| Released February 2001 Standard Disclaimer: Paramount owns the whole Star Trek universe. I am just borrowing the characters for my own personal enjoyment and am in no way profitting from these stories. This is all in good fun folks. Please keep this heading as well as my name attached to the story at all times. Warning! This was my first fanfiction ever... just thought you'd like to know. Hopefully the next ones will be better. The Lost City by Missbevcrusher Beverly Crusher had been reading alone in her quarters for about twenty minutes. It had been a long day in sickbay and she was glad to have this time to herself. She had selected her favorite jazz tunes from the library computer and gotten her favorite herbal tea blend from the replicator. This was going to be a very enjoyable evening indeed. Before she had the chance to finish the first paragraph, the chime sounded. So much for my relaxing evening she thought to herself. "Come in." she called as she closed the book and set it on her lap. The doors parted to reveal captain Jean-Luc Picard. He was still in uniform, which meant he had just come off watch. "Jean-Luc," she was a bit surprised to see him so late in the evening, "What can I do for you?" "I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was so late." he said looking a bit embarrased, "I'll come back tomorrow." He was about to leave when he heard her say, "No, it's ok Jean-Luc. By all means, come on in." she gestured to the chair in front of the sofa where she was sitting. "I just thought I'd drop by to see you. It seems we haven't seen as much of each other lately." Jean-Luc said as he crossed the living area and sat down in front of her. As he noticed the chronometer on her bookshelf he added, "However, I seem to have lost track of time." "Don't worry about it. I'm glad you came over." she smiled warmly at him, "Would you care for a cup of tea or something?" "Tea would be fine. thank you." She got up, walked over to the replicator and made her request, "Tea, Earlgrey, hot." The replicator hummed and produced a steaming hot cup of tea. She picked it up and brought it to the captain. Jean-Luc couldn't help but stare at her as she crossed the room to get an elastic band to tie her strawberry blond hair into a loose ponytail. Elle est si belle. Jean-Luc felt a twinge of regret as he looked at the one person he could call his best friend. She stood there looking very attractive and relaxed in her tight white t-shirt and matching loose fitting, hip hugging pants with drawstring. He also noticed that she was barefoot. She caught him staring at her with a curious expression on his face, "What?" "Your toenails." he answered. "Excuse me?" she said unable to contain the laughter from her voice. "I didn't know you painted your toenails." he gave her that rare smile he had. "It's something I do from time to time." she looked down at her feet, "Do you like it?" "I do actually." She sat back on the sofa and tucked her legs beneath her. It had been a while since she and the captain had had the chance to sit down and talk. Of course they did share an occasional breakfast and as they both were members of the senior staff, they often saw each other on matters of business. However, it wasn't like it used to be. JeanLuc had spent the major part of his last shoreleave on the Bak'u homeworld with Anij. He had been gone for almost a year and when he returned, they found it hard to face each other. For the most part of their relationship, they had been as close as friends can get without crossing the line. Now that Jean-Luc had found someone to share his life with, they had a hard time defining the place the other held in their hearts. It had put a strain on them and neither knew how to fix it. Jean-Luc took a sip of his tea and set it down. He seemed lost in thought. "Penny?" she gave him the smile he loved so. He looked at her and smiled sadly, "I was just thinking about how much I missed this ship while I was away." "We missed you a lot too." she lowered her gaze, not wanting him to see how much his leaving the ship had affected her. Trying to change the subject she said, "When are we scheduled to arrive at the Jarascan conference?" Leaving his train of thoughts, he answered, "Oh, um tomorrow at 0800. Will you be attending the first session?" "I'm scheduled for duty at 0600 so I guess I'll catch the second one." she knew he would be looking forward to this. He had always been fascinated with archeology, so when they had received the invitation to attend he had literally jumped at the chance. "Have you ever seen the city of Jarasca?" She shook her head, "No I haven't. However, I did hear a lot about it." Jarasca was famous throughout the federation. Archeologists from all over were attracted to it. The sheer beauty of it had made way for a series of myths and legends to be told through the generations. Jean-Luc even remembered hearing some as a child. "The morning session should be over by mid afternoon. How about letting me give you a tour of the city