To The Journey
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's not mine. This is an AU story.
Chapter Fifty-Four: In Transition
"Hey, Deanna," Tasha called out to the ship's counselor, who was walking a few meters down the hallway from her. "Do I need to ask Engineering to check the artificial gravity on this deck?"
The Betazoid stopped and turned, an expression of confusion lining her features. "Why do you ask?"
The blonde couldn't help the smirk that crossed her face. "You seem to be walking on air today."
Deanna giggled then, blushing. "Okay, who told you?"
"Will. Well, technically he told Data, but I was there when he got the message, and it wasn't exactly hard to figure out what 'she said yes' meant. Especially given the sheer number of exclamation points he used."
"He told Data?" she repeated, then blushed even deeper. "I don't mean - I just mean, I expected Data to be on the priority list, but not necessarily at the top of it. I wasn't aware he'd told anyone yet."
"From what Data told me last night, Will came to him for advice. After all, he is the one member of the senior staff who has experience planning and pulling off a marriage proposal."
"Marriage." She repeated the word as if it was sacred. "My God, can you believe it? I'm getting married."
"It's still a little surreal, isn't it?" Tasha smiled sympathetically. "It was the same for me after Data first proposed. I was ecstatic, of course, but it took a little while to sink in that this was really happening."
Deanna swept her friend into an excited hug, which Tasha returned enthusiastically. "Congratulations, Deanna. I'm so happy for you and Will."
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"You wanted to see me, Captain?"
"Yes, Will. Sit down." He indicated the seat in front of him. "I understand you've had an offer from Starfleet Command."
The first officer sighed. "Captain -"
"Will," the older man replied, matching his second-in-command's tone. "I seem to recall us having this conversation twelve years ago. I told you then that you were ready for your own command."
"I seem to recall that circumstances changed pretty quickly shortly thereafter. I'm sorry," he added a moment later. "That just came out. I shouldn't have said that."
Picard waved off the apology. "If that incident proved anything, Number One, it's that you were more than ready to lead a crew of your own. And yet, here you are, twelve years later."
"I'm not sorry," he countered. "A lot's happened in the last twelve years. I think I've been right where I needed to be."
"I didn't call you in here to debate past history. What's in question now is your future. The war's over, Will. And you're most certainly moving on to a new phase of your life." He drew a long breath. "Don't think for a second that this is easy for me. But it's time, Will."
"What about Deanna? I'm not just making decisions for me anymore."
"I don't think she'd object. Now, I'm certainly not the counselor here, but I know your fiancee, and I know she wants you to be happy. Of course, you should ask her, but I'll be shocked if she tries to deter you."
"You're right," he said after a long moment. "I know you're right. I just...I don't know."
"You don't have to decide right this second," Picard assured. "But think about what I've said, Number One. You've more than earned this opportunity, and you deserve to take it."
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"Deanna? I need to ask you something."
She smiled at him. "I think you should take the offer."
He turned, shocked. "How did you -"
"I think I know you well enough by now, imzadi," she said gently. "I know that the offer was extended, and I can sense your apprehension. It doesn't take a massive leap to put it together."
"And you'd be okay with that? With leaving the Enterprise?"
"As okay as you are," she replied, reaching out to him. "Personally, you know as well as I do that it won't be easy to leave the family we've built here. But career-wise, yes, I'm okay with it. And while it'll hurt to leave, I think we'll be okay."
"Okay," he said after a long pause. "I'll do it. I'll take Starfleet's offer. As long as I get to take you with me."
Anything Deanna might have said in response was lost as he pulled her to him and kissed her.
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"Captain Scott, do you have a moment?"
He turned, smiling kindly at the Vulcan lieutenant. "For you? Always." He beckoned her into the office. "Why don't you sit down?"
"Thank you." She took the seat he offered.
"Now, what can I do for you?"
Asil paused a moment, trying to figure out how to best convey what she wanted to say. With other Vulcans, she would have simply given the message without context, but her time around humans had taught her that they preferred to handle such conversations in a somewhat less direct way. "Let me begin," she said finally, "by saying that I am grateful for the opportunities I have received here."
He chuckled softly. "Why do I get the sense that you're leading up to telling me something I won't want to hear? Don't answer that," he added after a moment, seeming to remember he was talking to a woman from an often literal species. "What is it you want to tell me?"
"I have decided to leave Engineering Corps," she told him bluntly. "I will file formal notice in due course, however, I believed that you would prefer to, as you say, 'hear it from me'."
"I appreciate that, but - why? Is there a problem here that I'm not aware of?"
