Chapter One
"Once Upon A Time..."
"Walker, you know I hate blind dates. Especially after the last time you arranged one for me. Good Lord, I thought the woman was stalking me."
Captain Jean-Luc Picard, commanding officer of the deep space exploration vessel Stargazer, tugged on his shirt and regarded himself in the mirror one last time before turning and fixing his gaze on his friend.
"Jean-Luc, you didn't think she was stalking you; she was. But the Federation Funny Farm people took care of that, and I assure you that Beverly is anything but nuts. Gorgeous, brilliant, a bit of a temper, but completely stable." Captain Walker Keel raised his right hand. "Scout's honor, Jean-Luc. Would I lie to you?"
Picard's eyes rolled. "Yes, you would, if it suited your nefarious purposes. And you were never a Scout, Keel, not to mention that your sense of honor is often questionable."
Walker snorted and pretended to pout. "Y'know Jean-Luc, despite all the crap I take from you, you'll wind up thanking me before the night is out. I guarantee it."
Jean-Luc smoothed his thinning brown hair one last time and headed out the door. Just before it closed, Walker heard him call out, "You'd better be right, Walker, or else..."
=/\=
Picard walked into the dim restaurant and queried the maitre d' where he could find Cadet Beverly Howard. The man gestured to a far corner table and led the captain to her.
The dimness of the restaurant had partially obscured the lovely young woman from view, but as he approached her, the soft lighting over the table illuminated her strikingly beautiful features: the high cheekbones, creamy skin, ice blue eyes, and long, wavy auburn tresses.
There, in the middle of a crowded restaurant, Jean-Luc Picard, pride and joy of Starfleet, starship captain extraordinaire, froze next to the table in complete and utter astonishment. The only movement he made was the action of his jaw dropping to the floor.
Beverly smirked. She was going to enjoy this. Immensely.
"Captain Picard?" she asked demurely as she stood. "I'm Beverly Howard. Walker has told me so much about you."
Poor Jean-Luc, however, had barely heard a word she said. Suddenly, her hand came into view, and he grasped it in a daze. At their first touch, they both felt a spark of . . . something. Whatever it was, it left them breathless in its intensity.
Finally, he found his voice and his sanity. "It's good to finally meet you, Beverly. And please, call me Jean-Luc." He was desperately trying to sound normal. But if Beverly's knowing gaze was any indication, he had a ways to go.
By the time they had finished dinner and were nursing drinks, Jean-Luc had, for the most part, regained control of himself. At least he thought he had, until the lights in the restaurant dimmed. A slow, gentle waltz started up, and the evening's diners adjourned to the dance floor. One look at Beverly's wistful gaze was all the incentive he needed.
"Would you care to dance?" he asked, standing and extending his hand towards her.
Taking his hand, her eyes lit up. "I'd love to, Jean-Luc."
From the moment her hand touched his, the spark from earlier returned and bloomed into a fiery jolt. Everyone and everything in the room faded away to nothingness. There was only Beverly and Jean-Luc, two bodies, one soul.
Her brilliant blue eyes locked with his of warm hazel, and, as if an unspoken cue passed between them, they began to dance to a melody of their own making. They held one another close, not really dancing anymore but simply rocking in each other's arms. It was as close to heaven as either had been.
=/\=
Walking in the brisk night air, Beverly and Jean-Luc held hands tightly, fingers intertwined. They spoke not a word. There no longer seemed to be a need. One look, one touch, was all that was required.
It was insane, they both thought. It was impossible to have feelings like they now had for someone they had just met hours before. It was as if they had known each other for years, and yet they hadn't. But they both knew that, no matter what, they needed to make it last.
After all, it was never said that love was rational.
The beautifully manicured grounds of Starfleet Academy stretched out before them. They made their way through the winding paths to the officer's quarters and straight to Picard's door by some unspoken agreement.
Jean-Luc turned the lights on, illuminating his sparsely furnished quarters. He hadn't felt the need to bother with decorative trappings. After all, he would only be on Earth for a few months while his starship was undergoing a refit.
Beverly's arms slid around him from behind. He turned in her embrace and smiled at her, almost shyly. "Could I get you anything? A drink, perhaps?" he asked foolishly, unsure as to how to proceed from here. Never before had he felt so tentative around a woman as he did this night.
Fortunately for both of them, Beverly knew exactly what to do. She did what they'd both been aching to do since they touched for the first time earlier that evening: she kissed him.
Her lips were warm and soft against his, but her tongue brought the jolt of passion as it began a bold exploration of his mouth. At that moment, their differences ceased to be: the nineteen year gap in their ages, their professional positions… None of it mattered. There was just Beverly and Jean-Luc and a long, glorious night stretching out before them.
=/\=
A loud knocking on the door to the apartment roused Jean-Luc out of a sound sleep. He smiled as he glanced at the other side of the rumpled bed. He allowed his eyes to roam over Beverly's somnolent form as he yanked his pants on and hurried out into the living room to see what maniac was pounding on his door at 0800 hours on a Saturday.
Walker Keel's cheerful face greeted Picard when he opened the door. "Good morning, Jean-Luc!" exclaimed Walker boisterously.
Jean-Luc groaned and absently scratched at his morning beard stubble. "What do you want, Walker?"
Walker leaned against the door frame and grinned. "Well, I wanted to know how your date with Beverly went last night. Wasn't I right about her?"
"Right about who?"
Jean-Luc and Walker both turned their heads and found Beverly Howard standing in the doorway of the living room, wearing nothing but Jean-Luc's robe and an amused smile. "Good morning, Jean-Luc. Walker, how nice to see you again."
Picard was by now a rather endearing shade of red, and Walker was, for once, speechless. His gaze shifted from Jean-Luc to Beverly, and back to Jean-Luc. Beverly bit back laughter. 'Might as well have some fun with these two,' she thought mischievously.
She fought to keep a wide smirk off her face as she walked up to Jean-Luc and brushed a kiss over his surprised lips. Then she flashed Walker a brilliant smile. "So, Walker, what brings you by this morning?"
Walker had mostly recovered from his initial surprise at finding Beverly there. "Oh, I just wanted to find out how your date with Picard here went last night. Obviously, it went pretty far," he commented wryly.
"Remind me to kill you later, Keel," Jean-Luc muttered, his color finally returning to normal.
Beverly smiled enigmatically. "Well, if you boys will excuse me, I'm going to go take a shower. Walker, lovely to see you, as always." She leaned in and kissed Jean-Luc right below the ear, and just before she pulled away, whispered, "Get rid of Walker and you can join me."
Ten seconds later, Walker Keel found himself quickly, and rather unceremoniously, shoved back out into the hallway in front of his best friend's apartment, and heard the door lock click behind him.
He was laughing as he walked away.
=/\=
"Jean-Luc, where are we going?" Beverly's voice was filled with curiosity as she walked alongside Jean-Luc Picard through the maze of paths that made up the grounds of Starfleet Academy.
He didn't answer her question, but instead squeezed her hand reassuringly. She threaded her fingers through his, trusting him absolutely.
It was still hard to believe they had only known each other a month. Harder still to believe that it was possible to love someone with heart, mind, body and soul in such a short period of time. But Jean-Luc and Beverly had made the most of it - stealing moments, afternoons, evenings, weekends - hoarding each second together as the precious commodity they knew their time together was, now most of all. Jean-Luc and the Stargazer were scheduled to ship out in two weeks; they had fourteen days they planned to fill as completely as possible.
Abruptly, Jean-Luc stopped them in the middle of the Academy parade grounds. The full moon illuminated the broad, grassy expanse in an ethereal light, and the warm early summer air carried the faintest scent of the sea.
Beverly studied Jean-Luc's face in the moonlight, and wondered why he seemed so nervous. He'd been jumpy all through dinner, and the walk to the parade grounds didn't seem to have calmed him. She reached a hand up and caressed his face. "Jean-Luc, is something wrong?"
He seemed surprised by the question, and shook his head negatively. "No, of course not. At least, I hope nothing will be," he stammered, and then a small smile graced his lips and lit his eyes as he dropped to one knee before her in the soft, closely cropped grass.
Beverly's eyes grew wide as he pulled a small box out of his pocket and opened it, revealing an antique diamond ring. It glittered in the moonlight as he took it out of its box and looked up at her, his hazel eyes shining with love. "This ring belonged to my grandmother, and was passed on to me in the hopes that it would be worn in love once again by a beautiful woman." He paused for a moment, as if summoning the courage to continue. "Beverly, will you marry me?"
She wasn't consciously aware of dropping to her knees, or the tears streaming down her face, but heard herself whisper "Yes." She felt the ring slip onto her finger, fitting perfectly, and then Jean-Luc's mouth was on hers in celebration and gratitude.
=/\=
The next week passed in a frantic blur of appointments, plans, and arrangements. Beverly and Jean-Luc wanted to be married and have some kind of honeymoon before he shipped out, so they figured that planning to have a wedding take place a week after Jean-Luc's proposal was a reasonable goal.
The mad scramble to throw together a wedding began.
The day after their engagement, Walker Keel had been drafted to officiate at the ceremony. If he had been surprised to learn that Beverly and Jean-Luc had slept together the same night they met, imagine his shock when the happy couple appeared at his door a month later and asked if he'd marry them. But Walker was more than happy to agree.
Now having the celebrant taken care of, they needed a place to actually have the wedding. After a quick discussion, a call was placed to Jean-Luc's brother Robert at the Picard family vineyards in Labarre, France. Minutes later, arrangements to have the wedding take place in a meadow by the vineyards were made.
Beverly next called her grandmother, Felisa Howard, on Caldos and shared with her the good news. Felisa promised to arrive early the morning of the wedding and would give Beverly away.
Two days before the wedding, Robert called and told them that the chairs and open-sided tent had arrived and were being set up as they spoke.
