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Disclaimer: Star Trek: The Next Generation and all its characters belong to Paramount Pictures; no infringement of copyright is intended. The story however belongs to me.
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The alarm buzzed. Jean-Luc Picard, captain of the Enterprise, stirred and groaned slightly. "Stop," he grunted, his voice muffled by the sheets. The alarm continued, unimpressed, its volume turning up a notch. Picard fought with the sheets, getting even more tangled up in them as he tried to sit up. Finally, he managed to free himself. "Stop alarm," he said and yawned. His glance fell upon the pillow beside him where a single strand of red hair was visible, having sneaked out from under the blanket. Picard smiled. Very carefully, he pulled the blanket aside, revealing a tangled mass of red hair, followed by the face of Beverly Crusher. She was still asleep, her mouth slightly open, her cheeks rosy. He started caressing the skin of her face and neck, softly calling out her name. Beverly stirred, then sleepily reached up to pull the blanket back over her head. Laughing, Jean-Luc caught her hand. "No, you're not going back to sleep. It's 0600 hours, rise and shine!" Her reply was almost inaudible. "What if I don't want to?" "Oh, come on, Doctor. You don't want the captain to have to put you on report, do you?" Beverly regarded him through still half-closed eyes and smiled seducingly. "What if the captain were to join me? Just another five minutes?" she begged. "Beverly, if you want to have breakfast with me before rushing off to your quarters to get ready for work, we had better get up now, or you won't have enough time." Reluctantly, she sat up, tousled hair framing her face. Sleepy as she was, she looked more beautiful to him than ever. "All right, you win. But you know that I hate to start the morning in a hurry." "That's why I'm making you get up now. Otherwise you would complain later that I should have woken you earlier." "I know, I know." She sighed, then leaned over to kiss him. "Sometimes I really hate living in two different places at the same time. At least I'm not the only commuter around here. Tomorrow it's your turn again." Jean-Luc looked at her, silent for a moment. He found himself contemplating a thought which he had so far always pushed back whenever it occurred to him. Now it was taking on a more serious outline. He decided to plunge ahead, before his courage would leave him again. "It didn't have to be this way, you know." "What?" Beverly had been trying to decide whether to use his shower or to wait until she got home. "I mean," he gingerly took her hand in both of his, "There is a way to avoid all that commuting." "What are you talking about?" Still a little dazed from sleep, she couldn't make any sense of his words. The thought that he wanted to break up briefly crossed her mind, but she dismissed it as highly unlikely. Not after they had been together almost four months. Nevertheless, she was totally unprepared for his next words. "I want you to move in with me." Stunned, Beverly looked at him speechless. This came so unexpected that she didn't know what to say. She did not have to, since he hurried on. "Half of your things are in my quarters anyway, just as half of mine are in yours. We sleep in the same bed just about every night, and we both hate having to leave early in the morning. Living together would mean that we wouldn't have to toss a coin anymore about where to sleep. Besides," he pulled her closer, took her in his arms and placed a kiss on her still silent mouth, "I love you very much, and I want to have you near me as often as possible. We've practically been living together already for a couple of weeks now, and I even find myself getting lonely when you're not there. So, what do you say?" Beverly's thoughts raced. She had never expected him to make such a proposal, although she had been thinking about it herself once or twice. He just had not seemed like the kind of man who would willingly give up his private retreat, and she had respected that. Kissing him slowly, she tried to sort through the turmoil in her head. She had to admit that she liked the thought of living together. It would surely make a lot of things much easier. But moving in with him, as in moving into his quarters? She just wasn't sure about that. Jean-Luc finally broke the kiss, looking expectantly and also a little anxious into her eyes. "Well?" "Jean-Luc, I don't think it would be such a good idea if I moved into your quarters." He started to protest, but she silenced him by placing a finger across his lips. "I'm not finished, hear me out. What I meant to say was that I'd be perfectly happy to live together with you, I just don't think it would be wise for me to move into your rooms." "Why not?" He was honestly confused. "Think about this. We've both occupied our respective quarters alone for several years now. All your things are arranged to meet your personal needs, everything has its own particular place. You get upset when anybody moves them around without your consent. I know that not only because I happen to know you very well, but because everyone feels and acts that way. In my quarters, it's the same, each item has a place where it belongs. Now imagine what would happen were I to move in with you. You'd have to give up some of that established order, and in some instances you would be reluctant to do so." "Beverly-" "You probably don't think so now, but I assure you that after a couple of days you would still be looking for