An Enterprise Christmas
By: Crusher1701
Word Count: 3164
Summary: The crew of the Enterprise celebrates Christmas, with a twist. Jean-Luc brings an old naval tradition from Earth to the Enterprise. The spare time afford allows two people to get closer.
Looking at the crew roster, Jean-Luc Picard groaned loudly. Surely there was a crew member younger than the 17 year old acting ensign. It was Earth's Christmas Eve, and as per old Earth naval tradition, the youngest crew member was to become Captain on Christmas Day. The last few years they had been unable to partake in the tradition due to the nature of their missions at this time of the year. Standing up, he left his ready room for the turbolift. He hoped that none of the bridge crew would talk to him, he was going to bed, not wanting to think how badly Wesley would ruin his ship, and whether or not Commander Riker would be able to fix it in time.
"Captain, are you leaving now?" Counselor Troi asked him.
"Yes," he replied. "Ten Forward, 1000 hours tomorrow, don't forget. I'll see you there."
Deanna nodded and Jean-Luc stepped onto the turbolift. Calling out for Deck 8, he waited impatiently until he could step out of the turbolift and go straight for his quarters. Upon arrival, he rushed inside and made himself a cup of Earl Grey, picked up his copy of "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare", and walked into his bedroom to get ready for bed.
He read Shakespeare and drank his tea until he was tired and he called for the computer to turn off his lights.
At 0100 hours, Beverly slipped into Jean-Luc's quarters to leave his gift for him. She didn't want to give it to him in person in case she couldn't get him alone, it was too personal to give to him in front of the crew. Leaving it on his desk, she slipped out of his quarters as quietly as she had entered.
Jean-Luc woke, sensing Beverly's presence. He called out to her, hoping against logic and reason that she would be there in his quarters with him. When he heard no response, he turned over and fell asleep once again. As always, it was only a dream.
Six and a half hours later, Jean-Luc woke again, unsure if he was ready to face the day or not. He showered and shaved before dressing and replicating a command tunic for Wesley, so he didn't have to wear his grey one. He had two and a half hours left as Captain before Wesley took over for the rest of the day. Leaving the tunic in his quarters, he headed for the Crusher quarters to have breakfast with Beverly and the young man who would soon be responsible for his ship.
Ringing the chime, he waited for Beverly to invite him in. When the door slid open, Beverly was standing in front of him still wearing her nightgown and holding a cup of tea. When she saw him standing at her door, she smiled. "Come in," she said, stepping aside.
Walking into the Crusher quarters, he saw Wesley sitting on the sofa looking at a gift with awe.
"Wes, say good morning to the Captain," Beverly scolded her son lightly.
Wesley smiled as he looked up. "Good morning Captain. Look what mom got me!" Standing up, he went to show Jean-Luc the gift.
Looking, Jean-Luc saw it was a set of engineering tools that would certainly come in handy for duty shifts in Engineering. "Very nice," he remarked.
Nodding excitedly, Wesley sat back down. Looking beside him, Jean-Luc saw Beverly smiling at him.
"Can I talk to you privately for a moment?" she asked. At his nod, she told Wesley to go and get dressed. Obeying his mother, he went into his bedroom and shut the door. Beverly gestured for Jean-Luc to take a seat on the sofa, which he did. Beverly sat beside him and looked at her hands which were placed in her lap.
She wanted to ask him if he had received the gift she had left for him. Why else would he have come to their quarters?
"Jean-Luc," she began. "Did you get the gift I left for you in your quarters?"
Jean-Luc furrowed his brow before shaking his head. "I didn't even see it, but I was in a rush to get here, you see," he explained. It dawned on him in that moment that Beverly had indeed been in his quarters that morning in the early hours. It hadn't been a dream, but she must have left before he had woken up.
Beverly gave him a small smile before patting him on the arm. "It's alright, I'd just hoped that you'd opened the gift already," she said.
"Well, let's hurry back to my quarters and I'll open it and let you know," he said, bringing a real smile to her face.
