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Heart of the Mind
Zlanna@aol.com

January 12.	

	The next morning Captain Picard watched his CMO mutely staring down at 
her breakfast.  "Bad night last night?"
	"I tried to cheer Will up last evening over dinner.  I don't think I
did a very good job. I ended up as depressed as he was."
	"Ah, yes. Deanna and Worf. I always assumed that
Will and Deanna would get together." Picard sipped his tea.  "That was a
marriage ceremony I was looking forward to performing."
	"Now you might get to marry Deanna and Worf."
	"Perhaps." Picard picked up another croissant. He
realized  Beverly was watching him.  Tearing the croissant in two, he
continued defensively, "Well, I just think that with this Imzadi link
that the two of them have, Will and Deanna would be happier together.  I
just can't see a Betazoid and a Klingon in a long term relationship."
seeing her disbelief he continued "....it's just my opinion." 
	Beverly smiled.  "I didn't know you knew anything about their Imzadi
link?"	
	"I didn't before Kes-Prytt, but once while we were reading each
other's thoughts, you were wondering if our telepathy was like the
Imzadi link that Will and Deanna shared.  Since then there have, upon
occasion, been times when that 'bond' they share has helped us out of
some tight circumstances."
 	"Betazoids are physically a fragile race.  It is quite common actually, 
as a species depends more and more on its mental powers, their physical strength diminishes. 
That and the fact that the level of gravity of Betazed vs. the Klingon
homeworld is so different." Her voice trailed off as she put more Orange Marmalade
on her toast. "I'm worried a little about Deanna."
	" Worf wouldn't hurt Deanna."
	"Jean-Luc she visits sickbay every morning."
	"But he wouldn't injure her would he?"
	"Not on purpose, no, but accidentally..? Remember a Klingon's
idea of fun on the wedding night is to break his collarbone!"
	Picard sat back pondering the whole affair.  "Maybe I should
talk to her."
	"Maybe you should not."
	"Maybe I should not." Picard smiled in answer to Beverly's own
smile.
*************
	Worf kissed Deanna on the forehead before getting out of bed for
his morning exercises.  Lately he had met Commander Riker on Holodeck 3
for hand to hand training.  The Commander had seemed preoccupied
recently with reducing his weight, but Worf had no desire to meet Riker
this morning.  It was obvious that the First Officer had no idea what
Worf was getting at when he had asked the Commander for permission to
pursue Deanna. In all honesty, Worf had suspected if he been more
forthright Riker would probably have gone after Deanna himself.  Worf
was not sure he had acted honorably in the whole matter. 
Deanna seemed to need him, but he was not sure why. She did not seem at
peace with herself. The First Officer didn't make her happy, he was sure
of that. He watched her turn over and saw the dark bruise on her bare
shoulder.  He had once sworn that he would never bed a human woman since
they were so delicate and here he was with a Betazoid who bruised when
he looked at her. He went to prepare their breakfast, remembering the
aggression of K'Ehleyr with fondness.
	At breakfast Deanna looked at the food Worf had prepared. "What
is this, Worf?"
	"It is a Russian dish - my human mother used to fix it.  She called
it 'gruel'."
	"I see." Deanna poked at it and sniffed the prune juice.
	"That was a joke." When Deanna didn't respond Worf said, "All right.  
I am not a cook like the Commander.  I am sorry."
	"Worf, its okay." Deanna laughed.  "Actually the Commander is
not much of a cook either.  He sent me to sickbay twice with his
'cooking'."
	Worf watched Troi carefully, "Deanna, he did not know."
	Deanna's smile faded. "No, he didn't know."
	"You knew that?"
	"Yes."
	"Why did you not tell him?"
	"I tried. I couldn't tell him."
	"You still love him." It was a statement said without malice.
	"I told you before Worf.  He is my Imzadi.  I will always love
him."
	"He is a 'womanizer'.  He is not entirely with honor."
	"Worf, how many women have you been with?" Deanna sipped the
prune juice, frowned and sat it back on the table.
	"I do not see that as relevant."
	"Don't believe all you hear.  Commander Riker is, if nothing
else, discreet.  His reputation is much bigger than he deserves. I have
to get ready for my first appointment.  Will I see you for dinner?"
	"Yes.  But I will not be insulted again.  You will cook the meal
this time."
	"I will use the replicator."
	"Of course, that is what I meant."
*****************

January 18.	

