~*+*~

Most of the guests had left, giving the Troi's compliments for the ceremony and asking Deanna to pass their greetings on to the Picards, who'd long since left the room. Deanna was sitting on one of the tables discussing the latest ship's gossip with Guinan and Katherine Pulaski. Lishia was curled in her lap, desperately trying not to fall asleep.

A few tables away, the Rikers were catching up with Geordi and Data.  Will's son was proudly sitting on his father's lap, determined not to fall asleep. He wasn't much more successful than Deanna's daughter.

"She's a beauty Deanna, she looks a lot like you." Troi looked at her little treasure and smiled gratefully. "Yes, she is. Though I think she needs her beauty sleep now." The two other women grinned and they exchanged goodnight wishes.

Deanna walked across the room and stopped by the other still occupied table. "Thank you for coming, I'm sure Bev and Jean-Luc loved it. Now, I think I'm going to put the Flower Girl to bed." She grinned slightly as everyone diverted their eyes to Kyleigh's sleeping form. Geordi stood up and kissed her goodnight. Except for Will they all told her the ceremony had been beautiful and in response she briefly locked her dark eyes on everyone possible, except for Will.

As her eyes fell on his son a dagger of pain stabbed her heart, but she managed to keep smiling. "It looks like Lishia's not the only one who's tired." The boy's mother grinned at her, her green eyes loving and understanding. "It's been nice meeting you, Serah."

"Likewise, Deanna." The Empath sensed Will's surprise; obviously he hadn't noticed they'd talked before. Suddenly, her legs became weak under her body and she swayed as a sharp pain sliced through her head. Lasting for less then a second, so short she wasn't even sure if it had really happened.

When the others saw her sway and her face contort in pain, they jumped up and in no time, Data and Geordi stood at her side. "You all right, Deanna?" She nodded warily, suddenly overcome by tiredness. "Yes, yes I just lost my balance for a second." In her arms Kyleigh stirred slightly and turned, her sleep intruded by the happenings around her.

"I'll walk you to your quarters, all right?"

"Yes, thank you Geordi." He just nodded his response and lifted Kyleigh out the arms of her mother. She settled back against his chest, totally unaware of the world around her. As they left Ten-Forward, Deanna was painfully aware of Riker's piercing eyes on their backs and was surprised to feel a pang of jealousy from him.

She shrugged the feeling off and sighed of relief as the doors closed behind her.

"You all right, Counselor?"

"Yes, just tired, it's been a long day." Her companion nodded his understanding and they walked the rest of the way in companiable silence.

Once inside her quarters, Geordi gently laid 'little Deanna' --as they had dubbed Kyleigh-- in her bed. "Thank you Geordi," the engineer was startled by the Counselor's sudden exhausted appearance, but managed to hide his concern and replied to her cheerfully "Anytime Doc." Smiling, the Betazoid shook her head and moved to the replicator. "Can I get you something?" For a moment he considered accepting, but then he remembered what happened earlier and politely declined. "No, I think I'll retire for the evening, I'm pretty tired." Troi smiled, realizing what he meant with the words and walked him to the door. "Goodnight."

~*+*~

Reluctantly, Deanna opened her eyes. Dismayed by the light they encountered, she closed them again and turned on her belly, pressing her face in the soft pillow. She had the day off and no matter what time it was, it was too early to get up.

Two hours later she woke up again, this time by a small, dark-haired girl who was pulling the sheets off her bed. "Mommy, Mommy I'm hungry, can I have breakfast?" Deanna groaned and tried to pull the sheets back, but her daughter wouldn't yield and mercilessly yanked the sheets away. "Mommy, Mommy, can I have a hot-chocolate?" At this Deanna couldn't help but grin. 'Definitely her mother's daughter,' she amended.

"Oh, all right then. But first give me my bathrobe, Little One." Before she had finished, the girl already returned with the silk purple robe and handed it to her mother. Deanna slid in it and walked to the replicator, ordering two hot-chocolates. For a moment, she regretted that Lwaxana had to return to Betazed the evening before. It had been a while since they had the opportunity to share a couple of hours together without having to do anything. "On the other hand," she murmured, "I doubt Jean-Luc and Bev would've managed to leave the party earlier, had she been there."

Having finished their drinks, mother and daughter started on the task of getting ready for the day that lay ahead. After having taken a shower herself, Deanna bathed her daughter and dressed her in a blue dress. Together they sat down in front of the mirror and started brushing their hair. Deanna marveled over the softness of her daughter's hair. Kyleigh's hair was a shade lighter than her own and each year it seemed to straighten out a bit. She was grateful that it was nearly the only visible sign that Will Riker was her father. She recalled how relieved she had been --and still was-- when it became clear that Kyleigh had inherited her mother's eyes rather than her father's.

When both were satisfied with their appearance, Deanna replicated a typical Betazoid-breakfast and put it down on the table, where mother and daughter ate while Kyleigh happily told her mother all her adventures of the night before. How she had danced with Uncle Jean-Luc and with Geordi and with Data and with Reg and with a boy who's name she couldn't remember. She told her mother all about the compliments she had received from various people and that she wanted to be a Flower Girl again sometime soon. Deanna was pleased her daughter had enjoyed the evening and gladly listened to her tales.

The young girl was just clearing the table when the door chimes went, giving her a welcome excuse to abandon her task. The doors slid apart and revealed a tall muscular man standing on the other side. "Hello," her cheerful welcome brought a genuine smile to the man's face and he bent down to make it easier for her to look at his face.

