DETACHED:
Jean-Luc: His Story
Chapter 9
Blessings:
=/\= =/\= =/\=
"You have my blessing."
Jean-Luc Picard looked up from the daily student report padd that he had been studying, and placed it on top of his desk.
"Q." The admiral was feeling a bit magnanimous this afternoon, so he chose not to respond to Q's hubris. He didn't curse (out loud) Q's name.
"I approve."
Jean-Luc picked up his padd, deciding to ignore - at least for a moment - this intrusion into his work time. As usual, he was playing catch-up with Academy business. There was always too much to do and oversee, and far too little time in which to do it.
"How is your day going?"
Jean-Luc had to silently grant that Q was persistently annoying. Q's question sounded like an innocent, polite inquiry, but Jean-Luc knew this being far too well to believe in that possibility.
"What are you doing here, Q?" Deciding not to take out his temper over certain cadet infractions on Q, Jean-Luc softened his voice as he added, "The twins are currently in France with Marie and Robert. But if you'd like to visit them, I would approve. William wishes to show off his new bicycle riding skills to you. However, if he tries to trade the bicycle for a rocket ship with you, please say 'no'."
"William is a most determined human child." Q chuckled. "I will refrain from giving him his first rocket ship - for now. And I do intend to visit them before I have to return to the Continuum. But I am really here to see you." Q was smiling quite pleasantly as he plopped his behind down on the corner of Jean-Luc's desk.
"To what do I owe this honor?" Jean-Luc's patience was beginning to wear a little thin.
"Kathy is one of my all-time favorite inferior beings, Jean-Luc. I adore her."
Sensing that he might be treading quick sand, Jean-Luc calmly queried, "I adore her as well. He didn't bother to query who 'Kathy' was. He knew. "She's been a good friend for many years."
A lightning bolt cracked through the air, though it didn't appear to strike anything.
The dramatic brimstone and hell fire Q of old, suddenly appeared with the all the accompanying appropriate theatrics. In a most sonorous, threatening tone of voice, Q announced, "You hurt Kathy, Jean-Luc Picard, and you will only wish that I'd left you as an amoeba at the beginning of time…" His voice reverberated about the office. Q stood midst more lightning bolts, pointing his finger directly at Jean-Luc's nose. Q then had the temerity to tap it. "You will pray to whatever god you believe in - if not to me - to persuade me to turn you into that benighted amoeba when I am through with you, if you in any way, shape or form hurt my Kathy!" he warned.
Jean-Luc grimaced at the theatrics more suited for Mount Olympus than his office. He never cared for this aspect of Q's personality. With a calm possession that he just knew would annoy Q, he politely asked, "Why this threat, Q?" For he could think of nothing that he'd done that would warrant from Q, this kind of intrusion into his private life.
"Lunch!"
"Kathryn and I did not eat…" Picard's voice trailed off as truth dawned. "You were spying on us!" he roared. For this admiral could over-react as well.
"Of course not!" Q crossed his fingers behind his back, since technically that was the truth.
"Liar."
Q took a quick step back. Rarely did he hear that kind of anger in Jean-Luc's voice over something that he had done. Usually Jean-Luc just ignored his misbehavior.
"I'm telling the truth, Jean-Luc! I was with Guinan this afternoon. She was asking me about Kathy. What kind of woman she was… did she like kids…? that sort of thing. And you know how well I can resist gossiping about somebody - especially when it is someone I actually know."
Slightly mollified since he had to believe Q about being with Guinan since Q just had to know that he would confirm that fact when he talked to Guinan, Jean-Luc more civilly observed, "My relationship with the lady is my business…," he quickly raised his hand to shush Q's forthcoming protest, "…but since Kathryn herself has told me how fond she is of you, I will accept that you are just concerned for the lady. And all I can say is that I would never deliberately harm the lady. I have known Kathryn a very long time and I am well aware of how extraordinary a woman she is."
