"Mother Knows Best..."
By: QDestinyy@aol.com
Rated: PG
Note:  Another evening exercise of the 'moment-in-time' variety I've become so fond of recently.   This one takes place post "Insurrection". 



"You know, I still can't believe he did all of this so readily," Deanna Troi stared awe-struck into her drink.

"Well, think of it from his perspective," Doctor Beverly Crusher replied.

"I'm trying! Believe me, I am."

"She is your mother, Deanna. And he knows that. He knows how much you revere her, even though you'll probably hit me for saying so."

"I do not revere--" Troi trailed off sullenly, "I'll concede that I admire her. She is my mother, but beyond that, she's also done so much with her life."

"Well, so have you," countered Crusher.

Deanna shook her head. "It's not nearly the same, Beverly. She's a Federation Ambassador."

"And? So could you be."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You. If you wanted to, why not?"

"Oh, I would never--"

Crusher offered her a wry, sardonic smile. "One thing I've learned on board the Enterprise, Deanna, is never... say never."

"Ha ha," Troi sighed, "I'm still in shock I think," she turned and propped her head inside her palm, "you know he carried all her things from deck thirteen?"

"And set them up, and made sure everything she asked for was in place. You've mentioned that already," Beverly laughed.

"Well, I'm just amazed, that's all. And he was smiling the entire time. Even when I left them for my counselling sessions, I didn't sense a single bit of avarice or bitterness at her obvious challenges to his pride."

"It sounds to me, like you're the one who's angrier than Will..."

"Maybe I am," Deanna frowned, "it wasn't fair of her to treat him like that. Especially since she nearly threw the two of us together every other time she's been on board the past few years. She might have said 'I told you so.' THAT I was expecting. That I came prepared to tolerate, but... THIS?"

"She's testing him."

"I know that!" Troi stifled a groan, "that's what scares me. To what purpose? Beverly, my mother put Will through hell the first time he and I were together. She loathed the very concept--"

Crusher's eyebrows rose. "But she's always been so fond of him on the Enterprise."

"Only because she wanted to make a more specific point--with me. 'Get married Little One, have children, make a home for yourself, you're not getting any younger, you know. It's about time you started thinking of this family instead of your career...'

When Beverly kept smiling Troi let down her hand. She glared until her friend explained, "Nothing. You do a good impression, that's all."

"She's probably up there now interrogating him," Deanna sighed. "I shouldn't have left the two of them alone."

"Deanna, you worry too much. If Will was fine when you last saw him, what makes you think that anything's changed since then?"

"YOU don't know my mother."

"Maybe not," the doctor smiled, glancing up at the door to Ten Forward, "but apparently our fine Commander Riker does..."

Both pairs of eyes turned simultaneously. The formidable Lwaxana Troi had entered the otherwise empty Ten-Forward lounge, cheerfully hanging off the arm of a smiling First Officer.

"Oh gods..." Deanna breathed.

"You see? It looks to me like they're getting along quite well."

"They are," Troi answered in a small, foreboding voice. "She's being polite. For a change."

"Come on Deanna, let's go say hello?"

"All right. But if the ship goes down on that third moon, I'm putting this all on your head, doctor."

"Now that's a deal," laughed Crusher, standing from her chair, "Will!" she smiled widely, "Mrs. Troi, it's good to see you both."

"Oh why thank you dear," Lwaxana ushered forward, leaving Riker just a step behind. She clasped the doctor's hand, "I haven't seen you in the longest time! Is Jean-Luc treating you well? He'd better be. You know that he's in love with you? Or at least he was, the last time I saw him..."

"Mother!" Troi cut in, and Crusher's cheeks flushed red. "It's not polite to start a conversation with the details of someone's personal regard."

Lwaxana paused. But then she smiled. "Of course not dear. Of course, where are my manners?" she turned to Beverly and whispered in her ear, "we'll discuss this later, dear..."

"Mother..." Troi rebuked again. The doctor cleared her throat.

"So... isn't this a WONDERFUL day? Just WONDERFUL!" the older Troi exclaimed.

"Wonderful?" asked Crusher.

