Q’s Imzadi Experiment

By Rachel

Chapter 1

“Psst, William.” Deanna Troi’s velvety voice whispered from the shadows of his darkened bedroom.

“Deanna is that you,” Will said distractedly, waking up out of a deep sleep.

“Will I know this is highly inappropriate of me, being here, but I had a nightmare and I didn’t want to be alone.”

Immediately, Will sat straight up in bed, “Deanna, you know you can always come to me when you have a problem. Do you want to tell me about the nightmare?”

“Will, please don’t think petty of me but do you think we could skip the talking. I really don’t want to relieve that dream if I don’t have to.” Deanna voice begged.

“Well, do you want to come over and sit with me?” Will asked.

“Actually, if you wouldn’t mind, I would rather you came over to me. I could really use one of those famous William Riker bear-hugs right now.”

Will swung his feet over the side of his bed, and sleepily stood up, “Deanna, where are you?”

“I’m over here by your dresser.”

“Computer lights.” Will called out.

Within seconds Will’s bedroom became illuminated. However, to Will’s shock, and dismay, Deanna was not standing over by his dresser . . .Q was.

“I do not need this tonight.” Will groaned.

Q just held his head down low, and shook it sadly, “Pathetic . . .you are truly one of the more pathetic examples of your species I ever have run across.”

“Q it’s late, and I have to work a double shift tomorrow, so would you please just leave.” Will pleaded, as he slowly made his way back to his bed.

“Now come on Commander, you weren’t about to send Ms. Troi packing, why should I be any different?” Q asked. He followed Will to his bed and sat himself on the edge. “Are you discriminating me because you don’t find me pleasing to the eye?”

“Yes Q, that it, your not pleasing to the eye.” Will reasoned, as he threw back his sheets and eased into his bed, “You’ve just got me figured out completely. I guess you’d better move on to a new species to annoy.”

“No Commander, that is where you are wrong. This little experiment today has proved to me, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I don’t have you figured out at all. I feel the need to perform some more experiments.” Q announced, “And since you are the most clueless on the ship, I feel the need to use you as my guinea pig.”

Will groaned and placed his pillow on top of his head, “Q, please no experiments. If you want to know something, why don’t you ask.”

Q sat thoughtful for a moment, but eventually shook his head no, “No, I’ve already developed my hypothesis, so now my next logical step is to prove that hypothesis right or wrong.”

“Q is there anyway I’m going to stop you?” Will asked in his defeated voice.

Q shook his head no again, “Nope. I’ve worked way to long on my research to stop now.”

“What is your hypothesis then?”

Q smiled, “I am very proud of this one, and so are my fellow Qs. They think I’ve really taken on a difficult subject.”

Will felt a knot appear in the pit of his stomach, “You hypothesis is.”

“Why that love can not withstand the test of time.” Q said with a smile

—Chapter 2

“Oh no, not time travel.” Will groaned, as he sat back up in his bed. “How far in the future are you going to send me?”

Q looked at him quizzically, “You have perplexed me. Why do automatically assume that I will be sending you to the future.” He rested his chin of his hand and waited for Will’s response.

“You just said your hypothesis had to do with the test of time, right? I just assumed you meant you were testing me in the future.” Will responded matter-of-factly.

Q nodded his head thoughtfully, “Yes, I can see where you may have deducted that theory, but you disappoint me by your eagerness to presume what you don’t know. Back to your improper deduction, frankly I have seen the future and it’s boring,” Q stood up from his seat on Will’s bed, to begin to pace back and forth across the room, “The future holds nothing but more starships, and more undiscovered territory, blah! I’m getting quite bored.”

Will, feeling slightly intrigued by Q’s experiment, began to feel a twinge of anticipation regarding what was up this strange entity’s sleeve, “So where are you sending me?”

“I’m sending you to late 20th Century Earth,” Q responded giddily clapping himself on his back, quite proud of the time period he had chosen.

“What significance does late 20th Century Earth have?” Will wondered aloud, but Q had already disappeared from his room.

“Strange, but I am to damn tired to think about it now,” Will decided to himself. He began to lay back down in bed when a high pitched, loud, beeping noise sounded, causing Will to sit back up in alarm.

“Computer - Lights.” Will commanded.

Nothing.