Q waggled his eyebrows but nobly refrained from saying anything that might upset Jean-Luc some more.
Jean-Luc ignored Q's actions. "And for your information, she prefers my company as much as I like hers."
Q didn't hear the last sentence. For Q was actually confounded as Jean-Luc's prior words registered on his consciousness. Kathy admitted to Jean-Luc that she was fond of him? He was flabbergasted. And he was personally touched more deeply than he would ever care to admit out loud.
Jean-Luc eyed the peculiar expression on Q's face, even as he waved away an intern that had momentarily opened his outer office door to see what the commotion was about. His staff was used to seeing this particular uninvited guest, and they had no wish to cross Q's path unless they had no choice. A certain Berengarian hairless poodle puppycat transformation tale was still making the rounds of the lower orders. The fact that it was true was enough to make any intern wary of being in Q's presence.
"What is it, Q?"
"Just how fond of me is Kathy?"
Jean-Luc knew better than to answer that question.
"Ask the lady herself."
=/\= =/\= =/\=
About an hour later, Mildred came into the commandant's office to check on her boss. She duly noted some rather impressive stacks of padds waiting for her dispersal.
"Mildred," he calmly remarked as he continued to read his third from the last padd for this day, (he hoped).
She chose to rest on the chair closest to his desk. "We all heard that Q dropped by."
"Unfortunately yes." He looked about his office. "Nothing appears to be permanently charred." He started a new stack of finished padds by placing them next to the old ones. "I suppose Q has gone off to visit the twins in France." He lifted his eyes upward to gaze at his seemingly-ageless adjutant. "I believe that Guinan is in town though she has yet to drop by."
"Had a late lunch with her."
Jean-Luc raised an eyebrow at this news. "And?"
"So far, the vote is unanimous."
Jean-Luc detected a certain smugness to Mildred's pronouncement. "Meaning?" He was hoping faint hope that they had not been gossiping about him.
"So far, you've got four votes in favor of Kathryn Janeway: Guinan, Lwaxana, S'Rock as well as myself."
"Meaning?" This time he did not try to disguise the sound of his displeasure as he contemplated the aspects of a Vulcan Starfleet commander discussing his love life over lunch.
"We all approve of the lady. The fact that she was an old friend of yours helped. And we all think that it is time to invite Robert and Marie over for dinner to meet Kathryn." Mildred cheerfully watched as Jean-Luc's expression froze over.
He spoke with as much poise and control as he could muster. "Mildred, just because Kathryn is accompanying me to the Admiral's Ball on Saturday, is not sufficient reason for me to drag her to meet the family…"
A triumphant expression crossed over Mildred's visage.
"What?" he barked sensing that he had just made a misstep. Jean-Luc Picard did not like making missteps.
"I won the bet. I knew you were taking her to the ball. Have fun. Oh, and I sent her an invite to come over Thursday night." With that, she swiftly stood, swiped up all the finished padds, and exited before the sputtering Jean-Luc could form an appropriate, dignified response.
=/\= =/\= =/\=
It was a Thursday evening, and Kathryn was experiencing for the first time, Jean-Luc Picard's version of a barbecue at Picard House. He had told her the event was casual, so she dressed in blue slacks with a matching sapphire Denebian silk woven sweater.
As she entered the house, she was greeted by a pregnant lieutenant in a maternity uniform.
"I am Bronislawa Oleszewski," the lieutenant merrily stated as she guided the admiral through the foyer and hall toward the main terrace beyond the ball room. "I'm Ludvig's wife," she added, without bothering to add any other explanations. "I am glad that you could make it. Guinan's arrived, and she has been rather, um, inquisitive about you…"
Kathryn tried not to gawk as she looked about the surprisingly formal, elegant long room with its inlaid flooring, sweeping drapery and full concert size grand piano at the far end. Or react overmuch to the news that the aforementioned Guinan was asking about her.
Brawny noticed her obvious curiosity though, as the admiral still looked about. "First time here, Admiral?"
