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Imzadi: My Version
Chapters Twenty-five and Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-five
"Will Riker!" Deanna snapped. It was two days before their wedding and Deanna was very upset. "I don't know what you're hiding, but you're hiding something!"
She had cornered him in the study that evening on the basis of what her mother said to her earlier. She knew he was not telling her something, but it was not confirmed until her mother had said something to her earlier in the day. She and Will had been busy with classes and work all day, so there had been no time to talk to each other before what her mother said to her festered.
"Deanna." Will said reassuringly.
"I don't know when you figured out how to block your
thoughts, even from Mother, but you have! Mother can even tell it!"
"Deanna, I assure you."
"Why are you, what are you keeping a secret?" Deanna demanded to know.
"Deanna, calm down." Will said.
"Calm down?" Deanna asked. "You give me one good excuse."
"Because, I have a wedding surprise for you, which I want to keep a secret until our wedding night."
She could tell he was telling the truth. Just not what the
surprise was. She was very puzzled how he figured it out.
"Will." Deanna said, softly. "I'm sorry. Mother, just had me a little worked up, I guess. She gets a little paranoid when she can't sense someone's thoughts. Especially, human thoughts."
"It's ok." Will said. "Just don't do it
again." he smiled at her, then kissed her. "I promise you, you will know what it is the night of our wedding."
"I'd better." she teased. "Now, tell me
something."
"Yeah?"
"How did you figure it out? I mean, I never, or at least I don't think I did," she stammered. "I can't remember teaching you that technique."
"Oh, you didn't." Will grinned. "In fact, I never knew it was possible until some professor and doctor of Psychology told me."
Deanna smiled back. "And who might that be?"
Will pulled her close for what he was going to say next and
smiled. "Oh, the same professor who told me that, that
technique of your's was not really a theraputic technique."
She became wide eyed with surprise. "You knew all this
time?"
Will chuckled. "Yes I did." He kissed her. "I
guess you could say a little birdie told me you were interested in me after that incident."
"Oh, Will" she said playfully. "Why didn't you tell me you knew sooner?"
"I don't know." he replied. "I guess I wanted to let you have your fun and your little secret for as long as possible."
Deanna just shook her head and said, "You're unbelievably good! And I can't wait to see my surprise."
"You'll have to wait. Until then kiss me, soon to be Mrs. Riker."
She did. They kissed passionately for several minutes, but as luck would have it, Lwaxana returns from her outing bellowing.
"Mr. Homn! Deanna! Will!" She yelled. Then walks into the study. "Oh, there you two are and it figures. The moment I turn my back too!"
Will releases Deanna and jumps back.
"Oh, calm down! I'm not mad!" She stated. "Now where's Mr. Homn? I have something to tell all of you. Mr. Homn!"
He finally appears and bows slightly from the waist.
"I have good news! I found someone who can cook trout! Earth Trout, too!" She announced. "I don't know how good he is, but I found him!"
"Mrs. Troi." Will started to tell her something about trout, but Lwaxana continues.
"Oh, don't thank me." She said waving her hand.
"Besides, it took me all this time to find someone who was willing to do it. I swear! Some people get so uptight about some things! I just can't figure it out! It's just fish, isn't it?"
Will chuckled. "Yes it is, but um...."
"Then what's the problem?" Lwaxana asked. "How hard is it to cook a fish?"
Will's still laughing.
"What's so funny?" Lwaxana asked puzzled.
"No!"
"Yes, Mrs. Troi." Will said still laughing.
"You've been taken. You can't bring trout all this way and it be fresh. Oh, you maybe able to keep it preserved, but it's really not that good, unless it's fresh. Even with all the technology we have, trout is really not good unless serve fresh."
"Why didn't you say so?" Lwaxana asked. "You mean I went through all that trouble for nothing? And would you please stop laughing! It's bring out other thoughts that you don't want me to tell Deanna."
Will stopped laughing and got serious. "Mrs. Troi, please, that's suppose to be a surprise on our wedding night."
"By the way, Deanna." Lwaxana said. "You can
forget what I said earlier about Will hiding something. I was wrong about it all. He's not hiding anything drastically
wrong."
"Mrs. Troi! Please!"
"Mother, I know."
"You know? Then why is he saying it's still a secret?" Lwaxana asked. "And it's even going through his mind that it's a secret still!"
"No, Mother. I mean, I know he has a surprise for me on our wedding night."