“Computer - Lights.” Will commanded again, louder then before.

Nothing.

Will, becoming increasingly agitated the more the sound blared, began to search for his comm-badge, with intent to page security and see what was up. However, his comm-badge, or the table it usually sat on by his bed was nowhere to be found.

“Q, I would appreciate the chance to get a little sleep before my little adventure.” he yelled into the night air.

Suddenly the door at the end of his room opened, “Will are you going to get up, or am I going to have to drag Dad in here to get your butt out of bed.”

Will sat up abruptly, recognizing the familiar voice, “Thomas is that you? What is that horrible noise.”

Thomas Riker walked farther into the room, flipping on the light switch up on his way in., “No, I’m the boogey man, moron.” He walked over to the opposite side of the bed Will was reaching for earlier, and pushed the off button on the alarm clock that had been blaring, “And that Einstien is called an alarm clock. A-L-A-R-M C-L-O-C-K.”

Will looked up at his identical twin with a look of confusion, “What is the point of the alarm clock and why are you here?”

“Did someone take stupid pills? I’m here because unfortunately I’m you brother and I live here. The point of the alarm clock is to tell you to get you butt out of bed and get ready for our first day at a new school.” Thomas started back out of the room, but stopped halfway and turned back around to face Will, “It’s our senior year at a new school, so do you think, for once, you can try to act a little cooler and a lot less geekier. It embarrassing to be related to you sometimes, let alone to be you twin.” With that Thomas walked out the door.

CHAPTER 4

After slipping on his jeans, cautiously zipping up the zipper, and putting on his T-Shirt, Will ventured out the door of his bedroom and followed the noises of the television to downstairs. With each step he took, he gazed at his surroundings in amazement, astonished at how primitive people had once lived.

“William, I hope you can try to make it a priority to get out of bed on time in the future.” His Picard “father” said with a smile as he stumbled his way through the kitchen

“The future . . .yeah I can handle that.” Will said, sitting down at the kitchen table next to his brother and staring blankly at cereal boxes in front of him, not real sure if it was something he was suppose to eat, wear, read, or if he should expect it to start beeping madly.

“Good.” Picard patted him on the back and handed him brown paper sack, “I’ve packed you a lunch.”

“Dad, were seniors we don’t eat packed school lunches.” Thomas groaned, then looking at Will changed his mind “No, I take that back, I do not eat packed lunches, the dork might.”

Will looked at Thomas, sensing what ever dork meant - it wasn’t good. “No,” he handed the bag back to Picard, “if he doesn’t want it, I don’t want it either.”

Picard rolled his eyes, “$5.00 bucks enough for lunch?”

Will looked at Thomas for guidance, internally deciding he was going to have to copy his brother’s every move until he got a grasp of the time period.

“Will is $5.00 enough?” Picard asked again.

Will looked helplessly at Thomas, praying that is brother would step in at anytime.

Thomas, as if reading his mind, just shrugged his shoulders and started walking towards the door, “Don’t look at me, I’ve already scammed the old man out of money.”

Will groaned, “$5.00 is perfect.”

Picard smiled, and started to reach into his wallet. Will gazing out the kitchen window, noticed somebody passing by the house. Somebody he would recognize anywhere.

“Deanna,” he shouted. He stood up from chair and ran out the door.

Picard and Thomas looked at each other in confusion.

“Whose Deanna?” Picard asked.

“Got me.” Thomas looked curiously out the window at his brother, running like a mad man towards this unsuspecting girl. “However she looks hot, so I’d better go out there and pull the raving lunatic off of her.”

“Thomas, maybe you should let your brother have a chance with this one.” Picard requested.

“Yeah, right, like he would know how to pick up a girl. The guy can’t even turn off his alarm clock.” Picking up his back-pack and Will’s, Thomas headed out the door.

CHAPTER 5

“Deanna, Deanna wait up.” Will called, running up to her breathless.

Deanna turned around, “Do I know you?”

Will looked up and down Deanna appreciatively, noting how all-older fashions weren’t so bad, “I like your outfit.”

Deanna looked down at her pleated mini orange skirt and matching orange and black sweater, “Well thanks, there is a game today so I had to dress the part.”

“What kind of game?” Will asked falling in step next to her.

