful, agonizingly familiar exploration.

If this didn't answer her unspoken uncertainty than nothing else ever would. He heard her whimper softly; felt her mind reach out to his and he threw open the floodgates, welcoming her into every pore of his being. He'd never felt more alive, more connected to anything in his entire existence and when he heard her answering gasp at the intensity of the union, he only needed more.

Suddenly, he was utterly lost.. and found, all at the same time. Reaching behind her head, he tangled his fingers in her hair, pulling her closer; still closer while their kisses grew more and more passionate with every passing second.

((Imzadi)) He felt her presence.. inside of him for the first time in what seemed like forever, and he'd never imagined that a moment might be filled with so much joy. Drawing her forward as their kiss disengaged, he drew his face past her own and brushed his lips tenderly from the lobe of her ear and then lightly, sensuously along the line of her delicate neck.

When she shivered beneath his touch, Will drew his arms around her and enveloped her wholly into his embrace. Everything about them seemed now to be connected, from the rhythm of their breathing to the rising core of molten passion inside each of them. But Riker knew. He knew just as she knew, that no matter what their souls were begging for... they could never again give in to being the two love-sick, impassioned young adults they had been all those years ago. Their lives, the years of their experience and their friendship – demanded more.

And so he held her close to him; so close he almost insanely hoped to feel her everywhere at once – and she held him back, her hands wrapped around him; her fingertips pressed intimately into the sensitive muscles of his shoulders – and they *were* one, if only for this moment. Their spirits met and joined.

It hadn't taken much; only this, for her to realize what he had done just now. She'd placed herself and Starfleet both at odds, without the actual threat, she'd given him ‘what if' -- though she'd done so without consciously meaning to – and he had answered her ‘what if', in spades.

He'd chosen *her*.

But was it real? When even she was barely certain what had happened. And if it were real – someday, perhaps – would his choice remain the same?

Deanna shivered at the thought. He pulled her close in answer – and she could feel his passion for her through her very soul.

But in the corner of her mind, that nagging voice remained. What would he really choose? And if it wasn't her – again – how could she ever put the pieces of her heart back into one, now that she'd slipped; now that she'd allowed herself to fall so deeply in love with him – all over again.

Full circle... Guinan said "full circle". She shut her eyes and held on tight.

---------------------------------

Chapter 21

---------------------------------

Moments, seconds.. hours later. Deanna was never sure of how much time had elapsed since she'd clung to Will and wished for time to spin back upon itself. He held her still, and though she felt his breath, warm and wonderful against her neck, they both knew that the moment they'd shared had finally past; sanity had returned and with it--- reality ... The fact remained that much was still to be resolved. Not the least of which was their predicament on this alien world.

She began to pull away from him, her hands sliding up across his shoulder blades until they hooked at the back of his neck and he placed his own hands on her wrists in front, holding her in place. With his forehead resting against her own, and their eyes still closed, he heard her whisper fondly.

"It's getting harder and harder to let go.."

"I know." He smiled and the edge of his beard tickled her skin. She giggled and pulled back, opening her eyes and nearly catching her breath at the sight of his crystal blue gaze on her.

She let out a long slow breath of air. "Why are we doing this to ourselves?"

"I wish I understood that, myself..." Will swallowed hard and looked away from her. "Sometimes I–" He faltered and then brought his gaze back up to meet with hers. "I guess it's easier... this way."

She was silent for a time, and then:

"I guess."

When she looked at him again, her eyes shone brightly in the moonlight and Will felt as though his heart were torn in two.

"Deanna–" He began..

"Is it safe to rest until morning?" She'd cut him off. Saving both of them from— something, perhaps neither one of them was willing to admit.

Riker shrugged. "Why don't you try and I'll take the first watch." His expression was so filled with warmth that Troi felt as though she might drown in it happily, but the fact was she was still completely filled by what had happened between the two of them -- and she knew it. She had to stop thinking like a 20 year old in love and remember who she was, and where. This was *not* the Jalara jungle, and there was no Starfleet team waiting to rescue them just over the horizon.

Her expression sobered, and as he noticed it, so did his. "Maybe we can just talk until morning. I don't think I can rest anyway."

He nodded, gathering his pack nearer. After an moment of silence, he cleared his throat.

"So.." He began, offhandedly. She almost laughed at the attempt. "What *is* there to talk about?"

Deanna ran her hands impatiently through her hair, shaking it out behind her where she sat.

"We could talk about how *badly* I miss my hair brush for one!" She quipped, smiling stoically.

"As much as I'd love to.." Will began, and she slapped his arm, playfully.

"You really don't realize how much you miss those creature comforts until they're gone."

"True.." Will reached behind him for a moment. "But if I were to– miraculously–" He added. "Produce a hair brush?" From behind his back he held a small travel-issue hygiene kit aloft and her eyes grew larger.

She reached for it, but he held it just out of reach. Rather than pout, Deanna opted to smile seductively instead. "I'd be forever in your debt, Commander."

He swallowed. As much as he might try, there was never any way in hell he could resist her when she looked at him that way.

"Forever?" He whispered in mock wonder.

She laughed in earnest, and then, in a moment of inspiration, she recalled a moment from their past. Leaning forward very coyly, Troi pressed her body snugly against his, and, whispering just millimetres from his ear, she added:

"Let me put it to you in a way I know you'll understand, Commander–"

The phrase was not lost on Will. He remembered that line all too well. Those were the words which had started five of the most passion-filled days of his entire lifetime. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Instead, she backed off only an inch or two, until she was face to face with him.

"Give me the brush, Riker, or you'll live to regret it."

As she finished, it was he who threw his head back and began to laugh. "Not exactly the words I was hoping for."

"If I let you live at all.." She added, offhandedly.

Still sporting his signature grin, Will produced the kit with a flourish.

"As you command, First Daughter."

"You're a funny man, Will. Missed your calling, I'd say."

He said nothing, but continued to grin, victory apparent in his expression, though she was damned if she'd let him keep it.

She took the kit and opened it, talking as she did so. "While I realize the words ‘long term' and ‘relationship' aren't in your grand plan, Commander.." Troi smiled sardonically. "And we don't want to cramp your style.."

He watched her carefully, aware by her tone of voice that he was about to be chastised.

