Fic Post: The Awkward Middle
Title: The Awkward Middle
Author: vegawriters
Series: Imzadi
Fandom: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Pairing: Deanna Troi/Will Riker
Rating: M
Timeframe: Pre-canon
A/N: When I said I wanted to give Deanna Troi more agency, I wasn’t sure what I meant by that. Now I know, and it’s an interesting path to be on. Also, this series is connected to Tears of the Prophets.
Disclaimer: Star Trek (in all its iterations) is not owned by me. I do not currently make any money from this. But, I am more than happy to help change that.
Summary: But to follow the thought process, Deanna was truly Athena, then. The compassionate, too beautiful for words daughter of the ruling house. A woman who fought with passion, and forgave little. He’d keep that in mind for the future.
Betazed, 2360
Well, if they were proving one thing about their relationship, the sex was great even when the silences were awkward. And, they’d been awkward since Caldra’s visit. She hadn’t given any details at lunch, she hadn’t offered up any explanation, and Will knew he wasn’t going to get it. Not now. Possibly not ever. It was okay, he reasoned as he caught his breath while Deanna disappeared into the bathroom, there were things he wasn’t sure he was ready to tell her either.
“My mother still wants to meet you,” she said as she emerged from the bathroom, still naked, and made her way back toward his bed. “Don’t think that family and work situations popping up will change that.”
“You know, I’ve never been serious enough about someone to meet their mother before.”
“That sounds like a step in maturity,” she teased. And don’t worry, my mother is only moderately terrifying.”
Will shook his head. “See, Deanna, you could have got away with that a couple of months ago, but now I’ve had the chance to see her operate at functions. I’ve read the news reports. Your mother is a force of nature.”
Deanna smirked and he felt his stomach drop. “See, you mention functions …”
Will blanched, suddenly sure he was going to be naked at a wedding while meeting Deanna’s mother. And while Deanna wasn’t a telepath, the look on her face and her peal of laughter revealed she had completely read his mind.
“No,” she giggled. “Although, how you got away with not meeting her at Chandra’s wedding is beyond me.”
“Starfleet admirals took my attention,” he teased right back, pulling her down to him. “And what is this function you are about to drag me to. This function where I’m going to have to wear my dress uniform and smile awkwardly at high ranking officials?”
Deanna giggled again and Will reveled in the sound. For all of the tension as of late, her laughter was the single most calming thing he could hear. She was so serious, so focused. School and family were first, always. The people at the hospital, they were her passion. Even before Caldra’s appearance, he worried, often, that he was an afterthought. But then she would laugh, a laugh he’d come to learn was his and his alone, and things just felt … better.
“A new building at the University is being named after someone from the Third House and I have to put on a pretty dress and smile while we drink champagne. You should come. And then, after, I promise to send my mother away and you can come home with me.”
Will raised an eyebrow. “A chance to see the mythical Troi estate? To actually see your bedroom?”
She rolled her eyes, “Keep talking like that and I’m talking the offer away.” But she threatened him while sliding up to straddle his body, so he had a feeling she really didn’t mean it.
Dear God, she was beautiful, and he knew his worship of her was only enhanced by how he actually felt. It was terrifying, to be falling in love, truly in love. He was used to fast romance, never clinging too closely because anything could happen in the vacuum of space. But they weren’t in space and he wasn’t leaving Betazed any time soon and right now, he just wanted to stroke his fingertips up and down her skin, tracing down along the lines of her breasts, until she did what he wanted more than anything, which was to bend down and kiss him.
Will wasn’t sure if it was the fact that she was empathic, or that he was head over heels for her, but making love to her was so much different than with anyone else he’d been with over the years. She was just that much more connected, that much more passionate. He knew when something wasn’t working, knew when oh, it was. She was vocal and tender and her toy bag was quite fun to explore. There were times, when their eyes were locked and she was wrapping herself around him, that he could swear he could feel exactly how she was feeling.
