Chapter Text
Will was thinking about his conversations with Levene and Ladona as he and Worf left the bridge after their shift ended. He had spent an enjoyable afternoon talking with the captain about this and that, then there was the survey update meeting with Data and the stellar team leads. Data reported that Lt. Meyers had taken control of the sensor team and they were now optimistic about their progress. Maybe Will hadn’t been bored so much as had missed having someone to talk to. The bridge was certainly quieter without Picard.
Now, he was thinking about what he still had to do with his investigation. As much as he was looking forward to spending time with Worf, Deanna and Alexander before dinner, he had to admit that he could better use that time meeting with the affected crew members on beta shift in Quantum Mechanics.
“Worf,” he began as they rode down in the turbolift, “I need to talk to Deanna privately about a personnel matter. Hopefully, we’ll be finished by the time you get back with Alexander.”
“Do you need me to take extra time to make sure?”
“That probably won’t be necessary, but there is a good chance that I will have to step out to talk to some people before dinner.”
“I have no objections to you fulfilling your duties.”
The turbolift stopped at deck 8. “It’s all part of the job. I just hope I don’t have to spend the whole time being responsible – this is supposed to be our leisure time.” He stepped off the lift and the doors shut.
Deanna was not waiting in his quarters, but she arrived a short time later. She took one look at Will and asked, “What’s bothering you?”
“I started the investigation into Maxwell this morning.”
“And?”
“And it’s big, Deanna. This isn’t just a case of discrimination and possible retaliation; I only spoke to his supervisor and one crew member, but it’s enough to build a case for sexual harassment, and to make matters worse, for a cover-up on the part of the supervisor, including threats to keep quiet or be reassigned.” Will ran his hand over his face.
“What do you want me to do?”
“I’ve got the names of two other officers who were reassigned to beta shift after bringing complaints to LCdr. Levene about Maxwell. I’d like to go talk to them now. Tomorrow, I’d like you to speak to the three officers who made complaints – I’ll give you the names – and also to get an official statement from Daniel Sutter and see if you can get the names of the others he mentioned.”
“What about Levene?”
“We need to be careful with him. The ensign I talked to today said that Maxwell is a favorite of his, and from what I heard from him this morning, I believe it. Levene seems to believe that I am asking about Maxwell as a preliminary to considering him for a promotion.”
“Wherever did he get that idea?”
“He assumed that was the scenario when I asked him his opinion of Maxwell. He thinks the lieutenant is a model officer.”
“Hm. We do have to be careful.”
“There’s also going to be a point where we will have to step back from this investigation to avoid a conflict of interest. Eventually, someone’s going to have to get a statement from Worf, and it can’t be you or me. I say, let’s get as much information as we can from Sutter and the other three, plus what we can safely get from Levene, and hand it all over to the captain. He can assign it to Data or bring in someone from the JAG office. I’ll be ready to write my report tonight, so if you can get yours ready by the end of day tomorrow, it can soon be on someone else’s shoulders.”
“Why the rush?”
“I’m thinking about how this will be perceived. Right now, we’re still going to be viewed as carrying out this investigation as ship’s counselor and first officer, but someday soon we’re going to be the wife and co-husband of one of the accusers, or witnesses if this goes to court martial. I want to tie this up on our end while we’re still viewed as being at least slightly impartial.”
“Do you really think it will go that far?”
“For Maxwell, no. He will probably get a reprimand and a reassignment at worst. I’m thinking of Levene – but it will depend on what he knew and what he did with that knowledge. I’d like you to see if you can get that information.”
“I’m not magic.”
“Maybe not, but you are good at sensing guilt and are smart about sussing out the cause.” Will pulled her closer. “And who says you’re not magic? You’ve got me under your spell.” He gave her a kiss than let her go. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
He met Worf and Alexander on the way to the turbolift. “Hello, Alexander. Worf, I’m going to deal with that matter I mentioned. I’ll be back later.” He passed them and took an aft turbolift down to the stardrive section.
