Disclaimer: I don't own anything of Star Trek (though don't I wish I
did…wouldn't have to deal with student loans!) Paramount owns the series
and Gene Roddenberry is the genius behind it all. I own Kate, and that's
about it.
A/N-This is an AU fic, set somewhere in between the episodes "The Game" and "First Duty". Kate Addleton is my own creation, added primarily because I always thought their should have been another youngish (she's a few years older than Wesley) crew member (and another woman), so that's where Kate came from. "After All" is only one of the adventures of Kate, others hopefully to come in the not-so-distant future. So, without further adieu…
"After All"
Part One
Wesley Crusher materialized in Transporter Room three right on time. His mother, Dr. Beverly Crusher was pacing nervously around the room, driving Captain Jean-Luc Picard out of his mind. When Wesley materialized, Dr. Crusher rushed up on the transporter pad to embrace her son. For several seconds she remained there, holding her maternal embrace. She broke away, and holding him at arms length, looked him from head to toe. Then she hugged him again.
Breaking away, Wesley said, "Hold off Mom, you have all week to smother me."
"I'm sorry Wesley," Dr. Crusher replied, giving her son an affectionate squeeze.
"Welcome aboard Cadet Crusher," Capt. Picard said, the tone of his voice as warm and inviting as any dear friend's would be. He shook Wesley's hand and smiled, admiring the boy's firm handshake. "How have your classes been going?" he asked.
Wesley hesitated to answer. "They're going fine, I suppose," he answered, "But I'm glad to have a break."
Picard accepted this answer without any more questions, but Dr. Crusher's eyebrows shot up quickly. There was something wrong with her son, but she couldn't tell exactly what it was. She soon relaxed though. After all, Wesley would soon tell her what was bothering him. Or he'd tell Capt. Picard or Kate, or Commander Will Riker.
It was almost as if Wesley had read his mother's mind, because the next words out of his mouth were, "Where's Kate?"
Neither Capt. Picard nor Dr. Crusher was the slightest bit surprised by Wesley's question. The two had become great friends since their first mission at Farpoint.
"I'm not sure Wesley," Picard admitted. "Computer, what is the location of Lieutenant Kate Addleton?" The computer promptly replied, "Lt. Addleton is in Holodeck four." Picard nodded and gestured with his hand as to give Wesley leave to go find his friend.
Wesley left and took his bags with him, though he wasn't planning on stopping by his quarters first. Instead he headed straight for Holodeck four. When he got there, the door opened quietly to the scene of Kate, in loose fitting clothing, sweat covering her forehead. She was battling imaginary foes, a double-edged knife in her hand, and one small cut on her left arm. Wesley remained still and quiet, as to not disturb her, but Kate's senses were on overload, and she already knew he was there. Quickly she dispatched her other enemies and took a triumphant bow in Wesley's direction. Before and other villains arrived she called, "Computer, end program." Immediately, all the things surrounding them, the city ally, the dead bodies, everything, disappeared like thin air. Only Kate remained, and Wesley liked it that way.
"Welcome home Cadet," Kate called, with not an ounce of the formality the greeting alluded to. She hugged him firmly, then held him at arms length, just as his mother had. Looking over him, she could tell that something was bothering him. With out giving him time to explain, she said, "You need to talk, huh?" Wesley only nodded. "All right. I need some time to clean up. I'll meet you in Ten Forward in, say, an hour?"
Wesley agreed to the meeting time, then picked up his bags and walked with Kate back to his room. They chatted quietly like old friends, trying to ignore the problem obviously weighing on Wesley's mind. He dropped Kate off in her quarters and then headed back to his own. Luckily, his mother was not there when he returned. He didn't want to have to explain things to his mother before talking them out with Kate first.
Half an hour passed and Wesley couldn't stand staring at the walls in his quarters anymore. So he decided to go stare at the walls in Ten Forward. Plus he knew that if Kate couldn't help him, the only other person who could was in Ten Forward. Guinan. So Wesley moped down to Ten Forward and unfortunately, he didn't see Guinan. Not really wanted to talk to just a bartender, Wesley ordered a drink, found a table next to the view window and literally stared off into space.
It wasn't long before Kate showed up, earlier than she had planned. When the door swooshed open, she scanned the crowd. When she saw Wesley, she sighed at his pitiful state. She also caught the eye of Guinan, who had herself just arrived. Kate made her way through the thin crown and say down across from Wesley.
