Chapter Eight
With more than three hours until the meeting and nothing to do but wait around for the Neverland to threaten them again, Riker was restless. He had been off duty for an hour and wished that Picard could bump up the meeting a few hours, but not every crew member was off duty yet. The one holding them all up the most was Beverly. She wouldn't be off duty until 2030, and she needed a minute to at least eat something and breathe before they delved into a meeting, largely regarding her son, that could last for hours. Actually, Deanna had a few appointments up until 2000, Picard would be on the bridge right up until 2100 on the dot, Wesley and Geordi would be working on something in Engineering later that would take almost two hours.
Why am I the only idiot pacing around with nothing to do?
Worf. Worf wasn't doing anything, was he? And maybe Geordi would like to spend his spare hour at the table before folding out to head down to Main Engineering. And Riker was almost certain Data had some free time now. He needed to do something that would require his complete and total concentration. Poker definitely did.
Within fifteen minutes, Data, Worf, LaForge, Troi and Riker sat around the green felt card table. Data wore his silly green visor, as always.
"I don't have an appointment for almost two hours. My 1700 canceled and I was getting a little bored," Deanna smiled.
"I'm not supposed to meet Wes in Engineering for another hour," Geordi glanced in the direction of the door, "but he can always start without me for a few minutes. It's just some systems diagnostics Wes has got some new idea about."
"Commander," Data gazed up at Riker with large, innocent eyes, "perhaps we should invite Wesley to play."
"No way," Riker swung a long leg over a chair and sat at the table. "He'd probably memorize all the cards."
"You realize, sir," Data continued, "that Wesley is no more capable of memorizing the cards than I am."
"Capable of, no, but inclined!" Riker shook a finger as if he'd got the android on that one. He smirked. "Besides, poker's a man's game."
"I can't believe you just said that, Will," Deanna's lips were a thin, pale line.
"All right, poker's an adult's game," Riker amended, bowing his head in concession to Deanna.
"According to Human standard," Data began a tirade, "a Human reaches the 'adult' stage when he completes eighteen years of life. Wesley has recently exceeded that age, therefore he--"
"All right!" Riker held up both his hands in surrender. "But does Wes know how to play?"
Geordi grinned but said nothing.
* * *
Wes was walking slowly. His and his mother's quarters were not far from sickbay, but he felt like walking. He didn't have anything to do but meet Geordi in an hour, and if he reached his quarters quickly, he would have nothing to do but sit and wait. At least walking was occupying him a little.
Wait. It was 1745, and he had three hours and fifteen minutes until the meeting at 2100, one hour and fifteen minutes before he had to be in Engineering. Where would Robin be right now?
He knew her class schedule by heart, and she didn't have a class at 1700 or 1800, so she was free. Would she be in a holodeck? Ten-Forward? Well, he certainly wasn't going back to Ten-Fore, just in case someone who knew Karen Nolan saw him not busy with plenty of techno-stuff to do. He knew where Robin's quarters were, they studied there sometimes. Maybe he would try her there first.
And what would he say? That he was just wandering by and wondered who she liked better, him or Billy Nolan?
No. He had a plan. He headed off at a faster pace towards Robin Wallace's quarters.
"Who is it?" a beautiful voice called from behind closed doors.
"It's Wes," he answered, feeling a cold sensation creeping through him as his nerves started in.
"Come on in, Wes."
The doors whooshed open and Wes walked in. She lived alone, her parents were planetside. Starfleet was her ambition and hers alone. No one else in her family was in Starfleet. She had told Wes that she sometimes missed her family, but her career was so exciting that it made up for being so far from everyone she loved.
Now she was sitting at her desk, very happy to be distracted from her paper, which was due in a week.
"I'm sorry," Wes stopped walking, not wanting to interrupt her work.
"No, please!" Robin smiled, standing and walking away from her computer. "I can't stand writing papers."
"Oh." Wes didn't know where to go from here. He forgot what he came here to do. Well, he forgot what he was going to say he came here to do. He really came here to see Robin, and maybe give her another chance to kiss him without being interrupted.
"What's up?" she asked, sinking to a relaxed position against a bureau near Wesley.
How can she be so casual when I'm shaking like a leaf?
"I wanted to apologize for this afternoon," Wes said without realizing he'd remembered his excuse for coming. "Billy Nolan does that sort of thing to me all the time. I'm used to it. I'm just sorry you were guilty by association."
"He's a jerk," she scowled. "But you don't have to apologize, Wes. He's not your responsibility."
"Yeah, but I felt bad about what happened."
"It's all right. It really didn't bother me."
She looked at him. He started to panic. What should he say now? Um... um...
"You working on your end-of-term paper?" he jutted his chin towards her computer.
"Yeah," she turned to look at it, sighing wearily, "but I need a break."
"I could help you if you want," Wes volunteered. Hey, yeah. That'll keep me here with her for a while.
"No, you do that too much. If you're not careful, I'll start to think of you as a teacher," she smiled.
Whoa, can't have that.
"Oh," Wes was a little dejected. She was about to wrap up this visit, he could feel it coming.
"But I could use some pleasant company for a few minutes," she looked at him expectantly.
Wes suppressed a little yip of joy and settled for smiling at her.
"Want something to drink?" she gestured toward her table.
"Um, just water," he pulled out a chair and started to sit. Then he glanced over at her. Her back was to him, she was standing at the replicator. He swiveled the chair around and straddled it, feeling a bit like a poor imitation of Will Riker. He turned the chair back and tried to find a casual, relaxed pose, with some success.
She turned back, placed a glass in front of him and sat with hers in the chair next to him. Wes folded his arms on the table.