"No, Captain," she assured him. "As I stated, I am grateful for all that you have done for me. I do not make this decision lightly; I have considered it for quite some time. I simply believe that I am at a point in my career where I could best serve Starfleet in another capacity, while also diversifying my own skills."
He inclined his head curiously. "What capacity did you have in mind?"
"I have noted several open positions for starship Chief Engineers," she replied. "I believe that such a position conforms to -"
But Captain Scott was laughing now, shaking his head. "Say no more, Lieutenant. I understand now."
"You do?"
"I'm sure you remember what I told you the first time we met."
"You are referring," she guessed, "to your statement that you chose to decline a position here in favor of a posting on a starship?"
"Exactly so. Nothing, not even this, quite compares to running your own engine room. You've done great work here, Lieutenant, and you'll be missed, but if a starship is what you want, then go with my blessing."
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."
"One thing, Lieutenant. Let me know when you apply. I'd be honored to write you a letter of recommendation."
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"Full house." Beverly laid her cards out triumphantly on the poker table.
Will groaned, rolling his eyes. "Take it." He pushed his pile of chips over to the ship's doctor.
"So," Tasha asked, glancing between Will and Deanna as Data picked up the deck and began to shuffle, "have you set a date yet?"
"Not an exact date," the first officer replied, "but we've narrowed it down to a relatively small window, a couple of weeks before the Titan is scheduled to depart. That's about five months from now."
"So what's holding up the final decision?" Beverly queried.
Will sighed, causing Deanna to chuckle lightly. "The thing is," she explained, "the way things are coming together, we may have to have two ceremonies to satisfy everyone."
"And by everyone," Tasha laughed, "you mean your mother."
Deanna shrugged, smiling, but didn't deny it. "Trying to make both schedules come together has made it that much more difficult to definitively nail down either one."
"Come on, Commander," Geordi teased, "it can't be that bad, having two weddings."
"Well - I suppose not, when you put it that way," he admitted, finally cracking a smile. "But speaking of, you'd better be careful, Geordi." He now matched the engineer's teasing tone. "With some of the looks I've seen Beverly and the Captain exchanging, you might be the odd man out soon enough."
"Will!" Beverly protested, blushing.
Tasha was laughing even harder now. "That would require them to break one Enterprise tradition," she managed to say. "Namely, the one that involves dating for at least a decade before popping the question."
"Break it pretty significantly," Geordi said, then promptly reddened. "I didn't just say that out loud, did I?"
"You did," Data pointed out matter-of-factly. "Is there something you wish to tell us, Geordi?"
"Uh, not exactly." He blushed even deeper. "I mean, there's nothing in the works just yet. It's just something I've been thinking about.
The android set the deck of cards down, recognizing that this conversation would likely forestall the game a while. "For how long?"
"Now there's a tough question. Technically, I guess you could say I've been thinking about it for years. After you and Tasha got engaged, it started me thinking that I might want the same thing with Leah. By the time the wedding came around, I was sure. But then the whole thing with Voyager happened, so that wasn't a possibility anymore. Ever since we decided to try again, the thought keeps crossing my mind: how soon is too soon? I know what I want, but it's more complicated for Leah. She's a widow, and a recent one at that; most of the time we've spent together was, in some ways, an affair, even if we didn't know it." He sighed. "I just want to do this right, but I'm not even sure what that means, given how complicated this has all become now."
"She loves you back, Geordi," Tasha replied. "That's clear to anyone who's been around you together."
"Add to that," Deanna put in, "it's not like she doesn't know at least as well as you do how...unusual things have been."
"That's a polite word for it."
The Betazoid smiled at Geordi's comment. "Even so, my point is, all these things you're concerned about - Leah's lived those same experiences. If anyone can understand, it's her."
"You're right," he sighed. "I know you're right. But that doesn't answer the deeper question: how do I go about this in a way that acknowledges all of that?"
"Why don't you ask Leah?"
One good thing about the implants as opposed to the VISOR was that he could direct a look at an individual. "If it were that easy, counselor, I'd have done it already. But asking permission to propose? That's a minefield and a half."
Deanna laughed. "Well, I wouldn't ask it quite like that. Make it a little more open-ended. You two must talk about your relationship sometimes."
"We do."
"So feel it out. You know Leah better than anyone; I'm sure you can figure out a way to determine if she'd be ready without actually asking directly."
He blushed a bit. "I was over-complicating things, wasn't I?"
"Maybe just a bit," Will suggested. "Come on, Data, deal. How am I going to get my chips back from Beverly if we don't play?"