"If you ever intend on spending any extended period of time with one woman, there are several key items you should remember never to withhold." She began, already combing out the tangles in her luxurious hair.

He leaned forward, a grin on his face, feigning definite interest and she nearly smacked him for the gesture.

"A brush being one of them?" He asked innocently.

She simply shrugged. "Mmhm, and if you want to find out what the others are, you'll need to start small."

She kept her face carefully neutral, but Will, who knew her so well, could see the laughter behind her eyes.

"I'll remember that." He spoke seriously. "And if I might add, Ms. Troi– I love it when you wear your hair that way."

She glanced up from her task in surprise, stopping mid-stroke and smiling incredulously, she regarded him with large dark eyes. "What? This way? This isn't any way, Will – this is a mess!"

"I think it looks incredible." He continued, and as a bit of color stole into her cheeks, he added: "I think *you* look pretty incredible, in fact."

For a moment, she said nothing, and then, visibly collecting her composure, Troi shook her head. "Nice try, but you're still in trouble."

"What did I say?" He sat back and then sighed, exasperated. "Women."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Nothing." He grumbled. "It's just that I offered you a compliment based on nothing but the fact that it was a sincere expression, and you walked all over it."

She stared at him in frustration for a moment and then dropped her shoulders with a sigh. "You're right. I'm sorry. I think this – place– " She gestured around them. "It's just beginning to get to me, that's all. I'm anxious all the time and I guess I'm a bit worried."

He regarded her seriously. "Truthfully – so am I. But I never told you that.."

She smiled. "I think I've already outdone you in the confessions department tonight, Will."

"And I hope you know that I would never; will never betray your trust, Deanna..." He pinned her with an intense look.

After a long while, she whispered. "I know. It's just going to be difficult to adjust to you knowing, I think."

"I understand." He nodded but she could see the conflict in his eyes. She placed her hand against his arm and almost smiled.

"Of all the people it could have been Will, I'm glad it was you."

He returned her smile and then sat back, watching the glowing rocks in the centre of their little clearing. They must have been talking already for at least an hour, and the night seemed young yet. He wasn't sure what they were going to do in the morning, either, but at least they were safe for now. Perhaps he could figure something out in the next few hours. Time seemed to be all they had right about now.

Deanna had been watching him sit in silence for several minutes. She regarded him thoughtfully the entire time and then, out of the blue, she sat forward.

"Will?"

"Hmm?" He answered, turning towards her and thinking how much she looked like an angel in the flickering orange light. He smiled despite his earlier thoughts.

"When you were in Starfleet Academy, a first year cadet lets say, did you believe in the concept of the soul? Did you believe that each of us, or even yourself... possessed such a spirit within our innermost selves?"

His eyes grew large and he leaned back where he sat, gazing down at her for a silent moment before he shook his head. "No, I didn't."

"And now?"

He paused and regarded her warily, as though she were treading on a frozen lake, and might at any moment fall through the thinnest portion of the sheet beneath her feet. She saw his Adams's apple rise and fall before he spoke. "Yes. I guess I do believe in it now."

"Why?"

Will opened his mouth to respond, the answer to her question seemingly as simple as the most facile equation he'd ever learned – an automatic thing to know. But as his thoughts coalesced towards his lips and he finally realized what he was about to say, he bit back down on his words and silenced himself, starring oddly at the Counselor.

"Why are you asking me this?" He finally murmured.

She sighed. "Will, do you remember, once, you asked me if I believed in love at first sight?"

"Of course I do. Back on Betazed-- "

"Why did you ask me that?" She cut him off.

He grinned, suddenly playful. "I dunno..I was probably trying to hit on you at the time. I was an arrogant young lieutenant, remember, I would have said anything to--"

"I don't believe you. You're hedging." Deanna pinned him with a level gaze and his manner suddenly faltered.

"Why are *you* asking me all of these questions all of a sudden?" He returned, glancing furtively around himself as though he were searching for some invisible escape route where, of course, there was none. It was silly really, a childish response and he knew that – except that she'd unnerved him.

Deanna sighed softly and met his gaze entreatingly. "Will, please, just answer me this..honestly."

He let out a slow breath of air. For a moment, Troi wasn't certain he would speak at all. And then:

"Alright. A question for a question. How's that?" At his lopsided half-smile, she shrugged. "You want to know why I asked if you believed in Love at first sight. But first I get to ask *you* something else. Something simple, after which I'll answer your question for both of us."

She tipped her head in mild curiosity, but nodded anyway and he went on..

"What does Love mean, Deanna?"

"I beg your pardon?" That was the last thing she'd expected him to ask her. What kind of a question was that?

"You heard me." He picked up a stray twig and broke it in half, holding the two portions adjacent to one another in each hand. "How would you have a patient of yours describe their feelings when they talk about Love, in the romantic sense." He lifted his gaze to hers and she glanced downward modestly for a fraction of a second, before returning his look.

"Technically speaking, Love is a combination of many emotions. I suppose I would ask them to go through each one, as best they could."

"So tell me.." Riker held the two twigs still aloft and then pushed them forward. "Two people share this....descriptive term we call Love. But in the end, it's just a word. A word which in some form or another, seems to exist in almost every language; in almost every culture which the Federation has ever encountered. Thousands of species across hundreds of galaxies..."

At the Counselor's nod, he continued. "So what I want to know is, how would *you* define it, Deanna? Or even go through each emotion, as you mentioned.." He repeated her own phrase back to her and she frowned thoughtfully.

"Well.." Her voice was soft. "Much of it would be impossible to place into words. But -- a profound sense of warmth, I suppose."

She glanced downward and no longer met his eyes.

"...a sense of belonging, of being complete..." This time she did glance up, and he couldn't help noticing the very slight tinge of color in her face. Despite her being raised with the virtues of Betazed's open and honest emotional freedom, whenever she felt personally touched by something, he'd noticed long ago, that she would blush..just a little.

Riker smiled encouragingly, but said nothing.

"...of being at peace, and yet..sometimes consumed by kind of fire."

"Passion?" He coaxed.

She nodded.

"You're blushing" He whispered, leaning forward on a grin, unable to contain his amusement any longer.

Troi suddenly sat up straight. "I am not *blushing*!" She tossed back.