But right now, she was making her way down his body with slow, lazy kisses, and Will groaned as her hand stroked down and around his hip, teasing and taunting. “So?” She asked.
“What?” He squeaked. And then he remembered. The function. “Yes. God. Of course.”
She giggled and her mouth closed over him. At this point, he’d say yes to anything.
***
“At some point, you know, you’re going to leave us and go back to Starfleet and then where are we going to be?”
Deanna looked up at the woman in the doorway of the small office she shared with three other students who were working at the hospital. “You will, always, be just fine.” She set the PADD down on the desk and stood up, brushing crumbs from lunch off of her skirt. “However, you are right about Starfleet eventually wanting me back.”
“Your mother doesn’t have any pull with keeping you here?”
“You ask her, she can shut down any ship I’m serving on.” Deanna rolled her eyes. “So please, don’t ask her.” She cleaned off a chair and gestured to her boss to take a seat. “How can I help?”
Dosia Taluna pulled her waist-length braids over her shoulder as she settled. She was an ageless woman, with dark skin and deep red braids that she often kept wrapped in a bright yellow scarf. Her family had been one of those that rose to prominence as the monarchy changed its power structure, founding the modern schools of psychology on Betazed. The Taluna method had taken all of the historical aspects of Cyndriel psychology and torn it down to the wires, rebuilding the concepts in ways that crossed cultural conversations far more than anything ever had before. Despite already being drawn to psychology, it had been her classes from Dosia that confirmed for Deanna that her place was here, in this field.
“Mostly, this is a check in to see how you’re doing. You’re about to start work on your final dissertation and that can be overwhelming.”
Stunned, Deanna sank into her desk chair and stared at her boss. “I hadn’t even thought about that.”
“Deanna,” Dosia leaned forward, linking her fingers. “You are one of my brightest students. From your original work here, to the work I’ve read you did at Starfleet Academy, you are driven, dedicated, and quite possibly, going to run this facility someday.”
Deanna couldn’t help but smile. “No offense, Dosia, but I really would rather not.”
“What do you want to do?”
“Right now,” Deanna said, carefully, feeling out the emotions coming from her boss, “I want really to focus on first contact procedures. I saw what happened when I was serving during the border wars, how so often all that was needed was someone who understood what it took to listen. I see it here, too. And when the mission of the Federation, of Starfleet, is to seek out worlds that are new to us but we aren’t focused on all outcomes, including the trauma that comes from meeting new people, then we aren’t really ready to meet the universe.”
Dosia nodded, slowly. “And what about the marriage bond?”
“Honestly, we haven’t even met each other yet. I wouldn’t mind trying to dissolve the bonding, but family tradition is family tradition. So, that’s the variable that’s out there. I’ll have to see what happens.”
“I respect that,” Dosia said, a soft smile gracing her lips. Deanna felt the emotion shift in her boss though, from one of curiosity to focus. “I need your final dissertation proposal on my desk by the end of the week.”
“It’s almost complete.”
“What are you thinking of?”
“It’s an extension of my work with the Bajoran refugees.”
“That’s a natural connection,” Dosia replied.
“The Bajorans have seen a complete upheaval in their society,” Deanna continued. “They’ve lived in close quarters with the Cardassians for thousands of years, but it’s only in the last century that the relationship turned violent. In that time, since the Cardassians invaded, the Bajorans have gone from an artistic and religious culture, one that was primarily peaceful in its worship, to one of violence. Yet, they were also a caste society, and the castes were rigid to the point that societal mobilization was frozen.”
“So where is this going?”
Deanna looked Dosia in the eye. “What if it were to happen here?” Dosia blinked. Deanna continued. “We are not that different from the Bajorans, save for our history of spaceflight. Unlike them, our desire to explore other worlds was limited. But, we are a deeply spiritual people with longstanding traditions that were tilted upside down when the Federation came to visit. In addition, we do have neighbors who are more warlike than we are, who are not members of the Federation. The psychology of a culture that is vulnerable to occupation is just as crucial as the psychology of a culture under occupation. Especially when a society such as ours is part of a united front that preaches peace and yet engages in warfare with other empires.”
