A.N. Well, even as the evil little plot bunny possessed my writings in the previous chapter, I just could not leave my dear readers dangling too much, now could I? There will be a lot more fun in this regard, in future chapters, for it was a plot line that I just could not resist.

I also know that this chapter is a bit longer than most of the other chapters, but it is a pivotal chapter toward what is to come. For we are finally entering the end game of this novel. And then, after that will come the novel, "Reattached: Beverly: Her Story".

DETACHED MEANT:

Jean-Luc: His Story

Chapter 38:

Negotiating One's Options

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The next morning, Jean-Luc arrived early at his office. He was rather surprised to encounter Commander Nella Daren with two duffle bags at her feet, standing in his outer office, conversing with one of his interns (who also had just earned 'brownie' points in Jean-Luc's eyes for coming in early too.)

"Nella, my dear. What a pleasant surprise." He embraced her and kissed her cheek in spite of the presence of an inquisitive pair of eyes. He turned toward the intern. "Two coffees. One black. And one with double cream," he glanced at the commander, "if I remember correctly."

Nella laughed as he escorted her into his inner sanctum. "You do remember correctly, indeed, kind sir."

He led her over to the small Starfleet blue upholstered settee and matching armchair by a low table in the corner of the room. After they were seated, he asked, "To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?"

"My husband is surprisingly, according to his original plans, now going to be at Starbase Earhart for a week. He designed an avian sculpture for some admiral and is supervising its installation somewhat ahead of the original schedule – not that I am complaining about that. So, I'm going out to meet him on the next ship to Earhart which leaves in about ninety minutes," she rapidly explained, even as both of them silently acknowledged the dark-haired Betazed teenage cadet who had silently brought in their coffees, and then departed, moving with a grace that seemed typical of many Betazed females. "And thank you for the wedding gift by the way. You didn't have to give me an antique reproduction of a Greek astrolabe," she mildly protested.

"I was happy for you, Nella. You know that I'll always think of you as a dear friend," Jean-Luc replied, with a smile in his eyes, for he meant every word that he was saying.

"And I, you," she softly answered.

For a moment, they were both lost in their shared memories.

He stirred, and in a more conversational tone of voice added, "Besides, I knew that any man who married you would just have to appreciate your love of the stars. It's a 19th century reproduction of the original, by the way," he just had to mention.

"I'd noticed," she lightly remarked, as her eyes said volumes about how much she appreciated his thoughtfulness.

After another long moment, Nella drank some coffee and pulled herself together. "But I've got to go very soon. So, let me tell you why I am here." She reached into her shoulder bag and pulled out a chip and placed it on the table. "Commander Data and Commander Crusher have both requested my help in identifying the locations of some star charts that they have discovered. It wasn't until I accessed some of the newly acquired Borg charts that came from Voyager, that I found some clues as to the locations of the stars for which they are searching. Tell Commander Data that I did not get a chance to convert the Borg chart data over into Starfleet's version of the charts that he wanted identified. He is going to have to do the translation. If Data is not able to do so, then I will be back at the UP in eight days and can do so, then."

"You couldn't contact Commander Crusher and Commander Data directly?"

"Some sort of massive ion storm was disrupting live communications with Ferenginar. And since I didn't have the time to wait for it to clear up, I thought about giving the data chip to you, for you to send to the Enterprise. I think that it's a pretty good bet that an admiral's communiques will be given a greater priority than those of a commander, considering that there is probably quite a back log of communiques already, especially from businesses." She added for Jean-Luc's benefit, "I did get the impression that Commander Crusher thought that the information was of some importance, though I don't know the reason as to why."

"Yet," Jean-Luc added, sotto-voce.

Her laugh sounded genuine, as if it were colored with now-fond remembrances. "I was only too-inquisitive the once," she argued, glaring at him as if to emphasize her point.

"As I recall, according to Will Riker, your 'once' was at least once during every duty shift," he teased.

"You always took Will Riker's word over mine," she dryly observed.

