Author: Michelle
Series: TNG
Part: NEW
Rating: [PG-13] for language and love scenes
Codes: T/W, R/f, R/T

Summary: Events take place after "All Good Things". Deanna and
Worf are still and item and Riker finds comfort in the arms of a
beautiful Lieutenant newly assigned to the Enterprise. Will
Micaela Leon's past hinder her new love and push him back to his
Imzadi?

Disclaimer: All rights belong to Paramount as always. The
characters of Victoria and Micaela Leon, as well as the
plot/storyline, belong solely to me.

Warnings: Beware that chapter six has an individual rating of
[R] due to a descriptive love scene 4.14.99
 
 

Apr 1999

  Chapter 1

  Lt.  Micaela Leon walked down the corridor of the Enterprise.
She was still attempting to familiarize herself with the ship.
The science vessel that she was posted on previously was about
one quarter the size of the Enterprise and it was taking some
time to get her bearings.  She was very pleased with the fact
that she had beaten out so many other candidates vying for the
position on this ship - THE flagship of Starfleet.  She looked
forward to serving under Captain Picard.  Her mother had spoken
so highly of him before her death three months ago.

  Commander Victoria Leon of the USS DeSoto had been killed
during an away mission.  Micaela and her mother had been very
close all of their lives.  Victoria had been a single parent and
had raised Micaela alone while maintaining her rank and position
in Starfleet.  Micaela had followed in her mother's footsteps.
Although, she had been a science officer, now she wanted to do
her late mother proud and become a bridge officer - maybe even a
captain one day- as a tribute to the woman who had given her
everything.
 
 

  Commander Riker had taken her 'under his wing' and was
training her for the position.  He had little else to do in his
free time, now that Deanna was constantly in the arms of Worf.

  The idea made him shudder, but if it is what makes her happy,
then so be it..  Lt. Leon had made an impression on Will.

  She was extremely intelligent and headstrong.  She had self-
confidence and leadership abilities that would come in handy as
an officer.  He hoped that it was not chauvinistic on his part,
but he was equally impressed at these qualities she had seeing
that she had never known her father and had grown up without a
male role model in her life.  But then again, her mother was as
fine an officer as there come.  She had been a very strong woman
and had raised her daughter well.  It also did not hurt that
Micaela was gorgeous.  She was tall, about 5'10".  She had
straight brown hair that reached the middle of her back.  She was
large boned with a very curvaceous figure.  She had large, dark
brown eyes.  Will had wondered at first if she was Betazoid, but
then he realized that her mother was from Hispanic decent.

  That fact would account for her coloring.  Will caught himself
at times noticing the resemblance Micaela had to Counselor Troi.
Maybe that was why he found her so damned attractive.  He noted
that he must keep himself in check.
 
 

   He had been doing quite well at it until one night he and
Micaela had been working very late going over points that she
would need to know for the Bridge Officers exam.  They had been
to Ten-Forward for a drink after the studies.

  There she and Will had run into Worf and Deanna.  They were on
their way out.  From the way they were carrying on with each
other, Will knew they were headed back to Worf's quarters - or
Deanna's.  He tried to dismiss the thought as they took a table
by the viewport.

  After several drinks, Micaela had begun to flirt with Riker -
subtly at first.  She would linger for a moment when their hands
had touched.  She would hold his gaze for several seconds before
looking away.  Will could swear that he saw desire in her eyes.

  As they departed and he walked her back to her quarters, she
had put her hand on his arm and left it there.  Will covered her
hand with his and they strolled together down the hallway.  When
they reached her quarters, he bid her goodnight and turned to
leave when Micaela reached for him.

"Would you care to come in for a minute, Commander?"

  Will's brain shouted "NO!".  //She was a fellow officer.  He was
tutoring her.  She was new here on the ship.....// Will's body
shouted "GO FOR IT!".  //She is beautiful. She wants you.  You are
both adults.  She reminds you of someone else.  That someone else
is in Worf's quarters doing gods know what.  You have not been
with anyone for quite a while.....//

  Needless to say, Will's body won the argument as he kissed
Micaela full on the mouth.  Her arms wrapped tightly around his
neck as she pressed her willing body deeply into his.  They
backed into her quarters.  Will was amazed at how good she felt
against him.  Although he missed that connection that he and
Deanna always shared during intimate times, Micaela was very
responsive to his touch.

  They barely made it to the bed before their passions erupted.
Micaela could 'give' as good as she 'got' and she and Will
finally satisfied one another.  They then laid back in the
tangled sheets  and fell asleep side by side.   Oddly enough,
both of them shared the same thought before succumbing to slumber
- Deanna Troi.
 
 

  Chapter 2
 

  Will and Micaela had repeated that night several times during
the next few weeks.  He was taken with the fact that she reminded
him so much of Deanna.  Maybe it was just because he missed his
Imzadi.  They had not tried to hide their relationship.

  Most of the crew expected Riker to move on to the next
conquest when Deanna and Worf's relationship blossomed.  He
always did have the reputation of being a 'ladies man'.  He and
Micaela had made a good match.  Even Deanna thought so...or so
she had said each time she saw them together.

