The First Officer's Duty

William Riker wasn't a vain man, but he had reason to be proud of talents, skills, and accomplishments. The things he did, he did well.

As First Officer of the Enterprise, it was his duty to safe-guard the captain, whether it be from the dangers of away missions or the more mundane hazards of "paperwork."

On a ship with hundreds of people on board, there was no way the captain could be expected to keep up with scheduling, maintenance, and all the other daily administrative details necessary to keep everything and everyone working smoothly. That was where the First Officer came in, and Will Riker handled those administrative chores well, regardless of his dislike for the task.

After a long duty shift spent handling such "paperwork", Will liked to reward himself with a trip to Ten Forward. It was the perfect place to relax, especially if other senior officers, his closest friends, were there.

"Stop daydreaming, Will. Geordi asked you a question." Deanna Troi nudged Riker hard, jarring him out of his concentration. The pretty blonde walked past, and out of his view, and Will remembered his companions again.

"Sorry," he muttered. "What did you say, Geordi?"

"Nothing important, Commander. Just wondering if you're up for some poker tonight?"

Will stroked his beard to hide his smile. Might as well ask a starving man if he wants food. He'd been feeling lucky all day, but he wasn't about to tell anyone that."

"Well..." he pretended to mull the idea.

"Oh come on, Will," Deanna urged. She knew something was up.

Riker looked around the table, from Geordi and Data to Beverly ,and finally to Deanna, seated on his left. They were one senior officer short, and Will Riker would bet a month's pay that he'd be arriving soon. Time to stall...

"I don't know, Geordi. Does anyone else want to play tonight?"

Deanna agreed quickly, as did Geordi and Data. Beverly was busy trying to appear as if she weren't watching the entrance. It wasn't until she sensed Will watching her that she brought her attention fully back to the conversation.. She nodded slowly.

"I guess..."

Just then the doors opened and Jean-Luc Picard walked in. He exchanged greetings with a few crewmembers before arriving at their table. He greeted them, then accepted the drink that one of the waiters handed him.

They exchanged small talk for a while, but barely fifteen minutes after he arrived, the captain rose to leave. He offered his excuses, then turned to Beverly, who had suddenly decided to skip the poker game.

"Dr Crusher, would you care to join me in the Arboretum for a stroll tonight?"

Trying to appear uninterested, Beverly finished her drink and stood.

Before they could leave, Will spoke, "Didn't you go to the Arboretum last night?"

The couple nodded.

"And I believe you intended to take a stroll there two nights ago, also," Data supplied helpfully.

Neither Beverly nor Jean-Luc looked helped. In fact, they both looked distinctly uncomfortable, and covered it badly.

"You are right, Mr. Data. The Arboretum has a very nice selection of Diamedian Scarlet Moss thanks to Dr. Crusher. I am assisting her in measuring its growth."

"Sounds interesting," Will stated. "Enjoy your walk, sir." He nodded at the captain, then nailed Beverly with his gaze. "Beverly, I'll have to make time to see that moss soon."

Beverly laughed. "You do that, Will."

Taking that as an end to the conversation, the pair quickly said their "good-nights" and left, leaving behind a table full of smiling officers.

Will waited until they were gone to return to the idea of the poker game. He drained his glass and stood.

"Okay, people, let's go play some cards."

The rest of the officers finished their drinks and they left Ten Forward as a group. Once in Will's quarters, Deanna pulled him aside, her eye's sparkling with amusement.

She was picking up on his jovial mood, and Will decided to let her enjoy it. He could afford to be generous. Especially since she didn't know the real source of his good mood.

After all, he had just won a great deal of money. Question was... how much longer should he keep his secret?

Because, to collect his winnings, he'd have to prove that the captain and the doctor were more than just friends... and he didn't want to do that... at least not yet. He figured he had two, maybe three more days before one of them figured out that they had been caught.

Will just hoped he was around to see their faces when it happened. That would almost be better than winning the betting pool.

He could just imagine their expressions, and their excuses when they discovered the Arboretum had been closed for maintenance for the last three days.

It might even make reading maintenance reports a little more bearable.

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