The Cost of Destiny
by Carol Sandford
~Chapters 1 to 5~ ~Chapters 6 to 10~ ~Chapters 11 to 15~ ~Chapters 21 to 25~ ~Chapters 26 to 30~ ~Chapters 31 to 35~ ~Chapters 36 to 40~ ~Chapters 41 to 45~ ~Chapters 46 to End~
Chapters 16 to 20 Chapter sixteen
"Can't you do something to get me off this rock, Tang? C'mon, I know you can pull some strings for me," Will pleaded, unable to keep the frustration and underlying urgency out of his voice, and his eyes. "Please!?" he quietly asked.
In the chair opposite him in his somewhat smaller office, Sergeant Tang studied the man that sat forlornly, but tinged with a simmering unsettled madness that gave away his true plight, with compassion. Tang wondered if Will had slept the night before because frankly, the young Starfleet lieutenant looked like hell. Dark circles smudged his upper cheeks beneath his eye sockets, and his normally light sky-blue eyes looked more like the dark brooding hue of an impending storm.
"'fraid not," the older man sympathised, "seems the bosses are very impressed with what you've achieved since you've been here - want you to stay for another six months, so I heard, only just yesterday. I would have told you sooner, but you weren't around to hear the good news." he ended with a slight smile, aware that Will would ignore the ironical humour in his news rather than the foreboding doom that it really meant.
Will reacted exactly as he expected. He dropped his head into his hands, the effort to keep it upright seeming to fail with the tidings. Six months!? He couldn't stay here for six whole months and not see her! He didn't think he could even manage a day without somehow spying on her as she went about her daily routines. Just one second to remind him of what he felt for her would be all he'd need to satisfy his loss. But six whole months...
Impossible.
Unimaginable.
Tang's voice broke through his meanderings, "You know the planet has been under threat from the Sindareen. They're convinced that it is only a matter of time before they strike, and Starfleet are convinced that you're the man for the job when they do."
That didn't make him feel any better. Betazed had been under threat from the notorious scourge of space for so long now, that they'd almost seemed to be complacent about them, convinced that's all the threats would ever be; threats.
But any military man knew that they were just biding their time; waiting for that complacency to fall asleep just long enough for them to slip through the net and cause havoc on the peaceful Betazoids. On Deanna, Will grimaced as an unwelcome image filled his mind. On his Imzadi, he angrily reminded himself silently, his heart suddenly beginning to race at the mere thought of something, or someone laying one, filthy disgusting hand on her.
Will sprang to attention. "Damn it, Tang," his anger spilling out as he confronted the man, "those damn Sindareen could turn up one day after I left Betazed in six, bloody months time. What good will I be then? I'm only one, damned man, for God's sake!"
Tang's eyebrows lifted with surprise. A week ago, he would never have heard those words from William T Riker. The rising star of Starfleet was the one person that Starfleet could have guaranteed staying power, and commitment when the going got tough. But not now, not since he'd gotten tangled up with Deanna Troi, and Tang had the nasty job of reminding him.
"This is your job, Lieutenant, like it or not. When those bastards finally hit, they want you here to deal with it," and then came the bombshell, "no matter how long it takes." Tang let that extra piece of bad tiding's sink in before sucking in a deep breath and continuing,
"I suggest," his voice dropping to a more compassionate note, "that you end whatever you've started with Miss. Troi, and do what you came here to do. Leaving Betazed right now is out of the question."
Tang pushed himself to a weary stand, his eyes never leaving the dejected man that still sat, unable to move as he tried to take in what he had told him. "I suggest, Will, that you go and find Miss Troi and end it on a good note. In time you might need the political powers that the daughter of the fifth house wields, and if you're antsy with her daughter, you could become very unstuck, and that will REALLY piss Starfleet off."
He headed for the doorway, but then another thought must have entered his head because he stopped and looked back, Will's head rose as he waited for Tang's final piece of advice, already knowing that he wasn't going to like it. "Get your head back into military mode, Lieutenant before you get it blown off."
And Will knew that he wasn't just talking about the rising threat of the Sindareen. If headquarters got wind of what he was up to here, they would be after more than his head, they'd want his ass too. But he still couldn't help saying the words that slipped quietly and thoughtfully from his lips as he too pushed himself to a stand, misery poring from every vein in his body "If only it were that simple, my friend. If only it were that simple."
