5Summary; 'Conundrum' AU. After regaining their memories, Riker and Ro decide to give things another try.
Disclaimer: Star Trek: The Next Generation and all related characters and situations are the property of Paramount and used without permission or intent to profit. ...That sound the readers just heard was every Ferengi in existance going 'WHAT?' at the same time in disbelief at the concept of 'without intent to profit'.
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"Starting Anew"
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'
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After the recent incident with the Satarrans and the Lysians, Will Riker sat at one of the tables in Ten-Forward nursing his drink and understanding Captain Scott's complaints about synthol - one couldn't get drunk on it and right now he really wanted a drink. Briefly, he considered going back to his quarters and finishing off that bottle he had been carrying around ever since Betazed, but a voice in his head kept him from leaving the table.
Another voice, this one external, cut in on his thoughts, "This seat taken?"
"No," Riker looked up at the speaker, "No... have a seat?"
Ro Laren raised an eyebrow at the half-hearted response, something very unlike the Commander, "Was that a question or an offer, Commander?"
"Please, have a seat," Riker gestured to the chair across from him with his free hand.
"You know..." Ro began as she pulled out the chair and sat down, "If nothing else, all this proved that when we're not trying to judge each other, we make a pretty good team. What do you say we start over with a blank slate?"
"Isn't that what we just got finished doing?" Riker asked with a half-hearted smile.
"I guess," Ro started to laugh, but it died off at the expression on Riker's face.
"Listen," the Commander started, "I'm sorry about-"
"Don't be," the Bajoran interrupted, "I seduced you, remember?"
"Kind of hard to forget," Riker admitted.
"Anyway, we weren't alone," Ro added.
Riker cocked his head to the side, "Oh?"
"Being an Ensign has its advantages," Ro told him, "People don't stop talking when you come in a room, even if you are bridge crew. From what I've heard, we weren't the only ones to be..."
Ro shrugged slightly before finishing, "...Involved... while we didn't have our memories."
"That..." Riker chuckled, "That doesn't surprise me."
Ro smiled back, "If that doesn't, then how about the rumor floating around that Doctor Crusher and the Captain secretly eloped while we were all amnesics?"
"Really?"
"Yeah," Ro laughed and after a moment, Riker joined in.
"I think I'll save mentioning that one for the next poker game, see if it can't shake her for a change," Riker joked.
Ro shook her head at the reference to the ongoing rivalry between the ship's First Officer and CMO every Tuesday night, "You know, I heard one of the science division Lieutenants saying something about what happened being a perfect example of the real person being what's left when everything else is stripped away."
"So, by that logic, Commander Data's real person is a bartender?"
"I never said I agreed with them."
"Actually, I was thinking that he'd have a great memory for what a person drinks."
"Don't tell Guinan, she'll think we're trying to replace her."
"I don't think anyone could replace Guinan."
"Thank you," the El-Aurian commented from behind them as she walked up to the pair's table, a glass in each hand. "You looked like you could use these. You know, a good friend of mine once told me that when Eve died, Adam said that wherever she was, there was Eden."
Ro frowned at her, wondering who these 'Adam' and 'Eve' people were, "What's that supposed to mean, Guinan?"
The bartender smiled enigmatically, "You'll figure it out."
Guinan set the glasses on the table in front of the pair before turning and walking away.
Riker glanced at the retreating figure, "You ever wonder how she does that? I mean, appearing out of nowhere like that."
"She's Guinan," Ro shrugged, "That's about all anyone can say, I guess."
"I guess," Riker agreed with a chuckle, "So, how do we go about starting over?"
"Commander... can I be honest with you about something?"
"If we're supposed to be starting over, honesty is a good place to start."
"When we were surveying the crew, in Ten-Forward, when Counselor Troi said you were familiar... I was jealous."
"Jealous?"
"I told you I had the feeling I was the type," Ro admitted, "Why do you think you found me in your quarters later? If there had been something between you two, I wanted to stake my claim before either of you remembered it."
"What happened to that feeling you were supposed to have about spending most of your time in there?"
"I'm not telling," Ro answered before laughing.
"Okay," Riker chuckled, "Then did you really not like the way your quarters were decorated?"
"Let's just say 'Starfleet Modern' isn't exactly my taste," Ro responded without really answering the question and they both knew it.
"I never figured you to be a picky decorator."
"I grew up in a labor camp, Commander, I've had my fill of spartan surroundings."
"Will," Riker corrected easily, "If we're starting over as friends, we should at least get past the ranks."
"Will..." Ro sighed and shook her head before smiling, "Okay, Will, as friends, was I the only one a little annoyed when Worf took it upon himself to make that announcement when we first came to?"
Riker shook his head in response, "Hardly, I don't know about anyone else, but I was thinking that we could've taken a moment and planned a better message than just 'every group have one person contact the bridge'."
"That reminds me," Ro observed, "I think I owe the Captain an apology."
"What for?"
Ro looked at him in disbelief, "Maybe we need to have Sickbay take another look at you, you can't have forgotten already. Remember, Worf thought he was the captain because he was the only one wearing a baldric, then Captain Picard noticed that no one else had four pips on their collar... and I pointed out he seemed to be older than the rest of us and suggested that might something to do with it."
"Oh, yeah," Riker laughed, "You thought the Captain's rank pips had to do with his time in service... Actually, it's an honest assumption, considering we didn't remember anything. No one argued with you, after all - not even me."
"It's still embarrassing, Will," Ro argued, "I basically called the Captain 'old' to his face."
"Well, if he court-martials you for it, I'll be a defence witness and claim there were extenuating circumstances," Will joked back.
"Gee, thanks," Ro scoffed good-naturedly.
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Author's Note: The 'good friend' Guinan mentions is Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, and that is actually something he wrote. I like it.
