| Released June 13th 2008 Good yet Horrible Intentions by Missbevcrusher Rated [G] Standard disclaimer: Paramount owns their entire universe. I�m just toying with them in a major, major way. This is in response to Steph�s P/C Summer Challenge. Which was to write an amusing story that features the following� 1. A tree 2. Water in any form 3. The color peach 4. Ro Laren 5. Two shiny objects 6. Something heavy 7. A tunnel. *Warning* This story has yet to be beta read. Mackillian's got enough on her plate as is with my other projects so I didn't want to add this silly piece to her workload. Read at your own risk. The ambiance in the Captain�s quarters was subdued and perfect for a dinner date. Candles adorned the table while soft jazzy music filled the air. �Thank you for dinner.� Doctor Beverly Crusher sat at her end of the table nursing her glass of white wine. �It was wonderful.� �The pleasure was all mine.� Jean-Luc Picard lifted his glass. �Now what should we toast to?� Beverly feigned being deep in thought for a second but then smiled warmly at him. �To� hoping for another dinner date, let�s say� Friday night?� Picard raised his eyebrows momentarily. �Friday night it is then.� Both laughed softly as their glasses clinked together. After they drank, the captain got up and approached his dinner companion with an extended hand. Somewhat baffled, but pleasantly surprised, the doctor took his hand and got up as he pulled her to him. �Did I tell you that you look lovely tonight?� �Why thank you, Captain.� She�d debated what to wear several times over. Finally, she�d settled on a cream colored sweater with a large cowl neck. Over it, level with her slim waist was a wide tan belt. A flowing brown skirt fell loosely to just below the knee as tan high-heeled boots covered her calves and feet. To the soft rhythm of the music, the two started a very casual slow dance. Beverly brought her arms loosely around his neck and delved into his eyes. �Okay, now you have to answer something for me.� �Shoot.� �This has been our third dinner date in the past six days with one more set for Friday. So far I�ve been charmed with candles, romantic music and now dancing? Would I be mistaken if I thought that things seemed to be progressing toward a something beyond close friendship here?� �If you�re comfortable with the idea, than yes it could be a very real possibility.� �Hmmm,� She raised one eyebrow. �That does sound appealing. But why now?� �Perhaps a more appropriate question would be, why not now?� �True.� With a glimmer in her eye, she said, �Well then, should we wait until our next date to kiss or should we just go for it now?� �There�s no time like the present.� Picard leaned forward and covered her smile with his. Their unexpected transition to this newfound level in their relationship had been surprisingly easy. For some reason, their flirting had slightly increased in intensity at each subsequent date they�d had during the past week. Neither could fully explain why it had happened, but neither had fought it either. There was an unhurried quality to their first full fledged romantic kiss. As it lingered, it kept a soft and tender pace. Simply put, it was as exquisite as they�d both thought it would be. �Oh please, human intimacies are so primitive and revolting.� Both Jean-Luc and Beverly opened their eyes widely before severing contact. �Q! What the hell are you doing here?� Picard was furious as he spotted the ever annoying omnipotent being that stood off to a corner. �Can�t a friend just pop in for a visit, mon capitaine?� �We are not friends, Q! Now answer me!� Q�s demeanor hardened if only slightly. �Fine, I was just concerned about you.� �Concerned?� �Yes, you see I couldn�t in all good conscience let you do this.� Q approached the captain and spoke toward his ear as he pretended to not want to be overheard. �We both know how obnoxious this silly woman can be and well� I just want to spare you from a future fraught with misery.� Beverly rolled her eyes and exhaled. �I can�t believe this.� She then put herself square in between Q and the captain with her arms crossed over her chest. �Don�t you have anything better to do?� Q raised his hand to the side of his mouth and whispered over the doctor�s shoulder at Picard. �See what I mean? She always has some sort of retort to everything. Do you really want to be doomed to a life of perpetual nagging?� �What I do is none of your business.� Jean-Luc�s voice was laced with extreme impatience. �Now get off my ship.� �But I�m only looking after your well being.� �If you were looking after my well being, then you would disappear and never return.� Q feigned being hurt. �You wound me, mon capitaine.� Beverly once again butted in the conversation. �Isn�t there someone else in all these universes that could keep you amused aside from us?� �Oh trust me, Red. You do not amuse me. Annoy and repulse, yes� but never amuse.� �Well the feeling is mutual.� �You know, for a mortal being, you�re rather brazen toward omnipotence such as me. Not a very wise thing to do.