Chapter seventeen
Deanna wandered into the military complex like a woman on a mission. Her tiny feet walked with sure, quick steps, echoing along the vast corridors that led towards her goal; Lieutenant Riker's office. Several personnel that she gotten to know in her brief stint as dogs-body called out a friendly, 'hi!' as she passed and she politely greeted them back, but kept walking, halting any further conversation, something she despised herself for doing. But she had things to say to Will, and she was going to say them. Now.
The buzz of tension filled the air as people hurried about, each with a chore to do, each trying to squash their inner panic to what lie ahead. Deanna felt the unease but pushed it away. At that moment, she was only concerned about one person, but along side the concern was a discernible amount of disbelief, frustration, and misery.
Two weeks! Two whole weeks and not even a sighting of him. Not one word. Not one kiss. Not one anything. At first she was sympathetic, and then hurt. And then angry, and then the feelings that she had reached now, and they were the worst, by far.
In the days that had past, Deanna had felt Will's presence, welcoming its comfort to get her through the days until he would come to his senses and come to her, confident that their bond would be strong enough to get through the solid barrier that had been forced up in between them.
But sense had clearly deserted him because he not only never came near her, he did a very good job of blocking her out too. Most of the time the blocking was entirely innocent, like he was shutting out his own pain to get through the tormenting moments as he remembered a treasured memory.
But sometimes it was a deliberate effort to expel her from his mind, afraid of revealing that he ached for her as much as she ached for him, seemingly aware that she was with him in thought.
And every day, the torment had gotten too much for her, knowing that he was suffering as much as she, the knowledge making Deanna step up the front door of her house, open it, stand on its threshold, mentally kick herself in the head for being weak, and then go back in and close it firmly shut. And every day she hated herself a little more than the day before for not yielding to her heart instead of her head.
Over and over, the same question tumbled around in her mind; Why had she succumbed to Will's charm and given her heart and soul to him, knowing that it would end like this; Torn apart, hurting, lonely, aching and so damned defiant. Why?
Deanna paced around the Troi mansion like a caged tiger; desperate for freedom but trapped because of her own fears; the fear of Will actually telling her to her face that it was over between them. The fear of falling apart before his very eyes as he witnessed her heart breaking. The fear of never seeing him ever again and being left feeling like she did right then for the rest of her life.
Her mother, bless her, had tried to reason with her saner side, but Deanna was beyond listening. She wanted Will, but she couldn't have him. The bond had done exactly what she had feared; it had lost her Imzadi. It had cost her her destiny.
And then this morning, something happened. Everything changed.
Everywhere tensions increased tenfold within the small community. Only half an hour before, Deanna had sat at her dressing table staring into the mirror at her pallid face. Dipping her foundation brush into the powder, she lifted it her cheeks and began to dab away the dark smudges beneath her eyes in a valiant effort to hide the night's struggle against sleep.
And then she felt it; the wave of worry, fear, confusion and then excitement when one word, the word that they had never hoped to hear, WAR zipped over the planet like an out-break of plague; touching everything and everyone in its way. It washed over her, rippling through senses like an enormous tidal wave, rolling up from deep within, building bigger, higher and mightier with its power, consuming everyone in its path with its malevolent word.
Forgetting her pale face and her ratty hair, Deanna threw on some clothes and tore down the stairs like a bat out of hell, with only one purpose in mind.
Her mother was waiting at the bottom. "You're going to him, aren't you?"
Deanna was surprised, and mystified at her question, "Of course!" the lines upon her forehead deepening, adding years to her tender age.
She slowed as she reached the bottom, preparing herself to be barred from leaving the house, "You're not going to stop me, are you, mother? Please don't." She pleaded quietly, but no less urgent than the importance of finding Will before it was too late.
Lwaxana Troi's heart ached as she studied her daughter, her impatience to get to the base etched upon her pretty face, even though it was creased in worry, blotchy from a half-botched make-up job, and extra lined from the lack of sleep. She'd heard Deanna tossing and turning in the night. Not just last night, but every night since his last visit. Since she'd told him to think about everything, including Deanna.
Knowing that she was the cause of the young couples grief didn't sit well with her, and knowing what was about to happen didn't help either. She couldn't begrudge them a few moments together, not now. Especially not now.
Smiling sadly, Lwaxana stepped aside even though she technically wasn't in her way. But moving away seemed to execute her acceptance that Deanna needed to go to him. Her voice was shaky when she spoke, revealing her insight to the tragedy about to unfold,"Go, darling."
