THE COST OF DESTINY
by Carol Sandford
~Chapters 6 to 10 ~Chapters 11 to 15 ~Chapters 16 to 20 ~Chapters 21 to 25 ~Chapters 26 to 30 ~Chapters 31 to 35 ~Chapters 36 to 40~
Chapters 1 to 5
Cigar smoke lay like a heavy hand in the small back dining room of the Troi mansion. Three men, one woman, sat around the table, cards in hand, their dark gazes intent on the current deal. Sergeant Tang, the crusty looking, ageing man, frowned at his luck while Mark Roper, considered the possibility of drawing another king for a pair. Beside him, the sole woman of the meet, smiled inwardly at a pair of jacks and deuce wild, while Will, all but did mental backflips over the three queens in his hand.
The foursome made an unlikely quartet. Each holding a quality that one another admired, and each trying their damnedest to produce the most perfect poker face - and succeeding. Sly glances occasionally broke the concentration as the vied for something, anything, that would give an opponent away. All failed.
The woman studied the man opposite her for longer, his features likeable enough to capture many a look. He had eyes that made women forget to breathe. Startling blue, like a mountain lake fed by the purest of waters, and curtained with sweeping lashes. And that smile. That smile of his could charm the stripes of zebra.
It also didn't hurt that he was six foot four, with a physique to match his height. He was all male. It didn't matter that he was an off-worlder. Her people had long accepted that they needed aid from the outside. The small army that resided not too far away from this very room, somehow, seemed calming. Safe. William Riker was one of those soldiers, he was also a formidable poker player, and was happily piling up her precious chips before him as he waited for his Lady Luck to wave her magic wand his way, again.
"Five dollars says that pot is mine." Will grinned.
Tang glanced up from his hand of cards and bit down on his own cigar. "The hell you say..." he glanced red-faced towards the female of the group, "sorry ma'am - I'll see your five and double it."
"Too steep for me." Mark threw his cards down and pushed away from the table. "Gotta go, folks. Need to check on that daughter of mine - see if she really is tucked up in that bed of hers. I doubt it it though, she's probably harassing some poor soldier into giving her a good time."
Will continued to stare at his cards. He still had a game to win and the last member of the group didn't look like she was about to fold. He caught her eyes with his own, "Looks like it's just you me." Will tipped back his chair on two legs while the men pulled on their jackets. "I see you...." he tossed a few more chips into the pile. "....and I-"
The door to the dining room flew open, creating an instant draft that lifted the cards already placed on the table top.
"Mother, this has got to stop immediately!"
Will swivelled to look at the woman standing in the doorway.
Deanna Troi.
Deanna's ebony hair tumbled around her flushed face and fell in riotous waves over the shoulders of the purple dressing-gown she wore, its lapels overlapping and pulled tight around her slender figure, and then held fast with a belt, the sleeves, so long they completely covered her hands. But it was her eyes that held Will's stare; black orbs that matched her mothers, blazed with thunderous emotion. She was livid.
"Little one, I can explain..."
Lwaxana Troi took the unlit, enormous cigar daintily from between her lips and put it onto the table. It fascinated Will to watch her play the game with the huge six inch cigar stuck between her teeth. She'd never lit it, not even once, but for whatever obscure reason, she found the smell and, or the taste of it comforting. Either that or she just liked to be, 'one of the boys'.
Dropping the chair onto all four of its legs, Will glanced forlornly at the queens in his hand, sighed, then threw his cards down, folded his arms and rested them on the table and waited for the show to begin.
Flopping back into her chair Lwaxana turned her attention to her daughter who was moving stiffly out of the way as the departing men bowed uneasily, and silently as they made their escape. Will would have done the same, but his perverseness at watching the two women argue kept him planted in his chair.
Hell bent on bending her mothers ear, Deanna ignored the man sitting opposite her. But even though she didn't even glance in his direction, she could not ignore the sheer power that oozed from his direction. Damn him, he was going to listen to her rant and rave at her mother, and once more, make herself look the bad guy. She hated that.