� Back toward the captain, he continued. �If she dares speak to me that way, imagine what she�ll do to you once the disgusting puppy-love phase is over. That woman will be your demise I warn you.� �That�s enough, Q!� Jean-Luc interjected. �Why can�t you see that I�m doing you a favor here?� Beverly gave a mocking smile. �If you�re not smart enough to catch on to what Jean-Luc meant just now, it�s a simple �shut up�.� Q looked exasperated at Picard. �You see? Oh the rudeness that she spews forth. It�s enough to drive anyone mad. Please mon capitaine, I beg of you to reconsider.� Crusher�s temper flared and so she got right in Q�s face with her index finger pointed directly at him. �Jean-Luc is quite capable of making his own decisions. And I�m pretty sure any nagging of mine pales in comparison to your childish antics. I don�t care if you�re omnipotent or not. You�re a pain in the�� �Enough!� Q cut her off mid sentence and rolled his eyes. He then ignored the doctor and turned his attention back toward Jean-Luc. �Now it�s clear I won�t be able to knock any sense into you after all. It�s a shame. Oh well� I will just have to save you myself if you�re unwilling to do it.� �Q, I warn you!� Picard stepped forward but it was too late. Q snapped his fingers and in a flash, Beverly was transformed into a rather large reddish barking dog. �I tried to do that last year, but that Amanda Q wouldn�t have of it. Too bad she�s not here now.� �Change her back, now!� �Trust me. This is for your own good.� Q snapped his fingers once more and a muzzle and harness appeared in the captain�s hand. �Those might come in useful. Good luck with your new pet.� Before he blinked out into oblivion, he looked down at the dog version of Beverly with satisfaction and spoke to himself. �Yes, I must say this is a vast improvement. Now sit, or better yet� play dead.� Q winked and finally disappeared. �Q! Come back! This is ridiculous!� Of course, there was no answer. Shocked and bewildered, Jean-Luc looked down the dog that now approached him with its tongue hanging out as it panted. �Dammit.� * * * * Commander Riker sat in the command chair and looked over the report just sent up from engineering. �Ensign Ro, the engine diagnostics are complete, you can proceed with our previous heading, warp factor three.� �Aye, Sir.� responded the Bajoran officer. The Enterprise was now in a down time between missions. So unless anything unexpected came up, they would patrol sector 162 to chart previously unexplored areas. �Picard to Riker.� Slightly puzzled, the first officer tapped his combadge, �Riker here.� �Number One, could you report to my quarters immediately?� Something was clearly wrong just by the tone of the captain�s voice. �I�m on my way.� Riker got up and addressed the Android sitting at opps. �Data you have the bridge.� �Aye, Sir.� * * * * Will didn�t waste any time in getting to the captain�s quarters. When he arrived, he ran the chime and was promptly granted entry. With a confused look on his face, the first officer looked around. On the dinner table were the last remnants of a shared meal. The captain sat by himself at the sofa, his brows knit together in profound annoyance. �Is there a problem, Sir?� �You could say that, yes.� Picard got up and added. �Q�� �What does he want this time?� The captain didn�t say anything instead he made it clear with his facial expression that he wanted the first officer to follow him. Will did just that and stopped when he peered through the doorway that led to the bedroom. If he was slightly confused earlier, he was completely baffled now. On the carpeted floor at the foot of the bed lay a reddish dog. When it spotted him, it got up and made its way toward him with its tail wagging. �A dog, Sir?� Jean-Luc could hardly believe what he was going to say next, but forced himself to anyway. �It�s Beverly�� �What?� Will�s voice rose as he said it. The dog responded to the agitation in Riker�s voice by barking a couple of times. When the first officer managed to look at his captain once more, his mouth was half open in disbelief. �It�s one of Q�s sick games.� �Sick game or not, why would he want to turn Beverly into a dog?� �We both know how much of a bizarre attachment Q seems to have with me� Furthermore, his dislike for her has always been apparent. He said he was doing me a favor�� �I wish I had something better to say but� What the hell are we supposed to do now?� Picard rubbed his forehead tiredly. �When Q is involved, the only thing we can do is wait until he tires of his little game.� �So Beverly will�� Riker stopped mid-sentence as he looked down at the canine. �Remain a dog until Q decides otherwise�� �Oh man.� * * * * �Well� how can I explain this,� Deanna Troi stood by the biobed, onto which sat the dog version of her friend. �There�s a sense of familiarity there so I can safely say that she knows who we are, but� her thought patterns are definitely canine. She�s driven more by instinct now really.