"Of course not." Will nodded solemnly, erasing all traces of the earlier grin so quickly that Deanna found herself suddenly giggling. "Oh, just.. shut up." She stifled a smile and shook her head. The man was infuriating. And she was completely baffled (and grudgingly admiring) of the ease with which he'd managed, several times already, to force her to re-surface feelings which she'd kept locked away, deep inside herself for so many years..

As if he'd read her mind (which was impossible), Riker spoke up. "Alright, so we feel all of those..." He found himself drawn forward into her eyes, but fought the impulse to lose himself there; to beg her for a second chance and to feel her melt against him once again. "..things." He continued, somewhat hoarsely. "But why?"

"You know, for an officer who hated philosophy, you're waxing very existential, Will Riker." Deanna continued to smile.

"I had a good teacher." He shrugged. "Answer the question, *Counselor*."

His gaze was a challenge. One she met, this time head on -- with an answering look.

"Alright. Why would *I* feel those things? Or why in general would anyone feel those things?" She smirked. He rolled his eyes.

But then Deanna paused, and her eyes grew once more thoughtful. "I suppose *I* would feel those things because I'd know I had a connection with the other person." She met his gaze, pointedly. "I'd know that he was honest and forthright; that he valued many of the same things I do. I'd know that he cherished me because I'd feel as though I knew his spirit, and he knew mine. And that I could trust him with anything..even my heart."

When she realized that Will was starring at her so intently, it almost seemed as though he could see right through her, Deanna hurried to continue..

"I'd know that no matter what happened, or which direction the universe spun, there would always be the two of us.." She paused for only a second, watching Will's eyes widen at her spoken implication, and so she qualified: "He and I."

"And that's romantic Love." He stated, simply.

"For me, it is. As best as I can put it into words, anyhow." Her gaze and his never wavered.

"And can you have all that -- the instant you see another person? Can you experience those things the very first moment you're introduced? To know another person's values, his ‘innermost spirit'.." He quoted. "...from all the way across a room? Is it possible to fall ‘in love at first sight' by your own definition, that way?"

Deanna smiled. "You mean, can someone like me glance across a room and say ‘wow, look at the values on that guy?'"

He grinned back.. "Something like that."

"Well, when you put it that way.." Deanna frowned thoughtfully. "I suppose the logical answer should be no."

"But...? There's an illogical answer too, isn't there." It was spoken as a statement, not a question, and Deanna knew it well.

"There is." She affirmed, finding that this man before her was so much more than he had been so many years ago...so very different and yet, perhaps he was only older. Just as she was. "If you believe in soulmates... if you believe in a spiritual connection, then there would be no need for introductions. You'd simply already -- know."

"And if that happened to a person – whether he believed in it or not, if he felt that way then it would mean he'd have to believe he had a soul to share..." Riker finished.

Deanna nodded slowly, comprehension dawning upon her at his line of logic. But there were too many other emotions swirling and dueling inside of her for the moment to achieve the kind of clarity she might have hoped to.

"So in answer to your question from earlier, Counselor" Will leaned forward across from her and toyed with the twigs in his hand for only a moment longer before continuing. "I never did believe in the concept of a soul – until the day that I met you."

--------------------------------

Chapter 22

--------------------------------

There had been moments in Deanna's lifetime when she'd felt as though a fantasy had come quite close to becoming her reality. But none of those would ever again be able to match itself with this particular moment.

His gaze had never left hers while he spoke. His words still resonated, flooding her entire being with contradictory truths. She knew her eyes had filled with moisture and yet she had no way to keep herself from showing him how deeply he had touched her with his words.

For a time, she had no words of her own. Not a comeback or even a question. He might as well have called out from a mountain top, the effect would have been just the same.

She watched him watch her. His head half bent, he looked at her from underneath the gaze as though afraid she might not like what she had heard. Or perhaps he was surprised that he had said it, spoken it aloud after so many years.

But it was spoken, and now they had to deal with it.

"Imzadi.." She whispered. Her lips half-formed the word before it trickled through on a thread of air. It should have been inaudible; barely a breath, but she had thought it too, felt it in her spirit and he raised his head the instant it had happened. He had heard.

"Imzadi.." He answered her in kind.

When neither she nor he had moved or broken eye contact for several more seconds, Troi knew her tears had begun to trace a pathway down her face. She swallowed and moved to brush them with her fingertips, except he got there first.

Will cupped her face within his hands and gently brushed aside her tears with the pads of his thumbs... his eyes were filled with kindness and the thing she sensed from him most profoundly – was everything she'd only just described. Those many frightening, familiar, frustrating and agonizingly passionate emotions they called "Love".

She let out a short breath of air.. he moved towards her slowly. She knew that he would kiss her and she wanted him to kiss her. Wanted him to wrap his arms around her and to love her in a way she'd only dreamed of for so very very long.

His face drew nearer hers, she closed her eyes and felt his breath against her lips, warm and inviting. It was all she wanted–

The air suddenly crackled with fire and a tree some distance behind them exploded in a blinding flash of light.

Both Will and Deanna spun ‘round. Before either of them could think, their spell was shattered and Will threw her to the ground, covering her body with his own. Deanna's nose filled with the smell of acrid smoke and still another blast cut through their clearing, lighting up the night.

"Over there!" Will stage-whispered to her, gesturing towards the shelter of the trees beyond. They scrambled to their hands and knees towards his goal. Riker grabbed his pack, haphazardly tossing the hygiene kit inside, he thrust it forward and moved on.

Another blast, this time further behind them, awakened both officers to the fact that they were hunted by a party of at least three people. Three native Levarrans in a forest they were doubtless far more familiar with than either of the two Starfleet fugitives. Their only salvation would be the inky darkness of the woods.

Deanna began to rise, but Riker pulled her back. "We've got no chance on foot. They'll see us and they know the ground around here where we don't. Our only chance it to lay low. We have to find a place to hide." He whispered hoarsely, listening in vain for the sounds of snapping branches which might yield a clue as to the orientation of their pursuit.

Deanna nodded mutely, following his lead, they scrambled along the forest floor until Will brought them both up short. A towering giant of a tree stood before them and he pulled her with him to it's backward side.