Deanna's dark eyes narrowed, but she caught Riker's bemused expression and opted not to speak.

"Wonderful!" Lwaxana replied.

<Mother,> Deanna sent non-verbally, <I swear to the gods, if this is going to be another personal comment about Will and I, I'll-->

"I'm moving to Earth!"

"What?" Troi's jaw dropped to the floor.

"Little one, really, you should have the doctor check your hearing. It can't be healthy when I'm standing right next to you and you can't hear--"

"I HEARD you mother," she said, "I just... can't believe my ears."

<Well, would it be better if I told you this way, Little one?> Lwaxana placed inside Troi's mind.

"No!" Deanna coughed, "What--when did this decision--happen, exactly?" her sharp eyes turned to Will, "and why are you still smiling?!"

Riker held up both his hands, "I'm sorry, it's just--the expression on your face is priceless."

"My mother thinks she's moving to EARTH! You think THIS is priceless?"

"Oh come now dear," the older Troi cut in, "I don't THINK I'm moving to Earth, I've already decided. The arrangements have already been made. Mr. Homn is taking all our things to--"

"Wait, wait!" Deanna threw an arm up, "Mr. Homn is going too?"

"Well of course, dear, you don't think I could rattle around in some old house on Earth alone do you? Who would make my tea?"

"I think I need a chair," Troi caught her hand against the bar, but Riker moved in close behind her and gently drew her back. She sagged against him, grateful for the solid, stable plane. "Mother, what about our house? On Betazed? The FIFTH House?"

Lwaxana furrowed her brow. "Oh, that house..."

"Yes, that house! The house that I grew up in.  The house that every Troi has lived in for the past five hundred years! THAT house!"

"I put it up for sale."

"You WHAT?!"

"Well," Lwaxana sighed dramatically. "you were up here for so many years, and despite my most valiant efforts to bring you home, you really had no interest. You made that very clear. Life on a Starship has always been what you wanted, so I finally decided it was time. That place is much too big for me anyway. Just me and Barin. Oh, and Mr. Homn of course. It just seemed better this way..."

"But mother..."

"Nonsense. This is what you WANTED, dear. I'm only conceding to the inevitable..."

Deanna scowled. Lwaxana had done a great many things in her lifetime, but 'conceding to the inevitable' was never one of them. "Barin isn't even half Human, Mother. Why Earth?"

"Your father always said we go there someday. Live there for a time. We never got the chance..."

Troi turned in Riker's arms and pinned a fierce expression on him. "Wait a minute. Did you know about this?"

"Nope," he shook his head. "I found out now, the same as you."

"And you don't care??" she asked.

"She's your mother. It's her house... it's not my place to care--"

"Ohhh!" Deanna growled and stalked away. From Riker. From the bar. She even left Crusher standing speechless between two chairs. But Riker was the first to move.

"Deanna, wait a second," he threw a look at Beverly, who shrugged, so he turned and trapped Troi's arm. "stop a minute, will you?"

"Why?" she rounded on him sharply, "my mother's sold my house Will!"

"Your house?" he asked softly.

"Well..." she bit down hard on her lip and glanced away, "it was going to be. Someday... I grew up there."

"I know," he took the hand she'd been waving in the air and caught it gently. "But you were never all that excited about going back, Deanna, except to visit. Even you have to admit."

"I know that, but it was still my home."

"Look," said Riker, "maybe it's not gone yet. She said she put it up for sale, not that she sold it. Maybe you can talk her out of it."

"She's trying to make a point," Deanna scowled. "This isn't about the house, it's about ME. And frankly, since you brought it up-- it seems to be about you too."

"Me?"

"Unless this is some sort of 'fling' we're having now?" Troi's pointed gaze cut into him.

"You know it's not," he held her stare unmoving.

"And YOU know what she's trying to do."

Riker sighed. "Even if I do, Deanna, what does it change? Our hopes? Our plans? Our feelings for each other?"

She frowned and looked away, "No, I guess not."

"Then?"

With a frustrated breath, Deanna lifted her chin. "I just hate that she can do this to me, even after all these years!"