Dosia let out a long sigh. “I am very interested to see your plan of study.”
Deanna allowed herself to smile. “Me as well.”
They both laughed but Deanna could feel a caution behind Dosia’s smile. “Deanna …" the older woman projected. "I know you are helping Caldra in her work.”
“Dosia ….”
She held up a hand. “Don’t say anything either way. Just, be careful. You have the privilege of being a daughter of a high house. You would survive being caught. Others might not.”
“It’s why I do it.”
Dosia nodded. “Fair enough. Just, be careful, Deanna. You know better what the situation on Bajor is doing to the planet. The Cardassians are ruthless. Don’t let them be ruthless with those connected to you.”
Deanna knew that this was the reason Dosia had come in and nodded, giving respect to the warning. Somehow, she’d heard the Cardassians were sniffing around. “Noted.”
Dosia regarded her for another moment before standing. “I look forward to reading your proposal, Deanna.”
“I’ll have it for you.”
Her boss nodded and made her way out of the office. Deanna leaned back and let out a long, nervous breath. She’d been helping Caldra for years, since her time at the academy. She’d worried on occasion about being caught, but nothing to this point had made her wonder if the Cardassians were starting to suspect that people on Betazed were doing more than offering support. But, she couldn’t just sit still. She couldn’t just let it keep happening. And if she was able to keep Caldra’s name out of it, then it was worth whatever cost. Something had to give, and she could keep pushing for more out of the Federation, but she had to do more than go to parties and talk to officials.
***
Well, the champagne was decent and Deanna looked like an absolute dream. Her dark hair was pinned up while ringlets fell around her face, accenting her wide, black eyes. The dress, a wispy pink fabric that looked purple in different lights, clung to her form, which made it even harder for Will to focus on the people around him. By now, he recognized the faces of the primary players. Betazed’s ruling class, at least the ones who showed up at events, was not that large.
When they gathered together, there was almost a Grecian feel to the culture. At least, from what he’d read about in his history books. The old nation state had already been struggling before the Third World War tipped the scales of power on Earth, and the war all but wiped out the people and the culture. What had survived was truly fantastical: tales of old gods roaming the Earth, scions of prophecy directing kings and queens, and beasts of all shapes transforming at the will of the heavens. Beyond that chaos of understanding the old world, however, there was a form to the culture - and whatever feeling he’d had when reading the myths, it resurfaced when standing with a group of Betazoids.
But to follow the thought process, Deanna was truly Athena, then. The compassionate, too beautiful for words daughter of the ruling house. A woman who fought with passion, and forgave little. He’d keep that in mind for the future.
Right now, however, he was torn. His chosen love was making her way across the room, a stately woman walking next to her. He knew full well that this was Lwaxana Troi, and all he wanted to do was be called away by an emergency.
“Oh stop, I’m not that scary,” the older woman said as she came up next to him and held out her hand. Will froze, unsure of what to do in this situation. Did he just shake her hand? Take it and kiss it? How were he and Deanna at this point in their relationship already?
Starfleet poise and training took over and Will bowed slightly and then took Lwaxana’s hand gently. “It’s an honor to finally meet you.”
“Oh hogwash,” Lwaxana said with a smile. “This is literally the last thing you want to do right now, and I don’t blame you. But it’s okay, I’m not going to chase you down and stop you from dating my daughter. I can’t stop her from going back to Starfleet, so I can’t very well stop her from being with you. And don’t worry,” she kept talking, in response to the worry that flashed through Will. “I married a human, so I can’t exactly fault my daughter for dating one. It isn’t like Cyndriel is some isolated world. We’re a jewel of the Federation. As long as she doesn’t bring home a Klingon, I’ll be fine.”
“Mother!”
“Darling, they’re just so … well.”
Deanna was blushing. “Mother, stop.”