The next day, Beverly and Jean-Luc arrived in Labarre, where Beverly's dress was waiting to be fitted. She had refused to get married in a cadet dress uniform, and when he laid eyes on the dress she had picked out, Jean-Luc was more than happy to agree.
They had the wedding rehearsal that afternoon, and Robert hosted the dinner afterwards. Both Beverly and Jean-Luc had declined bachelor parties, citing lack of time as an excuse. Walker and Robert, having quickly become friends, quietly conspired and offered to at least take the couple out for a few drinks after dinner, planning to get them drunk, anyway.
Walker, Robert, Jean-Luc, and Beverly drunkenly staggered back to the Picard home at three the next morning, bursting spontaneously into song and laughing for no reason. Walker and Robert at least had the presence of mind to separate the bride and groom, shoving them into separate bedrooms. "Tradition," they told the couple.
At 0700, Beverly was greeting her grandmother at the transport station. She was upright only by sheer force of will and three very strong cups of coffee. Felisa Howard took one look at her extremely hung-over granddaughter and simply shook her head.
Seven hours later, Jean-Luc and Beverly were standing before Walker Keel and a crowd filled with friends and colleagues, exchanging vows and gold rings as the warm sun shone down on them.
As Jean-Luc and Beverly's first kiss as husband and wife broke, Walker spread his arms wide and announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you Captain Jean-Luc and Cadet Beverly Picard!"
Jean-Luc and Beverly Picard smiled and headed back down the aisle, relishing their first moments together as husband and wife.
Chapter Two
"Stargazing"
"Welcome aboard the Stargazer, Dr. Picard."
"Thank you, Captain Picard. It's good to be here." Dr. Beverly Picard grinned at her husband. "Permission to hug the captain, sir."
Jean-Luc smiled at her, a mischievous glint sparkling in his eyes. "Permission denied. The captain is off-duty. But you can kiss your husband."
They both ignored the look of surprise on the face of the transporter chief as Captain and Dr. Picard enveloped each other in a warm hug. After sharing a modest kiss, Beverly disengaged herself and slipped her arm through her husband's. They left the transporter room and shocked chief behind, strolling through the corridors of the ship towards the Captain's quarters. As they walked, they caught up on the events of the last week.
After Beverly's graduation from medical school the previous week, she and the rest of her class had spent the following days packing and undergoing intense briefings on their new assignments. This was the first Starfleet Medical graduating class to take part in an experimental program that allowed the top twenty percent of the class to go directly from medical school to residency aboard a starship. Beverly, as class valedictorian, had first choice of starship assignments, and didn't hesitate to select her husband's command.
Beverly's graduation was the first time the Picards had seen each other in almost five months. Since their marriage two years earlier, they'd had to content themselves with a handful of visits at starbases when Beverly had a break in classes. They spent the time in between burning up subspace with daily and sometimes twice daily messages.
Now, finally, they were together, and this time for good.
They entered the captain's quarters, and Beverly gasped in surprise. There, on the table in front of the small couch, was a vase overflowing with a dozen red roses. She walked over to smell them, letting her fingers gently caress the velvety, almost-open petals. She felt Jean-Luc's arms slip around her from behind and hug her against him. "Welcome home," he whispered gently in her ear.
She tore her gaze from the roses and turned in his embrace to face him. Her lips curved in a slow smile as she placed a feather-light kiss on Jean-Luc's lips. "I can't think of a better way to come home," she said softly.
A devilish grin crossed the captain's face, and he chuckled. "Well, I'm sure I can think of at least one other way..."
Beverly laughed and kissed his cheek. "Too bad I have to be in sickbay for my orientation in ten minutes. Otherwise, I'd love to have you elaborate on that."
He groaned as she disengaged herself from his arms. After quickly freshening up, Beverly moved to leave, but paused at the last moment and turned back to her husband, who was still standing where she'd left him, looking just the slightest bit dejected. After whispering something in his ear that made him turn as crimson as his uniform, she sauntered saucily out of their quarters. Just before the doors closed, Jean-Luc heard her call out, "That should give you something pleasant to think about this afternoon."
As if he'd be able to think about anything else . . .
=/\=A few weeks later, the Stargazer received an urgent summons from Starfleet. The science station on Alnitak IV required immediate evacuation due to the sudden, severe seismic activity occurring planetwide.
The captain explained the situation to his officers, and multiple away teams were assembled and briefed on what they could expect to find. All crewmembers with medical and emergency evac training were drafted into helping.
They arrived at Alnitak thirty hours after being dispatched, and the away teams began beaming down. As they did so, the captain shared with them a brief warning.
"We'll be monitoring the seismic activity from up here, and we should be able to give you about 30 seconds warning before a quake, but that's it. Try to locate a safe place in each area you're in to wait the tremors out." Captain Picard fixed each member of the Away Team with a concerned look, lingering just a moment longer on his wife. "And most of all, be careful. Good luck." He turned to the transporter chief. "Energize."
After the Away Team dematerialized, Picard turned to Chief Schultz. "Coordinate with the other transporter rooms and begin bringing up the colonists as soon as Commander Ben Zoma signals."
The chief nodded. "Yes, sir," she answered.
With one final glance at the now-empty transporter pad, Picard turned and left.
The Away Team checked in every fifteen minutes for the next hour of the evacuation of the science station. The situation remained dangerous, but everyone on the surface seemed to be taking the constant quakes in stride. Over half of the station's residents had been beamed aboard, and the transporters and shuttles were bringing the remaining scientists and their families to the ship as quickly as possible.
"Captain," said Lieutenant Jack Crusher. "We've got a new pressure build-up along the fault closest to the station. It's larger than any other so far. Estimate 30 seconds to quake." Picard swore under his breath and slapped his comm badge. "Picard to Away Team. You have about 25 seconds to take cover. We've detected the largest quake yet today, and you're right on top of it." He closed the link and sat heavily in his chair. With his eyes fixed stonily on the viewscreen, he allowed the damning silence to fill the longest seconds of his life.
After what seemed like an eternity, the bridge crew heard the voice of Commander Ben Zoma. "Ben Zoma to Stargazer."
Picard looked up in relief. "Go ahead. Is everyone all right down there?"
"That was a bad one, Captain. We took cover, but there are still several new injuries." There was an uncomfortable pause. "Captain, Dr. Picard and two of the scientists are missing. They're not answering our hails, and we can't find them with our tricorders."
The bridge crew studied their captain, who had gone completely still. His knuckles were white as they gripped the arms of his chair. Finally, he spoke. "We'll search from up here. I'll join you down on the station momentarily. Picard out."
He severed the link before his first officer could argue, and his blazing eyes dared anyone else to try. Wisely, his officers remained silent. "Lieutenant Crusher, you have the bridge."
After the captain had stormed off into the turbolift, Jack Crusher sighed quietly. "Yes, sir," he answered to the air in the wake of their Commanding Officer, and said a quick prayer for Beverly's safety.
Captain Picard materialized on the surface of the quake-ravaged colony, but barely noticed his surroundings. Instead, his attention was completely focused on finding his wife, safe and sound.
Commander Ben Zoma picked his way over the rubble to where his captain had beamed down, approaching the man with more than a little trepidation after seeing the flash of determined fire in Picard's eyes. "Still no luck, sir," Gilaad said with a sigh.
"Luck has nothing to do with it, Commander," Picard snapped. "I want that team found as soon as possible, before the next major quake. By that time, I hope to be as far away from this Godforsaken planet as possible." Without waiting for a response, the captain headed for the temporary command post, leaving yet another officer to stare after him with concern.
After checking in at the command post, Picard worked his way through the damaged science center as quickly as possible, scanning the search area he had been assigned with brutal efficiency. As he entered the last room on the first floor, his tricorder began to beep. He flashed his palm beacon around the room, but saw nothing until the light played over the floor - or where the floor was supposed to be. Instead, all he saw was a large chunk of the floor surrounded by smaller pieces laying in a storage area below. From the devastation, he was reading life signs.
Slapping his comm badge, he called out, "Picard to Ben Zoma. I think I found them."
"Homing in on your location, sir. We'll be there in under a minute," came the commander's voice.
Ben Zoma, Lt. Pug Joseph, and two medical crewmen arrived within moments. Gilaad took one look down into the hole and whistled softly. "They're down there?" he asked incredulously.
Jean-Luc nodded. "Yes. We need to get down there and find a way to get them out without bringing that large slab down on top of them."
Joseph spoke up. "Can't we just beam them out?"
The captain shook his head. "The two scientists weren't wearing communicators, and Beverly's was apparently damaged in the fall, so we have nothing to lock on to. Besides, that was a shielded storage area. They're under the layer of shielding that was in the ceiling for that room."
After a quick conference with Lieutenant Crusher on the Stargazer, an engineering team bearing excavation tools and equipment arrived at the cave-in. Immediately, they began to shore up the area in preparation to begin digging out those trapped below. They made use of the brief lull in the quakes, knowing that once the ground started to shake again, their job would become ten times harder and ten times more dangerous.
Clearing the rubble was slow, tedious work. Each fragment had to be assessed for stability before it could be removed. It took them an hour to remove a one-meter layer of debris. As they began working on the second layer, a small, fist-sized hole opened up into the pocket where the life signs were coming from.
Captain Picard halted the work crew, and the room went silent as he shined a pencil-thin flashlight into the hole, where a flash of red caught his eye. "Beverly?" he called into the opening, praying fervently that she would answer.
A hand waved in front of the hole. "Jean-Luc?" answered a welcomingly familiar voice.
"Thank God," the captain murmured. "Are you all right?" he asked.
Amazingly, his wife chuckled. "Let's just say this wasn't the way I imagined my first away mission would go. But yes, we're fine. The three of us are pretty battered and bruised, but that's it."
The captain sighed in relief. "We're clearing away the rubble to get you out. It should take another hour or so."They all heard Beverly and the scientists laugh quietly. "Well, we're not going anywhere, Jean-Luc," Beverly responded. "Clear away."