  Inside, she was completely jealous.  She chastised herself
constantly.  She had made the decision to pursue the relationship
with Worf.  What she and Will had together (except for a deep
friendship) was over years ago.  Then why did she burn inside
each time she saw Will and Micaela together?  Thank goodness Worf
was no empath.  She told herself to keep her feelings under
control.
 
 

  Seeing Micaela with Will one evening reminded Deanna that she
had not completed the required evaluation on Micaela yet.

  She had made several appointments, but Micaela had cancelled
or postponed each one.  Deanna sensed that Micaela was avoiding
her.  But why?  Even if Micaela was aware of her history with
Commander Riker, it should not intimidate her.  That was ancient
history.  However, Deanna began to notice that Micaela became
agitated and apprehensive each time she was near although
Micaela's facade of confidence never faltered outwardly.  Deanna
decided to speak to Will about it.

  Maybe he could give her some insight or at least convince
Micaela to come in and talk.
 
 

  After speaking with Counselor Troi the following day, Will
approached the subject with Micaela that night in bed.

   Micaela sat up and gathered the sheets around her like a
cloak.  She got out of bed and began to pace the floor.  Will was
confused.  Why was she acting like this?  She was upset, nervous,
distraught; it was as if she was afraid of the Counselor.

  Will finally calmed her down enough to talk.

 "Mic, what is wrong?  Why are you afraid of an evaluation?  Is there something
that you are hiding - that I need to know about?"

  Micaela could see the suspision in his eyes.  Her voice dripped with sarcasim.

  "There is NOTHING in my record that affects my
position or rank if THAT is what you are concerned about,
COMMANDER!"  Tears were beginning to well up in her dark eyes
now.

  Will came to her and put his arms around her.  She started to
pull away and he stopped her with a concerned look.

 "What I am concerned about is YOU.
Something about talking with Deanna frightens you and I am
worried about how you feel.  What can I do to help?  Maybe if you
talked to me about it, we can sort things out together."

  Micaela could see the tenderness in his eyes.  She allowed him
to take her back to the bed where they sat down.  She gathered
herself together.  She quietly studied him for a moment, not sure
if she was ready to unlock her secrets.  She knew that sooner or
later it was going to come out.  Maybe it would be good to have
someone like Will beside you for support.  But how would he feel
once he knew the truth?

  She took a deep breath and let out a long sigh.  Slowly, the
entire story came pouring out of her like a released dam.  There
were things that she had never discussed with anyone besides her
late mother.

  When she finished, Will took her in his arms and gave her a
reassuring hug.  He NOW understood why she was hesitant to talk
to the Counselor.  He knew Deanna as well as anyone and even HE
did not know how she was going to react to this.  Micaela's
appointment with Troi was at 10:00 in the morning.  Will was
awake most of the night waiting for the bomb to explode.  Poor
Micaela ... poor Deanna... poor Will.....
 
 

  Chapter 3
 

  The following morning, Will Riker sat in his chair on the
bridge.  He face was lined and he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
 He considered the revelations
Micaela had made to him the evening prior and he wondered just
how things were going down in the Counselor's office.  He felt
concern for Micaela.  He knew this was going to be extremely
difficult for her.  Living with such a secret all of her life and
now being forced to expose it  to the person it would affect the
most.  Deanna.... Will was also extremely concerned for her as
well.  He knew that she was not going to take this news well.

Will checked the chronometer - 10:30 hours.  The fireworks would
begin very soon.
 
 

  Micaela stood outside the Counselor's office for a few moments
before entering.  She knew that there was no getting out of it
this time.  Although she had longed for this moment most of her
life, she had to draw up all of her courage just to enter the
door.  Deanna sensed the same emotions as before and gestured for
Micaela to be seated.  As Deanna reviewed her personnel records,
she could not understand what the problem could be with Lt. Leon
until Counselor Troi  looked twice at her full name.

  A question formed in Deanna's mind.  She looked directly at Micaela.

"Lt. Leon, your Starfleet record is outstanding.  Your personnel files
are quite complimentary.  You have received excellent
recommendations  from both your professors and former commanding
officers.  I do have a personal question, though, if I may?"

  Micaela nodded her head in acknowledgment.

 "I thought you
might once you reviewed my file."

  Deanna was taken aback.  How could Micaela know what she was
curious about?

 "I knew that you would be interested in my
middle name, seeing that it is Troi."

   Deanna was amazed at the coincidence because Troi was not a
common given name.  It was an interesting connection.

"It is unusual.  How did you come about it?  Did
your mother just like the name?"

Deanna could sense that shift
in Micaela's emotions again.  She was becoming increasing
anxious.

  Micaela tried her best to maintain her composure as she looked
straight into the Counselor's dark eyes.

 "That was my father's last name."

  Deanna was confused by that.  All of the records said that
Micaela's father was unknown.  Her mother had never married.

