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Additional disclaimer:  words to Fallen Embers belong to Enya

Counselor Deanna Troi was standing on the balcony of Will Riker’s childhood home, staring up at the night sky. It was a wondrous sight how the stars and Aurora Borealis shared in their brilliance. Troi shivered and crossed her arms, running her hands briskly up and down them to keep warm. It was rather colder in Alaska than she was comfortable being.

“Here. This should help.” Riker said coming up behind her. He handed Troi a mug of hot cocoa and then draped a blanket over her shoulders. Will stood next to Deanna and looked up at the sky along with her.

Deanna took a sip of the hot liquid and felt its warmth enter her veins. “Thank you.”

Will looked at her and smiled. “Are you sure you don’t want to go back inside?”

Troi held the mug tightly between her hands and inhaled the sweet aroma of its contents. “Yes. I’m still captivated by how beautiful it is here even if it is cold.”

Riker took a drink from his own mug and rested his arms on the balcony railing. He looked back up into the night sky. “All the stars were fallen embers.” He said in a low voice.

Deanna turned her head to look at Will. “What is that?”

Riker set his mug on the railing and turned towards Troi. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “It’s a line from a song.”

Deanna laid her head upon Will’s chest as she continued to look at the stars. Will ran his hand through her hair and inhaled her sweet perfume. “Once, as my heart remembers, all the stars were fallen embers. Once, when night seemed forever I was with you.” He recalled the rest of the verse. “My mother used to sing it on long winter nights.” He added.

Deanna let out a long slow breath. “It’s beautiful.” She whispered. Then she looked up at Will. “Thank you for sharing it with me.”

Will caressed Deanna’s cheek and lost himself in the seemingly endless depth of her gaze. He placed his hand behind her head and drew her in for a kiss. “You’re welcome.” He said afterwards.

Troi let out a contented sigh as her eyes were drawn skyward once more. “I never thought you and I would find ourselves sharing an intimate moment like this again.” She confided to him. Riker placed his hand under Deanna’s chin to turn her head towards him again and she gave him a smile. “I forgot how nice it was.”

Will returned her smile. “Me too.”

Deanna gave an involuntary shiver when Will pulled away. “But we’re going inside, now.” He said turning towards the door. Deanna tried to protest but Will wouldn’t hear it. “No arguments”; and he turned her towards the door as well, and they walked inside together.

Riker directed Troi to the sofa in front of the fireplace and then went over to stoke the fire.

Troi placed her blanket on the arm of the sofa and then watched in silence as Will knelt in front of the fire to place on another log. Once he was satisfied the fire was burning well; he came over and sat beside Deanna.

Deanna looked into Will’s blue eyes and smiled. “Do you remember the rest of the song? I’d like to hear it.”

“Let’s see.” Will said and he looked into the fire and got a far off look on his face. After a while, he turned towards Deanna again and sighed. “It was so long ago.”

Deanna felt a sadness grow inside Will. She reached up and caressed his cheek. “It’s o.k.” She whispered, placing a kiss near his ear.

Will gave her another smile. “I barely remember my mother. I don’t know why I would remember the words to that song all of a sudden.”

“It’s strange what can trigger our memory, sometimes.” Deanna told him.

Will watched the firelight dance in Deanna’s eyes. “And the stars shining through darkness, falling in the air.” He said as he reached up and stroked Deanna’s cheek with his thumb. “I’ve never seen anything more beautiful than the way the fire light plays in your eyes.”

Deanna let out a soft chuckle. “Are you trying to seduce me, Will Riker?”

“I would never.” Will answered as he leaned in to kiss her.

After a while, Deanna pushed away. “If you want to have your way with me, you’ll just have to remember the rest of the song.”

“You’re impossible.” Will said, shaking his head and laughing.

“You haven’t figured that out already?” Deanna laughed.

Riker’s eyes sparkled with mischief and Troi felt some happiness return in him. “That line would have had most women lying on their backs by now.” He teased.

Troi smacked Will’s arm and let out a huff. “Why did I ever fall in love with you?”

“My boyish charm, of course.” Will answered.

Deanna shook her head. “You’re the one who’s being impossible.” She retorted.

Will held Deanna’s face in the palm of his hand and the focus of her dark eyes within the vivid blue gaze of his own. Then he began to sing softly. “ ‘Once, as my heart remembers, all the stars were fallen embers. Once, when night seemed forever I was with you. Once, in the care of morning in the air was all belonging, Once, when that day was dawning I was with you. How far we are from morning, how far are we; and the stars shining through the darkness, falling in the air. Once, as the night was leaving into us our dreams were weaving, Once, all dreams were worth keeping I was with you. Once when our hearts were singing, I was with you’”

Deanna sat there mesmerized. “O.K. I remember why now.” She said when Will finished. Then she leaned over and gave Will a passionate kiss. That was beautiful, Imzadi; she projected to him at the same time.

“I wish I could take the credit for it; but I don’t even know who wrote it, originally.” Will said when Troi pulled away.

Troi gazed into Riker’s sparkling blue eyes again and smiled. “It doesn’t matter. You’ve never sung to me before. It was beautiful.” She said aloud this time.

Riker still had Deanna’s cheek cradled in the palm of his hand. “You should have told me all I had to do was serenade you years ago.” He chuckled and kissed her softly.

“I didn’t know you could sing.” Deanna laughed once more.

“Well if you didn’t mock my trombone playing so often, I might have sung for you sooner.”

“So now it’s my fault?”

“Absolutely.” Will replied and leaned into Deanna, pressing her against the sofa until she was lying down. “You did say I could have my way with you if I remembered the rest of the song.” And Riker stopped any further conversation with a fervent kiss.