Author's Note: I can't believe it's been a full year since I published the first chapter of this story. I never imagined it would take on such a life of its own. Thanks for following along – there are still a few more scenes to come!


Beverly met him in the transporter room, amazed and grateful at the coincidence that her son was actually on Dorvan V just as the Enterprise made a return visit to the system.

They'd been apart for nearly a year, during which she'd only had contact with him a few times. Enough to know that despite her fears about losing him to another plane of existence, he'd mostly been planet-side and had spent the majority of his time studying with Lakanta and the other colonists. Still, there had been plenty of changes for her to assimilate, and so she was infinitely relieved to discover that as he stepped off the dais and they began to catch up he looked and sounded just the same.

That reassurance allowed to finally her to turn her attention to informing him about a big change in her own life.

"Have dinner with me tonight," she offered as they finally left the transporter room and headed for the turbolift. With us, she appended mentally, but kept that thought to herself for now. "You do still eat," she added, only half-jokingly.

Wesley flashed her an indulgent smile. "Yes, mom, I still eat. I'd love to have dinner with you," he added.

"Good."

They exited the turbolift onto deck 12 and started down the corridor toward the officers' quarters. Well, I guess I can't put it off any longer. Beverly took her son's arm as they walked. "Wesley, there's something I've been meaning to tell you."

He hesitated fractionally in his stride. "Ok."

"There's been a big change in my life since the last time I saw you."

This time he stopped, turning to her anxiously. "Is everything ok?"

Beverly gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Everything's fine. In fact, it's better than it's been in a very long time."

She nudged them into motion again, moving only a few more meters down the corridor before coming to a halt once more. This is the moment of reckoning, she thought, the words melodramatic but appropriate considering the momentousness of what she was about to reveal. Her son's relationship with Jean-Luc had always been nearly as complicated as her own, and she worried that he might not be as enthusiastic about this recent turn of events as she was.

She was almost certain Wes would be fine with the news. Almost. And it was that little bit of uncertainty that was worrying her.

Still, there was only one way to find out. "Wes. You know that Jean-Luc and I have been friends for years," she began.

He nodded. "Of course. You've told me that before I was born, you and dad and the captain were pretty much inseparable. I thought that was why you wanted to come to the Enterprise in the first place."

"Yes, that's right." She hesitated, not sure how best to proceed, and then continued, "Well, over the past few weeks we've become much more than just friends."

He stared. "More? How much more?"

Beverly looked away to avoid her son's probing gaze. Wishing she knew for certain how he was going to react. Her stomach churned at the mere thought that he might not approve, might hate the idea she was in a relationship with her current and his former commanding officer. Or worse, that he might feel she was somehow betraying his father's memory. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she wordlessly nodded towards the door they stood outside.

Wesley's eyes followed hers, then widened when he realized where they were – who's quarters they were currently standing before. "Wow! You mean you and the captain have finally gotten together? Really?"

His mother frowned. "What do you mean, finally?"

He rolled his eyes. "Mom, everyone knows that Captain Picard has a thing for you. And I could always tell you had a thing for him, too."

Beverly stared at her son. Out of the mouths of babes, she thought. She did indeed always have a 'thing' for Jean-Luc, she reflected, although it had taken her the better part of a decade to finally do something about it. But the idea that everyone knew the Captain was interested in her? As unlikely as it seemed the thought was nonetheless intriguing. She'd have to ask him about it, some other time –

"So are you?"

She tried to gather her scattered wits. "Are we what?"

"Are you two really together?"

She took a step forward and grinned as the door automatically opened for her. "Well," she said over her shoulder as she led them inside, "let's just say that lately I've mostly been using my quarters for storage."

She waited as Wesley stood for a moment gazing around the room. Watched as he took note of the plants on the side tables and Nana's afghan carefully draped over the back of the couch. Smiled as the expression on his face changed from astonished – dazed even – to warm and pleased.

He reached out and laid a hand on her arm. "Mom. You're happy?"

She nodded. Trying to explain just how happy she was at finally becoming Jean-Luc's partner in every sense of the word would be like trying to explain just how big the Gamma Quadrant was. Knowing there was no way to possibly put all the joy and delight she was feeling about their newfound intimacy into words, she settled for, "Happier than I've been since your father died."

Wesley's answering smile was broad and unrestrained. "Good." He looked down for a moment, then back up at her with a contemplative expression on his face. "I'm glad it's Captain Picard. If there's one man in the universe besides Dad who deserves you, it's him."

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