Will studied Deanna's flawless features as she ripped into her mother. Something about that haughty, patronizing air of hers, quite often made Will want to grab her by her cute chin and kiss her senseless. She rattled him, big time. But she was her mothers daughter. She was a dignitary. She was as good as a princess. She was off-limits.
And he'd wanted her as soon as he'd laid eyes on her.
But sitting here, watching her blow a gasket, with her hair all rumpled, dressed in her robe and fluffy slippers, Deanna didn't look quite so starched, or quite so stiff, or quite so regal. She looked kind of...soft. Soft and cute. He began to wonder what she was hiding beneath the sack of a bathrobe. Was it a sexy little see-through number. Or maybe a virginal white shorty? Nah, it was probably some god-awful frumpy thing that she'd inherited from some maiden aunt or something similar.
Startled by his thoughts, and the silence that now surrounded him, Will looked first to her mother, and then to Deanna and noticed the rigid lift of her shoulders and the tight press of her lips. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair remembering, belatedly, that he was in the presence of a powerful telepath and an empath, and his thoughts of moments ago would have been as vivid to them as watching a movie show.
It was time to leave.
Hastily pushing himself to a stand, the chair scraping in protest at its harsh treatment, Will scooped his healthy pile of chips into his hands. "Time to go, ladies, I know you both need your beauty sleep. Thanks for the game, Mrs. Troi, look forward to doing it again sometime." He mentally kicked himself as he found himself bowing as he backed his way towards the door, "Deanna. Good night."
Too late.
"Stop right there, Lieutenant Riker!"
Just two more steps and he would have been home-free. Framed by the doorway, Will stood his full height, the small tuft of his hair lightly grazing the top of the doorway. How the hell Homn walked around the house, still bewildered Will.
He watched Deanna's small frame approach and his body went tense with inner dread. But when she spoke, he couldn't have been more surprised if he'd tried.
"I see you've lost a lot of money tonight, Mr. Riker, and I feel bad about that. How about a rematch - just you and me?" she challenged.
He eyed her suspiciously, drowning himself in her dark eyes, "What's the catch?"
She seemed to already looked triumphant, "If I win, you must promise never to play anymore poker while you're on my planet, or include my mother in any of your other...games."
"And if I win....?"
"You get to play poker whenever you like...and I'll come and work for you for..."she tapped her chin as she pondered the option, "two weeks."
"You'll cheat."
"Absolutely."
"You'll read my mind. I won't stand a chance."
"I thought you were good at this, Mr. Riker."
"I am!"
"Prove it."
"Okay, you're on."
They both made their way back to the table. Lwaxana Troi stood and stretched her arms high above her head, her voice high and full of shameless pretence, "Heavens, is that time? I think I'll retire and leave you young things to battle it out."
Neither Will nor Deanna expected her to stay as they moved either side of the table and sat down, but with Lwaxana's parting words, they both looked up at her with determination, fire and a touch of fear in their eyes.
"May the best man win, darlings. Good night." she ended on a sing-song tone.
Deanna stared across at the man that sat opposite her, her muttered, "Good night, Mother, I'll see you in the morning." slipping from her lips, devoid of emotion. Will's own half-hearted, "Good night, Mrs. Troi." also drifted off as he watched Deanna collect up the scattered cards and begin to shuffle them as well as any card dealer could.
He was in trouble.
He also made a mistake when he asked what game she'd like to play as she placed the pack in the centre of the table," So what's it going to be, Deanna?" he was sure she was going to say Go Fish, or Crazy Eights, but when he watched her sit up in her chair and her hands lace delicately on the table in front of her, he knew he was sunk.
"How about five card stud, one-eyed jacks wild?"
"You want to play poker!?"
"Of course! My father taught me to count with a deck of cards when I was two. When the other kids were playing kiddy stuff, I learned how to double down with an eleven in blackjack." She smiled and held her cool eyes steady with his. "Now deal the cards, Lieutenant, I'm about to kick your butt."
