Title: Parterre, Season four, Chapter Eight a: "Galaxy's Child"

Rating: K+ (PG)

Codes: C, T, R, LaF, D.

Feedback: Any type is welcome, even flames. Criticism is especially appreciated though :) You can leave feedback by direct e-mail via my profile or simply use fanfiction's easy and quick review feature :)

Author's Note: It didn't take quite as long as last time (yes, I'm proud of that) and I hope you'll enjoy. It's a slower chapter and it will have a part b. I can't give you a timeframe, I guess you guys will have to use the 'alert feature', sorry. In the meantime, thank you all for the reviews, they are definitely a good motivator

Chapter Eight "Galaxy's Child"

With some gratitude to the chirping of her commbadge, Doctor Beverly Crusher put her novel on the salon table. It had taken her an hour just to read through ten pages. "Crusher here."

"Doctor!" LaForge's cheery voice bounced off the walls. "We're celebrating the coming of age of Junior."

The smile in the engineer's voice was infectious and a little social interaction was just what she needed. "It's a birthday party I wouldn't want to miss," she replied, her spirits already lifting, "I'll be right there."

"Great! LaForge out." Without giving the novel a second though, Beverly headed for the doors. Passing the mirror she paused. No one would be surprised if she showed up in her uniform and lab coat, but she chose the get changed. It was a party after all.

She'd thought about the encounter with 'junior', as he'd affectionately been named, on and off all day. It wasn't every day that a Starfleet physician got to perform a caesarian on a life form that lived and died among the stars, without the protection of an atmosphere. Still, in spite of having successfully delivered and weaned the baby, she felt guilty about its mother's death. That guilt had held her captive in a lingering sadness.

The jovial atmosphere of the lounge enveloped her as soon as she crossed into Guinan's part of the ship. As usual most of the tables and barstools were occupied and the buzz of excited conversations, occasionally outshined by peels of laughter, was familiar and uplifting.

A large gathering around one of the tables in the center drew her attention and as Beverly approached she could make out Riker and LaForge in the middle. "Doctor!" Geordi greeted her cheerfully and she accepted the chair Riker held out.

Before she could respond, Data appeared at her side. "Would you like a biscuit with rodents, Doctor?"

It was only through years of experience that she could keep her initial shock and disgust at bay long enough to glance at the silver plate the android held out to her. "What is it Data?"

She could swear there was a glint of anticipation in his eyes, as if he looked forward to explaining his offering. "It is an old European custom. In a small country in Europe, called The Netherlands, people would eat this when a child was born. The literal translation is "biscuits with little mice."

"It's quite good," Riker cut in and picked up one of the colorfully decorated round disks, holding it out to her. Slightly hesitant Beverly accepted, avoiding the eager eyes of Data.

"Traditionally the covering should be blue and white for a boy, or pink and white for a girl." The inflections in Geordi's voice suggested they'd heard Data's little presentation a little too often.

It was only when a soft female voice joined their conversation that she noticed Doctor Leah Brahms at the other side of the table. "We don't know the gender," the engineer said with a smile that surprised Crusher, "so we went with green."

"For alien." LaForge concluded with a broad grin and a twinkle in his dark eyes. Yep, he had it bad.

Space was empty, except for the ever-present stars, still she looked out for the creature she'd delivered. A tap on her shoulder alerted her to a drink she hadn't ordered. The El-Aurian bartender held her eyes and she shifted uncomfortable under the intense stare. Without looking away Guinan shot back a retort to Will who questioned her choice of hat.

"That must've been one of your more memorable surgeries Doctor," Brahms voice finally broke the staring contest she'd somehow ended up in.

"Yes, yes, you could say that." The smile she forced felt almost painful, but convinced the others. She'd thought this little celebrations would lift her out of her weird mood, but it seemed to be doing the opposite.

Geordi held up his glass and scraped his throat. "A toast, to junior and his Godmother, the Enterprise."

"Hear, hear!"

The group collectively took a sip of their drinks. Hers was bitter and she put it down almost immediately. The sweet aftertaste caught her by surprise, it sizzled on her tongue and burned deliciously down her throat, exploding in a wave of warmth in her stomach.

"What are you having Doctor?" Again it was Brahm's voice that demanded her attention.

"Please, call me Beverly." Was the woman aware of the puppy-eyes with which LaForge was watching her? She knew something had transpired between the two. The icy stares during the meeting earlier that day hadn't been missed by anyone, not even Data. "And I have no idea, but it's delicious!"

