Stardate 48103.4
Lieutenant-Commander Data strolled evenly into the Enterprise D's Engineering section, wearing an expression of gentle bewilderment. Engineering held few officers this early in the morning during space dock, so the hum of the warp core was easily discernible above the various beeps and whistles from the control panels.
Lieutenant-Commander Geordi La Forge leaned over a departure protocol padd on the far side of the room. There was little to be done for the Chief Engineer as the shore leave was only scheduled for three days and no maintenance checks were performed at Silvestria Prime's star base that the Enterprise had docked in. La Forge looked up from his padd as Data approached.
"What's up Data?"
"I would like to make an inquiry to yourself and the rest of the senior staff regarding the pending shore leave," Data said. "I have recently compiled an intriguing Holodeck program that I believe will play to many of the interests among the senior officers".
"Well, I know that I'm not planning anything right away, and Commander Troi mentioned that she wasn't sure what she was going to do either, but I'm not sure what Commander Riker and Worf have lined up," Geordi said, shrugging slightly. "Well, Worf might want to use one of the holodecks for one of his Klingon training programs, but I haven't checked the bookings". "What is the program anyway, Data?'
"It is a compilation program based on the works of mid-to-late Twentieth Century Earth author, Kurt Vonnegut".
Geordi gave Data a look of interest as the android continued. "I believe the intricacies of the time period - and Vonnegut's predilection to humor - may assist me in exploring the concept of humor and satire," Data responded with a curiously furrowed brow. "I have coded the program to create a synthesis of different aspects of Vonnegut's literary works, with a main objective of solving a dilemma based on the source material".
"Hmm… the mystery part would certainly entice Captain Picard and Doctor Crusher, but good luck pulling them away from whatever they're doing for the next few days. I heard from one of the junior officers this morning that they were in Ten Forward last night talking about taking a joint shore leave".
"Geordi, is it not improper to "gossip" about fellow crew members?" Data inquired with an even further furrowed brow and head tilt.
"Yeah." Geordi sighed, shaking his head as he headed for the passageway that led to the turbolift. "You're not wrong Data. It's just that those two have needed to figure things out between them for a long time now, and I don't know that we should interrupt that, ya know?"
Following Geordi out of Engineering, Data considered his friend's words and nodded. "You may be correct Geordi. I have noticed a particular closeness between the Captain and the Chief Medical Officer for many years, though I do not believe they have ever partaken in a shared shore leave". "It may be wise to forgo extending the offer to them for this shore leave".
The two men stepped into the turbolift, the doors swooshing shut behind them.
"Deck Ten," Data called to the ship's computer and the lift quickly began its whirring ascent. Geordi turned to Data and said, " You can still ask Worf, and Commander Riker and Commander Troi though, Data". "They're all probably in Ten Forward like they usually are before a bit of R and R".
"That sounds most agreeable Geordi".
Captain Jean-Luc Picard's quarters were in an unusual state of disarray. There were only fifteen minutes remaining until 0800 hours, the time in which Doctor Beverly Crusher had agreed to arrive for breakfast the previous evening over dinner in Ten Forward. The two officers had decided at the last minute to take advantage of the short rest period together. The hopes held by both Beverly and Jean-Luc were to discuss, and possibly act on, taking their relationship a step forward, though neither officer had yet to actually voice this.
Jean-Luc let out an anxious sigh as he scurried around his quarters trying to clean up the mess he had created trying to pack for a vacation to the star base's planet, Silvestria Prime, that promised long hiking trails along historical sites. He truly wanted the leave with Beverly to go as well as possible, and he suspected after the previous night's conversation that she did as well.
"Computer, what time is it?"
"It is currently 07:55 hours."
"Merde," Picard muttered, needlessly straightening his gray, off-duty tunic. He looked over at his hastily-packed bags sitting on his desk and ran his hand over his head nervously.
This breakfast was, in theory, just like every other breakfast he had shared for years now with Beverly. The fact that he was planning to offer a relationship beyond their friendship meant that there were numerous ways in which the trip could go wrong.
Beverly may have been right last year when she revealed her fear of losing their friendship if they were to become more than friends. But then again, that fateful dinner was just after a harrowing experience where all of their thoughts and feelings had been laid bare, leaving them both vulnerable, particularly the ever-guarded Doctor Crusher.
This shore leave had given them the chance to spend time together, as friends or otherwise, without the violation of the brain implants they had experienced on Kes-Prytt.
Jean-Luc moved over to the small dining table that he had set with warmed dishes and place settings. He was waiting until Beverly arrived to replicate their meal. Not because he didn't know what she preferred for breakfast, (typically a simple coffee and croissant) but he wanted to make sure the meal was warm and fresh when they sat down to eat and talk as they usually did in the mornings. Now, he just had to wait for the door to chime (Beverly actually had the access key to his quarters, but she always rang the chime anyways out of caution - especially following his short relationship with Nella Daren a couple of years earlier).
Jean-Luc let out another anxious sigh and bit his lower lip while he stared at the doors, willing them to either chime or open.
Doctor Beverly Crusher stood just outside the door to Jean-Luc's quarters. To say that she was both nervous and excited would be a bit of an understatement. Beverly had already sent her bags for the trip to the runabout, knowing that it would alert an already suspicious crew to a schedule that just happened to overlap with the Captain's.