"Yes. I guess so. Still, it sort of looks familiar…"
"Picard House was the Nagosian Consulate before Jean-Luc took it over again. The family side to the house is much more comfortable than this version of Versailles." She waved her hand about. "Admiral Picard would have been here to greet you himself but he got some sort of urgent call right as the gate notified us of your arrival."
She was a little relieved that Jean-Luc had not forgotten that he had invited her. Kathryn paused before the French doors that opened out onto the terrace which had acquired a golden hazy look in the late afternoon sun. She observed that the terrace's occupants were all casually dressed. There wasn't a Starfleet uniform in sight other than her escort's uniform. "What kind of barbecue is this, Lieutenant?"
"Once a month, when home, the Admiral hosts this barbecue. He likes to invite a wide variety of people from friends to politicos to officers to cadets who have earned the privilege of an invite. He has always felt that cadets should be exposed to more than just Academic dorm life." Brawny giggled. "You should be here when the Enterprise crew are in town. The stories they tell! And Captain Riker usually ends up in a cook-off with my husband. And to tell you the truth, Captain Riker's secret barbecue sauce is pretty good if you like spicy and sweet…" She opened the double doors and motioned toward the end of the terrace that faced the west, providing an excellent view of the gardens, the Pacific beyond and the sunset.
About twenty people were there, holding drinks and talking.
A rather portly man in a beige shirt, slacks and apron noticed their arrival. He immediately went to a table and poured something into a tall glass mug from a rather small coffeepot, before approaching the admiral and the lieutenant.
"Admiral Janeway, may I introduce my husband, Ludvig?"
Kathryn blinked away her surprise that this rather short man was married to the tall lieutenant, for the man stood before her, nodded, and then presented her with the mug. "A pleasure to meet you, Admiral." He handed the admiral the mug. "For you. My secret blend." With that he extended his arm to his bride, and stepped back.
Not knowing what else to do, Kathryn sniffed the mug. The overwhelming richness and depth of the coffee aroma surprised her. Hesitantly, she took a tiny sip. And then another. And another. A moment later, her expression was wide-eyed with bliss as she stared at the short man and then back down at cocoa diamond depths of this miraculous liquid. "This is the best coffee that I have ever tasted." She took a much deeper swallow as she knew that she had just encountered her version of heavenly perfection on earth.
Ludvig smiled with delight. "Whenever you grace Picard House with your presence, my dear admiral, I will always serve you my secret blend. I so enjoy the company of anyone who appreciates my magnificent coffee." He sniffed. "Such connoisseurs are sadly lacking around here…"
A warm hand snaked about the admiral's waist, slightly startling the lady - not that she spilled a drop of her precious coffee. Kathryn Janeway was always prepared for the unexpected. Jean-Luc leaned over and kissed Kathryn's cheek, by way of greeting. Then he glared at his chef. "Are you suggesting that I am not appreciative of your efforts in coffee making, Ludvig?"
"Coffee is not your life blood, Jean-Luc. Earl Grey is," the chef retorted.
"It's a never-ending debate," Brawny advised Kathryn, as she affectionately squeezed her husband's hand.
"Something's burning," Admiral Picard mildly observed as he smiled at Ludvig.
With a squawk, the chef pivoted and immediately rushed toward the long barbecue that seem to be filled with all sorts of grilling meats and roasting vegetables. Brawny walked after him.
Jean-Luc leaned closed to Kathryn. "Are you re-thinking our relationship?" he casually asked.
Still sipping her coffee, Kathryn nodded. "I'm not so sure I can take a man seriously, who prefers tea over coffee." She finished off her mug. "In fact, I don't think that I've ever seen you drink coffee."
"I do." He smiled. "Drink it, that is. When Ludvig makes it. And I drink it black."
"Ah, then you are a possibility. I will always appreciate a sensible man after all," Kathryn teased.