 "I have wanted to come to you about this
for a long time.  But out of respect for my mother I did not. Now
that she is gone, I felt that maybe it was the right time.  I do
not have any other family.  Counselor Troi...  Deanna, my father
was Ian Andrew Troi.  You are my sister, half sister to be
exact."

 At that Micaela looked down, unable to meet the rage and
denial in Deanna's eyes.

  Deanna felt like a two ton anvil had just fallen on her head
and heart.  Deanna pushed back away from her desk and spoke as
calmly as her mind allowed.

 "Lt. Leon, I do not presume to understand why
you are doing this.  I only had one sister.  Her name was Kestra
and she died when I was just a baby.  If you think that there is
something to be gained by these lies, you are mistaken.  This
session is OVER!"

  Deanna was rising from  behind her desk when Micaela pleaded.

"I know this is a shock for you, but please listen.  I do not
want to hurt you.  But I am your sister.  I can explain if you
will listen."

  Counselor Troi spoke in a deliberate, professional tone.

"There is nothing to discuss.  Until what time you decide to
retract that piece of slander, the case is closed. Please leave."

  Deanna forced the tears away that were threatening to fall.

  Micaela lost the battle with her tears as she exited the room.
 
 

  Deanna sat there trying to sort through what Lt. Leon had told
her.  How was it possible?  She had sensed no deception from
Micaela.  NO!  Her father would never have betrayed her and her
mother.  She had not allowed Micaela an explanation. There was no
need for one.  She was lying, she had to be.  But why?  Maybe
Will could shed some insight on this.  He and Lt. Leon had become
quite close these days.  Was that the underlying reason that she
resented Micaela so much? No, it was her attempt to ingratiate
herself into Deanna's family. That was the reason.  Will Riker
did not have ANYTHING to do with it. Did Will know about this
little matter?

  Deanna contacted him on the bridge and asked to meet him after
his shift ended.  She was going to get to the bottom of this.
 
 

  Will knew the minute his combadge chirped that it was Deanna.
He could also tell from her restrained voice that the session
with Micaela was over.  He knew how much Deanna worshipped her
father.  Actually, she worshipped her memory and the image that
she had created of her father.  He had died when she was only
seven.

  But Micaela said that she could prove that Ian Andrew Troi was
her father.  She had explained it all to him last night.  Ian
Troi met her mother, Victoria Leon on board the USS Roosevelt.
He had taken a temporary shipboard assignment.  He had needed a
break from his position behind a desk on Betazed.   It had only
been a year after Kestra had died.  Lwaxana was so completely
distraught about the child's death that she had pushed everyone,
especially Ian away.  She had distanced herself emotionally from
everyone except Deanna, who was still just a small child.

  He took the assignment after repeated attempts to help
Lwaxana.  He thought that maybe a few months apart would help
her.  Maybe she needed to deal with the grief and guilt alone.
She had made it clear that she did not need or want his help.
What Lwaxana did not stop to realize was that he was hurting as
well.  He had lost his daughter, too, and now he felt as if he
was losing his wife in addition.  But Lwaxana had always been a
self-centered person and focused only on her grief.

  The old saying was 'that absence makes the heart grow fonder'.
Maybe that was true and  things could return to normal once he
returned.

  It was onboard the ship that Ian and Victoria formed a working
relationship and a friendship as well.  She had been assigned as
his assistant during his assignment.  Victoria was a very special
person - friendly, outgoing, compassionate.  She listened to Ian
and helped him deal with the loss of his child.  Her younger
brother had died as a child, so she could understand to an extent
how he felt.

  One night after they had been celebrating the successful
completion of their mission, they spend hours talking.  The
bottle of wine slowly emptied as the feelings and emotions filled
them.  What was started out as a friendly goodnight kiss, became
much more and Ian and Victoria wound up making love that night.

  When they awoke the next morning, they both realized that they
had made a mistake.  They had given in to the moment and had took
their care and concern for each other way too far.  Victoria knew
that Ian loved his wife very much and that he was hurting and
lonely.  He had found comfort in her friendship.  They remained
distant for the next two weeks until Ian transported back to
Betazed.

  Lwaxana had come to realize what she had been doing to him and
their marriage. She apologized for everything.  He, too,
apologized and told her about Victoria.  She had been hurt, but
in time she did understand.  They forgave one another and lived
together happily until his death a few years later.

  Victoria discovered that she was pregnant after Ian had
returned home.  She knew that he belonged with Lwaxana and she
decided to never reveal to anyone - including Ian - who Micaela
belonged to.  If there were ever suspicions, they were never
voiced.  When Micaela became a teenager, she had asked about her
father.

  Victoria felt that she was old enough to understand it all and
she told her about Ian, as well as Lwaxana and Deanna.  Micaela
immediately wanted to find her sister, but Victoria made her
promise that she would not do so.  She did not know if Ian had
ever discussed their relationship with Lwaxana, and she did not
want to upset everything now.  Besides, Lwaxana was highly placed
in Starfleet and she could make things VERY difficult for
Victoria if she chose to do so.

