"I saw you," Walker hissed as Beverly stepped into her room later that evening.

"What are you doing here," she asked, ignoring his accusations.

"Jack gave me the access code. That's not important right now though, is it? Why did you do it Beverly? How could you betray him like that? He loves you." Walker's voice echoed the pain he felt in his heart for Jack. he wasn't sure what he was going to tell his friend yet. First, he wanted to her what Howard had to say.

"Did you ever get caught up in a moment and let it take you away? Did you ever do something you knew was stupid, even while you were doing it, because some force greater than yourself wouldn't allow you to stop?" She was crying he saw, tears tracing their way down her delicate cheekbones. There, in the soft light of her quarters, Walker could see her allure. For a brief moment, the anger he felt on behalf of his friend dissipated, and he could almost feel sorry for Picard. He wasn't sure if could control himself either. He shook his head, and forced him mind back to the issue at hand.

"Beverly, he loves you more than life itself. If he knew he would be devastated. You're the world to him. There is nothing more important, not even his assignment to the Stargazer."

"I love him, too."

"If you did, you wouldn't have done that. I knew there was something between you and Picard all along, ever since that night in the vineyards. I could see it. Jack was too enamored with Picard and too blinded by his love for you to notice. I didn't want to believe it, but I knew it was there. I even tried to tell Jack, and he said Picard was interviewing you about me and him. The stupid git. I knew better." Walker shook his head resignedly.

"It's over between Jean Luc and I. He's leaving tomorrow morning. I won't ever see him again. Whatever was there is no longer. I love Jack. I've never stopped loving Jack. I was sidetracked is all, and I feel so badly I don't even know how to go on. If I lose jack it will break my heart." She was crying again.

"Maybe you should have thought of that while you were lying on the ground with Captain Picard."

At that, Beverly howled with anguish, and Walker saw just how sorry she truly was. He was in a unique position, and still wasn't quite sure what to do. He could expose Picard for what he had done and destroyed some of his credibility, at the same time labeling himself as a gossip and losing the trust of senior officers before it was ever gained. He could tell Jack alone about what had happened, but he knew his friend would be shattered. That would mean that the two people he felt most deeply for in the world were embodiments of treachery and fraud. He didn't know if he could live knowing he had shattered the man in such a way. He could bring it up privately at the testimony and destroy Beverly's credibility, but that would mean leaving Mina to carry out whatever else she had planned in her tenure in Starfleet, and he didn't want to be responsible for that. That left him with one choice, and one choice is no choice.

"Do you swear that it's over between you? That no matter what may happen, you'll never find comfort in the arms of that man again."

"I swear, Walker." He looked in her eyes, and knew that what she said was true.

"Then don't breathe a word of it to Jack, it would crush him. It'll be between us." If nothing else, Walker was loyal, fiercely, and even stupidly so in later life.

Beverly grabbed him in an embrace and kissed him with such fervor and passion, Walker was almost swept away. "I love you," she said, smiling.

Walker held a finger up "Un un."

They both laughed.

* * *

Despite her promise, Beverly sent one final communiqué to Picard, telling him of Walker's intervention and kindness. Picard sent a testimony in favor of Beverly's character to Admiral Parsons, and a message to each Crusher and Keel.

"Beverly, open this door." Jack was pounding on the door as hard as he could, and screaming at the top of his lungs.

He told him, Beverly thought, Walker told him. That lying sneak. She bit her lip, realizing she didn't have much room to talk. "Computer, deactivate lock." She had been keeping the door locked lately, as she hadn't seen Mina in two days. She wondered whose life the girl was ruining now. The door chirped amiably, and Crusher spilled through with Keel on his heels. Beverly braced for his anger.

"We got the assignments! We're going to the Stargazer! Thank you, Beverly. I'm sure you had a had in this." Jack beamed, his grin spreading from ear to ear. "Well, hug the girl," he demanded of Walker.

Keel stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the red head. "More than a hand, I'm afraid," he whispered in her ear. She would have smacked him, but Jack would have questioned her motives so she didn't.

"Didn't I tell you she was wonderful," jack asked his friend while draping an arm over Beverly's shoulder. Beverly frowned slightly, filled with guilt and embarrassment. The three grew quiet, and Walker broke the silence.

"Everything's all set for tomorrow, Beverly. We're gonna blow that lazy, no good Coldwell right out of the torpedo bay."

"Speaking of her, where is she," Jack asked.

"I have no idea," said Beverly. "I haven't seen her for the past couple days."

Walker frowned. "Well, I hope she's not off ruining someone else's life.

"She'll be all through with that tomorrow." Beverly smiled confidently. "The only life left to be ruined is her own."

The three friends exchanged a high-five while Mina glared at them from under the bed.

* * *