Genre: StarTrek: The Next Generation

Title: New Civilizations

Summary: Riker invites D'Jang to his quarters.

Chapter 8

An hour later, Doc D'Jang was just finishing up entering her report in her medical logs on the youngster and his bunny, when she heard the twitter of her communications insignia and then Commander Riker's voice.

"D'Jang, are you free to come to my quarters?"

She didn't take note of the rather throaty quality to his voice or to the familiar use of her name without title.

"Commander Riker? Your quarters?"

"Yes. Can you come?"

"I can, but first, satisfy a curiosity; why your quarters?"

"Well, I could say I have the Kronatt headdress here and remind you of your request for a feather, which is true, but I would also like to just 'talk' with you."

"Just talk? How boring. Just to let you know, the feather sounds like a better excuse. Sure, be right there."

She first checked that the lab was in order, that all broken supplies from the gerkiland's rampage had been disposed of, replicated and stowed away, and made the rounds of the various cages, some made of wire, some made of clear plastic. She clucked, moaned, chittered, and occasionally even sang, as she acknowledged each creature she passed. Some she caressed, some she barely touched, some she just looked at. As she approached the door, she whirled around and waived a finger at the room, empty of people yet filled with life. "Okay, you're all fine, see if you can stay that way for five minutes!" She passed through the opened doors muttering, "Never leave me alone for a minute, hardly a chance to even visit the can."

Entering Riker's quarters, Commander T'Shing found him wearing a somewhat shabby dressing gown. He was also wearing the feathered headdress, which looked quite grand, in a way. Trying not to show that she was somewhat taken aback by the casual dress she laughed and said, "So, this is what the well dressed number one officer at ease wears?" Never having been in Riker's quarters before, she didn't take particular observation of the dim lighting, or of the atypical disorder.

Riker appeared pleased at her humor. He smiled but then seemed struck by something. He began looking hard at the elegantly tall woman in front of him. He moved his head slightly up and then down, then slightly from one side and to the other side.

D'Jang watched this movement, puzzled, but then she shrugged. "Fancy bonnet you got there, fella. Does wonders for you. Can I have a look at it?"

Riker approached closely to the veterinarian, and though speaking casually, his voice was thick, and his slightly perspiring face was flushed. "It seems that getting acquainted with this Kronatt meant wearing it. I thought I'd cause less of a stir if I did so in private." He moved closer "After a while I began thinking of you and your request for the feather, so I thought I'd see if you were free to collect." By this time his face was very close to hers, his voice had dropped to a personal whisper and his eyelids had dropped to half-mast.

Until this point, D'Jang had been enjoying the spectacle, but suddenly her inner alarm bells were going off so she drew back. "You made that sound like you mean if I were free for you to collect me."

"Are you?"

"Excuse me?" Making sexual innuendos in public conversation was one thing, a sexual advance in the privacy of a man's quarters, was another.

Riker took a lock of her hair and began rubbing it gently between his thumb and forefinger, obviously taking pleasure in the sensation. He gazed hopefully into her eyes. "I'd like to collect you," his voice was barely audible, "to have you." The long feathery tendrils, falling on Riker's shoulders and down his back, caught and reflected light, even in the shadowy room.

D'Jang grabbed his hand and removed the strands of her hair from his fingers. She tossed his hand to one side then backed away. "Have me, for what?"

Will reached out to touch her shoulder. "I think you know for what." He caressed the material of the sleeve of her blue and black uniform.

"I haven't been on board long enough to know whether I would want to be collected by you." She brushed his arm away.

"Oh, but I know I'd enjoy it; you're very attractive." His breathing was shallow and rapid, his eyes gleamed with eagerness, and even the faceted eyes on the headdress twinkled.

"You called me here on business but you seem to have personal affairs on your mind. Somehow, right now, I doubt I'll ever want to get to know you well enough for us to get personal; I don't like deceptions for any reason and I don't like to be with deceptive people."

Briefly, Riker looked worried, but then put on his most winsome smile. "Please, forgive me; its just that I'm so attracted to you, this schoolboy prank was all I could think of." His voice had sounded almost normal for a moment, but now it dropped back to an eager whisper. "You know, if you just allow yourself to feel the moment..." The look of hope on his face grew. "Please? Let me?"

A puzzled expression passed over the vet's face as she backed away from the crowding man, not taking her eyes from him. Shaking her head slightly, she said, more to herself, "Something's wrong here. This just doesn't make sense."

Riker made a grab for her, and she dodged the move, stepping backwards. Continuing to shake her head slowly she said, "I don't believe this!" She stopped backing away, and with a look of firm resolve, before Riker could reach out to her again, she raised her hand, pushing the palm towards his face and said in a commanding tone, "No! Get back! No!"

Riker's eyes widened and he suddenly halted. He backed off a couple of stumbling steps, turned his body away, but kept his eyes, troubled and confused, on the imposing woman. Now, breathing heavily through his nose, he swayed towards her slightly, but she raised her hand again, bringing him up short.

"Commander Riker, you back off! Now! There's definitely something wrong here. Right now, I don't know whether to bring you up on charges or have you medically investigated. Maybe you have something better to do than to wear that hat and strutting around in your skimpies, and maybe you don't; maybe you're responsible for your actions and maybe you're not. Whatever it is, you're definitely out of line with me and I'm leaving!" With that, Commander T'Shing backed out of the room, not removing her eyes from Riker until the door to his quarters swished shut.

TBC to Chapter 9

Questions? Comments? I live for feedback!