| Released October 21st, 2008 The Road to There by Missbevcrusher Chapter 3 The start of the new academic year was a sharp contrast compared to the previous one. For starters, Beverly was now a third-class cadet. The intimidating unknown of being on the lowest part of the academy echelons was now replaced with familiarity. Although still quite heavy with academics, this year would be much more relaxed. With her luggage flung over her shoulder, Beverly made her way toward her dormitory. There were many familiar faces around her as well as new ones. When she stepped through the doors to the dorm, a young woman bumped into her by accident. Wide-eyed, the fourth-class cadet stammered. �I�m, I�m sorry sir.� Sir, Beverly tried to remain serious but secretly felt like giggling. This was the first time she�d been addressed that way and it felt weird� weird but good at the same time. �No harm done, carry on cadet.� �Yes, sir.� Cheeks flushed in embarrassment, the brunette quickly took her leave. Amusement stayed with the pre-med student all the way up to the corridor where her room was located. The atmosphere in the hallway was a little rowdy as the returning corps of cadets were excited about the start of the new study year. �Hey Bev!� The med student had been about to open her room door when she�d heard her name being called. She turned and smiled. �Hi Valerie, have a nice vacation?� Symes maneuvered her way through a particularly congested section of the hallway. She was dressed in gym clothes with a towel on her shoulder. �Ugh, I couldn�t wait to get back.� When she reached her roommate, she continued, �Been here since early this morning.� The two entered their room and just as the door closed behind them they heard, �Hey this isn�t a frat house! You are Starfleet cadets! Behave like it!� They both winced before bursting out in hushed laughter. �There goes the TAC again.� Valerie headed toward her bed where she unceremoniously sat on the edge. As she started to remove her sneakers, she added, �I really missed him.� That remark elicited yet another laugh from Beverly. As she set her luggage down, she sighed and looked around. �It�s good to be back.� Valerie got her customary impish look. �And this year�s going to be even better than the last.� * * * * �And?� Symes asked as Beverly made her way toward her with a padd. There was a lot of coming and going in the lobby of the Academy�s main complex that morning. Classes were about to start and the cadets were now receiving their class schedules. Beverly went up to her friend where the two compared their schedules. �Ah man, we didn�t get combat training together.� Valerie looked disappointed. �Well there�s always next year. But oh look, we�re in the same piloting class.� �Nice, but ugh, look at this one, �diplomacy and intergovernmental political relations�. Why does that sound like the most boring class ever?� Beverly laughed. �Well look at it this way, you�re not the one who�s going to have to dissect a twag-worm in biology class.� �Eww, you don�t mean those huge smelly, slimy things from Vertax II?� �Yup, one and the same.� �I don�t envy you.� Beverly smiled in exaggeration. �The joys of pre-med.� �Well I better go. I don�t want to be late for strategic defense tactics 101.� Valerie chuckled and walked away. Over her shoulder, she called out, �We�ll meet for lunch, okay?� �Sure. See you at noon.� �Great.� Well I better get my gym bag if I don�t want to be late for combat training, thought Beverly. * * * * As she put on her gray gym shorts, Beverly noted she didn�t know any of the girls in her combat class. A few of them smiled politely at her and she in turn returned the smiles. The med student had always been somewhat reserved around people she didn�t know. However she knew it was only a matter of time before she got to know her classmates. After she threw a black t-shirt over her white sport�s bra, Beverly gathered her long hair into a ponytail and finally reached for her sneakers. Once she was ready, the redhead left the locker room and headed for the gym/classroom. The room was rather large and had high ceilings. On one side were a series of windows that let natural sunlight in to complement the artificial lighting. Directly to the left of the entrance was a series of benches arranged in rows that went from low to high in the back. In front of each bench was a long surface that would function as a desk for each of the cadets. To the right was the open area where they would train to perfect their combat techniques. When need be, the instructors would lay out training mats for them to practice on. Finally, at the very end of the room were doors that lead to a restricted area where the weapons and the firing range was. During freshman year, the cadets had mostly studied the basics of defense training. This year would be more intensive. They would work to perfect what they had learned previously as well as start with more advanced techniques and weapons handling. As a med student, this class sometimes conflicted with Beverly�s morals of not inflicting injury onto others but as a Starfleet officer she knew she would need those skills to perhaps save her own life some day. Since she was one of the first students to arrive in class, Beverly opted to take a seat at the very back. From where she sat, she could see several guys as well as some of the girls enter the gym. Oh, you�ve got to be kidding me� There he was, Jean-Luc Picard, the cadet who had tried to pick her up the year before. Beverly tried to look down at her nails in order to pretend she hadn�t seen him. Hopefully he won�t notice me. A few seconds passed and she couldn�t help but take a peek to see if in fact she�d gone unnoticed. Dammit. It was too late. He was already heading her way with a wide grin. Please don�t sit next to me. Please don�t sit next to me. She hardly knew him, but the impression he�d given her at the club as well as in the courtyard had been a major turn off to her. In fact, she found him annoying. �Well hello again, Beverly.