Dr. Picard and the two scientists emerged from the wreckage that had threatened to become their coffin, three hours after they were initially found.
It ended up taking them an hour longer than they'd originally planned. A strong aftershock sent them all scrambling for cover, and it was only the reinforcements the rescuers had installed earlier that kept the cave-in from completely collapsing. The quake had, however, made enough of a mess of things again that the extra hour was needed to clear away the new rubble.
The remaining Stargazer personnel were beamed up immediately after the rescue, as per the captain's orders. When everyone was safely on the ship, they set course for Starbase 47 to drop off their passengers.
No one was more relieved than the captain to leave orbit, although the personal repercussions of their rescue mission proved to be more damaging than anyone had suspected.
=/\=Beverly couldn't stand the silence or Jean-Luc's pacing any longer. "Would you care to tell me what's bothering you?" she asked her husband quietly.
Jean-Luc came to an abrupt halt in front of the coffee table in their quarters and turned to look at his wife. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again without uttering a word.
"This is about what happened today, isn't it?" Beverly watched him stiffen slightly, and she had an answer to her question. "We're in Starfleet, Jean-Luc," she reminded him, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice. "These things are going to happen, whether you like it or not. I've accepted the same risks you have."
He ran a hand over his thinning, tousled hair and sighed. "Beverly, I…" He swallowed. "I'm not sure I can do this."
"Do what?" she demanded, already suspecting the answer.
He gestured helplessly at the stars streaking by outside the window. "Willingly put you in danger all the time. Damn it, I love you! I'm supposed to protect you!"
She stood, and they faced off across the table. "I love you too, Jean-Luc, but let's get one matter straight right now. I am a Starfleet officer. More importantly, I'm a doctor. If you feel you can't allow me to do my job the way I see fit, you'd better tell me now. If you can't, then I will put in for a transfer off this ship when we arrive at starbase."
He stared at her in horror. "You wouldn't."Her blue eyes blistered with fire. "Try me."
Jean-Luc knew she meant it. Beverly did not make idle threats. Unfortunately, he wasn't sure what to tell her.
His silence was more devastating than if he had slapped her. She turned on her heel and walked into the bedroom. She emerged a few minutes later with a duffel bag slung over her shoulder. "Think hard, Captain," she said coldly. "Think long and hard."
As she walked through the door, he called out, "Where the hell are you going?"
She paused, but didn't turn. "What do you care?" she asked, and left before he could answer.
=/\=
Beverly stared thoughtfully at the semi-depleted bottle of brandy before her and smiled faintly. She would end up regretting this indulgence in the morning, but for right now all she wanted was to forget her troubles and get a decent night's sleep. Having not slept for the last two nights, she felt she was deserving of this little binge. And, as she had the day off the next day, she didn't have to worry about neglecting her duties.She absently glanced up when the doors to the lounge opened, revealing Jack Crusher. Spotting her, he made his way over to her table. Once there, he surveyed the scene before him with a wry grin. "You never struck me as the drinking type, Beverly," Jack said.
Beverly waved him into the chair across from her. "That's because I'm not. But this is a special occasion."
"And what occasion might that be?" he asked.
She raised her glass to him and grimaced. "I'm celebrating the fact that my husband is a jerk." With that declaration, she brought the glass to her lips and drained it.
Jack raised an eyebrow, and then caught the glazed, slightly unfocused look in Beverly's eyes. "Beverly, you're drunk. Maybe I should take you home."
She rolled her eyes and poured another glassful. "What home?"
Jack was all-too painfully aware of the separation between the captain and the doctor, and the fact that the doctor had moved into an empty set of quarters as far away from the captain's as was possible. He sighed quietly and moved into the chair next to her. He placed a gentle hand on her arm and took the glass out of her hand. "The captain misses you, Beverly. You've proved your point. Now let me take you home and you can go to bed and sleep this off."
She smiled and slung an arm around his shoulders, then reached up and laid a warm, gentle hand on his cheek. "Y'know, Jack, I'm glad you're my friend. You're a good guy."
He closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the warmth of her against him. Then he helped her out of her chair. "Come on, I'll walk you home." She smiled at him again, and that was his undoing. Before he could stop himself, he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, hating himself at the same time for his weakness.
That was the exact moment the captain walked into the lounge.
Jack immediately broke all physical contact with Beverly, who swayed slightly but managed to remain standing. Jean-Luc Picard's immediate anger filled the room with a blistering heat. Picard crossed his arms against his chest and said, bone-chillingly low, "I don't suppose you'd care to tell me what's going on here."
Crusher chose his words carefully, knowing that saying the wrong thing would unleash the captain's considerable temper. Jack thanked God, however, that Picard was almost always the model of control, although this instance could end up being one of those dangerous exceptions. Unfortunately, Jack was having difficulty finding the right words.
"You haven't answered me, Jack," Jean-Luc reminded him, stepping closer.
Jack gestured helplessly at Beverly, who was rapidly sobering up. "I'm afraid that Beverly had a little too much to drink. I was just about to walk her home."
"I didn't know that kissing my wife was required for a walk."
Jack could see the captain's fist tapping restlessly against his ribs, and swallowed silently. "It… It isn't. I'm sorry. It won't happen again."
Picard took another few steps closer, and was only a meter away from Crusher. "What I'd like to know is why it happened in the first place."
Beverly, sobering but still foggy, spoke up. "For God's sake, Jean-Luc, nothing happened. You act as though you're about to club me over the head and drag me home to the cave."
"Don't tempt me," he said tightly. Then he turned his attention back to Jack, and the two faced off in stormy silence. When Jack failed to speak, Jean-Luc turned and stormed out of the lounge, no longer trusting himself to remain in control.
Jack left Beverly where she was and caught up with the captain at the end of the corridor, waiting for a turbolift. When it came, he shoved Picard inside and followed him in. "Computer, secure doors," Jack called out. He then fixed a hard stare on his best friend. "We need to talk about this."
"I am not going to have this conversation with you, Jack. Now get the hell out of here," Jean-Luc said, his tone just shy of a shout.
Crusher glanced around at the confines of the turbolift. "I don't think you have much choice, because you're going to have to knock me unconscious before I let you leave without talking to me. We're going to discuss you and Beverly whether you like it or not."
"What gives you the right to butt into my marriage?" Picard demanded. "What happens between my wife and myself is no concern of yours."
"The hell it isn't!" Jack exclaimed.
"Why?"
Before he could stop himself, Jack shouted the words he swore he'd never say. "Because I'm in love with your wife! What happens to her matters to me!"
The silence following that statement was deafening. Jean-Luc could only stand there and stare at his best friend. "You what?"
Jack leaned heavily against the doors. "I didn't mean for it to happen. I would never act on my feelings towards Beverly, Jean-Luc. Please believe that. What you saw tonight was merely something that was just between friends and nothing more. Beverly doesn't know how I feel about her, and I plan to keep it that way." He paused, then remembered his true purpose for talking to the captain. "But that's not what this is about. I wouldn't have ever been with Beverly tonight if she'd been at home with you where she's supposed to be. You ignorant ass, don't you see what you're doing? You're driving her away because you can't stop being the captain long enough to just be Beverly's husband!"
Jean-Luc was at his limit when it came to temper. "I beg your pardon?"
Jack glared at him. "Beg all you want, but I'm not going to be the one to pardon you. Damn it, Jean-Luc, she'll transfer off this ship just because you're not man enough to step back and let her do her job! God help you if you don't come to your senses in time, because if you don't, you're going to be a very lonely, bitter man for the rest of your life!"
Jack's words hit Jean-Luc harder that any fist ever could. He was completely frozen in place, unable to move or speak. Jack watched him a minute, hoping his words were sinking in, before calling out, "Computer, open doors." Jack stepped back out into the corridor and headed back to the lounge without a backward glance.
Captain Picard spent the next few hours in his ready room staring out at the stars, lost in thought. When it finally occurred to him how late it was, he left and headed for his empty quarters, knowing that he had only himself to blame for that emptiness.
Not bothering to call for the lights when he got there, he wearily walked into the bedroom, ignoring the blinking message light on his viewscreen.
He froze next to the bed when he heard quiet breathing and saw, in the dim nighttime lighting, the form of someone in his bed. A closer inspection revealed his wife, sound asleep and fully clothed under the covers. Something in the back of his mind urged him to go view his message, and he walked back into the living room.
The message was short and to the point. "I brought Beverly home, Jean-Luc. It's up to you whether or not she stays. Jack."
The words faded from the screen, leaving him once again in the darkness. Without a word, he undressed and climbed into his bed behind Beverly, and wrapped her in his arms.
For the first time in days, he slept in peace.
Chapter Three
"In the Line of Duty"
The medical staff on the Stargazer all stepped back, clearing the way for the incoming wounded. Within moments, Captain Picard, Lieutenant Joseph, and Ensigns Hunt and Morgen materialized in the area that had been cleared for them. Pug Joseph had one beefy arm slung around the captain's waist in an effort to keep him upright for transport.
Two medtechs helped get the captain onto a biobed. "What happened?" boomed Dr. Greyhorse's voice over the din.
"The Halthians attacked us outside the main trading center. They had projectile weapons. Low-tech, but effective. The captain saw a low wall not far from us and shoved the ensigns behind it. I tried to pull him with us, but he wouldn't come. He was trying to buy us time to contact the ship. He took about four shots before I managed to get him to safety." Pug's voice was shaking slightly as he recounted the attack.
"Six," came Carter's voice. He was assessing the worst of the damage, with Beverly at his side. "He took six shots. Pug, go with -"
"Doctor Greyhorse, he's going into cardiac arrest. One of the bullets damaged his artificial heart."
Beverly's voice, clear and firm, froze everyone into silence. Then the flurry of activity began.
