Deanna and Will had had a wonderful time on their six week shore leave to her home planet of Betazed. They had walked and talked about the past, present and future. They were now sitting at Janaran Falls discussing why Will left her for his career all those years ago.
"Why did you have to leave when you could have stayed here with me?" Deanna asked.
"Because Deanna, I had mastered in tactical warfare and what type of job on a universal friendly attitude has job openings for someone in tactical warfare?!"
"You still could have stayed here with me and found something else to do!"
"Deanna your mother would have killed me! After I left I sent her a message before we were supposed to met at Risa asking her if I could marry you, and she said if I did, she would have me reported to Starfleet Headquarters and have some priest on Betazed break our Imzadi link, and I didn't want that to happen."
Deanna looked confused for a moment and then said, "My mother said that?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Will there is no way to break the Imzadi link, she just told you that to keep you from asking me to marry you on Risa. Is that why you didn't come?"
"Yes." he answered regretfully. "I thought that it would be best if I didn't see you because if I did I would have asked you at the first opportunity, no matter what Lwaxana said. And, I was on an uphill climb with my career at that time and..I don't know Deanna, it was a lot of reasons."
She was still mad at him and it showed so he left her alone a while and they just sat there thinking about the past.
Will saw a Betaziod rose growing nearby just within his reach and reached out and picked it for Deanna and handed it to her. When she didn't take it he said, "It's for you.." She just turned her head indicating that she wanted nothing to do with him and he realized that she was madder at him than he thought. He saw no reason to keep the flower and threw it down under the spot where the water from the falls hit the rocks below. Deanna looked when he did it and they both saw the water crush the rose and send it downstream somewhere. Both sat in silence for a moment and then Deanna put her arm around Will's and held his hand and put her head upon his shoulder.
"Will, I'm sorry for all of the trouble I've put you though in the past and the present. I have always loved you and will always love you, no matter what."
She paused for a few moments and then said,
"And I love you now.."
Will looked at her with the hint of tears in his eyes and said,
"I love you, too."
He took her face in his hands and kissed her gently on the lips and as the water from the falls misted upon them, their past was forgotten and their relationship began anew.

END