All I Want For Christmas
By: Crusher1701
Word Count: 2813
Summary: Beverly only wants one thing for Christmas. Will she get it?

Beverly lay in her bed, unable to fall asleep. Christmas was approaching and the holiday that used to bring her so much joy couldn't even do that for her this year. It was her second Christmas since Jack died and she knew that what she truly wanted for Christmas was nothing more than a wish. Finally giving up, she climbed out of bed and went to her computer to send a message to the one person she desperately wanted to see. It took her ages to compose it, but when she finally liked the way the message was worded, she sent it. Beverly hoped that the recipient would reply, hoped he would care. And hoped, most of all, that he would feel the same way as she did. If he didn't, and rejected her message, she could always claim that she had accidentally sent it to the wrong person before giving up on love altogether.

Sitting at his computer, Jean-Luc Picard saw a message pop up from Beverly Crusher. He furrowed his brow and hoped that nothing was wrong with Beverly or Wesley. He hadn't been in contact with her in just over a year. It was his fault really, he had been the one to cut off communications between them after Jack's funeral. He opened the message and took in the words that she had written:
I know it's been a while, but in case you're wondering, I just want you to know one thing. All I want for Christmas is you.
x Beverly
Staring at the words on the screen, his jaw dropped and his mind began reeling with questions and possibilities. She hadn't put his name on it, which could mean that it wasn't really for him. She could have sent it to him by accident. She had never given him the impression that she liked him as anything more than just a friend. Could it have been for Walker, whom she had been in a relationship with before she had been with Jack? Could it have been for someone else entirely? What if he did show up at her door and found her with another man? One he didn't know? What if he didn't go to her? Would their friendship, which was already fragile because of him, fail and pass the point of no return? Could he leave her on her own at the holidays? Make her feel unloved at a time where love is more important than anything? He had been alone at the holidays for several years, but could he inflict that on Beverly when she obviously wanted to be with someone? Since he had received the message, what if the person she really wanted to be with never found out that she wanted to be with them, only wanted them for Christmas?
He loved her. He had been in love with her since he had first laid eyes on her. The fact that she had been with Jack didn't matter. The moment his eyes had met hers, they were the only two in the universe. At least for him. He had been entranced by her long, shining auburn hair, gorgeous blue eyes, friendly smile, and the way she carried herself was so very graceful. He had guessed from the beginning that she was a dancer, and he had been proven right. The first time he saw her on a dance floor, his love for her only became stronger. She had pulled him along to dance with her, and he had been so madly in love that he had gone with her. He didn't remember anything except the smile on her beautiful face and how she moved in his arms.
Shaking his head, he decided he would go on Christmas Eve to see Beverly. He wouldn't reply to the message, in case it wasn't really for him, he wouldn't be able to deal with that level of heartbreak.

A few weeks passed and Beverly had not heard a reply. Christmas was the next day and she was giving up on him. He wasn't the type of man to show up without informing the person he was visiting. Sending Wesley to bed, she curled up on the sofa and began crying. She didn't have any hope anymore. She felt herself drift off to sleep, awaking to the sound of the door chime. Standing up, she walked to the door and punched in the access code.
When the door slid open, her jaw dropped open.

Jean-Luc stood at the door to the San Francisco apartment that Beverly and Wesley Crusher called home. He was nervous about ringing the chime, his fears from when he received the message had returned. What if she turns me away? What if she's in the arms of another man?
He shook his head once before finally ringing the chime. He stood patiently and waited until the door slid open and he saw Beverly's jaw drop open.

