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.

PUBLICATION HISTORY: originally written October 1995-January 1996; first published July 1996; republished here October 2012 with edits throughout

TIME FRAME: Not that it matters too much, but let's set it late in the 3rd season of TNG.

Choices
by Hester (hester4418)

"No!"

Everybody within earshot looked up, glancing at one another questioningly. Nurse Ogawa went over to the lab from where the shout had come, and peered inside.

"Doctor Crusher, is anything wrong?"

Beverly Crusher whirled around, trying to keep the objects on her desk out of Ogawa's sight. "No, Alyssa, thank you."

The nurse looked at her doubtfully.

The Chief Medical Officer managed a smile. "Really Alyssa, everything's just fine. I was merely surprised by the result of one of the experiments I've been working on."

"If you say so, Doctor." Ogawa retreated slowly. "If you need any help..."

"I'll let you know," Beverly finished for her. As soon as the nurse had returned to her work, the doctor closed the lab's door and went back to the desk. She stared at the test kit, unwilling to accept its results. She considered running the test again, but since she had already run it twice, and this particular test had so far proven 100% infallible, there really was no point in trying a third time.

Beverly closed her eyes and sighed deeply, leaning on the desk for support. Looks like I'm in trouble. Damn, why did this have to happen? She shook her head in despair. But when she opened her eyes, the test result assaulted her again. There could be no doubt about it. She was pregnant.

Moving slowly, she proceeded to discard the different parts of the test kit. The part that showed the result went directly into the recycling unit, since she did not want anybody to see it by accident. The safest way was therefore to destroy it right away. By the same reasoning she had refrained from doing a tricorder scan on herself and instead performed a centuries-old lab test. Scans could leave traces in the ship's computer, file fragments that could surface randomly. Maybe she was acting paranoid, but in this delicate case she definitely did not need any witnesses. Not yet anyway.

Her cleaning up completed, Beverly went back to her office, ignoring the curious glances of her staff. She flopped down in the chair behind her desk, trying to sort out her options. You should think that by the 24th century, they would have invented contraceptives that are 100% safe. She still was not sure how it could have happened. Well, of course she knew how, only the why remained dubious. Medicine had come a long way over the past couple of centuries, and family planning was one of the areas where the achievements seemed to fulfill everybody's hopes. Still, there obviously was an exception to every rule.

The sound of her communicator halted her thoughts.

"Doctor, we have received a distress call from a nearby planet," the captain's businesslike voice informed her. "Apparently there has been a major earthquake, and the population requires immediate medical assistance. We will achieve standard orbit in approximately eight minutes, please prepare an emergency team in the meantime. Commanders Riker and Data will accompany you to the surface."

Beverly hesitated. Should she tell him? If she told him now, he would most certainly forbid her to go down to the planet, and an argument was the last thing she wanted right now. Those people needed help. Anyway, she needed more time to think about her situation by herself, so there really was no point in troubling him now. She sighed. She would be in enough trouble when he found out.

Finally, she acknowledged the call, already moving towards sickbay's main area to gather her supplies. "We'll be ready, Captain. The emergency unit will assemble in the transporter room in five minutes."

"Excellent. Picard out."

Within seconds, Beverly forgot all about her personal problems as her team prepared for the task at hand.

-==/\==-

The medical team worked for ten hours straight until the last of the injured had been attended to. Luckily, there had been only a few very light aftershocks, so that the immediate danger had passed. Nonetheless, there had been a lot of serious injuries, and Crusher's team performed many life-saving emergency surgeries. The worst cases were beamed up to the Enterprise's sickbay, whereas people with minor injuries were assigned a place in one of the many make-shift shelters the Enterprise's technicians had set up in record time.

When Beverly returned to the ship she wanted nothing more than to sleep, but instead she went to sickbay to check on the patients there. Finally satisfied that everyone was cared for as well as possible, she found that she was too tired to go all the way to her quarters; her office, much closer and reasonably comfortable, looked a lot more inviting.

Settling heavily in the chair behind her desk, she decided that she might as well go ahead and write a preliminary report about the rescue mission. She had hardly finished the first paragraph, catching herself every now and then from falling asleep, when Picard walked in, his expression hardening when he saw the condition she was in.