“William, you’re a lieutenant, correct?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Well,” she paused and a tender look crossed her face. “Deanna’s father was a lieutenant when we met. So dashing in his uniform. He just swept me off my feet and I’m still not quite on solid ground. Don’t worry, I won’t make you sit through dinner yet. But it was good to meet you, William. Take care.”
Will was ready to be left alone with Deanna, but Lwaxana wrapped an arm around her daughter’s shoulders. “Now,” she said, “before you leave tonight, you simply must say hello to Gregoria. You remember her, don’t you?”
Deanna shot a look back to him and Will could have sworn he felt her sorrow and frustration touch his mind. A shiver went up his spine and he frowned, lightly, trying to shake the change in his psyche. But then it was gone and he could only smirk as Deanna was led away from him again. “I’m sorry,” she mouthed at him. He only shrugged. He’d been promised a night in the Troi estate. It was silly, but he did want to see where his princess lived. But, until then, he had to make small talk with academics. So, he did understand her frustration after all.
It took another hour before he felt that same creep up his spine and turned to see Deanna approaching. She looked drained, but her wrap was around her shoulders and she was clearly ready to go. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to stay that long.”
“I got to watch you be beautiful,” Will replied as he held out his arm to her. She tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow. “It was enough.”
“I’m glad it was for you,” she teased. “Look, change of plans. I couldn’t convince my mother to be elsewhere, so I figured we’d go to the house on the Lake for the night. I don’t have to be anywhere tomorrow, but I assume your duty shift starts …”
“I have nothing pressing. As long as there is a transport console nearby so that I can get back to the city in an instant, I can at least have a lingering breakfast.”
“It’s good to be in command?” Deanna teased.
“Yes,” he taunted right back. She chuckled and led him out of the newly christened building and toward a waiting transport. A silent servant waited at the side, and bowed as Deanna approached. She nodded her head in response and took the man’s hand to step into the transport. Will followed.
“We’re going to the house on Lake El’Nar,” she told the driver. He nodded, still silent, and brought them into the almost empty transit lanes.
Above the city, everything sparkled. Lights that would just twinkle on some planets were reflected by the crystals in the rocks and mountains and it seemed like the city was a starfield just as a ship hit warp. As they moved away from the population, the crystal mountains reflected light from the moons, and Will had never felt a stronger urge to protect this planet he was starting to think of as home. He could only imagine the damage an occupying force could do, and the mental image of blackened mountains and polluted air made his stomach drop.
Deanna was half asleep on his arm, and he held her loosely on the half hour trip through the Betazoid skies. Finally, they landed on a pathway and she stretched herself awake. “Come on,” she murmured, climbing from the transport. She nodded her thanks to the driver and led Will toward the house.
Will, for his part, tripped over his feet while they walked. This was not, as she so blithely described it, a house. No, before him stretched an adobe home that wrapped around at least half of the lake. Moonlight glinted off the white stone exterior of the house, giving it an ethereal glow. He’d stepped into truly some otherworldly time and place and if he wasn’t careful, the gates to reality would close behind him and he’d never escape. But, the transport was gone.
As Deanna stepped onto the porch, lights came on around them. She pressed her hand to the palm scanner at the door and it slid open, bringing lights on inside. “Come on,” she said again. “I’d give you the tour, but I am absolutely exhausted. Do you mind if we just sleep for a few hours?”
Stunned, Will just nodded. This was a house? Just the lake house? Well, he’d wanted to see where his princess lived, and this truly was a palace. She linked their fingers, ordered the computer to set the lock on the door, and they walked through the dim home to a large bedroom that looked out over the lake. Deanna shrugged out of her dress and it pooled around her ankles, and she climbed into the huge bed. Will carefully peeled out of his dress uniform and followed her into bed. Deanna was asleep before he wrapped himself around her, and all he could do was stare out the window at the moons reflecting on the water. While she breathed deeply next to him, Will watched the skies and wondered what happened next.
Finally, sleep claimed him, and when he dreamed, it was of Deanna.