  Micaela understood and reluctantly agreed to keep her mother's
secret safe.  That is until now.  Her mother was gone.  There was
nothing that Ambassador Troi could do to tarnish her reputation
now.  Deanna was the only family that Micaela had, and she felt
that it was time to reveal the connection.

  She knew that Deanna would be hurt at first, but Micaela had
hoped that in time, they could become close.  They had both lost
so much - they could each really use a sibling.  But Deanna had dashed
those hopes this morning.
 
 

  Chapter 4
 

  Will was contemplating the account of how Micaela Troi Leon
had come to exist while he walked to Ten-Forward to meet Deanna.
He was not sure just how much Micaela was able to tell her before
Deanna exploded.  He would do his best to fill in the gaps if
Deanna would let him.  He thought about how much the two women
resembled.  He always thought it was just his imagination, but
now it actually made sense.  They had similar personalities -
caring, sensitive and responsive.  They both shared an affinity
for chocolate and jasmine.  They both had those beautiful dark
eyes that he loved to get lost in.  Being with Micaela was better
than being with Deanna in the sense that she had no empathic
abilities and that fact put them on the same level so to speak.
But at the same time,  he could never connect with Micaela the
way he had with Deanna.

   They were IMZADI and would be forever despite who they chose
to be with.  While Will liked Micaela very much, he knew in his
heart that if Deanna was not with Worf, he probably would have
never gotten intimately involved with her.

  Despite everything, he loved Deanna and always would.  But,
apparently she did not still feel that way for him.  Otherwise,
Worf would not be sharing her bed.
 

  As Riker entered Ten Forward, he spotted Deanna across the
room sitting with her back to the door.  He knew that she
was very disturbed because of the size of the chocolate sundae in
front of her.  He went to her table, pulled up a chair, turned it
around and straddled as was his usual habit.  This annoyed Deanna
further.

     "You knew about this little scheme of hers, didn't you?!
What is this all about?"

     "Dee, please.  I can understand how upset you are but try to
calm down."

     "CALM DOWN! WHY SHOULD I?"

     "Please," he pleaded, "Micaela only told me last night.  She
is just searching for some type of connection.  She is your
sister, you know."

     "She is not my sister! Why are you doing this to me?  Are
you trying to get back at me for Worf?!"

     Will reached out and grabbed her by the arm. She yanked away
from him in a rage fueled by hurt and  betrayal.

     "Please, Dee, please just sit down and let me explain.
Please just hear me out."  Will begged.

     Deanna fumed as the heat of her anger slowly abated.  Will's
compassionate entreaty in the face of her anger finally convinced
her to reluctantly to yield.

     "This is how Micaela explained it to me ..."

     Will laid out Micaela's story as she had told it to him. As
he spoke, he could sense her feelings of betrayal, not
just from her father, but from him as well. By the time he
finished the story, Will had Deanna's hand in his, tears welling
up in her onyx eyes.

    "Dee, I know how you felt about your father.  You
practically worshipped the man but I don't think that he
intentionally betrayed you or your mother."

     Deanna shook her head in denial, the tears trickling down
her cheeks.

     "But know this, Micaela is telling the truth, Dee.  Beverly
ran a genetic scan on her this afternoon and her DNA matches your
father's.  She is definitely your half sister and for good or bad
you cannot change this.  What happened between your father and
Micaela's mother is not her fault.  She is as lost as you are and
she needs you."

     Deanna wiped her eyes then hiccuped a final sob as she
digested what Will had told her.  She was still in denial as she
thought.  //Her father would not do that to her... he couldn't.//
But he had, and so had Will -- the proof was undeniable.  Deanna
disengaged her hand from Will's and rose from the table,
abandoning the half eaten chocolate sundae.

     He tried to help her but she waved him off.

     "I am okay.  I just need time to think."

     "Deanna?"

     "No! It has been a long day and I have a lot of things to
think about.  I am going back to my quarters now."

     She was gone before he could say anything more leaving a
slightly bewildered and concerned Will Riker standing in the
middle of Ten-Forward.
 
 
 
 
 

  Deanna returned to her room and ordered a cup of Valerian tea
from he replicator.  She slowly sifted through her thoughts and
emotions.

  How could this be true?  What about her mother?  Did she know?

  Deanna got up and went to her terminal.  She put a message
through to Betazed.  She had to get some answers.  When the
computer chimed that the transmission link was complete, Deanna
faced Lwaxana with uncontrolled tears in her eyes.  Lwaxana
immediately jumped into the conversation with concern.

  "Little One, what is wrong?  Has something happened?  Mr.
Wolf?  Riker?  Jean-Luc?  Oh, dear. Please tell me."

 "No, Mother, everyone is okay.  And it is WORF
- not WOLF.  I just  need to talk to you about something. It is
about Daddy.   Did he ever mention a woman named Victoria Leon?"

  Deanna could see the recognition and humiliation in her
mother's face.  She knew the answer.  Lwaxana composed herself.

  "Why are you asking about her, Deanna? What is going on?"