Chapter two
Will groaned into the snowy white pillow as the alarm jangled beside his head. Reaching out, he slapped the offending time piece and resumed his position, only this time, the things that ran through his mind now became thoughts rather than dreams. Living on the base's campus, meant that Will only had to allow himself five minutes to walk from his bed to his office, and he fully intended to make the most of the precious half hour he allowed himself before he had to move.
Rolling onto his back, he found himself staring at the ceiling and thinking about the poker game, and Deanna Troi. Over the two hours or so that they had battled it out, Will had learned a lot about Deanna Troi. About the way she scratched the minuscule dimple upon her chin when she was bluffing. The way her throat turned pink when she was on a winning streak. He liked the way she tucked wayward strands of hair behind delicate ears that just begged to be kissed. And he liked her sassy mouth. The latter a pleasant surprise.
He was a man that had come to fully appreciate the female of the species. With their exotic smells and delicious curves, they fascinated him almost as much as they intrigued him. They were complicated and mysterious; sweet and coy one minute, difficult and confusing the next.
Fortunately for him, women enjoyed his company as much as he enjoyed theirs. He understood the game well enough to know that, as an unattached male, he was open season for all single women. but he was honest and up front with every woman he dated; he wasn't looking for anything more.
He pulled the pillow on top of his head and groaned again. Not until he'd met Deanna Troi.
Damn.
Why now? He'd 'known' Deanna for some time. He'd seen her around and she'd ignored him. At first it bugged him. And then it had intrigued him. And then he'd all but given up. The rumours that he'd heard about her seemed to be true, and he just wasn't up for the challenge - not when there were other women willing to offer him what she clearly had no intention of offering.
Wendy Roper. Nice lady. Great ass. The word easy slipped into his head, but then just as quickly slipped out again. He'd been even easier. She was willing, and he was ready. Heck, he'd been flat on his back, dressed only with a, 'come and get me' smile plastered upon his face. She got him.
Occasionally she sought him out, and occasionally, he admitted to himself, he caved in to her feminine wiles. Okay, he moaned. he, 'always' caved in. He was a man, after all. And she was willing, after all.
But what he wanted - what he really wanted, was a taste of the forbidden fruit, and if he had to play dirty to get it, then so be it.
~~~~
"You cheated, didn't you?"
Riker smiled enigmatically, "I'll never tell. I'm much too much of a gentleman to reveal such a secret as that."
Tang propped himself against the desk and folded his arms across his wide chest. Laughter lit up his wiry features, "You cheated. There is no way on this planet that you won against a Betazoid. How did you do it?"
Will shoved the file into its appropriate slot and slammed shut the drawer, "Actually, it was easy. Somehow....I managed to get into her mind just enough to know what she was holding. She obviously figured I couldn't do that and left herself wide open for invasion. I just made the most of the opportunity." he said proudly.
"I bet she was as mad as hell."
"Actually, she wasn't," he grimaced, puzzlement clouding his normally handsome features just for a moment, and then a big cheesy grin took its place, "Maybe she wanted me to win."
Tang barked out his surprise loudly,"Deanna Troi!? Never! Her reputation as ice-queen, stuffy-drawers and snob are not uttered in vain. She is every bit as formidable as her nick-names imply. You think her mother is a tyrant? You haven't seen nothing until you have met the wrath of her daughter!"
It was then that Tang noticed how Will was staring past his shoulders, the look of horror and tension, and embarrassment etched upon his face, "She's here, isn't she?" he groaned, his moustache drooping along with the line of his mouth, the stark terror lightening his already pale, wishy-washy blue eyes.
Deanna stepped further into the room, her face, Will could tell, was hidden behind a well used mask, her words dripping amusement. Bitter amusement. "Glad to see I still have my reputation in tact, Lieutenant Tang, I'll be sure to pass the good news onto my mother, she'll be thrilled to hear my regalness still has some strength around here."