Flying to the door, gratitude lighting up her features, innocence ignoring the thrum of impending doom surrounding the city, Deanna's lightened voice yelled, "'love you, mom!" before slamming it shut after her speedy exit, the noise reverberating throughout, not only the house, but Lwaxana's teeth, making her grimace with distaste at the vulgar display her daughter had just exhibited. "Heaven's," she murmured, "what am I going to do with that child!?"
But when Deanna stepped into Will's office, it soon become very apparent that she was too late.
Chapter eighteen
Will Riker studied the controls in front of him, checking everything was okay before he set off. He was deliberately going slow; taking his time, checking things that didn't need to be checked. Killing seconds before Deanna reached him.
He knew she was coming, Tang had already radioed him and warned him that she was on her way. The rest of the team had already left the hanger until only he was left. Even the flight deck crews had drifted away and Will wondered if they'd guessed that he and his guest wouldn't want bystanders watching on, or listening in.
A vision filled his mind and he closed his eyes and allowed her features, her body to consume him for a moment, reminding him again why he loved Deanna Troi, marvelling at how God had created someone that was a perfect match, both inside his soul and out. How his heart undoubtably beat in time with hers. How her tiny contours flawlessly fitted against his vast bulk. How her lips were just the perfect size and shape for his. And how his rampant hardness had found home in her welcoming body.
Will moaned, and his hands trembled and he mentally berated himself for the visible lapse of control over his desires, and fears. And he was afraid. Of her, and of himself. Afraid of losing himself to her once again even though it would be the most dangerous thing he could do.
Somehow, two very long weeks had gone past without a single word passing between them. It had taken a colossal effort on his part to keep away from Deanna, at times physically having to stop his feet from moving when his head and heart had caved in to the need, letting sense and sanity step in when he needed it most, and he was exhausted with the constant battle between the two.
And now, after all that effort, just when he thought he was home and dry - and about to leave, Deanna had heard and had come to him. Will's mouth suddenly went dry as he heard her footsteps echo through the vast corridors. She was almost upon him. Just a few more seconds and he could feast his eyes upon her beautiful face again. One second more and his will-power was going to vanish into space.
Will heard her footsteps slowly come to a halt and he knew she was searching the area for him. He sat ramrod still in the cockpit waiting for her to finally spot him. The rush of tense silence filled the hanger increased tenfold, heightened by the chilly air of the vast metallic dome. Will could see the tiny plumes of breath leave her lips as the cold filled her lungs, her arms immediately snaking around her waist as it hit her torso too.
Will couldn't leave her out there any longer and aware that she couldn't hear his voice, he opened his mind and silently spoke, willing her to hear his rudimentary attempt to thought send, I'm in here, Deanna, come in out of the cold
He heard a couple more footsteps as she moved nearer the shuttle's window and then she was facing him head on, and for a long minute they simple stood and stared at each other. Stormy brooding eyes faced her and her large doe-like ones faced him, until unable to tolerate the chills that were seeping through her body any longer, Deanna stepped out of sight and made her way to the back of the shuttle.
By the time she had timidly entered, Will had turned his body to face her, and battened down his racing emotions for whatever storm that was about to occur, and for whatever damage they were each going to do to their souls yet again, but he could halt the desire that dilated his eyes as he drank in the sight of her. That she was here, before him. That she cared enough to come to him, to be with him, despite everything.
Nervously, Deanna looked around the small craft before seating herself on the edge of the seat that ran along the side, her palms holding onto its edge as she prepared herself for whatever was about to happen. She tried to gauge his state of mind, but apart from the very brief moment he had let her in to tell her his whereabouts, Will kept it well and truly out-of-bounds, and a few very uncomfortable moments went by before he finally said quietly, "Why did you have to come?"
Deanna swallowed, her throat tightening with dismay at his question. His voice held accusation, fear, and dread at her answer. But looking into Will's eyes, Deanna saw beyond the question. Saw that he was holding back an ocean of tears and emotions that he didn't dare release, afraid of revealing his true pain.
But she wasn't quite so afraid of showing him hers, and tears that she had kept disguised for so long rose to the surface, choking her words as she spoke, "I...heard you were leaving, Will, and I couldn't let you go without seeing you."
Will's eyes flared with pain, his response more a statement than a question, "You don't think I'm going to come back," His anger sparked, "You've come to say goodbye to me, is that it, Deanna?"