  Deanna took a deep breath and told her about Micaela and what
Will had told her.  She could see her mother's complexion pale
slightly as she recounted the story.  When she had finished,
Lwaxana spoke.

  "Yes, your father told me about him and Victoria on the
Roosevelt.   It was a very difficult time for us after Kestra
died.  I was so wrapped up in myself that I pushed him away.
When he returned to Betazed, we talked about everything and
worked through our problems.  But I never knew there was a child.
I am sure that neither did he."

  Deanna agreed.  Micaela had said that her mother never told
Ian.  Deanna looked at her mother's image in the screen.

 "So what do I do now?  I feel so empty.  Everything that I
thought was the truth in my life, I now find out was a
deception."

  Lwaxana thought silently for a moment.

"Deanna, I know that you feel betrayed.  I did, too, when I found
out.  But everything worked out for us. I loved your father very
much and he loved me.  What is bothering you the most?  The fact
that your father has another child or that your Imzadi is with
her now?  Now, don't start denying it and reiterating the virtues
of your relationship with Worf.  I am your mother.  I know what
is in your heart and I know that you have never stopped loving
William Riker.  Although you have tried to replace him with that
Klingon, you can't deny what you feel for him.  The fact that he
is now in a relationship with the woman who had just turned out
to be your sister is tearing you apart.  I think that you are
afraid that you just may have lost him this time."

  As Lwaxana signed off, Deanna contemplated what her mother had
just said.  What if she had lost her Imzadi forever this time?
And to her sister no less!!!  It was just more than she could
bear.  Betrayals - both past and present - tore at her heart as
she cried herself to sleep.
 
 

  Chapter 5
 

  Deanna got out of bed early the next morning.  She had not
even been to sleep.  So many emotions were swirling about inside
her.  Worf had demanded to know what was wrong because they had a
date that evening and she did not show up.

  She just dismissed him.  There was no way that he could begin
to understand or help her.  The only person that she had ever
been able to turn to in times such as these was Will.  Now, he
had no doubt spent the night with Micaela - her SISTER -
reassuring and comforting HER instead.  Deanna's heart broke in
two at the thought.

  She knew that all of this with Will had been her own doing.
She wanted to get back at him for hurting her all those years
ago.  She wanted to make him jealous by flaunting her
relationship with Worf.  She was lonely and loved him so deeply
and he just wanted to be friends... or did he?

  He had told her that he was happy for her and Worf.  Did he
mean it? Deanna was so confused.  She knew that she had to get it
all sorted out.  Too many people were being hurt - including
herself.

  She showered and dressed.  She only had a few appointments
this morning.  Maybe she would ask Will to eat lunch with her.
It seemed like the logical place to start.
 
 

In his quarters, Riker did his best to comfort Micaela but she
wasn't having any of it.  When he tried to hold her, she jerked
away and stormed around the room. She had hoped that Deanna would
understand once she had had time to think about it. They were
sisters but Deanna had not contacted her.

  "What if she doesn't want to talk to me?"

  "Micaela, Deanna was upset. After all this came out of he
blue."

  Will briefly went over his conversation with her that
afternoon.

  "Just give her a little time, Mic.  You cannot imagine how she
felt about her father.  This is bit of a shock to her. She's
feeling  that he betrayal her."

  "But he's my father too and I never knew him except through
mother."

  "Mic, Deanna will talk to you, but give her time."

  "Will, you seem to know her pretty well.  Is there something
more here that I need to know about?" she said suspiciously.

  Will grinned sheepishly.

  "Are you sure you aren't an empath?"

  She remained silent and gave a an icy glare.

  "Well Yes, there is... er... was something between us but that
was years ago...." his voice trailed off.

  Micaela was quiet.

  "And?"

  "Mic, it was like this..." He told her the story of the stormy
history between himself and the Counselor, their joining as
Imzadi, the split and her current relationship with Worf.

  Micaela had watched Will throughout his tale of love and war
was unconvinced that it was over.

  "You two are IMZADI? And now she is with that Klingon?  I know
what it means to be imzadi.  Doesn't make sense."

  "I know but that's the way it is, Micaela."

  "Will, Ian and Lwaxana were Imzadi and that was one reason my
mother never told him about me.  I know that it was an unbroken
bond until he died."

  Riker said nothing.

  "I think that Deanna may still have feelings for you and that
that may be one of the reasons for her hostility toward me."

  "That's nonsense, Mic. It's been over for a long time. Deanna
and I are just friends now. Deanna is committed to someone else.
Besides I love being with you.

  "That may be. Gotta go. I've got early duty shift tomorrow."

  She leaned forward and gave her lover a warm kiss then slid out
of his arms and exited his cabin.

  Micaela was deep in thought as she walked the nearly empty, dim
lit, corridors of the night time Enterprise. She could accept his
reasoning but one of her mothers sayings kept popping up in her
head.

   "Imzadi are forever." If mother was right there was nothing that
she, or Riker or Deanna could do about it.
 
