A/N: here is the second part. Enjoy. Oh, I like people who R&R everybody.
The Relationship
2.
About an hour before sunset members of the starship beamed down. The first down is Deanna and Will both of them not in uniform but still look professional. They both smile at me and move away to talk to others and she gives me a wink. After them is Data and Worf and a man I do not know. They come over to greet me. I point Data to where the kids are playing before the food is ready. He thanks me and moves off. It turns out that the other man is Geordi La Forge. They too move off the converse with others. By this time more of the crew has come. I start to move around a little bit and stretch some of my muscles. Five minutes later I return to where I was just as Jean-Luc and the Doctor beam down.
Both Jean-Luc and his doctor are not in uniform. He is wearing a light brown shirt open at the top to revel some chest hair, his shirt was tucked into dark brown slacks which were tucked into black boots that reached just below his knee. She was wearing a simple dress of a soft blue. The dress was cut to hug her frame without being too tight. When she moved in the dress I knew that she was a dancer, she moved with such grace and confidence that it was no wonder he loved her. They come up and greet me before moving off to mingle with the crowd. Man did they look good together.
I catch Troi's eye and nod, everything is going well. After a few moments of allowing for some more mingling I start to head up to the dais. There I ask everyone to please take their seats. Everybody sits down at one of the tables and the food is served. Conversations between people during the meal were light and happy. The food was of course delicious, all the right flavors popped. After all the food was cleared up; musicians took to the dais and started playing some simple tunes to warm up. When they started to play for real all of my people went to dance and so did a few of the Starfleet people. After a couple of songs I went up near the dais and grabbed a hard case that Troi had sent down earlier and made my was over to where she and Riker were sitting.
Commander Riker, I heard from a reliable source that you can play an instrument known as a trombone, is that correct?" He nodded and I pulled up the case and opened it and took out the instrument. "Would you like to play a little for us all?" Riker smiled and picked up the trombone and walked up to the dais and started playing with the other musicians. He was really good. We sat and listened for a few minutes then she turned to me.
"I believe that it is now or never Anij." Troi told me with a smile. I nodded to her and made my way to where the captain and doctor were sitting. He and the doctor seemed to be in a conversation about some Starfleet directive or something when I approached.
"Jean-Luc would you care to join me for a walk?"
"Yes of course Anij." He stood up and offered me his arm. As we walked towards the fountain I looked back in time to see Troi leading the doctor away. They rounded the corner of the fountain and I sat down pulling him down to sit beside me. We sat for a few minutes before I started a conversation.
"Your first officer can play the trombone beautifully, Jean-Luc."
"I'll pass the compliment along to him. Now I sense that you want to talk, would I be correct?"
"Yes, you would be right. I have a few questions for you Jean-Luc."
"Well then, my dear, you should ask them."
"What does the terms "true love" and "soul mate" mean to you?" I asked the question softly, I could also hear a plunk in the fountain's pool letting me know that Troi and the doctor were on the other side. I looked at Jean-Luc, he was thinking about my question.
"True love is a connection that you feel in your heart, mind and body. Your heart feels the love and compassion you share, and the feelings fill you up and make you warm. The mind knows that you have plenty of things to talk and debate about and you look forward to those moments as they make you feel whole. Of course your bodies will yearn for each other; craving physical contact because it makes you feel complete and at peace with yourself. A soul-mate to me is someone who invokes more than one emotion inside of you, one with whom words are not needed or required. A soul-mate is your other half. It is your perfect opposite in some regards. They are your endanger and protector. Someone who you could spend a decade with and still is not bored by what happens with them. To me a soul-mate is both a best friend and a lover." He stopped talking and withdrew into his own thoughts. Using the time that I had I reached for Troi's mind.
Did she hear?
I think so. She has gone all quiet and her eyes are wide and she is trying to block her thoughts from reaching me.
Alright time for part B
Turning back to Jean-Luc and touched his shoulder which brought his attention back to the present.
"Jean-Luc, you have given much thought about those two terms; so answer me this with all honesty. On your ship and on your free time, in whose company are you usually in?
"Beverly, either with her or I am on the holodeck."
"When you are hurting, who do you turn to?"
"Beverly or Deanna."
"Who do you debate with?"