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"Hold very still," Beverly instructed her patient gently. "Just a few more seconds...there. It's done."
Tasha sat up as the panels above her retracted back into the sides of the biobed. "That's it?"
"That's it," the Doctor confirmed, smiling. "Even with medical intervention, this is the easy part."
"Doctor," Data asked from where he stood behind his wife, "when will we know if the procedure has been successful?"
"Come back in two weeks. By that time, I should be able to be certain."
"Thank you, Doctor." Tasha slipped off the biobed and hugged the older woman. "I really appreciate you doing this for me."
"Of course." She patted Tasha gently on the back. "It's my pleasure to help."
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"What's got you preoccupied?" Deanna asked, stepping around behind Will where he sat at the desk and draping her arms around his shoulders.
He smiled, reaching up to grasp one of her hands. "Senior staff roster for the Titan," he explained. "In all the time I've spent thinking about being a Captain in the last fifteen years, I never realized how much work goes into filling this small group of positions."
"I'm not surprised," she replied. "I remember Captain Picard felt the same way."
"Similar situation," he commented. "A ship right out of drydock, no previously existing crew. Still, I'd say he did pretty well, wouldn't you?" He turned to face his fiancee. "Even if he did miss the fact that two of those people had once had a very...passionate relationship."
She shrugged. "It's never affected our jobs. Not once. Why should it matter?"
"That is," he conceded, pulling her down into his lap, "an excellent point."
"So, what do you have so far?"
"Well, I think I have an excellent candidate for ship's counselor," he teased, kissing Deanna lightly.
She laughed. "Will! If you continue like this, you'll never finish that roster."
He joined in her laughter. "Did you hear about Worf?" he asked, more seriously.
"No. What about him?"
"Captain told me today. He's decided to step down as Ambassador and return to Starfleet - I think he's bored," Will added, which started them both laughing again. "He thought it might help my decision process."
"And?"
"Tactical's his if he wants it," he replied, confirming the counselor's suspicions. "And I think Dax would make a good first officer. She's got the rank and the experience, and with the Titan intended primarily for exploration and discovery, I think it would be useful to have a scientist on the command team."
She nodded. "I agree. You need that balance."
"And I think I've got a lead for Chief Medical Officer," he added. "Richard Hill's available and interested. He and I always got along, and besides, I could hardly go wrong with a doctor who came up under Beverly Crusher's tutelage."
"See?" she said gently. "It's not so hard, once you start."
"Yeah, well, that's three down, not counting you and me. That only leaves me with Ops, Conn, Engineering, Science, a secondary medical officer -"
"Okay," she laughed. "I get the picture."
"And I've filled all the positions where I had an obvious choice," he added. "The rest will involve having to go through files."
"The horror," she teased. "But seriously, let me know if I can help in any way."
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"You seem quite happy this morning."
Geordi turned to his best friend, still beaming. "I am happy, Data."
"Ah," he said after a moment. "Then you have spoken to Leah."
"What? How did you know?"
"I have observed that the particular smile and tone you are displaying is one that you reserve for occasions when you are speaking or thinking about Leah. Am I incorrect?"
"Um..." Geordi stammered a moment. "In general, I don't know. I've never monitored the significance of my expressions. In this specific case, no, you're right. She called me last night."
"And did you discuss the issues you had raised at the poker game?"
He nodded. "Yeah. I took Deanna's advice and had an open-ended conversation about where our relationship was going. She was right, you know, I didn't have to ask directly to find the answers I was looking for."
"And the answer was favorable?"
"Yes." He smiled even wider. "Do you think Will and Deanna would mind if I proposed to Leah right after the wedding reception?"
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"How have you been feeling?" Beverly asked gently as she guided Tasha over to a bed.
"Normal," she replied. "Do you need me to lie down?"
"No, you're fine. This is just a simple scan."
Tasha reached out for her husband's hand anyway, feeling as though she was holding her breath. "Well?" she asked after what seemed like an eternity.
"Still analyzing results," the doctor replied. "I know it's hard, but be patient."
Data chimed in his own input. "It has only been sixty-three seconds since she began the scan."
"Really? Feels like forever."
"Done," Beverly said at that moment. "And the result is...positive."
"Positive?" she repeated, barely daring to believe it.
"That's what I said." She grinned broadly. "Congratulations, Tasha."
"Data -" she whispered breathlessly, turning to face the android.
He was beaming too. "I know," he whispered, gathering her into his arms.
"I never thought it was possible this could happen."
"But it has," he replied joyfully. "We are going to have a baby."
Tasha began laughing in sheer delight. "Say that again," she begged.