"And with good reason," he countered. "Will was right."

They both laughed together.

"I will see that Wes and Data get this," he agreed as he picked up the chip and reached over to place it on his desk.

"Wes?" She had not placed the name.

"Commander Crusher is my step-son," he explained.

"Oh. I had not realized. I have met Commander Crusher on occasion, because of his work at the UP with Leah Brahms." She sipped some coffee. "So, he is Beverly's son. I don't recall ever meeting your step-son when I was on board your ship. I know that I would have remembered."

"Wes was at the Academy during your rotation on board the Enterprise. I can remember Wesley writing a paper about the Bersalis firestorm incident. He was somewhat impressed with your solution. Wes always has appreciated unique solutions to life and death situations."

"Sounds like Commander Crusher." Rising, her glance was rather fond as she took a few seconds to inspect her former lover. She decided that she liked what she saw. "Your new marriage seems to be doing you some good. You're smiling like you actually mean it. If Kathryn doesn't object, let us have dinner with our spouses, when I get back. I would like to meet the woman that makes you really smile."

"Thank you. I think that I am a very fortunate man to have Kathryn in my life. I feel as if I am experiencing a real life again," he explained. "But all my social arrangements are dependent upon whatever condition and mood my wife is in at the moment." On Nella's puzzled expression, he explained, "Kathryn is out on maternity leave about to enter the last trimester of her pregnancy."

"Oh. Congratulations. And she does make you happy," Nella concluded, judging by the expression on Jean-Luc's face and his overall general demeanor.

"On occasion, Kathryn does make me happy, indeed."

"So, does my Bardy," Nella just had to add, since she didn't want Jean-Luc to think that he had cornered the market on having a good marriage.

Jean-Luc froze just as he was about to stand to escort Nella out of his office. "Bardy? As in Bardic Jones, the sculptor?" He sheepishly admitted, "I must admit I didn't pay that much attention to your wedding announcement."

"You know of him?" Nella laughed. "Of course, you do. You are an admiral now. Sooner or later you're going to be wanting a Vulcan vulture in your outer office or a Centauri carrion winged dragon to adorn your front yard."

"No, I think my artistic taste leans toward more Classical archaeology, though a dragon sculpture in my maze might not be that bad of an idea. My twins would like it." He smiled as he recollected some dear memories. "Actually, a dear friend of mine was once a good friend of your Bardy."

Jean-Luc's sad smile of remembrance told Nella that this friend was no longer amongst the living.

She quickly put two and two together. "Tasha Yar, Bardy's old classmate," Nella said in a low voice. "Bardic told me all about her and how she chose the Enterprise over him. My husband still remembers Tasha rather fondly." She stood and reached over to squeeze Jean-Luc's shoulder. "She must have been an extraordinary woman as well as an officer."

"And a very dear friend whom I have missed," Jean-Luc quietly agreed. "Did you know that Bardy's sister is on my staff? She's married to a Vulcan named S'Rock…"

"Yes, I've been bowled over by the astonishing possibility that a Vulcan is in love with his human wife. And when I am around Cherry, she never stops talking about you or somebody named Mildred. Then, I actually got conned by Cherry into saying that they could come and travel with us when we go to Italy in a couple of months.

"That's sounds like Cherry." he chuckled. "The lady is not shy." He stood and then escorted Nella to his outer office. He kissed her cheek again. "Have a safe trip, Nella."

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Kathryn sat there in the library, and replayed the conversation that she had had with her husband, over and over again in her mind. After Jean-Luc had made his bombshell announcement, Kathryn had politely informed her husband that she needed time to think. And that she was going to go to bed. And that they would discuss everything, later on. She'd been adamant. And Jean-Luc had been wise enough not to push her even as they readied themselves for bed.

So now, she sat there on the leather upholstered sofa, sipping a white leaf tea flavored with apricot and vanilla, trying to logically think herself through this quagmire. For every argument to which she found a counterargument, another even greater debate point could be made.