"Get him on full life support, Doctor Picard. I want him prepped and ready for surgery in 10 minutes. Are you familiar with artificial hearts, Beverly?"
She nodded quickly. "I studied up on them after the captain and I were married. It seemed like a good thing to know."
"Good. You'll assist me. Get him ready, then get into surgical scrubs."
Three long, excruciating hours later, Beverly emerged from the surgical ward. She threw her cap on the nearest surface and ran her hands through her damp hair as she walked into the main ward, where Gilaad Ben Zoma, Jack Crusher, and Pug Joseph were waiting.
"How is he?" Ben Zoma voiced the question on the minds of the entire ship.
Beverly sighed, and managed a shaky smile. "He's holding his own for right now. We repaired his heart, so there wasn't a need for a replacement. He had a lot of internal damage, and he'll be wearing a sling for a while. His shoulder was pretty torn up by one of the shots. But he's strong and healthy. Carter and I are both optimistic that he'll recover fully."
Jack nodded. "Can we see him?"
Beverly jerked a thumb back to the intensive care area. "Wait a few minutes, and then ask Carter. i'll be back in a little while. I'd like to go clean up."
Jack studied her for a moment. "Are you going to be okay, Beverly?" His voice was warm with concern.
She noticed rather detachedly that her hands were beginning to shake. It probably wouldn't be long before the rest of her followed. "Just fine, Jack. I'm more acquainted with my husband's insides than I ever wanted to be, but I'm fine. If you gentlemen will excuse me."
She fled sickbay before another word was said, and Jack Crusher watched her go, a wistful look crossing his face. He struggled for a moment to prevent himself from going after her. With a sigh, he turned and followed his crewmates to the place where their captain lay.
When Beverly made it back to sickbay an hour later, she headed immediately for the captain's bedside. Carter was standing there already, his arms crossed against his chest, eyes focused on the biomonitor.
Beverly slipped Jean-Luc's free hand into hers. It was dry and cool. After surveying the readings herself, she managed a smile for the CMO. "Carter, go. i'll stay with him."
Greyhorse rubbed a hand over his weary face. "I could use a shower, a shot of whiskey, and a good night's sleep, in that order," he said with a tired sigh.
"Then go get it. i'll stay here in sickbay tonight. You can relieve me in the morning."
Carter smiled at his second in command. "I'm not going to argue with you. Good night, Beverly."
After he left, Beverly pulled a chair over to the captain's bedside and kissed Jean-Luc gently. With her hand still firmly grasping his, she settled in for the long night.
Jean-Luc awoke undramatically late the next morning. Beverly, who had ultimately refused to leave when Dr. Greyhorse returned to sickbay, had dozed off. She awoke when she felt Jean-Luc's hand in hers move and heard him groan quietly. Squeezing his hand, she said, "Jean-Luc?"
His eyes fluttered open, then shifted around, taking in his surroundings. Finally, his gaze drifted to his wife. "Beverly?" he whispered hoarsely.
Beverly walked over to the nearby replicator and ordered a glass of cool water. She returned to the captain's side and held his head up, helping him drink. He managed a few sips before laying his head back and closing his eyes tiredly. Beverly lifted his good hand to her lips and kissed it gently. "Jean-Luc, do you remember how you got here?"
He was quiet for a minute, remembering back. "The Halthians attacked us. I tried to distract them . . . After that, I don't know." He sighed, fighting off sleep.
Beverly could see his exhaustion, and she leaned in and kissed his cheek. "It's all right, Jean-Luc. Go back to sleep. We can talk again later. I still have to yell at you for being stupidly heroic."
His lips curved into a smile even as his eyes were closing. "Thought you might." After a moment, his voice came again. "Beverly?" he mumbled thickly, already almost asleep. "I love you…"
Beverly, fighting fatigue herself, couldn't stop two tears from sliding down her face. "I love you too, Jean-Luc."
But he was already asleep. His wife soon joined him in slumber.
=/\=
The wind from the Bay was sharp and bitter as it blew across the clearing. It chilled the mourners who stood huddled together against the cold, though the weather seemed appropriate for the task at hand.
The crew of the Stargazer was burying one of their own.
The service had been held. The eulogy had been given. All that was left was the burial.
Captain and Doctor Picard held hands tightly as they watched their friend, Lieutenant Commander John R. "Jack" Crusher, laid to rest at Federation Field, where the honored dead of the United Federation of Planets were interred.
The surviving senior officers of the USS Stargazer came to attention as the honor guard snapped off a formal, old-fashioned gun salute.
When the last of the rifles had sounded, and Jack's coffin was in its final resting place, his friends trudged wearily away.
All but three.
Jean-Luc, Beverly, and Walker Keel remained where they were, motionless. They waited until the last shovelful of dirt had been replaced before they turned away.
They walked for what seemed like hours, their steps tracing an aimless path through San Francisco. Eventually they found a quiet, out-of-the-way pub tucked away at the end of a sparsely traversed street.
Inside, they found an elegant room, replete with highly polished wood and brass as far as the eye could see. Old time blues music drifted from hidden speakers scattered throughout the room.
It suited their mood perfectly.
Jean-Luc, Beverly, and Walker settled into a secluded corner booth. They ordered their drinks, and when they arrived, Walker held his glass aloft. "To Jack Crusher. Officer, gentleman, best friend, and one hell of a guy."
Jean-Luc and Beverly clinked their glasses against Walker's, and the three of them drank in companionable silence.
Finally, after a few minutes, Walker glanced up from his glass and met his friend's sad eyes. "Jean-Luc?"
"Yes?"
"What happened out there? I read your report. It didn't say a whole hell of a lot."
The look on Jean-Luc's face echoed what he felt. Walker could have just as easily pulled a phaser out and shot him. It would have been just as quick and painful.
Beverly slipped an arm around Jean-Luc's waist and gave him a comforting squeeze. "Walker, I really don't think this is the time," she said gently.
"Damn it, Beverly, he was my friend, too! I'm entitled to know what happened!" Walker exclaimed with a rare burst of temper.
Jean-Luc slammed his glass on the table. "You want to know what happened? Fine!" He glared across the table, grateful now to have something, or someone, to finally vent his fury on. "After the explosion, I went out after Jack and Pug. Pug was closer, and was unconscious, so I grabbed him and brought him back to the airlock. By the time I was ready to go back out after Jack, it was too late. A second explosion occurred, and I could only stare out from the viewport on the closed airlock as one of my best friends died after saving my ship and our asses."Jean-Luc slid out of the booth, breathing hard from anger and frustration. "And that's what happened, Walker. Now leave me the hell alone."
He strode away from the table, and a flash of light briefly illuminated the front of the bar as the door opened, then closed. Beverly and Walker were left staring after him. Finally, Walker sighed with regret. "I'm sorry, Beverly. I had no idea that Jean-Luc was the one who had to go out after Jack. I should go –"
Beverly laid a restraining hand on Walker's arm, preventing him from following his friend. "No, Walker. He needs to be alone for a few minutes. He'll come back when he's ready." She raked a hand through her wind-blown hair. "He went back out, over the entire senior staff's objections, after the second explosion. He brought Jack's body back in by himself. Jean-Luc and Gilaad then carried him to sickbay. But it was too late," Beverly said softly, finishing her husband's narrative.
She could feel her eyes welling up with tears again, and she impatiently wiped them away. "Walker, I…" She sighed. "I've never seen Jean-Luc cry, ever, in our six years of marriage. But he cried that night. I've never seen a man cry so hard. But that was the only time he did. After that first night, he's been the stoic Captain Picard. He's starting to worry me."
Walker shook his head. "He's a strong man, Beverly. But he knows you're there to lean on. When he's ready, he will."
Beverly sat in silence then, mulling that over. Both she and Walker were pulled out of their thoughts by the sound of the front door opening again. Jean-Luc joined them a moment later, visibly calmer. "My apologies, Walker," he offered stiffly.
Walker waved him off. "I'm the one who's sorry, Jean-Luc. I didn't mean to strike a nerve like that. If I'd been in that situation on the ship, I'm not sure what I would have done. You did your best, Jean-Luc. Don't forget that." Then he smiled. "We all loved Jack, Jean-Luc. He was our friend. And I really don't think he'd want us to sit here and beat ourselves up over what happened."
Jean-Luc slid back into the booth next to Beverly, then nodded at Walker. "You're right, Keel. Much as it pains me to admit it." A hint of a teasing grin tugged at the corners of Picard's lips.
Walker smiled at Beverly, then at Jean-Luc. "Attaboy, Picard. I knew you'd see things my way."
With that, he hefted his glass in the air again, and the three friends made one final toast to their fallen comrade and best friend.
Chapter Four"Enemy vessel destroyed, Captain!" called out Vigo from tactical. Captain Picard slammed his fist against the top of the command chair in triumph.
His celebration was short-lived. "Engineering to Captain Picard!"
Picard slapped his comm badge and tried to ignore the throbbing of his head. He could feel a slight trickle of blood sliding down the side of his face, and he wiped it away impatiently. "Picard here, Simenon. Go ahead."
"Captain, we're looking at a complete life support failure in 20 minutes. There's nothing I can do about it. Auxiliary power and backups are gone." The bridge crew turned and faced their captain, hoping against hope he would be able to pull off a second miracle today.
Unfortunately, his next orders did not deliver that miracle. After a moment of anguished silence, Picard's voice echoed strong and sure throughout the ship. "All hands, this is the captain. We are 20 minutes away from complete life support failure. You have 15 minutes to secure your stations, grab whatever you can, and get to the shuttlebay and escape pods. Picard out."
The next 15 minutes passed in a blur. Duffel bags were quickly packed with spare clothes and irreplaceable mementos and were then hastily shoved into the shuttlecraft storage bins. Shuttles and escape pods were launched, and, after taking a few minutes to slide into a protective formation, the ragtag band of spacecraft turned away from their starship and set course for the nearest starbase.