Author: vegawriters
Series: Imzadi
Fandom: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Pairing: Deanna Troi/Will Riker
Rating: M
Timeframe: Pre-canon
A/N: When I said I wanted to give Deanna Troi more agency, I wasn’t sure what I meant by that. Now I know, and it’s an interesting path to be on. Also, this series is connected to Tears of the Prophets.
Disclaimer: Star Trek (in all its iterations) is not owned by me. I do not currently make any money from this. But, I am more than happy to help change that.
Summary: But to follow the thought process, Deanna was truly Athena, then. The compassionate, too beautiful for words daughter of the ruling house. A woman who fought with passion, and forgave little. He’d keep that in mind for the future.
Betazed, 2360
Well, if they were proving one thing about their relationship, the sex was great even when the silences were awkward. And, they’d been awkward since Caldra’s visit. She hadn’t given any details at lunch, she hadn’t offered up any explanation, and Will knew he wasn’t going to get it. Not now. Possibly not ever. It was okay, he reasoned as he caught his breath while Deanna disappeared into the bathroom, there were things he wasn’t sure he was ready to tell her either.
“My mother still wants to meet you,” she said as she emerged from the bathroom, still naked, and made her way back toward his bed. “Don’t think that family and work situations popping up will change that.”
“You know, I’ve never been serious enough about someone to meet their mother before.”
“That sounds like a step in maturity,” she teased. And don’t worry, my mother is only moderately terrifying.”
Will shook his head. “See, Deanna, you could have got away with that a couple of months ago, but now I’ve had the chance to see her operate at functions. I’ve read the news reports. Your mother is a force of nature.”
Deanna smirked and he felt his stomach drop. “See, you mention functions …”
Will blanched, suddenly sure he was going to be naked at a wedding while meeting Deanna’s mother. And while Deanna wasn’t a telepath, the look on her face and her peal of laughter revealed she had completely read his mind.
“No,” she giggled. “Although, how you got away with not meeting her at Chandra’s wedding is beyond me.”
“Starfleet admirals took my attention,” he teased right back, pulling her down to him. “And what is this function you are about to drag me to. This function where I’m going to have to wear my dress uniform and smile awkwardly at high ranking officials?”
Deanna giggled again and Will reveled in the sound. For all of the tension as of late, her laughter was the single most calming thing he could hear. She was so serious, so focused. School and family were first, always. The people at the hospital, they were her passion. Even before Caldra’s appearance, he worried, often, that he was an afterthought. But then she would laugh, a laugh he’d come to learn was his and his alone, and things just felt … better.
“A new building at the University is being named after someone from the Third House and I have to put on a pretty dress and smile while we drink champagne. You should come. And then, after, I promise to send my mother away and you can come home with me.”
Will raised an eyebrow. “A chance to see the mythical Troi estate? To actually see your bedroom?”
She rolled her eyes, “Keep talking like that and I’m talking the offer away.” But she threatened him while sliding up to straddle his body, so he had a feeling she really didn’t mean it.
Dear God, she was beautiful, and he knew his worship of her was only enhanced by how he actually felt. It was terrifying, to be falling in love, truly in love. He was used to fast romance, never clinging too closely because anything could happen in the vacuum of space. But they weren’t in space and he wasn’t leaving Betazed any time soon and right now, he just wanted to stroke his fingertips up and down her skin, tracing down along the lines of her breasts, until she did what he wanted more than anything, which was to bend down and kiss him.
Will wasn’t sure if it was the fact that she was empathic, or that he was head over heels for her, but making love to her was so much different than with anyone else he’d been with over the years. She was just that much more connected, that much more passionate. He knew when something wasn’t working, knew when oh, it was. She was vocal and tender and her toy bag was quite fun to explore. There were times, when their eyes were locked and she was wrapping herself around him, that he could swear he could feel exactly how she was feeling.