There, the two officers crawled into a gaping hole, nested with moss and damp leaves, doubtless the home of some wandering night creature, Will knew – but there wasn't any choice. He pulled her in, all the way behind him and the space was small. Wrapping himself around her within the enclosure, he manoeuvred her in such a way that her body curled inside of his, his arms on either side.

They struggled to catch their breath and hold it, keeping deathly still, save for the fact that Deanna tucked her head into his chest beneath his chin. He felt her grasp his arm for leverage.

For over an hour they remained that way, huddled in silence as the sounds of their pursuers drifted farther and farther afield. Eventually, when the last remnants of disrupter fire had ceased, and the sounds of the forest returned, Riker let out a long held breath of air and shifted backwards, allowing Deanna greater, if only marginal, space.

He'd meant to move, he was sure he had, but later neither one of them would recall exactly why they hadn't left the tree-made shelter. Perhaps it was exhaustion, perhaps the culmination of a day which they would ever be able to repeat...

Whatever the reason, they fell simultaneously into a deep and dreamless sleep, and didn't awaken until morning. When they were greeted by a feral snarl and the enormous toothy maw of the creature whose home they'd misappropriated...

------------------------------------

Chapter 23

------------------------------------

The sound of rustling woke her first. Deanna's eyes slid open and her senses began to adjust to her new environment. Images of the previous night's struggle danced through her memory in a fleeting instant and she quickly became alert; alert and aware of their means of escape.

With her legs tucked in beneath her and her head against Will's chest, she probably appeared something of a curled up kitten, but she had to admit – the feeling of Will's body, warm and strong all around her, was almost enough to convince her to remain where she was.

He seemed still to be sleeping, and without wonder considering how exhausted he had been. It *was* a wonder he had lasted as long as he had, and she knew that he probably fought his fatigue in order to stay alert– for her.

She also remembered his words; they way he looked at her in the moments before their spell had shattered. She'd never seen him look at her that way before. Not even all those years ago when they'd been lovers. No, what she saw in him last night had been so much more than that -- and it had both thrilled and terrified her all at once.

The scratching she'd heard grew louder, and this time Troi's curiosity was piqued, as was her instinct to be wary.

"Will.." She whispered, just loud enough for him to hear.

She heard him groan and heard his breathing change as he woke up. It had become something of a familiar sound again these past three nights and she knew that she would miss it, once they returned to the Enterprise. *If* they returned to the Enterprise. There were a lot of things that she might miss.

"Will.. do you hear that?" She repeated, moving against him.

His eyes opened and his breathing ceased. She could tell that he was listening, and then:

"Yes. I hear it. It's right outside." He whispered back. "I think it's time we checked out of this particular establishment."

She smiled despite herself and he helped her crawl forward, towards the opening in the tree.

It was just as she had finally attained purchase that she came face to face with the hairy visage of a short, well-clawed bear-like creature. A creature who didn't seem at all happy to see them in what (she realized) could only be its home.

A bitter snarl accompanied a gaping maw which threatened to consume her directly, and Troi quickly scrambled backward from the opening, avoiding their apparent landlord's wrath.

"I think we're in trouble." Deanna spoke offhandedly, and not without a certain note of resignation as Will pulled her deeper into the trunk of the giant tree. They found just enough room to sit, legs curled up, one next to the other.

If the situation wouldn't have been so grave, it might even have been humorous. The last in long string of hapless and incredibly harrowing events which most sane and rational people would already have thrown in the towel for.

The creature extended it's great, clawed paw into the opening of the wooden trunk and swiped at them, enraged. Troi pulled back against Will's chest, darting from it's reach just as a new and ugly gash formed within the surface of the tree where she'd only just been cowering.

"So.." She whispered loudly, the futility of their situation nearly making her laugh hysterically. "Whose guardian angel is going to get us out of this one?"

"I think that was mine the last time.." Will remarked, and suddenly she did laugh, if you could count the quickly exhaled breath she answered with.

Their landlord's claw intruded once again and tore a piece of fabric from Will's leg. Troi yelped and pulled him closer.

"Are you alright?" She asked him fearfully.

"I'm fine." He answered. "But my tailor's going to kill me."

"How can you make jokes at a time like this?" Despite her remark, the relief he heard in her voice was enough to sober him and Riker tightened his arms around her.

"Deanna– if we don't get out of this one, there's something I need to tell you. Something I've needed to say to you for a very long time.."

He felt her tense within his grasp.

"Me too." She whispered.

"Imzadi, I–" Will shut his eyes as he began, and then he froze, mid sentence. Both he and Troi glanced at one another in surprise and then, as the familiar sensation intensified, the last thing Riker saw as their proximal bodies flickered and vanished – was the brilliance of her smile, for *him*.

--------------------------------

Chapter 24

--------------------------------

++[[Transporter room, report!"]]++

++[[We've got them, sir.]]++

Picard leaned forward in his chair and let out an audible sigh.

++[[Bridge to Dr. Crusher.]]++

++[[Crusher here.]]++

++[[Doctor, please meet me in transporter room 3.]]++

++[[Acknowledged, I'm on my way.]]++

As he rose from his seat, the Captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise could not remember a moment when he'd been more relieved.

"Mr. Data.." He called on his way into the Turbolift. "You have the bridge."

"Aye sir." Mr. Data rose from his seat at the con and took command. It was the last thing Picard saw as the Turbolift doors closed in front of him. He nodded in satisfaction to himself.

* * *

When they'd appeared in the Transporter room, Deanna's body pressed against Will's, his arms wrapped securely around her and both of their legs pulled tightly towards them, the young Ensign who'd beamed them aboard was taken aback.

Everything about them from their neutral grey outfits, now tattered from the previous 24 hours, to the marks of travel weariness etched across their features, indicated that the Commander and the Counselor of the Enterprise had experienced an ordeal to try even the strongest of spirits.

He allowed them the dignity to rise from their position on the floor of the Transporter pad, and though it seemed as though he wasn't watching, Ensign Biggs couldn't help but notice the way the Counselor looked at the Commander as he extended his hand to her and helped her to her feet.

Once they had righted themselves, both Will and Deanna turned forward and the masks of professional decorum which they'd spent years perfecting – slid almost effortlessly back into place.

"Ensign.. your timing was–" Riker began.

