Jean-Luc Picard watched Beverly Crusher undress. It was one of his favorite leisure time activities of late. "Well, I thought the evening went well." "You would, you cleaned everyone out." "No, I was referring to Deanna and Will." Picard smiled as Beverly chose a very thin lilac nightgown for her evening gown. "I was thinking maybe we ought to give up this pretense, Doctor." "What pretense is that?" "The pretense that we hardly know each other during the day." Picard grinned. "I was thinking that maybe we should make this relationship official." "Official? Jean-Luc whatever are you talking about?" "I'm talking about setting a good example for Will and Deanna." "I think Will and Deanna know precisely what to do. I don't think they need us as an example." Beverly got into bed. ³Lights out." In the dark she heard Picard's voice, "I was thinking of showing them that two people can be married and serve on the same starship." "How were you planning on showing them that?" In the dark Beverly couldn't see Jean-Luc's face, but she could imagine him rolling his eyes before he said, "I'm asking you marry me, damn it." "So ask." # Three weeks had passed since the poker game. During that time everyone was so excited that the Captain and Dr. Crusher were engaged that no one seemed to notice the other blossoming relationship. Sitting in ten-forward, Troi and Riker were enjoying a quiet dinner when two crewmen began to argue over a chess game. Deanna immediately felt Will focusing on calming himself and the effect was that she reached an emotional balance despite the nearby tension. "Will, you deliberately project feelings that help me balance surrounding emotions, don't you?" He speared a piece of steak. Raising his gaze to her, he smiled, the old twinkle in his eyes. "It's my job as your Imzadi, isn't it?" "I wouldn't put it that way." He sat back, "Does it help?" "Yes, it helps a great deal." She watched him return to his eating. "Good, that's what I want." "Will, do you know how quickly I can become dependent on you if you continue this?" "I'm not going anywhere Deanna. Do you know how happy I am since we've gotten back together?" "Yes. I can feel your happiness." "Good." Riker finished off the steak. ******************* "So, come on, tell me, what happened last night?" Beverly was curled up at one end of Deanna's couch. "Nothing." "What do you mean nothing? I thought you had decided it was time." "Will didn't seem to think so." Deanna shrugged. "Will Riker didn't seem to think so? Are we talking about the same Will Riker, here, the Commander of the USS Enterprise? Maybe he didn't understand what you had planned." "Beverly! I think he knew exactly what I had planned." "So what happened?" "We had a delightful evening discussing personnel reviews - " "Personnel reviews? Now that would inspire romantic thoughts." Beverly was shaking from trying to contain her laughter. "And afterwards, he got up and said goodnight and left." "He didn't kiss you?" "Yes, he kissed me, but then he left." "No, I mean did he Œkiss' you?" "Yes, it was quite an enthusiastic kiss, but then he left." Deanna repeated. "What did you do?" "As I recall, I stood in the room with my mouth open and threw a Aurilian clay pot at the door he had just left through." Deanna sat sipping her hot chocolate. "I'm supposed to meet him tonight for dinner at his cabin. "It will surely be a gourmet affair." Beverly wiggled her eyebrows. "I thought he was the one who insisted this relationship be a physical one." "He was, but it obviously is not going to go in that direction until he decides it is." Exasperated, Deanna crossed her legs and pouted. "In the meantime, he is driving me crazy." Beverly patted her friend's knee, "Don't worry, if I know Will Riker, he won't be able to hold out much longer." ************** Will watched Deanna as she finished dumping the remains of the dinner in the recycling unit. She crossed over to the couch and sat down next to him, a small smile on her lips. He studied her expression for a minute, "You remember?" "Eleven years today, Will." "Yes, eleven years. I'm glad no one told me that day in the jungle that it would be eleven years before we finally were able to reach this point in our lives." "It's been a long journey." She absently brushed her hand through his hair. He took her hand in his and kissed it lightly, "But worth every step, Imzadi." He had been trying to resist rushing their relationship, but he was finding the struggle harder each time he saw her. He put his arm around her, pulling her close to him. Her kiss made him long for more. Will thought back to Gerard. He wondered what Deanna would be feeling at that moment. His own emotions were so high, he wasn't sure. "Deanna," "Hmmm" she tried to continue kissing him while he talked. "Tell me what you are feeling." he whispered in her ear tickling her delicate skin on her neck with his beard. She nipped his earlobe. "You've never asked me that before." He pulled back, "Tell me. I need to know." His blue eyes were searching hers for that which he couldn't see. He was blind to the emotions that dominated her existence. She had always assumed this human handicap, his lack of empathy would prevent them from ever sharing all that true Imzadi shared, but now she felt he was telling her that he wanted to try. "I feel...regret, shame, sorrow - for everything I put you through." Slowly she picked up on his feelings of hope, forgiveness and joy. The effect was gradual, but she realized that her emotional balance was being re-established. "How?" she asked. "Let's say I haven't wasted my time this past year." Will stroked her hair. "And now?" She closed her eyes. "I feel love, desire, gratitude." Then slowly she felt his love for her and the shades the feelings painted were beautiful. Will brought to his mind a memory of watching Deanna comforting crew members after the crash of the Enterprise. He marveled at the time how just her presence seemed to reassure people. He had watched her comforting a small child who was crying over a lost, favorite Teddy bear and he had a vision of her holding his child some day. Deanna reacted to the depth of his memory by holding him tightly. He started to draw away, "Deanna, I'd better go." "No, Will, don't." She knew she was begging, but she didn't care. "If I stay, Deanna, It will only be harder to leave." "Imzadi, I won't ask you to leave." His kiss was a promise to stay. He brought to his mind the depth of her friendship and the solace she brought him in past times when her faith in him was all that kept him going. He thought of the first moment he saw her and how he had been riveted to the