your things in the old places, wondering where they went. And I would feel like I'm intruding on you, violating your privacy. You would feel the same way, if you were to move into my quarters." "What do you suggest we do then?" His eyes had suddenly lost all their hope. "How about," she snuggled closer, tracing the line of his jaw with her fingertips. "How about getting new quarters, big enough for both of us. There we could have a fresh start, moving in together and creating a new home." "Hm." Absently stroking her back, Jean-Luc cast a glance around the room. "Doesn't sound like a bad idea. Although I have to admit that I'm a bit reluctant to leave here." He smiled at her apologetically. "Sorry, I'm acting like a selfish fool. I wanted you to give up your quarters and move in here, just so I could keep my familiar surroundings. That wasn't very nice." "I know you didn't mean it that way." They kissed. Then Jean-Luc took a deep breath. "So, since we've both agreed that we want to live together, how about getting started right away? The computer should have a list of all suitable unoccupied cabins." Laughing, Beverly disengaged herself from his arms. "I'd love to, but haven't you forgotten a tiny little detail? We're both on duty in less than an hour, and we haven't even had breakfast yet." Surprised, he looked at the chronometer above the bed. "I didn't realize it was that late already. So much for having a quiet and relaxed morning." "We'll make up for that soon. How about dinner tonight, and after that we can look at what the computer has to offer." "Wonderful. Now why don't you get yourself into that bathroom of mine, while I go and see what the replicator can come up with for a quick breakfast?" "Gladly." After another quick kiss, Beverly disappeared inside the bathroom and decided that she was going to use his shower after all, probably for the last time. * * * "Jean-Luc? Have you seen that holograph of Wesley anywhere?" "I put it on the shelf above the workstation." "Ah, there it is." Beverly appeared in the doorway to the bedroom. "How are you doing?" "Almost finished." Jean-Luc walked over to her and took her in his arms. "I didn't remember that moving was this exciting and this exhausting." She wrapped her arms around him and smiled up at him. "Do you regret it?" He kissed her. "Not in a million years." Beverly glanced around the room. "It's a little intimidating, don't you think? Suddenly having so much spare room and nothing to fill it with?" "If you think it's too empty, you can always check out ship's stores if they have anything you like." "I might do that." She pressed closer. "But right now, I'd rather do something else." "Now what could that be?" he wondered, closing his eyes as her lips started exploring the side of his neck, slowly moving upward and covering the skin of his neck and face with tiny little kisses. His hands in turn caressed her back, then slid up higher and began to unfasten her top. The sudden sound of her communicator startled them both. "Sickbay to Doctor Crusher." She answered the call without opening her eyes. "Crusher here. What's the matter?" "You asked to be notified when Lieutenant Carrey's test results came back. They just arrived. And they're not looking good." Suddenly Crusher was all attention. "What is it?" "The results confirm our worst fears. It's Corollian Dysentery." "Oh no." Crusher groaned inwardly. "What's Carrey's condition?" "Getting worse, I'm afraid. I think you had better come down here." The doctor hesitated only for a moment. "I'll be there as soon as I can. Crusher out." Sighing heavily, she let her head drop against the captain's chest. "I'm sorry, Jean-Luc, but I have to go." "I know, it's your job." He kissed the top of her head. "How long will it take?" "There's no way of telling. Now that we know what it is, I have to create an antidote. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem, but in the case of Corollian Dysentery the antidote has to be specially tailored for the person who needs it, and that alone can take a couple of hours. Then, after administration, the patient has to be kept under close watch for at least three hours." She tried to smile, but failed miserably. "I'm afraid I'll miss the first night in our new home." "Don't worry, there'll be many more." Jean-Luc hugged her, trying to give her the comfort and strength she needed. "I'll be here when you get back." "I know, and I'm glad." She kissed him again, and was gone. Picard stood in the doorway to the bedroom, watching the doors close behind her. Then he started walking around the rooms, picking up small items here and there and trying to finish the last stages of moving in. After considering the available options, they had chosen a large cabin that consisted of bedroom, living room, and enough workspace for each of them. It also offered various kitchen appliances, since both of them liked cooking without the use of the replicator from time to time. Location had been a major issue; at length they had decided on quarters that were situated reasonably close to sickbay, in order that Crusher could get there as fast as possible in the course of an emergency, but at the same time not too far away from a bridge turbolift, so that Picard in turn could be at his station in a matter of moments, should the need arise. With all their personal items arranged throughout the rooms, Jean-Luc could already feel a sense of 'home' settling in him. It simply looked right, Beverly's and his things intermixed on the shelves, and his regret about leaving his old cabin faded quickly. He