after your shift is over?" She nodded in approval, "That sounds great. I go off duty at 1530." "Alright then, I'll come by at 1600." "It's a date then." They spent the major part of the evening talking about literature and as usual, they even managed to fit in a little bit of ship's business into the conversation. It felt good to be able to spend time together. Even if neither would admit it, they had missed the other's company immensly. Felling their own fatigue get the best of them, each decided it was time to go to bed. Jean-Luc got up and put his cup in the dispenser. "Thank you for the tea Beverly." he said as he started heading for the door. "Anytime Jean-Luc." "Good night." "Good night." she answered as he left her quarters. The conference was everything Picard could imagine and more. The new discoveries and theories he heard about captivated him. To think that this city was only discovered two centuries ago. Everything about it seemed untouched by time. He was looking forward to his outing with Beverly. It had been a few years since he had come here and he was eager to see what the archeologists had unearthed during that time. He looked at his chronometer. It was already 1525. The conference had just ended and he was eager to get back so he could get ready. He beamed back onboard and made his way to his quarters. He quickly changed and packed a few things. Satisfied that he had everything he needed, he left his quarters and headed for Beverly's. Once outside her door, he sounded the chime and waited for an answer. A few seconds passed and he heard her voice, "Come on in Jean-Luc." He had expected to see her in the living area, but she was apparently still in her bedroom. "Be right out." she called out. He heard her moving around rather hastily. He moved to the seating area and said, "Take your time." He sat down and adjusted the laces of his hiking boots. When he was done, he looked up and saw that she was coming out of the room. He always loved the way she looked out of uniform. Right now, she was wearing a beige shirt and matching shorts. He found that the australian type hat and hiking boots she was wearing made her look as if she was going on safari. "Are you ready to go?" she asked. "Yes, and I've taken the liberty of packing a light dinner." "Good, I'm starving anyway." "Well then, shall we go?" He gave her his arm and they headed for the transporter room. Once the blue shimmer of the transporter beam faded, Beverly understood why this site was as famous as it was. She had never seen ruins as vast as these. Before her eyes, the city seemed to stretch on forever amid a lush jungle. It was amazing to see that it had a lot of similarities with ruins she had visited on Earth years ago. Vines climbed the vast stone walls and patched of forest adorned the landscape. Little streams that were once irrigation canals flowed thoughout the area. Sunlight filtered though the trees, leaving golden patterns dancing on the stone ground. Beverly walked around in awe at what she saw. She could hear birds singing overhead. "This is beautiful Jean-Luc." when she didn't hear a reply, she turned around and found him crouching on the ground. He was examining carvings of native animals on a nearby wall. Same old Jean-Luc. Always the explorer. she laughed softly and made her way to where he was. "Look at how much detail was preserved on these carvings." He looked like a kid in a candy store, "Truly remarkable." She knelt down beside him and studied him for a moment, "Why didn't you pursue archeology Jean-Luc?" He looked up from his carvings and smiled, "If I had, I never would have met you." He was teasing. As he looked slowly at his surroundings, he continued, "I almost did actually, but in the end, the lure of the stars got the best of me." He got up and gave her his hand, "Ready for the tour?" She let him help her up and smiled, "As ready as I'll ever be." As they explored this wonderful lost city, Jean-Luc explained its rich history. Beverly was amazed at how much he could remember everything down to its last detail. She had to admit that there wasn't much about Jean-Luc Picard that didn't amaze her. He was so passionate when it came to history and culture. After a while, they came upon this slow moving river beneath a lush canopy of trees and vegetation. It was unusual, for the bottom of it was covered with white sand. They followed the riverbank for a short distance and decided to cross to the other side. Even though the water was only knee deep, they opted to cross on a log that lay across. "Be careful Beverly, this log might be a bit slippery." he followed her closely behind, ready to catch her if she fell. "You worry too much Jean-Luc." She grinned impishly at him and added, "Besides, I've already made it halfway and am still standi..." Before she could finish her sentence, she lost her footing and swayed to her right. Jean-Luc tried to keep her from falling in, but his efforts only caused them to both fall in the water. Here they were, soaked to the bone and