"Oh, I see." Lwaxana said. "I've had such a long day, I'm really too tired to talk, much less read minds. And to think that someone was able to keep me from knowing about trout like that! I just couldn't figure out all this week why no one wanted to bother with trout. I must be loosing my touch! Oh, enjoy your youth, you two. I'm turning in for the night."
Lwaxana leaves the room and heads upstairs. Mr. Homn also departs to return to what he was doing.
Will thought, "Well, if she would stop talking long enough, maybe she would know when she's being shiesterred."
"I heard that!" Lwaxana yells down the stairs.
Will grins, shakes his head and then turns to Deanna and says, "Now, where were we?"
Deanna smiles at him and says. "Well, Lieutenant, I think we were right here." Then she wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him.
After a moment she says, "There's no way I'm going to find out any sooner what my surprise is, is there?"
"Not on your life!" Will resumes kissing Deanna.
She pulls back and says, "Will Riker, I love you."
"Deanna Troi, I love you, too, but it's not going to
work."
She sighs. "OK, I guess I'll wait, but it better be
good!"
Will smiles. "Oh, it is, it is."
Chapter Twenty-Six
It was the big day for
Deanna and Will. Deanna was very nervous. As she was getting
ready for the ceremony, she was having a telepathic discussion with her mother, Chandra and Chandra's mother.
"Mother, I don't know if I can do this." Deanna sent nervously.
"Oh, it's just wedding day jitters, dear."
Lwaxana reassured. "You'll be fine."
"Oh, yes," Chandra reaffirmed. "Remember how nervous I was the day of my wedding?"
"How could I forget." Deanna sent.
"Oh, dear." Lwaxana sent with some
disappointment.
"What's wrong, Mother?"
"Well, your band looks just fine, but you're showing just a bit."
"Mother!"
"Well, it could be because you are having twins." Lwaxana sent.
"I don't notice anything." Chandra stated.
"Oh, no you wouldn't, dear." Lwaxana stated. "A mother knows though."
"Mother, please." Deanna sent firmly. "Let's not go through this again. I really don't think at this point it really matters."
"Lwaxana, she looks fine." Chandra's mother
chimed in.
"Well, maybe you're right." Lwaxana replied.
"Really, Mother. I'm more worried about falling on my face than how I look."
"Well, can you try holding your stomach in a
little?"
"Mother!" Deanna said aloud.
"Yes, probably not." Lwaxana sent.
"Would you please give it a rest!" Deanna said with irritation.
"Lwaxana, really!" Chandra's mother sent. "Stop worrying about it. It's a time of celebration and sharing in harmony and unity. Not a time to worry about whether or not she is showing!"
"Yes, I guess you are right." Lwaxana sent and began fussing with Deanna's hair.
Will was also preparing for the ceremony. Garth Xerx came to
check on him.
A few days before, Xerx approach Lwaxana with the idea of he and his wife filling in the part of Will's parents for Deanna and Will.
"Lwaxana, you know Deanna is like a daughter to me and Kyle Riker doesn't appear to be coming." He spoke to her telepathically.
"Oh, just come out with it Garth." Lwaxana demanded.
"Well, I thought, my wife and I could be proxies for
Deanna's ceremony in place of Will's parents."
Lwaxana thought for a moment and then she agreed to the
suggestion. Deanna and Will also agreed to his suggestion when he posed it to them. Thus, Xerx was taking the place of Will's father in the ceremony.
"Lieutenant?" Xerx said. "Are you about
ready?"
Tang was taking the place of the best man. "He's got cold feet, Xerx."
"Cold feet?" Xerx exclaimed. "Lieutenant, I assure you it will be fine."
"Well, it's not that I'm afraid to marry Deanna." Will said. "It's my outfit."
"Ah, I understand." Xerx said. "Well, Lwaxana
insist it be a Betazoid wedding all the way. When it comes to custom she never backs down. To the letter all the way."
"I feel like I'm not only exposed mentally here, but
physically, too." Will said. "Like I have no privacy at all right now."
"Well, try and bare with it, son." Xerx said.
"It's just for about an hour and understand it's just
symbolism."
"Oh, I didn't say I wouldn't." Will said. "And I do understand the symbolic reason or at least the words. Just as you explained to me at Chandra's wedding. It's to symbolize, physically and spiritually, there is nothing to hide. That all are sharing in cooperation in the spirit of harmony and unity. I
have nothing to hide really, but it's just so damn
uncomfortable!"
Xerx chuckled. Then said, "At least you remembered and what about the spiritual?"
