"It'll be great," said Jack. He reached up to smooth his hand over her upper back. It was then that Beverly realized just how tense her muscles had been. It had been two days since her encounter with Captain Picard in his conference room, and she had been too busy to dwell on anything that had happened.

It wasn't until Jack mentioned the poker game that she began to stress again. Apparently poker was a tradition on board the Stargazer, and Jack was expecting her to join in.

She smiled at him. "Why don't you all play together? I was actually thinking of going back to the office this evening--"

She trailed off at the crestfallen expression on Jack's face.

"Aww ...come on, Bev. I'm curious to know what you think of Zev. She's kind of a powerhouse around here. And Vigo's okay once you get to know him. Plus, I was really hoping you and Jean-Luc could do some bonding this evening."

For some reason, her heart jumped. "Bonding?"

"Yeah. You know, he's a good friend to me, and I love you so much, I just want you both to be good." He gave her a light squeeze on her forearm, and she moved aside, as he tossed a bowl of odd looking snacks on the table behind her.

She grabbed his hand and looked into his eyes. "Jack... please stop trying to force this."

He blinked. "Force what?"

She rubbed her forehead, regretting her words. "Jean-Luc and I don't have to be friends. In fact, now that he's my commanding officer, maybe it's best that we aren't. You know, I'm getting the impression that he would prefer not to get to know me so well."

"What do you mean?" Jack glared at her with the sullen schoolboy expression he sometimes took on. He was sensitive, one of the things she loved about his personality, but she didn't always know quite how to deal with his moods.

"Look, just maybe it is more appropriate for me to keep my distance."

"Well, he's my best friend, and my commanding officer, and there's nothing inappropriate about my relationship with him," Jack argued.

She sighed. "I can't believe we're arguing about this."

"Neither can I," Jack shot back.

Beverly could feel her own temperature rising now. "Okay, I'll stay for your goddamn poker game, Jack!"

He froze. "What the hell is going on with you?"

"Look...I just joined this crew, and I'm under a lot of pressure to succeed down in sickbay. Okay? I just wanted to come home and relax this evening, not feel like I'm back at work."

He suddenly enveloped her in a hug. "I'm sorry, I should have thought of that..." He pulled back to look at her with a slightly mischievous smile. "We have an hour or so, and I know a few ways to help you relax."

"Oh, you do, do you?"

Picard adjusted his civilian clothing and looked at himself in the mirror, running a hand over his face. He didn't usually spend much time on his appearance, but recently he found he felt was more aware of how he looked. His hair had begun to thin a bit in the front, and new it wouldn't be long before his hairline began to recede. All of the men in his family tended to go bald at a young age. Of course there were drugs one could take, but the truth was he didn't mind. Giving a shrug, he reached into his dresser drawer and pulled out a small razor. He turned it on and ran it closely over his head, until his hair was cut to a suitable length.

A small bag sat on the chair nearby. Changing his mind, he walked over and grabbed a single item out of the bag. It was a small phaser, and he tucked it in a small pocket inside of his boot. He would leave the rest behind. He didn't need to bring any extra belongings with him where he was headed. In a few hours, he would beam down to Kronos to meet with Kor's family, and expected to almost immediately return to the Stargazer. His visit was a courtesy, and at their request, but something about the entire situation left him unsettled.

Meanwhile, Jack had reminded him that the weekly poker game was back on after a brief hiatus. He had tried to get out of it, but Jack had insisted, and Jack was a persuasive person. He could use a bit of unwinding, he supposed.

As he stepped out of his quarters, he saw Zev heading in his general direction and slowed. He knew his first officer was on edge to say the least about him beaming down to Kronos alone, but she had agreed.

Zev was someone who respected the Klingon concept of honor, even if she didn't trust Klingons. She knew, despite the risks, that he needed to do this for his fallen friend.

"Are you prepared to experience defeat at my hand, yet again, Captain?"