Deanna was horrified that he thought that she had only come because she never expected to see him again, especially as it had been the furthest thing from her mind. It was never seeing him again, knowing that he was out there, somewhere, living a life without her. Not wanting her, period, that hurt her more. Much more than him dying.
Throwing herself off the seat, she found herself on her knees at his feet, her hands reaching for his forearms as her eyes pleaded for understanding, "Oh, no, no, Imzadi! I never meant that at all! I...I..." she stalled as she tried to formulate into words what her heart was screaming at her.
But Will had gone beyond reasoning, already accepting that he had jumped to conclusions. Now his head was reeling from hearing the endearment fall from her lips as naturally as speaking his own name, and he found himself smiling sadly at her upturned, tear-washed face, "You called me Imzadi."
Deanna froze, her eyes locking with his as she mentally back-tracked to her heart-felt words, unable to take them back and then not even wanting to as she witnessed the reaction to her innocent mistake upon his face She smiled weakly, and then wider still as Will's hand rose and his palm caressed her jawline, "You are my Imzadi, Will."
Will closed his eyes and sighed heavily, the burden of failing the woman before him increasing another notch. Reluctantly opening his eyes again, he was serious and forlorn as he murmured, "I know," He sighed again before continuing, "You've got to believe me, Deanna when I say I wish this had never happened between us. Not now."
And she did, nodding understandingly, "I know, Will. No one is more sorry than I, and I'm sorry that I forced you into this position - that I wasn't strong enough to fight against it happening to us," Her voice strengthened with conviction, hoping that it would pull them out of the painful moment. "But it has happened, and we've both got to put it aside and get on with what we've got to do, especially you, Will. Especially now."
Deanna felt the wave of agony sweep over her at her words and she reached up and gripped the hand that still caressed her face, moving it over her mouth and pushing her lips to it's palm, his words bringing stinging tears to her eyes again as her heart shuddered with sorrow.
"I think I'm going to die, Deanna." Will said brokenly, the sudden realization stunning him, hurting him, deep down inside in a place that he'd never knew existed, that had over the past weeks had revealed itself and its capability of inflicting unbearable pain.
She gasped at his brutal honesty,"No! no you're not, Will! Don't say that. Don't ever say that! You are not going to die!" And then sudden inspiration hit her and she said quickly, "I can ask my mother to intervene. Starfleet will listen to her! She can tell them that you're needed here - to protect us. Or for..."
Will cut her off, "Deanna, Starfleet didn't want me to do this anyway. This mission is my idea. My decision."
Deanna leapt to her feet, denial pouring from every pore, terror ripping away at the very thin layer of self preservation, exposing just what his actions was doing to her, "NO!" she cried, as fresh tears steamed down her face, "Why are you doing this to me - to us!? You don't need to do this, Will. You don't need to go!"
Will jumped from his seat, pulling her into his arms, holding her tight against his chest, her wails lost as his body soaked up her suffering, absorbing it along with his own. Now he'd gotten over the worst part of telling her, he felt a calmness fall over him and his voice was quieter and steadier as he tried to explain,
"I've got to, Deanna. We've had word that the Sindareen have an encampment on the far side of your second moon. They are gathering forces - preparing to strike Betazed any day now. We are going to go and get them before they come and get us - catch them on the hop."
Pushing her away far enough so he could look into her face he continued, "While I've still got breath in my body, I am not going to let them get near you, Imzadi."
Will looked longingly down into the face that had been etched upon his soul forever and struggled against giving in to what he wanted. What he only wanted, and with a groan of submission, and self-loathing, Will caved in to the hunger that gnawed away at his heart.
Their mouths met with a crash as Will crushed her to him, sliding his tongue into her welcoming mouth with a fever that had eaten away at his soul for two long miserable weeks. His body shook with feeling, and he let her replenish him with everything that she offered, giving it equally back, hoping upon all hopes that it would be enough to see them both through the next few hours.
It had been naivety that had brought them both to this moment, but love had stepped in and taken over the first chance it had gotten. But it had never meant to take it to this extreme, and never expected to be torn apart this soon.
They had no chance of remaining friends. Every time Will spoke to her, or saw her, or thought about her, his heart would break. Knowing that he had to live without her beside him was beyond comprehension. Beyond forgetting. But he couldn't do that anyway, because she was with him, and within him, everywhere he went.
But for now, Will had to let her go. He had to say goodbye, but his tortured and rebellious mind refused to take that final step, clinging onto the tiny shred of hope that somehow, someway that had a chance. But he had a job to do first, and he had to get back home to her, alive.
