DE-TACHED:STORY TWO:

LIFE WITH BEVERLY:

CHAPTER 2: Bottle Plans

"Oh my poor, little lamb…" Lwaxana chokingly sobbed.

And Beverly found herself overwhelmingly bear-hugged in the arms of the Senior Ambassador to Betazed. So the CMO of Starfleet responded appropriately by bursting into tears. Beverly had not realized just how very much she was in need of a little mothering. But with someone like Lwaxana, there was very little that was 'little'. At times, Lwaxana could be overwhelming. But in this particular instance, Beverly needed such unrestrained comforting. It had been a very long time since someone had held Beverly with such personal concern for only her well-being. So Beverly's tears flowed and flowed.

"Oh my poor, little lamb… Always giving. Never taking. Always having to be the strong one, never showing any sign of weakness... It's no wonder you needed me…" Lwaxana made sure that she said these words loud enough so the Jean-Luc overheard them as Beverly continued to sob.

And much to Jean-Luc's surprising relief, he felt like crying too. He was beginning to 'sense' Beverly again. He still didn't know what was going on with his wife. Beverly had sent for Lwaxana. Beverly apparently needed her. And Lwaxana was here to help. That much he gleaned from his bride's turbulent emotions. Sighing in relief that at least something was breaking up his impasse with Beverly, he walked over to a comfortable leather armchair in his library, sat down, and watched as Beverly continued to sob onto Lwaxana's now very damp pink silk shoulder pads .

Lwaxana slowly maneuvered Beverly over to the brown leather Chesterfield sofa by the blazing fire and ordered her to rest. The lady did not protest.

"Get out of here, Jean-Luc. Beverly needs to be calm for a while, before we continue." She waved her hand to stifle his forthcoming protests. "I'll come and get you when it's time." Her had fluttered in the direction of the French doors leading to the terrace. "Go for a run or something." She mentally added, I've always wanted to see you in your short-short jogging shorts…

"I heard that," was his comment before he wisely removed himself from the library.

=/\= =/\= =/\=

Jean-Luc walked into Mildred's office on the lowest floor to the Arts and Crafts style house that had been built into the Californian hillside. Over the centuries the house had been rebuilt several times. At times this was out of necessity because of damage done by earthquakes. And then there were the many changes to the function of the building. The house now had three original floors above ground which was where the Picard family lived, two floors on the side that was used now for offices and functions, and three floors below ground that was used for security, guest rooms and other purposes. There were additional multiple out buildings used for everything from gardening, to growing exotic orchids, stabling horses and more.

In the not too distant past, Jean-Luc's Aunt Adele and her husband had used the house as a home as well as the headquarters for her husband's many businesses. After Jean-Luc had inherited this house when he was a cadet, he'd asked Boothby to take care of it for him, little realizing that such a request decades later would turn the already extensive gardens into the nurseries for the Academy gardens. The past few immediate decades, the old house had been rented as an embassy. Fortuitously, when Jean-Luc and Beverly had married and accepted their promotions to the admiralty, the house had been vacated. So Marie Picard, Boothby and Mildred had made sure that it was a suitable home for the lovebirds when they finally arrived home from their extended honeymoon.

Jean-Luc found himself readily becoming used to living here. He wasn't overly fond of the tight security that Starfleet, Mr. Worf and Mr. Data had insisted upon setting up around the building when first they'd moved into the house and compound. But he'd become used to it. It was no more intrusive than what he'd endured as a starship captain. And due to the nature of the threats that still came for him sometimes referencing 'Locutus', Picard reluctantly recognized the very real necessity of having such encompassing security if he was going to keep Beverly and his family safe.

"They're still at it, Johnny," Mildred announced before he even had time to ask the question. She got up from behind her massive antique oak desk, and picked up a silver plate of cookies sitting on a matching credenza. She just handed it him. Instead of picking up just one, he took the plate, sat down and slowly started munching on one of Mildred's home-made chocolate chip cookies that did not have any nuts.