But right now, she was making her way down his body with slow, lazy kisses, and Will groaned as her hand stroked down and around his hip, teasing and taunting. “So?” She asked.
“What?” He squeaked. And then he remembered. The function. “Yes. God. Of course.”
She giggled and her mouth closed over him. At this point, he’d say yes to anything.
***
“At some point, you know, you’re going to leave us and go back to Starfleet and then where are we going to be?”
Deanna looked up at the woman in the doorway of the small office she shared with three other students who were working at the hospital. “You will, always, be just fine.” She set the PADD down on the desk and stood up, brushing crumbs from lunch off of her skirt. “However, you are right about Starfleet eventually wanting me back.”
“Your mother doesn’t have any pull with keeping you here?”
“You ask her, she can shut down any ship I’m serving on.” Deanna rolled her eyes. “So please, don’t ask her.” She cleaned off a chair and gestured to her boss to take a seat. “How can I help?”
Dosia Taluna pulled her waist-length braids over her shoulder as she settled. She was an ageless woman, with dark skin and deep red braids that she often kept wrapped in a bright yellow scarf. Her family had been one of those that rose to prominence as the monarchy changed its power structure, founding the modern schools of psychology on Betazed. The Taluna method had taken all of the historical aspects of Cyndriel psychology and torn it down to the wires, rebuilding the concepts in ways that crossed cultural conversations far more than anything ever had before. Despite already being drawn to psychology, it had been her classes from Dosia that confirmed for Deanna that her place was here, in this field.
“Mostly, this is a check in to see how you’re doing. You’re about to start work on your final dissertation and that can be overwhelming.”
Stunned, Deanna sank into her desk chair and stared at her boss. “I hadn’t even thought about that.”
“Deanna,” Dosia leaned forward, linking her fingers. “You are one of my brightest students. From your original work here, to the work I’ve read you did at Starfleet Academy, you are driven, dedicated, and quite possibly, going to run this facility someday.”
Deanna couldn’t help but smile. “No offense, Dosia, but I really would rather not.”
“What do you want to do?”
“Right now,” Deanna said, carefully, feeling out the emotions coming from her boss, “I want really to focus on first contact procedures. I saw what happened when I was serving during the border wars, how so often all that was needed was someone who understood what it took to listen. I see it here, too. And when the mission of the Federation, of Starfleet, is to seek out worlds that are new to us but we aren’t focused on all outcomes, including the trauma that comes from meeting new people, then we aren’t really ready to meet the universe.”
Dosia nodded, slowly. “And what about the marriage bond?”
“Honestly, we haven’t even met each other yet. I wouldn’t mind trying to dissolve the bonding, but family tradition is family tradition. So, that’s the variable that’s out there. I’ll have to see what happens.”
“I respect that,” Dosia said, a soft smile gracing her lips. Deanna felt the emotion shift in her boss though, from one of curiosity to focus. “I need your final dissertation proposal on my desk by the end of the week.”
“It’s almost complete.”
“What are you thinking of?”
“It’s an extension of my work with the Bajoran refugees.”
“That’s a natural connection,” Dosia replied.
“The Bajorans have seen a complete upheaval in their society,” Deanna continued. “They’ve lived in close quarters with the Cardassians for thousands of years, but it’s only in the last century that the relationship turned violent. In that time, since the Cardassians invaded, the Bajorans have gone from an artistic and religious culture, one that was primarily peaceful in its worship, to one of violence. Yet, they were also a caste society, and the castes were rigid to the point that societal mobilization was frozen.”
“So where is this going?”
Deanna looked Dosia in the eye. “What if it were to happen here?” Dosia blinked. Deanna continued. “We are not that different from the Bajorans, save for our history of spaceflight. Unlike them, our desire to explore other worlds was limited. But, we are a deeply spiritual people with longstanding traditions that were tilted upside down when the Federation came to visit. In addition, we do have neighbors who are more warlike than we are, who are not members of the Federation. The psychology of a culture that is vulnerable to occupation is just as crucial as the psychology of a culture under occupation. Especially when a society such as ours is part of a united front that preaches peace and yet engages in warfare with other empires.”