"Well, I'm not very sure, but what I've learned from Deanna about Betazoid cultural, it's very, what's the word?" Will paused. "What was it she said about full communion? Oh, yes, one has to become one with their environment. I am certainly doing that." He grinned.
Xerx then said, "I'm not sure if you are begining to
understand us or not, but you seem to take our ways fairly well. Regardless of how uncomfortable you are."
"Trying to." Will smiled and looking at Tang he
continues with a smile. "As he says, 'It's all part of the service.' In this case, it's all part of marrying the woman I love."
GONG!
"Well, there's our que." Xerx said with a smile.
"Yes, I guess it is." Will said. "I guess I need to get up the courage really quick here, to walk out there so I don't end up upsetting some Troi women."
"That's the spirit." Xerx smiled. "Ready
Tang?"
Tang briefly looks down at himself, shrugs and says, "All part of the service." Then proceeds behind Xerx.
Will entered and Mrs. Xerx followed, as the mother, trying to stop him. Will had to ignore her and he kept walking toward the middle, trying not to think about his nakedness.
"Well," he thought. "At least this time I'm not nakid." Then Xerx stepped into his path and held up his hand to stop him. As tradition dictated, Will pushed him aside and took his place in front of the minister who was holding the scroll in front of him.
The place was decorated with beautiful Betazed flowers and
greenry. The lighting enhanced the colours of the flowers and greenry and made them even more vivid. This time, without a doubt, Will was sure these plants came from the Jalara, for they looked exactly like the ones Deanna pointed out to him and the thing that struck him as most touching was Deanna's favourite was also there. Muktok. Will smiled as he noticed this little added touch.
Then Lwaxana came in sobbing, very melodramatically. "She's playing it up even more than Chandra's mother ever did, but that's my soon to be mother-in-law." Will thought. Then waves of nausea hit him. "I think I'm going to be sick!"
Then Chandra walked in and towards Deanna. She stepped aside and gestured to her. With a big smile, she said, "I summon you to the place of marriage." Then Deanna rose and took Chandra's hand. They stepped up beside Will and faced the minister.
"God!" Will exclaimed to himself. "She's even more beautiful than the first time I saw her at Chandra's wedding!"
Deanna was radiant and glowing on the out side. She kept a smile, even though on the inside she too, thought she was going to be sick. Her hair was down, with the band holding it back in place and her curls were even tighter than usual. She sensed Will's thoughts, briefly looked at him and smiled. Then they both faced the minister.
The minister addressed everyone in traditional Betazoid language. Then he looked at Will and Deanna. Since Will did not know the Betazoid language fluently the minister switched to Federation Standard to address the couple.
Deanna and Will had prepared their wedding vows to each other.
Deanna faced Will and spoke first. "Imzadi, my beloved soul mate. I take you to be my husband from here to eternity. My soul is your's forever, for Imzadi is forever."
Will thought, "How can I top that?" Then looking at Deanna in her deep brown eyes, he began his vow. "Deanna, my goddess, the one I deeply love and cherish. I shall love and cherish you forever until death do us part."
After he said the words he kicks himself. "God! I sound so human! Not at all in keeping with this ceremony!"
Deanna smiled at him and sent, "Imzadi, you are human. It's okay and it's beautiful."
Then Will thought, "Can she do that in a room full of
Betazoids in the middle of this ceremony?"
Deanna continued smiling at him, until they turned back to face the minister to listen to his finishing statements. At Will's request and Lwaxana's final approval, he kissed the bride in traditional Earth custom.
The reception followed and everyone was fully clothed again. Will was relieved, just as he was after the first Betazoid wedding he attended, to have his clothes back. He wore his dress uniform to the reception and as they entered the garden with the rest of their wedding party, there was a burst of applause.
Will was begining to think this was a traditional setting for wedding receptions. It was also decorated with the same plants that were inside the chapel and the colours were just as brilliant. Will could not help but think Deanna chose these plants to decorate the place due to their Jalara experience together. He smiled broadly and with rememberance.
Lwaxana approaches him and boldly says, "I don't know why you are so self conscious of your body, Will. You have a very nice one, I can see why Deanna was so drawn to you."
Will blushed. "Mrs. Troi!"
"Oh, don't take it so personally!" She frowned.
"The humanoid's body can be a work of art and one's
admiration doesn't have to have anymore baring than when one
looks at a painting."
Now Will felt he should be on display at the museum and this made him feel very uncomfortable.
"Humans!" Lwaxana scoffed and walked away to chat with someone else and get herself a plate of food.
"Will." He heard Deanna behind him and turned.