 
 

  Will met Deanna for lunch in Ten-Forward as planned. She was
cold and distant but he could tell that she had accepted the fact
that she and Micaela WERE sisters.  Just what she planned to do
about it was still a mystery.  She talked to him about how she
felt - empty, deceived, betrayed.

  He was attempting to understand and comfort her, when - all of
a sudden - she jumped up out of her chair and shouted at the top of her lungs at him.

 "YOU JUST DON'T *GET* IT!!!"

  Will ran after her and caught up to her outside in the
corridor.

 "Deanna!  I don't get what?  I was just
trying to help!"

  "Yes, I know.  You were just helping yourself to MY SISTER!  I
NEEDED you last night.  I had to go through all of this alone!
You were no where to be found for me, but I am certain you did
everything you could to make HER feel better."

  Will was taken aback at her fury at him.  He thought to
himself //Had Micaela been right? Did Deanna still have feelings
for him?  Why was she so angry with him?//

  He allowed his anger get the best of him and he rallied back at Deanna.

 "I figured you ran into the waiting ARMS of your lover - WORF!  Or
did you forget that you are with him now? What am I supposed to
do - wait around for you to finish with your little side shows?
And forget the fact that Micaela is your HALF sister... what
about TOM?  He was my TWIN !!!!  How do you think I felt when you
were with him?  It was like seeing what I have always wanted come
true - only it wasn't ME! Micaela fills that space in me that you
left hollow. She is the closet thing that I have found to
actually being with YOU.  Don't you know that I still love you,
Deanna?  I always have and I guess I always will.  But you are no
longer mine and Micaela makes a damned good SUBSTITUTE!!!"

  At that Will Riker turned away and stormed down the hall only
to turn the corner and run right into Micaela.  He knew
immediately that she had heard it all.  Her mouth was opened and
tears were flowing down her face.  She turned and ran away from
him.

  Will shouted after her and tried to catch up.
 
 

  Unbeknownst to Will, he had left the other sister - DEANNA -
standing in the hall with her mouth opened and tears flowing down
her face as well.  //He still loves me .. he said that he still
loves me and that I am no longer his. Oh, he is SO wrong.  My
heart and soul could NEVER belong to anyone else.  How could he
not know?//

  Deanna leaned against the bulkhead trying to gather herself.
So much had happened in the last 36 hours.  She gained a sister,
she lost her imzadi, she discovered that Will still loved her and
Worf - oh my god !  Worf!  That shouting match between herself
and the Commander had revealed more than she first realized.  She
had to find Worf and break it off.  It was not fair to him.  She
came to realize that he had only been a substitution as well.  So
had Tom.  She was trying to find what she had lost with Will.
What would happen now?  Could Will and Micaela forgive her?  She
knew that she could not come between them.  They had to find a
way to work it all out.
 
 

  Will caught up to Micaela and tried to explain .. to
apologize.

  Micaela sobbed, but managed to speak through the tears.  She raised her hand to stop him.

 "Will, don't.  I
always knew that there was an invisible wall between us.  I just
didn't know that the wall was built by my sister.  I have already
caused her enough grief by revealing my heritage.  I can't take
away her imzadi as well.  She hates me enough now, I will not add
to the hatred by being with you anymore.  I know you both love
each other.  Quit being stupid and proud and admit it to each
other that you belong together."

  Micaela dropped her head.

  Will put his hand under her chin and brought her face up to
his.

"Mic, the ball is in Deanna's court now.  She knows how I
feel.  She had to decide what to do about Worf.  I really do care
about you, Micaela.  You are an extraordinary woman.  No woman,
other than Deanna, has come so close to capturing my heart.  Are
you going to be okay?"

  She reached up and kissed him lightly on the lips.

 "Yeah, I
will be fine.  You were never really mine to begin with.  I knew
that.  But we have had some great times, hadn't we?"

  Will's blue eyes lit up and he cast her a devilish grin.

 "We
sure did.  We sure did.  You are quite a lady, Lt. Leon.  And you
are gonna be a damned fine captain one day, too."

  She saluted him proudly.

 "Aye, sir.  I intend to try."

  She
hugged him and turned to go to her quarters.
 
 

  She made it into the safety of her cabin before her emotions
got the best of her.  She lay on her bed and wept fiercely.  She
knew why Deanna had fallen in love with Will Riker. It was easy -
for she had done the same.  Now she was alone once again.  She
wept as memories of her mother flooded her heart.

  "I miss you so much Momma",  Mic said silently.
 
 

   Chapter 6
 

   *** PLEASE NOTE  This chapter is rated "PG-13" due to a love
scene ***

  Micaela Leon faced up to failure.  She had came aboard the
Enterprise with such high hopes.  None of which had come about.
She had spoken to Captain Picard and put in a request for a
transfer.  That had been very hard to do because positions aboard
this ship were valued highly and hard to come by.  But after what
happened between her and Deanna and her and Will, it just wasn't
comfortable.  She explained all of it to the Captain and he (to
her surprise) understood.  He even made a few contacts on her
behalf to find her a suitable post.  He assured her that it would
not reflect badly on her record. Personal entanglements sometimes
happened.
 