	Deanna watched Will Riker walk into Dr. Crusher's office from her
vantage point on the biobed. Dr. Crusher arrived a few minutes later.  
The dark bags under Riker's eyes only served to
emphasize the contrast between the red of his blood shot eyes and their
natural color. He winced each time her assistant in the lab next door
turned on the gyroscope. Riker rubbed his temple with his thumb and
forefinger. Deanna couldn't tell what the conversation was about, but
she sensed they were talking about her.


	Crusher applied a hypo to Riker's arm. "Will, you wouldn't have this headache 
if you got a little sleep."
	"Now you tell me."  he smiled. "Well, I had a personal day off
scheduled for today anyway."
	"Don't come back tomorrow in worse shape than you are today."
	"I won't."
	Dr. Crusher studied her patient for a few minutes.  "Poker
tonight?"
	Will shook his head and rose from his seat. "Not tonight. I won't be
up for it."  Turning around he saw Deanna seated on a biobed with one of
the medical assistants. "How bad?"
	"I don't know.  I haven't seen her."
	"Beverly, I don't think I can stand by and watch this." Will turned
back to face the doctor.
	"Then tell her."
	"No. I want her to be happy.  Even if that means letting her
be."
	Will walked by the cot where Deanna was seated.  She turned and
saw him and felt her face flushing with embarrassment.  She could tell
he was depressed, but she sensed worry and embarrassment too.
 
	"Deanna." Will nodded and walked out, his eyes resting for a brief
moment on the small bruise on her shoulder.
	Deanna fought the impulse to run after him. This was better she
told herself.  She would not stand in his way by allowing their bond to
interfere with his career.  Or hers she tried to remind herself.

**************

February 1.	

	Two weeks later Data, Picard, Lt. Worf and Riker
stood watching the information from the probe on the viewscreen.  "It is
no malfunction, Sir. The radiation surge is constant."
	"Ideas, gentleman?" Picard looked from one to the other.
	Geordi LaForge joined the group. "Captain, the radiation signature
matches that of the old Earth missiles of the 3rd Atomic wars."
	"The third atomic wars?  How can that be so far out here?" Picard
looked from one officer to another.  His gaze fell on Will Riker.
	Feeling compelled to put forth a theory, Riker offered the first
one that came to mind, "Perhaps one of the missiles launched from the
moon missed its target and sped through space until it was captured by
this planet's gravity?" Riker hated when Picard turned to him for
answers like this.  He always came across looking like an idiot. He
would put forth a theory that seemed plausible to him and everyone else
had a great time proving how ridiculous his idea was.
	"Unlikely, Sir.  It is a great distance to travel." Data
speculated.
	"I agree Captain, it would seem highly unlikely that a missile
of this vintage would have survived intact and if it had then how did it
manage to land on the surface without exploding." Geordi agreed.
	"The gravity of the planet is very low.  Perhaps it is possible
that the missile made a gradual decent and landed intact." Riker
pulled on his beard as he reluctantly defended his position.
	Worf moved closer to view the screen, "I agree. The low gravity
would make such a landing possible."
	Riker clenched his teeth.  Worf  was only trying to back him up,
but, Riker felt like belting the Klingon everytime he opened his
mouth.
	Data objected. "Not likely Sir.  In fact the probability of such
an occurrence happening is"
	"Data, we don't want to hear the probabilities.  Give us a better
explanation." Will interrupted angrily.
	"I believe that is difficult without actually going down to
investigate Sir."
	"Yes I concur, Number One.  Take Worf and Data and report to transporter
room 2." Picard said.
	"Aye, Sir. Standard extravehicular garments gentlemen." Will turned
and returned to his quarters for his gear.  In his cabin he readied his survival pack
and before leaving,  opened his jewelry box and pulled out the locket. 
Hesitating for a moment, he finally slipped it over his head as he made
his way to Transporter Room 2, his helmet under his arm.
	She was there of course, saying good-bye to Worf.  Will waited
patiently on the pad.  Beside him Data nudged his side.  "Sir, what is
in the locket?"
	"What?" Will realized he had forgotten to slip the locket inside
his suit.  "For good luck."
	"There is no such thing as luck, Sir." Data replied just as
Counselor Troi caught sight of Will tucking the locket inside his shirt.
	"Worf.  Let's go." Riker urged, impatient to end the good-byes.
	Worf mounted the transporter platform just as the transporter
chief arrived.  Riker eyes fixed on Deanna.  How many times had she been upset
over his leaving on the away mission? How many times had her worry been
for him? Riker attached the helmet and gave the order, "Energize"  with
disgust.