"Angelic?" Deanna finished, glancing up at Will whose answering grin had practically lit up the room on it's own.

"Sir. The Captain's on his way." Ensign Biggs pretended once again he hadn't noticed the interplay between them but the fact was – something had changed. He couldn't necessarily place his finger directly on it, but then again, it wasn't even his business to begin with, was it? He cleared his throat and stuck to protocol.

"Actually Ensign, the Captain has arrived." Picard's voice intruded, and the three officers glanced up, as he entered the room followed by the Doctor.

"As you were." Picard nodded to Biggs who relaxed noticeably. "Number one, Counselor.. I suppose the words ‘it's good to have you back' are somewhat inadequate."

Riker smiled and shook his head, unable to figure out where to begin. Beverly Crusher had already rushed over to them both and began to scan their vital signs.

"Aside from the fact that you're both suffering from what looks like the effects of long term anxiety and exhaustion, I think you'll be capable enough to make it to sickbay under your own power." She suddenly grinned at both of them and then hugged Troi.

"We were so worried about you two.." She whispered into the Counselor's ear and Deanna simply hugged her back.

Half an hour later in sickbay, with the two of them sitting on Biobeds, the Doctor studiously examining each of them and the Captain standing off to one side, Will was finally able to admit to himself that they'd come home. They were back on board the Enterprise. He briefly shut his eyes.

"You must be ready to collapse.." Dr. Crusher smiled warmly at him.

"I think we passed that point some time yesterday, actually." Riker shrugged and shook his head. "It is good to be home."

Troi nodded emphatically. "I was certain we were done for this last time, and then suddenly we ended up here. How did you..?"

"We didn't." Picard suddenly spoke up, coming forward. "We'd been scanning the planet's surface, hoping to discover some way to punch through the dampening field and communicate with Jynelle... Data finally figured out a way to get an encoded signal through, but we had no means to know whether or not it had succeeded until we received a reply.."

"A reply, sir?" Riker looked up with interest.

"Jynelle's people are engaged in a civil war and the planet is divided, nearly in half. The response we received was vague at best, and hurried, however it did contain the information that the two of you had somehow left the government compound. The Proconsul sent a team out to find you, but once we knew you weren't anywhere inside the dampened area, we began to scan the planet's countryside for human life signs. Shortly thereafter, we found the both of you, or what we assumed was you -- and beamed you up.."

"On a hope and a prayer.." Beverly cut in, and the Captain nodded, half smiling.

"It appears we all got lucky."

Troi merely shook her head in wonder. "You know something, I don't think anything is going to surprise me ever again."

"What about the civil war, sir?" Will cut in.

Picard frowned. "The prime directive forbids us from interfering. My only concern was the safe removal of my officers from a war-zone. And certainly the Federation will not be signing on Levarra III as a protectorate, under the circumstances."

"Understood." Riker nodded. "And sir? I apologize for being the cause of a very difficult situation for the Enterprise. I take full responsibility for my actions and I expect a formal reprimand will be placed on my record."

Picard's eyes widened and he noticed that Troi sat forward anxiously as well. Even Beverly glanced at her instrumentation, obviously discomfitted.

"Will.." The Captain thinned his lips. "..what you said to the Proconsul's daughter was nothing more than a polite affirmation which she seemed to have asked you for."

"With all due respect, sir, I should have done more research. I should have known their customs in that respect."

"Sometimes, Commander, no matter how much we prepare, it's impossible to predict on every conceivable scenario. I see no fault in your actions, Number One. And certainly, the time you've spent incarcerated against your will should more than have assuaged your own conscience. I need my first officer back and up to par. And I expect that you won't disappoint me."

Riker suddenly sat up straight. "Sir." He confirmed, and Troi secretly smiled. In some respects, Picard was like a father to Will, and he always seemed to know just what to say to make things right with the brash, young Commander.

"He'll get right on it, Jean-Luc.. *after* the two of them take 72 hours to recuperate from their ordeal. REST. Doctor's orders. I won't have you both hobbling around this ship, half dead." Beverly chucked in her two cents and both Riker and Troi exchanged a glance before they shrugged, simultaneously.

Picard merely smiled. "Of course, Doctor." He turned to Riker. "I'll expect a report from you both, on my desk, before your next duty shift." And then his gaze grew thoughtful...

"You've been through a lot. Are you certain that aside from the physical aspects of your ordeal, you're both... alright?" This time it was Troi whose eyes he met.

Before Deanna had a chance to respond, Riker chimed in. "Captain, in the past 48 hours one or both of us has been held hostage, physically altered, threatened, beaten, drugged, locked up, fired at, chased through the wilderness and almost eaten by some horrible thing I don't even have a name for..." He began, and then shifted his gaze from his Captain to his... to the Counselor. "But we weren't alone. And I think that helped."

Troi smiled at him and then turned to Picard. "I think the two of us *will* need to talk about what happened down there." She didn't elaborate on what the entirety of such a statement entailed, but this was not the time or place for that in any event. "However -- and I say this as objectively as I can considering I was involved myself -- I think the best thing at this point would be to take the Doctor's advice and get some rest. Things tend to seem clearer when one is fully alert."

"Of course, of course." Picard nodded. "I apologize for keeping you. I'll be on the bridge–" He turned to leave and then tossed back. "Oh, and Counselor, Number One? – It *is* good to have you back."

They smiled.

"Now, I want you both to return to quarters. Is that understood?" Beverly pinned each of them with a no nonsense look.

Troi laughed. "Perfectly." She hopped down off the Biobed and glanced behind her to see Riker do the same. "I, for one, am looking very forward to a shower."

"And your hairbrush?" Will cut in, trailing behind her.

"Don't push your luck Commander." Troi answered glibly, marching through the sickbay entrance.

For his part, Will stopped just as he was about to leave the room, and off the Doctor's perplexed expression, he shrugged his innocence.

Beverly shook her head wryly. She knew that look of Will's and ‘innocent' had nothing to do with it.

"I think you'd better just go.." She grinned and so did he, and then he left. Following the Counselor out into the familiar corridors of *home*..

----------------------------

Chapter 25

----------------------------

Sitting before her mirror, Deanna systematically brushed out her long, dark hair. It was a usually arduous task which seemed especially sweet this night, considering all that had happened.