“Football, duh.” She teased, her long straight shoulder link black pony-tail swaying left and right as she walked.

“Oh. . . do you play football?” Will asked, biting his lip when he noted the look of confusion cross her face.

“No stupid she is a cheerleader.” Thomas piped up throwing his brother’s book bag him and stepping between him and Deanna. Extending his hand, he gave Deanna a winning Riker smile, “Hi, my name is Thomas Riker, the smarter twin.”

Deanna shook his hand, “Hi, Deanna Troi. I think we are neighbors.” Breaking away from the hand shake, she pointed at Will, “What’s his name.”

Will, elated by her recogintion, tried to side step his brother and get into her line of vision, “My name is.”

“Dweeb, dork, moron, nerd, Urkel-like.” Thomas finished, “he answers to them all.”

“Okay,” Deanna gave them a weak smile, and shifted uncomfortably, “I’d love to stay and chit-chat some more, but I have to stop by and pick up my boyfriend’s house to pick him up.”

“Boyfriend!” Thomas said dejectedly.

“Boyfriend!” Will repeated sadly.

“Yeah, I’d invite you along but he gets jealous real easily, and I’d really hate for you two to start off you first day at a new school under the vengeful wrath of the Captain of the Football Team.” Deanna said apologetically, before turning off the mainstreet and onto a side subdivision road.

“What his name?” Will asked, feeling a lump of dread form in the pit of his stomach.

“People call him Barclay.”

CHAPTER 5

“Barclay!?! I think I am going to be sick.” Will groaned, clutching at his stomach, “That is too twisted, even for Q.”

Thomas looked at his twin quizzically, “How do you know these people? You called out Deanna’s name in the house and now you are talking like you’ve met this Barclay person before.”

Will looked at his twin, wishing he could share the situation with his brother, but knowing it was be a futile attempt to even make him try to understand, “Don’t ask.”

Thomas rolled his eyes, “You know, if you weren’t my brother and Dad wasn’t so attached to you, I swear I would have had you committed.”

The two walked in silence the rest of the way to school.* * * *

Following Thomas like a hawk, Will had managed to register for school and obtain a class schedule with ease. However, once he compared schedules with his brother, he realized in horror that he and Thomas shared not one class together. So once they left the safety of the school office Thomas when one way and Will hesitantly went the other.

“First Hour - History,” Will thought miserably, “ancient history.” He stumbled down the hallway deep in concentration looking for his classroom, that he didn’t notice the two girls walking in front of him until he plowed right into them. Deanna, who had been in deep conversation with co-cheerleader Beverly Crusher about the new hot guy in school and his seemingly less then cool twin brother, fell crashing to the floor.

“Hey watch it.” Beverly griped, helping Deanna back up to her feet.

“Sorry Bev, I was trying to find my room and I got distracted.” Will answered, forgetting that Beverly would have no idea who he was, and turned his focus to Deanna, “Are you okay?”

Deanna tried to take a step forward, but buckled over as soon as she tried to put any weight on her left ankle, “Ouch, I don’t think I’m okay at all, I think it’s broken or sprained or something.”

“Great,” Beverly grumbled, “right before the home game to.”

Just then the warning bell rung for first period and kids began to scurry to class.

“Crap, I’ve got to book it.” Beverly looked anxiously between her friend and her class room on the other side of the hallway, “You know I’d take you to the nurse myself at any other time, but Ms. Janeway can be so MEAN when I’m tardy. She said one more strike and I’m out.”

Beverly looked at Will, “You think you could get her to the nurse without killing her?”

“He doesn’t have to do that.” Deanna quickly covered, “He should probably go to class on his first day.”

Will looked at the pained look on Deanna’s face and worried look on Beverly’s and without further hesitation scooped Deanna into his arms and stood up, “Which way to sickbay?”

“Nurses’s Office,” Deanna corrected, her cheeks slightly flushed by the excitement of being carried through the school’s hallway by somebody who up close didn’t look to bad to her at all.

“That way,” Beverly pointed.

Will nodded and began to head down the hallway with Deanna securly in his arms.

CHAPTER 6

“You really don’t have to do this, miss your first day of class and all,” Deanna said, as Will eased his way down the locker filled hallway towards the nurses office.