"So what's your thesis?" he tried to make conversation, then realized he had inadvertently gone back to the subject she was trying to forget about for the moment. He cringed inwardly.
"Environmental effects of warp drive above factor five."
"Oh," he gave a sour look. Reducing warp drive was a controversial issue of the time, and a sore subject to everyone. Much like Ozone depletion was way back in the late 20th century.
Wesley broached a new and better subject. "How was defense class today?"
"Great!" Robin brightened considerably. "I flipped Worf onto his back!"
Wes's eyes widened, "I'll be sure to stay on your good side!"
"No," Robin laughed. "It's this technique he was teaching us that you can use to flip someone twice your size without having to actually lift them. Watch." She stood up and walked over to him.
"Okay, imagine you're Worf."
"I don't think my imagination's that good."
Robin laughed. "Come on!"
He stood.
"If someone is coming at you like this," she laid a hand on his shoulder, "you could grab their arm, turn and pull them over your shoulder. It's using their own momentum." She had described the move without demonstrating.
Wesley looked a little confused.
"Here, I'll show you," she smiled, "but without actually laying you out."
"I'd appreciate that."
"Give me your hand." Wes complied, allowing her to place his hands on her shoulders. "That's the grip you're going for. If you were actually coming toward me, reaching for my shoulders, arms or neck, I'd do this--"
Robin gripped both his wrists and turned to her right, holding his wrists like a pack over her shoulder, then pulled. She stopped pulling when she felt him stagger forward. Wes was surprised.
"See?" she turned around again to face Wes, who was practically pressed up against her after the pull. "You're not actually..." she seemed a bit flustered by his sudden proximity.
Wesley decided not to speak. He didn't trust himself not to ruin the moment. He was a head taller than Robin and when she'd turned back to him, she was not looking into his eyes. She had turned around to look him right in the chest. This was not "The Boy" she had heard so much about. The legendary Wesley Crusher grew up before she'd even met him. He was not at all what she'd expected of him, and she had just now realized it.
"...actually lifting them..." she tried to continue, but could not. Billy had called Wes 'scrawny,' and while he might have been when he was thirteen, that was no longer the case. His entire physique was what she would term streamline. She slowly lifted her eyes to his face. His head was tilted down slightly, his deep brown eyes holding hers, trying desperately to control his breathing. He waited for three seconds that seemed like lightyears, waited for her to do something. Before he knew what he was doing, he kissed her.
She exhaled and leaned her head against his shoulder. Wes felt a chill up his back and tightened his arms around her.
"Robin," he whispered, "what..." She lifted her head to look at him. He couldn't think of how to ask.
She looked at him. He couldn't find the right words.
Wes didn't want to get into any kind of relationship. He would be leaving for the Academy very shortly and he didn't want to make leaving any harder for himself, or for anyone else.
But he'd never felt exactly like this about a girl before, which he decided was significant despite Guinan's words which had leapt immediately to mind. "You're right. You'll never feel the same about anyone else. But every time you feel love, it's different. Each time, it's different."
That had been when he was fifteen years old, and miserable over the departure of a girl of a shapeshifting race to a planet she was meant to rule. THAT was him being out of his league. This? Maybe not quite so much.
Wes sighed and released Robin, sinking down into his chair again.
"What?" Robin whispered. She knelt down at his feet and leaned her folded arms on his knees.
"I'm sorry," he looked down at her. "I didn't mean to do that."
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that, because I didn't mind," she seemed an awful lot older and more confident than Wes right at that particular moment. And at just about any other particular moment he could think of.
"I..." All right, now what do I say? "I don't want you to think that, I mean, I'm not sure if... if you were... if you wanted..."
"Wes, I like you," Robin smiled up at him, her emerald green eyes sparkling and her auburn hair spilling around her shoulders. Wes winced a little. She was so beautiful it hurt. "I was okay with that. Do you think I would let someone kiss me if I didn't want them to?"
Wes smiled a little at that. "Not a chance."
"Then what's wrong?"
"I-- I don't-- Nothing." How do you tell someone you met about two weeks ago that you think it'd be way too easy to fall in love with her, and you're leaving in a few months for Earth?
She gazed attentively into his deep brown eyes. "I promise not to be offended?"
"No, it's nothing that would offend you." Wes glanced up at the ceiling, "I don't think," he added softly. With his current batting average, he wasn't prepared to claim knowledge of what women found offensive.
"What if I promise not to laugh?" she smiled.
"I hope you wouldn't laugh!"
"Then what?"
Maybe there was a way he could euphamize this. "In a few months, I'm going to be leaving for Starfleet Academy. I'm really going to miss this place. I'm going to miss everything. My friends, Captain Picard, Geordi... and you. And I think what I just did is going to make me miss you more."
"Oh!" Robin seemed pleased and flattered. "Well, then we better make sure you really miss me," she kneeled up and kissed him again. This wasn't the reaction Wes had been expecting. Wes was torn. He wanted to stay here with Robin and see what developed. He really wanted to. But he was also doomed to think ahead.
His heart won over his mind and he stopped thinking about the Academy. He leaned toward her and slipped his fingers into her hair.
And the commlink twinkled.
"Riker to Ensign Crusher."
Wes almost cursed. Instead he smacked his comm badge, harder than necessary. "Crusher here, aye, sir."
"Are you busy at the moment or just occupying your time, waiting for the meeting?"
"I'm..." Wes stared forlornly at Robin. She shook her head. This was the ship's First Officer. Wes should go wherever Commander Riker wanted him to go. Wes sighed. "Waiting for the meeting, sir." Robin smirked at him. Just occupying time, indeed.