The computer said that Lt. Elias and Lt. Veniamin were both in lab 15. Will thought it best not to announce his arrival but to catch them in a casual interaction - as much as it could be, at least. The two men were seated at a computer terminal, surrounded by several padds. There were a few others in the lab at different stations.
As Will entered the lab, the junior officers came to attention and rose to their feet like a wave moving out from the door. Will gestured to them to relax and said absently, “At ease.” When he reached the two people he was seeking, he said, “Lt. Elias, Lt. Veniamin, I need to talk to you in private. Is there a place nearby we can go?”
Lt. Veniamin said, “Yes, sir, we can go to the department office. There are some empty conference rooms there.”
“Very good. Let’s go.”
In the office, Will asked Veniamin to wait while he talked to Elias alone. The 30-something man had a seat in the anteroom.
In the conference room, Will took a chair at the head of the table and gestured to Elias to sit. “I’d like to ask you some questions about Steven Maxwell.”
Lt. Elias’ face instantly changed from that of caution (very common in interviews such as this) to ire. “Happy to answer your questions, sir, but I’m afraid I have no good things to say about him.”
“That’s fine – I’m only interested in hearing the facts. How long have you known him?”
“Over a year now, since I got my assignment to the Enterprise.”
“I know that you requested to be reassigned so that you did not have to work with him. How long did you work together before you made the request?”
“About eight months, sir. I’ve been on beta shift for six.”
“How was your working relationship in the beginning?”
Elias frowned and looked bitter. “At first, he was nice. I thought we were even getting to be friends. He invited me to have dinner with his family; we’d hang out with others from the department after our shift was over…”
“Then things changed?”
“Yes,” he said with venom, “Maxwell turned out to be a backstabbing fraud. I wish I’d never met him.”
“Lieutenant, I need to ask – what made him change his attitude towards you?”
“Off the record?”
“I don’t think I can promise that.”
Elias looked at Cdr. Riker’s earnest expression, then seemed to come to a decision. He took a deep breath and let it out. “I told him I was homosexual, sir. Hardly anybody knows, and I don’t want it on my record; that’s why I asked about that. My parents would be disappointed if they knew, so I told myself I would keep it a secret. We can’t all be brave, Commander.”
“Why did you tell Maxwell, then?”
“I thought I could trust him. He and his family seemed so nice, and he kept asking me when I was going to settle down with a nice girl. So, I told him. The next day, everything changed. His attitude turned nasty. Whenever anyone else was around, he was professional, but he would find opportunities to say hurtful things when we were alone. He threatened to tell everyone if I complained. By the time he had me doing his overtime work, I had had enough and requested a reassignment.”
“I see.” Will was taking notes on his padd. “Lieutenant, this investigation is going to move forward, with or without you, and I’d rather it be with you, but if it is, more people are going to know your secret. How do you feel about that?”
“Cdr. Riker, I think the time might have come for me to be true to myself, especially if it means that that bastard will get what he deserves. And Commander, I’m glad I’m getting this opportunity to tell you how inspiring you are to people like me.”
Will was surprised and confused. “In what way?”
“Well, you’ve always presented a certain personality to everybody, and we all thought we had you figured out. Now that news of your engagement is out, we are seeing another side to you, and the fact that you aren’t afraid to tell people is inspiring to all of us that have parts of ourselves that we have been afraid to show.”
Will didn’t know how to respond. Whenever he imagined how the crew might misunderstand his relationship with Worf, it was always in a way that he would have felt compelled to deny, not to feel guilty about not living up to their expectations. Maybe Elias was right, and Will’s experience, though not the same, could help him get through his own difficulties.
“That’s nice of you, Lieutenant. I was also nervous in the beginning, worried about what people would think, and very worried about telling my father, but he eventually came around. I hope you and your parents can find a way through together. Everybody is different, though.”
“Yes, and in your case, there is at least a woman involved…” Elias realized what he’d just said to the first officer, and embarrassed, came to attention. “Sorry, sir, that was too personal. I apologize.”