considered himself extremely lucky to be able to share his life with a woman like Beverly Crusher, and he hoped that it would last for many more years to come. Having finished his little chores, Picard decided to sit down and occupy himself with one of his favourite books. He still hoped that Beverly would be back soon, and he wanted to wait up for her. * * * Several hours later, there was still no sign of Crusher returning home. Picard felt himself getting stiff in his chair, so he put his book aside, stood up and stretched. Then he decided to call her. "I'm still here," came the tired reply over the intercom. "Why aren't you asleep?" "I was reading and didn't really notice how the time went by. How are you doing?" "I've administered the antidote about half an hour ago. Everything looks fine right now, but I have to stay at least another two hours. Probably longer, if we get a negative reaction." "I understand. However, I do hope that you won't stay longer than is absolutely necessary. You need your sleep." "So do you." "I'm going to bed now. Although it will be empty without you." Soft laughter drifted through the air. "You've slept alone before, I'm sure you'll manage. I'll see you tomorrow morning." "Feel free to wake me when you get home. Good night." "Sleep well." She signed off. Picard got into bed and, after turning off the lights, tried to sleep. The bed was larger than his old one had been, and he felt strangely lost in it. After tossing and turning for the better part of an hour, he finally fell asleep, but not without wondering whether Crusher would get any sleep at all that night. * * * The doctor did not return until the next morning. Picard was just getting ready to leave for the bridge when she walked in, looking exhausted and extremely tired. "Hi." She heavily settled on the bed. "Hello." He went over to sit next to her. "How is Lieutenant Carrey?" "Better. On his way to recovery actually." She let herself fall back and closed her eyes. "There was a severe reaction to the antidote shortly after you called me this night. We nearly lost him, but now he will be fine." She sighed deeply. "God, I'm tired." Jean-Luc gently removed her boots and eased her further up onto the bed. "Get some sleep now, you more than deserve it." He pulled up the blanket and covered her, then turned off the lights. "I'll check in on you later." "Mmh." She cuddled into the sheets. "I love you." He kissed her softly. "I love you, too." She was asleep before he had left the room. * * * Beverly Crusher slept until quite late in the afternoon, and when she finally got up she still felt exhausted. Luckily, she was not due for duty again until the next morning. She took a long, hot shower and started to feel a little better. She was almost finished drying her hair when Picard returned from his shift. "Ah, so you actually got up. I looked in on you about two hours ago, but you were still fast asleep." He took her in his arms and buried his face in her still damp hair. "You smell good, too." "Don't be silly." She kissed him. "Are you hungry?" "Exceedingly." Jean-Luc pulled away just enough to look at her. "Since you skipped breakfast and lunch, how about an early dinner?" He grinned. "I have to admit, I am kind of hungry myself." Beverly studied him closely. "You haven't had lunch yourself, have you? How shall I ever get you to eat regularly?" "Join me for dinner," he suggested, the grin never leaving his face. She gave in. "If you prepare the food, I can finish my hair in the meantime. Okay?" "Agreed." He kissed her, then went over to the replicator. By the time Beverly had fixed her hair, Jean-Luc was already waiting for her at the table. He had set it up quite elaborately with candles, wine, and some of her favourite dishes. They ate in silence, both relishing the thought that this was the first meal they were sharing in their quarters. During the course of the meal, a sense of complete happiness and anticipation settled between them, and they moved closer together. Their hands touched frequently, seemingly by accident, the tension between them growing steadily. When Beverly leaned over to kiss Jean-Luc, she found it hard to break the kiss after a few moments to continue eating. He took her hand and softly brushed his lips across it, then pulled her over to sit on his lap, all thoughts of dinner forgotten. Beverly complied all too willingly, feeling electrified by every single touch of his hands. They were sharing another deep, lingering kiss when the call came in. "Bridge to Captain Picard." Rolling his eyes in frustration, he broke away from her. "What do they want now?" He tapped his communicator. "What is it, Number One?" "Sir, we have a little problem up here." "Please don't talk in riddles, Commander. What is the matter?" "We have encountered a Klingon freighter, adrift in space. Their engines are crippled, most likely through phaser fire, and they have asked for our assistance. However, when I asked them what had happened to their ship, they suddenly became very close-lipped and refused to give me any more information. They demand to speak to the captain, and have eluded all further attempts at communication." "Any signs of hostile vessels in the area?" "Negative. A Federation transport ship is the only other vessel within sensor range." Picard sighed. "Very well. I'm on my way." Closing the channel, he turned to Beverly, a sad smile on his lips. "I'm sorry, chérie. Duty calls again." She briefly leaned her head against his shoulder, then got up and started clearing the table. "Yesterday it was me, today it's you. I wonder