"Could you join me and the senior officers in my quarters?"
"Yes, sir. Something like a conference before the meeting, sir?"
"Something like that. See you there, ensign."
"Aye, sir."
Robin followed Wesley towards the door. "What meeting? About that ship that fired on us?" She hit the button to release and open her doors with the side of her fist, and they compliantly slid open.
"Yeah," Wes was unable to go through the doors. He couldn't make himself step further away from Robin.
"But you're just an ensign. Meetings like that are usually only for the senior officers."
"It seems that I have a special part in this."
"What?"
"I'm not sure yet," it wasn't exactly a lie. He stood staring at her.
After a moment, Robin prompted, "Go. They're waiting for you, Boy Wonder."
Wes smiled and kissed her cheek quickly. Then he turned and walked into the corridor.
"Hey," she whispered. He turned around again. "Be careful."
Wes gave her a look that meant such things went without saying. "Always," he answered, smiling reassuringly, and left.
* * *
"Something troubles you," Marn watched Kaelha pace around her quarters. Very rarely did Kaelha come to see her, and even more rarely without being practically dragged into it.
"You're a damned telepath and all you can figure out is that something troubles me?"
"I could be more specific if you wish, but usually it is more helpful to the patients to put it into words themselves."
"Don't call me 'patient'. I'm not a lunatic. I'm a captain with a huge decision on my hands."
"I apologize, Captain. You aren't going to go through with the plan, are you?"
"Not at the moment. Not while there's still hope. It's too drastic a measure to resort to while there's still hope."
"But you don't really think this Crusher boy can help any more than the rest of us think he can. Then why do we continue to pursue him?"
"I haven't any idea at all."
"Yes you do."
"I can't explain this. Why? Why do I still pursue this ship if its only purpose is to fulfill our original plan, and that's no longer an option?"
"If Crusher can't help us, then your glimmer of hope... Captain, I'm afraid it's gone. We can proceed with the plan."
"No. It's not gone. We don't know he can't help. We haven't even tried. If I continue to pursue Crusher, my actions will draw the Enterprise's fire, thus fulfilling our original plan. But if we return fire on the Enterprise, we will nullify the threat, but also kill Crusher, our only hope. So you see my dilemma."
"Kaelha, you have good reason to feel the way you do. We all understand what you're going through."
"You are my advisor. Advise me. What should I do?"
"You will not like my answer."
"Your advice is only advice, not an order. Give it to me anyway."
"Yes, Captain. I advise you to forget that you ever heard of the Enterprise's young prodigy. Continue with our original plan. Nothing else remains for us, Captain. Nothing at all." Marn hesitated to suggest this, "I also advise that we find some way to get Briyen off the Neverland."
"No. He would not leave my side. He would go through with the plan as the rest of us would. He is as much B'Safran as you or I. The plan was voted upon unanimously. That included his vote."
"Then go through with the plan."
"I..." Kaelha lowered her voice, "I can't just now."
The young captain paced over to the tall windows and gazed out pensively at the infinite starfield. She spoke so that Marn would not hear, but she heard her captain's musings anyway. "...straight on 'til morning."
* * *
Riker let his hand drop heavily on Wesley's shoulder as the ensign sat at the green felt card table. "Think you've got the idea?"
Wesley nodded.
Geordi leaned over and whispered to Worf, "Do you think Commander Riker forgot to mention the concept of a poker face to Wes?"
"I believe that was intentional, sir," Worf narrowed his eyes.
"Don't worry," Geordi grinned. "Wes isn't as dumb as Commander Riker thinks he is."
Worf glanced at Geordi, who obviously knew something the rest of them didn't.
Wesley blew the first two rounds. A pair of fives and nothing at all. It wouldn't happen again.
"Sorry, Wes," Riker smiled a charmingly crooked smile as he swept up a pile of Wes's chips. "It happens in this game."
Wes nodded sadly, as if learning one of life's little lessons.
The deal fell upon Wesley. He stared at the deck. Slowly, he picked it up and tried to shuffle the cards the way Riker had. He dropped quite a few of them face up on the table.
"In the old West, you'd've been shot for that," Riker laughed.
Wes blushed. He picked up the cards again. This time, he executed the maneuver with admirable speed and accuracy: a ripping fast shuffle and bridge. When everyone's but Geordi's eyes were wide with astonishment, Wesley began to shoot cards across the felt at the players. He never missed.
"Five card stud, nothing's wild, sky's the limit," Wes set the deck down next to him, ready to deal out cards for the ones the players threw in.
Riker's jaw hung open. Geordi grinned widely. Everyone anted up and bet on the cards Wes had dealt facing up. From the look of Wesley's showing card, he didn't have much. A Ten of Clubs. Deanna showed a Ten of Hearts, Riker a Six of Hearts, Geordi a Three of Diamonds. Data had a Seven of Clubs and Worf showed a Jack of Spades. Worf had the high card. Everyone peeked at their cards dealt face-down. Riker, who had watched Wes's face fall with despair for the past two hands, saw no indication whatsoever of what he held now.
"Fold," Geordi said and put his cards down on the felt.
"Already?" Riker raised an eyebrow at him. "No one's even bet yet."
"I know. I fold."
"Musta been a really lousy hand..." Riker muttered.
Deanna turned three cards and Wes shot over three new ones. Worf turned one, Riker none, Data two and Wes turned one for himself. No one saw Wes's eyebrows rise slightly. He bit his tongue almost hard enough to draw blood in an effort to stop any further emotion from showing. Holy cow!!!