Dosia let out a long sigh. “I am very interested to see your plan of study.”
Deanna allowed herself to smile. “Me as well.”
They both laughed but Deanna could feel a caution behind Dosia’s smile. “Deanna …" the older woman projected. "I know you are helping Caldra in her work.”
“Dosia ….”
She held up a hand. “Don’t say anything either way. Just, be careful. You have the privilege of being a daughter of a high house. You would survive being caught. Others might not.”
“It’s why I do it.”
Dosia nodded. “Fair enough. Just, be careful, Deanna. You know better what the situation on Bajor is doing to the planet. The Cardassians are ruthless. Don’t let them be ruthless with those connected to you.”
Deanna knew that this was the reason Dosia had come in and nodded, giving respect to the warning. Somehow, she’d heard the Cardassians were sniffing around. “Noted.”
Dosia regarded her for another moment before standing. “I look forward to reading your proposal, Deanna.”
“I’ll have it for you.”
Her boss nodded and made her way out of the office. Deanna leaned back and let out a long, nervous breath. She’d been helping Caldra for years, since her time at the academy. She’d worried on occasion about being caught, but nothing to this point had made her wonder if the Cardassians were starting to suspect that people on Betazed were doing more than offering support. But, she couldn’t just sit still. She couldn’t just let it keep happening. And if she was able to keep Caldra’s name out of it, then it was worth whatever cost. Something had to give, and she could keep pushing for more out of the Federation, but she had to do more than go to parties and talk to officials.
***
Well, the champagne was decent and Deanna looked like an absolute dream. Her dark hair was pinned up while ringlets fell around her face, accenting her wide, black eyes. The dress, a wispy pink fabric that looked purple in different lights, clung to her form, which made it even harder for Will to focus on the people around him. By now, he recognized the faces of the primary players. Betazed’s ruling class, at least the ones who showed up at events, was not that large.
When they gathered together, there was almost a Grecian feel to the culture. At least, from what he’d read about in his history books. The old nation state had already been struggling before the Third World War tipped the scales of power on Earth, and the war all but wiped out the people and the culture. What had survived was truly fantastical: tales of old gods roaming the Earth, scions of prophecy directing kings and queens, and beasts of all shapes transforming at the will of the heavens. Beyond that chaos of understanding the old world, however, there was a form to the culture - and whatever feeling he’d had when reading the myths, it resurfaced when standing with a group of Betazoids.
But to follow the thought process, Deanna was truly Athena, then. The compassionate, too beautiful for words daughter of the ruling house. A woman who fought with passion, and forgave little. He’d keep that in mind for the future.
Right now, however, he was torn. His chosen love was making her way across the room, a stately woman walking next to her. He knew full well that this was Lwaxana Troi, and all he wanted to do was be called away by an emergency.
“Oh stop, I’m not that scary,” the older woman said as she came up next to him and held out her hand. Will froze, unsure of what to do in this situation. Did he just shake her hand? Take it and kiss it? How were he and Deanna at this point in their relationship already?
Starfleet poise and training took over and Will bowed slightly and then took Lwaxana’s hand gently. “It’s an honor to finally meet you.”
“Oh hogwash,” Lwaxana said with a smile. “This is literally the last thing you want to do right now, and I don’t blame you. But it’s okay, I’m not going to chase you down and stop you from dating my daughter. I can’t stop her from going back to Starfleet, so I can’t very well stop her from being with you. And don’t worry,” she kept talking, in response to the worry that flashed through Will. “I married a human, so I can’t exactly fault my daughter for dating one. It isn’t like Cyndriel is some isolated world. We’re a jewel of the Federation. As long as she doesn’t bring home a Klingon, I’ll be fine.”
“Mother!”
“Darling, they’re just so … well.”
Deanna was blushing. “Mother, stop.”
