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Author's Note: If not for some *very* persistent people, this chapter would've been the last, followed by an epilogue. After however, receiving requests to 'stretch' the story I've done just that and in doing so received both their gratitude and their wrath; why? You will find out ;)

In the mean time: I'm a mean person, so if I feel justified, I will withhold chapters until I've received more reviews *hint*; You are warned. ;)

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Chapt. 15

Not ten minutes later the doors behind her opened and an all too familiar man entered. He studied Troi's back for a while, eventually his eyes settled on the white-knuckled hands griping the edge of the vanity. He had expected her to have calmed down by now, perhaps even admitted that she had enjoyed --and if the Gods favored him, wanted-- their kiss.

It seemed he was wrong.

She was obviously furious; perhaps his best chance was to break through it. And God help him to make it through alive. "Dea?"

"Leave."

Not a good sign. Not a good sign at all. For her to speak through clenched teeth with such a tone of withhold anger and forced calm, meant she was as angry as she could ever be. "I came to apologize." A small snort left her throat, telling him she'd already sensed his initial reasons for coming, before ever thinking of an excuse. "All right" he conceded "I came to talk."

"I asked you to leave."

At least she didn't object again. He placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to turn her with gentle force. "Deanna--"

"Let me GO!" She shrank from his touch, swirling around and bringing herself eye to eye with her Imzadi. Fire blazing from her eyes. But for a reason he couldn't quite grasp, Riker got the impression it wasn't him she was mad at.

"Why won't you allow yourself to heal?" She took a step towards him, the anger that radiated from her forced him to take a step back.

"I will do as I please *Captain*."

This wasn't working, he had to find a way to pinch through her anger and reach the real Deanna Troi. "Will you listen to me?!" Perhaps his captain's tone would get her attention.

"Give me one reason to" From her victorious tone he surmised she didn't expect one, and had he not prepared he probably wouldn't be able to.

But then, he had prepared. He had done everything in his power to be able to truly reach her. And so he focused. His eyes tracing the features of her face, pale skin stretched over delicate bones and framed by streams of obsidian tresses, eyes that held within them her soul, as well as his future. Her heart held a place for everyone, even the evil-spirited.

He focused on the goodness of her soul, as he did on the gentleness of her hands, then forced himself to remember how she'd once loved him and how deep their friendship had become.

He recalled their very first meeting, back on Betazed. He recalled her surrender in the jungle, the opening of her heart. With a profound sense of guilt he also remembered leaving her and the breaking of his heart, along with hers. He had realized long time ago that neither of them had ever been willing to fully accept their respective parts in their parture. Perhaps that time had come.

Will never noticed the tilting of Troi's head, or the confused look that settled in her eyes. The emotions radiating from him intensified each second and though they were most definitely focused on her, he seemed to have forgotten she was in the room.

What a nerve he had! First forcing her to kiss him, then barging into her quarters without incentive, calling upon on romantic and lustful feelings and then forget she as even in the room!

She was about to do something about it, to break through his shield of emotions, but what Will Riker  did next was something she wouldn't have expected in her wildest dreams and it broke down all the barriers she had left to fight him with, diminished all the reasons she had for not admitting her feelings. The bond had not been broken, she knew that, but never would she have expected it to grow.

{Because I *love* you}