The station was crowded when they arrived. Four friends were laughing as they departed from the shuttle with two others in tow. It had taken careful planning to get two of the group off the ship. In fact, it had taken the entire crew and half of Starfleet headquarters to pull it off.
"Hey, what's that you're reading?" Deanna Troi asked her best friend. Beverly's eyes never left the PADD in her hand as she responded.
"Nothing really important." Deanna snatched the PADD from her and scrolled through it. "Hey give it back!"
"You just said it wasn't important. I wanted to see what was so fascinating, but wasn't important."
"Deanna!"
"I thought we said no work, Beverly. Will, didn't we say that no work was to be brought on leave?"
"Let me see." He stroked his beard for a moment then reached into his bag and pulled out a PADD. "Yes, we did say that. I even have a recording of everyone agreeing that they wouldn't bring ship's business."
Beverly smiled as she grabbed the PADD from Deanna's hands. "I didn't bring ship's business, so there."
Deanna grabbed the PADD back. "No, medical journals are part of *your* ship's business, and under the agreement it is to be confiscated."
"What?" Beverly stopped in her tracks causing a slight traffic jam. The rest of the group continued to move forward- almost. A low baritone voice whispered in her ear.
"I have a few contraband items in my bag if you're interested." Beverly looked at the source of the offer and smiled. Jean-Luc Picard, the ever professional captain, looked absolutely serious except for the rare sparkle in his eyes.
"How did you manage to get it pass the watchdogs?" she whispered back.
"They didn't check the books. How did you get this far?"
"The journal was hidden with a bunch of plays."
"And plays aren't 'ship's business'?" Beverly nodded solemnly. "Fascinating."
Beverly started to respond but was interrupted by Will's voice. "Is there something wrong, Captain?"
Jean-Luc's mask slid into place and he tugged at the shirt he wore. "No, the Doctor was just wondering where we were going, Number One."
He was standing on the porch. His crew and friends sat around the fire pit. Will was telling them about an adventure that they all knew didn't really happen. At first Data would interrupt to ask a question, but eventually realized that the story was for entertainment purposes only. They were truly a family.
"Penny?" Her voice startled him.
"Nothing in particular." Beverly's eyebrow arched up slightly letting him know that she didn't believe him. "I was just observing everyone and making memories."
"I see. You should come back. Deanna was wondering where you got to." Jean-Luc didn't respond, continuing to look past the group and into the trees. Beverly smiled and joined him at the railing. They stood in silence as the moon climbed past the trees. Slowly the stars began to shine brightly in the night sky. His voice interrupted the quiet that settled around them.
"I can still feel the call of the stars."
The simple statement said volumes. It took a moment for Beverly to realize that he was answering a question she asked at dinner when they had discovered Will and Deanna's plot to make them go on leave. She responded softly, "Then we shall have to return and travel among them, even if we have to sedate everyone to make our escape."
He chuckled and shook his head at her mischievousness. An idea formed in his head. "Would you care to join me tomorrow?"
"I don't know, Deanna was pretty insistent on not allowing me out of her sight. Besides I think she want's to upgrade my wardrobe."
"Hmm. I guess I can see her point. Wouldn't want you to fall too far behind the times." She playfully hit him in the shoulder. "Hey!"
"I was tempted to beg off, but now I think I'll join them."
"And give up on the chance to have uninterrupted time with some contraband PADDs? Doctor, you surprise me."
"Uninterrupted time? You mean no one hanging around waiting for us to bring out the back up supplies?"
"Yes. But since you've decided to go shopping, I'll have to make do on my own."
"How are you going to guarantee this time?"
"I told Deanna that I work out the horses tomorrow a little longer than normal."
"Horses? Now wait a minute, you know I can't ride a horse. Jean-Luc, what are you planning?"
"You don't? Well, then it would seem I have my work cut out for me." He winked at her and continued to walk out to the bonfire. As a last minute thought he asked, "See you at breakfast?" She nodded her acceptance and followed him back to the fire.
As Jean-Luc and Beverly walked back, Will leaned over to Deanna. "What do you think they were talking about?"
"I don't know, but I think they're up to something." Will looked at her questioningly. She continued, "The Captain asked if he could stay behind and take the horses out for a ride tomorrow."
"Do you think Beverly is going to join him?"
"I think he just asked her to. You did check his bags to make sure he didn't pack anything illegal, right?"
"Of course I did. All he had was his saddle and several books." Will paused. "Why?"
"I sense that they are both looking forward to something tomorrow."
Geordi was the first one to the kitchen, or so he thought. When he pushed the door open, he found the Captain and Doctor sitting at the breakfast nook enjoying their morning tea.
"Good morning, Geordi," Beverly said sweetly.
"Morning, Doc, Captain." Geordi poured himself a cup of coffee and took a sip. "Why are you up so early? I thought we weren't leaving until midmorning."
"Old habits are hard to break, I guess," the Captain offered. Beverly smiled and invited Geordi to sit down with them. It was time to put their plan into action.
"Jean-Luc, shouldn't we be going?"
"Going? Oh, yes. It's time to start your lesson." He stood up from the table and placed his empty mug into the sink.
