Chapter 2

New Beginnings

The stars outside the view port caught Briggy's attention as she busily worked on her latest project. She watched as the stars that had sat twinkling at her as she worked, suddenly passed in a blur as the Enterprise jumped to warp speed.

They were moving on. Moving away from the planet where they had spent the past couple of months installing a weather grid. Due to her position on the ship, it was something that she had not had to be involved in. So for the past few weeks, she had been suffering from boredom, and had been driving her husband, who was heavily involved in everything on the Enterprise, absolutely crazy.

"Picard to Counsellor Granger."

"Granger here," she replied, taping her commbadge.

"About that dinner…" the captain began.

"You can't make it?" Her disappointment evident in her voice.

"Actually," Jean-Luc answered, "I've had enough and I'm on my way home now. We can go early."

"Early!"

"Yes, early," he replied.

The counsellor laughed in amazement. "Well then, in that case, this report can wait. I'm on my way, I'll see you in a minute. Granger out."

Briggy smiled to herself as she quickly backed up her data and threw everything in her desk drawer. "Wonders will never cease," she mused to herself as she left the counselling chambers.

"This is a nice surprise," Briggy said as she entered her quarters.

"I have run you a bath," Jean-Luc said, enveloping her into his arms. "I think we should dress up for the occasion."

Briggy kissed his lips tenderly. "I second that. Have you made sure that the holodeck is free? I don't want Geordi walking in on us again!"

"Yes, it's free." He laughed at the memory as he released his hold on his wife.

Briggy paused just long enough to register the smile and the laughter on her husband's face. Inside, hope flickered, if only for a second. Hope that one day Jean-Luc would finally be happy again.

She went inside the bathroom and took an involuntary gasp. Jean-Luc had gone to town. There were candles flickering soft iridescent light on every surface and he had sprinkled blood red rose petals into the steaming water.

"Wow," she breathed.

"Do you like it?" he asked, making her jump. She hadn't realised he had followed her in.

"It's beautiful," she sighed. "And Mr Picard, you are going in that bath with me."

"I had every intention of doing so," he answered with a smile.

Last night had been amazing. Briggy spent most of the morning with an irremovable smile plastered onto her face. She got up from her desk and went to the mirror she had installed in the corner to study her reflection. She had dark circles underneath her bright green eyes and her dark long hair was a little messy, but she didn't care. These imperfections only served to remind her of what a wonderful night, and early morning, she had spent with her husband.

A familiar voice sounded behind her, "Someone looks satisfied."

Briggy jumped and spun around. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm hitching a lift back to the Titan," Deanna Troi said, grinning at the surprise on her friend's face.

"You didn't tell me." Briggy smiled, circling the desk to give her friend a hug.

"Well, it was a last minute decision, and I thought you'd like a surprise." Deanna hugged Briggy back and then made herself comfortable on her old chair. "How is everything going?" she asked.

"Fine," Briggy said, propping herself up on the edge of the desk. "How is Will? Any news on the baby front?"

Deanna smiled proudly "Will is doing great. He just received a commendation for his work with the Gifrat's."

"I heard about that," Briggy said with a nod. "That was quite something."

Deanna smiled. "I'm very proud of my husband."

Briggy grinned. "And the baby front?"

Deanna's face fell. "No luck yet," she replied. "We are giving ourselves another couple of months before we go and speak to someone."

Briggy nodded, her expression pensive.

"So…" Deanna said softly, knowing that Briggy knew what she was asking.

"I'm not sure," Briggy answered. "Jean-Luc might be coming round to my way of thinking. But, as he reminded me last week, a baby is not like a dog. It's not like I can have the baby and take care of it by myself."

"Just give him time." Deanna squeezed her friend's arm affectionately. "I know Jean-Luc regretted his decision not to have children."

"Mmm," Briggy murmured sadly.

"You're still a young woman," Deanna said. "You have plenty of time. You're only thirty-six years old."

Briggy snorted and got up from the desk. "Jean-Luc is not a young man," she pointed out.

"There are ways around that," Deanna answered.

"I guess," Briggy said.

"So how is Jean-Luc?".

"He's… coping."

Deanna gave her friend a rueful smile. "He will get there one day," she said in her best convincing voice, even though she didn't know if she was right or not. "Do you fancy some lunch?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Sure," Briggy replied, relieved to get off the topic of her husband.