"Doctor, you should be in bed," he began without preamble.

She was too tired to pick a fight with him. "You're right, but that would require that I go to my quarters, and I think I'm too exhausted to do that."

His look instantly softened, and he went around her desk to offer her his arm. "I will be only too glad to escort you home. Your team saved a lot of lives today, and now you should get the rest you deserve."

"Isn't that what I always tell you?" She smiled up at him wearily, but obediently turned off the computer screen.

"I thought I'd return the favor."

He supported her as they slowly made their way to her cabin. Once inside, Beverly headed directly for her bed, not even bothering to take off her boots. Picard followed and helped her undress, then covered her with the blanket. She was almost asleep when she remembered something.

Trying to force her eyes open, she reached for his hand. "Jean-Luc, I've got something to tell you. I –"

He silenced her with a gentle kiss and pushed her back into the pillows. "Not now. First you get some sleep, and then we'll talk about it tomorrow, all right?"

Her eyes closed again. "All right," he could hear her murmur, before she finally drifted off to sleep.

-==/\==-

When she woke up the next morning, the first thing Beverly remembered was the test she had taken the day before. The second thing she remembered was her conversation with Jean-Luc right before falling asleep. It had almost slipped out then, although she had decided earlier to make up her own mind first, before talking to him.

She tried to calculate how far along she could be. Six weeks, maybe eight? She honestly didn't know. She had been so busy lately; but it had been a good kind of busy. The kind that made you forget about insignificant details of human biology because you were blissfully enjoying each day in the secure knowledge of being loved, and loving in return. After years of longing, she had finally found happiness again. And now fate had thrown a spanner in the works.

I've got to speak with Deanna, she thought, maybe she can give me some idea as to what I should do. But first she had to think of her work, the injured people in sickbay would need a lot of her attention. After calling Picard to cancel their breakfast because of too much work – and because she did not want to face him yet – Beverly left for sickbay, skipping breakfast altogether. The queasy feeling she got at the mere thought of food already made her wonder if this pregnancy was such a good idea.

-==/\==-

Picard entered sickbay and looked around. One of the nurses, guessing his intentions, pointed in the direction of the lab.

Beverly was examining one of her experiments and did not notice his entrance. He silently moved behind her and slid his arms around her waist. She gasped and turned to face him.

"Jean-Luc! Whatever made you sneak up on me like that?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." He kissed her softly. "I missed you. I haven't seen you all day, so I thought I'd come down and ask you to have dinner with me tonight."

She stiffened slightly, but tried to conceal it by returning his kisses. I've got to tell him. But what'll he say? Damn, I really need to talk to Deanna. She forced herself to relax and leaned her head against his shoulder, savoring his warm embrace.

He stroked her back, trying to smooth away the tension he felt in her muscles. "Is anything wrong?"

He offered her the perfect opening to tell him about her worries, but Beverly could not bring herself to do it. But she could not lie to him, either. "There is something I have to think about, but I can't tell you about it. Not yet." She smiled up at him and caressed his face, trying to dispel his concern. "I will tell you tonight. That is, if the invitation for dinner still stands?"

"Of course it does." His frown deepened despite his words. "Beverly, what's wrong?"

"Please, Jean-Luc." She silenced him with a gentle kiss and hugged him affectionately. "I'll tell you all about it at dinner, I promise. But now I have to get back to my work; these experiments are quite time-consuming."

"All right." Reluctantly, he let go of her, still worried. "What time would you like to eat?"

"About 1900 hours? I haven't had much breakfast this morning, so I'd like to eat a bit earlier than usual, if that's okay with you." She turned back to him and almost had to laugh at his expression. "Jean-Luc, please stop looking at me like that. You make me feel extremely guilty for causing it." She hugged him again, and he pulled her closer to him. "I'm okay, really. I just need a little time. Between yesterday and today, something has happened that shook me up a bit, but it's nothing life-threatening. Please don't worry about it."

"All right." He smiled back, then reluctantly released her and finally turned to leave. "I'll expect you at 1900 then. Don't be late." The twinkle in his eyes reassured her that he would not worry about her anymore until the evening. At least not too much.