“It’s okay, first period is history, totally not my subject.” Will responded with a smile, his dimple popping out on his cheek, “And I didn’t really get a chance to talk to you this morning anyway.”

Deanna nodded, “You know, I don’t even know your name.”

“It’s Will, Will Riker.”

“It’s nice to meet you Will, I’d tell you may name is Deanna but judging from this morning you already knew that.” Deanna said, her eyes turning suspicious, “How exactly did you know that.”

Will cringed, “I’d love to tell you, but you’d never believe me.”

“Are you some kind of stalker, because I saw a T.V. movie on NBC about that and frankly it’s not something I want to happen my senior year.”

Will chuckled, making Deanna relax a little bit, “Deanna, your very cute and all, but I am not the type to want to lock you in my basement of anything.”

She nodded, “I didn’t think you were, but I thought I’d better check. So how did you know my name.”

Will opened his mouth will full intention to answer when a man’s voice came booming down the hallway, “Stop where you are.”

“I’m sorry,” Deanna moaned.

Will turned around and bit his lip, hoping to keep from laughing, “Do you really find this guy attractive?”

(**That will have to last until Monday - enjoy)

CHAPTER 7

Deanna looked at him strangely, “I’m the head cheerleader, he’s the Captain of the Football team, it doesn’t matter if I find him attractive or not, we have to date. It is what is expected from us.”

Will opened his mouth to rattle off a snappy comeback to her asinine reasoning, but quickly shut it when it hit him. Days before he had shared an intimate dinner with Deannna in his quarters, where she had surprised him by gently approaching the subject of her wanting to make an open relationship with him. He, knowing a review and possible promotion by Starfleet were in his not so distant future, gave the self-centered response that right now they couldn’t make an open relationship, because they had to set a positive example for junior crewman. It is what was expected from them.

“Guess you have been watching me, haven’t you Q.” He thought to himself.

“Just what do you think you are doing with my girl?” Demanded the approaching Barclay.

Will broke his gaze at Deanna to look down at Barclay and smirked, “Why do little guys have such BAD attitudes?”

Deanna, sensing a dangerous confrontation in the not so distant future, quickly began to explain, “It’s nothing to worry about Barclay, Will accidentally ra . . “

Barclay cut her off by flashing his hand up to her face, “I wasn’t talking to you Ms. Thing, I was talking to loverboy. The one manhandling my property.”

Deanna immediately shut her mouth, which infuriated Will of Barclay’s power over her.

“Last time I checked, you don’t treat a lady like that.” Will hissed through his clenched teeth.

Barclay rolled his eyes, “What if I do, what are you going to do about it?”

Will looked around the hallway, and spotting a table off to the side, he walked over and gently sat Deanna down.

“Whatever you are thinking about doing, don’t.” She hissed in his ear.”

“Deanna, that weasel has had it coming for a long time. I am just trilled that I am in an environment where I can finally give it to him.” He smiled and quickly placed a kiss on her cheeks, “Trust me.”

Before Deanna had time to react, Will whipped around with lightening speed and expertly crashed his fist into Barclay’s unsuspecting face, “Do you want some more??”

Barclay reeled back into a set of lockers, crashing into them, “Your dead,” he growled, as he bent down and started towards Will in bull like fashion.

Will easily stepped out of the way, causing Barclay to crash head first into more lockers, “You know it’s really to bad that no matter where in time you are, you still are nothing more then a scrawny twit.” Will shook his head.

By this time the sound of the fight had reached the classrooms, and students began to trickle out into the hallways to see what the commotion was, one of these students being none other then Thomas Riker.

“Will, what are you doing? Fighting on the first day?” Thomas asked, stepping away from the masses of the crowd to be next to his brother.

“I wouldn’t say I was doing much of the fighting, this guy is pretty much beating up on himself.” Will answered lightly, “I’m just enjoying the chance to watch it.”

Barclay, noticing the chance to catch Will off guard, began to lunge as him from behind. Thomas, catching Barclay out of the corner of his eye, pushed Will out of the way and suckered punched Barclay, knocking him right out.

The group of students cheered as Barclay hit the ground.

“Oh Thomas that was wonderful,” Deanna gushed, as she hobbled off of the table she was sitting on and over to where he was standing, “the way you handled that jerk was absolutely awesome..” She leaned over and kissed Thomas on the cheek.