"Well, as long as we're in Ten Forward by 1000 hours," she said, taking the hand he offered and allowing him to lead her from her quarters and towards his own.
Entering Jean-Luc's quarters with him, she pointed to the gift on his desk. Jean-Luc smiled at her before picking up the box. As he pulled at the ribbon, Beverly felt herself getting nervous. Opening the box, his jaw dropped slightly in confusion. A PADD was sitting inside, and he lifted it out of the box and turned it on. The only thing on it was a lone file. Looking to Beverly, his brow furrowed.
"Open the file Jean-Luc," she said. He complied and scrolled through various letters and photos, all addressed to him that he had never seen or received.
"It's everything I wanted to give you, but could never bring myself to actually send them to you," she explained.
Smiling, Jean-Luc reached out and touched her arm. "I'll look at everything properly later. We should go back to your quarters, then get ready to go to Ten Forward," he said. Beverly nodded and the two left his quarters, picking up the new tunic, holding Beverly's hand in one of his, and the other two items in the other. He vowed to himself that he would read every word she had written in every spare moment he got, and in one person's presence but Beverly's.
Once Beverly was dressed, she accompanied Jean-Luc and Wesley to Ten Forward. Walking into the room, Jean-Luc smiled and went to the forward most part of the deck where a small podium had been set up for him. "Good morning everyone," he said. "And happy holidays, whatever your respective holiday may be. Today, we are going to do something that I have not done since before I became Captain of the Enterprise.
"On Earth's old sailing ships, there was a Christmas tradition, in which the youngest crew member would become Captain for the day. Well, I don't think the youngest crew member is any surprise to anyone. Today, Acting Ensign Wesley Crusher will be Captain of the Enterprise. Congratulations."
Smiling, Wesley stood up and went to Picard who handed him the command tunic with the Captain's pips on it.
Once the command codes had been temporarily turned over to Wesley and he had taken over command of the Enterprise, Jean-Luc slipped away and went to Beverly.
Smiling, Beverly took his hand. "Well, that's a good way to get a day off. I decided to take a day of leave today, mostly since I thought Wes and I would be spending it together," she said.
"Would you mind having to spend it with me?" Jean-Luc asked. "I doubt I'm as much fun as Wesley, he's family and I'm not, but I'll try my best."
Beverly blushed lightly and looked down for a brief moment. "Who is going to help Wes in his role of Captain?" she asked.
"The duty falls to Commander Riker, and Wes will do a wonderful job," he replied proudly.
"I know he will. He's my son Jean-Luc," Beverly said. "Well, maybe we can spend the day with you reading that PADD."
Jean-Luc nodded. "Maybe, and then perhaps I could also give you your gift from me."
"You don't have to give me a gift Jean-Luc," she said.
"You didn't have to give me one either," he retorted, raising an eyebrow at her. Blushing, Beverly led him from Ten Forward and towards the turbolift. On the way to her quarters, she began to get increasingly nervous about the gift she had given him.
How would he react to her subtly amorous intentions? Would he be interested in pursuing a relationship with her? Would he reject her? Would he get upset with her and say she was insulting Jack's memory? Once they arrived at her quarters, Jean-Luc excused himself to get her gift from his quarters. Beverly sat on the sofa in anticipation of what was to come.
Meanwhile on the bridge, Wesley was seated in the Captain's chair. Nothing had happened at that point in time, so he was using his brief Captain's privileges to change course every fifteen minutes or so. They had no mission that they were currently on, so he wasn't doing anything wrong. Sitting in the Captain's chair, Wesley was reminded that even Starfleet Captains had days where there was really nothing to do. Still, he was grateful that his day as Captain wasn't overly exciting, because it seemed to him that every time he had bridge duty something exciting happened.
"Having fun Captain?" Commander Riker asked from his seat to Wesley's right.
"I am having fun Number One," he replied, smiling again. He called out to the helmsman to change course once again.