 

  Micaela returned to her quarters and began to pack. She was
surprised when her door chimed.  She was in no mood for visitors,
but the computer identified the guest as Deanna Troi. Micaela
sighed, and said "Enter."

  Deanna came in and looked around.  She was struck at the decor
of the surroundings.  She and Micaela shared the same taste in
many things.  Deanna began, "Captain Picard informed me that you
were leaving.  I really wish that you would not.  I know that I
have acted horribly and I am very sorry for that.  But we have
not even had a chance to get to know each other.  Please
reconsider."

  Micaela's heart began to quicken.  But, she knew that she
still could not stay.  Deanna and Will did not need her there to
complicate things.  Besides, she could not bear it right now. She
still had lots of healing to do - and she needed to handle it on
her own.

 "I am very happy to hear you say that, Deanna.
It means a great deal to me.  But there are a lot of matters that
I need to sort out by myself.  I have not finished grieving for
my mother yet.  It is just to early to try to replace her place
in my heart, my life.  I wanted so much to get to know my sister.
After all that has happened, I laid here last night thinking of
all the reasons that I should hate you - resent you.  You had a
chance to know our father - even if it was brief. You still have
your mother in your life.  And then there is Will.  He is an
exceptional man, Deanna.  Don't waste anymore time.  I know how
much he loves and needs you.  You are a very lucky woman even if
you don't know it...."

  Micaela trailed off, caught herself and continued.

 "But despite all of
that, I still could not hold any hard feelings against you.  You
are my sister, the only family I have left.  None of this is your
fault and I know that.  But I just can't stay here - not right
now."

  Deanna came to her and put her arms around her in a sisterly
embrace.

 "I think I understand.  But I hope
this is a beginning for us - not an end."

  Micaela heartily agreed.

 "I would like that very much.  When I
get settled in my new assignment, I will contact you and we can
keep in touch.  Just be sure that I am invited to the wedding."

  Deanna looked at her questioningly, "Wedding?  Whose wedding?"

 "Yours and Will's of course.  That is if you
can finally communicate you true feelings to each other!"

  They hugged each other goodbye.
 
 

  A couple of days later, Will was sitting in his quarters
listening to soft jazz and sipping a brandy when his combadge
chirped.

  <Counselor Troi to Commander Riker>.

  Will hit the badge and replied, <Riker here, what can I do for
you Counselor?>

  <That is a loaded question, you had better be careful or you
might get an unexpected answer!>  Troi's voice came back.

  Will grinned to himself - so she wanted to play, huh? Fine.
He heard her voice again <Will, are you busy right now?  Can I
stop by?>

  Will answered, <Of course, come on by.>
 
 

  No more than five seconds later,  the door chimed.  Will
readily opened it.

 "You don't waste any time, do you?"

  Before he knew what was happening, Deanna wrapped her arms
around him.

 "Not anymore, I have learned better."

  Then he caught his mouth with hers and drew him into a full
open kiss.  Her tongue reached for his greedily as she devoured
his sweet taste.

  She pushed her body against his and backed him to the couch.

  By the time Riker's mind came to grips with what was going on,
his body had already taken control.  He held her in a firm
embrace as he gently kissed a trail down from her mouth over to
her earlobe and neck.

  Deanna had begun to moan with pleasure.  He stroked her silky
hair as he moved it away to give him better access to that spot
at the back of her neck that sent chills down her spine.  Deanna
gripped Will's strong shoulders as she dug her nails into his
clothing.

  His mouth made its way back to hers and he probed deep inside
savoring every inch of her warm wet lips and tongue.

  Deanna moved to straddle his lap as she faced him.  When there
eyes met, Will had started to question what exactly was happening
here.  Now he looked deeply into his Imzadi's onyx eyes and saw
love and desire burning within them.  All of the questions he had
were pushed to the back of his mind as his heart and body took
over.

  Deanna moved her lips and tongue around his neck nipping with
her teeth.  She grabbed his earlobe with her mouth and sucked it
delicately.

  It was almost more than Will could take.  He was recalling
what and aggressive lover Deanna could be when she took command.

  Deanna had begun to rock her body against him.

  He ran his hands up and down her spine before grabbing her
around the waist and pulling her even closer to him.

  Deanna paused just long enough  to reach behind her neck and
unfasten the closure of her dress.  The bodice fell to her waist
and Will was graced with the sight of her bare skin directly in
front of his face.

  He looked at her with such intensity burning in his sapphire
eyes as he tentatively reached out to her with his hands and
mouth.  He traced a path of tender kisses from her throat, down
her collarbone and beyond.

  Deanna grasped Will's hair in her fingers as she urged him to
continue.

  Holding Deanna tightly around the waist with one hand, Will
continued his loving exploration as she quivered with pleasure.
He gently tasted her sweetness and the sensation of his beard and
teeth grating against her tender flesh was more than Deanna could
bear.

  She pulled away from him just long enough to stand and disrobe
completely.