Finally, setting the brush down, she studied her reflection for a moment, reaching out to place her hand against the glass. Did she look older? It seemed as though the years had ticked by all too quickly, and now, the woman she saw no longer carried the innocence of the twenty-something lieutenant she had been. Or the even younger student all those years ago.

Still, there was no grey.. she mused. Not yet at least. Reaching behind her and bringing her hair forward, she framed her face with it and tipped her head, regarding the effect. She never really wore her hair this way, unbidden, down along her back. It didn't seem professional, and although she was much more liberal with it than she used to be, some manner of utilitarian fashion was usually preferable to allowing the unruly tresses to manage themselves.

She thought back to Levarra, on the evening when Will had professed his preference to her. It figured that a man would think that way. Never considering for an instant what it might be like to have to deal with all that hair, in your eyes, over your face – only knowing that he liked to look at it. Still, it made her warm inside to think about him smiling as he'd said it.

What was she thinking?! Sitting here in her quarters mooning over an errant look like a schoolgirl in heat. Deanna shook her head and reclaimed at least a portion of her sanity.

They were back on board the Enterprise now, and everything was normal once again. Everything was safe. Which was just how she liked it.

Wasn't it?

The chime on her door interrupted her thoughts.

"Enter!" She called from the other room and then picked up her brush continuing, almost absently.

"Hey.." She heard his voice from behind her.

"Hi." She said, ceasing her task and turning in her chair until she faced him.

"I was– in the neighbourhood.." He gestured behind him.

"Uh huh." She smiled.

He glanced at her nervously and then at the array of instruments set out before her, not the least of which were various hair pins and brushes. "Should I -- come back another time?"

Under other circumstances, she might have chided him for hammering at an old joke, but in this instance, she felt that he was sincerely nervous.. and uncertain of himself. That wasn't like him at all. Something was wrong..

"Oh...no–" She responded, just as he'd turned to leave. "Are you alright? Will, you look pale.. and I'm sensing that–"

"Damn it, Deanna, I hate that!" He shot back at her and regretted it immediately when she recoiled from him in confusion..

"Hate what? That I can tell what you're feeling?"

"Exactly! It– it's like ever since I've known you, I've never been able to keep anything private. To myself.. it's just.. just.."

"I'm sorry." She whispered, dipping her head. "I... I was just worried about you, you've been through a lot these past few days and I can't help it." She glanced back up at him and met his eyes, suddenly aware that she was on the brink of tears and very angry at herself for the show of weakness.

Her voice grew biter. "I've never– never apologized to anyone for being the way I am before. I can't believe I just–"

"Oh, God, Deanna... I'm the one whose sorry. I'm so sorry.." Will suddenly moved towards her, pulling her from her chair and crushing her body against him. She neither protested, nor complied with his advance. "Forgive me. I didn't mean that like it sounded." He pulled back from the hug and stood across from her. "I've always cherished your friendship, it's just...I think I'm just – you're right. I'm not okay. I'm anxious and...nervous as hell and I have no idea why."

Troi nodded soundlessly, though he could tell she wasn't happy. Reaching up, she brushed a wayward lock of hair from her face and then walked towards one of the larger, floor to ceiling portals in her cabin.

"Why did you come here?" She whispered.

"I dunno." He shrugged like a little boy, and if he'd had pockets, she was certain he would have thrust his hands inside of them just then. "I was in my quarters for the last few hours and I couldn't sleep. Couldn't really think either." He ran one hand absently through his hair. "So I decided to take a walk and – this was the only place open at 0400 hours."

She smiled despite herself, and glanced up at him with a wry twist on her lips. "You always do that."

"Do what?"

"Hide behind humor when you're scared.. or nervous." She turned towards the window next to her. Space... everything seemed so far away and vast when viewed through a starship portal. It gave one the illusion of safety. Made it seem as if the deadliest of vacuums wasn't lurking just behind the shiny, transparent surface.

"Don't we all?" He asked.

For a long time she said nothing, and then: "I suppose."

"You suppose? Deanna, that doesn't sound like the Counselor I know.." Will took a few steps towards her and then stopped a discrete distance away. She turned and met his eyes.

"I don't much feel like being a Counselor tonight. If you don't mind."

He regarded her seriously. "I guess I don't blame you.." He turned and walked in the opposite direction. "I don't think I'd want to talk to me either, tonight.."

"Will.." He felt her hand on his arm from behind. "That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?" He challenged.

"Just that– I'm tired. Not physically tired, just – tired." She sighed.

Will nodded with interest. "I feel like that too, and -- I also feel as though something's out of place, even though I can't put my finger on it. Something's wrong or.. missing, or --"

"Maybe we should just get some rest." Deanna spoke up, uncharacteristically interrupting his thoughts.

"You want me to go?" He asked.

"I think that would be best, Will." Troi nodded, but Riker noticed that though she sounded very serious, she certainly didn't look it.

"Alright .. if that's what you want." He turned to leave and when he was right at her door, he suddenly heard her yell after him.

"Why do you always do that?!"

"Do what?" He returned in exasperation. "I thought you just asked me to leave?"

"I didn't ask you to leave.. I told you that I thought it might be best!" She threw back at him.

"Which means, what, exactly?!" This time he raised his voice as well. "Are you speaking in code? Am I supposed to interpret something else?"

"No!"

"Then maybe you'd better hand out instruction manuals Deanna, because you've totally lost me.." He replied, bitterly.

"Just forget it." She muttered, turning away from him to look at the stars. "Just go."

For a long moment, Riker simply stood there in her doorway, regarding the back of her head. And then he made a decision.

Marching up behind her, he spun her around and held her shoulders in his hands. She seemed so small.. she always seemed so small to him, as though she'd been made to fit right under his chin. It was an irrational thought he'd had on more than occasion, that they were like two pieces of some Machiavellian puzzle.

"What is happening here, exactly?" He demanded, locking his gaze with hers. Noticing not for the first time, how large her eyes were, and how dark. How easy to drown inside of.

"I don't know!" She tried half heartedly to pull away from him.

"Then why are we yelling at each other? Why are you so angry with me?"

"Because we're Imzadi!" She cried out to him, suddenly impervious to his grip, the floodgates inside of her opened and a torrent of emotion poured out over him, nearly making him stagger at it's impact..