=/\=
Picard stared out the small viewport of the shuttlecraft, watching as the Stargazer rapidly diminished in the distance. His soul hurt at leaving the ship behind, feeling, knowing, that she deserved better. His first command, his only command, now drifted powerless, helpless, through the spaceways it had called home for over 20 years.
With a loud curse, Jean-Luc slammed his fist into the bulkhead and turned away from the desolate sight of his ship. "Damn it!" he exploded abruptly.
Gilaad Ben Zoma turned in the co-pilot's chair to glance at his captain, a startled look on his face. "Sir, you did everything you could," he said gently, trying to calm the older man down. Picard refused to be placated and turned away, staring blindly at the shuttle controls.
With a sigh, the first officer got up and left his captain to brood in peace. He found Dr. Picard in the rear cabin, treating the crewmembers packed into the confined space. She looked up from setting a broken wrist, half expecting to see her husband. She glanced back down at her patient when she saw the first officer, who was also a good friend of hers and Jean-Luc's. "What can I do for you, Commander?" she asked formally. Despite the circumstances, they were still on duty, and she would conduct herself accordingly.
Ben Zoma, on the other hand, had no use for formality at the moment. What he had was a captain who was quickly sinking into a deep depression. "Beverly, I think you'd better go talk to the captain. He's not taking this very well. I tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't listen."
Beverly was torn between her duty to her patients and her obligation to her husband. Ben Zoma walked over and laid a friendly hand on her shoulder. "I can finish this. Go talk to your husband."
She knew the first officer was a qualified field medic, so she grudgingly turned her equipment over to him and went up into the cockpit. She found Jean-Luc sitting there, tense and silent. He didn't even look up, although she was sure he knew she was there. "Jean-Luc," said Beverly gently.
"How is the crew holding up?" he asked finally.
She sat in the now-empty co-pilot's chair across from him and reached over, sliding his hand into hers. She squeezed it reassuringly. "Better than their captain, I think."
He yanked his hand away from her and spun his chair around, presenting her with its back. "I'm fine."
His eyes flashed with annoyance as he found himself abruptly swung around. Beverly's ice blue gaze bored right through him. "Let's get one thing straight, Captain," she said in a low, dangerous voice. "We're all hurting, so get that through that thick head of yours. You do not have the exclusive right to mourn here. If you want to wallow in self-pity, you're going to have to do it alone, because the rest of us are too damn tired to join you or care." He vaulted out of his chair and stood to face her in the cramped cabin, but she turned on her heel and stalked out before he could respond.
Everyone in the rear cabin immediately tried to pretend they hadn't heard what had just transpired in the cockpit, and suddenly studied their boots, the floor, or the walls in utter fascination. Gilaad looked up at Beverly as she covered the distance from the cockpit in two long strides and plopped down on the floor next to him. "He's all yours, Gilaad. He's too pissed off at me now to be depressed. Just as well."
Ben Zoma reached over and squeezed her arm comfortingly. "I didn't mean for you to start an argument, Beverly. I was hoping you could cheer him up. Shouting at him and insulting him isn't exactly soothing."
Picard leaned her head back against the wall and sighed. "I know, Gilaad, I know. But he makes me so mad sometimes!"
"Never takes much to make you mad, my dear," the first officer teased. "Just promise me you'll patch things up soon. The thought of spending weeks in a shuttle with you two mad at each other is not my idea of fun. The last time you and the captain had a spat we were all ready to throw ourselves out the airlocks without pressure suits after the first day."
At that Beverly laughed. "We're not that bad."
Gilaad stood up and turned to go to the cockpit. Just before he entered, though, he turned his head back to look at her. Eyes twinkling with humor, he said, "Nope, you're worse." He ducked inside the cockpit before she could fire back a retort.
The pressure of a warm, strong hand resting on her shoulder brought Beverly out of a restless doze. She turned her head, blinking sleep from her eyes, and came face to face with Jean-Luc Picard. "Hi," he said quietly.
She met his gaze steadily in the dimmed shuttlecraft cabin. The only sounds that could be heard were the hum of the impulse engines on autopilot and the soft breathing of crewmembers who had finally succumbed to exhaustion. Jean-Luc and Beverly were now the only two awake. "Is everything all right?" she asked neutrally, not wanting to start another argument they wouldn't be able to finish.
His hand lifted from her tense shoulder and came to rest aimlessly in his lap. He sighed quietly. "You were right before. I'm sorry."
Her eyes were cool, controlled as she met his hesitant gaze. "I know, Jean-Luc. But I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."
"Who am I supposed to apologize to?" he asked, confused.
She allowed herself to thaw a bit towards him. "Yourself." When he looked like he was about to argue, she placed a gentle finger against his lips, silencing him. "Don't. Just think about it, okay? You're trying to place the blame for the whole incident squarely on yourself. That's arrogant, and it's not fair. If it weren't for your quick thinking, we wouldn't be here having this discussion. We'd be nothing more than a floating debris cloud in space. Try to remember that the next time you want to blame yourself for this."
The thought of his ship still hurt, but that hurt was slowly being pushed aside by love. Not caring if everyone woke up at that moment, Jean-Luc slid his arm around his wife and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "Thank you, Beverly," he whispered.
Her eyes sparkled warmly at him now, and she slid over on the bench seat. He settled into the corner space she had made for him and pulled her against him. He kissed the top of her head and, within moments, she was sound asleep in his arms.
Chapter Five
"New Beginnings"
Beverly looked up as the front door of the apartment opened. A smile crossed her face as Jean-Luc walked in, juggling an armload of padds. "One of these days you're going to have to cave in and get a briefcase, Jean-Luc," she said with a chuckle.
He deposited his burden on the dining table with a sigh. "Absolutely not. That would make me one of them," he said with mock distaste, his head tilting in the general direction of Starfleet Command headquarters.
Beverly got up and slid her arms around her husband from behind, and pressed a kiss between his shoulder blades. "But you'd be the sexiest paper-pusher in Starfleet, Captain," she teased.
Jean-Luc lifted her hands from his chest and kissed them, then turned around to face her. His eyebrows raised at her expression. She was positively beaming at him. "I'm glad you think so." After they shared a lengthy hello kiss, he buried his face against her neck and began nibbling suggestively.
She laughed and pulled his head back to look at him again. "If you can wait a moment to ravish me, I have a surprise for you."
His busy hands under her loose sweater paused in their explorations, and he looked at her with a curious expression. She took his hands and slid them down to rest on her lower abdomen. "We're going to have a baby, Jean-Luc." The smile on her face echoed the smile in her words.
He dropped his gaze to where their joined hands rested and then he looked back up, a slow, goofy grin spreading across his face. "A baby?"She nodded. "I had Dr. Greene run the tests this morning. He confirmed it. The baby's due in about eight months."
"A baby," he repeated.
Beverly began to laugh again. "Yes, a baby. You've got eight months to get used to the idea, Dad."
"Dad," Jean-Luc said with awe.
=/\=
Jean-Luc Picard was finding it difficult to breathe.
The fact that his wife was inadvertently choking the living daylights out of him might have been the reason why.
As gently as possible, he pried her hand off the collar of his shirt and held it in his, gratefully taking a deep gulp of air. "Beverly, you're doing fine," he said, trying to sound more confident than he felt. After fourteen hours of this, his confidence was rapidly diminishing.
Beverly cried out in pain, then breathed hard. "This is all your fault," she gasped, squeezing his hand, causing him to wince. "You're the one who said that we should start a family since we weren't on a ship anymore. You did this," she informed him breathlessly.
By this point, he knew better than to argue. "I know."
She nearly broke his hand as another wave ripped through her. "I'd like to see you try this, Picard. You wouldn't last five minutes. Men," she huffed, her general (and hopefully for him, temporary) distaste for his entire gender making itself known.
He sighed, hoping this would be over soon. "Yes, Beverly." He leaned over and kissed her sweaty forehead. "Just a little bit longer. You can do it."
"A little bit longer? That's what you said two hours ago-" With one last, keening cry, Beverly's protest was cut off by a wail of agony that was soon joined by another, more high pitched cry, and then they heard the words they had waited so long to hear. "Congratulations, Doctor, Captain. You have a son!"
Beverly leaned back in the birthing chair and laughed with delight. The pain of moments and hours ago was forgotten as her son was soon placed in her arms. She gently kissed the little forehead and whispered a hello to her baby boy. Jean-Luc watched the whole scene in awe. "He's beautiful," the captain murmured softly, tentatively stroking the fine brown hair on his son's head with a trembling finger.
Beverly smiled and held up the small bundle. After a brief look of utter terror, Jean-Luc carefully cradled the baby in his arms. He wasn't aware of the tears on his face until Beverly reached a gentle hand up to wipe them away. "He looks like you," Beverly said with a watery smile, trying to keep her own tears at bay.
"You think so?" he asked, studying the sleeping features of the baby.
She took her husband's hand in hers. "And you know what else, Jean-Luc?"
"Hmm?"
"I love you."
He smiled, and leaned down and kissed her, the warm little bundle still safely in his arms. "I love you, Beverly." Then his eyes twinkled. "Or should I say ‘Mom'?"
Beverly grinned. "I like the sound of that." She winked. "Dad."
They both smiled then, and began their newest roles.
That of parents.
=/\=
"Commanding Officer, Enterprise, arriving." Lieutenant Tasha Yar's voice echoed throughout the cavernous main shuttlebay.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard stepped from the shuttlecraft and approached the podium set up for the occasion. Dr. Beverly Picard and their children trailed behind him and slipped into the fringes of the crowd as the captain began his acceptance speech.
Jean-Luc read from the padd in his hand in a clear, strong voice. "To Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Stardate 41124. You are hereby requested and required to take command of the USS Enterprise, registry NCC 1701-D, as of this date. Signed, Rear Admiral Norah Satie, Starfleet Command."