Well done, Will thought to himself, even if Tang wasn't that far off the mark. Still, it had gotta hurt; being tagged with handles, that to a young and beautiful woman, must hurt, it had got to. But she sure as hell wasn't going to let him, or anyone else know.
Still with that same bitter amusement, she brought into his train of thought, "Good morning, Lieutenant Riker. As you can see, I've kept my side of the bet. I am at your disposal for the next two weeks."
As she stood within Will's office, Deanna was still stunned at how Riker had beaten her at poker. NO ONE had ever beat her! Ever! He had got to have cheated, but as she'd lay in her bed, no matter how many times she replayed the game over and over in her head, could she find the moment when he had.
And so here she was, at his mercy. God help her. Tang's cruel words had stung, but she'd heard them before - and had dismissed them just as fast before too. But they still rankled. They still hurt. Sometimes, she liked having that elusiveness - that edge of being, 'different', but unfortunately those differences not only kept tongues wagging, but kept men away. No man dared to approach the mighty Deanna Troi, and as she looked up into the mesmerizing gaze of William Riker, she thought morosely, if only they tried.
If only he'd try.
Will watched her blink a thought away and wondered just what had gone through her crazy head. For an instant he thought she was going to cry, but as fast as her eyes shimmered with tell-tale tears, they got replaced by that no-nonsense cool facade again.
How the hell was he going to work with her, for two, whole, damn weeks?
~~~~
"WHO THE HELL PUT FLOWERS IN MY OFFICE!?" William Riker's voice echoed around the sparsely spread complex, making his voice carry and sound even louder than it really was. Why he yelled the stupid question was beyond him. It was obvious who'd put them in there; Deanna Troi.
When the person in question stuck her head around the door barely thirty seconds later, it was to see him dumping the beautiful blooms in the bin.
"Why did you do that? Don't you know that having a little piece of nature around you helps your peace of mind. Calms you?" she offered, stung that he'd not even just simply moved the flowers, but had unceremoniously thrown them away. She suddenly felt as discarded as them.
"Ms. Troi, in case you hadn't noticed, this, is a military base. We are supposed to be seen as soldiers of war. Saviours of planets. Men of action. How in God's name do you think I would feel, sat in my office with an admiral - or some other important person, and a bunch of...of...." He grabbed at a name out of thin air, "daffodils waving in their face!?"
"They're not daffodils," she said petulantly, "They're Chrysanthemums - and I did chose a masculine colour." She added for good measure.
The deep green of the foliage only seemed to highlight the beautiful, rich auburn hue of the buds. In another setting, Will would have admired the blooms, but not here, not in his office. And not from her, because every time he'd look at them, he would think of her, and these days, she was never far from his thoughts, anyhow.
And now, as she stood dejected and tinged with anger, he was almost sorry for his childish outburst. His voice softened a touch as he slid behind the safe haven of his desk - only because he'd slid a glance down her slender body and caught a glimpse of creamy breast where her no-nonsense blouse had shifted. The innocent slip on her part, created a masculine, graphic response on his.
Damn, she'd caught him out as her own startled gaze quickly glanced down, and fingers even quicker than her glance, whipped up and covered the now blush-tinted exposed flesh. Her eyes held a hint of apology and embarrassment, and before he could even dismiss it, and her, she turned tail and vanished.
Will shook his head in stunned bemusement as he watched her retreating back. Was she really that shy? Now, if had been Wendy Roper, she'd had been perched on the edge of his desk by now and....
Will slapped the image away. He didn't want Wendy, he wanted...
He wanted...
Deanna.
Chapter three.
When Will returned from a meeting in the consulate a couple of days after his very frank, and very unwanted admission, he walked through the door to the complex to find the object of his displeasure striding towards his office from the opposite direction, clipboard in hand.
Determined to keep her not only out from under his feet, but amused with a job that he expected to take her at least two days, Will had given her the task of sorting and counting the stores, with instructions to order supplies if necessary.