	Deanna watched the trio disappear in a flash of sparkles.  She
remembered the first time she had given him the locket for luck and his
safe return to her.  "Imzadi." she sent to him, but he was gone.  She
hated his departures. She hated watching him go. She hated worrying what
it would be like if he were not to return. Then she felt guilty as she
realized that if Will did not return it was unlikely that Worf would
either.
	On the surface of the planet, the trio looked through the SEWG
space suits to see what evidence there might be as to how the old
missile had arrived on the surface of the planet.
	"Look Sir." Data pointed toward the missile. "See the skid marks
in the sand."  Two long marks stretched back over a mile along the sandy
surface.
	"Looks like the missile did coast onto the surface." Worf called
out.
	Riker circled closer to inspect the missile's casing.  "Wait,
Data, Worf. Stay put." The Commander did not know how but something did
not feel right about the missile. He looked around, but he wasn't sure
what he was looking for.  Over his intercom he heard Geordi LaForge call
out, "Commander. I am beaming down to your location to contain the
radiation leak."
	"No, Geordi, not yet." What wasn't right?  Riker turned 360 degrees,
searching for something, though he wasn't sure what. Something was wrong, but 
he couldn't place the problem. Turning to Data, he saw Worf circling near the missile.  
"Worf, don't move." Worf stopped a few steps from the missile. Suddenly Riker
knew what was wrong.  He turned to Data,  "Would a missile that had
been in space this long have enough energy to leak radiation at
this level?"
	"It would not, Sir. Perhaps something activated the power system
once it was in space, or perhaps the power system was activated during
the crash landing."
	"It must not have been here too long for the landing streak to
still be in the sand." Worf interjected.
	That's it, Riker thought. "Or perhaps someone activated the
power system after the missile was brought here." Riker saw Worf moving
in for a closer look.  Something on the ground caught the First
Officer's eye. He bent down and picked it up.  A small insignia pin with
two letters inscribed on it - in Cardassian script.  He turned to Worf,
hit his com badge, "No!" he screamed at Worf. "Enterprise, beam us out!" he 
cried, throwing  himself between the Klingon and the missile.  In the low 
gravity of the planet he catapulted through the air striking the Klingon sending
him flying out of harm's way. A remote controlled phaser began blasting
from the side of the missile at the spot where moments before Worf had
been. Riker felt his foot hit a small metal object as he landed in the
sand and then felt something hit him in the chest just prior to
blacking out. The tell tale atomic mushroom cloud rose up from the
surface just as the away team materialized in Sickbay.
	Riker woke up with Dr. Crusher leaning over him. "Welcome back,
Commander.  Yet another of your nine lives used up. We managed to beam
you all out before the vacuum sucked the air out of your lungs. Although
I'm not sure how that was accomplished, quite frankly." 
	"What happened?"
	"The best I can determine is you must have been wearing something
that deflected the phaser strike. I'm not sure what. It apparently
disintegrated.  You have some third degree burns around the area. I've
repaired the skin tissue, but it will be tender for a few hours. Your
lungs weren't damaged, but the sudden, partial decompression
will leave you sore when you breathe deeply for the next day or two.  I
could give you something to prevent the pain, but I prefer to not give
you anything.  The pain serves as a reminder that you are potentially
causing damage. This way you won't overdo any exercise.  If you promise
to take it easy, I will walk you to your quarters and let you sleep
there tonight."
	"I promise."
	"I thought so." Beverly took Will by the arm and helped him off
the medbed. 
	"Here doctor, I can manage - if it is all right with the Commander."
Deanna stood before the two of them.  Dr. Crusher noticed Will didn't
protest, but simply steadied himself on Deanna's shoulder and began to
gingerly walk out of the sick bay.
	"Worf told me you saved his life." Deanna struggled as Will stumbled
a little.
	"I'm not sure that's true."
	"He is. Beverly says you were lucky. Data called ordering a beam
out just prior to propelling yourself through a low gravity environment
"a suicide move."
	Riker ignored the description, "I think your locket was
destroyed."
	"I think it served its purpose."  Deanna walked Commander Riker
back to his room and helped him lay down in his own bed.
	"I'll be back in a minute," she told him. When she returned he
had already fallen asleep. She laid the golden locket she had
replicated, complete with a duplicate picture of the two of them taken
ten years earlier on Betazed next to his head on the pillow.
********************