Dvorovoi Part Four
By Karen Page
Beverly smiled. "To answer your question about me trusting people," she began. "I have no problem trusting people at work. But I am very wary of people in my private life."
"Why?" Bailey asked lifting her head from Beverly's chest and looking her in the eye.
"I have been hurt badly more times than I care to remember," Beverly replied. "Jack's death was the hardest thing I have ever been through. I guess I'm trying to protect myself from getting hurt all over again."
"By not having a relationship with anyone?" Bailey frowned.
Beverly shrugged. "I don't intentionally do it to myself."
"But aren't you lonely?" Bailey asked, finally understanding her cousin.
"I don't even think about it Bailey," she replied. "I have been this way for years and years and it just feels normal for me."
"You're stuck in a rut," Bailey replied with a grin.
"I never thought of it like that," Beverly smiled. "I guess I am. So I take it this means that you believe Jean-Luc and I are just good friends?"
"Very, very good friends," Bailey giggled.
"I feel very uncomfortable when people talk that way about Jean-Luc and I," Beverly warned gently. "I'd prefer it if you didn't do it."
"Yes sir!" Bailey saluted her cousin. "Just promise me something."
"Depends on what you're asking," Beverly replied.
"That you think again about the differences between a comfortable existence and a happy one," Bailey replied cryptically.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I can sense you tonight," Bailey replied with a small smile. "I know what you really feel for the Captain." Beverly looked alarmed. "But it's just between you and me. I will not say a word to anyone."
"I um…" words failed her.
"Or is it unrequited love?" Bailey asked with a small frown.
"Doesn't he love me?" Beverly asked urgently. "Has he stopped?"
Bailey shook her head softly and grinned. "I have no idea."
Beverly blushed profoundly at her momentary weakness. She couldn't believe Bailey had just got her to confess her love for Jean-Luc without even trying hard. And not only that, she had also allowed her fear that Jean-Luc no longer loved her be known. She covered her face with her hands and moaned.
Bailey couldn't hide her mirth any longer and giggled at Beverly's expense. "You're so funny."
"This isn't funny Bailey," Beverly replied sternly.
"I bet you have never spoken to someone about this before have you?" Bailey asked tugging Beverly's hair gently. Beverly shook her head. "Don't take it personally. I have found over the years that people tend to confess their darkest secrets to me even if I don't want them to."
"Bailey, do you know how Jean-Luc feels about me?" Beverly asked softly, staring intently into her Betazoid cousin's bright violet eyes.
"Why haven't you asked Deanna?" Bailey replied annoyingly instead of giving a straight answer.
"Because she… she isn't allowed to divulge personal details about the crew and especially not the Captain," Beverly replied. "Life must be easy being able to know what someone else is feeling. Deanna never seems to have any trouble."
"Now the real reason," Bailey asked with a gleam in her eye.
"Damnit!" Beverly cursed. "Because I haven't even asked her. There, are you satisfied now?"
Bailey laughed. "To be honest, apart from the obvious physical attraction to you, I can't tell how he feels at all. He's like a brick wall to me."
Beverly sighed, and her mouth turned slightly down at the edges. "You really can't?" she asked sadly.
"No, not at all I'm afraid," Bailey smiled ruefully. Bailey watched her cousins face fall in disappointment. "Hey," she said softly to make sure Beverly was paying full attention to her. "Has he told you he loved you before?"
Beverly nodded slowly, "Well sort of…" her voice trailed off. Beverly told her the story about Kesprytt and what had happened that night in Jean-Luc's quarters.
After her story, Beverly looked at Bailey expectantly. She hadn't ever spoken directly about this before, not even to Deanna. "Well?" she asked when Bailey remained silent longer than her patience ran.
"Why on Earth did you leave him!" Bailey exclaimed.
"I told you why," Beverly replied. "I wasn't ready."
"And you were more scared than you have ever been in your life," Bailey filled in. "He took you by surprise and for days, maybe weeks, perhaps even a year after that night you still believed that you made the correct decision. Then perhaps something happened that made you change your mind."
Beverly looked at her cousin and frowned. Bailey was certainly going to make a fine ship's Counsellor one day. "I guess so…" she said softly.
"What was it?" Bailey asked with interest. "Another romantic candlelit dinner?"
Beverly shook her head. Candlelit dinners were the norm when it came to having dinner with her favourite Captain. "No, that's not it."
"Jealousy?" Bailey surmised. "He had another woman and you didn't like it."