"Then don't let her."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You have it in your power to decide, Deanna, who gets to you and who does not," he smiled, "a clever Counselor once told me that when I was thinking of taking a contract out on my father..."

Her lips turned up at the corners, but Deanna released a frustrated breath instead of a smile. "I know that's true. I know you're right. I just--"

"Your life, Deanna," he continued. "Your call. Remember? You make the choices, just the way you always have. She'll still be your mother. Even if she sells the house, and ultimately, do you really think she'd put the Holy Rings of Betazed on the Market?"

Deanna smirked at the image his words had projected in her mind, "probably not."

"Then I say, play it just like cards on Friday night.  Go out there and call her bluff."

"You know something Mr. Riker," Troi tipped her head coyly, "you're either a lot wiser than you used to be, or--"

"Don't say it, please," he teased, "be kind and let me live in this rare moment of commendation."

Deanna thumped him hard across the chest before she smiled, "Okay. I'll do it.  I'll call her bluff. But if I go through with this, are you in with me? You'll back me up?"

"Oh, absolutely," Riker grinned.

"I'll only be able to hold the mental shield in place for a short time, you realize."

"Just enough time, I'd say."

She formally released his hand. "Well then, Commander, what are we waiting for?"

"After you, Ms. Troi..." he gestured to the bar, where the doctor and Lwaxana were still engaged in conversation.

"Mother--" Deanna cut in, happily beaming, "I'm sorry about that. I was a little shaken when you first mentioned you were selling the house, but I've spoken to Will about it and I think he's right. This is really for the best."

"This-- He--" the older Troi stammered, "What? Oh, yes... the best. Well, I certainly think that--"

"In fact, we have some wonderful news of our own," Deanna cut her mother off adroitly, "Will's asked me to MARRY HIM!"

As she finished her sentence, she moved to stand beside Riker, who draped a solid arm across her shoulders. He pulled her toward him and grinned.

"Married?" Lwaxana breathed, "Well that IS wonderful news! Wonderful! We'll just have to plan the--"

"Oh Mother, wait, there's more..." Deanna spoke between the older woman's words, "since you've sold the house, you have no idea what a weight you've taken off our shoulders. For the longest time I didn't know where I'd want to raise our children, and now you've made it so simple."

"Simple?"

Troi nodded emphatically, "Oh yes, we're thinking we'll elope, to Zetli Prime, for the wedding."

"There are some amazing hotels down there. And those exotic blue dancers," Riker winked at Lwaxana, "really great Mrs. Troi..."

"Yes, so I've heard..." she deadpanned, "but--"

"We'll have a non-denominational ceremony," Deanna went on, "and then who knows? Will and I always said we wanted to take a few years away as sabbatical leave from Starfleet anyway."

Riker nodded gamely, "We figure when our first child is born, if we have it on Zetli, it'll be a citizen of three aligned worlds. That would be a wonderful opportunity, don't you think?"

"Oh, yes," Lwaxana whispered thinly, "wonderful..." her dark eyes focused wholly on her daughter, but Deanna merely met her mother's stare head on and kept her smile in-tact. Until the older Troi looked down in obvious frustration.

"Then we'll return to the Enterprise, or wherever else we're stationed--"

"Deanna," Will turned to her, "You know what I was thinking? They need a few new people in the Beta quadrant. I heard there are five or six Federation ships still waiting on commission... I could take that command I'd always wanted. There's still a great deal 'out there' left to be explored."

Deanna caught his arm and grinned, "Oh, that sounds wonderful! It takes what, twelve--?"

"--thirteen," he amended.

"Thirteen years," she smiled in return, "--just to get out there, and by that time our children would have seen so much of the Universe already."

"So really, Mrs. Troi, I have to thank you," Riker squeezed Deanna's arm. "You're doing us a great favor."

For an instant, Lwaxana Troi was silent. She looked from Riker to Troi, then back again. Her dark eyes scanned the joy still evident on each of their features and then moved to their clasped hands. Before she threw her arms up desperately and broke.