Will stood by and watched, a numb feeling taking over his whole body.* * * *

“Well what do you think?” Q asked, looking at his co-conspirator in this latest project, “Have I fulfilled my end of the bargain.

Lwaxana Troi looked at him skeptically, “You told me that you would be able to bring Will into his situation and the end result would be him wanting to marry my daughter. I’m not sensing any feeling like that coming from him whatsoever. All I am sensing is humiliation.

“I’m not finished yet, I’ve only achieved step one of my plan.”

CHAPTER 8

Will Riker had stayed quite the rest of the day, going through the motions of a guy attending class, but not really putting any thought or feeling behind it. He was still to stunned by the affection exchanged between Deanna and Thomas. Affection that he deserved, not Thomas.

To his relief, 3:45 p.m. eventually rolled around, and he bolted from his last classroom out the door and to his house. He wasn’t sure if Thomas had expected him to wait, but the thought of walking with Thomas and Deanna home didn’t sit on his stomach to well. He had to live through their romance once, he didn’t think he could do it again.

When finally reaching his house, he rushed into the house, slammed the door, stomped up stairs into his bedroom, slamming the door again, and then collapsing on his bed.

“My, my, you really have perfected that teenage angst.” materialized that dreaded voice beside him.

“Q have you gotten the results you wanted yet? I want to get out of here.” Will moaned from where he had buried his head under the covers.

“Given up so soon? I had pictured you with a little more balls then this. Not a lot more, but a little more.” Q taunted, as he inspected his perfectly manicured nails. “However, I may be persuaded to transport you back into your safe little environment, and for the rest of you life let you second guess Deanna’s love. You can spend the rest of you sleepless nights debating whether Deanna’s love is eternal or if it’s just an induced side effect of you environment. That is, of course, Deanna keeps her interest in you.”

Will let out a groan and pulled his head from the covers, “I don’t like you.” he sputtered looking hatefully at Q.

“What a relief,” Q pretended to wipe the sweat of his brow, “you know I’ve been losing tons of sleep trying to figure out whether you did or not.”

Will looked helplessly at Q, “When you change my environment, you change me.”

“Really.” Q quit inspecting his nails to look at Will, amusement flaring in his eyes, “so your saying that old earth proverb, that the beauty of a person comes from within themselves, is a lie? Oh joy, this is proving to be a more informative experiment then I ever expected.

Will ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, “No I’m not saying that.”

The amusement grew in Q’s eyes, “What are you saying then?”

“I don’t know.”

“Are you in or are you out.” Q said, “because if you in, you should probably be aware that Deanna is in this house, in your brother’s room. If you out, I can transport you back to your room on the ship, and Deanna will be in the Quarters next to you, dreaming of the love of her life, whoever that may be at this moment.”

“I’m in.” Will said, “I’m going to show you that Deanna and I are meant for each other, that beauty comes from within, and that I have more balls then you could EVER imagined.”

Q nodded his head, “That will be a sight to see.”

CHAPTER 9

Will got up from his bed and stealthy moved down the hallway in search of his brother’s room. Lucky for him, the sound of Deanna’s infectious laughter soon flooded the hallway, which made an audible trail for him to follow. Creeping up silently, he leaned his ear to the wooden door and listened.

“Thomas you are just so cool. I mean the way you knocked out Barclay, it was like so cool.” Deanna’s flirtatious voice giggled.

Will rolled his eyes.

“You know, if you come sit over here on the bed with me, I can show you some other stuff I am cool at.” Thomas voice coaxed.

Will silently gagged at the lame line, as he moved his ear away from the door and moved his eye down to the key hole. To his horror, he could see that Deanna had sat down next to Thomas on bed and Thomas was making beginning to make his move. * * * *

“He’s not going to get it Q, he’s clueless.” Lwaxana moaned, “Thanks to your lame advice, he’s going about this all wrong.”

“I am telling you he is going to get it, trust me.” Q roared, mentally wondering why he had ever made this stupid bet with Lwaxana Troi anyway and wishing he had done his first instinct when he saw her on that spaceport, run away.

“Q, he is believing fool heatedly everything you have told him about this experiment being a test of Deanna’s love. He is refusing to realize that it’s not Deanna’s love that needs to be tested by the environment it is his own. Apparently stripping him of his rank and status has done nothing to help him realize this.”

