Will's Christmas Angel Part 1 of ?
R/T
Rated: PG
Tracy
12/27/99

"Mother!" Deanna's frustrated voice echoed throughout the Troi mansion as she
crossed the threshold. "Mother, are you here?" There was no response, so
Deanna Troi tossed her bags onto the marble floor and ascended the elegant
staircase. The upper level of the house was empty. Her mother's room looked
immaculate, if eccentric. Nothing was out of place; at least in Lwaxana
Troi's mind. To Deanna it looked like a violent whirlwind had swept across
the room, rifling through each and every oddity her mother possessed.
Against the wall, a large dressing table and mirror sat covered in purple
scarves, velvet hats, Andorian lace bonnets. Shoes of every color covered
the floor like a leather rainbow, completely obscuring the magenta carpet.
The bed, a large round king sized contraption, was littered with dresses,
blouses, skirts, headbands. What in the world had the woman been doing?
Deanna shook her head bemusedly, and curled up on the edge of the bed,
admiring a silk brocade blouse, wondering if it might just be her size.
Then, putting aside the vague wonderings about Lwaxana's whereabouts, she
decided to play dress-up; just like she had when she and Chandra were
children.
For over an hour, she paraded around the bedroom in Lwaxana's flashiest
outfits, giggling at her reflection as she imagined Will's reaction. It was
a fitting beginning to her shore leave and a great way to unwind. As she
sidled up to the mirror in a pink chiffon cape, Lwaxana walked into the room
and stopped in the doorway, stunned.
"Little One! You didn't tell me you were coming to visit! Come here,
come here, give me a hug." Deanna grinned, crossing the room and allowed
herself to be swept into a smothering embrace. "Mother! I wondered where
you'd gone off to. Are you all right? Normally you're at home by this hour
of the day. I was worried."
"Worried? About me? Oh darling, you silly girl. It just so happens I
was having a late luncheon with a fascinating man. He was, oh, but that can
wait for later. Tell, me, how are you? You look radiant."
Radiant was the perfect word to describe Deanna Troi. Her dark eyes lit
from within with a secret glow, and her smile was wide and genuine. She
looked more relaxed than her mother had seen her in years, and Lwaxana
couldn't help wondering if her daughter had a bit of news for her.
"Come downstairs with me darling and tell me what's been happening
lately. It's been nearly six months since I've seen you!" Deanna clasped
her mother's hand and allowed herself to be guided out of the room and down
the stairs, to a cozy nook in the kitchen beside a lovely fire. Her mother
was nothing if not old-fashioned, and the fireplace was a new edition to the
mansion, one Deanna found extremely comforting.
Curling her legs beneath her, she loosened the clip in her hair and
allowed it to tumble to her waist. Then she lay her head back against the
purple chair, luxuriating in the sense of being home.
Lwaxana surprised her by actually making the hot chocolate herself-she
only cooked when Mr. Homm was out of town, so this must be his winter
vacation, Deanna mused. They cradled fat pink mugs of steaming chocolate in
their hands, and stared at one another, obviously delighted to be together
again.
"Alright, Deanna Troi, out with it."
"What do you mean? Out with what, Mother?"
"The reason why you're here. You didn't send a communique like you
usually do, not to mention I haven't seen or heard from you in six months.
Now tell mother, why did you sneak home? You certainly don't look upset, but
a mother knows when there's something going on with her only child."
Suppressing a grin, Deanna rolled her eyes. "You are perfectly capable
of reading my thoughts, Mother. Why don't you tell me why I'm here."
Lwaxana was silent for a moment, then decided to take Deanna up on her
offer. It wasn't often she got invited into her daughter's mind, she might
as well indulge while she had the opportunity. "Alright, Little One," she
murmured, crossing her arms against her purple dress. Closing her eyes, she
allowed her thoughts to coalesce, then sent her mind directly into her
daughters.
Delight, joy, amusement were all evident in Deanna's mind. But more than
that, a peaceful satisfaction lingered softly around her thoughts, as though
her greatest happiness in life had finally been achieved. Lwaxana drifted a
bit further into Deanna's mind, looking for more of a sign of what was
causing her Little One to be so joyous. Then, she grinned, breaking off the
contact, and flung herself into her daughter's arms.
"Oh Deanna! I'm going to be a grandmother! We're going to have a baby!"
she cried ecstatically.
Deanna burst out laughing. "I'm the one having the baby, Mother. But
yes, you are going to be a grandmother."
"When? Tell me, when is the baby due?"
"Christmas morning," Deanna replied, and although Betazed did not
celebrate Christmas, Lwaxana was fully aware of the holiday, it's traditions
and its meaning.
"That's lovely. Just perfect. Oh, I can't believe my little girl is
going to be a mother! Will must be thrilled." Lwaxana's eyes misted, then
ran over with a waterfall of tears. Handing her a handkerchief, Deanna gave
a Cheshire grin in response.
"Well, "she began.
"He does know about the baby, doesn't he?"
"Not precisely."
"Darling, either he does or he doesn't."
"Mother, Will's been on a survey mission in the Beta quadrant for almost
four weeks-I just found out about the baby three days ago. He hasn't a
clue-at least, not just yet."
Relieved, her mother smiled, and took her hands in her own. "Well,
that's alright then. I must admit I was afraid that perhaps he did not want
the baby, or that the two of you had ended your relationship."
"Are you certain that a part of you wouldn't like it if we had?"
"Why Deanna Troi, whatever would make you think that I wouldn't want
William as my son-in-law? Why just the other morning I was telling my dear