She had balked when she'd stepped into the huge storeroom, with its towering layers of racking and some thirty feet of area. It was stacked from floor to ceiling with almost every kind of supplies imaginable. It was a relatively easy job; she had a list and she just had to cross-reference with what was on the list to what was on the shelf. Simple.
He swore she gave him a look of pure venom before demurely telling him that it was, 'no problem'. In hind sight, he should have wondered about her strange answer. In hind sight, he should have at least checked up on her occasionally to see if she was coping okay. In hindsight, he should have known she had something up her sleeve.
She did.
~~~~
"Good morning, Lieutenant Riker."
Will beamed at the sight for sore eyes before him. She couldn't have smiled any wider. And, she couldn't have looked more gorgeous if she'd tried. "Good morning, Miss. Troi, how's the inventory going?" He gave himself a mental pat on the back; Good thinking, Riker, keep it on neutral ground, you can do this.
If it was at all possible, her smile turned even more saccharin sweet, "Oh, I've nearly finished. Just got to check the medical supplies and then I'm all done. I've ordered the diminished supplies like you instructed. Some have already arrived, and the others should be here by the end of the week."
He had to hand it to her, Will thought, she was putting up a really good front. If he didn't know better, he'd think she was actually enjoying herself. Which of course, she wasn't.
"Oh, good, good, that's great," he marvelled, "that'll save us a lot of time. You've done a remarkable job for us so far, I'm glad we played that game now." Will gamely grinned at her, convinced that she would understand the humour behind the remark. When she didn't comment, Will wished he could backtrack; remove the joke, but knew he was too late. He turned to his office door, effectively halting the unwanted and uneasy moment, "Well, I'll be in my office if you need me. See you later."
As he put his hand on the handle. Will didn't wonder why she stopped several feet away from his office door, and just assumed that she was waiting for him to shut the door on her. But he soon found out the reason why when he turned the door's handle and stepped into the room.
"What the...!?"
A mountain of toilet rolls rained down on him like an avalanche of snow. Hundreds of the pearly white packs of tissue toppled over him, some stacked as high as the ceiling. As he rose frantic arms to ward of the worse of the freefall, he only succeeded in making the other still standing piles collide against the one beside it, creating a domino effect.
Like lava flowing, Will tried frantically to side-step the rolling mass, but only ended up landing flat on his back, buried beneath the still tumbling packs. When at last they all came to a halt, Will lay there, stunned and feeling decidedly foolish, slowly pushing away the remaining rolls from his torso.
He narrowed his eyes, and gritted his teeth. Somebody was going to die.
When that somebody leaned over him, he stared up at her, his command of speech got totally obliterated.
"I guess I forgot to mention that I made a slight error with the order. Isn't it funny what the difference is between one thousand individual toilet rolls and one thousand packs?" she blinked, apparently stunned by the information, "Amazing." She said, and then her eyebrows rose in mock concern, "Sorry."
Deanna squeaked when Will's hand snaked out and grabbed her down and on top of him. In one swift, fluid move, he rolled and pinned her underneath him. Eyes wide, mouth still agape with surprise, she looked up at him and saw the murderous glint in his eyes.
She couldn't help it. She started to laugh. She watched, fascinated as a muscle jumped in Will's jaw as he stared down at her. Revenge glistened in his bright blue eyes, and a slow, sinister smile touched his mouth.
She was in trouble.
Deanna struggled to move away from him, but Will was not having any of it. Straddling her, Will tried to grasp her hands, but she fought like a demon. Eventually he captured her arms and pinned them to her sides. She tried to break free but his grip only tightened. He was much too strong for her to throw him off, and she would only embarrass herself if she tried.
She tried to reason with his nicer side, even threw a gentle, teasing smile his way, "I did say I was sorry, Will."
Will shook his head bemused, the action forcing the shock of hair to fall over his forehead, "You want to tell me how you managed this little trick by yourself?" he demanded quietly.
"Tang helped." she admitted smugly, "We had the driver back up to your office window and he very kindly passed them through to us - Well, threw actually," she emended. "There was such a lot." she added innocently.
