A/N 3: In Encounter at Farpoint, Picard appears shocked to see Beverly Crusher and her son. They all act like strangers. Granted, it had been a decade since they last saw each other but I hardly think they would need introductions for each other. This chapter begins with Wesley accompanying Beverly on the turbolift to the bridge.
"Thanks, Mom! If I stand right here, I'll be able to see everything." Wesley pointed at his feet excitedly.
Beverly smiled. "Okay." She said and stood on the opposite side of the turbolift. "Bridge." She commanded. She clasped her hands in front of her. She was anxious to see Jean-Luc. In less than a minute the doors opened on the bridge.
He hadn't been expecting anyone else on the bridge when he heard the turbolift doors open. He turned in his seat to see the boy he saw drenching wet outside the holodeck with Commander Riker and Data standing in the turbolift. "Children are not allowed on the bridge." He said with clear irritation as he rose from his chair.
A tall, slender redhead stepped out of the turbolift. "Permission to report to the captain." She said nervously.
"Dr. Crusher." He knew this moment would come but some part of him was still taken aback at seeing her. Other than her short hair, she didn't appear to have aged a day.
"Captain." She said in reply. Even with less hair than he had ten years ago, she still found him very attractive. "Sir, my son is not on the bridge, he merely accompanied me on the turbolift."
He looked at the boy again. "Wesley." He said in quiet recognition. He didn't know why he didn't realize who the boy was before. He looked more like his father than he did the last time Picard saw him. He supposed it would be alright to break his own rule. "Would you like to take a look around?" He asked Wesley.
Wesley timidly stepped out of the turbolift and briefly glanced at his mother before he walked down the ramp. He'd easily memorized every component and function of the ship but seeing it personally was indescribable.
"But don't touch anything." The captain's voice cut through the thick, awkward air.
Wesley halted at the base of the ramp and gave a half smile in acknowledgement then continued. He looked each crewmember on the bridge as he walked around to the center. As Wesley moved through the bridge, Dr. Crusher slowly walked over to the tactical position, where she watched the interaction between her son and commanding officer closely.
Captain Picard walked over and put a hand on his chair. "Try it out." He invited.
Wesley walked to the chair and looked at Picard, who nodded, then sat down.
Wesley looked at the right arm of the chair. "The panel on your right is for log entires, library computer access and retrieval, viewscreen control, intercoms, and so on." Picard said then flipped open the panel on the left. "Here we have…"
"And here, the backup conn and ops panels, plus shield and armory controls." Wesley said.
Picard looked mildly annoyed before he attempted to continue. "The forward viewscreen is controlled from the ops position there…" He said as he pointed toward the ops position.
Wesley interrupted again. "Which uses high resolution, multi-spectral imaging sensor systems…"
It was Picard's turn to interrupt, "How the Hell…" He started before remembered: Wesley was literally a genius.
A series of warnings sounded and Wesley immediately tapped the right panel. "Perimeter alert, Captain!"
"Wesley!" His mother exclaimed from her position.
Wesley quickly looked from Picard to his mother then back to Picard. "I'm sorry!"
"Wesley, you shouldn't have touched anything." Dr. Crusher said as Wesley jumped up from the chair.
"Get off the bridge, both of you!" Picard said as Wesley moved around him to exit the bridge as told.
"You have a perimeter alert, Sir." Worf said.
Picard watched as Wesley stepped into the turbolift followed by his mother. "As my son tried to tell you." Dr. Crusher retorted just before the doors closed.
He sighed heavily at the closed turbolift doors; the boy was exasperating. A smile began to form on his lips at seeing Beverly again before he turned his attention to the situation on the bridge.
Q vanished from the bridge. Riker walked around to face Picard as Troi, Worf, and LaForge looked on.
"At least you impressed him, Number One. That's hopeful." Picard said.
"Thank you, Captain." Riker replied as Picard walked toward the turbolift. "Captain, if he's not open to evidence in our favor, where will you go from there?"
"I'll attend to my duty."
"To the bitter end?"
"I see nothing so bitter about that." Picard said as he smiled and entered the turbolift. Once inside, his mood became reserved. He had known for weeks that Beverly was assigned as his CMO but he didn't know if it was by choice. There was only one way to find out.
He entered Sickbay and stood outside her office as she finished what she was doing.
She headed toward her office and noticed him apparently waiting for her. "Can I help you, Captain?" She said as she walked past him and into her office.
He watched her as she moved past him then followed suit. "I…hope you didn't think me harsh on the bridge." He said as he stood just inside the doorway.
"Oh? Why would I think that?" She grinned jestingly, as she stood behind her desk.
He bowed his slightly and pursed his lips at her sarcasm. "I had forgotten how intelligent Wesley is. He was quite correct, as you pointed out."
She fidgeted with an object in her hands. "You've just won his mother's heart, Captain." She said proudly as she picked up a padd.
"Now, about your assignment here." He said as he stepped forward and rested his hands on her desk. "I would understand and approve a transfer for you." He said cautiously.
"Oh. You consider me unqualified?" She felt confused and bewildered by the change in their conversation.
"Not at all. Your service record shows you're just the Chief Medical Officer I want."
"Then, you must object to me personally." She said as she began to feel her temper rise. She could have sworn she saw genuine pleasure grace his face upon seeing her on the bridge.
"No. I am simply trying to be considerate of your feelings, Doctor. I don't want to be a constant reminder of a personal tragedy for you and your son."
She leveled her gaze at him. "Is there some reason you waited until my son and I arrived on the Enterprise and moved into our new quarters to bring your concern to my attention?" She crossed her arms in front of her.
"Doctor…" He said in a placating tone.
"Don't 'Doctor' me, Jean-Luc! Don't address me as if we've just met, as if we have no history together." She paused. "I don't think my feelings or Wesley's are the problem here – I think yours are."
"Pardon me?" He said incredulously.
"I haven't heard from you since the day you left the apartment."
His head tilted up then down with the single, deep breath he took. He understood. "Communication is a two-way street, Beverly." He said evenly. Her expression told him she was not in a frame of mind to agree with that statement. 'She hasn't changed a bit.' He thought. But, now he knew she requested to be posted to the Enterprise; she wanted to be there. That knowledge made him smile, almost serenely.
A/N 4: Nope. Not finished but this popped into my head and I had to get it out!