"Deanna Troi!" she bellowed, "if you think I'm going to let you take off half-way across the galaxy to have my grandchildren, then you have another thing coming! And as for this so-called MARRIAGE, the only way I'd ever let you MARRY some... some... VAGABOND Starfleet officer would be with my very real consent..."

"Vagabond?" Riker cut in plaintively.

Deanna took a step backward with him and blinked, "but... mother you're selling our house. And my career *is* out here in space. Where else are we supposed to go?"

Lwaxana narrowed her eyes. "I see what you're doing here," she growled, "don't think I don't see it. And you--BLOCKING me out like this--it's UNCIVILIZED!" Her gaze turned to a stunned but still silent Doctor Crusher, "even SHE can see it!"

Placing a hand on each of her hips, Deanna left Will's arm and marked stolidly toward her mother. "Well good," she spat, "then maybe YOU can see what it feels like for a change! You're always so manipulative, everything's a ploy for you, well not my life! My life and my choices are my own to make! For once and for all, mother, let me live my life!"

Standing furiously across from one another, both Trois exhaled identically livid breaths. Riker glanced at Crusher, who had already moved a decorous distance away from the bar and then he looked back at Deanna.  But she didn't even seem to realize he was still in the same room.

In a stroke of happenstance, or fate, it was the older Troi who finally conceded first. "You're not really going to elope to Zetli, are you, Little One?" she begged.  "I couldn't bear it... I just couldn't bear it..."

Deanna sighed. "Have you sold our house yet, mother?"

Lwaxana's countenance regained its regal composure and she waved a dismissive hand.  "Of course not, do you think I'm daft?"

Deanna cocked an eyebrow and glanced at Riker, "Well then I think you're safe from naked blue grandchildren--for now." She saw Will turn to hide his smile.

"Oh...  Oh, thank the GODS!" Lwaxana threw herself across the space and fiercely embraced her daughter. "I do love you, you know, Little One. You're my only daughter..."

"I know that mother," Deanna soothed.

"And the sanctity of your wedding is the most important thing in the world to me..."

"Sanctity?" Riker mouthed, but Troi threw him a withering look and he glanced quickly at the floor.

"Don't worry mother, you'll have time to plan out everything," she shook her head and released herself from the older woman's vice-like grip. "Will and I were teasing on multiple levels. We're not even engaged."

"You're not?" Lwaxana's countenance seemed to fall.  "But that's ridiculous. The foremost thing on his mind when you declared--"

"Mrs. Troi," Beverly Crusher placed a hand on the older woman's arm, "you know, I think the Captain and I are supposed to be having dinner in a few minutes. I'm sure he'd love it if you joined us..."

"Jean-Luc?  I haven't seen him in AGES!"

"Yes," the doctor glanced sidelong at Riker who offered her a grateful smile before she lead the distracted Troi matriarch perfunctorily out of Ten Forward. 

When they were gone, Will turned to Deanna. "So," he set himself casually against the bar, "I think that went fairly well."

"As opposed to the disaster it might have been?" she sighed.

Hooking an arm around her waist, he pulled her gently toward him and dropped the side of his head against her hair. "You've gotten a lot stronger, you know. I remember a time you wouldn't have been able to hold a block like that in place against your mother's telepathic probe."

Deanna smiled, leaning into his embrace. "Probably true," she regarded him thoughtfully, "you know I really couldn't believe you didn't mind all of that 'formality' this afternoon."

"Ah, it was fine," he shrugged against her shoulder but she cringed.

"I could have crawled into a hole. I'm sorry she treated you so rudely. My mother makes her points in vivid color whether the rest of the Universe is ready for them or not."

"Which is what makes her so ... unique?"

Deanna laughed. "Now that's one way of putting it."

"Honestly, Deanna," he turned and looked her in the eyes, "I really didn't mind. She's your mother, and I--"

"I know," she whispered, "and you love me."

He offered her a nostalgic smile, "something like that."

"You're an amazing man, Will Riker."

"Who me?" he checked behind him, feigning injury when Deanna playfully slapped his arm.

"You've changed so much..." she whispered softly, lifting a hand to caress the edge of his bearded face.

