Jean-Luc Picard was at the end of the couch in Beverly Crusher's quarters sipping on a hot cup of Earl Grey tea. They had both taken what was a big risk personally, when deciding to trust the feeling they'd been fighting for so many years now. And though it had seemed like a big leap to take from friendship to lovers, he'd never felt more content in his life. Jean-Luc Picard had loved Beverly Crusher from the time he was a young captain taking his first command. Deciding to take their relationship to a different level had concerned them both, they feared what it might do to their working relationship, especially if things did not worked out as hoped for. Yet, it had only seemed to strengthen the crew. The senior staff supportive in a positive step they had seen coming for years.
It wasn't often that he looked in the mirror and didn't notice the changes that had come about in himself over the past few years. But the areas in which he had softened, did not diminish his strengths, they complemented them. He looked around the doctor's quarters, seeing the bits of himself that had been integrated into her living space. Bottles of wine from LaBarre, books from his personal library strewn here and there, and a quilt that once belonged to his grandmother draped across the back of the chaise in the corner of Beverly's sitting room. She'd left her own special touches in his cabin as well and he knew that they would be living together permanently if it wasn't for her need to be close to Sickbay on the nights she was on call.
Picard closed his book as he heard the sound of the cabin doors sliding open. The CMO of the Enterprise stepping inside holding the tiny daughter of his Number One and his ship's counselor. Kyla Riker had her head laying on Beverly's shoulder, her thumb placed in her bow-shaped mouth. Her curly brown hair was pulled back into two ponytails, one on each side of her head and she was wearing a tiny pack on her shoulders. He couldn't see her face, but somehow, as the doors shut behind them, he knew she was smiling.
"There he is," whispered Beverly into her god-daughter's ear. "Would you like to go say hello?" He watched her nod, not taking her little thumb out of her mouth until Beverly had set her down on the floor. "There you go, Punkin," she said, as she put the rest of Kyla's things on the table beside the door. He watched as the toddler ran towards him, jumping up on the couch and giving him a big hug.
"Good afternoon, Unca," she said, smiling up at him. Her big blue eyes wide and sparkling, in her tiny face.
"Good afternoon, cherie." He chuckled slightly, kissing her cheek.
"Did you haf fun flying the ship wif my daddy today?" She asked, as grown-up as possible while he helped her out of her daypack.
"It was a lot of fun, yes." He told her. "How was school?"
"We learned "R" … Rrrrrrr." She replied, but before he could inquire more she interrupted. "I want to see my piggies." Kyla told her "uncle," putting her shoe in his lap. Jean-Luc looked over at Beverly who was now standing by the replicator. She was attempting to stifle a laugh.
"Off pwease." The little girl asked, innocently. It amazed the doctor how completely Kyla Riker had managed to wrap the great starship captain around her pinky finger. Beverly watched him as he pulled off her shoes and socks, blowing air on each foot as her toes became free. An action that was met with a fit of giggles.
"Mrs. Nevelle said that she'd just woken from a nap when I picked her up," Beverly told the captain as she ordered herself a glass of water.
"Well, she seems pretty awake, now." He told her with a grin, watching Kyla run over to Beverly.
"Yes, Miss Riker?" She asked as the toddler, who had just turned 3 a few weeks before and still seemed so tiny, pulled at her uniform leg. "Do you want a snack?"
Kyla nodded, gracing her "aunt" with a big smile.
"Carrots?" The doctor asked, playfully tugging at a pigtail.
Kyla shook her head, giggling.
"How about an apple?"
She shook her head again.
"I can't think of anything else the replicator might have that's good for a snack. Can you Jean-Luc?"
"I hear Mr. Worf enjoys the prunes." Beverly laughed and Kyla scrunched up her nose.
"Is that wike cookies?" She asked the grown-ups.
"Oh, cookies. You want cookies is that all?"
"Yes, Pwease." Kyla replied, reaching her arms up toward the doctor.
"Oh, you want to do it."
She nodded.
"Okay, kiddo. You have to talk loud."
"Buttah cookies." The little girl said leaning towards the replicator.
"And what kind of juice?" Beverly asked her.
"Gwape."
"Computer one grape juice." The doctor requested. Beverly sat the snack down on the table and helped Kyla into the booster chair she kept at the cabin for her. "You eat and Aunt Bev is going to change okay."
"Yes."
"Why don't you tell your uncle about your little sister?" She called from the other room.
Jean-Luc smiled. "How is Camilla doing Ky?"
"She's doing berry wowdly, Unca Jeany." Kyla replied, taking a bite of her cookie.
"Noisy is she?" He asked amused.
"I getting an achey head, just finkin' about it." He could hear Beverly laughing from the other room. Kyla dunked one of her butter cookies in her grape juice. Jean-Luc watched, not quite sure if it was a great idea or not, but quite pleased when she didn't tip the glass over.
"Pwease don't waf, Aunt Beb. I seer-wee-us." Beverly emerged from the bedroom, having changed into some soft and flowy pants and a comfortable shirt. She walked over and kissed her god-daughter on the head before taking a seat on the couch next to Jean-Luc. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, smiling at the exchange.
"I'm sorry, Pumpkin. It does sound very serious."
"S'okay." She replied, chomping down on the last of her cookies. "I fink she might be going back soon."