� Of course Jean-Luc sat down directly next to her. �Oh, may I call you Beverly?� He didn�t wait for an answer. �Isn�t it an amazing coincidence we�re both in the same class?� ��Amazing�� Beverly�s flat tone was accompanied by an indifferent stare directed at the empty podium at the front of the class. �Still as shy as ever, I see. Now why is that?� Beverly quickly glared at him. �I am not shy.� She then got a snobbish look on her face. �I just don�t like you.� Jean-Luc laughed. �You don�t even know me.� Then his demeanor softened. He liked a good challenge and she was turning out to be the ultimate. �In time you�ll see, I�m not such a bad guy.� Beverly eased her confrontational tone. �I didn�t say that you were a bad guy. I just said you annoyed me. You�re cocky as hell, do you realize that?� �Yes, I�ve heard that before.� Picard leaned back in his chair and pretended to settle in comfortably. �You know, I think I�m going to really enjoy this class.� �Alright, everybody settle down.� The instructor suddenly walked in the room and headed for the podium. All the cadets seemed to sit straighter at the instructor�s commanding presence. �My name is Commander Perry and welcome to my class. Now I hope you�ve left the whining at home and are prepared to work your asses off this semester. This course is no walk in the park. What you learned last year was but a mere glimpse into the art of �in the field combat�. If you pay attention and work hard, you might avoid coming home in a body bag after a tour of duty. Do not, I repeat, do not regard this training casually. It will undoubtedly save your life over and over� if you take it seriously.� Perry took a moment to look at the cadets as though he was sizing them up. Feeling his message had sunk in, he asked, �Understood?� �Yes, sir!� The first portion of the class was all theory. It was mostly a review of what they�d learned the year prior. Then for the last half hour, they started the first of this semester�s hands on training. After a series of warm-ups, the cadets all stood in a series of three line-ups at attention in the open-gym side of the room. �Now let�s see if you retained last year�s training or if you rookies have to relearn everything from scratch.� Perry scanned the rows of cadets until he honed his attention on one in particular, �You!� Beverly�s eyes went wide for a fraction of a second. �What�s your name cadet?� She stumbled slightly as she spoke, �Uh, Beverly Howard.� �Well then Cadet Howard, get over here.� The last thing she wanted was to be humiliated in front of this class full of strangers, therefore the redhead hurried to the front of the class. The commander sought out another victim. �You, your name?� Beverly couldn�t believe it. Ah come on. �Jean-Luc Picard.� �Haul your ass over here, Picard.� He did as he was told and couldn�t help but discreetly smirk at Beverly who he knew was not enjoying this. Oh but I sure am, he mused. Perry took a few steps backward and crossed his arms over his chest. �Now let�s see some freestyle sparring. I don�t want full contact with punches or kicks, but I want full blocks and self defense techniques. Begin.� The fact that Jean-Luc seemed to be amused enraged the med student. She tried to trick him and lunged forward with a jab when she deemed the timing to be correct. Unfortunately, she had involuntarily given away her attack from the start so he blocked her. Furthermore, he grabbed her wrist and effortlessly twisted it into an arm-lock before she was flipped to the mat. �Shit.� muttered Beverly under her breath as she blew a strand of hair away from her face. When she got up, her temper was flaring. You�re asking for it, buddy. They got into casual fighting stances and the sparring started once more. This time, Jean-Luc was the one who went on the offensive first. He thought he�d gotten the right timing as he feigned an attack to her face and he quickly countered with a punch to her abdomen. Her reflexes were spot on however and she shifted her stance to the side before he could reach her. Furthermore, just before he could put his weight on the foot he�d stepped forward with, she executed a flawless sweep which caused him to flip backward to the mat. Stunned by her sparring abilities, Jean-Luc just looked at her, his eyes wide. For her part, Beverly looked down at him with a satisfied smirk on her face. Oh yeah, that felt good, really good. �I have to admit, there is hope for you cadets after all.� Perry was about to say something else when the bell sounded. �Okay, next class we start with the nitty-gritty. Be prepared. Dismissed.