� Picard didn�t know whether to be relieved or not. In a way, he was glad that Beverly probably didn�t realize what had happened to her but at the same time, it made it all the more clear that she was now in fact a dog in every sense of the word. Dr. Selar who had been going over the latest test results approached them. �From the scans, I�ve been able to determine that Dr. Crusher�s physical condition is consistent with that of a two year old canis lupis familiaris.� That basically made her a large puppy. This can�t be real� thought Picard. The Vulcan doctor continued, �Of course, there�s nothing we can do to get her to her original physiology. So in the meantime, she�s going to have the same requirements as any canine. Such as good quality dog food, exercise and so forth.� Riker, Troi and Picard all felt bad for Beverly as they looked at her. �In whose care do I release her to?� Dr. Selar asked in her usual stoic manner. It wasn�t that she purposely wanted to sound insensitive, but she was a Vulcan after all and she was not going to sugar coat it for them. As she saw the three officers look at one another in hesitation, she continued, �Someone will need to tend to her requirements. Dr. Crusher will be unable to do so herself.� �I�ll do it�� answered the captain quietly. It�s my fault she�s in this damned mess anyway� �Very well,� Dr. Selar helped Dr. Crusher off the biobed, �if you have any questions or concerns as to her care do not hesitate to contact me.� �Thank you, Doctor. Oh and needless to say, we�re going to need a replacement chief medical officer until everything is sorted out. And that job will fall to you, of course.� �Yes, Sir,� * * * * Picard walked down the corridor, Beverly by his side. He was furious at Q for putting his best friend through this humiliating situation. One of the finest minds in Starfleet�s medical division and one of the best damn officers who had ever served under him now strode obediently by his side, seemingly oblivious to her predicament. When Jean-Luc finally arrived back to his quarters, he sat down in a defeated manner on the sofa. A fraction of a second later, Beverly jumped up next to him and lifted his arm with her nose. With a soft, sad chuckle, Picard ran his fingers through the fur on her head. �I wish I could be as upbeat as you are.� Beverly wagged her tail, seemingly unaffected by what had happened. After several minutes of silence, Picard got up and went to clear the table. This had started out as such a promising evening. He never would have guessed the bizarre turn of events that befell them. Once everything was cleaned up, he headed for his bedroom. Beverly ran past him and jumped in the middle of the bed. How the hell am I going to deal with all of this? This was definitely not how he had envisioned having Beverly in his bed for the first time. No, this is too much. Although he had a difficult time assimilating everything, Jean-Luc realized that underneath it all, the dog was still Beverly� it was still his best friend and the woman he held in his heart. As much as he couldn�t accept the notion of sharing his bed with her now, he couldn�t quite bring himself to kick her out either. So he grabbed a pillow and a blanket and turned off the lights. �Good night�� he was going to say, �Good night, Beverly� but hadn�t been able to quite bring himself to say her name. And so he went to the living area and settled on the sofa for the night. This is a nightmare� * * * * He was roused unexpectedly from his deep sleep early the next morning. At first, he wasn�t sure what was going on, but then he felt something slimy on his cheek. With sleep worn eyes, he blinked a few times and realized he was being licked by a dog. �Eww.� The captain quickly got up and wiped his face. And then it all came back to him� He looked down at the dog and realized that this was in fact Beverly. The chronometer on his desk across the room read, �0523� �You�re an early riser, aren�t you?� Beverly panted as she walked back and forth between the coffee table and the replicator. She�s hungry� The captain got up and went to order her breakfast. Usually, he would order coffee and croissants but he had to remind himself that she was a dog and so she would need dog food. �Water in a bowl�� The replicator hummed and produced the desired item. Picard took it and set it by his feet where Beverly didn�t waste any time in drinking it. Then back to the food slot, he made his second request. �Dog food�� �Please specify.� Impatience laced his voice, �A bowl of dog food. I don�t care what kind. Pick the most popular.� The replicator hummed once again and this time, a bowl filled with a slimy looking brown mixture appeared. When Jean-Luc lifted it up, he caught a whiff of it and made a face. Gross� No, he couldn�t feed her that, no matter what Selar recommended. Barely a second later, Picard tossed the bowl in the dispenser. �Beef stew.