With that done, he set the padd down and stepped out from behind the podium to greet the next most senior officer on the deck, Counselor Deanna Riker. Lieutenant Yar, Beverly, and the children joined the captain and counselor a moment later.
Introductions were made, and the Picard children - Cameron, age seven; Sarah, age five; and Rachel, age three - all stared up in utter fascination at Worf, who was doing his best not to scowl at them in return.
"You're a Klingon," Cameron said.
"Yes," came the terse reply.
Not to be outdone by her big brother, Sarah spoke up. "Do you have any kids?"
"No." Worf was beginning to look as though he'd rather be fighting a platoon of Nausicaans than talking to three young children. The rest of the senior officers were all exchanging amused smiles at Worf's predicament.
The final indignity was Rachel shyly approaching Worf and lifting her arms to be picked up. She'd apparently decided that he was okay, since her brother and sister had spoken to him.
Worf looked pleadingly to the captain and doctor, who suddenly found their conversation with Deanna and Tasha to be completely absorbing.
He looked back down when he felt a small tug on his pantleg. Rachel's big blue eyes staring up at him were his undoing. With a sigh that was on the verge of becoming a growl, he lifted the toddler up and held her cautiously with one muscular arm. He was rewarded by a broad, sweet smile.
With that smile, a friendship was born.
Chapter Six
"To Boldly Go"
"Jean-Luc, I think your annual physical is coming up." Dr. Beverly Crusher glared balefully at her best friend.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard looked up from the shuttle controls and grimaced. "Beverly, I had no idea the conference would be so... So..."
"Dull? Boring? Inane?" she finished for him.
He had the good sense to look contrite. "I'm sorry. But I was just as bored as you were."
Beverly arched an eyebrow. "Yes, but attending the conference wasn't my idea. It was yours, therefore you are to blame. Your physical is the day after tomorrow."
He groaned. "But Beverly, I -"
She placed her fingers over his mouth and shook her head. "Forget it, Picard. Nothing you do or say will make it up to me. I enjoy holding grudges."
Jean-Luc glared at his best friend and stuck his tongue out at her. She just laughed. "Really Jean-Luc, I thought -"
Her words were cut off by a sudden jolt and a burst of speed and light.
When they came to a stop, a flurry of instrument-checking began. Jean-Luc glanced at one reading and looked up at Beverly. "We seem to be where we were, but something's different."
"What's different?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. The readings aren't that specific. I'm sure Data or Geordi could make sense of them, but I can't."
One indicator light came on and began to flash. Beverly and Jean-Luc shared a puzzled glance. "We're being hailed," she said.
"By who? The Enterprise isn't supposed to rendezvous with us for another five hours."
"Guess there's only one way to find out," she replied. "Opening hailing frequencies."
Just then, they both looked up and out the shuttle's viewport and froze as a ghost from the past loomed up and over them.
It was the Enterprise-D.
And then a familiar voice came over the comm. "This is Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Starship Enterprise. Do you need assistance?"
Beverly and Jean-Luc just stared at each other in astonishment. Then, Beverly summed up their situation elegantly. "Oh, shit."
Jean-Luc nodded. "Yes, that about says it." Not without a little trepidation, he opened a comm channel. "This is the shuttlecraft Cochrane. What is the stardate?"
There was a puzzled silence at the other end for a moment. "Stardate 51762.5. Is there a problem?"
Beverly whispered, "That's the right date. So we didn't time travel. That only leaves -"
"An alternate universe. I think we have a big problem."
The other Captain Picard's voice broke in. "Cochrane, I repeat, is there a problem? Please commence visual communication."
Beverly nodded, and Jean-Luc sighed. "Enterprise, stand by." With that, he activated the viewscreen.
And came face-to-face with himself.
Beverly and Jean-Luc disembarked from the Cochrane and into the expansive main shuttlebay on the Enterprise-D fifteen minutes after their initial encounter with the starship. The other Captain Picard had agreed to bring them aboard and discuss their situation.
The newcomers to this universe walked toward the captain and shook hands. The other captain inspected Beverly with a smile. "I think we'll swing by sickbay first," he said, a mischievous grin widening his smile. "My wife will get a kick out of this."
Beverly looked confused. "Your wife?"
Captain Picard nodded. "The Chief Medical Officer. I want to have her look you over, and she'd enjoy meeting you, anyway."
They made their way through the corridors, and the crewmembers they passed only spared them a curious glance before moving on. "I made a brief announcement to the crew right before you came on board so they'd be aware that there are two of us. I didn't want any misunderstandings," the captain explained.
Jean-Luc nodded. "I can understand that."
He walked through a set of doors and led them into sickbay, gesturing to another familiar face. "Alyssa, is Beverly around? I let her know we were on our way."
Nurse Ogawa gestured in the direction of the CMO's office. "She said she'd be out here in a minute. I made her sit down for a few minutes and take a break."
Beverly jolted slightly at the mention of her name. Words failed her, however, when her counterpart rounded a corner just then and strode into the main ward of sickbay.
Their guests forgotten for a minute, the captain and CMO shared a hello smile. "You're overdoing it again, aren't you? Alyssa snitched on you."
She grinned and ran a hand over her rounded stomach. "I was busy and lost track of time. So, what do we have here?"
Captain Picard turned back to his visitors. "Captain Picard, Doctor Crusher, my Chief Medical Officer, Doctor Beverly Picard."
Dr. Picard exchanged handshakes, then studied the newcomers closely. Finally, she grinned. "Well, this could get confusing." She gestured to Beverly. "At least you and I have different last names to make this easier. These two, however, are going to be a problem."
Captain Picard raised an eyebrow. "Who are you calling a problem?"
Dr. Picard laughed. "Behave, Jean-Luc. You brought our guests here for a check-up, not to listen to the two of us."
She then pulled a tricorder out of her labcoat pocket and scanned Jean-Luc and Beverly. She did a quick check of the readings, then nodded. "You both seem unaffected by your little trip through whatever it was you went through."
Despite her reassurances, Dr. Picard's two patients still looked mildly shell-shocked. "Maybe you two would like to go somewhere and talk?"
Captain Picard stepped forward. "we've set aside quarters for you. i'll walk you there."
Dr. Picard put her tricorder away. "And i'll come with you." She poked Captain Picard in the chest. "And quit giving me that look, Jean-Luc."
He was all innocence. "What look?"
"That disapproving, mildly condescending one that points out that I went over my half-day schedule and don't know when to call it quits for the day."
He laughed and kissed the tip of her nose. "All that from just one look? I didn't know I was so talented."
She patted his cheek and turned back to a fascinated Jean-Luc and Beverly. "C'mon, let's get you two settled."
They made their way back through the ship and the four of them entered a set of quarters usually reserved for dignitaries. The captain pointed at a closed door in the wall. "These are adjoining suites. You can decide who gets what."
Jean-Luc smiled. "Thank you. We appreciate all your help."
Captain Picard shrugged. "It's the least we can do. Can we answer any questions for you?"
Beverly eyed the happy couple with a mixture of fascination and envy. "How long have you two been married?" she blurted.
Captain and Dr. Picard shared an amused grin. "Forever," the captain answered.
His wife snickered. "Good answer, Picard. You get one more try before you're sleeping on the couch tonight."
He tried to look contrite, but the effect was spoiled by the grin he tried to hide. "Okay, okay. Let's see..." He pretended to think really hard, and was rewarded for his efforts with a laugh and an elbow in the ribs. He smiled. "We had our twenty-sixth wedding anniversary three months ago."
The doctor patted his back. "Nice job."
He laid a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you."
Then Dr. Picard grinned. "And to answer your next question, we have three kids. With a fourth on the way."
Beverly and Jean-Luc were both stunned. "Wow," she managed to articulate.
The captain smiled. "Yes, we say the same thing sometimes." He then wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders. "Well, we should get out of here and let these two get comfortable." He glanced at Jean-Luc and Beverly. "If you need anything, call either of us. i'll notify you when my engineers are done going over your shuttle."
Beverly stared at the door after the Picards left. Jean-Luc noticed her pensive gaze and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right?"
She turned and faced him, her expression speaking volumes. "They seem happy," she said quietly, almost wistfully.
He knew what was going through her mind, and voiced it for the both of them. "And you're wondering, if things had worked out differently, would you and I have been like them, together."
She nodded sadly. "They have everything I always envisioned in a marriage. What I didn't have." She saw the puzzled expression on her best friend's face and smiled ruefully. "Jack and I loved each other very much, Jean-Luc. But there was always something missing. I knew it, and I think he did, too. i've always wondered, if he hadn't died, if we would have just eventually drifted apart."
Jean-Luc wasn't sure what to say to that. He'd had no idea Beverly had felt that way about her relationship with Jack. To him, they'd always seemed like the perfect couple. In fact, he'd always envied them their loving, easygoing relationship - as much as he'd envied Jack his beautiful bride.
Finally, he decided that simplicity was best. He pulled a surprised Beverly into his arms and gave her a hug. "Well, at least you have me," he joked, causing a smile to grace her lovely face.
She hugged him back, feeling secure for the first time since this whole mess had begun. "Yeah, lucky me," she joked back.
When they both stepped back, they were both grinning.
The next day, Jean-Luc and Beverly were summoned to the observation lounge by the captain. It seemed that this universe's Commander Data was just as efficient as his counterpart, though he seemed to act more human, a fact which was illustrated by the broad, pleased smile he had on his face as the misplaced captain and doctor entered the lounge.
After they had all settled into their chairs, Data activated the main viewscreen in the lounge, and a complex, conical-shaped diagram appeared. "Based on the sensor logs from the shuttle, as well as sensor data collected by us when the captain and doctor appeared, we've determined that they came through an inverse ionic wormhole."