News traveled quickly on a starship, and the noticeable absence of the senior officers in the transporter room led her to believe that they were making a point of staying out of the way of their Captain and CMO. This didn't really bother her as she had, briefly and unofficially, discussed her upcoming shore leave with Deanna the night before following dinner with Jean-Luc in Ten Forward, much to Deanna's delight.
In preparation for the day, Beverly had chosen to wear what she would be wearing during the hike they had planned shortly after their arrival on Silvestria Prime. The ensemble included a comfortable, long-sleeved blue top designed for outdoor activities. In addition, she wore standard Starfleet-issue recreational pants with a pair of black hiking boots.
The quiet of the corridor seemed to swallow Beverly whole as she stepped a bit closer to the doors labeled as the Captain's. Coming face-to-face with the door to Picard's quarters, she brushed her red hair back behind her ear with her fingers, and taking a deep breath, she pressed the chime for the door.
Within what seemed to be an eternity, but was in reality was probably around fifteen seconds (she could have asked Data for the exact time, down to the nanosecond if he were here), the doors swooshed open in front of her, revealing the shyly smiling face of Jean-Luc Picard.
"Hello, Beverly." He quickly stepped aside to allow her entry into the room, turning around to follow her into the main room.
Looking over her shoulder at Jean-Luc with a coy grin, Beverly said, "Good morning Jean-Luc, miss me?"
With a humored rise to his brow and a slight chuckle, Jean-Luc responded equally playfully to her practiced teasing with, "Of course, the hours just drag on when you're not here." Which they did of course, though this morning had flown by in his anticipation for her arrival.
Beverly chuckled in response as they both moved towards their customary spots at the table across from one another.
Jean-Luc paused in front of the replicator before sitting down asking, "The usual?"
"Of course, thank you."
Hearing her response, Picard ordered two croissants and a pot of hot coffee as he did most every morning. Taking the tray over to the table, he sat down across from Beverly as they grabbed their respective plates and mugs. Eating commenced as did a warm, but light conversation with an aura of nervous energy as both officers looked forward to their departure.
While Beverly and Jean-Luc enjoyed their breakfast, Data was holding the rest of the senior officers hostage in Ten Forward with his Holodeck inquiries.
"Commander Riker, I do believe that this program would be most enjoyable for those gathered here and would provide a unique 'bonding experience' for us all," Data said.
Deanna leaned over Will's shoulder to whisper, "It's not a bad idea, Will. It would free time for the Captain and Beverly to get away without commitments on the ship."
"Alright Data, it's a deal. Just make sure the safety is on this time. We don't want another Moriarty incident," Riker said.
"Certainly, Commander" Data responded with a firm nod.
"I will join as well," Worf added with a shrug. "I do not have any other plans for today."
"Excellent Lieutenant," Data said. "The appropriate attire has been programmed into the replicators in preparation for the program." "After you are sufficiently costumed for the time period, we can commence."
Commanders Riker and Troi, Lieutenant Worf, and Lieutenant-Commanders La Forge and Data proceeded to exit Ten Forward for their various living quarters to change into their period clothing for Data's Holodeck program.
Guinan watched the group leave with a bemused grin. Noticing the Captain and Chief Medical Officer's absences from the group, she muttered to herself, "Those two better have found a way down to that planet together, it's about damn time."
Flying in the runabout from the dock Enterprise to the spaceport planet-side was a bit redundant in the age of transporters, but Beverly and Jean-Luc treasured the small amount of peace and quiet the otherwise empty shuttlecraft provided them.
Beverly was sitting a bit closer to Jean-Luc than she might have had there been other passengers aboard. But because they were the sole occupants, she allowed herself to dare to let their knees touch as the shuttle moved about. The closeness was quite comfortable, and Beverly almost found herself becoming brave enough to speak up about what she truly wanted with the man sitting next to her.
She had once not-so-long ago told Jean-Luc that maybe they should have been afraid of exploring the obviously shared feelings between them. That evening had followed one of the most tumultuous days of Beverly's life, and Jean-Luc's eagerness to act had truly frightened her, especially when she was already feeling so stripped down thanks to their endlessly shared thoughts.
Beverly Crusher was a strong, intelligent woman who knew what she wanted and when and how she wanted it. If things were not done as she would have liked, she explored the options necessary to make it happen accordingly.
When she had been forced to receive every stray thought Jean-Luc had on Kes-Prytt while also providing him with her own innermost thoughts and feelings that were even unreachable to her own mind, she had panicked in the face of undeterminable vulnerability.
Being vulnerable, especially emotionally vulnerable, was a situation that Beverly was not keen to experience. It was not as if Jean-Luc wouldn't provide the space and respect she needed during times of emotional bareness - in fact he was the one person other than Deanna that Beverly truly confided in when she needed to.
Following that dinner after the Kes-Prytt mission, Beverly had been regretting her own words, even fearing that their friendship had been affected after all, even though that was the one thing she knew she could not lose. In the end though, it was clear that their friendship had pulled through that encounter and would have continued at its own pace without this joint-shore leave. Beverly knew that she was going to use this time to truly talk to Jean-Luc about their relationship, where they were both free of the Enterprise and all their duties, at least for a short period.
Of course, Jean-Luc had agreed to partake in this joint shore leave, something they had not done before. Beverly knew Jean-Luc well enough after so many years that his quietly anxious disposition this morning likely meant that he was on the same page as she was, with his own hopes of what would become of this adventure.