"No I didn't," Beverly laughed and sat up. "But I never said a word to him about it and it fizzled out."
"What your jealousy or their relationship?" Bailey asked smiling.
"You know if you want to become a Counsellor, you can't keep grinning like a Cheshire cat all the time," Beverly replied indignantly as she narrowed her eyes at Bailey who was laying on her back on the couch with her legs still laying on Beverly's lap. "Their relationship fizzled out. After we left the planet, he never mentioned her again. Well at least not in front of me."
Bailey nodded seriously. "Shouldn't you be the one lying down then and not me?" she giggled.
"Ha ha," Beverly replied rolling her eyes. "Seriously though, thank you for letting me get this off my chest."
"And to think I thought you were the one that was going to help me," Bailey giggled, even though deep down she knew inside that she really did want Beverly's help.
"I will help you," Beverly replied softly. "On one condition."
Bailey looked dubious, but she nodded slowly. "And what is that condition?"
"That you keep your mouth shut about everything we have spoken about tonight. It does not leave these four walls okay?" Beverly warned.
"That's a deal," Bailey nodded.
"And furthermore…" Beverly began.
"Wait a minute," Bailey interrupted. "You said one condition."
"Well you don't have a choice about this one," Beverly replied. "You are not to keep secrets from me anymore. I want you to be honest with me and never lie."
Bailey closed her eyes for a moment. "You know when you make a promise to someone?" she asked softly.
"Yes," Beverly replied.
"You should never break it should you?"
"No," Beverly replied.
"No matter what?"
"Not unless someone would get hurt or even die, that kind of thing," Beverly replied, wondering where Bailey was going with this.
"Okay," Bailey seemed satisfied with Beverly's answer. Devon had made her promise never to tell anyone he existed. "Well then I agree to your terms."
"Good," Beverly replied happily.
The doorbell rang breaking their comfortable silence. Bailey called come and the doors opened and Jean-Luc came in.
"I see you two are getting along better," he said after the usual greetings. Bailey was still lying on the couch with her legs on Beverly's lap.
"Much better," Beverly replied with a smile. "We have had a nice long chat."
"Everything is going to be fine," Bailey replied, pulling herself up into a seated position.
"That's good news," Jean-Luc replied with a smile.
"I think I will like it here after all," Bailey said winking at Beverly.
Beverly shot her a warning glance. "Have you come to get me for dinner?" she asked Jean-Luc.
"Yes," Jean-Luc replied. "I was wondering where you had got to."
"Is that the time already!" Beverly asked amazed at how the time had flown by. It was almost 2030 hours.
"Would you like to join us Bailey?" Jean-Luc asked out of courtesy.
"She probably has a date with Jamie," Beverly teased.
Bailey glanced at Beverly for a moment. She didn't have a date with Jamie, but she knew she had got to get one and fast too. "Sorry," she said with a wry smile. "I could come another night perhaps."
"That would be lovely," Jean-Luc smiled. "Shall we go then?" he asked Beverly.
"Sure," Beverly climbed to her feet. "You be careful," she said to Bailey on her way to the door.
"I always am," Bailey replied indignantly. She watched them leave before jumping to her feet. She had to dress to kill and go and flirt big time around Jamie.
"Have a nice chat?"
Bailey jumped and spun around to find Devon leaning against the frame of the bedroom doorway. "Devon! How many times have I told you not to do that!"
"Too many to count," he replied. "What do you want me to do? Ring the doorchime?"
"Well that would make a nice change," Bailey replied as she searched through her wardrobe for something sexy to wear to Ten Forward.
"Where are you going?" Devon asked as Bailey through her favourite itsy-bitsy dress on the bed.
"I am going out to save your butt!" Bailey exclaimed. "You got me into trouble this afternoon."
"What did you say to baldy?" Devon replied as he threw himself down onto Bailey's bed.
"I told him that I was rehearsing for an argument with my boyfriend," Bailey explained. "So naturally he went and told Beverly and now I have to get a date!"
"A date!" Devon exclaimed.
"Yes a date!" Bailey replied. "I will go out with him a few times and then break it off. That way the Captain and Beverly won't suspect anything is going on."
"I'm not happy about this," Devon replied sourly.
"Well you haven't been around too much yourself lately," Bailey hissed. "I am not the kind of woman who likes to be alone."
"I am with you during the day," Devon replied. "I'm here now."
"During the day I am at work!"
"Well that's your fault," Devon shrugged. "What can I say?"
"Where do you go at night anyway?" Bailey demanded. "Have you got another woman?"
