The Favor
The following story line is mine. Don't try to copy it cause I'll get mad
In a like vain, Star Trek The Next Generation and all characters are the sole property of someone other than me.
Jean-Luc stood and stretched. He shut off his computer terminal and ordered himself a cup of tea. He sighed and looked over his quarters. They were largely the same, with minor differences that he was sure were what some would call a "feminine touch". For instance, most of the artifacts that he normally had spread across the room on various tables and shelves were neatly and artistically arranged on one shelving unit and vases of exotic flowers and leafy plants had replaced them. The curtains were a lighter shade of green and blue than he would have chosen, but they worked well with the rest of the room. His books were all in place, and he ran a hand over their familiar bindings, skimming the titles to make sure they were all there. They were, and in fact there were some very welcome additions that he made note of. He plucked one out of it's place and flipped the cover open. Inside, inscribed in a childish hand, was the message "For My Beloved Papa on Father's Day, Raylyn" in French. A memory of the day she gave it to him niggled in his mind but he could not grasp it fully. Instead he savored the emotions that it stirred and put the book back.
He paced to the bedroom and for a second considered the bed that was very much large enough for two. He had a moment's apprehension about the fact that Beverly would very likely expect him to sleep with her in it, considering they were married here, but he pushed it away. He would deal with that when the time came. He turned and found a large portrait on the wall. It was a good photo, framed in what looked like hand worked silver and cherry wood. It was the Picard Family, as it stood now. Beverly, himself, Wesley and Raylyn. Jean-Luc found it astounding that, when standing right next to each other, Wesley and Raylyn really could pass for siblings. It was obvious who the elder was, Raylyn, but even with her nose there was something about the two of them that seemed related. Perhaps it was not so much their outward appearance, but their personalities, which shone through their eyes, even in the photo. The four of them looked exceedingly happy.
There were more pictures, smaller, that sat in various frames on the small table under the large portrait. Jean-Luc picked them up, each in turn, and studied them, trying to piece together a history that he could not remember.
The first was a wedding photo, of Will and Raylyn. They both looked so much younger, beaming faces and clutched hands. Then a photo of Raylyn and Wesley. Beverly must have gone to some lengths to make sure they felt like a family and Jean-Luc almost wished Wesley were aboard so that he could see first hand how successful she had been. There were also photos of he and Robert, another of Wesley, Raylyn and Renee and another of Beverly and Jean-Luc outside what Jean-Luc recognized as his family home in France. There were several others, mostly candid shots, probably taken on the holideck, a beach scene and a horseback expedition. The final one was something Jean-Luc took great interest in, for it was his own wedding photo. Beverly's hair was pulled back but not up and it was much longer than she had worn it in years. She hadn't gone for stark white, but a cream colored dress which complimented her coloring much more. He was, of course, in a dress uniform, which, thankfully, only had a stripe of that odd green which did so little for him. But they both looked every bit as happy and almost as youthfully carefree as Raylyn and Will in their wedding photo.
Jean-Luc set the framed picture down and opened the closet. A strange mixture of the scent he knew Beverly wore and the aftershave that he used wafted out. His closet seemed much fuller with Beverly's clothes packed in next to his. Likewise the vanity was merged, her hair brush sitting next to his razor, her earrings next to a pair of cufflinks he didn't recognize.
He turned and went back to the front room. His tea had gone cold while he inspected his new environment, but it didn't bother him. He had just sat down when a chime alerted him to a visitor.
"Come!" Raylyn appeared. Jean-Luc took a deep breath and set aside the book he had selected.
"Raylyn" he said, standing. She smiled hesitantly.
"How is your work going?" she asked.
"Well" Jean-Luc nodded, "Many incidents happened the very way I remember them" Raylyn nodded slowly.
"Good" she said. An awkward moment of silence insued.
"Do you have any questions?" she finally asked quietly and Jean-Luc knew she wasn't referring to the mission. He took a deep breath.
"Actually I do" he answered and took a step toward the replicator.
"Earl Grey" Raylyn said with a mischievous smile, "For some bizarre reason I knew you were going to ask" Jean-Luc smiled. It was his habit. He handed her her cup of tea and they sat down.
"Well, what did Q tell you?" she asked, her legs crossed the exact way his were.