Even though she knew that Starfleet had no legal objections to multiple party marriages for they were legal throughout the Federation, she had never, ever considered such a possibility for herself – much less could she imagine that Jean-Luc would even suggest such a Denobulan style marriage arrangement for themselves. Yet, he had. And though, such marriages were more common in the lower ranks of Starfleet, rather than for those in the upper stratum, she was still having difficulty grasping the idea that a three-person marriage could be a solution. Normally, three-party marriages were limited term contracts of two or three years. She didn't think that this was what Jean-Luc was suggesting.

Kathryn wasn't that surprised when the library door slid open, and Jean-Luc entered, pushing a three-tiered tea cart loaded with teapots and a variety of food including tiny sandwiches, individual pastries and fresh fruit.

"I ate lunch less than three hours ago," Kathryn remarked as she eyed the cart which looked like it was displaying enough tempting dishes to feed an impromptu soiree.

"I didn't. But, if one can ever follow Ludvig's logic, that would mean that he thinks that you are peckish now," Jean-Luc lightly spoke as he positioned the cart near his wife's position on the sofa in front of the fireplace. The holographic fire was glowing. And the library doors were open to let in the late afternoon breezes from off of the ocean.

"I take it that you've been considering my suggestion?" He tried to sound completely in control of his emotions, but Kathryn sensed better. Whenever he was at his most polite was when his internal thoughts and feelings were really in a roil.

She was perfectly willing to admit her confusion. "I've thought of nothing but, Jean-Luc. I must admit that I was truly shocked when you proposed it."

He sat down on the sofa next to his wife, grasping her hand. "It is the only honorable solution for both of us that I could possibly consider. If you have a different suggestion, I would appreciate learning about it." He silently prayed that she would not say the word 'divorce' out loud.

She spoke as if such a thought of divorce had never entered her mind. "I'm not the type to really have an affair, Jean-Luc," she quietly remarked as she looked into her husband's eyes. "I don't think that I'd be too good at it. You'd probably know about it the moment I saw you after the indiscretion." She ruefully sighed. "And Chakotay, well, he'd probably succumb to his desires and then forever beat himself up about it, afterwards. And it would be quite a beating too, since on board Voyager he was now and then known as a boxer called the 'Maquis Mauler'." She then nodded as if seeing an answer to her question in her husband's eyes. "And you – you would suffer in silence, and not say anything to me until I actually confessed my betrayal."

"Love is a powerful universal force, Kathryn. I would step aside, if I needed to do so."

She was somewhat overwhelmed by his magnanimity and what it implied. She had to disabuse him of such a notion. "You are right. Love is a powerful force. Therefore, I don't want you to do anything foolish. You don't have to be so generous, you know. You do have a right to be selfish."

For a while they were silent.

Finally, he spoke. "That is why I have been investigating the possibility of a three-party marriage, Kathryn. I don't wish to lose you. Granted, most people who marry in such a manner, usually have one or more spouses on deep space assignment."

"And I have never heard of anyone in the upper ranks have such a marriage out in the open," Kathryn observed.

"Actually, you're wrong about that. Except that in certain admiralty circles, the arrangement is described behind closed doors, as an admiral, a wife and a mistress - or vice versa with a boy toy, rather than as a multi-partner marriage."

She could only nod in agreement with the accuracy of that description. Even when she'd been a child and had eavesdropped on her parent's conversations, the rare times that her father was home, she had quickly come to realize the significance of her father describing another admiral's assistant as a 'personal' assistant. And her mother's occasional snort over such a description. She hadn't known what it meant back then. But she did by the time she had become a cadet.

"Though, if we agree to do this, I would prefer to keep our arrangement as private as possible. I am sure that sooner or later the gossips will discover it, but until then, I feel as if there is no reason to be obvious, Kathryn."

Quite a few long moments passed before she finally pulled herself together enough to logically examine what her husband had explained.