"Hello. You're the Flower Girl from last night right?" Kyleigh nodded proudly. "A wonderful job you did. Tell me, what is your name?" She looked at him hesitantly, not sure if she could trust him. It was then that she heard her mother's voice in her head. ~Who is it, Little One?~

"Don't know, Mommy!" The man instantly realized mother and daughter could communicate telepathically. Deanna had told him that if she'd ever have a child with someone who wasn't telepathic or empathic, the child's mental abilities would be nearly negligent. Therefore he dropped to the conclusion she must have married a Betazoid man, just as the Daughter of the Fifth House of Betazed is supposed to do.

Hearing her daughter's unusual reply Deanna dropped the padd she'd been reading and walked to the main room, curious about who their visitor was. When her eyes fell on the form in front of her daughter, her breath held in her throat. She'd hoped she wouldn't have to face him, apparently the powers that be didn't quite agree.

Both Kyleigh and the visitor were as yet unaware of Deanna, both studying each other's face. Will noticed the small girl in front of him was nearly an exact copy of Deanna. Onyx eyes, delicate features and a wild mane of very dark brown, wavy hair. Her hair seemed one or two shades lighter than Deanna's and was definitely less curly, two traits she'd probably inherited from her father.

"Why are you here?" He smiled again and leaned slightly towards her.

"I wanted to talk to your mother." At his word Kyleigh spun around, suddenly becoming aware of her mother's close proximity and her pain.

"No." She answered resolutely. "You cause her pain, go away!" Her stance had become rigid and the smile that had played around her lips disappeared. Confused, Riker rose to his full height, towering above the youngest Troi. His form, however, didn't impress her the slightest bit and she remained standing across from him.

"Lishia," Deanna's quiet and almost cautious voice rang through the quarters, "it's alright, let him in." Again Kyleigh turned to her mother, her mouth opening to object, but as their eyes met she closed it and stepped aside. Cautiously, Riker entered the room and let the doors close again. "Why don't you go check on Willy?" Sensing it wasn't a simple suggestion; Kyleigh nodded demurely and began to leave. "Oh and maybe you can give Kate a hand, it's busy in Sickbay now that Aunt Bev is on her honeymoon."

"Yes, Mommy."

"Shoo, Little One, you worry too much. I'll be fine." ~If I can handle Uncle Jean-Luc, surely I can handle this man.~ The girl chuckled at her mother's joke and stepped to the doors which opened at her approach. She exited the quarters and headed for the Turbolift as she heard her mother's voice ring through her head again, accompanied by an empathic hug. ~I love you.~

"She's very pretty, she looks just like you." Putting up a happy front, Deanna smiled and motioned him to sit down.

"She's a precious gift." Will marveled at the love and affection with which she spoke, it was obvious the little girl meant the world to the woman sitting across him. Being this close to her again brought back all the ache his heart had endured over the years. It had been six long years since he'd seen her in person. She hadn't been there when he took command of the Titan and she hadn't been there at any other major event in his life, including his wedding. And he had no one to blame but himself, for he hadn't invited, hadn't even told her he was going to get married. Basically, they hadn't spoken for six years and he still missed her every day.

"So...erm...how's life aboard the Titan?" 'This is ridiculous,' she said to herself. We've got six years to catch up with and I don't know what to say.'

"It's been wonderful so far. We've become a close family." Inward Deanna winced at his words. It would make her feel better to know he had been miserable as well, but even when she probed him she encountered feelings of mainly contentness and love, with a slight twinge of guilt, remorse and miss.

"What about you?" His simple question startled her even though she'd expected it. What was she to answer?

"I've been fine. I stayed on Earth six months then moved back to the Enterprise." Her answer was so vague she never expected to get away with it, but she couldn't have been more relieved when she did.

"Glad to hear that." For the first time since she'd known him, an uncomfortable silence fell between her and Will, leaving her nervous and anxious to talk.

"You're wife is a very sweet woman...and your son is very handsome." His eyes briefly closed to hide the regret he felt. Not that she couldn't know feel it anyway. "You love them deeply." He swallowed and made sure not to look in her eyes as she spoke.

"Yes, yes I do. They're a god's gift." She smiled, happy he was happy, but at the same time hating him for it.

"Will," her soft whisper of his name coaxed him to lock his eyes on hers, and he was shocked when he found that for the first time in his life, he couldn't read them, "why didn't you tell me when you got married?" He swallowed harshly and she sensed him debating how to answer her.

"I-uhm, I didn't want to press your nose in it, I didn't want to hurt you again." She noticed how he actually believed himself, if only she could believe him as well. Her black eyes remained fixed on his blue ones, giving him unintentionally the opportunity to study her. Her expression seemed blank, but the longer he looked at her the more he saw.

"You're hurting." Knowing he could read everything in her eyes, Deanna tried to divert them but she found she couldn't break the hold his eyes had on her. He seemed continue his quest to find out how she was feeling, but when he saw the pain that action itself caused her, he dropped it and instead told her how he was feeling.

"Deanna...I..."

"Will don't." Her quiet voice was meant to interrupt him, for she had sensed what he was going to say. Only he didn't seem to hear her.

"I still miss you." She closed her eyes at his admission, not wanting to hear the words she'd longed to hear. "And I--" This time Deanna rose to her feet, creating as much physical distance between her and Will as she could. Her movement made him hold back what he was going to say, for now.

Deanna moved to the window and fixed her gaze on the stars outside. She wrapped her arms around herself, bracing herself for the waves of emotions she felt from Will. It was impossible for her to ignore him, their link which only seemed to grow stronger wouldn't let her.

Riker recognized Troi's stance as one of hurt and turmoil and almost instinctively moved to stand          right behind her. The hairs on the back of her neck rose at his closeness. She wished she could lean back against his broad chest. She hated him, although she still loved and missed him. She couldn't allow him to see what she felt. For him, she was happy and content with her life, as she was for everyone around her, even her own daughter.