"We..hit the highlights" Jean-Luc replied, "But I know nothing in general. For instance, where did I meet your mother?"
"Oi! Q! I'll start from the beginning" Jean-Luc sat back while she spoke, learning about a life he could've, or had, lived.
He had met Chaza Troi (who by Betazoid tradition had taken her older sister's name) when she was studying at the University of Earth in San Fransisco while he was going to the Academy. They had never married, but they had continued their relationship as he worked his way up the ladder. Raylyn had been born on Batezed. She stayed with her mother, who was an artist, while Jean-Luc traversed the stars.
When Raylyn was two, however, Chaza was killed when a transport vehicle crashed into a museum she was displaying an exhibit in. Jean-Luc would have, of course, taken his daughter but at the time he was not serving on a family ship and so Lwaxana had taken the child to raise with her two girls, Kestra and Deanna.
Raylyn had apparently spent her childhood going back and forth between Betazoid and whatever ship her father was working on.
When he had taken command of the Stargazer, however, he took her for good. She was already in her teens, but she greatly enjoyed being with her father. She told him about her teenage escapades, most of which landed her or somebody else in trouble.
"Aunt Lwaxana says I'm too much like you" she laughed, "Always so reckless, taking charge of everything, always after some 'old rocks' or some new 'science experiment' "
"Really?" Jean-Luc chuckled with her.
"Mmm. It sometimes annoys Will. When I start quoting Shakespeare or Milton at him. We had to overcome it by both developing a passionate obsession with Jazz" she laughed.
"How long have you been married?" Jean-Luc asked, suddenly serious again. Raylyn raised her eyebrows.
"Seven years!" she said with an inward smile.
"Seven years" Jean-Luc repeated. He was on the verge of asking another question when Raylyn's badge beeped.
"Commander, could you come back down here? We've run into a problem" Geordi's voice asked.
"Sure. On my way" Raylyn answered. Jean-Luc walked her to the door.
"I'll see you tonight, Papa!" she told him with a kiss for his cheek. He nodded but it wasn't until after the doors had closed and she was well gone that he realized he didn't know why he was seeing her tonight.
The following story line is mine. Don't try to copy it cause I'll get mad
In a like vain, Star Trek The Next Generation and all characters are the sole property of someone other than me.
Jean-Luc stood and stretched. He shut off his computer terminal and ordered himself a cup of tea. He sighed and looked over his quarters. They were largely the same, with minor differences that he was sure were what some would call a "feminine touch". For instance, most of the artifacts that he normally had spread across the room on various tables and shelves were neatly and artistically arranged on one shelving unit and vases of exotic flowers and leafy plants had replaced them. The curtains were a lighter shade of green and blue than he would have chosen, but they worked well with the rest of the room. His books were all in place, and he ran a hand over their familiar bindings, skimming the titles to make sure they were all there. They were, and in fact there were some very welcome additions that he made note of. He plucked one out of it's place and flipped the cover open. Inside, inscribed in a childish hand, was the message "For My Beloved Papa on Father's Day, Raylyn" in French. A memory of the day she gave it to him niggled in his mind but he could not grasp it fully. Instead he savored the emotions that it stirred and put the book back.
He paced to the bedroom and for a second considered the bed that was very much large enough for two. He had a moment's apprehension about the fact that Beverly would very likely expect him to sleep with her in it, considering they were married here, but he pushed it away. He would deal with that when the time came. He turned and found a large portrait on the wall. It was a good photo, framed in what looked like hand worked silver and cherry wood. It was the Picard Family, as it stood now. Beverly, himself, Wesley and Raylyn. Jean-Luc found it astounding that, when standing right next to each other, Wesley and Raylyn really could pass for siblings. It was obvious who the elder was, Raylyn, but even with her nose there was something about the two of them that seemed related. Perhaps it was not so much their outward appearance, but their personalities, which shone through their eyes, even in the photo. The four of them looked exceedingly happy.
There were more pictures, smaller, that sat in various frames on the small table under the large portrait. Jean-Luc picked them up, each in turn, and studied them, trying to piece together a history that he could not remember.
