Disclaimer: I wish I made money from this...le sigh.
Beverly Picard was sobbing. Deep, body quaking sobs. She wasn't sure of the last time she had
cried like that, but it seemed to resemble her sobs after Jack's death, then later after Wesley's.
Her face was stained with tears as Jean-Luc held her. "She isn't gone yet, Beverly. She may
have simply..." Picard stopped as he realized that he was talking himself into a ditch. He
was as sad as Beverly was, and for good reason. Their child was missing, gone. He hated the
word gone...it seemed as if there was no hope. He looked into Beverly's eyes, and he could
see the pain of past loves lost. Just then, Geordi came up to them. 'This could be bad,' Geordi
thought, so he told them quickly: "There is an unusually high concentration of chronoton
particles where they disappeared. Any guess is as good as mine as to how she created them; it
doesn't fit any conventional forms." He stood for a moment, trying to provide some sort of
solace, but feeling the idea fruitless, he gave up and walked off to tell Wil the news.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I'm sorry, what's your name?" Beverly Crusher asked Amanda. "Should you not know?" piped
in Data from across the room, "after all, she is your." Thinking quickly, Amanda stopped him.
"Your patient. And my name is Amanda." "Glad to meet you, Amanda," Beverly said while
raising an eyebrow, "I am Dr. Crusher. Do you know where you are?" Amanda stopped. 'What
am I going to tell them?' she mused. 'Crap.' "Uh," she said, not vocalizing her insecurities, "I
think I am on a ship called the Enterprise...that's what I think the Klingon said, at least."
Before Dr. Crusher could ask any more questions, the sickbay door opened. In strode Captain
Picard, coming to SEE Data, if it really was him. The good Doctor prevented him from doing so
for a moment, telling him a few facts about her patients. Amanda used this time to drill Data,
saying: "We can't tell them anything. If we do, it might change things. You've heard this
speech; just don't say anything." In reply, Data said, "But does not my very presence change
their timeline? How would telling them who you are further complicate things?" She almost
smiled; always the logical one, Data was. "Because, Wes may be alive here. He can take us
home." "I see," marveled Data. Picard approached them. "It really is you, Data," said an
astounded Picard. "Yes sir, it is me," answered Data. Amanda tried to keep from laughing.
Their conversation sounded like they had spent many a night at Nostalgiaville. She covered her
mouth and gritted her teeth; her father would question her later. After ten minutes of the
awkwardness, Picard and Crusher began to leave, having Data come with them. "What am I
supposed to do?" Amanda asked angrily. "An officer will escort you to your quarters," Picard
droned. 'Fine, be that way,' Amanda thought, now thoroughly enraged.
Walking the halls. Not for the first time, either. Total and unreserved boredom. Amanda was
now doing just those things. 'Where can I go?' she thought hurriedly. She COULD go to her
quarters and listen to music, but that seemed boring, even though it was relaxing. Suddenly it hit
her: 'Holodeck!' her mind screamed. She ran to the nearest one, Holodeck one, and looked at
the program inventory. One in particular leaped at her. She selected it and entered, only
regretting the fact that she wasn't dressed for the part.
Dixon Hill. The only thing that calmed Jean-Luc Picard any more was Dixon Hill. The
detective story was an elaborate one, filled with intrigue and danger plus all sorts of
backstabbing. And Picard was in the mood for some calming; with the sudden mystery of his
formerly deceased officer, Data, his strength was all but sapped. He invited Dr. Crusher but she
said she had work to do in sickbay and could not come. Saddened by her refusal but growing
happier as he approached Holodeck one, he smiled. Not a particularly original one, but a wan
little smile. He looked at the panel with the directory on it. Who was using his Dixon Hill
program? "The Big Goodbye" was currently in use. 'What?' his mind asked. For a second he
thought that perhaps Beverly was surprising him, but he dismissed the thought. He entered. He
saw golden-brown hair with a hint of red; and for a moment he honestly thought it was Beverly.
Then he took a closer look; it was the girl from sickbay, the one with Data. 'What is she doing?'
his mind questioned. He said out loud, "What are you doing here?" She screamed; she wasn't
expecting company. "I'm sorry sir, but I read the Dixon Hill novels and I just saw the program
and I needed to relax. I'll leave sir, your reputation for hating children is well-known." She was
just guessing; she had only heard that rumor about her father from a childhood tormentor who
said that before she was born, Captain Picard would shoot any child that came into his sight. "I
don't hate children," he said stubbornly, "I just am not a family man, that's all." "Why not?" she
found herself asking before she realized that the words came out. He faltered. Looks of regret,
pain, and anguish filled his face. "I-I am s-sorry sir," she stuttered, fearful of his wrath, "I
had no idea that you were rejected a family. I am an orphan," she spat, quickly lying, "and I
have never known family. I know how you feel." At that moment, she hugged him. Her
emotions and need to get home spilled into that hug. Then as awkwardly as she had met him,
she left, running as fast as possible.
"Picard to Dr. Crusher." "Crusher here Captain." "Would you come to dinner tonight at my quarters?" Picard asked. "Certainly, Jean-Luc," Beverly said. "1900 hours then?" he asked. "I'll be there."
Beverly thought about his dinner invitation; his voice sounded shaky and he seemed to need her.
She walked up to his door. Ringing the bell, she waited. "Come in." Beverly smiled. Just like
old times. She sauntered in, and saw him sitting on the couch, ringing his hands. "What's
wrong, Jean-Luc?" she asked. "Beverly, can I ask you something?" he queried.