Deanna watched as Briggy sorted out a few last minute things before they headed off for lunch in ten forward. She wondered how long Briggy was going to put up with Jean-Luc. She couldn't imagine how Briggy felt on a day to day basis living with a man so consumed with the ghost of another.

Two Months Later

"It's time to get up…"

Jean-Luc groaned as he heard the voice calling to him through the veil of slumber.

"We have to move, Jean-Luc," Briggy persisted. "You know we have to be somewhere! I promised we would be there to lend a hand with anything Charlie needs. So do please hurry."

Jean-Luc slid out from beneath his bedcovers.

"I've run a bath for you."

"Briggy, I do wish you would stop fussing over me," Jean-Luc grumbled as his bare feet touched the bedroom carpet.

"I like to take care of you, you're my husband."

"As you keep reminding me," Jean-Luc chuckled dryly. "Oh, and I'm not wearing that. I hate it." He pointed to the clothes hanging on the back of the desk chair.

"We are going to a wedding, that suit is … well, suitable." Briggy laughed. "Can you please get a move on!"

"All right," Jean-Luc muttered and disappeared inside the bathroom.

"Oh, and you haven't forgotten your appointment with the doctor this morning have you?"

"No," Jean-Luc answered in a low miserable voice.

"Well, I am going to go on ahead without you. I'll meet you at Charlotte's house. Don't be late! There is something important I want you to see. I want you there before the ceremony starts. It's important."

"I understand," he said.

Briggy checked her appearance quickly in the mirror. "How do I look?" she asked, turning expectant eyes on her husband.

Jean-Luc blinked sleepy eyes and focused on her from his position on the edge of the bed. "You look beautiful, as always," he answered truthfully. With her long raven hair and aquamarine eyes, his wife was beautiful.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

He sighed. "Of course."

She smiled, seemingly satisfied, and walked over to him to kiss him goodbye. "I'll see you later," she said softly. "Thank you," she said, tears welling in her eyes.

"For what?" Jean-Luc asked.

"For letting me try for a baby." She smiled and kissed his lips. "I love you," she said, pressing her forehead against his.

"I love you too," he answered, hugging her in return.

Jean-Luc sighed as their quarters fell silent and he revelled in the peace. He was not looking forward to his sister-in-law's wedding anymore than he had looked forward to his own, and his own had been very quiet. It had been the bride and groom and Deanna and Will Riker. Briggy had gone along with his request for a small, intimate wedding, and had insisted that she keep her own surname. Jean-Luc wasn't bothered. As a result, today, Jean-Luc would be meeting Briggy's younger sister Charlotte for the first time.

After getting dressed, he arrived in sickbay for his annual medical. "Doctor," he greeted formally.

"Captain," Dr Gaul answered. "I'm amazed at your wife!" he laughed. "For the past four years I have had to drag you here kicking and screaming, and now you actually book an appointment in advance and turn up ten minutes early. All thanks to Counsellor Briggy Granger, no doubt."

Jean-Luc blanked out the doctor's words, every time he came to sickbay he was immersed in minutia and depression. The whole ship felt so different to him after Beverly had died.

Sickbay just felt wrong.

Jean-Luc always left sickbay as fast as humanly possible. He was on his way to the transporter room to meet his wife when he got a call to return to the bridge.

Jean-Luc thanked his lucky stars and hoped it would be something important enough to save him from the wedding of Briggy's sister Charlotte.

"I've patched the message through to your ready room, sir," his first officer said as he entered the bridge.

Every time Jean-Luc entered the bridge and had Commander Campbell turn to speak to him, he had to mentally shake himself. Even after four years, he still expected to see Commander Riker there.

"Thank you, Number One," he automatically answered before going to retrieve the message. Deanna Troi's face greeted him on his screen as he sank down in his chair behind the desk.

"Deanna!" he exclaimed in surprise. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Hello, Captain," she said, smiling. "Permission to come aboard, sir?" she added.

"Of course, of course," he said, smiling in return. "You still can't call me Jean-Luc?" he mused.

"That is never going to happen, Captain." Deanna laughed.

The wedding had completely slipped his mind until his wife contacted him as he walked towards the transporter room to meet Deanna.

"Something has come up," he said to Briggy.