The senior staff, along with Jean-Luc and Beverly, all looked at the second officer with surprise and confusion on their faces. Captain Picard gestured to Data. "What exactly is an inverse ionic wormhole?"
Data paused for a moment, then shrugged. "To be honest, sir, we don't really know. I.I. wormholes are a relatively recent discovery in astrophysics. We can identify them, as we've done here, but we don't know how they form or how they work."
The room went silent as the implications of this information began to be fully understood. Beverly put a voice to what was on all their minds. "So Jean-Luc and I have no way of getting home."
Data exchanged glances with Geordi LaForge, who shook his head at Data and spoke up. "At this point, no. But we're putting all of our efforts into figuring it out for you."
Jean-Luc's eyes met Beverly's briefly, then turned to the Chief Engineer and Data. "We appreciate the efforts, Mr. LaForge, Mr. Data. Thank you."
A moment later, the Enterprise senior officers returned to their posts, leaving Jean-Luc and Beverly alone in the Observation Lounge. Beverly stood, walked over to one of the large viewports, and leaned against it, staring out at the stars. Today, however, she found no comfort in the distant pinpoints of light. Her shoulders slumped, and her eyes drifted shut.
Jean-Luc came up behind her and, after a moment of hesitation, placed his hands on her shoulders, squeezing gently. "we'll get home somehow," he said gently.
After a minute, her eyes opened, and the hint of a smile played at the corners of her mouth. "Is this the captain giving the appearance of confidence?" she teased, using the words he'd said on KesPrytt a few years ago.
He remembered and smiled. "Absolutely," he said, humor tingeing his answer. Impulsively, he leaned in and kissed her temple, then lowered his hands and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him in a comforting hug. Her hands wrapped warmly around his, and together they stood there staring out at the stars that burned in the night - familiar, yet not.
That afternoon, Captain and Doctor Picard, after having quietly conspired, invited their counterparts, separately, to share a drink and conversation. Jean-Luc and Beverly agreed, though neither missed the grin and wink the Picards shared with one another before escorting their counterparts separate ways.
Doctors Crusher and Picard found a quiet corner table in Ten Forward. Out of respect, the curious crewmembers avoided staring and left the doctors in peace.
They shared a few moments of small talk before Dr. Picard delicately sipped at her tea and aimed a calculating look at her counterpart.
"You love him." It was a statement of fact, not a question, and it caught Beverly Crusher off guard.
"Excuse me?" she asked, surprised.
Beverly Picard smiled across the table at her counterpart and serenely took another sip of her tea. "You love him. Your Jean-Luc."
Crusher blinked. "Why do you say that?"
Picard gently placed the teacup on the table, her wedding ring glinting in the low light. "Because I can't imagine any universe in which I wouldn't love Jean-Luc Picard. Besides," she added with a grin, "after being married to my Jean-Luc for 26 years, I know how he still looks at me, and I can see how your Jean-Luc looks at you. It's the very same look, and it still makes me blush like a lovesick schoolgirl."
Beverly sighed. "Things are complicated between us. There's a lot of emotional baggage that both of us drag around. It gets in the way."
Dr. Picard arched an eyebrow, a gesture as familiar to both of them as breathing. "Emotional baggage? Like what?"
Beverly began to fidget. "I married Jack Crusher, as you might have already guessed. He was killed under Jean-Luc's command. Jack and I had a son. He was five when his father died. Jean-Luc has always felt guilty, felt responsible, for what happened to Jack. It took him longer to get over that than it took me to get over losing Jack."
"You say that in past tense, so I assume you are both over those feelings. If so, then what's the problem now?"
Beverly stared past her counterpart out at the stars. After a moment of internal debate, she told Dr. Picard about the events following hers and Jean-Luc's abduction to KesPrytt. She finished by saying, "Since then, Jean-Luc and I are painfully aware of how we feel about each other. I know he would like to act on our feelings, and I would too, but I just don't know if we're ready."
Dr. Picard grinned mischievously. "You sound ready to me. And if the look in your Jean-Luc's eyes is any indication, I'd say he is, too."
Beverly smiled for the first time in minutes. "This is like arguing with myself."
Beverly Picard laughed. "If that's the case, then you know you can't lose."
Dr. Crusher joined her in laughter. "I never do."
The two captains walked in companionable silence through the corridors of the Enterprise. As they neared the captain's quarters, the sound of shouts and angry voices drifted into the corridor, muffled by the walls. It became quite clear where they were coming from. Jean-Luc glanced at the captain in concern. The other man merely shook his head, sighed, and entered his quarters.
The sight that greeted the captains had both of them surprised. A tall, dark-haired, muscular young man had a slightly younger boy held in a head-lock at his side. The older boy and a teenage girl were shouting vehemently at each other, while a younger girl holding a Klingon bat'telh egged the pair on.
It didn't take long for them to notice the two captains standing in the doorway. Silence settled over the room as the young people stared. "Dad?" the younger of the girls asked.
Captain Picard nodded and gestured to his counterpart. "Yes. I told you all about this last night, remember?"
They nodded. "Now, would you like to tell me what's going on here?" he asked mildly.
The noise level grew exponentially as they all tried to explain simultaneously. Picard held up his hand, silencing them. "One at a time. Cameron," he said, turning his attention to the older boy. "Would you care to tell me why you have Andrew... Hello, Andrew." The younger boy nodded as best as he was able to with Cameron's arm around his neck. "...Why you have Andrew in a head lock?"
"I came home and found him and Sarah in her room, pawing each other. On her bed. I felt it was my duty, as her big brother, to, uh… defend her honor."
Picard's eyebrows rose, while Jean-Luc hung back and watched the drama unfold in utter fascination. "I see. But please release Mr. Riker before he passes out."
Cameron abruptly removed his arm and a red-faced Andrew Riker toppled forward, but caught his balance at the last moment. Next, the captain turned his attention to his older daughter. "Sarah? You're next."
Sarah swung an accusing finger over at her brother. "Andrew and I were just doing our homework -"
"What were you studying? Anatomy?" Cameron cut in.
Sarah ignored him. "We were doing our homework, and, well, one thing led to another…" She had the good sense to blush slightly. "But I'm almost sixteen years old. I don't need you butting into my love life anymore than you need me to butt into yours!" she said to Cameron, her voice raising.
"Love life?" her brother shot back. "Oh, so you have a ‘love life' now. Isn't that sweet."
"At least I can say I have a love life, unlike you!"
"The girls are practically beating down my door at the Academy! Shows how much you know!"
Captain Picard shook his head. "Cameron. Sarah. Enough."
The captain sighed, then turned to his younger daughter. "Rachel? What do you have to do in any of this?"
Rachel just grinned. "Nothing. I walked in in the middle of it. I really like it when Cam is home from the Academy. He keeps things interesting."
Captain Picard glanced over at his counterpart, a slight grin on his face, and then turned back to his children. "All right. Cameron, go cool off. And no more headlocks, please. Rachel, you have a lesson with Commander Worf, and you know he doesn't like for you to be late, so get a move on. Sarah, Andrew, as much as I don't want to interfere in your, ah, relationship, I think you'd better stick to more public areas to do your homework. No more study hall in the bedroom. Now, Andrew, I think you need to be getting home, and Sarah, I believe you have dance class in a few minutes, as well."
The room was clear of the four teenagers within 30 seconds. The captains sat down in the now-quiet living room. Jean-Luc just shook his head. "Is it always like that around here?"
Captain Picard grinned. "Just when all three are home at the same time. Cameron is on leave from the Academy. Winter break. When he's gone, Sarah and Rachel are usually a little more mellow. Not much, but a little."
Jean-Luc raised an eyebrow. "And now you have a fourth child on the way? I don't know how you do it."
Picard laughed. "Beverly and I ask ourselves the same thing. But after Rachel's thirteenth birthday, we realized that our children were growing up, and we missed having little ones around. So we thought it would be fun to give it one more try." He regarded his counterpart thoughtfully. "You don't have children, do you?"
Jean-Luc shook his head, and couldn't help but feel a stab of regret. "No, I don't. There never seemed to be the time, and I never really felt the urge to have any. At least, not until recently."
"Does your Beverly have any children?"
"Yes. A son, Wesley. In our universe, she married Jack Crusher. He died when Wesley was five. Beverly raised him by herself ever since."
Captain Picard smiled. "Cameron's middle name is John, after Jack. Walker Keel may have introduced Beverly and I, but Jack is the one that kept us together. We both miss him."
Jean-Luc seemed surprised. "He died in this universe, too?"
"Yes. About a year before we lost the Stargazer."
Jean-Luc was silent for moment. "It seems as though there are quite a few parallels between your universe and mine."
Picard nodded. "Except for one. So, why have you and Beverly never gotten together?"
The abrupt question caught Jean-Luc off-guard. "Well, I... I guess..." He paused, then sighed. "A lot of reasons. Fear seems to be the main one."
"Fear is a powerful feeling. But it shouldn't be allowed to run your life. Or ruin it."
Jean-Luc sighed. "Yes, I know. But Beverly and I have a hard time remembering that. Or, at least, Beverly does."
He began to explain what transpired on KesPrytt, as well as what happened afterwards. "She said that maybe we should be afraid, and then she left."
Captain Picard grinned as he remembered his own adventure on the planet KesPrytt. Of course, his Beverly and himself hadn't learned anything they didn't already know about each other, but they made the most of being able to read each other's thoughts. And they had a rather... pleasant... time doing so.
He dragged himself to the present. "It sounds like she's lost a lot of people in her life. Maybe she just doesn't want to lose you, too."
Jean-Luc stood and began to pace. "Would it matter if I died now, or twenty years from now? We know how we feel each other, even if those feelings haven't been said aloud."
"Perhaps it might not matter to you, but it might to her. You both need to live each day as though it were your last. Then you won't look back and see only regrets. See what might have been."
Jean-Luc stared out at the stars. "If only she could understand that..."