Riker, sitting to Wesley's left, began the betting. The bets got higher and higher, and Wes did not drop out, seeing the bet every time it came to him and raising it on occasion. Wes had not folded for the past two hands, but Riker just assumed that was because he had forgotten to tell Wesley that you can fold. Now that Wes had seen Geordi do it, surely it took no more than that to teach Wes a rule. But Wes still didn't fold. Riker had that distinctly uneasy feeling.
In the course of the betting, Data and Worf also folded.
Finally, the pot was even and no one was going any higher. It was a very large pot, Wes had bet every chip he had.
He's bluffing. He's got to be bluffing. Either that or he's the worst poker player I've ever met. Or he's got an incredible hand...
Riker laid down his hand.
"Full House," Riker grinned. He held the Tens of Diamonds and Hearts, and the Kings of Diamonds, Hearts and Spades.
"Two pairs," Deanna looked a little dejected. She had a good hand, but a full house beat it. She had Aces of Diamonds and Spades and Nines of Diamonds and Clubs.
Riker scrutinized Wesley's face. Wes was deadpan as his cards hit the felt. He didn't say a word, just looked up at Commander Riker, who was studying the young ensign's cards in abject shock.
"I don't believe it! A Royal Flush!"
Wes beamed from ear to ear. Geordi whooped and smacked him on the back, his own grin matching Wes's.
Data scanned the cards. "That was quite lucky of you, Wesley. A Royal Flush is the highest hand possible in poker. But you do indeed have Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten of Clubs. And you did not cheat. Congratulations."
"Thanks, Data..." Wes could barely breathe. Never in his life had he held a Royal Flush. He made a concerted effort not to scream and laugh in the hysterics of joy. "Actually, Commander," Wes turned to Riker, "you can have the pot, sir, since you had the next highest hand. Geordi and I should be getting down to Engineering, right?" Wes looked at Geordi.
Geordi stood, still trying to wipe the smug grin off his face. He had known all along that Wes was no newbie at this game, but no one can deny that, seasoned player or novice, luck has almost everything to do with how you play. "Yeah, we'd better get going."
Wes and Geordi heard the doors hiss closed behind them, leaving the remaining four to play out the game.
"I've got to know one thing," Geordi said once out of earshot of Riker's quarters. "How in the world did you do that?"
"I don't know!" Wes couldn't believe it himself. "I threw away a Pair Of Kings and Eights Three Of A Kind to keep up my little front, I was holding out for a straight. But I've never had a Royal Flush!"
"Man, was that good timing!" Geordi laughed.
"I know!" Wes leaned his arm on Geordi's shoulder, talking in as near to confidential tones as are possible when so near hysterics, "did you see the look on Commander Riker's face??"
"Wes, if you ever go to Ferengenar, bring me!"
* * *
"She won't look at me anymore," Briyen was sitting in an overly soft chair in his quarters. His legs were drawn up under him and his arms were folded across them. It looked like he was trying to curl himself into a ball, like some animals do to protect themselves. "She talks to me, but she won't look at me. And she seems so distant when she does talk to me. She used to be like a best friend."
"It's a hard time for her," Marn sat across from Briyen at his table. She was holding a B'Safran michaka orb, thought to enhance mental vision and wisdom. Her eyes were locked on the golf-ball-sized black opaque rock, held before her face by her every fingertip.
"Oh, and it's not hard for me? I'm not even a part of all this! I'm only fifteen! I wasn't even there when all this started!"
"I know. I am trying to convince Kaelha to find a way to let you go. She seems to think you wouldn't leave her."
Briyen sighed and unfolded his spindly frame, stretching backwards in the chair. He stared at his ceiling. "Maybe she's right. Maybe I wouldn't. Maybe I wouldn't have before, but after the way she's been treating me recently, I don't know anymore. I mean, isn't that a lot to ask of me? Of anyone?" He stood and crossed to the tall windows, gazing out into the starfield.
Marn thought about that. Perhaps Kaelha was trying to drive Briyen away from her, so it would be easier for him to leave when the time came. She did not share these thoughts with Briyen.
"The second star to the right, and straight on till morning," Briyen muttered.
Marn almost smiled at his musings. "Did Kaelha tell you that story? How to get to Neverland?"
"Mm," Briyen didn't turn. "Only now I suppose the question would be how to get away from Neverland. Or if I even want to."
"Get on Tinkerbell's good side?"
Briyen laughed mirthlessly. He didn't realize that Marn was only half joking. She pressed all ten fingers tightly against the rock. She was now almost certain that, with a little help, Briyen would be able to get out of this.
She looked at him. He even looked slightly different from the rest of them, as if he had not worried for nearly as long. And he hadn't. It wasn't fair to drag him into this with them. She would let Kaelha find her own way to say goodbye to the boy, even if she didn't quite agree with the captain's methods of getting rid of him.
* * *
Responses to Comments:
April: Both a Wesley fan and a Wesley hater, depending on how he's written. I generally prefer the treatment he's given in the novel series to how he was written in the TV series. He. ripened with age. He was pretty annoying when he was younger. I thought I'd give him a whirl and see if I could un-annoying him. ;)
Sarahjayne: LOL! I almost left "Wesley" out of the description because of that! But, the story does center around him and I didn't want to be misleading. Hopefully he doesn't become annoying as the story goes on! I tried to age him a bit, hopefully that helps. Thanks for the review!
DB: O.O* Whoa, thank you. That was one heck of a compliment. I'll try to live up to it as the story goes on. It's already complete, and I'm just posting it (and mildly editing it) as I go, so hopefully it doesn't take a turn downhill!