“It’s all right. Do you have anything else to add about Maxwell?”
“No, sir.”
“Would you be willing to meet with Counselor Troi to talk about this further?”
“Yes, sir.”
“She’ll contact you sometime tomorrow. Would morning or afternoon be better with your schedule?”
“Afternoon, sir. I usually sleep until the late morning.”
“Thank you for talking with me, Lieutenant. Would you send Veniamin in?”
“Yes sir, Commander.”
The slightly older man came in and took a seat. While Elias was in his late 20s, Veniamin was about Riker’s age. He had more grey in his hair, though, and looked more settled. Will knew from his service record that he was married with children.
“Lt. Veniamin, what can you tell me about Steven Maxwell?”
“May I speak frankly, sir?” He had a slight accent that reminded Will of the Rozhenkos.
“Please do.”
“That asshole doesn’t deserve to wear this uniform, sir. I’ve watched him belittle and dehumanize his fellow officers until I couldn’t take it anymore. When he started on my best friend, that was the last straw and I asked to be reassigned.” Veniamin’s accent got stronger when he was angry.
“Your best friend being?”
“Lt. Elias, sir.”
“Did you share your concerns and witness with Cdr. Levene?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Why not, Lieutenant?”
Veniamin hesitated. “I don’t want to betray confidences, sir.”
“Lt. Elias has shared his secret with me, if that is what you are worried about.”
“All right. I didn’t tell Cdr. Levene the real reason because Patrick didn’t want people to know about him. We’ve been friends since the Academy – I started late, you see – and I wasn’t going to ‘out’ him, unlike that turd Maxwell.”
“Maxwell threatened to retaliate?”
“Yes. He told Patrick that if anyone told Levene what he’d done to Patrick or anyone else, he’d make sure everyone knew. Patrick begged me not to tell, but I couldn’t stand to be on the same shift with that lowlife. So, I asked to be moved to beta shift, and now I never get to see my kids.”
“Do you have any reason to believe that Cdr. Levene would have failed to respond appropriately if he had known?” Will wasn’t sure why he asked this question. He had a feeling about Veniamin – maybe it was their common ages – but something in his intuition drove him.
“It’s funny you ask that, Commander. See, I started wondering how someone so clearly rotten could have lasted so long at his position in the department, so I started taking notes of every bad behavior, every complaint and every response from Levene. The thing is, you take notes long enough, you start to see patterns…” Veniamin allowed a slow grin to spread over his face.
“You wouldn’t be willing to share your notes with me, would you, Lieutenant?”
“If it would help take down that SOB, I’d be willing to share anything but my wife with you, Commander. Er…I mean…yes, sir.”
Will stifled a smile. He liked Veniamin. When this was all over, he wouldn’t mind becoming friends with him. Will wondered if his kids were Alexander’s age. (Well, the age he looked to be.)
“Just the notes would be fine. Would you be willing to meet with Counselor Troi tomorrow afternoon to continue this conversation?”
“Yes, sir.”
Will picked up his padd and stood. “Thank you, Lieutenant. You and Elias can get back to duty.” Veniamin patted Elias on the back once as they left the office to go back to the lab, and Will headed back to deck 8.
==/*\==
When Will got back to his quarters, Deanna and Worf were playing draw poker with Alexander. “Can you deal me in?” he asked as he pulled up a chair.
Deanna got him some chips and Worf dealt. “We’re not really bluffing,” she said, “We’re playing 5-card draw and whoever gets the best hand wins, but we’re still betting whatever we want. Watch out for Alexander – he’s been lucky.”
“Is that right? Well, I’ve been known to get lucky a time or two.” He grinned over the tops of his cards at his double entendre, causing Deanna to roll her eyes. Worf made a noise indicating no more than mild amusement.
(Alexander) “I bet two golds.”
(Worf) “That is 200, Alexander. I will raise 50.”
(Deanna) “I’ll see both of you.”
Will had a pair of threes. “I’ll raise another 100.” He put in 350.