"If you mean am I ready to beat you at poker again, Zev, the answer is yes."

He gave her a congenial smile as she fell into step with him.

"I am assuming that you will be bringing a weapon with you, Captain."

"I don't expect any trouble, but yes, I've got a small phaser with me."

"And you have the emergency coordinates to proceed to if you are unable to reach the agreed upon transport point?"

"Yes," he said tightly.

She nodded and remained silent for the rest of the walk to Jack's quarters.

Just as he was about to ring Jack's doorbell, Zev turned to him.

"I urge you to use caution, Captain. The Klingons are hiding information from us, and it is only a matter of time until that becomes clear."

He nodded. "I respect your counsel, Zev, and I agree. Trust me, I don't intend on taking any unnecessary risks."

Zev dipped a single antenna in his direction, which he knew from years of serving with her, was a sign of respect.

Vigo had arrived first and was lounging at the poker table, drinking beer and eating snacks. A man of few words, Vigo nodded at his superiors as they entered before returning to his beer.

Zev sat down across from the pilot, and immediately began engaging him in conversation related to something that had occurred on the previous shift.

Picard remained standing, feeling oddly formal about being in Jack's quarters. He glanced around finding them much the same as they had been before Beverly had joined the crew at the beginning of the week. Of course that made sense, as Jack and Beverly were not sharing quarters. Yet. Jack had stated his intentions to propose marriage to Beverly, but it was doubtful he'd done so yet. Jean-Luc was sure he would have heard more about that by now.

Beverly approached from the cramped dining area, munching on a pretzel, with a glass of wine in her other hand. Her hair was wet, as though she had rushed from the shower, and she was wearing a flattering sweater over some slacks. He tried not to study her appearance too closely.

She raised her eyebrows at him. "Nice haircut," she remarked.

The appreciation in her voice sounded genuine. He felt himself blush, but pushed the sensation away. "Thank you," he said.

They continued to stand there awkwardly for a few moments, before Beverly raised her glass to him. "This is fabulous wine, would you like some?"

He was about to respond when Jack came out of his bedroom. "Hey, the gang's all here, excellent."

Jack walked over and grabbed Beverly's hand in his.

"Glad you could make it, Jean-Luc," he said. "Want an ale?"

"Hmm? Alright," said Picard, accepting a drink from his friend.

"I was just going to pour him a glass of this excellent wine," said Beverly.

Picard smile. "Oh thank you, but no. I'm fine."

"He hates that one," Jack told Beverly. "I mean it's from his vineyard--"

"You have a vineyard?" Beverly paused over the rim of her glass.

Picard shrugged. "It's in the family. Technically, my brother Robert is running it now. And just to be clear, I don't hate that wine, but it's a '44, and while it's very good, I tend to enjoy it more aged."

"Oh yes, Jack has mentioned your brother. He's not in Starfleet?"

"No, in fact, you could say that the only thing Robert and I have in common is the vineyard."

She tried to read whether he seemed disappointed by that fact, but he was keeping his emotions beneath the surface. She noted that he seemed perfectly under control until Jack introduced a new topic.

"Where's T'Pel?" he asked Jean-Luc suddenly.

The captain eyed him questioningly. "What do you mean? T'Pel never plays poker with us."

Jack smiled, now clearly loosening up from the alcohol. "Yeah, but you should bring her along sometime."

Beverly looked from Jack to Jean-Luc, but said nothing. She wasn't entirely sure what Jack was doing, but the air suddenly grew uncomfortable.

Picard put his empty glass of ale down on the counter. "Perhaps we should start the game," be said distractedly.

"Okay. Hey, I'm not trying to pry into your business, but...I just thought it would be nice, you know, if you and she..."

Picard faced him suddenly. "What the hell are you on about, Jack?"

Jack now looked nervous, realizing he had taken it too far. "I've heard a few rumors, is all."

Jean-Luc turned away and pulled out a chair. "I don't know what you're talking about, Jack. Now, let's play."