� �Need help getting up?� Beverly extended her hand to him, but it was out of sheer gloating as opposed to concern. Jean-Luc was even more in awe of her than he had been before. As he accepted her extended hand, his gaze never left hers. He would have said something clever if he hadn�t been inflicted by a stubborn case of speechlessness. He was certain it would not be the last time he would be affected in such a way by the beautiful cadet. With pride, confidence and a bit of arrogance, Beverly shot him one last look before heading toward the locker room. When he lost sight of her, Picard was still standing there dumbstruck. Oh I cannot wait to get to know you better. * * * * �I got Commander Perry as combat instructor this semester.� Beverly made a face as she brought a forkful of rice up to her mouth. �You�re kidding!� Valerie seemed positively enthused. �He�s the best of the bunch here. Frankly, I�m envious.� �Yeah? Want to trade classes?� �If I could, believe me I would. I�m stuck with �Flat-Frank� this semester.� Beverly burst out laughing. �You mean Commander Caissie? I had him last year. Not the brightest light-bulb, is he? Notice how he talks in the same monotonous tone all the time?� �Hence the nickname �Flat-Frank�, yeah I noticed.� Symes rolled her eyes as she took a drink of milk. �And you know what else sucks about combat class?� When Beverly took a breath and seemed to stab at her food instead of picking at it, Valerie smiled. �Yeah, I�m waiting.� �Guess who�s sitting next to me� Jean-Luc Picard.� �And that�s a bad thing? The guy is absolute eye candy if you ask me.� �Come on Val, he�s the most obnoxious thing that�s ever stepped foot at the Academy.� �Bev, you barely know him.� �Danielle apparently does and she�s not too crazy about him.� �Since when can�t you make up your own mind about people?� said Valerie in a teasing tone. �Anyway, who made Danielle the expert on character assessment? Remember the jerk she went gaga over last February?� �True. However I did meet Jean-Luc briefly last year and he didn�t make the best first impression.� �First impressions can be misleading. I�d try to be more open-minded if I were you.� Beverly shot her an incredulous look. �And you are?� Humor now laced her voice as she continued, �I seem to remember this charming fellow last year� Oh what�s his name?� Symes got a disgusted look. �Samuel? Samuel �I don�t know what a comb is� Goodman?� �His hair wasn�t that bad. Besides, that�s not what�s important.� �Well you might be content with �Mr. no looks all personality�, but I like mine to be scrumptious.� �Hey, I resent that.� �Okay sorry, I�ll rephrase.� Valerie cleared her throat. �Let�s just say that last year, you obviously preferred the company of a study padd as opposed to that of a yummy member of the opposite sex.� Beverly laughed in shock. �I cannot believe you said that!� �Well it�s true. Name one guy you went out with last year.� When her roommate didn�t answer, Symes sat back in her chair and winked. �See my point?� �Anyway, we were talking about classes that suck. I don�t know how we managed to end up so far off topic.� �We did because you�re the one who strayed into sexy cadet territory.� Beverly would have retorted but when she saw the fiercely amused look on Valerie�s face, she knew the conversation would never end if she didn�t stop adding to it. If she could say one thing about her roommate, it was that she never backed away from a pestering topic of conversation. As much as Beverly liked to have the last word, even she was not a match against Valerie. * * * * Of course, Beverly�s favorite classes were the ones that dealt with anything that had to do with biology, chemistry and medicine but aside from those, she was having a blast in piloting class. She also thoroughly enjoyed some of the regular Starfleet courses that had to do with various aspects of the realities of being an officer. The only one she didn�t particularly care for was combat training and that was because of a certain Frenchman who kept insisting on sitting next to her. So that morning, Beverly came up with a plan. She would take her time getting changed in the locker room and hoped that by the time she went into class that he would already be in his seat. She would then be free to sit elsewhere and hope that he wouldn�t follow. When she walked through the doors and saw that he was indeed sitting in his usual spot, the med student couldn�t help the small smile of satisfaction that pulled at the corners of her mouth. Picard was already looking at her as she pretended to be heading toward him. But then as she neared the rows of seats, Beverly took a spot two rows down from him at the complete opposite side. She could feel his gaze on her as she did and couldn�t resist looking over her shoulder with a smirk. Jean-Luc knew what she was doing of course. But that did little to ease his determination. I�ll let her win this time. If Picard was one thing, it was patient. He knew how it could give him an advantage in the long run. All he had to do was keep to the right tactics. For a reason he could not fully explain, he had a feeling that Beverly did not dislike him as much as she portrayed. It might have been his vain side that made him suspect as much, but still� He couldn�t quite put his