Will ripped his mouth from hers and urged her to the back of the shuttle craft, struggling to hold his voice as he spoke, failing as it crackled with emotion. "Go," he pleaded, "Please, Deanna, go."
Unable to speak, the tears clogging her own throat, Deanna could do nothing more than take one last look at him, hesitating a moment longer, tormented by the agony etched upon his face, knowing that she put it there. Spinning on her heels, she hurried out of the shuttle and once she was clear of the doors, she stopped, turning to watch the hatch come down, her soul preparing to close its own doors to hide away from the pain it was going to have to contend with until she saw him again.
Deanna moved around to the side out of harms way as the engines began start up. Her eyes searched for his through the window, and once more, for a long moment they simply looked at each other until, with a small salute, Will finally began to move off.
Deanna rose her hand to wave goodbye, but he was already gone, banking sharply out of the giant hanger door and heading towards his comrades as they sat waiting for their leader, mentally preparing themselves for the mission ahead.
War was all but a heartbeat away and nobody knew who was going to be the victor. But Will hoped and prayed with all his heart that it was going to be him, just so that he go home and feast his eyes upon his Imzadi again.
Chapter nineteen
"I make fifteen. What about you, Tang?"
The two men were huddled down behind a craggy outcrop, the jagged rocks surprisingly sharp despite being mostly made out of sand, the tiny, gritty particles already ripping at their noses and throats making them splutter and grimace against the invasion on their tender, dry, membranes, their eyes, smarting as the tears tried valiantly to wash away the grit.
Tang quietly coughed away another mouthful of sand before speaking, "I count nineteen, sir. From this angle I can see the shadows inside the tents, and there is at least another four besides your fifteen."
Will grimaced with dismay. Even though the Federation party outnumbered the Sindareen almost by double, they were still at a disadvantage. He figured it was why the Sindareen had put themselves exactly where they had; Only one way in, and only one way out - and they were sitting right in the way of either.
Will squinted, trying to focus his eyes not only against the sand that was totally intent on getting behind his eyeballs to cause even more grief than it already was, but the dying sun too. It was almost eleven o'clock and there was still a lot of daylight left to die. He figured it was going to be at least another good hour before the tangerine ball settled down for the night, leaving them shadowed enough to move in.
Sergeant Tang scuttled nearer to Will's position so that he could converse with his leader, which made Will smile a little considering that even though Will out-ranked Tang, he had heaps more experience, and enough balls to let a younger man take the lead in a situation that he'd been in more times that he'd care to remember. Knew that even though he was a military man through and through, he was more than aware that he was an ageing military man who's reflexes were somewhat diminished with age, and his strategy tactics were in dire need or modernizing.
And Tang was more than happy to pass the reins over to him.
"What's the plan of action, Sir" Tang murmured, his eyes never leaving the scene below, watching for the tiniest of movements that would have them either scuttling back out of sight, or worse still, have them hurting down the hill at them like an avalanche in full unstoppable flow.
Will quietly studied the encampment below, watching one of the mongrels mooching around, looking for kindling to light a fire before the last of the sunlight to vanish and plunged them into midnight blackness.
His eyes moved further around. Another tent began to go up, this one bigger than the others. Will surmised it was the command centre. It sure as hell wasn't the latrine as his gaze moved on to another solitary figure standing apart from the others, his stance typical of a man relieving himself.
Somehow that thought stuck in Will's craw; having to think of them as men with the same bodily functions and needs. Unwillingly, his mind drifted back to Deanna, sitting back in her house, undoubtedly worrying her beautiful little head off, unaware that a creature that could stand there taking a piss like a man, could also fuck like a man. Fuck his Imzadi
The thought made the bile rise in Will's throat and he had to swallow convulsively to shift the bitter taste and thought, shaking his head to dispel the image that swam through his head.
Tang caught the movement, spotting the tightly reigned in anger that caused his blue eyes to sparkle in the moonlights first beams. "You alright, sir?" he asked, deep lines furrowing his already tired ageing brow.
Will cursed himself for allowing himself the moments lapse to let Deanna back into his head, forcing him to lose himself to her rather than what lay ahead. He inwardly moaned as yet again, just saying her name allowed the damn picture that he kept tucked away in the corner of his mind to wave in front of his eyes and torment him for another fraction of a second.