  Will took the cue and removed his clothing as well.

  She went back to her position on his lap, but this time no
clothing barred their union.

  Will first fanned his fingers out across her lower back and
pulled them even closer as Deanna let a soft yelp escape from her
throat.  As Will passionately touched her body and soul, Deanna
was teetering on the edge.

  She bit into his shoulder as they were brought together -
their passions joining. Deanna's body was racking with spasms of
pleasure as she and Will moaned in unison.  They moved in rhythm
with one another until their joined release came about sending
them both spiraling over the edge and down into the depths of
ecstacy.

  Deanna tossed her head back in a cry of passion that she had
not felt since their days together on Betazed.

   Will let out a similar groan at the same time as he filled
her completely with love.  At that exact moment... time stood
still for them and they each - simultaneously - heard a word echo
inside their souls.

   The word had been kept silent and buried for far too long and
the word was <"IMZADI">.
 
 

  It took several minutes before Deanna recovered enough to
speak.  She moved from Will's lap and sat beside him on the
couch.

  He put his arms around her and kissed her softly on top of the
head.

  "That was incredible, Imzadi.  And, believe me,  I am NOT
complaining.  But, I do think you have some explaining to do."

Will tried to sound gentle, but his mind was in a whirl.  What had happened?
What about Worf?   He did not want the Klingon upset with him.
An enraged Worf was NOT a pretty site.  But he had just shared a
beautiful moment with the woman he loved.

  He was brought out of his revelry by her voice.

 "Will, Micaela
came to see me before she left.  We worked out a lot of things.
She said some things that made sense to me, mainly concerning
you.  It got me to thinking about my life and what I have been
doing with it.  Before I go any farther, I want you to know that
Worf and I have broken up.  I came to realize that I was using
him, too.  As a substitute, maybe for a little revenge. It wasn't
fair to him.  He is hurt, but understands. Micaela told me to not
to waste anymore time where you were concerned. She made me see
what was really in my heart and yours for that matter.  She said
that you still loved me and that I would be a fool if I did not
communicate how I feel about you."

  At that Will grinned from ear to ear wickedly.

 "I like the way
you communicate Imzadi."

  She gave him an incredulous look.

 "I wish she
could have stayed, but I know it was to hard for her.  She is in
love with you, too, you know.  How could she not be?  Anyway, we
are going to keep in touch and build our relationship.  The last
thing she said to me was that she wanted to be invited to the
wedding.  I was confused and she cleared it up for me.  She
thinks that you and I will be married before long."

 Deanna held
her breath trying to sense Will's reaction to that statement.

  Will turned her face to him so that their eyes met.

"Imzadi, I am the one that has been the fool for far too long.  I
could not admit my feelings even to myself for a long time.
Maybe my masculine arrogance got in the way and convinced me that
you would always be there waiting in the wings for me.  Then came
Tom and Worf. Lately, even before Micaela, I had begun to rethink
my life's priorities.  I came to realize that you are what I want
and need in my life - not as a friend or confidant.  I want ALL
of you.  I want you to share my life completely - my mind, my
body , my heart and my soul.  Maybe that is what drew me to
Micaela.  You two are really so much alike and I wanted you back
so much, but I thought you were out of my reach.  I thought I had
lost you forever.  It scared me to death.  You are the only thing
that can complete me, Deanna.  Maybe Micaela knew something after
all.  I want you to be beside me for all eternity - as my
soulmate, my lover, my wife.  We have wasted too much time
already, would you consider marrying me once and for all?"

  Deanna's heart leapt into her throat and she whispered an
affirmative as she pulled him down to meet her body once more.
 

   EpiLogue
 

Subspace transmission from Lt. Micaela Troi Leon - USS
Excalibur to Counselor Deanna Troi - USS Enterprise
 

  'I was so thrilled to hear about your wedding plans.

  You know that I will be there.  I have already spoken to
Captain Calhoun and he has made the necessary arrangements.  I
am really learning a good deal from him and his first officer,
Commander Shelby.  Although she does not have much good to say
about Commander Riker.  Strange woman.  Anyway, many of the
officers here served previously on the Enterprise and know you
and Will rather well - Dr. Selar, Lt. Soleta, Lt. Robin Lefler,
and Commander Shelby, of course.  They made me feel right at
home and I am fitting in well.  I have been hearing some great
stories about you and the Enterprise crew.  Captain MacKenzie
Calhoun is a remarkable man.  He can be quite unorthodox, but
he sure makes Shelby tow the line.  He is awesome.

  Things here in sector 221-G are never dull.  My science
background has given me an edge here in the former Thallonian
Empire.  There have been a number of strange anomalies and I am
doing some studies with Lefler and Soleta concerning them.

  I am happy here.  My mother would be proud.  Well, keep me
posted regarding the plans.  By the way, tell me a little more
about Will's twin, Tom.  I was thinking...

  Brothers - Sisters... could be interesting.....'
 

                  the end
 
 

4.14.99 MLBS
 
 
 
 

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