laughing histerically. "You should have seen your face!" she was laughing so hard that she almost couldn't finish her sentence. "Oh and I suppose you looked any better." he was laughing as hard as she was, "You were so sure that you weren't going to..." It felt good to see him laughing like that. Jean-Luc was usually so serious. Once he had caught his breaths, he got up and helped her to her feet. She stumbled forward for she was still laughing and fell into his arms. Her laughter subsidded and her breath caught in her throat. She was standing mere inches from his face, her blue eyes locked onto his. What tenderness she could see in them. Jean-Luc found himself gazing into those incredible blue eyes of hers. He couldn't believe the effect they had on him. His heart was beating a mile a minute. The perfume she was wearing wasn't helping either. They stayed that way for a few moments. Each was unable to move, paralysed by what they saw in the others gaze. What are you doing Beverly? she let go of his hand and backed away. Come on Jean-Luc, you have to stop this. He cleared his throat and looked down. The moment was so akward, Beverly wasn't sure what she should say. The silence between them was extremely uncomfortable. Finally, all she could think of saying to break the moment was, "Well, I think we should change..." He looked at his wet clothes, "Yes... perhaps it's not such a bad idea." Beverly picked up the soaked backpack containing their food, " So much for dinner." They gathered their floating belongings and climbed on the bank. Jean-Luc tapped his communicator and said, "Picard to transporter room. Two to beam up." A second or two later, the tropical paradise vanished in the blue shimmer of the transporter beam only to be replaced by the dark walls of the Enterprise E. "Well, I guess... I should go." Beverly looked down at the mess of water at her feet. Jean-Luc nodded and watched her as she left. He couldn't help but feeling sad as the doors closed behind her. He couldn't let himself feel this way anymore. It wasn't fair to Anij just as it wasn't fair to Beverly. He made his way to the doors and left room and a very puzzled transporter chief. He walked to his quarters, trying desperately to put Beverly out of his thoughts. Once he had changed, he went over to his desk and noticed the blinking message for him on his console. Jean-Luc and Beverly tried to avoid each other after their hike in Jarasca. Each felt it was the best thing to do. Jean-Luc attended the other archeology sessions and otherwise kept busy on the bridge. As for Beverly, she turned her attention on what she did best. She spent most of her time in sickbay attending to patients and doing research. Deanna Troi, the ship's counselor, knew that something was wrong with those two. She knew that their relationship had always been complicated, but she had never seen them avoid each other the way they were now. She had tried to approach Beverly about it but wasn't able to get her to talk about it. The emotions she sensed from her however were enough to enable her to put the pieces of the puzzle together. She was supposed to meet Beverly for coffee in the ship's lounge fifteen minutes ago, but she had lost track of time during a therapy session. She walked hurriedly to the lounge's entrance and caught a glimpse of her friend. She was sitting by herself and was looking out of the observation widow. "I'm so sorry Bev, that last session was longer than I had expected." "It's ok Deanna, don't worry about it." she turned back to stare at the stars. "Are you alright Beverly?" there was concern in her voice. Beverly turned back to look at her friend, "I'm fine Deanna...really." Deanna could feel her sadness but chose not to pursue the issue, "Alright, but I'm here if you ever need to talk." Beverly smiled sadly at Troi and answered, "Thanks..." she was glad to have Deanna as a friend. They had seen each other through some tough times and had shared good ones too. As the two friends began to chat like they always did, Will Riker walked into the lounge and made his way to where his two favorite women on board were sitting. "Good evening ladies. May I join you?" he politely asked. "Of course." They both said in unison. "What did I miss?" he pulled a chair over and straddled it. Deanna gestured to the waiter at the same time, "Actually, we were discussing tomorrow night's pocker game." "Oh, so you must have been talking about how much you envied my skills at the game." he was teasing. "You must be telepathic." Beverly said sarcastically, joining him in his little game. The waiter then came over and took their orders. Beverly studied both Will and Deanna for most of the evening. She couldn't believe how happy they looked since they got back together. It seemed to her that the Bak'u mission had been exactly what these two needed to make them stop fighting their feelings for one another. How she envied them. If only it had been enough to push Jean-Luc and her to stop fighting everything they felt. It didn't