"Why would you consider this solution, Jean-Luc? What would you gain?"

"Amongst other reasons, it would give all of our children, legal protection."

This was not the reason that Kathryn had been expecting. "Meaning?"

"Even after Chakotay recovers, if he goes back out on deep space assignment, his son will need a guardian. If you are legally the child's step-mother, we could avoid quite a few complications about legalities if anything should ever happen to Chakotay."

"But what about Annika, Jean-Luc?"

"I believe that it will be a very long time before she is capable of being a mother – a good mother – if ever."

Kathryn accepted his words, for she knew Seven well enough to know that there would be difficulties with the former drone actually becoming a nurturing mother. "And in the meantime, Kol is going to need a real family to ground him. People who will love him, unconditionally. A family collective who will support him." Kathryn considered something else. "For if Annika is still seeking perfection, she is not going to find that in her human son."

"Realistically, I think that it is going to take years for Annika to overcome the psychological damage that being a Borg has done to her. At least, when it comes to taking care of a baby. Seven's relationship with Icheb began after that boy had become a teenager whose life was already fairly well formed from his experiences."

"Chakotay should have never married her," Kathryn observed. The moment her words were uttered, an odd expression crossed over his face. She knew that she had hurt her husband, unintentionally. "I didn't mean it to come out sounding quite like what you are thinking. Of course, I was hurt that he had not wanted me and had chosen someone else. But what I am upset about is that he didn't see how really fragile emotionally, Annika was."

Jean-Luc poured themselves both a cup of tea, placed the cup in front of his wife on the low butler's table, and then quietly asked, "Did you see it, Kathryn?"

"What?"

"Did you counsel Annika about the marriage being ill-advised? Or did you automatically sacrifice yourself by stepping aside, because you only thought of what Chakotay wanted, and not what effect it might have on Annika?"

For a long moment, Kathryn could not speak. She had to force herself not to yell at her husband for daring to suggest such a thing. Yet, she also knew it was the truth. For Jean-Luc's words had hit home. She really hadn't considered matters from the point of view of what was best for Annika.

When she calmed a bit, she admitted, "You're right, Jean-Luc. I made a mess of things."

"No, you didn't. Chakotay made a mess of things. Though, I sincerely doubt that he will be the only man ever to do so over Annika."

"I hope she finds a reliable Vulcan," Kathryn mumbled.

Jean-Luc smiled at this. "Right now, Vulcan Kohlinar disciplines in any form, would probably do Annika a universe of good." He squeezed her hand and pulled her closer to him. "Now, what about us? And Chakotay?"

"You still haven't really answered my initial question, Jean-Luc. What do you gain from this arrangement?" She finished her cup of tea, placing it carefully back on its saucer, before she stared back at him again. "I know that you are an altruistic man, but to be this noble? This generous? I cannot quite accept it."

He handed her his tea cup and saucer to be re-filled, took a sip when he got it back, and then placed it on the tea table before answering her.

"I just wish for you to be happy, Kathryn. That is all. I have already lost two wives that I have dearly loved. I do not think that I could cope with losing the third."

She shook her head in denial. If Chakotay had said it, she would have believed him. But Jean-Luc?

"And then there are Anna and Billy Bob as well as our daughter-to-be," he tentatively mentioned.

"How so?"

"If something should happen to me, and considering our age difference, that is not an impossibility, you, as their guardian along with Chakotay, would be acceptable to me. All my children would be in protective and loving hands."

"What about Robert and Marie?" Kathryn protested, for they were the most logical choice at least, for guardians of the twins.

"Robert is almost ten years older than me. And though I implicitly trust my brother and sister-in-law, neither one of them could really cope with a baby as well as the vagaries of Starfleet, much less the stress of having a rambunctious Billy Bob turning into a space cadet. My son will not be inclined to pick grapes." He took another sip of tea. "And then there is Anna. She is a unique child, and is going to need special guidance for her unconventional nature which is something that I do not think Robert is completely capable of doing. He is too much of a hidebound traditionalist to even conceive of the options that might be open to Anna. Marie probably could cope, but even she has too conservative of a background to really comprehend all of what Anna might need. Plus, I shudder to think of what Q might do to Robert if Q gets annoyed by someone who is more obstinate than him."