who it will be tomorrow?" She felt like crying, but knew that would have been foolish. After all, they were both only doing their jobs. He pulled her around to face him again. "We'll make up for it, I promise. And who knows, I may be back sooner than you think. It's still only early evening." Beverly smiled up at him, trying to look encouraging. "The sooner you leave, the sooner you can return." "Then I had better get going." After another brief kiss he departed, leaving her with the shattered remains of what had started out as a wonderful and very promising evening. * * * "Hail the Klingon freighter." The captain had assumed his usual stance in front of the main viewscreen. The screen flickered to reveal the interior of the Klingon ship. "This is Jean-Luc Picard, Captain of the Federation Starship Enterprise. To whom have I the honour of speaking?" A bulky Klingon rose from a seat in the middle of the bridge. "I am Murak, Commander of the T'Peh. We require your assistance." "What happened to your ship, Commander?" "We were attacked," the Klingon spat. "By a Federation ship! They turned on us without cause. They have no honour!" Picard made a move with his hand, and Worf reacted at once. "Mute." The captain turned to Riker. "What do you make of this, Number One?" Riker frowned. "The only Federation ship in the sector is the Brighton, and she's only a cargo transporter, barely equipped to defend herself, much less to attack anyone." "Still, it has to be her, since there's no one else around." Picard turned to Worf. "Try to raise the captain of the Brighton, Lieutenant. But first let me finish with him." He turned back to face Murak. "Audio open, Captain." "Murak, we will investigate this matter. Please stand by for the moment." The Klingon glared at him. "We demand a reparation. They had no cause" Picard cut him off. "We will talk about this later. Enterprise out." Worf spoke up. "Captain, I'm having trouble raising the Brighton. Their communications equipment seems to be malfunctioning." "Is there anything we can do about it?" Data turned from his station to look at the captain. "I can attempt to boost our receivers, but I do not know if that will solve the problem." "Make it so, Mr. Data." The captain settled in his chair. This was obviously going to take longer than he had anticipated. Data keyed in a series of commands, then turned to Worf expectantly. "This should have the desired effect." "Receiving now, " the security chief confirmed. "However, we're getting audio only." "Better than nothing." Involuntarily, Picard sat up straighter. "Brighton, this is Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Enterprise. What is your status?" "This is Captain Martinelli speaking. Enterprise, we have been under attack. A Klingon freighter suddenly appeared out of nowhere and turned on us. They demanded the release of our cargo, and when we refused to comply they opened fire. We managed to take out their engines, but now we have barely enough power left to get to the nearest starbase." "The Klingon commander claims that you attacked him." "That's absolutely not true!" Martinelli exclaimed. "They fired first. Our logs prove that." Picard turned to his chief of security again. "Lieutenant, do we have any information about this Murak?" Worf called up the relevant files and frowned. "It seems that he is some kind of free trader, although the sources of his merchandise are dubious. He is even reported to have connections to the Ferengi." His tone of voice clearly indicated his distaste. "Martinelli, what is your cargo?" "Mainly dilithium crystals, and a few other minerals." Riker let out a low whistle. "They were after the dilithium." "So it seems," Picard agreed. "Captain Martinelli, please prepare a full report for Starfleet Command. We will deal with Commander Murak in the meantime." "Thank you, Enterprise. Brighton out." The channel was closed. "Now, let's try to talk some sense into this Murak, shall we? Maybe the thought of a reprimand from the Klingon High Council will scare him enough to leave our cargo transporters alone." The captain straightened his tunic. "Open a channel to the T'Peh." * * * When Picard returned home, it was already well past midnight. Beverly had wanted to stay up and wait for him, but sleep had claimed her on the couch. The book she had been reading had fallen from her hands and lay on the floor. Jean-Luc picked it up and put it on the low table, then got a blanket to cover her. She shifted slightly, murmuring something he did not understand, but did not wake up. He watched her sleep, thinking about kneeling down beside her, slipping his arms around her slender body, kissing her and holding her tight, but did not dare to wake her. At last he bent down, brushed a stray lock out of her face and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Beverly stirred again, and Jean-Luc straightened quickly. She smiled in her sleep, then turned around on her side, facing away from him. "Good night," he whispered softly, blew another kiss in her direction and disappeared into the bedroom. * * * They woke to the sound of the red alert klaxon and were both out the door within two minutes, without so much as Good morning exchanged between them. Everybody hurried to their duty stations, and less than four minutes after the alarm had sounded, the Enterprise was ready to face whichever enemy might present himself. As Picard strode onto the bridge, he routinely scanned its interior. To his satisfaction, he found everyone at their designated posts, busily working their equipment. His next glance fell