finger on it, but he sensed so much more was hidden beneath that protective exterior she had. Not only did she have an undeniable pull on him, she intrigued him just the same. The class started and soon Commander Perry started to grill his students with questions. He would pick an unfortunate target and if that student did not know the answer, he or she would be rewarded with the infamous Perry stare. As a teacher, the commander was tough. He expected much of his students but despite his sometimes harsh demeanor he knew they would all succeed. Starfleet Academy did not accept below-standards applicants after all. These were the best of the best and he would make damned sure they would come out at the end of the semester all the more prepared for life in space. Beverly took notes and listened intently to everything that was being said. She was relieved however that Perry had not turned his attention toward her this time. When he picked Jean-Luc to answer a question, the redhead couldn�t help but be curious as to how he was going to answer. From what she�d been able to see, he was a remarkable student. He strived to be the best at everything he did and most often he was. That irked her somewhat for things seemed to come all too easy for the dashing cadet. Well most things anyway. She would be the exception. He probably wasn�t used to being turned down by girls. But she wasn�t just some random floozy and was determined not to be swayed by him. A small part of her, a pretty annoying one, kept reminding the med student of her physical attraction toward him. No, she thought, I won�t let my hormones guide me on this one. And yet� as she listened to his eloquent and brilliant answer to the instructor�s question, the young woman found that she was impressed by him. Stop that, Beverly. Quickly, she got rid of the distracting thoughts that were preventing her from focusing on the class. And she succeeded too. Until the very end of the class that is, when just as she was about to get up from her seat, his voice void of any teasing sounded softly near her ear. �As you�ll eventually come to realize, I�m not such a pain in the ass after all.� Beverly�s heart rate increased at the soft tone he�d used� and that accent of his. She looked up over her shoulder and saw that he was already walking away. Just before he reached the doors, he cast a glance her way and smiled. It wasn�t a mischievous smile rather it was a charming one. Dammit. At that moment, the redhead wished he wouldn�t start making it difficult for her to dislike him. She hated to be wrong and right now did not want to accept the fact that she might have misjudged him after all. * * * * The sun was nearing the horizon but still shone brightly on the Academy grounds. The surroundings were kept impeccable no doubt thanks to Boothby who tended to them with the utmost care. On a bench, Valerie and Beverly were quizzing each other on an upcoming test in their piloting class. �You know I can�t wait to actually get to fly one of these things.� Valerie said as she looked at the schematics to one of the standard one person space craft. �I for one am grateful that we�re still in simulator phase. I love the class but piloting doesn�t come naturally to me.� �Oh you�ll get the hang of it soon enough.� Beverly chuckled. �I appreciate your confidence. I just wish I shared it.� �After this you want to go grab a bite to eat at that little Thai place downtown? I�m supposed to meet a friend there at 1930.� �I would but tonight I�ve too much to do. I�m swamped with biology assignments. Can I take a rain check?� �Sure.� �Who are you meeting with?� �Marta Batanides. She�s in my defense tactics class. You know her?� Beverly tried to recall if that name rang a bell. �No, I don�t think so.� �She seems like a pretty down to earth gal. I think you two would get along famously.� Beverly smiled. �Are you insinuating that I don�t have enough friends?� �Of course not, but you could branch out a bit at times. It wouldn�t do you any harm.� �I�ll take that under consideration.� Beverly�s answer was delivered in a flat tone as she brought her attention back to the padd in her hand. �Now shall we get on with this?� Valerie obligingly resumed her quizzing. * * * * As much as she loved biology, Beverly was starting to see various alien anatomy pictures even when her eyes were closed. Studying medicine in the 24th century was a truly daunting task. There were just too many alien species to treat. It must have been way easier before first contact. She stopped that particular thought because she was all too soon reminded of how rudimentary the medical field had been back then. The muscles in her back were aching for she hadn�t moved from her sitting position on her bed in what seemed like hours. I need a break. Beverly stretched and took a slow breath. Despite all the hard work, she truly loved being here at the Academy. It was at during such quiet times that she could really reflect on her journey through life and how blessed she felt at having been given the chance to become a Starfleet officer. The room she shared with Valerie. It had become her second home. On her nightstand, were some of her most cherished of possessions. The picture of her and Nana next to the one of her parents� Mom and dad. She barely remembered them. That