He couldn't believe what he was hearing, "You did this on purpose? You actually spent the entire years budget, just to get back at me!?" His eyes turned darker. Stormier. Hurt.
Guilt suddenly racked through her. She hadn't thought of that, or how he would feel."I claim full responsibility for my actions," she said emphatically. "I insist that all consequences be directed at me."
As he watched the guilt fill her eyes, it triggered a momentary moment of compassion within him, allowing the joke that it was filter through. "You insist, do you?" His voice suddenly turned husky. "All consequences?" his voice dropped another octave, "Are you sure about that, Deanna?"
The sudden change startled Deanna and her struggles slowly stilled, insecurity filled her mind, chasing out the foolishness that had taken over, creating a dangerous situation. What was she doing? What wasn't she doing? She wasn't fighting him anymore. She wasn't even thinking anymore. She'd never been more aware of a man in her entire life. Will's body was long and hard and muscular. The angles of his face were sharp now, his jaw clenched, his eyes narrowed and dancing with the devil. His strong mouth was pressed into a smirk, his hair, tousled and itching to be touched.
But it was the pulse at the base of his throat that had captured her attention. She couldn't take her eyes of it. The air shimmered around them. Grew taut. Deanna didn't want this. Didn't want to cross any lines that she'd regret, and she had enough regrets in her life at the moment, and she really didn't want to add William Riker to that list.
The pulsing in her body screamed at her to shut up and offer herself to Will without question or protest. But her head sensibly over-ruled her rapidly heating body and she thanked the stars that she still had a thread of good judgement left to cling onto.
"So," she said lightly, desperately wanting to pull the mood back to playful, or even apologetic instead of the dark, sensual tone that had suddenly closed in around them. "Am I forgiven?"
He stared at her for a long moment, then his gaze dropped to her mouth. "No, you're not. I need to think of a suitable punishment." he said, his voice strained.
With her body still pinned beneath his, Will lifted her arms over her head, then lowered his mouth to hers. At the first light touch of his lips on hers, she held very still, determined not to respond. And then that last thread of good judgement she'd been so proud of, snapped like a twig in a tornado.
His mouth was firm and strong, but the kiss was gentle. Her heart slammed in her chest as he nibbled on the corner of her lips. Liquid heat rushed through her body, and her skin became tight and tingly.
"Will," she whispered as her traitorous lips moved against his, "I don't think..."
"Me, either."
Then he completely destroyed her.
He crushed his mouth to hers. Her senses spun at the fierce demand of his lips, the press of his strong, long body over hers, the faint masculine scent that was his, and only his. He was power and she was powerless. The silly myths she'd heard over the eons about fairy tale romances and being swept off her feet. They were all true.
She had no defences against him. His kiss stripped away every argument, every last remnant of reason and logic. Her mind was no longer in control. Right then, she could only feel. And it felt wonderful. It felt better than wonderful.
He deepened the kiss and a low, unguarded moan rose from deep in her throat. She squirmed beneath him, frustrated that he still held her arms, yet excited at the same time. Intense pleasure sparked in her blood, then burst into flames. When his hands finally released her wrists, only to slide down her arms, she trembled in anticipation.
Needing him closer, she wound her arms tightly around his neck. His mouth moved down her throat, his tongue, hot and wet, tasted and nipped. He murmured something against her ear and his warm breath sent ripples of delight through her. Skilfully he moved hands down her sides, then lower still, gathering her skirt upward, exposing her calves, then her thighs. His hands felt rough on her sensitive skin and she shivered at his touch. An ache settled between her legs, and she moved restlessly against him, wanting more.
Then his hands moved upward and slid under her blouse. She gasped when he cupped her breasts, arching upwards, inviting more, receiving it when his thumbs caressed her hardened nipples. She almost fell apart there and then, but knew there was more to come. He nipped at the base of her throat, murmured her name, then moved lower...
"Hello! anyone here?"