� That�s much better� He then left her to her meal and went to get ready for his shift. When he emerged showered and dressed from his bedroom, he saw Beverly standing in a corner in a slightly slouching position. With a frown, he approached her. The dog gagged once, then twice. �Oh no,� Fearing she would be sick, he quickly fetched some towels. To his relief however, she did not vomit. �Come on, let�s get you to sickbay.� Beverly followed him as he walked out of his quarters. * * * * �You did not follow my recommendations for her diet.� Dr. Selar did not look pleased despite her neutral appearance. �That stuff is disgusting.� �But it�s what she needs. You�ll make her sick if you feed her table food again.� He took a sharp breath. �Fine, I�ll feed her a proper canine diet from now on.� �So we finally understand each other.� �Is she free to go?� �She may leave sickbay, yes.� Picard looked at Crusher, �Come on. Let�s go.� Despite having given her orders before, he felt a deep sense of awkwardness toward the master-to-his-pet sounding command he�d just given her. Dammit� As more time passed, the angrier Jean-Luc got at Q. That son of a- Once back in his quarters, the captain made sure to leave enough water and food for Beverly for the day. He had work to do and had to get a move on. When he went toward the door, Beverly eagerly followed him. �No, I�m sorry. You have to stay.� The dog whimpered slightly and held its head low. To say that he felt bad was an understatement. When he looked at her puppy eyes, his resolve failed. With a sigh, he jerked his head. �Okay. Come on.� He couldn�t just bring her to the bridge, could he? What am I supposed to do now? And then he had an idea. Data had asked if he could take the day off to go over several self diagnostics in his quarters. The android was used to animals and so the captain was certain he wouldn�t mind. Picard ran the chime and heard the Android�s familiar voice, �Come.� When Data saw who his visitors were, he greeted them. �Captain, Doctor.� Without emotions, it was easier for him to address the dog as who she really was. �Data, I have a favor to ask.� �What is it, Sir?� �Would you mind watching over,� he paused. �Beverly while I tend to bridge duties?� �Not at all, Sir. However are you certain she will get along with Spot?� Before anything else could be said, Data�s cat strode out from the adjoining room and all hell broke loose. With full dog instincts guiding her, Beverly lunged forward and went for the cat. In turn, Spot meowed in a panic as its fur stood up on its back. Out of reflex, Picard took a step forward and called out. �Beverly Crusher, you come back here this instant!� Seeing she wasn�t responding, the captain did the only thing he could think of which was to physically hold her back from attacking the poor defenseless cat. �I�m really sorry about that, Mister Data. I did not think she would react this way.� �There is no need to apologize, Sir.� �Just forget about watching her. It clearly won�t work. I�ll handle it.� Since Beverly was still struggling to get to Spot, Jean-Luc picked her up by encircling her four legs in his arms. She was much heavier than he expected. Only once he�d brought her out in the corridor did he release his hold on her. �Now, you behave.� Beverly lowered her head and put her tail between her legs in submission. Resigned, Jean-Luc tapped his combadge. �Picard to Riker.� �Riker here,� �Number One, I�m afraid I�m going to have to take the day off.� �No problem, Sir. We don�t have much on the agenda today anyway.� �Thank you, Will. Picard out.� With a glance at Beverly, he added, �So what do you want to do today?� Beverly wagged her tail. �I have an idea.� A few minutes later, the two were in holodeck 2. The scene before them was filled with green rolling hills with a few trees scattered here and there. �Go on, have fun.� Beverly ran off as fast as her paws would carry her. Picard sat down in the grass and absently started to pull out a few dry twigs here and there. How long will Q keep this charade going? He was brought out of his thoughts by a nudge on his side. Beverly had a wooden stick in her mouth and she�d proudly brought it over. Jean-Luc knew what she wanted of course, so he took the stick from her and threw it in the distance. I can�t believe this� I�m playing fetch with my chief medical officer. But seeing how Beverly was enjoying herself, he couldn�t keep a small smile from appearing. He threw the stick over and over again and marveled at her stamina. If we could all be so energetic, On his last throw, a gust of wind blew the small stick to the side and it fell out of sight behind a dip in the terrain. Beverly ran after it and disappeared as well. Picard waited, and waited some more. But seeing she wasn't coming back, he got up concerned. What if she hurt her leg or something? He ran toward the spot he�d last seen her and looked down. The ground was uneven and there was a small opening in the ground on the side of steeper hill. �Beverly?� he called out. Jean-Luc approached the opening and looked down the dark tunnel. At first he couldn�t see anything but then he thought he saw two shiny objects. He focused even more and realized it was Beverly�s eyes that shone in the darkness. Picard laughed. �Come on, get out of there.