"It always does," Briggy snapped. "This is important to me. Typical!"

He decided not to worry about his wife's wrath until she arrived home that evening. Instead, he concentrated on Deanna.

When Deanna arrived a few moments later, Jean-Luc could tell instantly that she hadn't just dropped by to catch up with her old friends. She had something important to tell him.

"How is Briggy?" Deanna asked as she stepped down off of the transporter platform.

"She is annoyed with me at the moment." Jean-Luc chuckled.

"Uh oh." Deanna grinned. "What have you done this time?"

"I am simply avoiding her sister's wedding." Jean-Luc shrugged.

Deanna shook her head in mock disappointment. "I am glad you were in orbit of Earth. There is something I need to tell you and I did not want to do it unless we were face to face. Is there somewhere private we could go? Is Briggy on board too?"

"We can go to my quarters," Jean-Luc suggested, knowing that whatever it was that Deanna had to tell him, it was a private matter. "Briggy is at her sister's wedding now."

"That's a shame," Deanna said.

"Would it be Briggy the counsellor you wanted or Briggy my wife?" Jean-Luc inquired.

Deanna dismissed the question with a shake of her head. "It doesn't matter. Let's go to your quarters."

Deanna told Jean-Luc to take a seat and offered him a drink. As she ordered some tea for her old captain, she worried about how her news would affect him. It had taken some years for Jean-Luc to come to terms with Beverly's death, and now everything was about to be blown right out of the water.

"Deanna, I'm beginning to feel worried," he said softly as Deanna set down the tea tray on the table in front of the couch where he was sitting. "More bad news?"

"No…" Deanna answered. "Good news, actually, but it will come as a massive shock."

"What is it?" he asked curiously as he lifted his cup to his lips.

"Someone found Beverly," Deanna answered.

Jean-Luc froze, unsure if he had heard correctly or not. "Her body?"

Deanna shook her head. "They found Beverly. She is alive, Captain."

Jean-Luc gasped and the cup full of tea fell from his fingers and crashed onto the floor at his feet. He watched its descent as if in slow motion, he didn't react to the hot liquid as it scalded his legs.

"I don't know all the facts yet," Deanna continued, quickly dabbing the hot liquid off of his legs with a napkin. "But apparently one of the teams surveying a planet undercover, they spotted Beverly working in a bar tending tables. It was on Kilyan; a planet three hundred light years away from where her shuttle exploded."

Jean-Luc's eyes widened in disbelief. "How could she have travelled that far away?"

Deanna shook her head and then took his hand. "As I said, I don't know all the details as of yet. I only received the news this morning, myself."

Kilyan had a history extremely close to Earth's own. They were centuries behind in development, but were making steady progress with their space program. Starfleet had teams on the surface watching the developments as they happened. It had been reasonably easy for the human team to integrate with the Kilyans, as there was virtually no difference in their appearance and their anatomy.

"Why didn't she contact us?" he asked, knowing inside that Deanna didn't have the answers to his questions.

"Well, I guess we can ask her when we see her," Deanna said softly. "She was on a planet that hasn't discovered that they aren't the only intelligent life in the universe. So Kilyan obviously doesn't have the ability to contact ships in space."

"But she must know that there were teams there to observe the Kilyan's. She could have contacted one of them…" Jean-Luc shook his head. "I am stunned," he said in a low, wistful voice. "Where is she, Deanna?"

"She should be arriving here in our system sometime this afternoon. She's on a freight ship with a couple of Federation representatives. Both of whom didn't seem to know who Beverly was or why they had to escort her back to Earth."

"Is she coming here to the Enterprise?" he asked.

"They are making arrangements for her arrival at Starfleet Medical," Deanna replied. "They contacted me first, so that I could tell you." Deanna shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. "I can't believe this is happening… It's been four years!"

Jean-Luc squeezed Deanna's hand reassuringly. "All that matters is that Beverly is alive."

Deanna smiled. "Yes, that's quite true."

Jean-Luc left Deanna to arrange her temporary quarters while he sat alone in his own, quite unable to believe what she had told him. He physically pinched himself to make sure he was awake. He was expecting Deanna to arrive any minute to tell him there had been a terrible mistake, but Deanna never arrived.

"Could it be true?" he asked his reflection in the viewport.