"I'll be there. And, Jean-Luc..."

He was almost at the door but turned back at her call.

Beverly smiled at him, love shining in her eyes. "Thanks for visiting."

"Any time, Doctor." The door closed behind him.

Beverly sighed and turned back to her experiments. Why can't this be easier?

-==/\==-

Deanna Troi was surprised when Beverly called her to make an appointment; usually her friend was not this formal when she wanted some advice. On the other hand, her behavior showed the counselor that she needed to talk about something urgent.

The doctor arrived five minutes early, another indication for the seriousness of the situation. Once inside Troi's office, however, she did not know how to begin. Facing the counselor across the low table, Beverly found herself wishing that Deanna could just read her mind, so that she would not have to speak at all.

At last she gathered herself and began. "Deanna, I have a problem."

Troi smiled. "I thought as much, otherwise you wouldn't be here. So, what is it?"

The doctor restlessly shifted in her chair. "Actually, I don't understand how this could happen. According to my experience, the chance is so low, it never should have happened. But it did. And now I don't know what to do. How shall I tell him? How –"

"Beverly," Troi interrupted her, leaning forward and gently placing a hand on her friend's arm. "Why don't you just tell me what the problem is?"

"All right." The CMO took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."

"Beverly, that's wonderful!" The counselor clasped her hands in delight.

"Wonderful? What's so wonderful about that?"

Troi leaned back in surprise. "So you're not happy about it?"

"Happy? Deanna, this is probably the worst thing that could have happened. Just think about what Jean-Luc will say when I tell him. You know how uncomfortable he is around children, and the younger they are, the worse it gets." Beverly jumped up and started pacing about the room, nervously rubbing her hands. "Imagine him with a baby!"

"What you're saying is, you don't know how to tell the captain because you're afraid of how he might react to the prospect of having a child?"

The doctor whirled to face her. "Exactly! He'll probably not want to hear about it at all. And what'll I do if he doesn't want it?"

"But how do you know he won't want it if you haven't talked to him?"

"Deanna, I just told you! He is uncomfortable around children. I wouldn't say that he doesn't like them, but he does want to keep a certain distance from them."

"He might be different with a child of his own."

"I don't think I want to base my decision on that vague possibility."

Deanna rose and went over to take her friend's hands. Looking deep into her eyes, she asked, "Beverly, do you want this child?"

Taken aback, Beverly stared at her. She had been so concerned about Picard's reaction to her pregnancy that she had not stopped to think about her own feelings at all. Slowly sinking back into the chair, she shook her head. "I don't know. I never thought about that."

"You should, and soon. After all, it is your child as well, and your opinion about what should happen to it counts just as much as his."

Beverly sighed. "You're right, of course. I'll think about it, and then I'll tell Jean-Luc tonight – if I manage to make up my mind until then."

"I'm sure you will." Deanna walked her friend to the door, reassuringly pressing her arm. "And I know you'll make the right decision – together."

-==/\==-

When her shift ended, Beverly left sickbay with the intention of returning to her quarters, but instead found herself heading towards the nursery. She stood at the window for half an hour, watching the toddlers crawl around, playing with bricks and stuffed animals, and occasionally chasing each other round the low tables. It would be nice to have one like that again, she thought involuntarily. Wesley is all grown up now, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind having a little baby brother or sister. A wicked smile stole itself upon her lips. Actually, I'd really like to see Jean-Luc with a baby!

The doctor did not notice Commander Data coming up behind her, and when he spoke she jumped in surprise.

"I am sorry Doctor, I did not mean to startle you."

"Oh, that's all right, Data, I was just lost in my thoughts. What did you say?"

"I merely remarked that children are fascinating creatures. They never cease to amaze me with their actions. Do you not think so?"

"They surely are." Crusher turned to Data and regarded him curiously. "Data, when you created Lal, why did you make her an adult? Why not a child?"