"So, what's the problem?" she asked, wasting no time. "Is it school?" she added, trying to help him along.
"No school is fine. All that's fine. It's just…" Wesley hesitated. "Is there something wrong with me?" be asked quickly, forgetting his fear. "Am I completely pathetic or something?"
Kate covered her mouth with her hands to stifle the giggling. She shook her head slightly and said, "No. What makes you think that?"
Now Wesley was seeing how silly his questioning had been, and he was laughing quietly too. He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know," he admitted. "Sometimes it just seems like I'm the only person at the Academy without a social life. I spend more time in my room studying than anyone."
"You're very selective," Kate commented, only half serious. "You don't want just any girl." Wesley nodded, seeming to agree, but Kate could tell that he still wasn't comforted. Knowing this, she searched her mind for something to tell him that may help him. In the back of her head, she found something. "Have you ever heard the phrase, 'Great minds search for years for an answer, while a child can see everything?"
Wesley thought for a moment. "I think I've heard it, but I don't really understand it."
"I didn't either," Kate said, "not for a long time. Then I realized that I was thinking too hard. That's the point. If you try to look too hard for something, you'll never find it. You should just relax and don't stress about it, and you'll probably find what you're looking for. You never know, what you're looking for may be right in front of your nose."
Wesley started to say something, but he forgot what it was when Guinan approached. "Is there anything I can help you with?" she asked.
"No Guinan," Wesley said, "I think Kate has everything under control."
"Oh really?" Guinan mused. "Well, it seems I'm being replaced. Soon everyone will go to Kate with their problems, and not me." Guinan smiled, not being serious at all.
"Well," Kate offered, "I did learn from the best." She stretched out her arm, and Guinan took the invitation and sat down.
"So, what was the problem?" Guinan asked gently, not wanting to pry.
"Just some minor thing," Wesley said, shooting Kate a sly look. She interpreted it well to mean that she should keep shut about their conversation. The three talked a little longer until Wesley admitted that he was a little tired and went back to his quarters to take a nap. Kate and Guinan watched him leave then exchanged a look only the two of them understood.
"You know," Guinan said, "That poor boy has so many problems that even between the two of us, I don't think we'll ever straighten him out."
"Oh, he'll be fine," Kate said confidently. "He'll be just fine."
TBC…
A/N-This is an AU fic, set somewhere in between the episodes "The Game" and "First Duty". Kate Addleton is my own creation, added primarily because I always thought their should have been another youngish (she's a few years older than Wesley) crew member (and another woman), so that's where Kate came from. "After All" is only one of the adventures of Kate, others hopefully to come in the not-so-distant future. So, without further adieu…
"After All"
Part One
Wesley Crusher materialized in Transporter Room three right on time. His mother, Dr. Beverly Crusher was pacing nervously around the room, driving Captain Jean-Luc Picard out of his mind. When Wesley materialized, Dr. Crusher rushed up on the transporter pad to embrace her son. For several seconds she remained there, holding her maternal embrace. She broke away, and holding him at arms length, looked him from head to toe. Then she hugged him again.
Breaking away, Wesley said, "Hold off Mom, you have all week to smother me."
"I'm sorry Wesley," Dr. Crusher replied, giving her son an affectionate squeeze.
"Welcome aboard Cadet Crusher," Capt. Picard said, the tone of his voice as warm and inviting as any dear friend's would be. He shook Wesley's hand and smiled, admiring the boy's firm handshake. "How have your classes been going?" he asked.
Wesley hesitated to answer. "They're going fine, I suppose," he answered, "But I'm glad to have a break."
Picard accepted this answer without any more questions, but Dr. Crusher's eyebrows shot up quickly. There was something wrong with her son, but she couldn't tell exactly what it was. She soon relaxed though. After all, Wesley would soon tell her what was bothering him. Or he'd tell Capt. Picard or Kate, or Commander Will Riker.
It was almost as if Wesley had read his mother's mind, because the next words out of his mouth were, "Where's Kate?"
Neither Capt. Picard nor Dr. Crusher was the slightest bit surprised by Wesley's question. The two had become great friends since their first mission at Farpoint.
"I'm not sure Wesley," Picard admitted. "Computer, what is the location of Lieutenant Kate Addleton?" The computer promptly replied, "Lt. Addleton is in Holodeck four." Picard nodded and gestured with his hand as to give Wesley leave to go find his friend.