"That was beautiful what you said. At least to me and that's all that really matters, right?"
He puts his arms around her and hugs her. "Yes, it is." Then he looks at her with a smile and kisses her.
"Oh, can't you two keep your hands off of each other for even a minute!"
It was Lwaxana's voice. Will raised his head, released Deanna and turns to his mother-in-law. He did not say a word. Deanna on the other hand just blushed, slightly smiled and sent, "Mother, please! It's our reception and everyone can hear you!"
"Oh, so what lit..." she had a look of frustration
"Why do I have to break this habit? Anyway, who cares!"
Lwaxana went on her way and sat at a table to socialize and eat her meal.
"Oh, Deanna." Will noticed a particular plant again and pulled her over to it. He then touched one of the flowers and shook it gently. The pleasing sound came out of it as expected. "I noticed this during our ceremony. Was it your idea?"
Deanna smiled. "It was one of the first Betazoid plants I showed you. I felt like it should be here, as a symbolism, between you and me, of our first date together."
He turned to her with a smile and gently caressed the side of her face. "Oh, Deanna." Then he kissed her again.
Lwaxana noticed and placed in their minds, "Oh, will you two love birds stop and get something to eat! You can't live on love alone!"
Deanna pulled back slowly and said, "She's right about
that."
The two of them walked over to the table full of food, which was minused the trout, to Will's thankfulness. They got their plates and sat down at their place of honour. Everyone, it seemed, approached them and congratulated them.
Deanna, to her credit of wanting Will's customs somewhere in the series of events, had a traditional Earth wedding cake prepared for the reception. When the two of them were ready, she dragged Will over to it.
"I'll need your help with this." She smiled and
whispered to him. "I have no idea how this is done."
He smiled and whispered back, "It's simple." Then he picks up the knife to cut the cake. "Here."
She takes the knife by the handle and says, "Will, I
don't..."
Will puts his hand over hers and they cut the cake together.
"Now, you take a piece of the cake and I take one too."
He hands Deanna one and gets one himself. "Then we give each other a bite cake like so." Gives her a bite and then adds, "Only we do it at the same time."
They proceeded to do so. Deanna was very awkward and nervous
about it. So nervous that some of the icing dropped onto Will's uniform.
Deanna was very embarrassed by this, grabs a napkin, tries to wipe it off and apologizes profusely. Will stops her from
smearing the icing any further and says, "It's ok." Then kisses her for the umpteenth time during the reception.
Will felt very proud that this day had come and he was very
anxious to show Deanna his wedding gift to her, but they first had to open some of the gifts they had received from the guest. The most prominent ones at least.
Mark Roper was insistant that they open his gift first. It was a very small box and would have gotten lost in all the other gifts, if it were not for the brightly coloured wrapping he had wrapped it in. Inside, to Will's astonishment, was a card that said, "You are now 200 credits richer, spend it on whatever you wish as my wedding gift to you."
Will thought, "That son of a gun! He did! He really did
it!"
Roper just smiled at him and said to both of them, "I hope you can find something you like." Then to Will he said, "You are the big winner, Will. She's a good woman, and you are very lucky to have won her heart."
Will caught the underlying meaning, but also Roper's sincere
congratulations. Deanna, then started to pick up the Xerx's gift, but Garth Xerx stopped her. "Oh, no, no. Deanna." He said cheerfully with a smile. "Save that one until you get home."
Not sensing anything else from him, she went on to open Chandra and Teb's gift. Then Tang's and finally, one of her mother's many gifts.
Lwaxana and Xerx, both sensed Will's anxiousness to leave so that he could give Deanna's gift to her, so they both approached Deanna and Will.
"Deanna, Will." Lwanxana addressed. "Deanna really needs to get off her feet. Why don't you two go on home and I'll have the rest of the gifts delivered to the house."
Will smiles. "Yes, Mrs. Troi. That's an excellent idea, for I agree she's been on her feet too long."
"Oh, good." Lwaxana said. "I'll let all the girls know she's ready to throw the band."
All the young women gathered around, Deanna stood back and tossed the band into the air for them to catch. They all scrambled for it, before it hit the ground and finally one of the women came out victorious with the band.
Deanna smiles and Will approaches her. "You ready?" He asked.
Deanna smiles. "What is everyone up to here?"
"Oh, you'll see." He grins a mischievious grin.
"You'll see."
Will guides he slowly off from the reception.
"Will?" Deanna said. "Our home is that way?"
"We're taking the long way home." He smiled and kissed her one last time, before leaving the reception.