beauty of her smile. He remembered their first kiss in the jungle. Her fingernails dug into his back and she held him tightly, her breathing becoming deeper. He focused on his desire and held his lips just above hers before lightly initiating a kiss . She pressed hard against him and her kisses came more hungrily than before. Then he drew back. Her breathing quickened at the anticipation of the next kiss. He watched her carefully. She tried to bring him back to her, but he resisted for just a moment, letting her savor the feelings that now flooded her mind. "Now, tell me now how you feel Imzadi" he sent to her. "Will, I can't." and she felt her frustration and failure grow at her inability to express in words what her mind felt. Will remembered Gerard's warning. "That's okay." he told her gently. "Deanna, listen to me." He took her hand, bringing it up to his face and kissed her palm, his soft beard brushing against her fingertips, his eyes searching hers as if looking hard for her soul to be reflected in their dark expanse. "I love you." He felt her need for him in her embrace. He pulled down her hair, letting his fingers glide through it until he gathered it up in his hand again. He thought of the loneliness of the past year and felt her shudder and then focused on the sense of fulfillment he was experiencing now. She rewarded him with a soft sigh. Slowly he moved his hand to the clasp on her dress and undid it. Then he stopped. "Will?" she pleaded. He smiled, "Hmmm" "What are you waiting for?" "For you to tell me what to do." "I think you know." He forced his breathing to come in a slow regular pattern and felt her muscles relax. He found the zipper of her dress and slowly his hand moved down her back. Just the sound excited him and Deanna reacted to his quickening pulse. She reached up and began to remove his shirt. Her hand caressed his skin, combing the hair on his chest as her other hand let the shirt drop on the floor. He felt her smooth, warm skin against his chest, the heat of her lips as she kissed his neck and the sweet smell of her hair which he buried his face into as her kisses traveled downward. Pulling back again, he felt her protest by trying to bring him to her. Instead he bent down, placing a hand under her knees. He lifted her up in his arms. He carried he to the bedroom, setting her down slowly on the cool covers. He laid down beside her on his back and shut his eyes anticipating the promise of the moment. His hands held her gingerly and his kiss was passionate but this flame was a glowing ember whose warmth promised an eternity to extinguish. She thought of the future as his thoughts turned also to a future in her arms and the instant in which their thoughts merged, Will Riker heard the call he had waited to hear for the past eleven years. The call in his mind that he had craved every night since the last night in the Jalara Jungle, "Imzadi!". A cry of climax, of helplessness, of wonder and of the bond that would hold them for a lifetime and beyond. The cry he knew no other man would ever hear, the cry that was for him alone. The call of love in balance with the rhythm of their lives. ***************** Will awoke to find Deanna watching him contentedly, "Why didn't you ever tell me it would be like this?" "I wasn't sure it could be like this. I didn't know how to describe it - there are no words to describe what we now feel." "My memories of before were so strong, but not like tonight. Why wasn't it like this before?" Deanna was pulling gently on a single hair on his chest, studying it as it straightened out and curled when she let go again. "We were too young. You didn't know how to...I didn't know how to teach you." "You didn't think I could learn." "I guess I was afraid to find out if you could or not," she admitted. Will linked his fingers with hers. "You know I'm going to be a dead man when you enter the phase." Deanna laughed and kissed him. "I think you will survive." "Beverly will be pleased." "Yes, Beverly will." Deanna agreed. ************************** Dr. Beverly Crusher and Captain Picard had worked late into the night reviewing the new medical regulations sent by Starfleet. They entered the 10-Forward lounge for a quick bit to eat before retiring for the night. Upon entering, Beverly immediately noticed Riker and Troi sitting at a far table facing the moving stars. They were next to the huge windows that lined one end of the lounge, sitting side by side holding hands, their backs to everyone else. There were few occupants of the lounge. Beverly noticed that Guinan had soft, romantic music playing in the background. "How long have they been here?" Beverly Crusher asked Guinan as she nodded in the direction of the First Officer and the Counselor. She took a seat next to the Captain who had already sat down at the counter. "Since they came off their shift." Guinan replied handing Dr. Crusher her coffee and Picard his Earl Grey tea. "What are they doing?" "They've been staring at each other for about the last two hours. I suspect they are communicating, but I'm not certain." Guinan watched Picard's eyes follow Beverly's every move. It was a little frustrating for a listener to not hear the words, but she had no doubt that the air was full of contentment in her lounge. It was satisfying to see the future fulfilled at last. ********************** Will leaned back in the chair. Deanna stared at him. "Who told you that!" Riker laughed. "Gerard of the Third House." "I met him at the reception nmy mother gave on board. He is human. His wife is Betazoid, right?" "That's right." Will confirmed. "So, come on.!" "Now?" "Yes, now. I want to try it.." Deanna stirred from her chair, grabbed Will's hand and led him out of ten-forward. "Ah, yes, the language of love. With just a look so much can be conveyed." Picard nodded to Beverly. "O, how thy worth with manners may I sing, When thou art all the better part of me? What can mine own praise to mine own self bring? And what is't but mine own, when I praise thee? It is rather, romantic." Picard leaned toward Beverly. "I may get to perform that marriage creemony after all." "I wouldn't be all that excited about performing their marriage ceremony, Jean-Luc, remember, it is conducted in the nude!" "Perhaps it would be better if they get married on Betazoid." "Perhaps it would." Beverly agreed. FIN Emily Dickinson poetry from "The Complete Works of Emily Dickinson", The Story of Ulysses from "The Odyssey", Homer, Translated by W.H.D. Rouse, A Mentor Book, NY, ©1937. Shakespeare sonnet quote from: "The Globe Illustrated Shakespeare", Edited by Howard Staunton, Greenwich House, NY, © 1983.