matter anymore anyway. It was too late now. Jean-Luc had found what he needed on that world. That is, he found someone who wasn't afraid to take their relationship to the next level, someone who made him feel like he had all the time in the world to do what he always dreamed of doing. How was she able to compete with someone who could give him youth. "So Beverly," Will broke her stream of thought, "have you decided where you're going to spend your next shoreleave?" She looked down at her glass, "I was thinking about going back to Caldos and catch up with some old friends. What about you two?" Will looked over at Deanna and smiled,"Well, we haven't decided yet." "I want to go to Venezuela, but Will wants to go to Risa." she raised her eyebrows at him and smiled as well. "Those are two very wonderful destina..." Beverly had stopped talking and was now looking at the lounges entrance. Once Will and Deanna turned around, they saw what had caused the doctor the stop talking mid-sentence. In the doorway stood captain Picard and the woman who had captured his heart, Anij... Anij had sent a message to Jean-Luc, wanting to come and see the mighty ship he comanded. As soon as Jean-Luc had read the message, he had made the arrangements for her and here she was three days later. Upon her arrival, she had insisted he give her the grand tour and seemed very pleased with what she saw. He did not however expect to run into Beverly at this time of the evening. At the mere sight of her, he froze. He hadn't wanted for her to find out about Anij's visit this way. "I see that your friends are here." she smiled at the three in the far corner, "Can we go over and say hello?" He didn't want her to see how uncomfortable he was, so he accepted gracefully. "Hello captain, Anij." Will was the first to stand and greet the couple, "What a pleasure it is to see you here." "The pleasure is all mine commander." Anij said in her quietly soothing voice. The other two women got up as well and made small talk with their guest for a few minutes. Deanna could feel the tension between the captain and doctor. Both were extremely uncomfortable despite their relaxed exterior. Will then gestured to some empty chairs and asked, "Would you two care to join us for a drink?" "Thank you Will, but I think it would be better if we retired for the evening." he looked at Anij, "She hasn't had the chance to get settled in yet." "Well goodnight then sir." "Goodnight." Anij added, "It was nice seeing you all again." As they watched them leave, Deanna and Will sat back down. Beverly on the other hand remained standing. Her earlier composure dropped just enough to make it obvious that something was wrong. "Are you allright Beverly?" Will asked in concern. "Yes, I'm fine." she tried her best to smile, "I'm just a little tired, that's all." Will and Deanna could plainly see that their friend was lying, but neither chose to push the issue. "I'll see you both tomorrow, allright?" "Goodnight Bev." Deanna said as her friend turned and left. Both sat there speechless for what seemed like a very long time. Deanna then turned to look at Will. "Ouch." was all he could think of saying. Despite all the turmoil he was feeling, Jean-Luc was still very happy to see Anij. His feelings for her were deep and he had missed her in the weeks following his return. Everything would be perfect if only he could get Beverly out of his head. He had lost his chance after their time on the planet Kespryt. It was clear she didn't want to further their relationship. Every time he thought of that night and the words she had spoken, Perhaps we should be afraid, all the hurt and confusion came back to him. It had happened several years ago and yet he still found himself thinking about it on his many sleepless nights. If only he could get passed all of this and start building his life with the new woman in it. "Good morning Jean-Luc." Anij came out of the bedroom and went to the table he was setting. She caressed his cheek and kissed him softly. "Good morning." he gestured to the coffee and croissants, "Would you care for breakfast?" "Thank you, it looks delicious." she sat down and gently lay a napkin on her lap. "Did you have a good night's sleep?" Jean-Luc said as he poured coffee for both of them. "Yes I did, thank you." She took a sip of coffee and added, "It felt good having you with me." "I missed you Anij." She leaned forward and took his hand in hers, "I missed you too." They ate mostly in silence, each just enjoying the other's company. "Do you usually eat breakfast by yourself?" she was just finishing her cup of coffee. For a fraction of a second, he seemed taken aback by the question, "Um, sometimes I do and sometimes doctor Crusher joins me." She wan't sure how, but she sensed that her question had bothered him. Deciding to change the subject she asked, "When are we supposed to meet with the archeologist you were talking about last night?" "The professor asked that we join him in 45 minutes" "I can't wait to see the ruins." she smiled