The first was a wedding photo, of Will and Raylyn. They both looked so much younger, beaming faces and clutched hands. Then a photo of Raylyn and Wesley. Beverly must have gone to some lengths to make sure they felt like a family and Jean-Luc almost wished Wesley were aboard so that he could see first hand how successful she had been. There were also photos of he and Robert, another of Wesley, Raylyn and Renee and another of Beverly and Jean-Luc outside what Jean-Luc recognized as his family home in France. There were several others, mostly candid shots, probably taken on the holideck, a beach scene and a horseback expedition. The final one was something Jean-Luc took great interest in, for it was his own wedding photo. Beverly's hair was pulled back but not up and it was much longer than she had worn it in years. She hadn't gone for stark white, but a cream colored dress which complimented her coloring much more. He was, of course, in a dress uniform, which, thankfully, only had a stripe of that odd green which did so little for him. But they both looked every bit as happy and almost as youthfully carefree as Raylyn and Will in their wedding photo.
Jean-Luc set the framed picture down and opened the closet. A strange mixture of the scent he knew Beverly wore and the aftershave that he used wafted out. His closet seemed much fuller with Beverly's clothes packed in next to his. Likewise the vanity was merged, her hair brush sitting next to his razor, her earrings next to a pair of cufflinks he didn't recognize.
He turned and went back to the front room. His tea had gone cold while he inspected his new environment, but it didn't bother him. He had just sat down when a chime alerted him to a visitor.
"Come!" Raylyn appeared. Jean-Luc took a deep breath and set aside the book he had selected.
"Raylyn" he said, standing. She smiled hesitantly.
"How is your work going?" she asked.
"Well" Jean-Luc nodded, "Many incidents happened the very way I remember them" Raylyn nodded slowly.
"Good" she said. An awkward moment of silence insued.
"Do you have any questions?" she finally asked quietly and Jean-Luc knew she wasn't referring to the mission. He took a deep breath.
"Actually I do" he answered and took a step toward the replicator.
"Earl Grey" Raylyn said with a mischievous smile, "For some bizarre reason I knew you were going to ask" Jean-Luc smiled. It was his habit. He handed her her cup of tea and they sat down.
"Well, what did Q tell you?" she asked, her legs crossed the exact way his were.
"We..hit the highlights" Jean-Luc replied, "But I know nothing in general. For instance, where did I meet your mother?"
"Oi! Q! I'll start from the beginning" Jean-Luc sat back while she spoke, learning about a life he could've, or had, lived.
He had met Chaza Troi (who by Betazoid tradition had taken her older sister's name) when she was studying at the University of Earth in San Fransisco while he was going to the Academy. They had never married, but they had continued their relationship as he worked his way up the ladder. Raylyn had been born on Batezed. She stayed with her mother, who was an artist, while Jean-Luc traversed the stars.
When Raylyn was two, however, Chaza was killed when a transport vehicle crashed into a museum she was displaying an exhibit in. Jean-Luc would have, of course, taken his daughter but at the time he was not serving on a family ship and so Lwaxana had taken the child to raise with her two girls, Kestra and Deanna.
Raylyn had apparently spent her childhood going back and forth between Betazoid and whatever ship her father was working on.
When he had taken command of the Stargazer, however, he took her for good. She was already in her teens, but she greatly enjoyed being with her father. She told him about her teenage escapades, most of which landed her or somebody else in trouble.
"Aunt Lwaxana says I'm too much like you" she laughed, "Always so reckless, taking charge of everything, always after some 'old rocks' or some new 'science experiment' "
"Really?" Jean-Luc chuckled with her.
"Mmm. It sometimes annoys Will. When I start quoting Shakespeare or Milton at him. We had to overcome it by both developing a passionate obsession with Jazz" she laughed.
"How long have you been married?" Jean-Luc asked, suddenly serious again. Raylyn raised her eyebrows.
"Seven years!" she said with an inward smile.
"Seven years" Jean-Luc repeated. He was on the verge of asking another question when Raylyn's badge beeped.
"Commander, could you come back down here? We've run into a problem" Geordi's voice asked.
"Sure. On my way" Raylyn answered. Jean-Luc walked her to the door.
"I'll see you tonight, Papa!" she told him with a kiss for his cheek. He nodded but it wasn't until after the doors had closed and she was well gone that he realized he didn't know why he was seeing her tonight.