More Than a Lifetime #2: Homecoming

Chapter 7

                   

Deanna Troi, the Enterprise's resident counselor, sat in a chair in the temporary office provided to her by Starfleet. "I must say, I was thoroughly surprised when I saw your name in my appointment log," she said. "You know you don't need an appointment to talk to me."

Will Riker sat on the sofa across from the counselor. "I know," he said. "I just..." his voice trailed. As Deanna observed him, she saw that he was fidgeting, rubbing his hands together and such. Deanna also noticed how he was leaning forward, sitting on the edge of the sofa.

"Well, what seems to be bothering you, Will?" Deanna asked.

"I..I think I'm in love, Deanna," Will said.

Deanna's face lit up. "Will - that's wonderful!"

"Is it?" Will asked cynically.

"Of course it is. Who's the lucky woman?"

Will looked Deanna squarely in the eye. "It's Dani."

Deanna's smile didn't exactly fall, but no one would say that she was beaming exactly. "Dani? Dani Janeway?"

Will nodded. "Yeah."

"Will, I get the feeling that you don't think that's a good thing."

"Well, yes and no." Will stood and began to pace the area beside the sofa.

"What do you mean, 'yes and no'?"

"I don't know what I mean. I don't know what any of this means. I just know what I've been feeling since Voyager returned from the Delta Quadrant."

"And what's that?"

Will reclaimed his seat on the couch. "I don't know how to explain it. I guess part of it was seeing her after so long. And I definitely did not expect her to look the way she does. Another part of it is that my hormones kicked in. But that wasn't all. I don't know. I've always felt that she was special. But I always felt more like a friend or a close uncle, maybe. Then she came back, and everything was different."

"You saw her as a woman, and you were attracted to her," Deanna surmised.

"Yes. That's it. That's it exactly. But I think it might be more than just attraction. That's why it scares me."

"Why would it scare you?"

"Because it seems wrong somehow."

"How? Tell me why it would be wrong for you to be in love with Dani."

"It's just that she's so young, and-"

"And? You're telling me that something so insignificant as an age difference is a good reason not to pursue a relationship?"

"It could be." Will knew that wasn't true. "It wouldn't be right."

"Why?" Will didn't have an answer for Deanna. "It sounds to me as if you're trying to convince yourself that any kind of romantic relationship with Dani would be wrong," Deanna said. "I don't think you're buying it."

"You're right; I'm not."

"Why are you fighting this?"

"I don't know," Will said with a sigh.

"How do you feel?"

"What?"

"When you look at Dani, when you spend time with her, how do you feel?"

Will sat back for the first time in his meeting with Deanna. "I love being with her. When I'm with Dani, I feel like I don't ever want our time together to end."