"Do you still think every day is exciting for a Starfleet officer?" Deanna asked.
"No, but I think it's better this way. If every day was exciting, it would get boring, wouldn't it?" Wes asked. Will and Deanna chuckled lightly. Tomorrow, Wes would be back at the helm and Captain Picard would be returned to his place on the bridge. It was good that he had decided to participate in this Earth tradition, he needed the time with Beverly. Hopefully, a Christmas miracle would happen and they would finally admit their feelings for one another.
Jean-Luc re-entered Beverly's quarters with a small smile. Beverly was still sitting on the sofa and she returned the smile.
"That was quick Jean-Luc," she said, patting the sofa and inviting him to sit with her.
Smiling again, he took the seat, resisting the urge to put his arm around her. He had to take things slowly if he wanted to eventually succeed in starting a relationship with her. He handed her the small box in his hand. "Merry Christmas Beverly," he said. "I hope you like it."
Beverly smiled and unwrapped the box, removing the lid, her jaw dropping lightly at the sight of a heart-shaped pendant.
"What do you think? If it's too much, if you don't like it, I can find something else for you," he half-stammered.
"It's perfect Jean-Luc," Beverly whispered before leaning toward him and pressing a kiss to his lips.
Pulling back from the kiss ma moment later, Beverly's eyes were wide with fear of what was to come. She had jumped forward way too far in their relationship, and he would most likely react badly to this. Would she have to say goodbye to one of her best friends? Had she ruined what they had between them with her desire for him? The pendant, though it was heart shaped, might not have the meaning that she hoped.
Jean-Luc's gaze was one of passion and desire, but also wonder. Could she possibly feel the same way that he did? "Beverly," he whispered softly. "What was that?"
"It was me being foolish, seeing something that wasn't there, that never will be there. Something that I wanted, but could never have. It hurts too much now. I'm sorry," she cried, her gaze dropping down to her hands which were rested in her lap.
Jean-Luc's jaw dropped slightly. If he had interpreted her words correctly, she wanted to be with him. "Beverly, if you saw the possibility of my loving you, you're not foolish. I do love you, I always have. The necklace is a symbol of that love, my eternal love for you," he said, taking her face in his hands, and lifting her head so they were looking at one another. Beverly smiled lightly, and Jean-Luc leaned forward to press his lips to hers again. This time was better. Beverly wasn't scared or nervous, instead she was happy as could be. After a moment, they broke apart, and this time both of them were smiling.
"I think you should read what was on that PADD," Beverly whispered.
Wesley sat on the bridge, drumming his fingers on the armrest of the Captain's chair. "Commander Riker. What other things does the Captain do that I can do today?" Wes asked, knowing he wasn't allowed to be in Captain Picard's ready room without permission.
"Would you like to do some Captain's rounds Wes?" he asked. "Go around and get verbal reports from the heads of different departments? Provided the department head hasn't taken a day of leave."
"What departments could I visit?" he asked.
"Engineering, security, stellar sciences, basically everywhere except Sickbay and Anthropology," he replied.
"Alright, come along number one. Commander Data, you have the bridge," Wesley called out as he and Will stood from their seats and made their way to the turbolift.
Beverly and Jean-Luc were laid down on the sofa, Jean-Luc on top of her as he pressed his lips to hers again. Both of them were nervous, they were going very fast, and had only started a little while ago. But after Jean-Luc had read what Beverly had written on the PADD, he couldn't contain his happiness.
Beverly pulled back and looked up into Jean-Luc's eyes. "I'm not ready for this yet," she whispered. "It's been so long since I've been with someone. Jack died 12 years ago and… well, I haven't been in a relationship. I haven't been with anyone. I've been too focused on Wesley and my career."
Jean-Luc smiled and pulled Beverly up as he moved to a sitting position. He put his arm around her and held her to him.
"I love you, and I just want to be with you. At your pace. I've waited until now to tell you how I feel about you. I should probably have told you how I felt a long time ago. But I was afraid of losing you as a friend. I still am," he said.