Jean-Luc turned his head back toward the house realizing how remiss he had been in greeting his guest. Leaving her to fend for herself had not been his intention at all. "I will show you around later, when things quiet down a bit. In the meantime, may I introduce you to my guests?"
Kathryn put her empty mug down on one of the many café tables that mixed with the patio tables and chairs, about the terrace and permitted Jean-Luc to escort her toward the crowd.
=/\= =/\= =/\=
The last thing that Kathryn expected to encounter as she exited the powder room was a small, red-haired girl who batted her thigh. The girl then boldly announced, "Tag - you're it."
"Not tonight," Kathryn countered.
The five-year-old took a step backward and lifted her eyes upward, which in Kathryn's case, was not too far off from the floor. "Sorry. I thought you were Ryllis."
"Ryllis?"
"Our nanny." The girl studied Kathryn a moment before she added, "You're that admiral who got lost, aren't you?"
"That's one way of putting it," Kathryn observed, somewhat bemused by this remarkably self-possessed young lady wearing a pajama set with a pattern of stars all over the soft blue fabric. "I am Admiral Janeway."
"You're the one." And then the girl said nothing more. She just simply stared.
"One what?" Kathryn finally asked, as all sorts of possibilities raced through her mind."
"You make my Papa laugh. Merci beaucoup." With that, Anna pivoted and raced up the stairs to return to the family quarters.
"I see you've met Anna," a voice called out from the darkened corridor beyond the guest bath room.
A serene looking woman, wearing pale rose robes, with a matching tricorn form hat stepped into the light.
"I am Guinan."
Kathryn nodded, before politely saying, "I have heard a great deal about you from Jean-Luc."
"Jean-Luc lies." Guinan took several steps closer to the admiral.
Somewhat affronted by this character assassination of her friend, Kathryn icily remarked, "I think not."
Guinan simply smiled. "When it comes to the tall tales that Johnny tells about me, he lies. Sometimes." She walked up to face the admiral. "Of course, you are smart enough to know that whatever Q tells you about me will be all lies."
Kathryn knew that this statement was probably truthful. "You know Q too?"
"He's a cousin. Of sorts."
"Cousin? You're a Q?"
"Not exactly."
"Well, that explains everything," Kathryn mumbled sotto voce.
"I'm an El Aurian. Long lived. With some psychic powers. And, if I am ever in the mood, which has yet to happen, I could become a Q at the Continuum's invite. So far, I really haven't been tempted." To herself, Guinan muttered, "Even when the Borg showed up…"
Kathryn heard that though. And she remembered what had happened to Guinan's home planet. "I'm sorry," Kathryn softly said.
"Thank you." Guinan nodded in the direction of the corridor. "I know a short cut." She started slowly walking as she expected Kathryn to accompany her into the dimly lit hallway.
Not quite knowing what else to do, and since she didn't wish to offend someone that Jean-Luc considered to be a close friend, Kathryn walked as well.
"Not that you need my approval, but both you and Jean-Luc have it."
Kathryn stopped and tried not to glare at Guinan. "Why does everyone have to have an opinion about my so-called relationship with Jean-Luc? Why can't you all just let us figure out what our relationship will become?"
Guinan nodded. The pink hat fluttered a bit. "I agree. You and Jean-Luc need to find your own way - or not. But you have to remember, Jean-Luc is much loved by his friends. And we are all rejoicing that he is finally rejoining the land of the living because of you." Guinan eyed Kathryn, then commented, "As are you, if Fleet rumors are correct…"
"You know what they say about rumors, Guinan…"
Kathryn observed that Guinan's serene smile was very enigmatic.
"Do what Anna and Billy Bob did," Guinan advised.
"Which is?"
"They took baby steps forward, Kathryn Janeway. You'll get your heart's desire in the end, even though it might take a while…"
Sensing that if she tried to puzzle that statement out, it would only lead to a major headache, Kathryn simply nodded, and followed Guinan onto the terrace.