"So have you," he countered, "maybe we're both a little different now."

"Maybe..." Deanna's breath spilled, warm as a lover's caress across his lips before their mouths joined tenderly and Riker wrapped his arms around her smaller frame. 

"I like this change," he smiled.

"Me too," Deanna kissed him again and then pulled back, "Will?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think that maybe we should--"

"I want to marry you, Deanna," he interjected quietly, watching the light from the lounge throw flickering patterns across her luminous eyes, "if that's what you were going to say..."

"Maybe it's not my mother I should have practised blocking?" she laughed.

"Look.  I know what we just did right now was only 'pretend', but I want to make it real.  Well," he smiled, "the part about you and me, together.  We can talk about Zetli later..."

"Right," Deanna grinned, "before or after our first child arrives?"

She was teasing him.  Blatently.  But his eyes had turned a serious shade of blue and Riker took her hand in his.

"Will?"

Dropping down onto one knee, he drew a delicate ring out of his pocket and held it nervously aloft. "Surprise?  I um, I had this all planned out. It was a little more romantic though... that might be the reason your mother was so easily swayed by our little charade.  The truth is, I'd just asked her--" he cleared his throat self-consciously, "I'd just asked her permission to--"

Deanna's mouth fell open. "You're serious..."

"Deanna," he wet dry lips, "I've never been more serious about anything in my entire life.  Maybe there's an 'old fashioned' guy inside me, despite what I used to say. I've just always had this fantasy that someday I would get to be with you like this, and everything would be perfect. And then, somehow, I'd find the courage to say to you again--" he released a tremulous breath, "to ask you--will you be my wife, Imzadi?"

Deanna caught her breath. Releasing his hand, she slowly sank to her knees and met him face-to-face on the carpet. "You planned this out?"

"A little," he conceded, "things never go 'exactly' as planned with us, do they? I should know better by now--"

"Will," she held his gaze, either oblivious to or ignoring his self-depricating remark, "it's the most beautiful ring I've ever seen."

Riker swallowed.  "Then maybe..."

"Yes," reaching up, she cupped the back of his neck with the palm of her hand and whispered, "Gods, yes, I'll marry you, Imzadi."

In a moment that seemed surreal to both of them, he gently took her other hand and slipped the ring along her finger with reverent care. 

"It fits..." he said softly, but when he realized he'd spoken aloud, he added, "I mean, it looked so small when I first picked it up--"

Deanna threw her arms around his neck. Her long, dark hair spilled onto his shoulders; her face pressed gently against his skin.  And when their mouths met shortly afterward, there was a desperate urgency that drew a breathless gasp from both their lips.

"I love you, Will," she murmured in his ear. 

The heat of her voice forced Riker's eyes to close while his mouth caressed her neck.

"Just promise me something?" she asked.

"Anything..." he bit down gently.

"Promise me you'll never mention those dancers on Zetli again."

Against his better judgement, Riker laughed. "Oh Dee," he pulled her closer in his arms, "I've never even BEEN to Zetli."

"What?" she pushed back on him until he let her go. "In all this time, you've told the whole ship stories of the way the girls there are so--"

"I'm a warm-blooded man," he mournfully defended. "I had a reputation to uphold..."

"Oh really?" she held him with a pointed look, "and what am I supposed to believe has changed with your so called, 'warm-blooded reputation' now, Commander?"

"Now?" he answered smoothly, pulling her expertly back into his arms, "I am a happily engaged man."

Deanna regarded him and frowned. But when he bent his head and kissed her one more time, she let him lift her to her feet. They took a moment just to stand there and explore their new, impending fate, before she growled against his neck, "you'd better be..."

Leaning backward on the bar, Riker slowly brought her with him.  He drew a hand against her hair and took a solemn, needful breath.  "I love you, Deanna..." he whispered,  "And you may not believe it, but there are times--I think I even love your mother, too.  So far as mothers go..." he grinned.

With his face between her palms, Deanna traced his warm expression.  Her fingers brushed against his skin and when she saw him looking back at her with both his eyes alight, she placed her lips on his and smiled.




[end]