"I've been afraid of the exact same thing. I've wanted to tell you, but I've been afraid," she whispered. "Let's take this slow."
"Agreed," Jean-Luc said with a nod, pressing a kiss to Beverly's cheek.
"Would you like some tea?" she asked.
"Sounds wonderful Beverly," he replied, letting her go and get it from the replicator.
Wesley stood in Engineering, discussing warp engine efficiency with Geordi. "Well," Wesley started, after they had spoken for a while about the warp engines. "While I would love to stay and talk, I have duties as Captain of the Enterprise. I'll see you later at the senior staff dinner Lieutenant Commander."
"See you later Sir," Geordi replied. "And Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas," Wesley said as he and Commander Riker went to leave Engineering.
Beverly and Jean-Luc sat on the sofa drinking tea and cuddling in a comfortable silence, thinking about how lucky they were that this had happened. "Jean-Luc," Beverly finally said. "After the senior officer dinner, do you have any plans?"
"Nothing at all dear," he replied.
"Then how about we come back here and spend some more time together," she suggested.
"That's a wonderful idea," he said, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek.
Smiling, Beverly leaned her head on Jean-Luc's shoulder.
"I love you," she whispered softly.
"I love you too," he replied, content with the progress that one day could bring.
After Wesley and Will had finished their rounds, they returned to the bridge, Wesley taking the Captain's chair back from Data. "Only two more hours until the senior officer's dinner," Deanna commented from Wesley's left. "What do you have planned until then Captain?"
"I think I'll put us in orbit around a nearby planet. If I can't do that, I'll make it up as I go along," he replied, smiling. He was really having a wonderful time in his temporary role as Captain of the Enterprise. He briefly wondered what his dad would think if he were there with them. He had little doubt that his father would be proud of him, after all, Commander Riker had said he was doing a good job. Wesley confidently called out orders to the helmsman, who followed the new Captain's orders as well as they would follow Captain Picard's orders.
When it came time to leave for Ten Forward, Jean-Luc and Beverly left her quarters hand in hand and smiling happily. By the time they arrived at Ten Forward, Beverly was grasping his arm and laughing. As the pair moved around to talk to the other senior staff, Guinan tapped Commander Riker on the shoulder and asked him if he minded being moved so that Dr Crusher and Captain Picard could be seated together. Will smiled and nodded, happy that he would be closer to Deanna now.
When everyone sat down, Beverly and Jean-Luc were pleasantly surprised that they were seated side by side. Jean-Luc pulled Beverly's chair out and she sat down.
Everyone ate and talked until all the food on the table was gone. At that time, Jean-Luc stood up and asked Wesley to do the same. When both of them were standing, Jean-Luc asked Wesley to report, he received a full report on the day from the bridge and various departments. Jean-Luc smiled when Wesley finished.
"Wonderful job Wesley," he said. "You're dismissed."
Wesley smiled and walked over to the Captain and removed the pips that made him a Captain for the day. "Thank you Captain," Wesley said. "It was lots of fun, and I learned a lot."
"You're welcome Wesley," he said, shaking the young man's hand.
Since everything had been done that needed to be done, some of the staff gave each other gifts that they hadn't had the opportunity. Deanna, of course, had a gift for everyone on the senior staff and Wesley. Deanna gave Beverly a perfume and Jean-Luc a wine from Betazed. They each got a few gifts, and when they finally said goodnight to their friends, no one was really surprised when they left together.
Back in Beverly's quarters, she pulled Jean-Luc into her bedroom. "I wasn't ready earlier, but I'm ready now," she whispered.
"Are you sure Beverly?" he asked. "I don't want our new relationship to pressure you to take me to bed."
"I'm sure Jean-Luc. I love you and I'm ready," Beverly assured him. "Merry Christmas."
"It certainly has been interesting. Merry Christmas mon Cherie," Jean-Luc said quietly as he pressed his lips to Beverly's and leaned her back onto the bed.
finis.