"What..?" He asked, trying desperately to right his senses, but she didn't appear to have heard his question.

"Because I love you! I'm so in love with you it *terrifies* me and I don't know what to do anymore. I don't know how to keep things as they were...and you.. *you* are always so easily convinced to let it go. You're worried that you don't have any privacy?!" She laughed bitterly. "I can't tell *how* you're feeling three quarters of the time because *I* am --- I am–"

Suddenly she broke away from him and crossed her arms over her chest, turning her head as the tears she'd fought in vain began to fall.

Riker felt as though she'd knocked the wind right out of him If she had run him over with a shuttle craft, he couldn't have imagined feeling any more helpless.

Had she just admitted she was in *love* with him? That she felt about him the same way he'd felt about her for years? If it were possible, Will knew he could have laughed.. and cried, and screamed in frustration all in the same breath.

"Oh, Dee.. oh god.." He whispered. Unable to find the words for any more coherent a sentence. He raked his fingers back through his hair and swallowed hard.

She spun around to face him once again, this time heedless of the tears in her eyes, or the bitterness in her voice.

"You don't know what it's like. You aren't Betazoid. And I never asked for any of this!" She raised her voice and her head to some unknown deity above, but then returned to him. "Do you even understand what this means to me? To be Imzadi is... it's forever." She suddenly dropped her voice to barely a whisper. "I've never been able to move on. I'll *never* be able to be with anyone else and feel complete. And all these years, all the years to come, I'll always know I lost you–" She ducked her head. "To your career."

"So you're damn right, Will Riker, I'm angry. And I'm hurt– and I'm– I'm-- horrified that I just did this to my best friend. Oh Gods.."

She sank to her knees on the floor and began to cry in earnest, her long dark curls spilling down over her shoulder and nearly obscuring her face from view.

Will's heart was hammering so fiercely against the inside of his chest that he worried for an irrational moment it might break free. How could he have been so blind? So selfish? And worst of all, how could he tell her the truth after this.. and make her believe him?

He sank to his knees as well, kneeling just inches away from her, terrified of saying or doing the wrong thing, scared of doing too much, but even more terrified of doing too little.

Slowly, reverently, he reached out his hand and brushed it against her hair just at the edge of her face. He heard her crying grow stronger and wondered for a moment if he'd been wrong to reach out to her. But his heart wouldn't let him pull back.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Will used his fingertips to lift her chin up and to bring her face to face with him. He hadn't realized that he too was crying, until the moment she saw him and her own sobbing ceased. She reached out to him, automatically, and tentatively brushed her fingertips over his tears, as if uncertain he – or any of this – were real.

"Imzadi.." He whispered to her.

She exhaled quickly and turned away from him.

"Imzadi.." He repeated, turning her face back towards him. "Please listen..." He paused and, as though uncertain where to begin, he let his eyes wander over her features before he next spoke.

Her gaze was expectant, and he continued to stroke her hair while he spoke; his voice barely a whisper.

"When I told you that I believed in a soul, it was you.." He began.

"Will, you don't have to–" She suddenly spoke up, shaking her head. Her crying had ceased, and though her eyes still sparkled in the starlight, he could see she'd regained her composure.

"Shh." He took his hand from her hair and placed three fingers over her parted lips.

"I *need* to." He smiled at her, and she remained silent. "Deanna, before I met you, I thought I had my entire lifetime all figured out. I'd planned the whole thing in advance right down to the letter." He shook his head as though remembering some youthful indiscretion.

"And then one day, this... enchanting, beautiful, intelligent woman walks into my life and everything just–" He flipped his hands over in gesture. "Topples upside down."

She dipped her head and he brought her gaze back up, level with his.

"So there I was. 23 year old serious young lieutenant, looking for a fast track on his career, and suddenly, I'm looking at this girl... all the way across a room and I *know*, beyond any shadow of any doubt, I just *know* that I could live my life a hundred times and never *really* live unless she loved me..."

Troi saw him swallow at the admission and she tipped her head, knowing that fresh and ready teardrops had begun to glisten in her eyes.

"But what's a guy to do?" He smiled ruefully. "I'd never been in love before, no matter what I thought. I didn't even realize that what I felt *was* love, in the beginning. I knew I wanted you with me.. all the time. I knew that when we spent our days together I'd go back to base at night and lay there for hours, just... thinking about the way you'd smiled at me – or how great your hair smelled." He colored slightly at the admission, and he heard her make a very quiet clicking sound though her luminous, tear-filled eyes never left his gaze. And she continued to listen in silence.

"Deanna.. when I asked you to marry me that first time. I was–" He suddenly trailed off, at a loss for words. And then he felt her fingertips brush over his lips, their eyes held and she whispered..

"Shh".

He shut his eyes and hung his head. "The point is... the young man I was, grew into the man I am today. I'd be a fool to trade any of that – even my mistakes – for something else because quite frankly, I'm proud of who I am right now."

She nodded silently.

"But who I am right now has a lot to do with you, as well. Deanna, you've been my best friend, my confidant.... my soulmate... in almost every way that mattered for so long, I'd almost forgotten what it was like not to feel you with me. Until tonight. And.. down there on the planet, I almost lost you twice." He caught her with an intense look. "I would have lost myself.."

Troi shivered without knowing why.

"..And then there were the times that we forgot about our ‘agreement'.." He shook his head wryly and saw her answering half-smile.

"When I came here tonight, I wasn't certain *what* I wanted. I didn't know why I was feeling so– replete. But now I do, and I can't ask you to believe me, though I'd hoped that you might sense that it were true.." He shrugged apologetically. "I guess that's not something I should take for granted either..."

Off her sorrowful sigh, he caught her hand in his.

"...I *do* love you, Deanna. Imzadi." He murmured. "And not just as a friend, or a confidant..." Locking their fingers together, he continued. "I love you the way two souls who can never be separated fall in love. The way a man loves a woman – the only way I've ever known how to love you." He swallowed hard. "With everything I am."

Though tears fell from her eyes unbidden, Deanna found the strength to take his other hand in hers. For nearly a minute, they remained that way, fingers twined, eyes locked, the only sound apparent in the cabin was the rhythm of their breath.