alone was more than enough to leave her troubled. Looking over to her roommate�s side of the room, she couldn�t help but be somewhat envious. Valerie had always had a close relationship with both of her parents and it showed by the picture of her high-school graduation that sat next to her bed. The low growl of her stomach soon reminded the young woman that she�d only had a sandwich for dinner, hours before. She got up and slipped her feet into her flip flops. Since she was only wearing a tank top and shorts, Beverly decided she�d better grab her gray hoody from the closet. When she opened the door, Valerie�s white baseball cap fell from the top shelf. With a chuckle, the redhead bent down and picked up the hat. She was amazed that her roommate hadn�t brought it with her when she�d gone out. Aside from school hours and the times they went clubbing, Valerie would almost always wear it. Her hoody now zipped up partway, Beverly headed out of her room toward the student mess hall. The hallways were quiet at this hour. In fact it was getting pretty damned close to curfew. She couldn�t help but think about how many times Valerie had managed to sneak about after hours. Her friend had always had a somewhat rebellious streak which was something Beverly sometimes envied. It wasn�t that she herself wasn�t adventurous. Lord knows I gave Nana my fair share of grief growing up. But she wasn�t exactly up to par with Valerie on that point. The vast mess hall was empty, which wasn�t surprising since it was almost 2300. Beverly could have easily replicated something but she felt like eating �real� food. The large glass-door refrigerators at the very back of the room contained exactly that. The shelves were stacked with all sorts of salads and desserts. She scanned the various items until she rested her choice on a Greek salad and a piece of strawberry shortcake. She reached in to grab her late night snack and that�s when she heard the sound of another refrigerator door opening to her left. When she glanced sideways she was surprised to see Jean-Luc Picard there. He was reaching for a snack but his gaze was directed her way, his ever charming smile all too evident. �Fancy seeing you here.� he said. She didn�t feel like being frosty with him, but nonetheless remained cautious. Still very much in her comfort zone, Beverly gave a small smile and shrugged. �Everybody has to eat sometime.� Just the fact that she hadn�t given him the cold shoulder surprised the hell out of Jean-Luc. I might be making progress after all. �True.� was all he could muster considering how taken aback he still was. Beverly took her dessert and stacked it over the salad container. �Well, good night.� Did I hear her right? It took Picard a few seconds to react and when he did, she was already several steps away. �Wait.� She turned her face sideways so she could look at him. However she did not come to a full stop, instead she just slowed her pace. He took it as an invitation to join her in her stroll. �So�� �So�� Beverly echoed, somewhat unsure as to how to react toward him. �I meant to tell you. I�m really impressed by your skill in hand to hand combat.� His admission caused the med student to snort involuntarily. �I�m glad you think so.� Picard marveled at her relaxed demeanor and that smile. It was the first time she genuinely smiled at him and it left him all but speechless. Finally, he said, �This is nice.� The redhead was puzzled. �What is?� �You�re smiling.� �It happens from time to time.� �Just never around me� why is that exactly?� He was expecting her to become standoffish again, but once more he was surprised. Her tone remained pleasant as she replied, �I just have an aversion toward guys who usually get what they want.� �So you think I always get what I want?� �Well, don�t you?� it wasn�t really a question. �No, not really.� �That�s right.� Beverly smirked. �I turned you down.� �True.� The look he gave her as he said that gave her the impression that he wasn�t necessarily talking about her. And for some reason, it awoke something within her. She�d pegged him as a one dimensional individual and she now realized that no one could be such an open book. But still, his sometimes cocky attitude did rub her the wrong way and she couldn�t totally ignore that either. �So tell me,� he finally said, �What are my chances of you someday accepting my invitation for coffee?� With her gaze forward, she chuckled. �I�d say slim to none.� �Hmm, well we�ll see.� �You sound pretty confident.� �That�s because I know that somewhere beneath that little fa�ade of yours, you�re intrigued by me.� Incredulous, Beverly�s mouth gapped open. �You are a cocky son of a bitch, aren�t you?� Luckily for Picard, her tone wasn�t as frosty as it could have been. �Well, are you?� �Absolutely not.� It was a lie but since she couldn�t even admit the truth to herself, it was one she was more than happy to make. The amused look on Jean-Luc�s face told her that he didn�t buy it for one second. With a slightly annoyed look and roll of her eyes, Beverly said flatly, �See you in class.� And then she rounded a corner toward her own dormitory section. For several seconds, Picard stood with a look of satisfaction on his face as he watched her leave. She�s definitely mellowing out. continue to chapter 4 library |