Beverly felt tears return to her eyes, but this time they were tears of joy. "Jean-Luc," she whispered, reaching out to touch him. When her hand met the fabric of his uniform tunic, she sighed lightly and gave him the smile he loved so very much. "So you did get my message?"
"It really was for me?" he asked. "I didn't reply because I wouldn't have been able to handle the pain if you had turned me down, told me that the message wasn't really for me."
"Of course it was for you Jean-Luc," she whispered. "Who else would it be for?"
"Walker, perhaps. Or maybe another man, one that I don't know," he suggested.
"Jean-Luc, you're telling me that in all the time that we've known each other, not once have you noticed how much I love you?" she asked. "How?"
"You never gave me any indication Beverly. You never said or did anything," he replied. "How could I have known?"
"One look at me would have told you that. The way I smiled at you, laughed with you, told you everything, always wanted to be around you. Everything I did showed how much I loved you. I hoped that you felt the same for me, but when you never said anything before or at the wedding, I assumed that you didn't feel the same way. It broke my heart. I'm sure you noticed the change in me after the wedding."
Jean-Luc nodded. "I thought that I was seeing things that I wanted to believe. I wanted the attention that you gave me to be only for me. But I couldn't help but think that you were the same way with all of our friends."
"I loved them all, even Jack, but not like I loved you. I couldn't say anything about it, because I would have been betraying Jack, and he loved me. I couldn't break his heart by running away with you like I wanted to," she whispered, tears beginning to fall down her face.
Jean-Luc reached out and brushed her tears away. "I always felt like telling you would be betraying Jack. I love you Beverly, if you'll let me say it."
"Why wouldn't I let you say it? Jack's gone, no one knows that better than you and I. The Jack I knew and loved wouldn't want either of us, his wife and best friend, to be unhappy at the holidays, especially if they had the opportunity to be happy with one another," she said. "I love you Jean-Luc."
"Shall I come in?" he asked, smiling lightly at Beverly. She nodded gently and stepped aside, letting him into the apartment. She led him to the living room and the pair sat down next to one another.
Jean-Luc smiled and placed a small box on Beverly's lap. "I know your message said that all you wanted for Christmas was me, but I still wanted to get you a gift you could open," he explained.
"Oh, I can think of ways to unwrap you Captain," Beverly muttered, leaning in and pressing a kiss to his cheek. "But thank you Jean-Luc."
"Open it, and later, you can do the same to me." Beverly grinned, no more tears in her eyes. She pulled at the ribbon on the box and removed the lid. Parting the paper, she saw a necklace nestled inside. She picked it up and looked at the sapphire heart-shaped pendant. Jean-Luc reached over and turned it over, showing her his initials engraved on the back. Beverly grinned and passed it to him, making his brow furrow.
"Jean-Luc," she said, turning away from him and drawing her hair over her shoulder. "I want you to put it on me. Thank you so much, I love it so much. I love you so much." Jean-Luc smiled and clasped the necklace onto her neck. Once he was finished, he turned her back to face him. They smiled at one another for a moment before they closed the gap between them and kissed each other with passion. When they broke apart, they stared into each other's eyes.
"The necklace is beautiful, but not nearly as beautiful as the woman wearing it," Jean-Luc whispered as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her onto his lap.
"The thing I love most about it Jean-Luc is whose initials are engraved into it," she whispered. Jean-Luc chuckled and pressed his body against Beverly's tightly.
"Do you want to unwrap the contents of your wish list Beverly?" he asked. Beverly giggled and nodded. Jean-Luc picked her up and carried her, in the direction Beverly pointed. When it came time to enter the access code, he put Beverly down so she could enter it. The door slid open and Beverly dragged Jean-Luc inside the room with her. She pushed him down onto the bed, slid to her knees, and began to remove his uniform from him. As she removed each piece, she threw it to the floor.
The sight of Beverly on her knees in front of him made Jean-Luc harder than he had ever been. As she pulled his trousers off, she licked her lips before tugging his underwear down his legs. At the sight of his erect cock, Beverly smiled broadly and leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to the tip, making Jean-Luc throw his head back. When she stood to straddle him, he brought his head back to face her.
"You are so beautiful Beverly," he whispered. "Jack was a very lucky man."
Beverly blushed. "And now you're the lucky man," she replied, pressing her lips to his and pushing him down onto the mattress. Jean-Luc sat up and pecked her lips lightly.
"You're overdressed for the occasion ma Cherie," he whispered.
Beverly's blush deepened. "Would you like to rectify that issue Jean-Luc?" she asked, her shyness returning.
Jean-Luc smiled and nodded, sitting up and pulling her loose sweater over her head and throwing it to the floor. Before Wesley was born, he remembered when he would accompany Jack and Beverly to the beaches of Southern California. Beverly had been slender, but not skinny. After seeing her following Wesley's birth, he noticed that she has gained some weight (not much though). Now, she was thinner than he had ever seen her. That night, hw would describe her as skinny, and he knew the reason why. The stresses of the last year had done this to her. He knew she hadn't been dancing, abd he would hazard a guess that she hadn't been sleeping or eating very much either. He smiled at her, wanting to assure her that she was still beautiful, no matter how thin and tired she looked. He would always love her and he leaned towards her and sealed his silent promise by pulling her to him for a passionate kiss.
Beverly pulled back and looked into his eyes. "Are you going to finish undressing me?" she asked.
"Of course I am," he replied, flipping the two of them before pulling her loose slacks down her legs with her panties before throwing them to the side. Returning to her top half, he reached around to unclasp her bra.
Dropping it over the side of the bed, Jean-Luc closed the gap between their mouths again, reaching a hand between them to part her legs. Once he was settled in between them, the tip of his cock pressed against her entrance.
Beverly sighed at the contact before pulling him closer, bringing his tip inside her. Jean-Luc smiled before thrusting into her completely, the two of them moaning at the feeling of finally being joined with someone they loved so dearly. Jean-Luc moved above her, filling her completely, and getting her to make noises that he had always dreamed of hearing from her lips. It was as if he were in heaven. Thrusting in and out of her for only a moment, he felt himself getting close to his release, worrying him that he would spoil everything.
"Don't worry Jean-Luc," Beverly whispered between moans, her breathing heavy. "I'm right there with you."
Jean-Luc smiled again and picked up his pace, continuing to smile down at his friend turned lover happily as he released, holding himself above her as she followed him.
Once he fell beside her, he pulled her into his arms. Beverly's head found its way to his chest, and her right hand was placed over his artificial heart. As she caught her breath, she remembered that Jean-Luc's heart was artificial due to some stupidity in his youth, which meant that this was easier for him than for her.
Once she caught her breath, she spoke. "Did you enjoy that?" she asked, trying to not let him hear how nervous she was for the answer.
"I enjoyed that more than I have ever enjoyed anything in my life. Even in my dreams with you, it's not even been that good," he replied, reaching up to stroke her hair.
Beverly felt herself blush. "Really?" she asked.
"Why would I lie about good sex?" he asked in response.
"Jack did. I think… well, I think that now," she stammered lightly.
"How?" he asked, curious to know what was going on.
"He said I was average. Good, but still average," she replied. "He never said it in a mean way, but if I'm as good as you think I am, why didn't he think so?"
Jean-Luc shrugged. "A couple of Jack's exes, from before you and he met, told me that they left him because he said things like that. Maybe he was insecure about something. But I will say this; if you were average, then I hesitate to think about who might be good in bed."
Beverly blushed deeper. "I love you Jean-Luc. With all my heart," she whispered, peering up at him. Jean-Luc smiled at her lovingly, as he saw Beverly yawn.
Chuckling, he pulled the covers up over them. "If I know you, then I know that you've barely slept in the last year since Jack died. So now you're going to sleep," he said. "I'll still be here when you wake up."
"Okay," she replied, sleepiness beginning to cloud her tone.
Within moments, the pair were sound asleep.