“Then what do you suggest LWAXANA.” Q snarled.

“I suggest that you send me to that realm in the form of Picard. A little fatherly advice may point him in the right direction.”

From: Rachel Olin <denise@rwwfp.com>

CHAPTER 10

“Son, what exactly are you doing?”

Will jumped, falling over from where he was squatting at Thomas’ keyhole, “Captain . . .I mean Dad, you scared me.”

Lwaxana extended Picard’s hand, “I think we need to talk,”

Will looked back at the keyhole, reluctant to leave, and then back at who he thought to be Picard, “Right now?”

“Yes, right now.”

Will reluctantly got up and followed Picard’s disappearing figure downstairs.

* * * *

“Sit, I’m in the mood for hot chocolate.” Lwaxana ordered.

“Uggh, none for me.” Will groaned, as he sat down at the kitchen table and laid his head in his hands.

“Bad day?” Lwaxana asked, arching Picard’s eyebrow in hopefully Picard fashion.

“Bad life.” Will responded, his head still held low in his hands.

“Well son, things happen in life for a reason. Things in life may not always benefit us, but they always teach us.”

“Yes, but maybe I don’t necessarily like what is going on in that room is going to teach me.”

Lwaxana pushed a steaming cup of hot chocolate towards Will, “What does that teach you?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” Will sighed, picking up the cup, looking sickly at it and then putting it back down.

“Please I’m a telepath, nothing shocks me.” and as quickly as she said it she covered Picard’s mouth with her hand.

“Lwaxana! What it the world do you have to do with this experiment.”

“Would you believe I asked Q to get me as close to Jean-Luc as possible, and this is what he did.” she asked.

“Truthfully, no.” Will responded.

“Will, right now it doesn’t matter why I’m here . . .you could say I’m here to get Q’s results. So why don’t you tell me what you have learned today.”

“I’ve learned that Imzadi is not eternal and that Deanna’s love is towards William Riker the legend not William Riker the man. The reason she loves Thomas in this time is that because he is more like me then I am like me.”

“Hmm . . ., that quite interesting. Wrong, but quite interesting.”

Will looked at Lwaxana amazed, “Then what was I supposed to come away with .”

“You were suppose to come away with the realization of the hell Deanna goes through everyday. Q stuck you in Deanna’s shoes by making you seek out Deanna’s love. He stuck Deanna in your shoes, by being annoying oblivious to your overt advances, and Thomas is symbolic for the one thing that has always come between you and Deanna . . .your job.”

CHAPTER 11

Will sat quietly for a moment, lost in his own thoughts, and Lwaxana happily sat back, quite proud of what she had accomplished.

Finally after several moments, Will broke free from his blank stare and looked at Lwaxana, “Am I really this bad?”

Lwaxana leaned forward to give will a reassuring pat, but he flinched back out of her grasp, “Sorry, but when your in that body I can’t let you do that.”

“Right . . .but to answer your question, no you are not sitting in you quarters making out with your job or anything. But truthfully you due tend to place Deanna at a far second. She is trying to be patient and wait for you, but like all Troi’s patience tends to run out eventually.”

“Did she ask you to do this to me?”

“William, do you really think Deanna sank so low as to ask me to go crawling to Q on my hands and knees and beg him to let all the past between us be forgotten and ask him to help me kidnap you? Do you?”

“No.” Will shook his head.

“Good, because if you did I’d make you stay in this realm a little longer and let Barclay abuse you a little more.” Lwaxana laughed, flashing a “plotting Picard” smile.

“Barclay, what did he symbolize?”

“Nothing. I had to let Q have a little fun at your expense though, or he would have never helped me out. Now let’s get you back to the Enterprise before my daughter has a cow.”

“Has a cow?” Will asked curiously.

Lwaxana laughed, “This twentieth century language can be so catchy.”

* * * *

Within moments Will found himself out of the Q generated realm and back in his quarters. Relieved, he jumped out of bed, grabbed his robe, ran a few things off of the replicator, and headed for Deanna’s room.

Heads of passing crewmembers did double-takes as the first officer proudly walked down the hall from his room to Deanna in nothing but a terry-cloth robe.