Once, he would have questioned her request, but now he merely complied. "We are going to have a baby." He turned now to Beverly, still smiling at them. "Thank you, Doctor."
"You're welcome," she replied warmly before becoming more serious. "Tasha, I'll need to schedule regular appointments with you to monitor your condition."
"Of course, Doctor," she replied. "Thank you again. Thank you so much for everything."
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"What's this?" Deanna asked, looking at five small stacks of PADDs.
"The shortlist," Will replied. "I've narrowed down the applications for each position down to a few, all qualified. I was hoping you'd help me with some of the final decisions."
"Of course. What do you need from me?"
"Your perspective, personal and professional. Both on the applicants as individuals and on the cohesion of the crew as a whole. I mean, I could have a crew made up of the best individual officers in the Fleet, and it would still be useless if they couldn't effectively work as a team."
She smiled. "That's very perceptive. And you're absolutely right. So," she added, "You told me that Dax, Worf, and Hill have all accepted. Because I know each of them, that gives me a place to start my analysis."
"Now," he said, "which position should we do first?"
"Is there one where you have strong feelings towards one individual? That's probably going to be the easiest."
He nodded. "Chief Engineer." He pointed to a stack of four files. "They're all highly qualified, but I especially like the top one."
Deanna picked it up, scanning through it. "Lieutenant Asil. Isn't that Tasha's friend?"
"Yeah. And to tell you the truth, that's my biggest concern. She seems like a good fit, but I worry that I might've missed something just because of that connection."
"That's fair," Deanna acknowledged. "Any other major concerns?"
"Only that she's spent her entire career planetside. She's clearly an extremely skilled engineer, but I'm not sure how I feel about putting someone in charge of an engine room who's never spent time in one."
Deanna continued to scan the file. "An impressive record. Many achievements, multiple commendations, she even has a Medal of Honor from the Breen attack on Earth. And is that a personal recommendation from Captain Scott?"
"Glowing," he confirmed.
"Well, that answers one concern. She really is an excellent candidate; I don't believe that her friendship with Tasha is the reason she caught your attention. She's an incredible candidate."
He nodded, accepting the truth of her remark. "And the other thing?"
"That's a legitimate concern. But based on what I see here, I don't think it's a deal-breaker. Her application indicates that she helped to design that class of ship, meaning she knows the systems. She's a Vulcan, so you don't need to worry that ego will get in the way of her learning. And she does have leadership experience." She set down the file and took her fiance's hands in hers. "Close your eyes, Will," she urged. "Take a deep breath. Now, forget all the little details and rationalizations we've been going over. What is your instinct telling you?"
He opened his eyes as the realization came to him. "That I'd be crazy not to offer her the position." He turned back to Deanna. "You think she'll fit in?"
"I do. I get the sense this is going to be a diverse crew; only two of the five confirmed senior officers are fully human. Everything I read about Asil suggests that she's fully able to handle and even thrive in such an environment. I also think her calm and reason could be very useful if we encounter a stressful situation."
"You're right," he conceded. "Lieutenant Asil for Chief Engineer."
"See? Not so hard. You just need to trust yourself a bit more. Now, who do you like for Medical?"
Again, he picked up the top PADD on the stack. "I'm leaning towards this one. Jessica Marinette." He pursed his lips slightly. "Her academic scores aren't as high as some of the other applicants - though she's solidly in the top ten percent of her class, more than qualified for the position - but she's by far the most committed to the idea of exploration, not just to practicing medicine. I just think her enthusiasm makes her a better candidate for a ship like the Titan than a higher-scoring student who is noncommittal about the mission."
"Are you sure you need me?" she laughed. "You're absolutely right. You need a crew that's suited to this mission, and attitudes towards that mission are a large part of that."
"Oh, yeah," he replied, setting Jessica's file down on top of Asil's. "Those were the easy ones, the ones where I had favorites. The other three will be more of a challenge."
"Well, then, I suggest we get to it," she replied. "The sooner we start, the sooner it'll be over."
Yeah, this was mostly transitional to create a bridge into the Nemesis part of the story. Stay tuned if you want to see how I work that out in this timeline!
And...Tasha and Data are going to have a baby!
Both Asil and Jessica were always going to end up on the Titan - actually, I technically conceived of Jessica first as a doctor on the Titan (this arc doesn't end with Nemesis!) and then filled in the backstory, including the father/daughter relationship with Picard.
Tasha's comment to Deanna is similar to a comment that Chakotay makes to B'Elanna when she first finds out she's pregnant. I liked the idea so I borrowed it.
Please review!