"I had considered that possibility." Data kept studying the toddlers. "However, my observance of children of different ages revealed that no matter how intelligent, they are usually treated as inferior by adults. No doubt that is to protect them from possible harm, and the problem resolves itself when they grow up. However, in Lal's case I had to consider that she would outwardly remain the same age for her whole life. Making her a child would have reduced her level of acceptance in society, and she would not have been able to use her superior abilities to her full potential. I wanted to spare her that disappointment."

"And if you had known that she would only live for a short time?"

Data considered this. "That knowledge would probably have had a great influence on my decision." He turned to face the doctor for the first time in their conversation. "I believe the possibility exists that I would have made her a child in that case, so that she could enjoy her short time on the Enterprise in the company of those that would be closest to her in terms of 'mental age'." His attention shifted back to the nursery. "As you may recall, Lal did spend a short time at the school, but the other children refused to let her take part in their games because her behavior seemed strange to them. Had she looked like one of them, they might have accepted her as an equal."

"Data, do you like children?"

The android blinked in surprise at the abrupt question. "As I said, I find it fascinating to study their behavior. Their actions seem to be mostly directed by intuition instead of logic, a concept which is still beyond my ability of understanding."

"No, Data, what I meant is, do you think it is good and right to have children aboard the Enterprise?"

Suddenly Data thought he knew what the doctor was talking about. "No doubt you are referring to Captain Picard's reserve in this matter?"

Reluctantly, the doctor nodded.

"In my opinion, which is based on numerous observations, having one's family on board increases the quality of life for those concerned, because they do not have to suffer long separations from their spouses and children. As a result, this also accounts for greater work efficiency. I am certain that by now Captain Picard has come to appreciate this factor of family life on the Enterprise." He looked at her again. "His change of opinion is also emphasized by the fact that he chose to pursue a relationship with you, thereby rejecting the solitary life that was common among starship captains only a century ago."

Beverly blushed slightly, but Data did not seem to notice.

"And if I may say so, Doctor, it also appears to me that the captain is dealing quite well with the families and especially the children on board. Only last week I saw him at the school, where he explained to them the importance of deep space exploration."

"Really?" He never told me he had been to the school. "Well, Data, this conversation has been most interesting, but I think I should be going. Thank you very much for sharing your opinions with me. I think you actually helped me solve a personal problem."

"It was a pleasure talking to you, Doctor." Data inclined his head slightly, then went back to watching the toddlers while Beverly retreated towards the turbolift.

-==/\==-

"Riker to Doctor Crusher."

"Yes, go ahead, Commander." The doctor had almost arrived at her quarters, but she stopped at Riker's next words.

"The colony called to ask if we could take up a couple more of the injured. Apparently they are running out of space and personnel to treat the more serious cases. Do you think it would be possible?"

"Technically yes, although we would have to convert the quarantine section to accommodate them. Shall I make the necessary arrangements?"

"Actually, I'd rather send you down to the planet to sort out who should be beamed up." Riker's voice turned apologetic. "Sorry, Beverly, I know you're off-duty –"

"I'm on my way," she interrupted him, bypassing her quarters and continuing down the corridor toward the nearest turbolift. "Don't worry, Will, I'll take care of it."

"Thank you. I'll have somebody meet you with the necessary equipment. Riker out."

A little more time to think, Beverly thought. Although by now I'm actually pretty sure what I'm going to tell Jean-Luc. The question is, will he like it?

She pushed the thought aside when she reached the transporter room. One of the nurses was already there and handed her a tricorder and medical kit. Without hesitating further, the doctor stepped onto the transporter platform to beam down to the planet.

-==/\==-

In what remained of the colony, chaos was barely controlled. Crowds were moving everywhere, in search of food, shelter and lost relatives. Beverly practically had to force her way to the large tent that served as a makeshift hospital, where a local doctor awaited her.

"Glad to see you." He shook her hand. "I am Doctor Menhar, currently in charge of this facility. If you can call it a 'facility' at all." He gestured inside, where people lay on long rows of low camp-beds. "We can take care of most of them, but some of the injuries are worse than they seemed at first. We just don't have the means to treat them."