Both she and Will jumped at the deep, booming voice that echoed through the empty corridor, barely a few feet away from where they lay on the floor amongst the carpet of toilet rolls, practically on the point of making love.
Muttering an oath, Will moved off of her, then stood, reached out a hand to help her up. Shaking, she rose on jellied knees and quickly smoothed down her clothing with hands that trembled violently, not only from what had happened to her body, but from almost being caught making out. She wasn't sure at that point which was worse.
The man that eventually stuck his head through the door, stared in bewilderment and amusement, first at the toilet rolls that the couple now stood in up to their knees, and then at the, 'don't you dare say a word' expression upon both their faces.
By the time Will had dealt with the delivery man, Deanna had gone. Escaped.
Damn.
Chapter four
"I'm surprised to see you this morning, Miss Troi - especially after...yesterday." Will handed Deanna the day's agenda, his eyes holding a hint of surprise, and pride. Unable to resist himself, Wills fingers tenderly stroked her hand as she took the padd from him, "I thought you would have wanted out from our...agreement."
She jerked her hand away as though she had been burnt, her frown marring her pretty face, "I finish what I start, Lieutenant. I don't scare that easy." she said firmly.
He grinned at her, "I'm glad to hear that, Deanna. Very glad."
There was no doubt in her mind as to what he meant, and her cheeks turned pink, which only made Will smile wider. He leaned in closer, bringing his mouth to within a couple of inches from hers, and her eyelids lowered. She started to sway towards him, then she blinked and jerked her head away.
"Oh, no," she swore, "That is one thing that is never going to happen again. Do you understand me, Lieutenant?"
Before he even had a chance to agree, or even laugh at the absurdity of her threat, she spun on her heels and left the room, leaving behind a delicate waft of her perfume, and a challenge.
~~~~
Deanna tried to find a million and one excuses to get out of her mother's little, 'get-together', and for every excuse Deanna found, her mother threw each one straight back at her, until in the end, she pinned her daughter with a murderous glare, puffed out her chest, lifted her eyebrows and growled, non-too-ladylike, "Deal with him, Deanna. Either give him what he wants, or stay away from him."
"But mother, I am trying! But everywhere I go, he's there. He's...everywhere!" she cried passionately. "It's like...it's like, he's a magnet to me. I can't seem to avoid him." she added rather despondently. Thoughtfully.
Lwaxana Troi watched the misery and confusion mar her daughters beautiful face, recognizing the true problem instantly; Deanna was falling in love. Her little girl had fallen for possibly the last person on Betazed that she should have done. A man that was going to spend his life among the stars. A man, who had only been on her home planet for less than a month, but had still managed to build a reputation with the ladies. Simply, a man.
William Riker was a cad in the first order. William Riker was the one man that she didn't want teaching her daughter how to be a woman. A proper woman. William Riker was not suitable husband material, and Deanna would never have a moments happiness with him after the initial flush of passion had been spent. He was either likely to disappear from her life, leaving her behind with a broken heart, or he was going to die amongst those stars that he clearly idolized.
Just like her beloved husband had.
The exasperation drained from Lwaxana's body as quickly as it filled it. Sliding down onto the couch beside her, she gently tugged on Deanna's hand to follow her down. Knee to knee, she squeezed Deanna's cold fingers while her eyes bored into her very soul.
Looking utterly miserable, Deanna whispered, "Mom, he kisses me like..." she trailed off, blushing delicately, "like he..." and still she couldn't say it, so her mother finished it for her.
"Like he wants more." she murmured, understandingly, simultaneously, images of them writhing together filled their minds. Lwaxana tugged on Deanna's fingers, effectively severing that particular line of thought, forcing Deanna to look into her own obsidian eyes. "Darling, if you were really trying to avoid him, why did you challenge him to that silly game? It seems to me that you were doing everything, 'but,' avoid him." she challenged softly.
"I didn't think he'd win, Mother. Nobody's ever beaten me before. I don't know how he did it." she whispered brokenly.