friend Dreyla Sheldar that my daughter was seeing the most attractive
Commander ever to grace the bridge of a starship."
Deanna had to laugh out loud at that one. "Oh really? And did you also
tell her that you hated Will on sight when you first met him twenty years
ago? Or how about the time you were in Phase and decided that he would make
a perfect mate-for yourself?"
Lwaxana pretended to look shocked, then burst out laughing. "All right,
I suppose I was not very supportive of your relationship with William in the
beginning."
"That is the understatement of the century. What finally changed your
mind, Mother?"
She took a sip of chocolate, closed her eyes and smiled at her daughter.
"It was your father, Little One."
Deanna's cup nearly fell out of her open palm and she quickly grabbed for
it before the hot liquid could stain the glass table. "My father? What do
you mean?"
Her face softening with memories, Lwaxana replied, "Ian comes to me now
and again in my dreams. A long time ago he appeared to me, just after your
William left Betazed, and he was very angry with me. He reminded me that my
mother had tried to get in the way of our romance because Ian was human. He
said that he loved you very much and that he knew your only happiness lay
with young Riker. Well, after I awoke I promptly pushed it aside, but
recently he's been returning, to remind me," her eyes suddenly filled with
tears, and she wiped them gently with the tip of a purple fingernail.
"What is it Mother? What did Daddy say to upset you so?"
"He said that he and I were Imzadi, that we always would be. And, that
denying you the chance to be with your own Imzadi was like turning my back on
all that he and I had shared. He reminded me that I had defied my own mother
to be with him, and that I should prepare myself, because you would no doubt
do the same if I were to come between you and William. Of course this was a
few years ago, but since then, I've come to accept the idea of young Riker as
my future son-in-law. It's what your father would've wanted."
"It's also what I want, Mother. More than anything." Deanna squeezed
her mother's hand and silently sent one word into Lwaxana's mind. Rabeem.
They hugged tightly, and after a long moment, Lwaxana regained control of
her emotions. " Now, tell me, has this Imzadi of yours asked you to marry
him yet?"
Deanna grinned. "To be honest, Will asked me to marry him the night
before he left, and I said yes. So you see, your grandbaby is going to have
a happily-married mommy and daddy."
"I'm so happy for you. So happy for you both." Then she burst into
tears all over again, sobbing loudly, and Deanna wrapped her arms around her,
patting her on the back.
"Why are you so upset, Mother? This is good news. Everything is just
perfect right now-there's no reason to cry."
Lwaxana wiped her eyes on a lace hanky and took a long sip of chocolate.
"I'm sorry darling, it's just that as happy as I am, I can't believe that I,
Lwaxana Troi, Daughter of the Fifth House, heir to the Holy Rings of Betazed,
am going to be someone's grandmother! I'm not old enough for that. Am I?"
"Oh, mother, you're the one who's been after me for years to settle down
and have a family. Now that it's here, you're worried about becoming old?
You could never be old. You're lovely, and just look at you-a date with a
fascinating stranger just this afternoon, and Gods knows how many other
hearts you've been breaking since I've been away."
"Your father would never have approved, you know. But, what's an
attractive, single woman like myself supposed to do when suitors come rapping
at her door? You know I've never been one to turn down a handsome gentleman
caller." She preened a bit, wiped the tears from her eyes, and in moments
was entirely back to her old self.
"You are something else, Mother."
"I am, aren't I? But then, so are you, Little One. You both are very
special young women indeed." As Lwaxana lifted an eyebrow and let her eyes
fall to her daughter's belly, Deanna realized that she'd just missed one of
Lwaxana's neatly phrased predictions. As the words sunk in, she blurted,
"Two? Am I, Oh Gods, you mean you know what I'm having?"
"Well of course, Little One. I can hear the child's thoughts just as I
can hear yours and believe me, this Little One is a girl for certain. In
fact, I believe she's saying that she would like to be named Lwaxana-if I'm
not very much mistaken."
Deanna's face lost all color and her eyes grew wide. "What on earth are
you talking about? You can't, I mean Betazoids can't read the thoughts of
unborn children! Can they?"
Unable to hold it back any longer, her mother relented, "No, darling, of
course not. I was only having fun with you. Honestly, I haven't the first
clue what sex this baby is."
Relieved, Deanna grabbed her cup and swallowed the remains of her
chocolate, then lay her head against the chairback. "Well, thank goodness!
I thought you'd conjured up some sort of sacred Betazoid ritual to divine the
baby's sex. Your powers are truly frightening sometimes, Mother."
"How right you are, my Little One. But now, why don't we go for a walk
about town? I can think of at least ten people who would enjoy seeing you.
Not to mention the fact that I am absolutely dying to share the news."
"You could do that from here, Mother. All you'd need to do is broadcast
to the entire community-they'd hear you loud and clear."
Lwaxana pretended to pout. "But I want to show you off, Little One. I want
my friends to see my beautiful daughter-it's been far too long."
Sighing, Deanna stood and nodded. "All right, I'll just run upstairs and get
my coat."

Watching Deanna walk away, Lwaxana beamed widely. Hugging herself, she
twirled for a moment, reveling in the news. She was going to have a
granddaughter.
After the little show she'd just put on, Deanna was likely to guess the
truth, but she deserved to find out on her own, in her own way. There was
time. Meanwhile, she would just have to find a way to keep the secret for
another eight or nine months.

TBC...