And then, finally, she spoke. "I trust you.." She whispered. ".. with my heart."

Slowly, very slowly, as though time compressed and they were caught within some form of surreal expression, their bodies moved together, their lips, a breath apart, finally joined and he was kissing her; just as she was kissing him; just as they had in Jalara.

Just as they had in the years of their dreams...

----------------------------

Chapter 26 - THE END

----------------------------

The lights were dim in Ten Forward, when Troi stepped inside. The normally busy lounge was noticeably empty, and without wonder.. at 0400 hours in the morning. Even Guinan was no where to be found, though she suspected that might have been Will's doing more than anything else.

Narrowing her gaze, she peered around the semi-darkness of the room until she spotted a shadowy figure in the far corner. Letting go her mind, Deanna felt the familiar brush of his emotions mingle her own, and she sent him tenderness and desire along their link, silently hoping that he would return her the favor.

He didn't disappoint, though what he sent back was perhaps more.. distracting. She shivered and smiled simultaneously.

"What are you doing all the way back there?" She asked, walking farther into the room even as the words left her lips.

"Just thinking, I guess.." He responded, leaning back against a bulkhead and starring off into space.

"Good thoughts, I hope.." Her smile was coy and when she reached him, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her tenderly.

"I was thinking about *you*." He whispered conspiratorially into her ear.

"About me?" The Counselor trembled as his lips tickled the edge of her ear.

"We're back on duty tomorrow." He stated simply and felt her sigh.

Joining his stargazing stance, Troi moved to occupy the space just next to Riker. For a time, both officers simply regarded the vastness of the universe in silence.

"I guess we've both been thinking about that." Deanna finally added. It had been three days, and their magical, uninterrupted interlude was about to be over. Though neither one of them wanted to think or to talk about it, the question of how the reality of regular duty shifts would impact their newly recaptured relationship weighed heavily on each of their hearts.

It wouldn't have been the first time Starfleet had managed to keep them at arms length, but somehow, this time was different, and both of them knew it.

"You know it doesn't matter to me.." Will began. "What happens.. or where I'm assigned. I won't leave you again."

"You haven't left me until now.." Troi reminded him.

"I guess that's true." He acknowledged. "But things are different this time." Off her questioning glance, he continued. "They're different because I *want* them to be different. And I've never been more sure of what I want." He exhaled slowly. "The Captain's chair isn't everything to me anymore."

"I know that." Deanna smiled up at him and stood on her toes as she kissed him.

For a time they were silent.

"Have you ever gone floating in these windows?" Riker suddenly checked around them and had the distinct look of a little boy with his hand caught in the cookie jar.

"I beg your pardon?" Troi asked, smiling helplessly at his excited expression and his drastic change of subject.

"Computer, privacy lock, Ten Forward, authorization Riker Omega Three."

--Privacy Lock Engaged—- The computer intoned.

Deanna tipped her head in curiosity. "What are you doing?"

"What are *we* doing." He answered. "Take a look at these windows, Deanna! They're enormous. The first time I ever walked in here, I wondered what it might be like some time, when no one was around, to just–"

Riker suddenly lifted Troi off her feet and over the edge of the window near the floor. He placed her gently inside and off her startled gasp, he placed three fingers on her lips.

"Shh." He whispered and then sent her a vivid emotion which made her tremble.

As he removed his fingers, he very carefully leaned forward and replaced them with his lips, capturing her mouth in a long, slow, entirely sensual kiss.

Forced to lean back against the glass beneath her, Deanna found herself lost in his touch; in the brush of his lips over hers, again and again; in the warmth of his breath and the feelings he sent to her -- very much on purpose.

When he finally released her, the Counselor found herself breathless with longing and nearly desperate for more..

"More?" He asked her, as though he had heard her thought – which was entirely possible under the circumstances.

She nodded without words, but this time, rather than lean forward, Will climbed into the window pane next to her.

"Look around you... it's like flying..." He whispered, and she did... and for the first time, Deanna realized just where she was and what he had meant. The curve of the glass was gradual and comfortable, almost as though it had been meant for a body to recline on it's surface, but more than that, each vast pane was a veritable gateway to the stars... all around them, everywhere at once, it seemed, there were pinpoints of light.

"Oh, Will.." She whispered. "This is so beautiful.."

"You'll never look at Ten Forward in quite the same way.." He responded, turning towards her and drawing her close in his arms.

When their faces were mere millimetres apart, Will suddenly stopped. "Deanna– before we face the wolves again tomorrow.. I want to share something with you."

"Besides all this?" She nodded towards the starscape beyond and he affirmed her question. Hopping forward from the glass, he extended his arm and helped her step from inside as well. When they were both on solid ground again, he grinned at her.

"I love you, Ms. Troi."

"And I love you.." She replied, shivering for no reason at all except that she could feel so much in an instant.

Without warning, Will dropped to one knee before her and her jaw fell open at his obvious intent.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you..." He continued, and the look in his eyes was one of such entreat, she nearly lost her breath. "..Officially. Forever."

Deanna knew her lips had moved, but no sound came out... instead, she heard him go on to ask: "Deanna Troi... will you be my wife?"

He'd drawn out a ring from his pocket and she starred at it in awe for nearly five seconds. It was the one he'd shown her down on the planet. The one his mother had left to him and which he'd carried everywhere with him since he was a little boy. He was offering it to her now..

She felt herself melt in every direction and knew what her answer would be. Knew what her soul's desire was, and for the first time in her life, there wasn't a doubt in her mind when she nearly screamed..

"Yes!" She flew into his arms, even before he'd been able to place the ring on her finger, she plundered his mouth with kisses, held him and felt his response; the need, the understanding, the hope and the longing -- all throughout her spirit.

When their kisses grew languid; when their arms loosened only to allow them space to breathe; only then did Will reach for her hand, and gently, ever so carefully, slide the precious circlet onto her finger.

That it was a perfect fit never entered his mind. For everything else about them always had been – a perfect fit, from the moment he'd met her, to the moment they'd come to be the best of friends – and now so much more.

There would be no more Starfleet to get in the way, this time. There would be no careers and no over intellectualizing, there would only be...

((Forever... Imzadi)) He heard her whisper in his mind. And he knew that it was true.

~~THE END~~