"Want some bourbon to go with that, Johnny?" Mildred asked, with just enough of a touch of innocence to her voice as to not quite convince Picard that she was mocking him. For he recalled the last time he'd eaten chocolate chip cookies and drank bourbon with Mildred. And it had been a long time ago, before he'd ever even sat in the captain's chair of the Enterprise. He took the double bourbon that Mildred had poured, and then ate some more of his cookie.

"It does go together," was Jean-Luc Picard's surprised utterance.

"Told you so," Mildred pleasantly agreed as she sat down next to Jean-Luc. "It only took you more than ten years to find out."

"Under ordinary circumstances, I do not eat cookies, Mildred."

"My cookies, Johnny? Or cookies in general?"

He glared at her. He'd never ever given her permission to call him 'Johnny'. But that had not stopped Mildred from calling him by Woody Nakamura's favorite nickname for him. And Guinan's favorite nickname too…

"Have you figured it out yet, Mildred?" He put down the cookie plate.

"You're not really a cookie man. Considering how good a cook your grandmother must have been, at least according to Marie, you're probably more susceptible to gateau and crème brulee."

Jean-Luc drank some of his bourbon. "Is that why you found for me a Belgian chef who had a preference for French cuisine?"

"One of the reasons, Johnny. I knew that sooner or later you'd end up marrying Beverly. And though Beverly is a good cook, she ain't a French cook." Mildred ate a cookie. "Besides, she's a doctor. She's got more important things to do than to figure out your grandmother's lemon biscuit recipes."

"True." He put down his glass. He had no intention of being under the influence of alcohol this evening. "So, have you figured out yet, why Beverly sent for Lwaxana?"

"Actually, I think Beverly sent for Deanna. But Lwaxana was a lot closer than Deanna was. And Beverly couldn't wait."

"Wait for what, Mildred?"

"Now that's something that I don't know, Jean-Luc." Mildred eyed his barely touched lowball glass of bourbon. "You'd better drink that, Johnny. Lwaxana said that it would relax you enough so that when you're needed, she'll be better able to help Beverly - and you. Then you can start sharing your morning sickness again."

"Under ordinary circumstances, I cannot imagine any man complaining about not feeling and sharing in with his wife's morning sickness."

"And yet, Johnny, here you are. Upset because Beverly wouldn't let you get nauseous along with her. You are a contrary man, Jean-Luc Picard."

"True." He speculated for a moment. "If Riker were to know of this…"

"Don't worry, I won't tell him. And his time will come. If he ever gets his Imzadi pregnant, he'll experience something pretty close to what you've been suffering through."

Jean-Luc smiled at that particular thought. "I shall look forward to that day." He paused for a few moments as his mood darkened. "Should I send for Dr. Bolt?"

Mildred shook her head. "Beverly is smart enough to send for her doctor if it's necessary. We both have to follow her lead right now, in all of this - at least until we really learn about what is going on." Mildred drained her glass. "To be honest, all of this has really thrown me for a loop. I pride myself on knowing what is going on at all times…"

"I had noticed," Picard dryly interjected.

Mildred nobly refrained from glaring at him.

=/\= =/\= =/\=

Beverly warily eyed the glass that Lwaxana had thrust under her nose. Firelight glinted off the faceting to the sides of the crystal glass, casting about flares of aurora borealis glints here and there.

"I can't drink it, Lwaxana," Beverly observed as she tried to ignore the glass that hadn't moved. "It's real brandy."

'Of course it's real brandy. That's why I want you to drink it." Lwaxana shook her head as multiple curls and shimmery things that apparently were hair ornaments, bounced about. "Two shots of the real thing won't hurt you, now will it? Hmmmm?"

Beverly actually thought about it for a while. "I suppose not."

"Drink it, Beverly. The medicinal properties of alcohol will help you relax just enough so that I can continue to help you." She sniffed before she added, "And Jean-Luc."

"Have you sensed what is going on?"

"I'm getting there Beverly. If it is what I think it is, well, let's just say that you and Jean-Luc never do things the easy, simplest way. At the very least, you are going to need an empathic and telepathic nursemaid to deal with your offspring. Someone is going to have to teach them how to raise barriers and control their thoughts and learn the formal protocols… A Vulcan or a Betazed will do."

Beverly chugged her brandy, ignored the fire as the liquid burned down her throat, dropped her glass and screeched, "Them!"