“What do I do now?” Alexander asked his father.
“The bet is now 350. You’ve already put in 200, so you need to add…”
Alexander put in another 150. Worf and Deanna saw the bet, then Worf dealt out cards to those who asked.
(Deanna) “I fold. I’ve got nothing.”
(Alexander) “You’re not supposed to tell us what you have, Deanna. I bet another 100.”
Worf had a pair of eights. “I’ll raise that to 200.”
Will now had three threes. “Make that 500.”
(Alexander) “Feeling lucky, Cdr. Riker?”
“Maybe.”
(Deanna) “Watch out for him, Alexander – he can’t be trusted at cards.”
Alexander counted out 400 more in chips, then added another 200 to that.
(Worf) “Too rich for me; I fold.”
“Don’t worry, Father. I’ve got him right where I want him.”
Deanna hid a smile behind her hand.
Will threw in 200. “I call. Let’s see what you’ve got, Alex.”
“Get ready for a beating, because I’ve got a hand full of clubs.” He showed a flush.
“That beats my 3-of-a-kind. You are lucky today, kid, and your trash talk is top notch.”
“’Keep your tongue as sharp as your blade’.”
“I like that. What’s that from?”
(Worf) “It’s an old Klingon proverb that still rings true.”
Will gathered the cards and shuffled. “All right, everybody – ante up.”
==/*\==
The four of them arrived in Ten-Forward a little before 1730 and went up to Guinan at the bar. “We need to push a few tables together; is that all right?” asked Deanna.
“Sure, Deanna. How many seats will you need?”
“Seven.”
“Let me give you a hand.”
The El-Aurian led them to a quiet spot close to the viewports, and they pushed three tables together in a T-shape, then arranged seven chairs around them. “Are we celebrating something?”
(Deanna) “Planning. We’re not sure yet when it will be, but we’re wanting our wedding to be here in Ten-Forward. Our friends are coming to help us work out the details.”
“Well, it doesn’t take long to get something like that set up if you need it to be soon.” She came back with a padd and a pitcher of water and glasses. “Look on here for some decorations and menus we’ve done in the past.”
(Will) “Thanks, Guinan.” After she left, Will turned to Worf and Deanna. “What do you say about ‘divide and conquer’ to get this planning done as fast as possible?” They agreed. “Worf, are you okay with working on the menu? Geordi can give a human perspective. Deanna, you and Beverly can work on your dress and the décor. I’ll work with Data on the ceremony itself and the reception setup. He helped plan Chief O’Brian’s wedding so he should be helpful.”
(Deanna) “First, we need to ask them if they agree to be the roles we picked for them.” she reminded.
(Will) “Oh, yeah. I shouldn’t assume.”
(Alexander) “What should I do?”
(Will) “Hm. Human weddings are celebrated with big cakes. Do you think you could help decide on what kind? There are probably ideas on this.” Will handed the padd to the boy.
“Is chocolate a choice?”
Will smiled. “Probably half of the choices are chocolate.”
Alexander started scrolling through the padd with Worf looking over his shoulder. Their friends showed up shortly thereafter and a waiter came over to take their food and drink orders. Before long, they were laughing and enjoying each other’s company.
Will sat between Data and Beverly and diagonally across the table from Geordi. He took them all in with his eyes. “We have a question for each of you. I guess I’ll go first. Data, will you be best man at our wedding?”
Data took several milliseconds to review human wedding practices and filter for references to the position of ‘best man’, with an emphasis on responsibilities and relationship with the other members of the wedding party. In less than the time it takes to blink, he had decided that the role was appropriate to his abilities and his relationship to his superior officer. “It would be my pleasure, Commander.”
Will grinned and said, “Thank you, Data, but let’s make a deal – in informal matters relating to my wedding, you should call me ‘Will’ and not “Commander’. Okay?”
“Does that questions relate to your wedding?”
“I think it does.”
“Then, okay, Will.”