"Lesson?" Geordi echoed slightly confused.
"The Captain insisted that I help him exercise the horses, but I don't ride," Beverly explained casually. "And in exchange for helping him, he will be auditioning for a play."
"Beverly! You don't have to tell everyone, do you?"
"Now, Jean-Luc, remember the deal? You audition for me and I help you with the horses or I go shopping with Deanna."
"As you wish, Doctor. I'll be in the stable." With that Jean-Luc left the cabin.
"Geordi, tell the others to go ahead without us if we're not back in time." Beverly placed her cup in the sink and grabbed the two saddlebags on the counter and went out. Geordi was left stunned. He wondered what was in the tea that would cause this sudden change in his commanding officers.
"Jean-Luc, you should have seen Geordi's face after you left." Beverly said laughing as she entered the stable. Jean-Luc led two horses out, one was saddled and the other wasn't. "Jean-Luc, are you going to ride bareback?"
"No, but I did say I was going to teach you how to ride. And so I am. The first lesson- how to saddle your mount." Jean-Luc gave her a rare smile as he started telling her what to do. Forty-five minutes and several mistakes later, they were ready to go.
They started off to the east at a gentle trot. Most of the trip was spent in a comfortable silence broken only occasionally by one pointing out something to the other. An hour later, they reached a clearing and decided to dismount and set up camp. Jean-Luc helped her down from her perch and showed her how to tie the horses.
Beverly spread out a light blue blanket on the ground and waited for Jean-Luc to join her. The morning had passed by pleasantly and for the first time that either could remember, they were totally relaxed. "Where is my journal?"
"Your journal?" Jean-Luc asked innocently as he joined her with one of the saddlebags.
"Yes, my journal. You promised I could read it." Jean-Luc looked into the bag and brought out two leather bound books. He handed her one of them. "Shakespeare's Sonnets? Jean-Luc, what is this?"
"Open it and see." He waited as she opened the book. She started to laugh.
"This is how you managed to get it past Will?" she asked reaching into the hollowed out book and brought out three PADDs. "Where on earth did you get this?"
"Exactly." He paused. "I was wandering around at one of the shopping centers in San Francisco when I found a whole set of these books. The history behind this type of book was interesting. It allows the owner to hide something in plain sight. So I bought some."
"Aunt Adele would be proud."
"Oh, I don't know about that. She wouldn't approve of doing work on vacation, but c'est la vie." They settled down to do some reading. Jean-Luc leaned up against the tree and Beverly stretched out on her stomach. Occasionally a cry of an eagle would break the silence in which they read.
Jean-Luc was brought out of his contemplative thoughts by his stomach growling. The sun was shining brightly over head. His companion was sleeping and looked like she had been for awhile. He leaned forward and gently tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
"Beverly. Time to wake up, mon ami," he whispered. She turned over and stared into his hazel eyes. Her smile got bigger as she moved her head closer to his. Their lips lightly touched for a moment.
"But I was having such a good dream."
"Really? Then I guess you don't want to eat." Jean-Luc stood up and went to collect the parcels he had placed in the stream earlier.
"Food? Well, since you brought food, I guess I can wake up for that." She sat up as he returned with a bottle of wine, two glasses, and a damp package. "By the way, you are being cast in my next play."
"But I thought we agreed the audition was only a ruse."
"That was before I knew how well you could act."
"Act? Me?"
"Yes, you. Geordi has probably already told everyone about your 'performance' by now."
"Merde. I suppose that there will be no chance to get out of this, is there?"
Beverly opened the package and set out the plates. "Not on your life." She rummaged through the case and found a phaser tucked into a pocket. "Jean-Luc, are you expecting trouble?"
"No."
"Then why did you pack this?" She held up the weapon in question and looked up, only to find herself staring down the business end of another phaser. Jean-Luc pressed a button and Beverly screamed. She opened her eyes to find that she was alive- wet, but very much alive. Jean-Luc was building a sandwich and looking very pleased with himself.
She looked at the phaser she still had in her hand. Pointing it at Jean-Luc, she pressed the trigger. A stream of water shot out and hit its target.
"Hey!" Jean-Luc turned to look at her disapprovingly. She smiled triumphantly and set the water gun down.
She warned, "You started this so don't even think about lecturing me"
"Really? I rather think you started this by challenging me to leave my- and I quote- 'Captain's Mask' on the Enterprise."
"I didn't challenge you. I merely set a high goal for you."
"Goal? That was not a goal, it was a challenge."
"If it was a challenge, then what do I win if you go back into 'captain mode'?"
"You- that is… You never said anything about winning."
"Ha, so it isn't a challenge!"
Jean-Luc didn't respond at first. During their little debate, the sky suddenly became increasingly cloudy and the wind had picked up. "Beverly, I think we should think about heading back soon."
"Why?" she asked teasingly.
"I don't know about you, but I don't want to be caught in the storm that is brewing up."
Beverly looked up to see what he meant. Jean-Luc helped her to stand up and started gathering their supplies. They saddled the horses and then they were off. Half way to the cabin, the heavens opened up.