warmly at him. They cleaned up after they were done and got ready to beam down to the city. The couple met up with professor Black, the leading archeologist of the jarascan project, once they had reached the surface. The older man was happy to show the recently excavated areas to them and debate theories with the captain. The day flew by quickly, for the things they were hearing about were very fascinating. By dinnertime, they had seen the major parts of the city and a few sites still in excavation. "Time does fly by when you're here." the old man said as he looked at his watch, "I really must be going. I have to prepare a presentation I'm holding tomorrow." "It was a pleasure touring with you professor." Jean-Luc shook the man's hand and added, "I hope we will get the chance to do this again some other time." "I'm sure we will captain Picard." he then turned to Anij and kissed her hand, "It was a pleasure making your acquaintance madam." "The pleasure was all mine professor." With that, the old man turned and left. Jean-Luc was about to contact the ship to have them beamed up when Anij started to look around in her bag. "Did you forget something?" he asked. "I think I forgot your image recorder near the fountain we saw earlier." "It's alright, I'll go get it. Why don't you beam back and get ready for dinner?" She nodded, "Allright, I'll do that." she squeezed his hand, "I'll see you in a few minutes." After she had beamed back onboard, Jean-Luc started to make his way to the fountain. He had been walking for about five minutes when reached it. He looked around a bit and saw the small recorder next to a stone bench that lined a vine covered stone wall. He walked over and picked it up. He decided to take in the scenery for a few minutes longer, before beaming back. It amazed him at how much this place captivated him. The people who inhabitated it so long ago must have been a very proud people. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. The sounds of the wind in the leaves and the singing birds made everything seem so magical. A few seconds later, he opened his eyes. The sun was setting and orange light filtered through the trees. As he was about to beam back, he noticed a woman sitting alone near a small stream some distance away. He immediatly knew who it was just by the long hair that flowed in the wind. "I see you managed to keep dry this time around." Beverly was startled out of her daydreams. She hadn't realized he had been standing there, "Jean-Luc, what are you doing here?" He lifted his hand, which held the recorder and answered, "Anij forgot this earlier." "Oh, I see." was all she could think of saying. She looked down at the water before her, unable to meet his gaze. Jean-Luc wasn't sure of what to say. All that he knew was that he hated having this silence between them, "Beverly...what...are you alright?" he was looking straight at her, his eyes pleading. He had to know how she felt about this. "Why souldn't I be?" she continued to stare at the flowing water. He sat down beside her, never letting his eyes leave her beautiful face, "I know things haven't been easy between us lately. For the past year, we have done nothing but drift further and further apart." Jean-Luc took her chin and turned her face toward him, "I don't want to loose our friendship Beverly." She tried hard to hide what she was feeling. What good would it serve letting him know how she felt at this time. It would only cause more problems. "I'm alright Jean-Luc, really." she was lying to him, "We have been best friends for a long time and I don't see that friendship ending anytime soon." Jean-Luc remained silent and let her go on. "Anij is a good woman. I'm very happy for you." she took his hand in hers, "Go to her, don't keep her waiting any longer." Jean-Luc wasn't sure what he was feeling after that statement. She was giving him her blessing to be with Anij. He was happy and yet sad. She really has moved on. All he could do was nod. They sat there in silence for a few moments. The future now seemed very uncertain for both of them. Both knew that the others presence would always interfere in their relationships with others. It always had. Jean-Luc really loved Anij. Perhaps not the same way he loved Beverly, but he really wanted to make it work this time around. "Well, I'd better go..." Jean-Luc said in a voice so low, it was barely a whisper. Beverly nodded and turned back to look at the calm water in front of her. Once he had gone, the mask she had been wearing fell and she burst into tears. She had never felt a loss so great ever since Jack died. She knew it was over. Every chance they had ever had evaporated with her last comments. She cried and cried for along time after that. What was she going to do now? Her life would never be the same again. She was so confused. How could it have come to this? At that moment, she heard the voice that seemed to always be there when she needed. "Beverly?" Deanna Troi sat next to her friend and put her hand on her shoulder. "It's