Lwaxana sat down next to Beverly, patted her arm quite lovingly and asked, "Surely you knew that you are carrying twins?"

"I…, uh…," She took a deep breath before she answered. "...I thought I sensed two minds. That's what caused me to panic for when I ran the medical scans on myself, I kept only finding one life sign. I thought that I'd been possessed by some alien. Or that I was succumbing to a psychosis."

"Oh, there was only one life sign. That was junior's fault."

Beverly sank against the back of the sofa. "Junior?" she whispered.

"You're expecting a son and a daughter. It was the boy that protected his sister from the scans." She shook her head as she read the first thought that crossed through Beverly's head. "Don't know why junior did it. There must be something very special about the girl. It's why he is so protective of her."

Beverly motioned toward the medical tricorder that was on a side table. Lwaxana picked it up and handed it to her. It took Beverly only a few moments before she sighed in audible relief. "I'm now reading both of them. They're healthy."

"Of course they are." Lwaxana leaned over and patted Beverly's tummy. "Aren't you, my little, little ones?"

Beverly suddenly giggled. "They like you!"

"All babies do." Then Lwaxana giggled. "It's when they get older that you usually start running into the problems." Then she audibly sighed, picked up her glass and drained it. "Beverly, these two are going to be problems. And have problems. Aside from the fact that Jean-Luc is their father…"

"Lwaxana," Beverly warned.

"A woman can gripe about the one that got away, can't she?" Lwaxana chuckled. "I can hardly wait to see Jean-Luc's face when he learns about both of them." She paused as she searched the air as if she were sensing something. "Mildred has got him mellow enough."

"Mellow enough?"

"My dear Beverly, do you really think that Jean-Luc can grasp all of this when he is in his uber-sober Starfleet mode?"

Beverly shook her head. "Don't tell me that he can form a telepathic link with the babies' minds."

"Just like you can, my dear. You both just have to learn how to do it correctly."

Beverly shook her head, moaning softly. "How did this happen?"

"I think that you can safely blame those Prissy people for jump-starting your telepathic evolutionary process a couple of steps."

"But why the children?"

"Path of least resistance, my dear. You and Jean-Luc have all sorts of mental barriers haphazardly in place. These innocent minds do not. So it was easier for them to start getting tethered to each other and to you."

"And eventually Jean-Luc." Beverly moaned again. "And when they're teenagers…"

"Well, by then all the mental protocols will be in place. Though to be honest with you Beverly, I'm not sure to what extent they will be needed. Though you and Jean-Luc have some empathic/telepathic qualities, they are at a very low level of ability. But what I am sensing from these two…" Lwaxana again patted Beverly's stomach. "…well, let's just say that the Betazed doctors are going to be very interested in them. Not to mention your own doctors…"

"No." Beverly was adamant. "I don't want them to turn into guinea pigs or geeks on display. Is there some way we can find out about their abilities without raising a lot of red flags along the way? The last thing I want is for my children to become the target of a Starfleet parapsychological study."

"Then we have to choose wisely. A Betazed physician who does not belong to Starfleet, perhaps."

Beverly sighed and then rested against the back of the couch. "I suppose we should send for Jean-Luc." She sat up. "I do have to apologize for the way I've been treating him these past two days."

"He'll understand why you panicked, my dear."

"Lwaxana, it's his understanding of why I didn't tell him about what I was sensing that worries me."

"He loves you. He'll forgive you of anything and everything."

"You sound so sure, Lwaxana."

Lwaxana smiled in spite of her inclinations when it came to Jean-Luc Picard. "Dear, the first time I met you, I knew that you were the woman that he adored above and beyond everyone else in the galaxy. The only reason I made a play for him at all back then, was because Jean-Luc was under the impression that he didn't stand a chance with you."