With more than three hours until the meeting and nothing to do but wait around for the Neverland to threaten them again, Riker was restless. He had been off duty for an hour and wished that Picard could bump up the meeting a few hours, but not every crew member was off duty yet. The one holding them all up the most was Beverly. She wouldn't be off duty until 2030, and she needed a minute to at least eat something and breathe before they delved into a meeting, largely regarding her son, that could last for hours. Actually, Deanna had a few appointments up until 2000, Picard would be on the bridge right up until 2100 on the dot, Wesley and Geordi would be working on something in Engineering later that would take almost two hours.
Why am I the only idiot pacing around with nothing to do?
Worf. Worf wasn't doing anything, was he? And maybe Geordi would like to spend his spare hour at the table before folding out to head down to Main Engineering. And Riker was almost certain Data had some free time now. He needed to do something that would require his complete and total concentration. Poker definitely did.
Within fifteen minutes, Data, Worf, LaForge, Troi and Riker sat around the green felt card table. Data wore his silly green visor, as always.
"I don't have an appointment for almost two hours. My 1700 canceled and I was getting a little bored," Deanna smiled.
"I'm not supposed to meet Wes in Engineering for another hour," Geordi glanced in the direction of the door, "but he can always start without me for a few minutes. It's just some systems diagnostics Wes has got some new idea about."
"Commander," Data gazed up at Riker with large, innocent eyes, "perhaps we should invite Wesley to play."
"No way," Riker swung a long leg over a chair and sat at the table. "He'd probably memorize all the cards."
"You realize, sir," Data continued, "that Wesley is no more capable of memorizing the cards than I am."
"Capable of, no, but inclined!" Riker shook a finger as if he'd got the android on that one. He smirked. "Besides, poker's a man's game."
"I can't believe you just said that, Will," Deanna's lips were a thin, pale line.
"All right, poker's an adult's game," Riker amended, bowing his head in concession to Deanna.
"According to Human standard," Data began a tirade, "a Human reaches the 'adult' stage when he completes eighteen years of life. Wesley has recently exceeded that age, therefore he--"
"All right!" Riker held up both his hands in surrender. "But does Wes know how to play?"
Geordi grinned but said nothing.
* * *
Wes was walking slowly. His and his mother's quarters were not far from sickbay, but he felt like walking. He didn't have anything to do but meet Geordi in an hour, and if he reached his quarters quickly, he would have nothing to do but sit and wait. At least walking was occupying him a little.
Wait. It was 1745, and he had three hours and fifteen minutes until the meeting at 2100, one hour and fifteen minutes before he had to be in Engineering. Where would Robin be right now?
He knew her class schedule by heart, and she didn't have a class at 1700 or 1800, so she was free. Would she be in a holodeck? Ten-Forward? Well, he certainly wasn't going back to Ten-Fore, just in case someone who knew Karen Nolan saw him not busy with plenty of techno-stuff to do. He knew where Robin's quarters were, they studied there sometimes. Maybe he would try her there first.
And what would he say? That he was just wandering by and wondered who she liked better, him or Billy Nolan?
No. He had a plan. He headed off at a faster pace towards Robin Wallace's quarters.
"Who is it?" a beautiful voice called from behind closed doors.
"It's Wes," he answered, feeling a cold sensation creeping through him as his nerves started in.
"Come on in, Wes."
The doors whooshed open and Wes walked in. She lived alone, her parents were planetside. Starfleet was her ambition and hers alone. No one else in her family was in Starfleet. She had told Wes that she sometimes missed her family, but her career was so exciting that it made up for being so far from everyone she loved.
Now she was sitting at her desk, very happy to be distracted from her paper, which was due in a week.
"I'm sorry," Wes stopped walking, not wanting to interrupt her work.
"No, please!" Robin smiled, standing and walking away from her computer. "I can't stand writing papers."
"Oh." Wes didn't know where to go from here. He forgot what he came here to do. Well, he forgot what he was going to say he came here to do. He really came here to see Robin, and maybe give her another chance to kiss him without being interrupted.
"What's up?" she asked, sinking to a relaxed position against a bureau near Wesley.
How can she be so casual when I'm shaking like a leaf?
"I wanted to apologize for this afternoon," Wes said without realizing he'd remembered his excuse for coming. "Billy Nolan does that sort of thing to me all the time. I'm used to it. I'm just sorry you were guilty by association."
"He's a jerk," she scowled. "But you don't have to apologize, Wes. He's not your responsibility."
"Yeah, but I felt bad about what happened."
"It's all right. It really didn't bother me."
She looked at him. He started to panic. What should he say now? Um... um...
"You working on your end-of-term paper?" he jutted his chin towards her computer.
"Yeah," she turned to look at it, sighing wearily, "but I need a break."
"I could help you if you want," Wes volunteered. Hey, yeah. That'll keep me here with her for a while.
"No, you do that too much. If you're not careful, I'll start to think of you as a teacher," she smiled.
Whoa, can't have that.
"Oh," Wes was a little dejected. She was about to wrap up this visit, he could feel it coming.
"But I could use some pleasant company for a few minutes," she looked at him expectantly.
Wes suppressed a little yip of joy and settled for smiling at her.
"Want something to drink?" she gestured toward her table.
"Um, just water," he pulled out a chair and started to sit. Then he glanced over at her. Her back was to him, she was standing at the replicator. He swiveled the chair around and straddled it, feeling a bit like a poor imitation of Will Riker. He turned the chair back and tried to find a casual, relaxed pose, with some success.
She turned back, placed a glass in front of him and sat with hers in the chair next to him. Wes folded his arms on the table.