Beverly followed him inside, quickly noting that most injuries consisted of broken bones, scrapes and bruises. In one corner of the room however, there were several patients who looked worse than the rest. One of them appeared unconscious, and Beverly rushed to his side immediately. Scanning the man with her tricorder, she discovered severe internal bleeding and signaled for him to be beamed up without further delay. Then she turned to the other patients.

"Why didn't you tell us about this earlier?" she asked while running the tricorder over a little girl, then turned to another man.

Doctor Menhar shrugged. "There was so much to do, and we just didn't have enough instruments to scan everybody at once. Some of the internal injuries went undetected, and only now that things are calming down a bit we can actually take the time to examine everyone in more detail. Unfortunately, as I said before, we just don't have the means to treat all of the serious cases. Hell, we don't even know where to put them anymore. If you don't have room for them either, they'll die."

Beverly shot him an angry look. "As long as I am CMO on the Enterprise, these people will not die simply because of lack of space. And I don't care if I have to convert a cargo bay to make room for them all." She signaled for another series of beam-ups, then turned back to Menhar. "Maybe you should return to your other patients, Doctor," she said pointedly. "If there is as much to do as you say, you had better get on with it. I will take care of these people."

"Very well, Doctor." He pretended not to notice the trace of sarcasm in her voice. "Thank you for your help."

"Don't mention it."

Half an hour later, thirty more injured colonists had been beamed up to the Enterprise. Satisfied that the remaining patients were adequately cared for, Beverly left the hospital tent, busily scanning the passing individuals outside but finding no more serious injuries. She was right about to signal for beam-up when a violent aftershock sent her tumbling to the ground. The building she had been standing next to collapsed, and Beverly was buried beneath the debris.

-==/\==-

Picard was tense. Every passing minute reduced the chance that his Chief Medical Officer could be rescued alive, and although he knew he should be prepared for such a situation, he suddenly realized he was not. He had taken great pains to ensure that his personal relationship with Beverly Crusher would not influence his decisions whether to send her down into potentially dangerous situations, but nonetheless he found himself unable to face the possibility of losing her now. The aftershock had occurred suddenly and without any warning signs, so there had been no way for them to inform the population on the planet. Luckily, most of the colonists had been outside, their houses having been destroyed in the first earthquake. So far, Beverly seemed to be the only individual who had actually been caught beneath a falling structure, and a team from the Enterprise was working feverishly to get her out. They had to be very careful, in order not to upset any more of the collapsed building's remains, and meanwhile Beverly's life signs were getting weaker. She was obviously badly injured.

Finally, the liberating call came. "We've got her! Transporter room, beam us directly to sickbay, and make it quick!"

Picard jumped up and hastened to the turbolift. "You have the bridge, Number One. I will be in sickbay."

The whole bridge crew followed the captain with their eyes as he left. Deanna Troi briefly wondered if Beverly had had the time to tell him about her pregnancy yet. It seemed rather unlikely. Well, she thought, if he doesn't know it by now, he'll certainly find out soon enough. Turning back to the view screen, she could not help wondering how he would react.

-==/\==-

Sickbay was crowded when Picard arrived. At first he wondered what all the people were doing there, but then he realized that Beverly was the center of everybody's attention, and the seriousness of her condition hit him full force. He grasped the door frame to steady himself and did not notice the approach of Doctor Selar until she stood directly in front of him.

"Captain," she began without preamble, "we do not have much time, so I am coming right to the point. Doctor Crusher's injuries are very serious, and she has lost a lot of blood. We may not be able to save them both. You should be prepared for every eventuality."

Picard stared at her, not able to make sense of what she was saying. "What do you mean, 'both'?"

The doctor's eyebrow rose, a sure sign for Vulcan exasperation. "Her and the child, of course."

For the second time within two minutes, Picard needed the assistance of the door frame to keep upright. "Child?" he echoed.

Doctor Selar finally understood. "You did not know that she is pregnant?"

The captain could only shake his head.

"We did not know about it, either, until we ran the first tests and it suddenly showed up on our monitors. I had assumed that you –" She broke off, remembering the decisions that had to be made. "But as I said, we may not be able to save them both. The fetus is still too undeveloped to survive independently, so that makes Doctor Crusher our priority."