Kathryn silently filed away the question as to why Jean-Luc didn't think that his daughter would ever join Starfleet for another conversation.

"And Wesley?" she countered. "No one could possibly object to him becoming the guardian of his brother and sisters."

"Wesley is a genius, a true scientist, and an explorer at heart. It would not surprise me if he chose deep space science missions in the future. However, I would not wish for Wesley to have to decline such offers because he is under the constraint of being the guardian to his brother and sisters. Oh, he will always be their big brother and he will look out for them on a permanent basis. But Wesley has to have a life of his own, too." Jean-Luc finished off a finger sandwich before adding, "Wesley has spent the past six years mourning and being focused on trying to discover whatever happened to his mother. He has to come to terms with the past in order to have a future. But, if Billy Bob and Anna become part of his life circumstances, Wesley might spend most of his future being forced to cope with other people's needs – even if he loves them – instead of his own desires. Besides, he might never escape away from being under Holt's thumb if he sticks around San Francisco for too long."

These reasons Kathryn could readily understand. And she did not disagree with her husband's assessment. "And you would readily trust Chakotay with your son and daughters? You barely know the man."

"Ah, Kathryn, but I know you. And that is sufficient enough for me. Besides, I am getting to know Chakotay's character better. A man who had chosen honor and duty over blindly accepting and following Starfleet's orders, is a man who should be guiding children – especially 'Fleeter children who need to learn that in spite of all the good that Starfleet does, it does not necessarily have the moral or ethical high ground as an answer for every situation that might occur in life."

That was all that he said, and Kathryn decided that if this reasoning was sufficient for Jean-Luc Picard, then she would have to accept it too.

All the rational arguments had been discussed. Now, the illogical arguments had to be argued, before she would even think of agreeing to Jean-Luc's suggestion.

She was quiet for some time, eating whatever delicacy took her fancy, and sipping her tea. Then she put her silver spoon down, placed the cup and saucer back on the cart, and moved closer to her husband.

Finally speaking, Kathryn pulled back from Jean-Luc's comfy shoulder, just a little bit, to look at her husband, squarely in the face. "You're going to have to be the one to discuss this with Chakotay. I really cannot do it. I wouldn't know what to say. Knowing Chakotay, he'll assume the worst if I just blithely go into his room and suggest that he should marry the both of us. Or is it just the one of us?"

"I don't actually know but I will find out the specifics from Roland."

"And Chakotay will really have to be well on his way to recuperating before we even give him a hint about such a possibility." She lowered her head again, against her husband's shoulder. "What if the twins decide to dislike Chakotay? That would seriously complicate matters."

"There's always boarding school," he mildly suggested. "Or, they could make his life hell," he teased. "Actually, Anna has told me that she thinks that Captain Chakotay is cute. And all Billy Bob would desire is that the man tell him even more stories about life on board Voyager. Or, better yet, tall tales about the Maquis."

She elbowed his ribs before settling down again. And then she decided that now was the time to change the subject. "And so, Jean-Luc. Just exactly how would we do it?" She really didn't think that she needed to specify what 'it' was. "I mean, do you toss a coin with Chakotay over who sleeps in what bed, or plan some sort of an elaborate rotation schedule. Or, would you just let me pick depending upon my mood? What do you propose?"

"I presume you are referring to our joint sleeping arrangements?"

This time she swatted him before leaning against him again.

"My first thought was that you should be the one to make such decisions as to who sleeps with whom." His grin was suggestive as he then casually added, "Or we could just keep it simple and have all three of us in one bed at the same time…"

He ducked before her blow hit him, even as he heard her laughter.