"Sure looks like it, I think I'll go ask Guinan to make me one of those too, you are glowing." Now that it was mentioned, she could feel the heat on her face. What the hell was in that drink? A nervous laugh was all the response she could think off.

"I have to admit," Leah continued after a pause, "you have a good team here, although I'm still not sure how I feel about the modifications the engineering crew made to my engine." It felt as if the remark wasn't really meant for her and when Geordi briefly interrupted his conversation with Riker to reply, that suspicion was confirmed. The playful banter between the two engineers disappeared among the buzz of the other conversations around her.

Would they ever come across 'junior' again? Now that they knew when his species fed and lived, Starfleet would probably send a science vessel to study them. She couldn't deny her fascination. Planet bound lifeforms had gone through centuries of studies, experiments and ill fated trials to eventually create spaceships. They were completely dependant on their own ability to recreate planetary atmosphere to travel between planets, solar systems and quadrants.

But Junior and his kind, they could travel without having to worry about maintaining an atmosphere. They did what most Starfleet personnel dreamed off as kids. Mulling this over, she watched the play of body language between her crewmate and the woman who designed their home. Although Geordi's interest was clear, he obviously tried to downplay it. But, wrong she might be, there was a flirting edge to Leah's reactions. They would make a striking couple, a study in contrasts. Not only physically, but personality-wise as well.

Would she and Deanna compliment each other well?

Immediately she banished the thought and took another swallow of her drink, coughing when the sip was bigger than she'd intended. Now, instead of the pleasant sweetness, the aftertaste was almost painfully sour.

Out of nowhere Guinan appeared with a glass holding clear liquid. "You shouldn't take swallows bigger than you can handle," she remarked without emotion. "Here, water." Grateful, if feeling somewhat chastised, Beverly drank the cool liquid.

"Are you all right Doc?" The first officer, who had moments ago been chatting with one of her junior nurses, pulled up a chair and straddled it. The concern in his blue eyes was genuine and startled her a little.

"I'm fine."

He squinted his eyes and tilted his head slightly in the universal 'Yeah. Right.' expression. "You seem preoccupied."

"Just thinking about Junior."

"Yeah, that was something else," he conceded with a broad grin, before turning serious again. "You haven't been yourself lately Beverly, maybe you should talk to Deanna."

She was about to make up an excuse when she felt a hand on her shoulder and froze, her heart skipping a beat. She didn't have to look to know who that hand belonged to and she couldn't deny the flush of heat that spread across her chest.

"I'm free now if you want to talk Bev." The gentle inflection in Troi's voice was one she'd heard many times before.

As an outsider it always reminded her of a mother using soft and calm tones to ease a scared child. Now that she was on the receiving end however, it felt more like a predator using sweet tones to give its prey a false sense of security. "I'm fine. Really," she insisted, doing her best not to sound too defensive.

"If you say so." The Counselor conceded and sat down on the empty chair next to her. Nervously Beverly took another sip of her drink, grateful when Riker changed the subject.

"It's hard to explain," Deanna answered him. Didn't she always say that when asked what she sensed empathically? She felt the other woman looking at her, even as she continued to talk to Will. "They're an old species and they feel," she seemed to struggle to find the word, "wise."

"They are intelligent?" She couldn't hide her surprise and felt a blush creep up on her cheeks when Deanna's lips curled up into a knowing smile.

"Not in a way we'd recognize as such. It's almost entirely instinctual, primal." She wondered who the emotions that flickered in the Betazoid's black eyes belonged to.

Realizing she was staring, Crusher quickly turned to Riker and took another gulp from her glass. "Ohhh, I haven't had a butt-twister in ages!" Deanna exclaimed excitedly, "I'll go ask Guinan for one." No sooner had she finished the sentence or the Counselor was already headed for the bar.

"A butt-twister?"

"Taste buds," Will explained, but the glint in his eyes told her there was more. "It's one of her favorite drinks. And it makes her butt twist too," he added in a lower voice.

The image that came to mind threw the Doctor into a new coughing fit. Thankfully Data saved her from having to reply. "Would you like to dance Doctor Crusher?"

Almost she declined. Ever since she'd taught him how to, Data wanted to dance at every off-duty gathering, appropriate or not, music or not. If he kept it up, her reputation as 'the Dancing Doctor' would soon come back to haunt her. Tonight, however, it meant she could avoid Deanna without rousing suspicion. "Sure Data, but watch out for my toes."

"I will," he answered earnestly, oblivious to her joke.

Tbc...