His response was purely instinctive. "If you have to choose, save Beverly." The doctor was already turning away when he called her back, desperately trying to keep his voice steady. "Doctor, if there is a way, any way at all – save the baby as well. Please."

The doctor nodded. "We will do everything we can."

Picard just barely managed to walk over to Beverly's office, from where he would be able to observe without being in the way. Once arrived, he heavily settled in a chair, closing his eyes. His thoughts raced, moving from Beverly and whether she would survive to why she had not told him about her pregnancy. He found himself strangely excited at the thought of her expecting a baby, and he sincerely hoped that the medical staff would be able to save both her and the unborn child. In his mind's eye, he pictured Beverly with an infant, nursing and cuddling her, smiling in delight. He could remember her with Wesley shortly after his birth, and Jack as the proud father. Picard smiled, but the smile faded quickly. If only she survived...

He was startled out of his thoughts when Nurse Ogawa entered the room and lightly touched his arm. Picard opened his eyes and searched the woman's face. To his relief she was smiling.

"It was close, but modern technology can work wonders. Doctor Selar is still with her, but she wanted me to inform you right away. Doctor Crusher will have to stay in sickbay for about two weeks, but then she'll be fine."

"And the baby?" He was almost too afraid to ask.

"The baby is fine as well. There is no reason why the pregnancy should not proceed normally." Ogawa's smile broadened. "Congratulations, Captain."

"Thank you." Picard suddenly felt very self-conscious. "May I see her?"

"She is sleeping now and should not be waking up for the next twelve hours. You can visit her for a couple of minutes, but then you had better leave and return tomorrow morning. She'll probably want to see you when she wakes up."

"Thank you, Ensign." He rose and proceeded towards the door. On the threshold he turned back and smiled. "For everything."

"My pleasure, Captain." She guided him to the private room where Beverly slept. By now, Doctor Selar had left as well, so they were alone.

Jean-Luc pulled up a chair and sat down next to the bed, taking Beverly's hand in both of his. She was still very pale, livid bruises showing against her skin, but he trusted Ogawa's words that she was going to be fine.

A stray lock had fallen over Beverly's face, and Picard gently brushed it aside. "Why didn't you tell me?" he whispered, softly stroking her hand. "Did you think I would be upset? Well, I probably would have been at first, but when thinking about it seriously..." He kissed the palm of her hand and rested it against his cheek, smiling warmly. "I could think of nothing more wonderful than having a child with you." He kissed her hand again, then carefully replaced it on the blanket and bend over to kiss her forehead. "I'll be back tomorrow morning, and when you wake up we can talk about everything. The most important thing now is that you get better."

After a last glance at the sleeping woman he left and retired to his quarters, but his thoughts remained with her the whole night.

-==/\==-

The next morning, it was all over the ship. As Picard made his way to sickbay, at least a dozen crew members congratulated him. He grimaced inwardly. He would have preferred having a little more time to discuss Beverly's pregnancy with her in private, but the ship's grapevine had spread the news faster than lightning.

Beverly was still asleep when he arrived, and he sat down next to her, taking her hand again. About ten minutes later she stirred, and her eyes opened slowly.

"What happened?" She recognized at once that she was in sickbay, but she had no idea why. Her eyelids were heavy, but she struggled to keep them open and stay awake. "Why am I here?"

Jean-Luc caressed her hand reassuringly and pushed her back into the pillows when she tried to sit up. "Lie still. You've had an accident and lost a lot of blood, but you'll be fine." He wanted to add 'You and the baby', but since she still looked very confused, he kept it to himself.

Beverly tried to take a look at the readouts above her head, but everything started to spin when she moved too fast. She finally sank back, thoughtfully regarding the man by her side. The relief she could read in his face told her that her injuries must have been quite severe, and that her survival had not been certain. She was all the more glad to be talking to him now, and pressed his hand affectionately. Then she remembered the baby.

For a moment, all her senses went completely numb. She realized she did not even know whether she was still pregnant. With injuries so severe, it seemed more than likely that she had lost the child, before even getting the chance of telling Picard of its existence. But maybe she had not. Maybe some miracle had spared the unborn baby's life as well as hers. There was only one way to find out.