Picard smiled. "She could. If someone explained it to her."
The unspoken thought went unvoiced. It didn't need to be said.
If Jean-Luc explained it to her.
Meanwhile, in main Engineering, Commanders LaForge and Data were analyzing the readings from the Cochrane.
"There it is."
The declaration was a triumphant, if quiet one from Geordi LaForge. He pointed to the graphic on the viewscreen when Data came over to look. "See, it's a highly organized pattern of ion spikes. Then, if you look at this," he said, splitting the display to show an almost identical pattern directly below, "you see why it's possible the other captain and doctor got here."
Data nodded, comprehension having taken complete hold. "When they intersected the wormhole, the nearly identical ionic fluctuations of their warp emissions reacted with the wormhole's event horizon, causing them to be drawn inside rather than continuing right past it."
Geordi grinned. "Exactly. If we recreate all the conditions on the shuttle just prior to its encounter with the wormhole, the captain and doctor should end up back in their own universe, right where they started."
Data agreed with LaForge's hypothesis. The chief engineer then tapped his comm badge and said, "Engineering to Captain Picard."
The accented baritone of their captain sounded through the area. "Picard here. you've found something?"
"Yes, sir, we have. We have an explanation, as well as a possible course of action."
"Acknowledged. Bring your findings to the observation lounge. we'll convene in 15 minutes. Picard out."
20 minutes later, Jean-Luc and Beverly stared hopefully at the viewscreen images after hearing an explanation as to their plight. "So you can get us home?" Beverly asked.
Data nodded. "Yes, Doctor. We think so. We will be ready to attempt to send you home in roughly one hour. Your shuttle needs to be readied so that the conditions on board match those before the incident."
After a moment of conversation with his officers, Captain Picard dismissed them, leaving him alone with his visitors. "I'm happy to see we might be able to get you home," he said with a small smile.
Jean-Luc returned it. "As are we," he responded, taking in Beverly's look of relief. "We can't thank you enough for all you've done for us."
Picard studied his counterpart thoughtfully, then nodded. "You would have done the same for my Beverly and myself." He stood then, and was joined by Jean-Luc and Beverly. "I'm sure you'd like to get to the shuttlebay to run your pre-flight. we'll stop on the way and pick up Beverly. I know she'd want to see you again."
With that he turned and strode out of the room, his guests following.
The farewell in the shuttlebay was a quiet affair. The Captains Picard stood by the shuttle hatch talking in hushed tones while Doctors Picard and Crusher stood a distance away, watching the men. "What are you going to do when you get back?" Dr. Picard asked.
Beverly knew what she was referring to. "I don't know. I know what I'd like to do, but -"
"But nothing. You're out of excuses Beverly, and you know it." She patted her counterpart on the shoulder. "That man loves you more than life itself, and you know he'll wait forever for you to make up your mind. Why make him wait for forever when you could have him now?"
"Our friendship -"
"Is a wonderful basis for a relationship. Loving Jean-Luc Picard isn't easy. But it's perhaps the more rewarding thing you'll ever do in your life. Don't throw it away." Dr. Picard grinned mischievously. "Trust me, he'll make it worth your while. In more ways than one." Her eyebrow arched insinuatingly.
Beverly blushed slightly, then laughed. "Well, I suppose when you put it that way..."
The doctors headed over to the shuttle, and Dr. Picard impulsively hugged Beverly. "Good luck," she said, her simple words carrying a deeper meaning. Beverly nodded to indicate she understood.
The captains shook hands firmly, and Captain Picard smiled. "You remember what we talked about," he said in a tone that left no room for argument.
Jean-Luc glanced at Beverly, a small blush tingeing the tips of his ears. "I will," he answered. "Thank you for everything."
The Enterprise began to dwindle in the distance as the shuttle headed for the wormhole intersection point. The occupants of the shuttle saw nothing on their viewscreen, but the newly-tuned sensors indicated that their destination was almost upon them.
"Coming up on thirty seconds to intercept, mark."
"Computer," called out Jean-Luc Picard from the helm controls of the shuttle. "Initiate program Cochrane Alpha One."
"Program initiated," responded the computer. The readings on board automatically changed to match their pre-wormhole-encounter coordinates.
Beverly Crusher offered a hesitant smile. "Here we go."
Jean-Luc reached over and squeezed her hand. "See you at home," he said with a grin.
The world dissolved around them in a haze of white.
Jean-Luc and Beverly Picard watched through the open bay doors as the shuttle carried their counterparts back to the universe they belonged to. The captain draped an arm around his wife's shoulders and kissed her cheek as they saw the shuttle disappear in a flash of light.
Beverly sighed and leaned into her husband's warm embrace. "Do you think they'll make it?"
Jean-Luc knew she was referring not to the trip through the wormhole, but to the journey that the captain and doctor faced when they returned home. He remembered the gentle sparkle in his counterpart's eyes whenever he looked at Dr. Crusher. That look was answer enough. "Yes," he said quietly. "I think they'll make it."
"...to Captain Picard."
"Enterprise to Captain Picard and Dr. Crusher. Please respond."
Will Riker's voice over the comm jolted the captain and doctor into action. "Crusher here, Will," Beverly answered. "Where are you?"
"We're approaching your position at full impulse. Are you both all right?" Riker's voice reflected his concern.
"We're fine, Commander," the captain answered. "Bring the Enterprise to a full stop and await our arrival. i'll explain when we get there." He paused a moment, hesitant, then asked, "And Commander, what is the registry number of the Enterprise?"
There was a moment of confused silence. "Sir?"
"Please, Will, it's important," answered Beverly.
"NCC 1701-E, Captain," came the perplexed reply.
Jean-Luc and Beverly let out a sigh of relief. "And I'm not married to the captain?" Beverly asked, needing to be absolutely sure they were where they were supposed to be.
They heard a stifled snicker. "Um, no, Beverly. Unless there's something you haven't told us..."
"It's a long story. we'll tell you about it when we get there," Jean-Luc answered with a grin.
The amusement in Will Riker's voice was evident. "Aye sir. Riker out."
The senior staff all met in the Observation Lounge as soon as the captain and doctor were aboard. Jean-Luc and Beverly described what had happened to them with as much technical information as they could remember. When they were finished, Captain Picard sent Commanders Data and LaForge to retrieve the shuttle logs. As benign as it had been, Picard didn't want a repeat of the incident. Who knew where someone might end up next time?
After allowing Dr. Selar to examine them in sickbay, Jean-Luc and Beverly headed wearily to their quarters. They arrived at the captain's first, and Picard smiled at Beverly. "Come in for a while?"
She nodded and followed him in, and they both sank gratefully onto the couch. "It's been a long day," Crusher commented.
Jean-Luc rested his head against the cushions. "Yes, it has. While it was interesting, that was an experience I'd rather not repeat. This makes it twice i've had to deal with another version of myself. I really don't want to make it three times. I might get a complex."
Beverly laughed. "Well, having now met myself for the first time, I have to admit that I'd prefer it was the last, too. It was disconcerting to meet someone that, on every level, was me, but had had drastically different experiences."
"They were quite a pair, though," Picard said softly, with a hint of wistfulness creeping into his voice.
Beverly turned and studied him carefully. Her counterpart's words came echoing back to her. All she needed to do was make the move, say the words...
Jean-Luc met her conflicted gaze. "Is something wrong?"
She shook her head. "No. I was just thinking."
"About what?"
The doctor stood and began to pace restlessly. "The other Beverly and Jean-Luc. I wonder if you and I could be as happy as they are."
Jean-Luc rose from the couch and stood in front of her, taking her hands in his. "I am happy with you, Beverly. Just being here with you makes me happy."
She looked down at their joined hands, and all she could think about was how right they looked together, how right it felt to simply be with him. Finally, reservations aside, she allowed the words to tumble from her heart. "The happiest day of my life was the day I realized that I was in love with my best friend. And the saddest was the day I realized I was so terrified of that love that I nearly broke his heart. I want to have another ‘happiest day', Jean-Luc. And I want to have it with you."
He could only stare at her. He stared so long that she began to shift uncomfortably and begin to panic. She'd waited too long, he wasn't in love with her anymore, it was too late...
Her heart nearly stopped when he pulled her into his arms and enveloped her in a warm, tight hug. He didn't speak, merely held her against him and breathed in the essence that was uniquely Beverly. And praised any god in the universe that he had this woman in his life.
She broke the silence with a hesitant chuckle. "Jean-Luc, say something before I completely lose my nerve here."
He pulled back and gazed into her sparkling blue eyes. "I'm not quite sure what to say. The only words I can think of are the ones I'm not sure you want to hear. You didn't before."
She knew. The certainty brought her a measure of peace. But she still had to ask. "What words, Jean-Luc?"
"I love you, Beverly. I always have." The words were spoken with a quiet conviction, and left no doubt in her mind.
She didn't know she was crying until his hand reached up and gently brushed the tears from her cheek. "I love you, Jean-Luc. Why was I ever afraid to tell you?"
He brushed his lips against her cheek, and laid his forehead against hers. "You didn't want to lose me. But you didn't realize that you have to live each day as though it were your last." He thought back to his counterpart's wise words and said a silent thank you.
She slid her hands up his back and pulled him closer. "If that's so, then I want to spend the rest of my days with you." Then she glanced away from him, almost shyly. "That is, if you'll have me."
He chuckled, and slid his hand into her hair. When their lips were mere millimeters apart, he whispered, "Beverly, you're all I ever wanted. And now that you're here, I'm never going to let you go."
With that, he brushed his lips against hers in a sweet first kiss. She twined her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss, and they let the passion of the night and the glory of being in love fill them...
Elsewhere, in another time and place, two lovers shared a look that, after twenty six years, still ignited the fire in their souls.
With a grateful satisfaction, they knew that all was right with the universes.
Destiny, after all, can never be denied.