over Deanna..." Beverly didn't have to say anything else. She knew that Deanna understood everything. After Anij had gotten the table ready, she looked at the time. I wonder what's keeping him? She walked over to the bookshelf on the other end of the room. It was obvious Jean-Luc loved literature. He had a nice collection of various works. She also noticed that he had a few photo albums on one of the lower shelves. She took one and retreated to the sofa. It was an old fashioned picture album with a small ribbon keeping it shut. She untied it and opened it. She saw pictures of what must have been his brother and nephew. He had often talked about them to her. Their deaths had really affected him deeply. As she turned the pages, she saw pictures of people she didn't recognize. Jean-Luc kept a nice album. It was nicely divided. When she came to the last few pages, she noticed that they were all pictures of doctor Crusher. Some were of her by herself, others were of her and what appeared to be her son. She and Jean-Luc must really be close... She turned to the last two pages, where she found pictures of both Beverly and Jean-Luc. They really looked happy on them. One of the pictures was of the both of them in front of the Eiffel Tower. Jean-Luc had his arm around her and both looked as if something really funny had just occured. They were both laughing and appeared to have been having a good time. She closed the album and put it back on the shelf where it belonged. It was all becoming clear to her. The discomfort she sensed from him that night in the ship's lounge. The way her seemingly ordinary question over breakfast had unnerved him. Is Jean-Luc truly happy with me? Before she had the chance to finish that line of thought, the doors parted and Jean-Luc came in, "I'm sorry it took so long." "It's alright, I just finished getting ready anyway." she crossed over to the table and added, "Do you want to eat right now?" "Yes, that would be fine." As they ate in silence, Anij couldn't help but wonder what was going on with Jean-Luc. He seemed unusually quiet and barely touched his plate, "Jean-Luc, I know you. Tell me what's wrong." He looked up, a bit startled, "I'm fine Anij, really." he took a small bite and went on, "I guess I'm just a bit tired." Anij nodded and decided to leave him be. After they had cleaned up, they decided it was a good idea to turn in early. As they lay there, sleeping in the others arms, Jean-Luc stirred. Anij awoke and saw that he was having a nightmare. She didn't like seeing him this troubled. Things seemed so simple when they were on Bak'u. There were no distractions, nothing to trouble them. They had been happy. However now... They came from two completely different worlds. She was content living a quiet life planetside with him and spend the rest of her days there. He on the other hand, would always be lured to the stars. She knew he would never truly be happy living the confined existance she had known all her life. At that moment, she knew what she had to do. She loved him with all her heart, but she knew that by staying with him, she would be robbing him of something more. Something he himself had probably never realized he needed. She then spent the rest of the night looking at him, for she knew it was probably one of the last times she would see him. Her sadness for leaving him were alleviated a little by the knowledge of what she was giving him. I love you Jean-Luc...I just hope you realize I am doing this for you... The next morning when Jean-Luc woke up, he found that Anij had already gotten up. He put on his robe and left the bedroom. "What's all this?" he said as he saw that Anij had packed all of her things and was sitting on the sofa. She was apparantly waiting for him to wake up. "I don't understand..." She got up and went over to where he stood, "I know you might find it hard to believe, but I am doing this for you." When he didn't say anything, she went on, "Jean-Luc, you belong out here amid the stars. My life is on Bak'u... and asking you to live your life there would be unfair to you." she touched his cheek, "You are accustomed to this faster pace of life and you thrive on it." "Anij...I...love you..." "I know, and I love you too." she lowered her gaze, "Try to undrestand that that is the reason I'm letting you go." She took his hand in hers, "Despite the love you have for me... I'll never truly have your heart..." She knew. Somehow she could sense what he was feeling. He couldn't lie to her. As much as he wanted to believe they belonged together, a part of him would never let go of Beverly. She had had his heart ever since he had laid eyes on her so long ago. Jean-Luc nodded and took Anij in his arms. They stayed that way for what seemed like an eternity and when she pulled away, she said, "You will make her very happy. I know it." She picked up her suitcase, "I better get going. A shuttle is supposed to pick me up in a few minutes." "Goodbye Anij..." "Goodbye." she walked away and turned to look at him one last