on the viewscreen, and he stopped short in astonishment when he found that except for the familiar image of the starfield there was nothing there to be seen. The captain headed for the center seat, which was immediately vacated by Commander Riker. "Status report?" "All stations operational and ready for battle," Riker announced, looking slightly puzzled himself. "So where's our enemy?" Picard demanded. Embarrassed glances were exchanged around the bridge. "There's no one out there," Riker finally ventured. "Even the T'Peh is far behind us by now. We have no idea what caused the red alert." "What?" "Actually-" Data started to explain, but was cut short by an announcement from the ship's computer. "Drill complete. All hands return to normal duty." At the same time, the red alert lighting was switched off. The captain could hardly believe his ears. "Drill?" he asked, his voice taking on a threatening quality. "Computer, who ordered the drill?" "Lieutenant Commander Worf." Picard turned around slowly, scrutinizing Worf. The security chief stood his ground. Picard rose. "Lieutenant, may I see you in my ready room?" He did not wait for an answer, but proceeded directly towards the door. Settling down behind his desk, he watched Worf take his position in front of him. "Lieutenant, why was I not informed of this procedure?" "Permission to speak freely, Captain?" "Permission granted." "Sir," Worf began, for the first time looking directly at Picard. "After our recent encounter with the Klingon freighter, I felt it was necessary to simulate a critical situation in order for the crew and the civilians to stay up to date on current emergency security protocol. We have had a relatively quiet voyage for several months now, and such procedures tend to be forgotten easily, especially by the civilians. I chose not to apprise you or any of the other officers in advance in order for the drill to be as close to reality as possible." "How are the results?" "Quite satisfactory. Everything went as smoothly as could have been hoped for." Picard felt his irritation about not being informed fade. "Very well. I have to admit I would have preferred knowing about your plans, but I understand your reasons for proceeding in such a manner." He finally allowed himself to smile. "Good work, Mister Worf." The Klingon did not move a muscle. "I was only performing my duty." "And as usual, you performed it with excellent foresight. We never know when we may encounter a real emergency, and it's never too soon to be prepared. Dismissed." When the doors slid closed behind Worf, Picard glanced at his chronometer. Alpha shift was due to begin in ten minutes. Just wonderful, I can stay right here. He tapped his communicator. "Picard to Sickbay." An unexpected voice answered. "Doctor Selar here. What can I do for you, Captain?" Picard hesitated. "Actually, I wanted to speak to Doctor Crusher." "Doctor Crusher is performing surgery right now and cannot be disturbed," the Vulcan's cool voice informed him. "Can I be of assistance?" "No, thank you, Doctor. That will be all. Picard out." The day went by slowly, and when his shift finally came to an end, Picard found himself looking forward to a relaxed evening, hoping desperately that for once there would be no disturbances. * * * The captain and doctor arrived at their quarters simultaneously, greeting each other with surprised and delighted smiles. As soon as the doors had closed behind them, he slipped an arm around her waist and she willingly stepped closer, putting her arms around his neck. "I thought this shift would never end." She raised her eyebrows inquiringly. "Long day?" "Long day." He nodded. "Care for a shower?" "You can go first," he generously offered, but she kissed him, then took his hand and smiled enticingly. "Who said anything about going one at a time?" Laughing, he followed her into the bathroom. * * * They had an unforgettable evening. Miraculously, there were no emergencies in sickbay that night, and no enemies to be dealt with on the bridge. Nobody disturbed the captain and the doctor on the third night in their shared quarters, which thus turned out to be their first night there together. They had a luxurious dinner, and dessert gradually transformed into some more intimate pleasures. When Beverly finally fell asleep, her body pressed close to Jean-Luc's, she felt like she had never been so happy in her whole life. She loved this man, and she knew he loved her as well. Now that they did not have to move back and forth between their separate quarters anymore, she knew they would get to know each other even more closely than they already did, and she was looking forward to every new little detail she was going to discover about him. Sharing a home closely with someone else was still a new experience for Picard, and he found himself thanking his good fortune which had made him suggest it to Beverly. After just a couple of days he knew he would not want to miss it anymore, the feeling of closeness and belonging together. He knew Beverly felt the same way, and although their duties kept them apart occasionally, it was comforting for both of them to know that there always would be someone to return to after a long day of work. After all, that was what the Enterprise was designed for: sharing a home with loved ones, even when the next habitable planet was millions of light-years away. Picard had finally come to appreciate what this meant for his personal life, and he was sure that he would never regret it. The end.
© 1995-2000 by Hester
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