Beverly Crusher had left the Pasteur to take several hours of leave, going down to the starbase to burn off some energy. Better to leave her ship while waiting for Deanna and Will to contact her. And the Enterprise was on the way to the base, as well, but she had kept herself from researching the arrival time.
Because. Well, it was complicated.
And Jean-Luc hadn't contacted her for months. Granted, they were both captains now, rarely in the same quadrant (not that she regularly checked; fleet starship locations were in the reports that appeared on her desk every so often, and she just happened to generally be aware of the location of his vessel) and they had exchanged short messages initially, but there had existed the lingering awkwardness after the Enterprise, and her transfer to the Pasteur, and, well...
She had rejected him after Kes Prytt. There was no reason she should hope for any kind of romantic reconciliation. Hell, they had never been able to truly become anything more than awkward friends who loved each other and never spoke about it. That little glimmer of hope? It should have been extinguished long ago. So she wondered if he would contact her, or if they would simply meet with Deanna and Will together for a meal, and it would be awkward but still so good to see everyone, and then they would depart, and -
Enough. She shook her head as she strolled down the promenade. This was why she had needed to get off of her ship and walk around somewhere else, anywhere else, even if it was only for a few hours.
"Captain!" She turned at the familiar voice to see her chief medical officer stepping out of a shop, waving a hand at her. She couldn't help but smile at his excited expression and the flash of humor in his eyes. "Captain, look what I found!" As she approached, he opened up the slingpack tossed over his shoulder, lifting out a bottle of what appeared to be liquor or wine. "Direct from the Alpha Quadrant! If you're lucky, I might share a glass with you someday!"
Beverly grinned at her chief medical officer's jubilation. He had been the perfect selection for her ship's crew, taking over Sickbay in a way that put her medical mind at ease, because while she loved being the captain, she was always a bit unsettled at not knowing exactly what was going on down on the medical deck, but it wasn't her sickbay...and he assuaged her unspoken concerns with regular updates, a conversational demeanor and a relaxed presence she couldn't help but appreciate. And he looked so happy, standing there with his find. She shook her head at his jubilation, still grinning.
Picard continued his approach towards Beverly, watching her smile at a man with the smile that lit up her face, the smile that fit her just as well as the dark tunic and slim trousers she was wearing, and the man standing in the entry of the shop closed his slingpack, leaned down and said some short phrase to her with a mischievous arch to his brow, and she erupted in laughter, laugher that he heard across the promenade, and she reached out and patted the man on the arm.
"Beverly!" His voice was a strained bark, an involuntary reaction to the slice of jealousy that was threatening to explode out of his chest, not what he intended at all, but he was still gratified when her head snapped around and then she met his eyes, and her smile changed, deepened, amusement gone and she appeared to be genuinely happy to see him.
Something within his chest loosened.
He stopped in front of her, unsure of what to say, but she took away his momentary paralysis when she embraced him tightly. He grasped her back, smelling the familiar perfume she always wore, or perhaps it was from her hair, but it was so good to have her there for the moment. Deanna's words slid through his mind - "You love her. Go tell her." - and Beverly pulled back to look at him, still smiling.
"Jean-Luc, I'm so glad you're here! I've missed you." And she blinked as though she was shifting something in her mind. "Here, this is my chief medical officer, Val Isadore," and the man extended a hand with a warm smile.
"Captain, it is a pleasure to meet you. If I weren't stationed on the Pasteur, I'd want to serve on the Enterprise, sir." The man was older than he appeared at first glance, crinkles around his blue eyes, and his smile was warm. Picard returned the man's greeting and firm handshake, still nurturing a twinge of jealousy. Beverly should be by my side. "Anyone who serves with Beverly should consider themselves very lucky. I treasured every moment when were serving together."
The man dropped his hand, his smile dimming, and Picard turned to Beverly to see an odd expression on her face. One of genuine surprise, with a softness around her lovely blue eyes. Perhaps I'm being too forward. But I can't lose her again.