"So what's your thesis?" he tried to make conversation, then realized he had inadvertently gone back to the subject she was trying to forget about for the moment. He cringed inwardly.
"Environmental effects of warp drive above factor five."
"Oh," he gave a sour look. Reducing warp drive was a controversial issue of the time, and a sore subject to everyone. Much like Ozone depletion was way back in the late 20th century.
Wesley broached a new and better subject. "How was defense class today?"
"Great!" Robin brightened considerably. "I flipped Worf onto his back!"
Wes's eyes widened, "I'll be sure to stay on your good side!"
"No," Robin laughed. "It's this technique he was teaching us that you can use to flip someone twice your size without having to actually lift them. Watch." She stood up and walked over to him.
"Okay, imagine you're Worf."
"I don't think my imagination's that good."
Robin laughed. "Come on!"
He stood.
"If someone is coming at you like this," she laid a hand on his shoulder, "you could grab their arm, turn and pull them over your shoulder. It's using their own momentum." She had described the move without demonstrating.
Wesley looked a little confused.
"Here, I'll show you," she smiled, "but without actually laying you out."
"I'd appreciate that."
"Give me your hand." Wes complied, allowing her to place his hands on her shoulders. "That's the grip you're going for. If you were actually coming toward me, reaching for my shoulders, arms or neck, I'd do this--"
Robin gripped both his wrists and turned to her right, holding his wrists like a pack over her shoulder, then pulled. She stopped pulling when she felt him stagger forward. Wes was surprised.
"See?" she turned around again to face Wes, who was practically pressed up against her after the pull. "You're not actually..." she seemed a bit flustered by his sudden proximity.
Wesley decided not to speak. He didn't trust himself not to ruin the moment. He was a head taller than Robin and when she'd turned back to him, she was not looking into his eyes. She had turned around to look him right in the chest. This was not "The Boy" she had heard so much about. The legendary Wesley Crusher grew up before she'd even met him. He was not at all what she'd expected of him, and she had just now realized it.
"...actually lifting them..." she tried to continue, but could not. Billy had called Wes 'scrawny,' and while he might have been when he was thirteen, that was no longer the case. His entire physique was what she would term streamline. She slowly lifted her eyes to his face. His head was tilted down slightly, his deep brown eyes holding hers, trying desperately to control his breathing. He waited for three seconds that seemed like lightyears, waited for her to do something. Before he knew what he was doing, he kissed her.
She exhaled and leaned her head against his shoulder. Wes felt a chill up his back and tightened his arms around her.
"Robin," he whispered, "what..." She lifted her head to look at him. He couldn't think of how to ask.
She looked at him. He couldn't find the right words.
Wes didn't want to get into any kind of relationship. He would be leaving for the Academy very shortly and he didn't want to make leaving any harder for himself, or for anyone else.
But he'd never felt exactly like this about a girl before, which he decided was significant despite Guinan's words which had leapt immediately to mind. "You're right. You'll never feel the same about anyone else. But every time you feel love, it's different. Each time, it's different."
That had been when he was fifteen years old, and miserable over the departure of a girl of a shapeshifting race to a planet she was meant to rule. THAT was him being out of his league. This? Maybe not quite so much.
Wes sighed and released Robin, sinking down into his chair again.
"What?" Robin whispered. She knelt down at his feet and leaned her folded arms on his knees.
"I'm sorry," he looked down at her. "I didn't mean to do that."
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that, because I didn't mind," she seemed an awful lot older and more confident than Wes right at that particular moment. And at just about any other particular moment he could think of.
"I..." All right, now what do I say? "I don't want you to think that, I mean, I'm not sure if... if you were... if you wanted..."
"Wes, I like you," Robin smiled up at him, her emerald green eyes sparkling and her auburn hair spilling around her shoulders. Wes winced a little. She was so beautiful it hurt. "I was okay with that. Do you think I would let someone kiss me if I didn't want them to?"
Wes smiled a little at that. "Not a chance."
"Then what's wrong?"
"I-- I don't-- Nothing." How do you tell someone you met about two weeks ago that you think it'd be way too easy to fall in love with her, and you're leaving in a few months for Earth?
She gazed attentively into his deep brown eyes. "I promise not to be offended?"
"No, it's nothing that would offend you." Wes glanced up at the ceiling, "I don't think," he added softly. With his current batting average, he wasn't prepared to claim knowledge of what women found offensive.
"What if I promise not to laugh?" she smiled.
"I hope you wouldn't laugh!"
"Then what?"
Maybe there was a way he could euphamize this. "In a few months, I'm going to be leaving for Starfleet Academy. I'm really going to miss this place. I'm going to miss everything. My friends, Captain Picard, Geordi... and you. And I think what I just did is going to make me miss you more."
"Oh!" Robin seemed pleased and flattered. "Well, then we better make sure you really miss me," she kneeled up and kissed him again. This wasn't the reaction Wes had been expecting. Wes was torn. He wanted to stay here with Robin and see what developed. He really wanted to. But he was also doomed to think ahead.
His heart won over his mind and he stopped thinking about the Academy. He leaned toward her and slipped his fingers into her hair.
And the commlink twinkled.
"Riker to Ensign Crusher."
Wes almost cursed. Instead he smacked his comm badge, harder than necessary. "Crusher here, aye, sir."
"Are you busy at the moment or just occupying your time, waiting for the meeting?"
"I'm..." Wes stared forlornly at Robin. She shook her head. This was the ship's First Officer. Wes should go wherever Commander Riker wanted him to go. Wes sighed. "Waiting for the meeting, sir." Robin smirked at him. Just occupying time, indeed.