Wesley left and took his bags with him, though he wasn't planning on stopping by his quarters first. Instead he headed straight for Holodeck four. When he got there, the door opened quietly to the scene of Kate, in loose fitting clothing, sweat covering her forehead. She was battling imaginary foes, a double-edged knife in her hand, and one small cut on her left arm. Wesley remained still and quiet, as to not disturb her, but Kate's senses were on overload, and she already knew he was there. Quickly she dispatched her other enemies and took a triumphant bow in Wesley's direction. Before and other villains arrived she called, "Computer, end program." Immediately, all the things surrounding them, the city ally, the dead bodies, everything, disappeared like thin air. Only Kate remained, and Wesley liked it that way.
"Welcome home Cadet," Kate called, with not an ounce of the formality the greeting alluded to. She hugged him firmly, then held him at arms length, just as his mother had. Looking over him, she could tell that something was bothering him. With out giving him time to explain, she said, "You need to talk, huh?" Wesley only nodded. "All right. I need some time to clean up. I'll meet you in Ten Forward in, say, an hour?"
Wesley agreed to the meeting time, then picked up his bags and walked with Kate back to his room. They chatted quietly like old friends, trying to ignore the problem obviously weighing on Wesley's mind. He dropped Kate off in her quarters and then headed back to his own. Luckily, his mother was not there when he returned. He didn't want to have to explain things to his mother before talking them out with Kate first.
Half an hour passed and Wesley couldn't stand staring at the walls in his quarters anymore. So he decided to go stare at the walls in Ten Forward. Plus he knew that if Kate couldn't help him, the only other person who could was in Ten Forward. Guinan. So Wesley moped down to Ten Forward and unfortunately, he didn't see Guinan. Not really wanted to talk to just a bartender, Wesley ordered a drink, found a table next to the view window and literally stared off into space.
It wasn't long before Kate showed up, earlier than she had planned. When the door swooshed open, she scanned the crowd. When she saw Wesley, she sighed at his pitiful state. She also caught the eye of Guinan, who had herself just arrived. Kate made her way through the thin crown and say down across from Wesley.
"So, what's the problem?" she asked, wasting no time. "Is it school?" she added, trying to help him along.
"No school is fine. All that's fine. It's just…" Wesley hesitated. "Is there something wrong with me?" be asked quickly, forgetting his fear. "Am I completely pathetic or something?"
Kate covered her mouth with her hands to stifle the giggling. She shook her head slightly and said, "No. What makes you think that?"
Now Wesley was seeing how silly his questioning had been, and he was laughing quietly too. He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know," he admitted. "Sometimes it just seems like I'm the only person at the Academy without a social life. I spend more time in my room studying than anyone."
"You're very selective," Kate commented, only half serious. "You don't want just any girl." Wesley nodded, seeming to agree, but Kate could tell that he still wasn't comforted. Knowing this, she searched her mind for something to tell him that may help him. In the back of her head, she found something. "Have you ever heard the phrase, 'Great minds search for years for an answer, while a child can see everything?"
Wesley thought for a moment. "I think I've heard it, but I don't really understand it."
"I didn't either," Kate said, "not for a long time. Then I realized that I was thinking too hard. That's the point. If you try to look too hard for something, you'll never find it. You should just relax and don't stress about it, and you'll probably find what you're looking for. You never know, what you're looking for may be right in front of your nose."
Wesley started to say something, but he forgot what it was when Guinan approached. "Is there anything I can help you with?" she asked.
"No Guinan," Wesley said, "I think Kate has everything under control."
"Oh really?" Guinan mused. "Well, it seems I'm being replaced. Soon everyone will go to Kate with their problems, and not me." Guinan smiled, not being serious at all.
"Well," Kate offered, "I did learn from the best." She stretched out her arm, and Guinan took the invitation and sat down.
"So, what was the problem?" Guinan asked gently, not wanting to pry.
"Just some minor thing," Wesley said, shooting Kate a sly look. She interpreted it well to mean that she should keep shut about their conversation. The three talked a little longer until Wesley admitted that he was a little tired and went back to his quarters to take a nap. Kate and Guinan watched him leave then exchanged a look only the two of them understood.
"You know," Guinan said, "That poor boy has so many problems that even between the two of us, I don't think we'll ever straighten him out."
"Oh, he'll be fine," Kate said confidently. "He'll be just fine."
TBC…