Will’s grin widened. “I knew you could do it. I should tell you that there has been a strong request that your speech at the reception not be a poem of any sort.” Geordi glanced at Worf, who was looking typically humorless. “Are you okay with that?”
“I understand.”
Deanna sat forward. “My turn. Beverly, would you be my matron of honor?”
“Of course, Deanna; I’d love to.”
“And will you help me pick out a dress?”
“Yes! This will make up for not having a daughter.”
“And Geordi,” she said, turning to her left to face him, “my father was a lot like you – kind and sensitive, with a good sense of humor, and also an engineer. I can’t think of a better person to stand in for him, since he can’t be here. Would you walk me down the aisle?”
Geordi covered her hand with his. “It would be my honor, Deanna.”
“I’ve got something else you can do, Geordi,” Will said as he leaned across the table, making a show of excluding the two women sitting at the end, “bachelor party. You’re in charge.”
Deanna made a shocked noise. Beverly said, “Let them have their fun, Deanna. I’ll throw you a bachelorette party you’ll never forget.”
(Geordi) “That sounds like a challenge, Doctor.”
“I know a holodeck program with Risian masseurs that can make you forget your own name.”
“Well, I’ve got the best fantasy holodeck programmer on the ship as part of my staff. He can write something that will blow your Risians out of the water.”
“We shall see. When is this wedding going to take place, anyway?”
(Will) “I guess it depends on what our next mission is, but unless we get sent into something dangerous, I think we’re looking at a week or two. Now,” he got up, “I am getting us a round and then we have our assignments.”
Will went to the bar as Worf explained to Geordi that they were on menu planning, and Deanna told Beverly they were assigned decorations. Data asked what he was supposed to be working on and Worf told him what he’d be working on with Will. Will came back with a second padd and champagne for each adult and a fizzy drink ‘made especially for you by Guinan’ for Alexander.
Beverly lifted her glass. “To the bride and grooms,” she said with a grin. They all drank. Then Will gave the second padd to Deanna and they got down to work.
After much merriment and several more rounds for the biological entities (Data politely declined after his first), they had a plan in place. For the decoration, the main theme would be purple orchids, with splashes of red roses and blue lilies. Deanna would wear an off-the-shoulder lavender gown and flowers in her hair.
Alexander had picked, with help, a three-layer chocolate cake and then had gone to sit at the bar and talk with Guinan. Geordi and Worf had hotly debated the menu but had compromised on a selection of small edibles, fruit, rolls and two types of meat – roast beef and heart of targ.
Will had taken much of Data’s advice from helping to plan O’Brian’s wedding, opting for a simple ceremony adapted as needed for two grooms. For the reception, they planned where to put the jazz trio and contacted the musicians. Will typed up all the details on his padd to send to Guinan and the captain when they had a date in mind.
The issue of dancing came up. Beverly and Data were on the pro-dancing side, with Deanna willing. Worf and Geordi were both opposed. Will said that he would like to dance with Deanna at their wedding but didn’t like the way it would look if Worf didn’t have at least one dance with her. In the end, Deanna, Beverly and Will all made doe eyes at Worf until he agreed to do one dance, so they planned that the traditional first dance would be shared between them, with Will still dancing with Deanna for most of it. After that, Worf would be relieved of further obligation.
After rehashing their plans and making a few additional changes, it felt appropriate to allow the evening to wind down. Also, the repeated rounds of champagne had gone to all of the humans’, and partial human’s heads. It was a synthehol version, and the effects could be dismissed with effort, but so far, no one was ready to let them go. Will rose and offered a hand to the doctor to help her out of her seat. Once she was on her feet, she swayed a little bit, which transferred some unsteadiness back to him. They caught the uneasy expression on each other’s faces, which made them grin widely.
Deanna was worse off. She caught her foot on her chair when being helped up by Geordi, stumbling into him. Geordi handed her off quickly to Worf, who wrapped a steadying arm around her. Alexander came back from where he was playing with the chess board and asked, “What’s wrong with them?” Beverly was now giggling over her unsteadiness and both Will and Geordi were holding onto the backs of chairs like they weren’t sure if they wanted to let go.