"Could you join me and the senior officers in my quarters?"
"Yes, sir. Something like a conference before the meeting, sir?"
"Something like that. See you there, ensign."
"Aye, sir."
Robin followed Wesley towards the door. "What meeting? About that ship that fired on us?" She hit the button to release and open her doors with the side of her fist, and they compliantly slid open.
"Yeah," Wes was unable to go through the doors. He couldn't make himself step further away from Robin.
"But you're just an ensign. Meetings like that are usually only for the senior officers."
"It seems that I have a special part in this."
"What?"
"I'm not sure yet," it wasn't exactly a lie. He stood staring at her.
After a moment, Robin prompted, "Go. They're waiting for you, Boy Wonder."
Wes smiled and kissed her cheek quickly. Then he turned and walked into the corridor.
"Hey," she whispered. He turned around again. "Be careful."
Wes gave her a look that meant such things went without saying. "Always," he answered, smiling reassuringly, and left.
* * *
"Something troubles you," Marn watched Kaelha pace around her quarters. Very rarely did Kaelha come to see her, and even more rarely without being practically dragged into it.
"You're a damned telepath and all you can figure out is that something troubles me?"
"I could be more specific if you wish, but usually it is more helpful to the patients to put it into words themselves."
"Don't call me 'patient'. I'm not a lunatic. I'm a captain with a huge decision on my hands."
"I apologize, Captain. You aren't going to go through with the plan, are you?"
"Not at the moment. Not while there's still hope. It's too drastic a measure to resort to while there's still hope."
"But you don't really think this Crusher boy can help any more than the rest of us think he can. Then why do we continue to pursue him?"
"I haven't any idea at all."
"Yes you do."
"I can't explain this. Why? Why do I still pursue this ship if its only purpose is to fulfill our original plan, and that's no longer an option?"
"If Crusher can't help us, then your glimmer of hope... Captain, I'm afraid it's gone. We can proceed with the plan."
"No. It's not gone. We don't know he can't help. We haven't even tried. If I continue to pursue Crusher, my actions will draw the Enterprise's fire, thus fulfilling our original plan. But if we return fire on the Enterprise, we will nullify the threat, but also kill Crusher, our only hope. So you see my dilemma."
"Kaelha, you have good reason to feel the way you do. We all understand what you're going through."
"You are my advisor. Advise me. What should I do?"
"You will not like my answer."
"Your advice is only advice, not an order. Give it to me anyway."
"Yes, Captain. I advise you to forget that you ever heard of the Enterprise's young prodigy. Continue with our original plan. Nothing else remains for us, Captain. Nothing at all." Marn hesitated to suggest this, "I also advise that we find some way to get Briyen off the Neverland."
"No. He would not leave my side. He would go through with the plan as the rest of us would. He is as much B'Safran as you or I. The plan was voted upon unanimously. That included his vote."
"Then go through with the plan."
"I..." Kaelha lowered her voice, "I can't just now."
The young captain paced over to the tall windows and gazed out pensively at the infinite starfield. She spoke so that Marn would not hear, but she heard her captain's musings anyway. "...straight on 'til morning."
* * *
Riker let his hand drop heavily on Wesley's shoulder as the ensign sat at the green felt card table. "Think you've got the idea?"
Wesley nodded.
Geordi leaned over and whispered to Worf, "Do you think Commander Riker forgot to mention the concept of a poker face to Wes?"
"I believe that was intentional, sir," Worf narrowed his eyes.
"Don't worry," Geordi grinned. "Wes isn't as dumb as Commander Riker thinks he is."
Worf glanced at Geordi, who obviously knew something the rest of them didn't.
Wesley blew the first two rounds. A pair of fives and nothing at all. It wouldn't happen again.
"Sorry, Wes," Riker smiled a charmingly crooked smile as he swept up a pile of Wes's chips. "It happens in this game."
Wes nodded sadly, as if learning one of life's little lessons.
The deal fell upon Wesley. He stared at the deck. Slowly, he picked it up and tried to shuffle the cards the way Riker had. He dropped quite a few of them face up on the table.
"In the old West, you'd've been shot for that," Riker laughed.
Wes blushed. He picked up the cards again. This time, he executed the maneuver with admirable speed and accuracy: a ripping fast shuffle and bridge. When everyone's but Geordi's eyes were wide with astonishment, Wesley began to shoot cards across the felt at the players. He never missed.
"Five card stud, nothing's wild, sky's the limit," Wes set the deck down next to him, ready to deal out cards for the ones the players threw in.
Riker's jaw hung open. Geordi grinned widely. Everyone anted up and bet on the cards Wes had dealt facing up. From the look of Wesley's showing card, he didn't have much. A Ten of Clubs. Deanna showed a Ten of Hearts, Riker a Six of Hearts, Geordi a Three of Diamonds. Data had a Seven of Clubs and Worf showed a Jack of Spades. Worf had the high card. Everyone peeked at their cards dealt face-down. Riker, who had watched Wes's face fall with despair for the past two hands, saw no indication whatsoever of what he held now.
"Fold," Geordi said and put his cards down on the felt.
"Already?" Riker raised an eyebrow at him. "No one's even bet yet."
"I know. I fold."
"Musta been a really lousy hand..." Riker muttered.
Deanna turned three cards and Wes shot over three new ones. Worf turned one, Riker none, Data two and Wes turned one for himself. No one saw Wes's eyebrows rise slightly. He bit his tongue almost hard enough to draw blood in an effort to stop any further emotion from showing. Holy cow!!!