time as the door closed behind her. Jean-Luc looked at the closed door for a long time after that. "I'm not wearing this Deanna!" Beverly was in the bathroom getting ready for the reception held to close the conference. "I'm sure it's not that bad." Deanna was waiting outside the bathroom door with a huge smile on her face. The door opened and Beverly came out, "You think?" she sounded sarcastic. "It looks great on you!" "This is the last time I let you choose a dress for me." Beverly went over to the mirror next to the bed. She looked absolutely gorgeous in the black dress Deanna had chosen for her. It tied at the neck like a halter top and plunged low on her back. The fabric shimmered in the light and hugged her figure. "This is too much Deanna." she turned to look at her friend. "Nonsense, you look great." Deanna walked up to the mirror and adjusted her own dress, which was no less spectacular. Her blue dress was low cut and hugged her figure as well. The skirt was slit up to her thigh. Beverly checked one last time to see how her makeup looked, "We should get going. We're running late as it is." They then made their way to the transporter room, where they found Will Riker waiting for them. "Wow..." he looked at the two gorgeous women standing in front of him, "You ladies look stunning." "Why thank you Will." Deanna said as she took his arm, "You don't look so bad yourself." The reception was well under way when they beamed down. It was held just beside the central garden, on the terrace of the jarascan palace. It was a splendid evening with a warm breeze that held the scent of the many flowers nearby. The sun had set a short time before and the area was lit with sparkling lights which were hung overhead. A small fountain stood in a corner and beautiful columns surrounded the whole terrace. A jazz band played on a small stage in front of the palace walls. Beverly had never been at a more beautiful reception. Everyone was in formal wear, which made her feel a little more a ease with her appearance. She looked around and saw lieutenant commander Data walking towards her. She couldn't believe how much he had adjusted to his newfound emotions in the past year. It was hard to believe he was still an android. "Good evening doctor." he smiled at her, "You look really beautiful." "Why thank you Data." "Would you care to dance?" he extended his hand to her. "I would love to." she took his hand and they made their way to the center of the dance floor. She was really impressed at how he had managed to improve his dancing technique. When she had taught him the basics years ago on the Enterprise D, he had mastered the steps quickly. However, there was something so artificial about the way he danced back then. "You really have been practicing haven't you?" They danced for a few songs and retired to a nearby table. "Are you aware if captain Picard will be attending tonight?" Data asked as they sat down. Just having his name mentioned made her heart skip a beat. This was going to be even more difficult than she had expected. Come on Beverly, you can't keep feeling this way evertime his name is mentioned. He's your commanding officer for God's sake. You can't avoid it. "He hasn't mentioned anything to me about it." she tried hard to hide her feelings. They had been sitting there for a few minutes when an archeologist came over. She was a pretty girl, in her mid twenties. She asked Data to dance and he kindly accepted. Jean-Luc had beamed down just a few minutes before and was now looking around to see any familiar faces. He talked briefly with professor Black and then made his way to the serving table. When he turned toward where the tables were, he froze. There she was, looking as beautiful as he had ever seen her to be. She was sitting by herself looking down at the glass before her. How he wanted to go over there and speak to her. Come on Jean-Luc, you can do this. He took a deep breath and headed for her table. He hadn't made three steps when on of the archeologists, professor Johnson, came up to him. "Captain Picard, I'm so glad I ran into you." It was safe to say that professor Johnson was one of the most annoying persons Picard had ever met. He never stopped talking and never let anyone else put a word into a conversation. Jean-Luc wanted nothing more than to excuse himself and go see Beverly. The other man however kept talking and seemed oblivious to the fact that Picard had been trying to put a word in for the past minute of two. