Deanna Troi woke up sweating. Seldom had her dreams been so cruel
and dysfunctional. He wasn't gone from her life just yet, though. She
turned only her head to see Will comfortably sleeping next to her. He had
come in late, apparently, and slept now in full uniform. His arm rested on
hers as she lay on her back. She felt proud and wanted in ways that he'd
never let her feel before.
Without disturbing him, the counselor slipped out of the covers and
stood watching him in the dim ten percent light he must have left on in the
room. He shifted, and she hoped to see his eyes open. Desperately she
vowed to bathe in them-the ice blue Alaskan sea that had become her cold
comfort home. Instead, his comm badge beeped, and he remained asleep.
Deanna proceeded to her mirror and stood staring blankly at her own
reflection. She tried relaxing her muscles, but the lines on her face
persisted. She didn't mind the lines of age that much-even her mother had
aged well-it was the worry lines that bothered her. The semi-permanent
distress markings that would serve in any other soul as a cry for help in
front of a counselor's desk.
"I will not contact her," she whispered to herself, "not Mother. There is no need to ask her for relationship advice."
Commander Riker rolled onto his back and stretched his arm out involuntarily.
"We don't want to lose each other, but I know I will lose him. I dream of it every night, in place of those dreams of longing I used to have."
The dark-haired woman then noticed the peach coloring of her satin sleep set. She wondered if it was perhaps a bit too young for her, but the concluded that the only troublesome thing about the attire was a neckline all too high for her lover's taste. And in the mirror, she noticed him sit up, reclining on his hands, folded familiarly behind his head.
"Riker to Troi. I need to say good morning."
She put on a smile and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Commander, the only thing you will be getting from me is breakfast."
"No complaints." His grin was wide, but he soon roped his arms around her waste and pulled her to him for a welcomed kiss. She remained pressed to him, in an embrace, but then stood up and strode confidently to the food replicator.
"Four eggs, over easy, and a chocolate milkshake with two straws." She couldn't help but be romantic. The replicator complied, producing an adequate milkshake and four over easy fuschia eggs.
"My dear, the food complicator needs to know what type of eggs you'd prefer. Either that, or some little kid elsewhere on the ship is quite disappointed that his eggs turned out white and yellow."
Troi ignored the food and returned to bed. Her glowing eyes erased all signs of age except her worry lines. And in that instant she kissed him once more, opening her mind to his and refusing to allow the emotions to subside. She knew he felt overwhelmed, but she persisted until he cried.
"Will, that was not my intention, I just."
"Don't be sad. I am devoting my life to making you happy, Deanna."
"Oh, Will, you do-"
A transmission interrupted her outpouring. "Crusher to Troi, I need you in Sickbay."
"I will not contact her," she whispered to herself, "not Mother. There is no need to ask her for relationship advice."
Commander Riker rolled onto his back and stretched his arm out involuntarily.
"We don't want to lose each other, but I know I will lose him. I dream of it every night, in place of those dreams of longing I used to have."
The dark-haired woman then noticed the peach coloring of her satin sleep set. She wondered if it was perhaps a bit too young for her, but the concluded that the only troublesome thing about the attire was a neckline all too high for her lover's taste. And in the mirror, she noticed him sit up, reclining on his hands, folded familiarly behind his head.
"Riker to Troi. I need to say good morning."
She put on a smile and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Commander, the only thing you will be getting from me is breakfast."
"No complaints." His grin was wide, but he soon roped his arms around her waste and pulled her to him for a welcomed kiss. She remained pressed to him, in an embrace, but then stood up and strode confidently to the food replicator.
"Four eggs, over easy, and a chocolate milkshake with two straws." She couldn't help but be romantic. The replicator complied, producing an adequate milkshake and four over easy fuschia eggs.
"My dear, the food complicator needs to know what type of eggs you'd prefer. Either that, or some little kid elsewhere on the ship is quite disappointed that his eggs turned out white and yellow."
Troi ignored the food and returned to bed. Her glowing eyes erased all signs of age except her worry lines. And in that instant she kissed him once more, opening her mind to his and refusing to allow the emotions to subside. She knew he felt overwhelmed, but she persisted until he cried.
"Will, that was not my intention, I just."
"Don't be sad. I am devoting my life to making you happy, Deanna."
"Oh, Will, you do-"
A transmission interrupted her outpouring. "Crusher to Troi, I need you in Sickbay."