� Beverly did as she was told and was rewarded by a pet on the back of the neck. �Had enough fun for today?� His answer was a few enthusiastic licks on the side of his face. �Okay now, that�s enough.� * * * * When Beverly finally settled in one of the chairs in the sitting area with a peach chew toy he�d replicated, Jean-Luc went to his bedroom and lied down with a book. He desperately needed a distraction from everything that had happened and he hoped the words from his favorite author could provide just that. He was just starting to read the fifth page when he felt a something jump up on his mattress. Of course, that something was Beverly. Jean-Luc tensed at first, but then let her settle next to him. He tried to resume his book but was unable to concentrate. Then finally, he set it down and sighed as he looked at the slow rise and fall of fur as the dog breathed. The captain passed his fingers through the fur on her back. �I�m sorry this happened to you.� He then looked up to an unseen force he knew still lingered nearby. �Alright Q, don�t you think this has gone on long enough. You proved your point, you don�t like her.� Jean-Luc sat up on the edge of the bed and continued, �But dammit, I do! It�s none of your business who I chose to get involved with. And Beverly is the one I want� I love her� always have.� There was a flash in the corner of the room as Q finally showed up. �You really do love her.� He raised his eyebrows. �I can�t figure out why, but you do nonetheless. So, if you want to ruin your life it�s your choice. But don�t say I didn�t warn you.� �Q, I get it.� �Fine, have it your way. You can have your precious Dr. Red back.� With a sour expression, Q snapped his fingers and vanished. Jean-Luc turned quickly and saw Beverly back in human form, all rolled up in a ball in the middle of his bed. She blinked a few times in surprise and quickly sat up. �What the hell happened?� �You don�t remember?� He tried to seem sympathetic to her, but he was so happy to see as her old self, he couldn�t keep from smiling. Beverly felt as though she�d been in a dream but then it slowly started to come back to her. With a stunned expression, she said, �He did not do what I think he did! Why that omnipotent piece of-� �Beverly.� Jean-Luc said in a warning tone. �The last thing you want to do now is provoke him.� �He turned me into a dog, Jean-Luc!� �I know that.� The doctor was seriously ticked off at Q but forced some control over her emotions. She took a steadying breath and got up from the bed. �And I thought being known as �the dancing doctor� was bad. Now I�ll never live this down. I�ll be forever known as the physician turned canine.� �If it�s any consolation, you weren�t so bad for a dog. As long as you kept away from cats, you behaved wonderfully.� He was teasing of course. With a shove to his shoulder, Beverly said, �Oh you.� But then the comedic side of her situation started to become apparent and she began to laugh. Jean-Luc joined in her laughter but got up and encircled his arms around her. �It�s so good to have you back.� �It�s good to be back. Being a dog isn�t the best of experiences.� The captain stroked her hair and took in the feel of her. �And I promise I'll do my best not to be a nag.� �You, nag? Never�� He laughed again. Beverly pulled back slightly and looked at him seductively. �So where were we exactly before all of this came to pass?� �I forget� would you care to remind me?� �I�d be happy to.� She smiled and leaned forward. Just as her lips were about to touch his, there was another flash of light and this time she turned into a cat. As he held the furry little caramel cat, Picard yelled out, �Q!� �Just a reminder that the option is still there if you ever change your mind,� And just like so, she reappeared as a woman. As he saw her fury come forth once again, he put his index finger on her lips. �Just forget about him.� �You�re right. After all, we have much better things to think about now, don�t we?� �That we do.� And so they kissed. * * * * While everyone was happy to have the chief medical officer back, privately Jean-Luc and Beverly celebrated the new phase in their relationship. They�d quickly settled in comfortable companionship that did not end every night when it was time to turn in. Beverly climbed into bed wearing the short white nightgown Jean-Luc loved so. After she kissed him, she settled with her head on his chest. Content, the captain stroked her long locks and sighed. �Jean-Luc,� He looked down at her. �What is it?� �How would you like to get a puppy?� And she burst out laughing �Don�t you dare get us a puppy, Beverly Crusher. Being with you is keeping me busy enough as is. Besides� I can always play fetch with you.� She was about to respond to his teasing but didn�t get the chance as the captain rolled her over and kissed her. The End Told you this was a silly story LOL. Library |