Four Letter Word II
Author: antoa
Key Words: R/T Rating: PG-13
Feedback: Yes please! I live for feedback.
Disclaimer: Blah blah not mine. Blah blah Paramount.
Author's Notes: Takes place during the episode "The Naked Now." This is a sequel - possibly the second in a series - but it can kind of stand alone. If you do want to read the first one, you can find it on my author page -

I have gotten two pieces of feedback so far between this story and the original that have stated that Riker is Will and not Bill. If you go back and watch "The Naked Now" and "Haven" you will clearly hear Deanna call him Bill. You can also read the scripts for these episodes at my script archive (url located in my bio since I can't link). The exerpts are also under the Reviews for the original story. Now, on with the fic :).

Part 1

"Tasha, wait--" The door slid shut behind the sauntering security guard, effectively cutting Troi off. With a sigh of exasperation she tapped her comm badge.

"Troi to Captain Picard."

Picard here.

"Sir, I think Tasha's been infected, too. She's just left my quarters..."

It's not actually an 'infection,' Counselor.

Deanna rolled her eyes, biting back the annoyed tone in her voice. "Yes sir, it's more like an intoxication, but whatever it is, she's got it."

Thank you, Counselor. With his curt reply, the comm channel was closed.

Letting out an audible breath, Deanna surveyed the mess Tasha had left behind in her normally immaculate quarters. Shimmering, brightly colored fabrics of various hues were scattered about the main living area as well as the bedroom. She reached for the closest one, a silken floral print that was draped across the back of the chair. As she placed the garment back into the closet, her fingertips lingered on the delicate fabric. Her thoughts wandered to the past.

She was not normally one to indulge herself in clothing beyond what was necessary, an unconscious form of rebellion against her mother perhaps. Whatever the reason, she had broken her unwritten rule one gorgeous Betazoid summer afternoon.

They had just finished a late lunch in a small cafe and had decided to take a stroll along the main street before he had to return to headquarters and she had to attend her next class. Arm in arm, they paused at some of the store windows, admiring the merchandise.

A particular garment caught his eye and he leaned over to whisper seductively in her ear. "I would love to see you in something like that."

She allowed a small giggle to slip past her lips before she half-heartedly chided him, but the smoldering look in his bright blue eyes gave her pause, so she pulled him into the store behind her.

A small, sad smile graced her lips at the memory of that day, that time in her life. Everything was so different now and she knew that she could never go back.

Deanna angrily swiped away the one tear that had managed to escape. "Stop living in the past." She had lost track of how many times she had told herself this. "What matters is right now. And right now I need to clean up this mess."

As she bent to retrieve the next article of clothing the room began to spin. The sudden wave of dizziness slammed into her, forcing her to place a steadying hand on the bed. When the sickening sensation had passed, she straightened up again only to have it quickly return.

"Maybe I should lie down."

As her head hit the pillow the dizziness ebbed away and was replaced by a cacophony of the crew's emotions. Whatever was making her dizzy seemed to also be affecting her ability to filter out the overwhelming noise of emotions.

One particular individual's mind began to slowly push its way above the din. Deanna grabbed a hold of it, wrapping herself up in the wonderfully familiar, sensual sensation.

A single whispered word fell from the edge of her lips. The only word that could describe it, "Imzadi."

Physically drawn to the source, she made her way out into the corridor and headed straight to Engineering, the mess in her quarters long forgotten.

Her empathic sense was stumbling. The minds were different somehow, swirling, free. Thoughts and emotions were fragmented, disjointed, incomplete. She held fast to her sense of him, letting it guide her through the madness that was threatening to consume her.

The doors to the turbolift opened to allow her access to the main engineering level.

"Bill..." She drank in the sight of him.

"Deanna, what--?" His question was stopped short by a pair of small hands making their way around his midsection.

Deanna held him tight, her awareness of him increasing tenfold thanks to the physical contact.

"So many minds on this ship, Bill... all free... released..." She let his presence wash over her and reached out to lightly brush his mind. Her hands caressed sensually up and down his back, his response to the physical contact and her ministrations only adding to her desire. The absolute need to get him out of his uniform immediately was temporarily placated by the sound of his voice.

"Deanna --"

"I can feel them all... what they feel... what they want... I feel a side of humans I've never felt before."

"Come on, I'm getting you to Sickbay." He effortlessly scooped the petite Betazed into his arms, her delicate hands instinctively encircling his neck.

"Wouldn't you rather be alone with me -- with me in your mind..." Her hands began running feather-light patterns across the sensitive area on the back of his neck.

**Sickbay. I need to get her to sickbay.** Like a mantra, Riker repeated the phrase in his head in an effort to ignore the incredible sensations that were building up inside. A very unfortunate, or fortunate side effect of having the beautiful Betazed in his arms, doing that thing with his neck.

His mantra was having the desired effect, successfully keeping him on course to sickbay until the sudden feeling of a small moist tongue leaving a wet trail along his earlobe caused his precarious resolve to snap. A low moan made its way from deep within and he was forced to drop Deanna to her feet in the middle of the corridor. A futile, desperate attempt to quell her ministrations, it did nothing to alleviate the problem.

Instead, he found himself with his back against the bulkhead and a small, lithe body pressing firmly against him. Soft lips kissing the skin being exposed as delicate fingers slowly lowered the front fastening of his uniform.

That's when he felt it, felt her, all around him, within him. His very being became suffused with her essence. She brushed his mind, barely a whisper, stroking the flames of his desire until he could bare it no longer.

Lifting her face to his, Riker captured her lips in a desperate, urgent kiss. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her as close to him as was physically possible. It still wasn't enough. Shifting their positions, he pressed her firmly against the bulkhead, his large frame towering over her. Their kiss continued, neither one daring to stop to even take a breath, their hands mimicking the seductive dance of their lips and tongues.

Deanna pushed forcefully on his shoulders and Riker willingly let her regain the dominant position. Instead of the bulkhead, his back came in contact with a door, which obediently opened when the sensors detected them in the doorway. Unable to halt their forward momentum, the pair landed unceremoniously in a heap on the floor of an empty conference lounge.

TBC