When We Two Parted

Disclaimer: If only the rights belonged to me, then I would have gotten P/C together in the TV series. But as it is, I don't own them so please don't sue. I am only using for the enjoyment and not for the profit.

Summary: Beverly spends time with a man she thought dead and truths, deceit and broken promises are revealed.

Rating: PG-13

A/n: Many thanks to Jamie, my utterly wonderful beta and who is also a great sounding board for my ideas, whether they are good or are utter tripe.

When We Two Parted

Chapter One: Back Early.

Chief Medical Officer's Log: Personal.

For the past two months, I have been corresponding daily with Walker Keel, a man I once thought to be dead. His supposed death six years ago, was all part of an elaborate plan to deceive the alien neural parasites that attached themselves to a few high ranking admirals. He's been undercover ever since and has only just returned to Federation space. To say I was shocked to hear from him would be an understatement and I approached the situation cautiously. Yes, he looked like Walker, sounded like him, but how could I be sure it wasn't a doppleganger? During our correspondence, he's managed to convince me that he is indeed my old, dear friend. However, I have stated that I want to do a full medical work up on him when we meet on Starbase 16. I am very much looking forward to seeing him again and I suggested that Jean-Luc should join us, but Walker is insistent that he does no such thing. I know things weren't easy between them after Jack's death, but I thought they might have laid old ghosts to rest when Walker contacted Jean-Luc six years ago. Perhaps what went on between them can't be fixed as easily as I thought.

Beverly Crusher had just signed off her computer when the chime to her quarters chirped, letting her know that she had a visitor. She looked over the chronometer and wondered who would be calling on her so late in the evening. The doors hissed open at her command and she was taken aback to see Jean-Luc Picard standing in her doorway. Normally, the captain turning up at her quarters was a usual occurrence, but that was when he was onboard and not when he was supposed to be on shore leave. Surely three weeks hadn't gone by since she had last seen him. It couldn't have been and that gave only one possible answer: that he had returned early.

As she regarded him, she wasn't sure if she was as pleased to see him as she usually was when either of them had taken shore leave or been away on a mission. The argument they'd had the evening before his departure was still heavy on her mind. Though, in retrospect it had been over something trivial, she didn't enjoy having how she ran her sickbay questioned. It had been busy in sickbay; the Enterprise had been called to help evacuate a planet whose weather grid had malfunctioned, causing torrential rain and the banks of the rivers to overflow. Beverly and her staff had been working around the clock dealing with casualties. After most of her staff had pulled a twenty-three hour shift and the panic was finally over when Beverly sent her staff off their quarters to freshen up and sleep. She had just finished tidying up when Jean-Luc waltzed in and demanded to know why the gamma shift was not occupying sickbay. She hadn't been in the mood for his tone of voice and had quickly let her fiery temper get hold of her. She had pretty much told him where to go and not to bother coming back for a very long time. Then she had stormed out of sickbay, nearly knocking over two relief nurses who had volunteered to man sickbay while the others got some sleep. The next morning she had deleted a message on her computer from him without even reading it and did not go and see him off in the transporter room.

"Hello," he said somewhat sheepishly as he stepped into her quarters.

"You're back a lot sooner than expected," she replied as she rose from the chair and made her way over to the nearest viewport. "Concerned Will would blow her up?"

"I have every faith in Data not to let Will do that," he answered with a small smile. "I'm back because Nella was called back to her ship early. A new star is forming."

Nella. Now that was a name that stuck in Beverly's throat like a dry cracker. Nella 'I Am the Most Interesting Person in Space' Darren had come back into Jean-Luc's life two months ago, and since the captain needn't worry about having a relationship with a member of his crew now, their relationship was progressing nicely. Listening to Jean-Luc's conversations about Nella had found a place on Beverly's 'Least Want to Experience' list and only missed out of the top spot because Beverly really didn't want to be assimilated by the Borg.

"You could have stayed," she said as she looked out at the stars.

"I didn't see the point," he answered. "I couldn't see the point spending it alone."

Beverly turned around to face him and crossed her arms across her chest. He looked slightly uncomfortable standing in the middle of her living room and kept shifting his weight from foot to foot.

"Well," she began. "It's getting late and I was preparing for bed so if you wouldn't mind..."

"Are you still annoyed with me about what happened last week?" he questioned.

"No," she answered. "Well, slightly. You know from my reports how we worked around the clock. We didn't have breaks, we didn't even have time to eat, and I told my staff to rest because they needed it. You step into my sickbay and start spouting rules and regulations at me before even bothering to enquire about what was going on."

She really didn't want to get into another argument with him about it, but it seemed to be heading that way. She really needed to rein in her temper, but then she'd been trying for years, and it didn't seem like it wanted to be tamed. It wasn't only the argument that annoyed her; it was also the fact that he had gone off on leave a day after the chaos. He was entitled to leave. In fact, she usually had to order him to take it. She wasn't begrudging him his leave, but she did begrudge him spending it with Nella. Beverly had been inwardly cursing herself all week for getting all riled up over his relationship with the lieutenant commander; she had no right to sulk about his love life.

"I admit that I handled it the wrong way, Beverly," he admitted. "I'd been working hard and I had to be up early to catch my transport."

Beverly looked away and rolled her eyes. What was it about Nella Darren that made Jean-Luc want to rush to be with her? From what Beverly had experienced during Nella's stay, it certainly wasn't her scintillating conversation.

"Yes," said Beverly, turning her attention back to the captain. "You were wrong."

"Well, now that we've established that I was wrong," he said, relief evident in his voice, "I was wondering if you would accompany me to Starbase 16 tomorrow for lunch. After all, I'm still on shore leave so I don't want to waste it."

Beverly managed to curb her acidic reply by taking a deep breath before answering. "Sorry Jean-Luc," she answered. "But I already have plans."

"When I spoke to the others, they didn't mention you had anything planned with them, so I just assumed..."

Beverly felt her temper flare up again. Had she been his last choice of companion? Had he just assumed that she would be willing to drop everything to go somewhere with him?

"It may come as a surprise to you," she said, trying not to sound to angry. "I do have other friends."

"Who?" he questioned.

"I don't think it's any of your business," she said as she made her way over to door and pressed the pad to open the them. "Goodnight, Captain." She glared at him, letting him know that he was no longer welcome in her quarters.

He wasn't a stupid man, so he quickly got the message and made his way out into the corridor. "Goodnight Doc—" he began, but Beverly had already closed and locked the doors.

To be continued...