She agreed. "That would almost be worth considering doing, especially if we can both be around to see Alynna Nechayev's face when she finds out about it…"

Kathryn refilled her tea cup and drank for a while before she hesitated and then bravely asked, "Jean-Luc had you ever been involved with a, um, three-way?"

She thought that his cheeks flushed a bit. "Twice when I was a randy, drunk cadet. With two women if I recall the vague incidents correctly." He sipped his tea before continuing. "I don't remember too much about those episodes. And I most certainly never cared to repeat them." He put down his cup. "And you? Have you ever experimented with two other lovers at the same time?"

"Well, both of my two former fiancées accused me of being in bed with Starfleet first and then with them second, and in that order too, on more than one occasion," she finally remarked, with the mere thought of that suggestion still bothering her after all these years.

"Kathryn, I don't think that that technically qualifies as a three-way." He thought for a moment before he added, "Though emotionally, there may be some validity to it. Lord knows, on the rare occasion, whenever I was romantically involved with anyone as a captain – civilian or Starfleet - I inevitably ended up choosing my ship over my lover."

"What a duty-bound pair of captains we were," Kathryn sighed.

"We were Starfleet captains, Kathryn. We were married to the big chair. And especially considering what you underwent, you were by far more devoutly loyal of a Starfleet captain than I ever was."

"My choice was not necessarily the correct decision," Kathryn commented with more than a touch of irony. "Jean-Luc, let us learn about all of our options from Mr. Hand. Let us thoroughly investigate everything there is about such three-partner marriages for we will be making a momentous decision if and when the time comes. And then if we do decide to proceed, I will want to discuss this matter with Chakotay having all of the facts. Any way we do it, it will be a major change for all of us if we decide to go ahead with such a marriage arrangement."

For a while, they said nothing more, as each took comfort in the close presence of the other. Kathryn was finding that she was coming to appreciate such supportive moments, more and more. Finally, she whispered, "And what if I love Chakotay more than I love you?"

"I already live with that knowledge, my dear. For I loved Beverly which my heart and soul too, Kathryn. But, as long as you love me in some manner, now, Kathryn, and are happy with your decision, I think I could live with that. I truly do like having you in my life, my dear. I do not want to lose you."

They quietly sat, listening to the sounds from the garden as well as the glorious sounds of two Chopin Nocturnes and then a Valse, being played in the distance; the notes floating on a breeze.

Kathryn stirred again to help herself to some moon red berries with crème fraiche.

Jean-Luc just had to ask as he considered someone else. "And what of your mother? If she objects, it could be a major obstacle."

"I don't actually know. I think that my Mother would be accepting if she thought that it was something that I truly desired, though she might disapprove a bit. I must admit that I have never discussed this topic with her." She ate about half of her ramekin's contents before adding, "It is Phoebe that we should really worry about once she finds out about the possibility of a three-party marriage."

With some trepidation, he just had to ask her to clarify, "Why?"

"Unleashing a defensive Phoebe on a holy mission to convince Starfleet Command that our solution of a three-way marriage is a really good idea? And that everyone really should be doing it as well rather than having their mistresses on the side? Like she imagines what we will be doing as soon as Chakotay joins us and we all get the opportunity to do what Phoebe is envisaging?"

Jean-Luc had a sudden, mental image of a contentious Phoebe arguing her support about unconventional sexual freedom in a marriage with Starfleet's upper echelon of admirals at a cocktail party. And the confrontation that would be the inevitable result. Such an encounter would be simultaneously disastrous as well as amusing. And might be worth it.

Jean-Luc immediately thought of the two people in Starfleet who would unconditionally support Phoebe, which would thereby mean that Kathryn and Jean-Luc would have their backing as well. "I think that Winston Holt Wiley and Lwaxana would probably wholeheartedly agree with our choices and defend them…"

Kathryn couldn't disagree with that statement for it was the truth. Heck, they both would probably side with Phoebe in such an argument.

She tried not to think about what Tom Paris would say once he learned about it…

TBC

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