Yes, I Promised
You
Subject: Riker – Troi
Rating: G
Disclaimer: The mighty TPTB own everything. I’m just playing with the characters.
“Yes I promised you,
to love you,
everywhere. “
- “A Ticket to the
“Do you, William Thomas
Riker, take this woman, Deanna Troi, to be your wife until death
do you part?”
As if prompted by the question, Will raised
his eyes to gaze into hers. He stood before his Imzadi, breathless at the
beautiful image she presented before him: she looked transcendently lovely in
her pink wedding dress. In an instant, the past twenty years of his
relationship with Deanna flashed through his mind: the joys of their time in
the Jalara Jungle, the pain he caused her when he didn’t show up at Risa, the
frustrating but enriching years of not-quite platonic friendship, and the
rekindling of their romantic relationship after the Briar Patch. A moment
later, he found himself totally transfixed by her large, dark eyes. He felt
himself drowning in the love he saw there and thought he could stay there
forever. He hardly noticed when the admiral conducting the wedding ceremony
gently but audibly cleared his throat.
A quiet round of soft
giggles from the surrounding guests reminded Will that he had yet to speak. Without
breaking his gaze at his beloved, he whispered in a voice full of the love he
felt, “I do.”
“And do you, Deanna Troi,
take this man, William Thomas Riker, to be your husband until death do you part?”
It was Deanna’s turn to pause, as she stared
into those startlingly blue eyes, so rich with his love for her. As Will had a
moment before, Deanna found herself rapidly replaying in
her mind the years of her time with Will. She caught her breath at the memories
of the pleasures he had brought her in the Jalara, and the excitement of
renewing their relationship after their time with the
“Deanna?” Will gently
prompted, never breaking his eye contact with her. “Ah…yes. YES! I do,” she
stuttered. Another round of chuckles spread through the gathered guests.
But neither Will nor
Deanna heard the laughter; their eye contact with one another had led them into
a universe inhabited by only the two of them, a universe governed only by the
reality of Imzadi. Wordlessly, they brushed each other’s minds with the love
that they felt.
<<Is this truly for
always?>> she sent.
<<Yes, I promise to
love you everywhere.>> He sent back, his eyes
boring into hers.
The final words of the
officiating admiral brought them back: “I now pronounce you man and wife. You
may kiss the bride.”
Will leaned down and
cupped her face in his hands. He brushed his lips gently across hers in a
tender kiss. “Yes, and I promise too,” she ever so quietly said. She pressed
her lips against his, teasing his mouth open with her tongue. He responded by
gently exploring her mouth with his tongue. He became lost in the soft feel and
fragrant taste of her mouth. She closed her eyes as her tongue gently dueled
with his, and his scent intoxicated her. At the same time, their love for one
another coursed through each other’s minds.
The sound of a cough from
the audience intruded, causing Will to raise his head and Deanna to look down.
He and Deanna both smiled a bit sheepishly, as if caught in an untoward act. At
that moment, Jean-Luc Picard, Will’s best man, announced, “May I present to you
Mr. and Mrs. William T. Riker!”
A moment before walking
together down the aisle, Will looked into Deanna’s eyes and sent to her,
<<Yes, I promise you to love you everywhere. Always.>>
He took Deanna’s small hand, hooked her arm in his elbow and walked forward. As
they walked down the aisle, people couldn’t help but notice the radiance of
love shining from the faces of Will and Deanna. The radiance
of Imzadi.
The
End.