"Jean-Luc?"

He looked at her, his warm smile enveloping her. He certainly would know by now, one way or the other.

Drawing on his strength, Beverly forced herself to continue. Her voice quivered slightly when she spoke again. "I have to tell you something..."

He shook his head. "You don't. I already know." He saw the anxiety in her eyes and hurried on, his smile becoming even broader. "The baby is fine, just as you will be fine in a couple of days. Doctor Selar and Nurse Ogawa say you don't need to worry at all." He bent over to kiss her, the happiness in his eyes reflecting her unspeakable relief. In a voice that betrayed the deep love he felt for her, he added, "And I am as happy as I could possibly be."

Tears of overwhelming joy welled up in Beverly's eyes as she reached out to him. He embraced her and held her close, whispering words of reassurance as she gave in to the urge to cry, all her concerns about his reaction to her pregnancy falling away in the light of their shared happiness. Neither of them noticed Doctor Selar appear in the doorway.

The doctor regarded the scene for a few moments, then withdrew as quietly as she had come. Her examinations could wait.

After several minutes, Beverly pulled back. Laughing, she wiped the last of the tears away. "I really shouldn't be crying like this. What'll you think of me!"

"I think you're very happy," Jean-Luc assured her. "And I'm sorry you were in such turmoil yesterday. I assume that was partially my fault?"

Beverly nodded, embarrassment coloring her cheeks. "I couldn't tell you when you came to see me in the lab, because I'd only known about it for a couple of hours myself. And I wasn't sure..."

"You weren't sure how I would react?" he finished for her.

"Exactly. But then I went to the nursery to watch all the other children, and I suddenly realized that I wanted this baby, no matter what you'd say. Of course I hoped that you'd want it, too, but I would not have taken 'no' for an answer. I was going to tell you last night."

"It was rather a shock when I was first told that you were pregnant. On top of that, it was uncertain whether you or the baby would even survive your injuries." He pressed her hand and smiled, but she could see in his face how hard it had been on him. "I knew I did not want to lose you; but while the doctors were working on you and I had time to think, I realized that I did not want to lose the child, either. Our child." He self-consciously bit his lip. "Beverly, I don't know if I'll be a good father, especially considering the way I have behaved towards the children on the Enterprise so far. But I'm willing to try and –"

"I'm sure you will be a wonderful father," she assured him, lying her hand on the back of his neck to pull him down for another kiss. Then she looked around. "So, when can I get out of here?"

There was so much determination in her voice that Picard could not help laughing. "The verdict is that you will have to stay in sickbay for two weeks – at least," he added, not being able to resist teasing her.

"Two weeks!" Beverly was annoyed. "There is no way I'm staying here for two weeks. I feel much better already."

Picard sighed in mock desperation. "Beverly, just remember how you always tell me to trust my doctor's judgment. This time, you will have to follow your own advice."

"But I'm the CMO, I should know best when I am well enough to leave sickbay."

They were still discussing the point when Doctor Selar made her reappearance.

-==/\==-

Seven months later, Beverly Crusher and Jean-Luc Picard found themselves in the exact same places again; she lying in bed in sickbay, he close by her side. But this time, there was someone else in the room.

Jean-Luc reached out a hand and softly stroked the cheek of his sleeping infant daughter, nestled in her mother's arms. Flaming red hair covered the baby's head, and in her sleep she looked every inch like Beverly. "She is beautiful," he whispered, smiling up at the woman he loved more than anything, his gaze full of wonder. "And she's perfect."

"Of course she is." Beverly returned the smile with one of her own and leaned over to kiss him. "She's the captain's daughter, how could she be anything less than perfect?"

The baby stirred and yawned. Hazel eyes popped open, mirroring Picard's gaze.

He was mesmerized by the little girl's unwavering look and reached out to touch her tiny hand. It closed tightly around his index finger. "What shall we call her?"

Beverly smiled. "How about 'Yvette'?"

When he looked up at her, there were tears in his eyes. "Are you serious?"

She nodded.

He kissed her, then his gaze returned to the baby, his smile even deeper than before. "Welcome to the Enterprise, Yvette."

-==/ The End \==-