Her mother's tender and tolerant smile captured her forlorn gaze, "Deanna, there was only one way William could have won. Hasn't it occurred to you yet how it happened?" At her blank, onyx stare, Lwaxana's own eyes went misty. "Little one, he read your mind."
Deanna reacted as though she had been slapped, "But how can that be, Mother? He is a Terran. He's not even my life partner. He's just!....he's just....a man!" she cried with despair.
"A man that you have very strong feelings for, Darling," Lwaxana lamented.
Deanna leapt from the couch, unable to sit and face her mother any longer. Unable to hide the truth. But being a telepath, Lwaxana Troi didn't need to see her daughter's face to know what lie beneath her tearful eyes. "No! No, that cannot be, Mother! I didn't want this to happen. I'm too young. And he's...he's Starfleet! He's the worst of the worst."
"He is also destined to become your Imzadi, Deanna." she unwillingly admitted quietly.
Deanna whirled on the spot, her dress, her hair swirling around to caress her with the angry, stunned action, until everything in the room came to a cataclysmic halt. "No!"
The one, simple word reverberated around the room, only to be mocked by an even more powerful, silent one.
<<Yes>>
Chapter five
She envied him. The man prowled around and in between her friends like he'd known them his whole lifetime. Which he hadn't. But even so, it didn't stop her envying his ability to invade her world so effectively, so thoroughly, so...intimately.
The party had been in full swing by the time William Riker had arrived. The room practically heaved with bodies of varying age, race and interest. Deanna knew everyone that had come, welcoming them through the door along side her mother. But the moment she'd sensed Will arrive, she had been knee-deep in conversation with her best friend's father, Gart Xerx, and other than a cursory acknowledging nod of his head towards her, he didn't speak. Just lightly smiled that enigmatic smile of his. The one that usually infuriated her. The one that melted her insides with longing. The one that seemed to be saved solely for her.
For two, long, painful hours, Deanna covertly watched the strikingly tall man throw himself into conversation with practically everyone in the room. Festering, Deanna also endured watching him dance with just about every woman in the room too. Everyone except her. She ached to feel the strength of his arms around her, guiding her around the tiny allotted dance space and all the while hoping that it would end with him taking her to see the moonlight outside.
But first she had to catch his attention, and that was proving almost impossible. It seemed that wherever she placed herself, deliberate or not, somehow, Will always managed to be facing the opposite direction.
But did he look her way? No. Not once. Oh, he knew she was there, it was painfully obvious by the way that he did ignore her. What was she. Chopped liver!? When she had reached into her wardrobe earlier that day, it was with the utmost conviction that she was NOT going to dress for him. So why was she standing here, in a drop-dead gorgeous, blood red dress, being ignored, by him?
Her onyx eyes flashed with fire as she watched Wendy Roper sidle up beside him, and, damn it all, did she really just drag her fingers across his butt!? Hell! And she just reached up and kissed him! On the lips!! Worse! He responded! Welcomed it! Revelled in it!
Her indignancy, her horror, and her envy, must have been strong enough for the man in question to finally, slowly glance her way. But when he did, it was with a smile. But not a friendly smile. It was a knowing smile. A victorious smile.
He knew, damn him. He knew. But how?
Her mothers words drifted through her senses again; << Little one, he read your mind...>>
<<...he read your mind...>>
and he's reading it now...
Deanna sucked in a startled breath as the shocking thought jumped into her head and her eyes locked with his across the crowded room. Drawn by the pull of her eyes and the sudden pallor of her skin, as well as something more that he couldn't put his finger on right then, Will started moving towards her, heedless of the woman beside him.
When he came to a stop in front of her, Deanna expected to be asked for a dance, or maybe just taken out onto the dance floor and swept into his arms. At the very least she expected him to strike up a conversation with her. But when he simply looked deep into her eyes, reached for her hand and pulled her after him, out of the room, she followed without question. Without fear. Without even knowing why, only that she knew that her life was about to change, and William Riker was the one who was going to change it.
Now.
Forever.