(Worf) “Champagne makes humans…giddy.”
“Well, I’m only half human,” Deanna said with a slight slurring in her voice, “so I must be only half giddy.” She wobbled inside the arc of Worf’s arm so he tightened it. Beverly sputtered a laugh.
(Will) “I think the Betazoid half is just plain soused.” He tightened his grip on Beverly’s arm and considered whether he could release the chair to help her with both hands.
(Deanna) “Me?! What about the rest of you?”
(Will) “Nothing’s wrong with me; the deck won’t hold still. You better check the inertial dampeners, Geordi,” he said with a grin.
“I’m sure they’ll be back to full operation by morning.” He let go and stayed on his feet.
(Will) “Data, would you escort the doctor back to her quarters?”
“Certainly. Doctor?” Will released Beverly, who rested her hand in the crook of Data’s arm.
They all wished each other good night. Geordi left with Data and Beverly. Will handed the padds to Alexander and asked him to return them to Guinan. Gripping his own padd tightly, he let go of the back of his chair and thought steady thoughts.
“Ready to go, or do you need more time to relearn how to walk?” teased Worf.
“Walking isn’t what I’m worried about – it’s the distance from here to the floor that’s keeping me from taking a step.”
“Come on, Will, grab on.” Worf patted his shoulder; Will put his hand on his friend’s back and Worf did the same. His other arm was still wrapped securely around Deanna.
“All right, Mr. Worf – you have the conn.” Will grinned at his joke and Deanna snickered. Together, they made it to the bar and thanked Guinan; Alexander took Deanna’s other hand and they walked out.
It was 1930 when they got to Worf’s. Will ordered a large coffee from the replicator and sat at the desk. “I’ve got to write a report before bed, but I don’t want it to interfere with our plans.” He took a drink and focused on dispelling the feelings of intoxication.
“Do you want to write it now while you are still buzzing, or see if we can start the movie early and then write it later?” Deanna asked from where she was snuggling into Worf’s side on the sofa.
Will pointed at Deanna. “You’re smart. Computer, what is the location of Kyle Riker?”
“Kyle Riker is in guest quarters on deck 7.”
Will downed some more coffee, then got up. His coordination was already better. “I’ll go get Dad.”
When Kyle answered the door, he took in Will’s slightly disheveled appearance, unfocused eyes, and the fact that he was leaning against the door frame. “You’re drunk,” he accused his son.
Will took in his father’s own state. “So are you, Dad.”
“Your captain can really handle his wine. We’d already shared one whole bottle of replicated stuff and were halfway through the second when he brought out his damn Chateau Picard from back home. That glass was the final straw for me.”
“Do you still feel up for a movie?”
“Yes. I don’t want to disappoint anyone.”
“Well, then, c’mon, Dad. Let’s get both of us some coffee.” They started walking down the corridor. “This wasn’t in my plan, either. We ate dinner with our friends, discussing wedding details, and we lost track of how many rounds of champagne we had. I’m in better shape than Deanna, though. I can still move in a straight line.”
“What about Worf?”
“It takes so much for Klingons to get intoxicated, it’s almost as if they can’t. He and our android second officer were the ones that made sure everyone got home safely.”
Outside the door, Kyle shook himself and tried to sober up as much as he could. He saw that Will had the code for the door, despite the name plate indicating that the cabin belonged to Worf. Of course, he would; he had had Deanna’s as well. He might have the codes to all the doors, for that matter - he was the first officer.
Kyle’s eyes widened when he saw the décor in the Klingon’s living space. “Wow. It looks like an armory in here.” To Worf, he said, “I see what you meant by Klingon children growing up surrounded by weapons.” He walked around to admire some up close. “Do you know how to use all of these?”
“Yes, though I have not specialized in all of them, and some are ceremonial in purpose.”
(Alexander) “Can we start the movie now?”
(Worf) “Go get the terminal.”