Pausing at Deanna’s door for a split second, Will contemplated knocking the door or entering the access code that Deanna had given him months ago and walking right in. Knowing the old Will Riker would knock on the door so not to tip of crew members of their hidden relationship, Will chose to enter the access code.

The door of Deanna’s quarters slid open, and Will walked in.

Deanna, sitting on her bed with her old scrap book in her lap, looked up in surprise, “Will, your back.”

She immediately stood up, letting the scrap book fall to the ground, and ran over to him, “I was so worried about you. Worf had detected Q’s presence about the time you disappeared. Did he have you? What did he do to you?” Taking a deep breath she stood back and took a look at his ensemble, “Did he take all your clothes?”

Will let out a hearty laugh, “No. But don’t you like my ensemble?”

“No I do, but it isn’t something you would normally be caught dead in on your way from your cabin to mine.” Deanna said, her eyes wandering up and down him in appreciative fashion.

“Well that’s the old me.” Will took her by the hand and led her over to her bed, where they both sat down, “Deanna would you believe Q actually taught me a valuable lesson.”

Deanna looked at his skeptically, “What in the world could Q have taught you.”

Will laid back on the bed, “Deanna he took me to a late twethieth century realm, where you were dating Barclay, Thomas was more liked then me, Picard was my father, and I was a geeky seventeen year old.”

“I was dating BARCLAY?” Deanna asked, sickened by the mere thought.

“Don’t worry, you eventually ended up with Thomas.” Will continued.

“I DATED BARCLAY! and that taught you a lesson.” Deanna held her hand up to Will’s forehead, “Are you feeling okay.”

Will smiled, sat up, gave her a quick kiss, “Deanna, I’m ready. Q made me realize I’m ready.”

“For what?” she looked at his blankly.

He got up from the bed and walked over to the items he had replicated. First he lit the ten or so candles he brought in, and started placing them randomly around the room.

“Will?”

“Shhh.” he held his finger up to his lips.

He then dimmed the lights, and popped the cork on bottle of champagne he had brought in.

“Will?” Deanna asked again. He smiled when he saw the look of anticipation growing in her eyes.

He walked over, silently handed her the glass, and poured the champagne in.

He then walked back to the last item he had replicated, bent over to pick it up, stopped and stood back up. “It’s awfully warm in here.” He teasingly undid the strap on his robe and let the robe fall to the ground.

Deanna gasped, “Last week I couldn’t even get you to admit were dating and today I get this.”

Will just shrugged his shoulders, bent back down and retrived the last item he had brought in with him. He walked over, bent down on one knee, and handed her the rather large rectangular box.

Deanna’s eyes lit up, “All this commotion for chocolate?”

Will nodded, “I know what you like.”

Deanna smiled and took the box from his hand. She excitedly ripped into the box, and tore open the lid. Looking inside she gasped again, and quickly shut the box.

“Will take it back.”

Will’s face fell, “What’s wrong?”

“Will, this is just because Q messed with you that you are doing this.” She handed him the box, “You don’t mean it.”

Will opened the box and took the ring out, “Yes I do.”

“Will I think you need to go. You have that promotion to think about.” She stood up and started to leave the bedroom.

Will grabbed her left hand, “Deanna I do mean it,” he slipped the ring on her ringfinger, “I want to marry you. I love you. Q might of messed with my head, but I don’t need my head to tell me I want to be with you. All I need is this,” he took her hand and placed it on his chest, over his heart, “If Starfleet doesn’t want a dedicated married man as the Captain of their next starship I can learn to live with it, it’s their loss. But I know now that I can’t live with being a Captain of a ship and not having you to share in it with me.”

Will looked pleadingly up to Deanna.

“Are you sure Will, I can’t go through with this if your not sure.” Deanna whispered, trying to hold back the tears of joy trying to escape.

Will stood up and pulled her close to him, “Deanna do you think I would have pulled out the heavy artillery of chocolate, champagne, and my naked body if I wasn’t dead serious.” He brought his face and inch away from hers, “So are you going to marry me or are you going to humiliate me and send me back to my cabin naked and rejected.”

Deanna smiled, “I don’t know, seeing you walk back to you cabin naked and rejected might be kind of fun.” she leaned forward on her toes and placed a kiss on his waiting lips, “but I think marrying you would probably get me even better results.”

THE END