Beverly Picard was sobbing. Deep, body quaking sobs. She wasn't sure of the last time she had
cried like that, but it seemed to resemble her sobs after Jack's death, then later after Wesley's.
Her face was stained with tears as Jean-Luc held her. "She isn't gone yet, Beverly. She may
have simply..." Picard stopped as he realized that he was talking himself into a ditch. He
was as sad as Beverly was, and for good reason. Their child was missing, gone. He hated the
word gone...it seemed as if there was no hope. He looked into Beverly's eyes, and he could
see the pain of past loves lost. Just then, Geordi came up to them. 'This could be bad,' Geordi
thought, so he told them quickly: "There is an unusually high concentration of chronoton
particles where they disappeared. Any guess is as good as mine as to how she created them; it
doesn't fit any conventional forms." He stood for a moment, trying to provide some sort of
solace, but feeling the idea fruitless, he gave up and walked off to tell Wil the news.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I'm sorry, what's your name?" Beverly Crusher asked Amanda. "Should you not know?" piped
in Data from across the room, "after all, she is your." Thinking quickly, Amanda stopped him.
"Your patient. And my name is Amanda." "Glad to meet you, Amanda," Beverly said while
raising an eyebrow, "I am Dr. Crusher. Do you know where you are?" Amanda stopped. 'What
am I going to tell them?' she mused. 'Crap.' "Uh," she said, not vocalizing her insecurities, "I
think I am on a ship called the Enterprise...that's what I think the Klingon said, at least."
Before Dr. Crusher could ask any more questions, the sickbay door opened. In strode Captain
Picard, coming to SEE Data, if it really was him. The good Doctor prevented him from doing so
for a moment, telling him a few facts about her patients. Amanda used this time to drill Data,
saying: "We can't tell them anything. If we do, it might change things. You've heard this
speech; just don't say anything." In reply, Data said, "But does not my very presence change
their timeline? How would telling them who you are further complicate things?" She almost
smiled; always the logical one, Data was. "Because, Wes may be alive here. He can take us
home." "I see," marveled Data. Picard approached them. "It really is you, Data," said an
astounded Picard. "Yes sir, it is me," answered Data. Amanda tried to keep from laughing.
Their conversation sounded like they had spent many a night at Nostalgiaville. She covered her
mouth and gritted her teeth; her father would question her later. After ten minutes of the
awkwardness, Picard and Crusher began to leave, having Data come with them. "What am I
supposed to do?" Amanda asked angrily. "An officer will escort you to your quarters," Picard
droned. 'Fine, be that way,' Amanda thought, now thoroughly enraged.
Walking the halls. Not for the first time, either. Total and unreserved boredom. Amanda was
now doing just those things. 'Where can I go?' she thought hurriedly. She COULD go to her
quarters and listen to music, but that seemed boring, even though it was relaxing. Suddenly it hit
her: 'Holodeck!' her mind screamed. She ran to the nearest one, Holodeck one, and looked at
the program inventory. One in particular leaped at her. She selected it and entered, only
regretting the fact that she wasn't dressed for the part.
Dixon Hill. The only thing that calmed Jean-Luc Picard any more was Dixon Hill. The
detective story was an elaborate one, filled with intrigue and danger plus all sorts of
backstabbing. And Picard was in the mood for some calming; with the sudden mystery of his
formerly deceased officer, Data, his strength was all but sapped. He invited Dr. Crusher but she
said she had work to do in sickbay and could not come. Saddened by her refusal but growing
happier as he approached Holodeck one, he smiled. Not a particularly original one, but a wan
little smile. He looked at the panel with the directory on it. Who was using his Dixon Hill
program? "The Big Goodbye" was currently in use. 'What?' his mind asked. For a second he
thought that perhaps Beverly was surprising him, but he dismissed the thought. He entered. He
saw golden-brown hair with a hint of red; and for a moment he honestly thought it was Beverly.
Then he took a closer look; it was the girl from sickbay, the one with Data. 'What is she doing?'
his mind questioned. He said out loud, "What are you doing here?" She screamed; she wasn't
expecting company. "I'm sorry sir, but I read the Dixon Hill novels and I just saw the program
and I needed to relax. I'll leave sir, your reputation for hating children is well-known." She was
just guessing; she had only heard that rumor about her father from a childhood tormentor who
said that before she was born, Captain Picard would shoot any child that came into his sight. "I
don't hate children," he said stubbornly, "I just am not a family man, that's all." "Why not?" she
found herself asking before she realized that the words came out. He faltered. Looks of regret,
pain, and anguish filled his face. "I-I am s-sorry sir," she stuttered, fearful of his wrath, "I
had no idea that you were rejected a family. I am an orphan," she spat, quickly lying, "and I
have never known family. I know how you feel." At that moment, she hugged him. Her
emotions and need to get home spilled into that hug. Then as awkwardly as she had met him,
she left, running as fast as possible.
"Picard to Dr. Crusher." "Crusher here Captain." "Would you come to dinner tonight at my quarters?" Picard asked. "Certainly, Jean-Luc," Beverly said. "1900 hours then?" he asked. "I'll be there."
Beverly thought about his dinner invitation; his voice sounded shaky and he seemed to need her.
She walked up to his door. Ringing the bell, she waited. "Come in." Beverly smiled. Just like
old times. She sauntered in, and saw him sitting on the couch, ringing his hands. "What's
wrong, Jean-Luc?" she asked. "Beverly, can I ask you something?" he queried.