"I didn't know myself, back then. When it came to my personal life, I had just packed it all away after Jack died. Whatever I felt was always so superficial after that, when I was with anyone else. I never let anyone get below the surface. I didn't think that I deserved…"

"Believe me my dear, I do understand. After my Ian died, I went through quite a few men not to mention husbands. But none of them ever reached my heart the way that Ian had." Lwaxana rose and straightened out her skirts. "Now, I'm just content to find a man that I can actually like. Sometimes even love. But never like Ian…"

"That's just it, Lwaxana. There are times when I know that what I feel for Jean-Luc absolutely overwhelms whatever I felt for Jack. And I feel so guilty…"

"Beverly, Jack was your young love. And if the fates had been kind, he would have been your old love too. But the fates weren't kind. And along came Jean-Luc. You've been his old forever kind of love for a very long time now. It just took you a while to accept that. And to realize what he is to you and you are to him."

A moment later, Jean-Luc and Mildred entered the library.

"Jean-Luc," Lwaxana royally announced, "Come and meet your twins." Lwaxana did have to give Jean-Luc Picard credit. His step did not falter as he approached Beverly. And he didn't faint either though it did take him a moment to collect himself before he hugged his wife.

=/\= =/\= =/\=

Beverly had washed her face, and slipped into a comfortable brown sweater and leggings. Outwardly, she appeared to be much calmer than what she had been a few hours earlier. This was belied however, by the way she was pacing about their bedroom.

"Jean-Luc, what are we to do?"

"Double the order of the nursery furniture?" he suggested.

"I don't mean that - though, I suppose that we should double the order." She glanced in the direction of where the nursery was currently located. "Maybe we should knock out a wall and make our dressing room part of the nursery too."

Jean-Luc walked up to his wife and simply embraced her for a moment, content just to be holding her. "Actually, we should turn this bedroom and the dressing room into the nursery. We could knock a door out in the dressing room wall. That will connect the other bedroom which will then become our bedroom, directly to these rooms." He looked in the opposite direction and studied the walls. "Maybe we can connect the room on the other side of this wall too. Make it the nursemaid's room."

"I'll worry about that later." Beverly stifled a sob. "Jean-Luc, what if our children are true telepaths?"

"Then they go to school on Betazed instead of attending it in LaBarre."

=/\= =/\= =/\=

Jean-Luc Picard looked at himself in their bathroom mirror, and grimaced. He was not looking forward to this evening's dinner. It's not that he truly disliked Lwaxana - far from it. It's just that she was such a tiring dinner guest. He always had to keep his guard up whenever he was around the lady. And, quite frankly, he was tired. The past few days had been very long days and nights, indeed.

He adjusted the collar to a new olive silk tunic - Beverly apparently liked him in olive silk since she'd presented several tunics and shirts to him of that color during the time of their marriage.

"Jean-Luc? Are you coming?"

Jean-Luc sighed, and left the bathroom after double-checking that everything about himself was presentable.

Beverly twirled in front of him, as if to force him to admire how she looked. Not that he needed forcing… He merely smiled as he gazed upon her. Tonight she was wearing a dark blue, off the shoulder dress. Her dress was somewhat casual and was a perfect choice for a quiet dinner at home with their company. However, she'd dressed it up with the earrings and bracelet that he'd given her as a wedding present. The sapphires and diamonds would sparkle quite a bit in the candlelight from the sterling candelabra and epergne at the center of the dining table. He did not doubt that she'd made these choices with a certain ambassadress in mind.

"You look beautiful, mon coeur," he murmured as he managed to catch her in mid-twirl.

"You always say that," she teased.

"And I always will because I do mean it."

Beverly stood still. "Do you think I should wear the necklace too?"

"Beverly, if you wish to wear the necklace, then do so. However, I think that you look perfectly beautiful at the moment."

"And there is no such thing as one-upping Lwaxana Troi when it comes to jewelry," Beverly ruefully admitted, laughing.

"Lwaxana wears her jewelry as if they were medals awarded for services rendered. She wants people to focus on them - and not directly on her." He pressed a gentle kiss against his wife's forehead. "You however, have no need for such artifice."

"And when I get to be Lwaxana's age?"

"It will always be you that I gaze upon, Beverly. And not how many Rigellian firestones you are wearing."

"Pretty words, Jean-Luc," she teased. "But they won't absolve you from bestowing on your wife a pretty gemstone now and then."