Jean-Luc awoke to the sound of the door chime. Standing up, he pulled his trousers on and fixed the bed covers around the still sleeping Beverly Crusher. He opened the door to see young Wesley standing there. "It's Christmas morning Captain," he said with all the excitement of a child. "I gotta wake mom."
Smiling lightly, Jean-Luc let the boy in and at once, Wesley jumped onto his mother's bed and gently shook her sleeping form. Beverly groaned and opened her eyes, rolling onto her back. Smiling at her son, she held the bed covers to her body as she sat up. "Merry Christmas mom," Wesley said excitedly, wrapping his arms around her.
"Merry Christmas Wesley," she said. "Now, go back into the living room and the Captain and I will be out to join you in a moment."
Nodding, Wesley jumped off the bed and bounded towards the door. Beverly smiled at Jean-Luc, beckoning him to come to the bed. Doing as she asked, he sat down on her side of the bed and pressed a kiss to her lips.
"Merry Christmas Beverly," he whispered gently.
"Merry Christmas Jean-Luc," she replied. "Thank you for making my wish come true."
"I intend on making all your dreams and all your wishes come true my darling," he responded. "But at this moment, I believe we should watch Wesley's holiday dreams come true." Nodding, Beverly climbed out of bed and pulled her clothes on. Leaving the room hand in hand, both of them knew that their Christmas wishes had more than just come true. Now that they had each other, even the most impossible of wishes and dreams were a possibility.

Finis.