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore, he cut in and said, "I'm terribly sorry, but I really have to go." The other man seemed a bit confused and before he knew it, the captain had turned and walked away. Where did she go? He looked at the now empty chair she had occupied a few minutes before. He scanned the room, but could find no trace of her. Quickly, he went over to where Deanna and Will were sitting, "Have you two seen Beverly?" Deanna sensed his urgency, "I think she went out to the garden." "Thank you." with that, he suddenly left. Beverly had been walking in this incredible garden for a few moments now. She enjoyed the warm breeze in her hair and the wonderful scent of the flowers. All that was missing was Jean-Luc to share this with. She leaned on a stone rail that overlooked the rest of the abandoned city. The stars shone as brightly as she had ever seen and the full moon lit the garden in a bluish haze. "I was hoping I'd find you here." She quickly turned around and was surprised to find Jean-Luc standing there. He looked so handsome in his formal uniform. Her heart was beating so fast, she thought she would faint. "What are you doing out here all by yourself?" he approached her and leaned forward on the rail to look out at the sky she had been admiring mere seconds before. She tore her eyes away from his and looked out again, "I just needed to take a walk. It was a bit crowded over there." Neither of them spoke for a few minutes, for they had no clue as to what to say to the other. Finally Beverly broke the heavy silence, "Where's Anij?" Jean-Luc was still looking out at the starlit sky, "She went back to Bak'u." "Oh..." Beverly looked somewhat confused. "It's funny how we can lie to ourselves over and over and actually start believing in those lies after a while." he sighed and turned to look at her, "Why do we do this to ourselves Beverly?" She didn't know what to say. What was she supposed to say? "Anij and I... we come from two completely different worlds." he looked down at the vast city below them, "Our dreams, our goals and our way of life is so different from one another. I learned many things from her. I learned how to live in a single moment, how to appreciate the days to come instead of regretting the days gone by." He turned and fixed his gaze on her beautiful eyes, "First and foremost, she made me realize that I needed to stop lying to myself. Beverly... I fell in love with you the very first time I laid eyes on you. That night after Kespryt, I promised myself that I would move on. I would let you go and stop living for what might have been." A single tear fell from his face, "The more I tried to do that, the more I realized I needed you... You make me feel so alive Beverly. Without you in my life... I don't know what I would do." Beverly closed her eyes and sobbed quietly, for she couldn't believe what she was hearing. As a tear slid down her cheek, she felt Jean-Luc's hand gently wiping it away. "I love you Beverly Howard Crusher. I always have and I always will." "After what I said to you that faithful night... I never thought I would hear those words from you..." She opened her eyes and took his hands in hers, "I love you too Jean-Luc..." He gently gathered her into his arms and held her tightly, never wanting to let go. Beverly pulled back just enough to lean forward and kiss him. Every doubt they had ever had about their relationship vanished as their lips met. It felt so right. As they kissed, the same thought passed through their minds. Why didn't we do this sooner? After a while, the couple decided to head back to the party. Jean-Luc had been asked to make a speech for the closing ceremony. When they entered the reception, Jean-Luc was holding Beverly's hand. Half of the Enterprise crew that was there stopped what they were doing and stared in awe at the rare display of affection. Rumors had always been rampant about the relationship between the captain and his chief medical officer. The captain made his way to the stage and made his speech. As he adressed the crowd, he couldn't help but glance at Beverly. He felt he was the luckiest man in the universe at that very moment. Deanna Troi smile. She had never felt such happiness in them before. She glanced at Will who had also noticed the change and nodded in acknowlegment. Once the speech was finished, the captain made his way to Beverly and asked, "May I have this dance doctor?" She seemed surprised that he had asked her. She had always thought that he hated to dance, "I would love to dance with you captain." By the hand, he led her to the very center of the dance floor. He just loved the way it felt to have her in his arms. Oblivious to the people around them, they danced the night away. They had been dancing for about an hour when Beverly whispered in his ear, "It's getting rather late. Perhaps we should call it a night." She looked at him with that mischievous smile she sometimes had and he understood what she meant. "Are you sure?" he asked, not wanting to push her, "I understand if you want to take things more slowly..." Before he had the chance to finish his sentence, she silenced him with a soft kiss, "I've never been so sure of anything in my life." He nodded, hardly believing what he was hearing. They soon left the party and found themselves outside the doctor's quarters. As they let the door shut behind them, they were well aware of the new chapter they were beginning in their lives. It felt right and both knew it would last forever. Fin Let me know what you think. LIBRARY |