“William, you’re a lieutenant, correct?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Well,” she paused and a tender look crossed her face. “Deanna’s father was a lieutenant when we met. So dashing in his uniform. He just swept me off my feet and I’m still not quite on solid ground. Don’t worry, I won’t make you sit through dinner yet. But it was good to meet you, William. Take care.”
Will was ready to be left alone with Deanna, but Lwaxana wrapped an arm around her daughter’s shoulders. “Now,” she said, “before you leave tonight, you simply must say hello to Gregoria. You remember her, don’t you?”
Deanna shot a look back to him and Will could have sworn he felt her sorrow and frustration touch his mind. A shiver went up his spine and he frowned, lightly, trying to shake the change in his psyche. But then it was gone and he could only smirk as Deanna was led away from him again. “I’m sorry,” she mouthed at him. He only shrugged. He’d been promised a night in the Troi estate. It was silly, but he did want to see where his princess lived. But, until then, he had to make small talk with academics. So, he did understand her frustration after all.
It took another hour before he felt that same creep up his spine and turned to see Deanna approaching. She looked drained, but her wrap was around her shoulders and she was clearly ready to go. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to stay that long.”
“I got to watch you be beautiful,” Will replied as he held out his arm to her. She tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow. “It was enough.”
“I’m glad it was for you,” she teased. “Look, change of plans. I couldn’t convince my mother to be elsewhere, so I figured we’d go to the house on the Lake for the night. I don’t have to be anywhere tomorrow, but I assume your duty shift starts …”
“I have nothing pressing. As long as there is a transport console nearby so that I can get back to the city in an instant, I can at least have a lingering breakfast.”
“It’s good to be in command?” Deanna teased.
“Yes,” he taunted right back. She chuckled and led him out of the newly christened building and toward a waiting transport. A silent servant waited at the side, and bowed as Deanna approached. She nodded her head in response and took the man’s hand to step into the transport. Will followed.
“We’re going to the house on Lake El’Nar,” she told the driver. He nodded, still silent, and brought them into the almost empty transit lanes.
Above the city, everything sparkled. Lights that would just twinkle on some planets were reflected by the crystals in the rocks and mountains and it seemed like the city was a starfield just as a ship hit warp. As they moved away from the population, the crystal mountains reflected light from the moons, and Will had never felt a stronger urge to protect this planet he was starting to think of as home. He could only imagine the damage an occupying force could do, and the mental image of blackened mountains and polluted air made his stomach drop.
Deanna was half asleep on his arm, and he held her loosely on the half hour trip through the Betazoid skies. Finally, they landed on a pathway and she stretched herself awake. “Come on,” she murmured, climbing from the transport. She nodded her thanks to the driver and led Will toward the house.
Will, for his part, tripped over his feet while they walked. This was not, as she so blithely described it, a house. No, before him stretched an adobe home that wrapped around at least half of the lake. Moonlight glinted off the white stone exterior of the house, giving it an ethereal glow. He’d stepped into truly some otherworldly time and place and if he wasn’t careful, the gates to reality would close behind him and he’d never escape. But, the transport was gone.
As Deanna stepped onto the porch, lights came on around them. She pressed her hand to the palm scanner at the door and it slid open, bringing lights on inside. “Come on,” she said again. “I’d give you the tour, but I am absolutely exhausted. Do you mind if we just sleep for a few hours?”
Stunned, Will just nodded. This was a house? Just the lake house? Well, he’d wanted to see where his princess lived, and this truly was a palace. She linked their fingers, ordered the computer to set the lock on the door, and they walked through the dim home to a large bedroom that looked out over the lake. Deanna shrugged out of her dress and it pooled around her ankles, and she climbed into the huge bed. Will carefully peeled out of his dress uniform and followed her into bed. Deanna was asleep before he wrapped himself around her, and all he could do was stare out the window at the moons reflecting on the water. While she breathed deeply next to him, Will watched the skies and wondered what happened next.
Finally, sleep claimed him, and when he dreamed, it was of Deanna.