Damn it, Deanna, get out of my head or I swear, I'll bloody strangle you!
"I'm fine!" he growled, making the mistake of glancing at the older man and seeing the worry in his eyes, impelling Will curbed his bitter attack, "I just want to get this done and get out of here in one piece."
Tang nodded thoughtfully, and then quietly turned his eyes back to the encampment below. Will followed suit, surprised that he hadn't made a remark, and then after a moment when he though he was home free, Tang muttered, wisdom softening his advice, "Leave her at home, son."
Will's chin dropped to his chest, his eyes closing against the pain that flared through his soul as he silently thought to himself as he struggled to get himself back together, and back to the present,
I'm trying, Tang, but it's bloody hard.
Tang didn't answer his silent, but no less desperate plea. Instead, the two men and the rest of the landing party focused their attentions on the scene down below, watching and learning about the men that they were going to kill, one way or the other. The only thing they had to decide was whether it was going to be now, or later.
Chapter twenty
When nightfall finally descended across their half of the planet, and when the last dying embers of the camp fires petered out to nothing more than a smouldering pile of ash, and when the residents each retired to their tents, Will and his team slowly and silently backed away and made their way back to their own craftily concealed shuttles, a trek that took them almost two hours, made easier by the coolness of night. When they had arrived it was in the burning rays of the morning sun.
The walk, even though it was relatively hurried, was guided with a sense of satisfaction. After observing the Sindareen for the entire day, watching them making plans, studying maps, and have the occasional punch up when tempers flared, it seemed that the entire raiding party was present; no more arrived.
So was that it? The Starfleet officers asked themselves over and over and continued to churn over the same question on their way back. Were any more coming? Was that just the first wave of a raiding party, or was that really it?
Relieved, and starving when they finally reached the sanctuary of their shuttles, the men soon made short work of the food rations allotted to each man. They had enough for three days, hoping that within two they would be be home on Betazed, back with their loved ones.
Now the immediate danger was over, Will allowed Deanna to fill his senses without guilt. Satiated with a full belly and a small snifter of whisky someone had passed around, Will stood, stretched as much as he could within the small shuttle's confines, and then stepped outside, letting his long body prop itself against the shiny hull and slide it down until he was seated on the cool, dusty earth.
Closing his eyes, he let her image swim before his eyes, smiling tenderly as he watched her drop the red dress to the ground, step out of it and kick it away. Licking his suddenly dry lips, he watched as she sashayed up close to him, as naked as the day she was born, walked straight into his arms, and straight into his heart. And then he began to kiss her, running his hands over every soft curve. As he slipped not only his hot tongue into the welcoming recess of her mouth, but the long, thick length of him inside of her heat, her whimper of submission and ecstasy splashed over his senses like a waterfall from heaven.
Will barely registered the movement as he heard Tang approach. He knew it was Tang purely by the way he huffed and puffed as he too shifted his ageing body down beside his. Without opening his eyes, Will smiled, gently tucking away his erotic fantasy for another time when he needed her. "You're getting old, Sergeant," he murmured so that those inside the shuttle couldn't hear the teasing.
But Tang had a smart comeback of his own, "I can still whup your ass, boy, make no mistake about that!" he said, good-naturedly.
Will chuckled at the image that replaced the one that he'd once more tucked away for safe-keeping.
"I'll keep that in mind next time your near enough to snag me, because you sure as hell couldn't out-run me," he bantered back.
"Don't be so sure," he retorted with humour, "I'm really the bionic man in disguise. Got me some jet-powered legs hiding underneath these pants, just saving them for just such a cause."
Will couldn't help himself as he roared with laughter, pushing himself back up to a weary stand, automatically turning to extend a hand to the man still seated.
Tang's humour vanished as he studied Will in the moonlight for a moment before suddenly beaming from ear to ear, reaching for the proffered hand and allowing Will to take the brunt of his weight as he heaved him to his feet, failing to hide the wince as his knees protested against the too short reprieve.
"Damn," he muttered with a smile, "Could've sworn I put my legs on this morning."
Laughing, both men entered the shuttle, flicking the switch to close the hatch as they did so. Looking around at the other three occupants who were already bunked down for the remainder of the night to get some sorely needed shut-eye, Will somehow felt better than he had done for some while.
Maybe it was because their enemy was just a handful of trouble that could be taken out with the minimum of fuss. And maybe it was because Deanna Troi had replenished his soul just enough to reinforce his love of life. And her.