Alexander brought the computer to the coffee table and asked about popcorn. Will got some, and a coffee for his dad. There wasn’t any more room on the sofa after Kyle sat next to Alexander, who was leaning against Deanna, who was leaning against Worf, so Will pushed the table a bit farther away and sat on the floor, leaning against the sofa in front of Deanna. She pulled her legs up sideways in front of her; the back of Will’s head rested against her knees. Alexander started the film.
Kyle enjoyed the movie and appreciated that a strategic-minded diplomat was one of the main characters, but he also took this time to observe his son and his soon-to-be family. Deanna usually kept one arm around Alexander, but she frequently reached forward to comb her fingers through Will’s hair, or draw her fingertips across the back of his neck. A few times, Will nudged Worf’s leg and uttered some non sequitur like “see, antimatter” that made no sense to Kyle. Later on, Will looked behind him and said, “Don’t go to sleep, Alex – you’ll miss the ending,” while gently tugging on his arm.
Will had been right, Kyle thought – he had finally found something that made him happier than rank ever had. And seeing his son like this, as a partner and sort-of-stepfather, made something warm and soft fill up inside him. Deanna turned her ebony eyes towards him and he smiled at her.
By the time the movie reached the final firefight, Alexander had slid off of the couch to sit in front of the screen next to Will. When the decisive victory was won, he clenched both of his hands in a fist pump. But at the very end, he turned to look at Will and at his father and asked, “Why didn’t Chewbacca get a medal?”
(Worf) “Perhaps only the pilots got medals.”
(Alexander) “But he helped; he should get one.”
(Will) “So did R2D2. Maybe they don’t give androids medals.”
(Alexander) “Does Cdr. Data have any medals?”
(Will) “Yes. He has a lot of them.”
(Deanna) “Things are different in this movie, I guess. Not as fair?”
(Kyle) “Still, I enjoyed it. Thank you for inviting me to watch it with you. I’m going to head back to my room.” He leaned towards Deanna to kiss her on the cheek, then stood up. “Will I see you tomorrow at lunch, son?”
“I’m not sure, Dad. We’re probably getting new orders tomorrow and there might be work to do.”
“I understand. All part of the job. Let me know.” He reached down and patted Will on the shoulder, then said, “Worf, Alexander, good night,” and left.
Alexander helped pick up the spilled popcorn, then Worf sent him to bed. Will got his padd from the desk and came back to sit on the sofa; he began typing.
(Deanna) “How long is that going to take you?”
“I don’t think more than half an hour.”
Deanna turned to Worf. “Should we do the laundry?”
Worf sighed. “Fine.” There were things he’d rather be doing. But he got up and went to get an armful of clean clothes that he dropped on Deanna. She shot him a look but started sorting into four piles.
“I hope you don’t mind if your socks get mixed up,” she said as she finished sorting and folding. Will and Worf looked at each other, mildly troubled by that realization, then both shrugged. Deanna helped put the clean clothes in drawers or overnight bags, then said, “Now, we need to clean these,” while reaching for her zipper.
Once she was down to her underclothes, she went over to Will on the sofa and said, “Give me your uniform.” He let her divest him of his jacket and trousers, but when she started pulling his undershirt over his head, he protested, “I’m trying to type, here.”
“Don’t be so serious,” she teased as she got the shirt off and ran her hand through his chest hair.
Worf happily allowed her to undress him next, and since he wasn’t distracted by other responsibilities, the process was drawn out and accompanied by gratuitous touches and occasional growls. Deanna poked Will in the shoulder. “See, Worf’s not too serious.”
“He sounds serious about something,” Will said without looking up.
Deanna carried their clothes to the other room and returned wearing her mostly intact purple nightgown. She sat down across Worf’s lap and stretched her feet towards Will, pinching him with her toes. He reached down with one hand to stroke her ankles and get her to stop. ‘I need to talk to you about this investigation. When?’ he sent, while continuing to type with one hand.
‘Why not now?’ She wrapped her arms around Worf’s shoulders and started to kiss his neck.