=/\= =/\= =/\=

The dinner had gone well, under the circumstances. Lwaxana actually complimented the chef. And Ludvig had preened over her kind words. And the dinner conversation had been pleasant enough. Though there had been times during the conversations, when Jean-Luc feared that Beverly, Mildred and Lwaxana were ganging up on him. He got the illogical idea that all three ladies blamed him for Beverly's condition...

It was only after dinner that his true trial began. He escorted the ladies back to the library for after-dinner coffee or tea and brandy (for only two of the three ladies). Ludvig followed, guiding a trolley cart with a silver coffee and tea service and several trays of pastries and fruit on it. He centered it by the sofa and the two armchairs that had been dragged into position. Then Ludvig bowed, asked if they needed anything else, accepted their thanks for everything that he'd done, and left the room.

Jean-Luc was under the impression, at first, that things were fine. Though Lwaxana had been casting a speculative eye on Beverly's jewelry as if she knew down to the quarter carat just how large the sapphires were and the total carat weight of all the diamonds.

Mildred spoke first. "We have to find the proper nursemaid before the babies arrive."

"I agree," Lwaxana cheerfully replied as she added a few drops of coffee to her brandy. She'd won the silent battle with Mildred over who would play mother and actually pour the tea or coffee. Beverly had conceded her right to pour since at the moment, she was tired. And she just simply didn't care whether it was Mildred or Lwaxana who served her an herbal ginger tea. Lwaxana continued chattering. "We want that individual to be trusted by the children from the time of their birth."

"And if we don't find someone by the time of the birth?" Beverly worriedly asked.

"Then, I'll just stay and take care of the twins myself," Lwaxana airily announced. "Mr. Homm knows how to change diapers." She watched as Jean-Luc blanched. "Actually, it'll be fun. And since Deanna hasn't felt inclined to give me any grandchildren, I'll just adopt yours." Lwaxana raised an eyebrow as she sweetly asked, "You won't mind, will you, Jean-Luc?"

Jean-Luc unfortunately snorted some coffee the wrong way up his nose and wind pipe at this pronouncement. Beverly had to pat Jean-Luc on the back several times before his choking stopped. He finally croaked out, "Do we have to have a nursemaid?"

All three ladies merely looked at him. Patiently speaking as if she knew she were explaining things to only a mere man, Mildred said, "Johnny, neither you nor Beverly have the mental telepathic skills or training to cope with the babies. Of course you have to have someone with you from the birth who can guide the babies into the world. You don't want your children exposed to unshielded thoughts when they are born." She eyed her boss as if he were the problem. "They're going to have enough to deal with on their own…"

"She's correct," Lwaxana added. "Beverly, considering how Wesley turned out, you should have realized what kind of genetic soup mix you were creating when you mated with Jean-Luc."

Jean-Luc had been accused of many things before. But complaining about his genes?

"Meaning?" Beverly asked. Her voice was so icy, Jean-Luc imagined that he saw wisps of frost in the room.

"Wesley's a genius," Lwaxana blithely explained, ignoring Beverly's ire. "And that's the result from your only mating with a somewhat ordinary human male. But having children with a sperm donor like Jean-Luc? The very least you should be expecting are cousins worthy of the Continuum as your offspring."

Beverly didn't know whether or not to be pleased with Lwaxana's assessment of Wesley's intelligence or to be upset with her criticism of Jack as the father.

Jean-Luc on the other had, was aghast at Lwaxana's suggestions about the results of his created offspring. "Next, you'll be telling me that we should contact Q to see if he can help," Picard retorted.

"Actually, that's not that crazy of any idea," Mildred responded.

"No!" both Lwaxana and Jean-Luc yelled together.

"You've never met Q…," Lwaxana observed, with a grin. Though she relished the idea of Q meeting Mildred. Now that would be a momentous occasion…

"Then we need to start searching for suitable candidates now," Mildred stated.

"I'll start looking on Betazed," Lwaxana added.

"And I'll take care of the little ones until you can find a permanent nursemaid," a calm voice boomed out from the doorway.

Jean-Luc tried to repress the groan that came too-readily to his lips.

"I'm your new nanny," Guinan merrily stated as she walked over and helped herself to the French brandy. She didn't bother with the coffee. Or a cup.