"So much for beating the storm!" Beverly shouted over the thunder. They arrived at the cabin drenched and smiling. They didn't notice the smiling looks from their fellow dry crewmates as they dismounted from the horses.
Four years later
Beverly groaned inwardly as Jean-Luc continued to give her the blow by blow of his weekend. "I should have listened to Keiko," she muttered.
Jean-Luc continued describing the importance of his find until her words registered in his brain. "I beg your pardon?"
Beverly smiled when he looked at her. "Jean-Luc, darling, as much as I love your stories about these digs, you've been talking about this one for four straight hours. That's not including all the background information that you shared with me for the entire week before. I really don't know who is worse, you or Doctor Fox."
"You saw Doctor Fox?" Jean-Luc's eyes brightened at the prospect of hearing some news about a fellow amateur archeologist. Doctor Sydney Fox had another engagement for the same weekend of his visit to the excavation site on Dronga III. "How is Sydney doing?"
"Before or after she spent the entire conference saying that she should have sent her regards to Medical instead of to the archaeological team?" She paused for a moment as he chuckled at the image of the 5'8" Hawaiian native complaining between panels and seminars on new medical techniques and research presentations. "Laugh it up all you want, Jean-Luc. You weren't the one she pestered for details on what was going on with you."
"I'm sorry." The look she gave him sent a clear message. He knew he was about to pay for all the problems that she had to deal with between him and Sydney. She picked up the three containers that served as part of his "presentation" for the last few hours. She brought out her notes from the conference and started to give him her presentation, starting with the goriest procedure she had. Two hours later Jean-Luc was begging for a truce.
"Beverly, why didn't you tell me that I was boring you during the week?"
"You weren't boring me, Jean-Luc. This trip back was the problem." He looked at her questioningly. "When we're on the Enterprise we both have duties to perform and other distractions, and it served as a break from the routine. This was just too much information at once."
"I see. I will consider this for the next time. Now tell me, how put out was Syd at the conference?"
"If you're going to insist on talking about another woman with me, you will be sleeping up here so she can contact you for a full report, mister." Her face was set, the stern look reached into her eyes and bored into him.
"Very well, what shall we do for the next two hours?"
"Well, it has been a long time since we've seen each other…" she arched her eyebrow suggestively. When he was about to take action she removed her shoes and placed her feet on his lap. "How about a foot massage?"
Eighteen months later
"Sir, a message from Captain Riker is coming in for you," the young lieutenant said. This was a really strange week. Moments earlier she had routed a message to the chief medical officer's office from the same ship. As odd as this would seem, it was actually a slow day in comparison to the past month.
"I'll take it in my ready room. Commander, you have the con." Jean-Luc Picard stood up and straightened his grey and black uniform jacket. Ever since they had made the announcement everyone in Starfleet they knew, even some they didn't know, were leaving messages. Picard ordered a cup of Earl Grey before settling behind the desk to speak with his old friend.
"Hello, Jean-Luc." The former first officer smiled and looked to be stifling a laugh.
"Just let it out, Will. I know you've been waiting for this day ever since that first year on the Enterprise." It had taken months for Jean-Luc to remember not to call him 'Number One.' Every once in a while he slipped up, but for the most part he remembered.
"Now, I wouldn't do that, sir." Will stroked his beard for a moment. "So, how big is this going to be?"
"Honestly? I don't know. From the guest list that I saw this morning, it's looking like it'll be moved planet-side. I don't think we would've been able to fit everyone in ten-forward on the D, much less here." Picard thought for a moment or two. "Will, do you have any notion of why we do this?" His only response was a loud and long cackle from the new Captain.
~~~~~~~~"Deanna, I don't know what I was thinking when I said yes."
"Yes, you do. Now, tell me what are you doing in two weeks?"
"I haven't got a clue. Alyssa has all the plans. She just tells me when I have to be somewhere." Beverly put the PADD and stylus down on the desktop. "I remember when all I wanted was to heal people, fall in love, have a family, and take in the simplicities of life. Where did the simplicity go?"
"It went out the window the day you met him, and we both know it."
"But we both want the same thing. Why can't we have it?"
"Beverly, this is sounding like another session in need of chocolate. Why don't you take a nice long walk in a secure holodeck? Leave your comm badge and anything else that people can use to contact you in your quarters. I'm sure that if you tell the Captain that you need some 'me' time he'll understand."
"He'll probably insist on joining me. This thing has him running around like crazy. Last night I found him in the café eating a chocolate fudge sundae and mumbling something about just taking a shuttle and traveling like Captain Scott."
"Eating a chocolate-"
"Fudge sundae. I thought it was rather cute, but you didn't hear me say that."
"Take that walk and tell him to join you. If he doesn't want to come, threaten to relieve him of duty."
"You're right. We are both in some desperate need of 'me' time." She paused as she realized something. "You and Will are both coming, aren't you?"
"Yes. That's why I called, actually. And why I wanted to know what you were doing in two weeks."
"You're both coming a week early?"
"Yes. We thought it would be fun for the whole gang to get together beforehand and help you two out. Now, go. I have a lot to clear out before going on a 10-day leave and you have a walk with Jean-Luc to take. Counselor's orders."
To Be Continued…