‘Now? I think you’re about to be distracted. Also, I need two hands for typing and we need a physical connection for this to be easy.’
Deanna slipped her feet under Will’s bare thigh. ‘I can multitask.’
‘Okay. These two officers, Elias and Veniamin, both add to the case. You need to talk with them in the afternoon.’
‘What more have you learned?’
‘Elias claims threats and coercion by Maxwell; Veniamin claims to have evidence of a cover up…Can you stop sending me sensations? I don’t need to know what that feels like.’ Worf was kissing her neck now and her hands were tangled in his hair.
‘Sorry, I…’ was the last thing he heard before his shifted his leg to break the connection. They’d started kissing in earnest. Will typed faster.
==/*\==
Will was pulling back. He didn’t want to, but he was. Deanna noticed, and then Worf, and as they stared at him in the dim light, Deanna reached towards him and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I…” he started, then stopped. He took a deep breath. “As long as I’m touching Deanna, I can feel what she’s feeling. This is the first time that it’s happened without any effort, and I’m trying to turn it off but I can’t.”
(Deanna) “Is that all? You don’t have to be troubled about that.”
(Will) “Deanna, this may be an ordinary thing for you, but it’s not for me, and I don’t think I have made myself fully understood. I can feel what you are feeling. If I kiss you, I sense a little burst of happiness. If I do this,” he ran his hand over her neck and down to her breast, “I can tell what kind of touch gives you the most pleasure. But at the same time, I also know how much you are enjoying the fact that Worf is holding you. And that feels like an invasion of privacy.”
Worf looked pensive. Deanna asked, “Whose privacy do you feel that you are invading?”
“Both of yours.”
“But you are only sharing what I feel. It isn’t possible for you to sense anything from Worf.”
“Not directly, no, but I can sense the effects of his actions.”
“Will,” Worf said, “I’m going to kiss Deanna, and I want you to tell me as completely as you can what you are experiencing.”
“All right.” Will held Deanna’s hand while Worf leaned over her and kissed her without holding back for about a minute. Then he looked at Will expectantly.
Will let go of Deanna’s hand and steadied his breathing. “It’s like having another person in my head, and that person is really turned on. And though I know it’s a separate person, it’s hard to process their feelings as entirely separate from mine. So, it feels awkward in some ways, but good in others, because the second person’s happiness – Deanna’s happiness – is infectious.” He paused. “If this is what kissing is like, what will happen when…? You know, every man wants to know that he’s good in the sack; knowing your best friend is isn’t something you really feel you need to know.”
(Deanna) “Empathy can be confusing at first, but it will get easier with time to separate the other person from yourself. As to your other point, I would think by now that both of you would already have an idea how good you are. We’re not exactly keeping secrets here.”
Will and Worf glanced briefly at each other, then away. They knew.
“I’ll tell you what they told us on Betazed when we were getting old enough to be interested in sex: your partner’s arousal magnifies your own. It doesn’t bother me that you can share in my pleasure, regardless of where it comes from. If you and Worf can find a way forward, we can get back to enjoying each other. Because, in my opinion, the alternative you’ve proposed, of you lying over there trying not to touch me doesn’t seem like much fun.”
Will took her hand again, his eyes troubled, feeling but not sending his thoughts – it isn’t my decision to make. He knew she could read him well enough to understand.
Worf took a deep breath and reached across Deanna to put his hand on Will’s shoulder. “It’s all right, Will.” Will switched his gaze from Deanna, and Worf moved his thumb back and forth. “I can be okay with it, if we agree that we don’t have to talk about it.” He punctuated each word with a gentle shake, then moved his hand to Deanna’s side to turn her towards him.
Will relaxed and let out the breath he was holding. “Thank you, Worf.”
“HIjatlhQo’; jIvumlI’.”[1]
Right. Shutting up, Will thought, as he pressed a kiss to the back of Deanna’s neck.
END OF BOOK ONE
[1] “Don’t talk to me; I’m busy.” (Literally, “I am continually working”)