"Data, Beverly and Riker."
"Who can bring a smile to your face by just walking in the room?"
"Beverly, is the only living person today. My nephew Rene or Jack, her husband who died."
"Can you communicate with her without using words?"
"Yes."
"Would you die for her?"
"Without hesitation."
"Would you kill for her?"
"If she was in danger, than yes I would kill to protect her."
"Jean-Luc, I can tell that you are a man who has made his entire life about Starfleet. So knowing that; would you give up your career to be with her?"
". . . Yes."
"Then Jean-Luc I believe that you love her. And I think that you should tell her how you feel. For a love untold can do damaging things to oneself. So tell her how you feel and see what happens next."
We got up and walked around "looking" for the doctor. When we didn't find her we went back to the fountain and sat down again. Jean-Luc looked thoroughly dismayed at not finding the doctor. So he sat and sulked. I briefly contacted Troi to tell her to begin her conversation.
"Beverly, what would you say if Will and I got back together? I want your honest opinion, don't hold back."
"Dee, I want you to be happy and you seem to be happy with Will and he seems to be happy with you. I would say that you two are meant for each other." She sounded happy for the other two but a hint of sadness tinged her voice.
"What it is it Bev? Come on you know that you can't hide anything from me, that I will find out eventually. Come on talk to me." Troi pleaded
"My life is going nowhere. I have no idea where my son is, or what he is doing. Dee I miss him so much. I find myself constantly remembering the days when he was a child, all those memories. I have very few friends, and it seems that when I do make a friend in Starfleet; their always reassigned and I rarely, if ever see them. And for the icing on the cake; my love life is going downhill and into Hades!"
"What do you mean Bev?"
"Kesprytt that is what I am talking about. We were telepathically linked Dee. We felt each other's thoughts, each other's memories and each other's love. And what do I do when given a chance to be happy finally? I say: "Maybe we should be afraid" and leave, that's what I do! I left, I should never have left. I should have told him that I didn't want to lose him the way I had lost Jack; I knew that I wouldn't live if I did that. I would die if I lost him! My heart would bust and I would waste away until something claimed my own life; not even the live of my son would be able to bring me back this time. God Dee I don't think I can do this! I love him too much that it hurts! Every breakfast that we share and every day that we are just friends kills a part of me! Then to have to see him with someone else, that is almost unbearable. There are times when I want to kill! Dee I can't do this!" She broke down crying and I felt all her emotions come out in a rush. I heard soothing noises coming from Troi and the doctor's sobs became muffled like she was crying on her shoulders. My heart broke just hearing her talk. Soon sobs subsided and she said in a voice quieter than a whisper: "Jean-Luc. . ." I felt Troi talk to me.
"He is going to come around and talk to her. Let him. I think it will be good for them both. No one else has managed to get them to admit this much. The whole ship has felt the tension between these two people. Maybe now it will be better for them. Anij, Thank you, thank you for helping my friends; it hurt me to see these two the way they were. Here he is; I'm coming around to join you.
Sure enough she sat down next to me and I could now hear his deep voice whispering words of comfort to his doctor. As much as it pains me that I am not the one in his arms; I know that I did the right thing. For both of us. Her sobs stopped altogether as Jean-Luc held her tightly in his arms.
"I am sorry that I have hurt you this much, Beverly. I should have gone after you, made you tell me what was wrong, what you were afraid of. But I didn't and for that I am so sorry. I am here now though and I am telling you that you are my life, if you left me in any way I would waste away and become nothing but a shell. You are the one who not only saves my life but gives it meaning. I love you Beverly Crusher, with all my heart, mind, body and soul."
"Thank you Jean-Luc, but there is nothing to be sorry for; it is my damn fault and I will spend the rest of my life making up for it. Because Jean-Luc Picard, I love you to. Can we go home please?"
"Yes of course we will leave now."
They walked to the point where they could discreetly transport back to their ship, their home. When they had gone Deanna had relaxed and went in search of Will who was still playing his trombone. When he saw her he finished the solo in a flourish and walked off the dais and grabbed her and spun her around before kissing her thoroughly.
And love won out the night all around. Tomorrow the ship leaves. To head to the rest of their lives. I wish them all the happiness; they all deserve it.