Riker, sitting to Wesley's left, began the betting. The bets got higher and higher, and Wes did not drop out, seeing the bet every time it came to him and raising it on occasion. Wes had not folded for the past two hands, but Riker just assumed that was because he had forgotten to tell Wesley that you can fold. Now that Wes had seen Geordi do it, surely it took no more than that to teach Wes a rule. But Wes still didn't fold. Riker had that distinctly uneasy feeling.
In the course of the betting, Data and Worf also folded.
Finally, the pot was even and no one was going any higher. It was a very large pot, Wes had bet every chip he had.
He's bluffing. He's got to be bluffing. Either that or he's the worst poker player I've ever met. Or he's got an incredible hand...
Riker laid down his hand.
"Full House," Riker grinned. He held the Tens of Diamonds and Hearts, and the Kings of Diamonds, Hearts and Spades.
"Two pairs," Deanna looked a little dejected. She had a good hand, but a full house beat it. She had Aces of Diamonds and Spades and Nines of Diamonds and Clubs.
Riker scrutinized Wesley's face. Wes was deadpan as his cards hit the felt. He didn't say a word, just looked up at Commander Riker, who was studying the young ensign's cards in abject shock.
"I don't believe it! A Royal Flush!"
Wes beamed from ear to ear. Geordi whooped and smacked him on the back, his own grin matching Wes's.
Data scanned the cards. "That was quite lucky of you, Wesley. A Royal Flush is the highest hand possible in poker. But you do indeed have Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten of Clubs. And you did not cheat. Congratulations."
"Thanks, Data..." Wes could barely breathe. Never in his life had he held a Royal Flush. He made a concerted effort not to scream and laugh in the hysterics of joy. "Actually, Commander," Wes turned to Riker, "you can have the pot, sir, since you had the next highest hand. Geordi and I should be getting down to Engineering, right?" Wes looked at Geordi.
Geordi stood, still trying to wipe the smug grin off his face. He had known all along that Wes was no newbie at this game, but no one can deny that, seasoned player or novice, luck has almost everything to do with how you play. "Yeah, we'd better get going."
Wes and Geordi heard the doors hiss closed behind them, leaving the remaining four to play out the game.
"I've got to know one thing," Geordi said once out of earshot of Riker's quarters. "How in the world did you do that?"
"I don't know!" Wes couldn't believe it himself. "I threw away a Pair Of Kings and Eights Three Of A Kind to keep up my little front, I was holding out for a straight. But I've never had a Royal Flush!"
"Man, was that good timing!" Geordi laughed.
"I know!" Wes leaned his arm on Geordi's shoulder, talking in as near to confidential tones as are possible when so near hysterics, "did you see the look on Commander Riker's face??"
"Wes, if you ever go to Ferengenar, bring me!"
* * *
"She won't look at me anymore," Briyen was sitting in an overly soft chair in his quarters. His legs were drawn up under him and his arms were folded across them. It looked like he was trying to curl himself into a ball, like some animals do to protect themselves. "She talks to me, but she won't look at me. And she seems so distant when she does talk to me. She used to be like a best friend."
"It's a hard time for her," Marn sat across from Briyen at his table. She was holding a B'Safran michaka orb, thought to enhance mental vision and wisdom. Her eyes were locked on the golf-ball-sized black opaque rock, held before her face by her every fingertip.
"Oh, and it's not hard for me? I'm not even a part of all this! I'm only fifteen! I wasn't even there when all this started!"
"I know. I am trying to convince Kaelha to find a way to let you go. She seems to think you wouldn't leave her."
Briyen sighed and unfolded his spindly frame, stretching backwards in the chair. He stared at his ceiling. "Maybe she's right. Maybe I wouldn't. Maybe I wouldn't have before, but after the way she's been treating me recently, I don't know anymore. I mean, isn't that a lot to ask of me? Of anyone?" He stood and crossed to the tall windows, gazing out into the starfield.
Marn thought about that. Perhaps Kaelha was trying to drive Briyen away from her, so it would be easier for him to leave when the time came. She did not share these thoughts with Briyen.
"The second star to the right, and straight on till morning," Briyen muttered.
Marn almost smiled at his musings. "Did Kaelha tell you that story? How to get to Neverland?"
"Mm," Briyen didn't turn. "Only now I suppose the question would be how to get away from Neverland. Or if I even want to."
"Get on Tinkerbell's good side?"
Briyen laughed mirthlessly. He didn't realize that Marn was only half joking. She pressed all ten fingers tightly against the rock. She was now almost certain that, with a little help, Briyen would be able to get out of this.
She looked at him. He even looked slightly different from the rest of them, as if he had not worried for nearly as long. And he hadn't. It wasn't fair to drag him into this with them. She would let Kaelha find her own way to say goodbye to the boy, even if she didn't quite agree with the captain's methods of getting rid of him.
* * *
Responses to Comments:
April: Both a Wesley fan and a Wesley hater, depending on how he's written. I generally prefer the treatment he's given in the novel series to how he was written in the TV series. He. ripened with age. He was pretty annoying when he was younger. I thought I'd give him a whirl and see if I could un-annoying him. ;)
Sarahjayne: LOL! I almost left "Wesley" out of the description because of that! But, the story does center around him and I didn't want to be misleading. Hopefully he doesn't become annoying as the story goes on! I tried to age him a bit, hopefully that helps. Thanks for the review!
DB: O.O* Whoa, thank you. That was one heck of a compliment. I'll try to live up to it as the story goes on. It's already complete, and I'm just posting it (and mildly editing it) as I go, so hopefully it doesn't take a turn downhill!