"That is impossible," Devon replied. "I can only be with you. We are bonded." Never having mentioned that he could also mate with her female relatives.
"Doesn't mean you can't go and look," Bailey replied.
"If you must know I have a hobby," he replied. "And it can only be done at night."
"Star gazing can be done all day in space," Bailey snapped.
"It's not star gazing," Devon replied. "It's a secret."
Bailey rolled her eyes. "Now if you don't mind, I have to get a bath and get ready."
"I do mind actually," he replied getting up from the bed. "Let me love you before your bath," he whispered taking her shoulders from behind.
"Sod off!" Bailey snapped. "I am still mad at you!"
Devon spun her around and held her tightly as he kissed her. She fought against him, but stopped when the passion of the kiss took over. He lowered her to the bed and Bailey succumbed and let him love her.
Two hours later, Bailey awoke snuggled up beneath the bedcovers alone. She forced herself out of bed and cursed Devon for being able to do that to her as she went to the bathroom to get showered and changed. It was late now and she just hoped Jamie hadn't gone home.
It was getting late and once again, Jean-Luc noticed that Beverly was reluctant to leave. She was laid back and relaxing on his couch holding a glass of white wine on her belly by the stem of the glass. "I wonder what Bailey's up to," she asked breaking the ten minutes of companionable silence.
Jean-Luc looked up from the play Beverly had asked him to read. "She is probably tucked up in bed with her teddy bear," he replied with a wistful smile.
"Her teddy bear?" Beverly laughed at him. "Jean-Luc, I do believe you think Bailey is innocent and sweet."
"I was joking," he replied, although it wasn't altogether true.
"Well I can assure you that she isn't," Beverly replied staring up at the ceiling. "She is a lot more grown up than Wesley ever was at her age. Sometimes she appears sweet and innocent, but I think that's her way of getting away with murder."
"She probably had to grow up faster than normal children," Jean-Luc replied.
"She did on the outside," she replied softly. "But I'm not so sure. She seemed very vulnerable this evening."
"How so?"
"Oh it was just something she said," Beverly replied. "We spoke about her parents murder and how she believes that she could have stopped her father committing suicide."
"But that's impossible," Jean-Luc replied. "She was far too young to have known what her father was about to do."
"That's what I told her," Beverly replied.
"Good," Jean-Luc replied.
"So how is the play so far?" she asked brightly.
"It's interesting," Jean-Luc replied returning to the pad and offering no further comments. Beverly seemed satisfied, so he began to read again.
Five minutes later he looked up to find Beverly watching him intently. She smiled when she realised he was looking right back at her. "Is this based on Ronin?" he asked.
Beverly looked down and gave him a wry smile. "I guess so," she replied softly. "It was just something I started on my break the other day."
Jean-Luc nodded and went back to reading the play again. He was wondering how Beverly ever intended to recreate this play in real life. It was all very erotic. An invisible man suddenly appearing in the lead characters life and making love to her. He supposed there weren't many roles to be filled considering the male lead was invisible.
"So this invisible man feels real to the touch?" he asked as he came to where Beverly had ended the play in the middle of a scene.
Beverly nodded. "If I… well she, closes her eyes and reaches out and touches him, it's as if there is a man with her. She can feel every muscle and hair and the warmth of his skin."
Jean-Luc seemed to consider it for a while. "Well it seems rather… spooky," he said with a smile. "I wouldn't like to meet this invisible man on a dark night. Is this for Halloween?"
Beverly nodded in agreement. If only it were true. But Beverly now knew that if something happened to her, Jean-Luc would have a clue into finding out what had caused it. It was a long shot and she was well aware of that fact.
Jean-Luc watched Beverly's face fall and took another glance at the chronometer. It was well into the early hours of their next working day and he was tired. He turned back to Beverly, hoping to end the evening, but the expression on her beautiful face made him stop. "Beverly?" he asked gently.
Beverly looked up from her lap. "Yes?" she replied.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his face full of concern.
"I'm okay," she replied with a forced smile.
Jean-Luc studied her for a moment; he didn't believe that she was telling him the truth. And also something told him that he would wake up and find Beverly asleep on his couch again in the morning. "You don't want to go home again do you?" he said.
It hit Beverly right out of the blue. She wasn't sure she had heard him right. Was he asking her if she wanted to stay the night with him? "Pardon me?" she mumbled.
"You didn't really have a problem sleeping last night did you?" he surmised. "What happened?"
Beverly looked down. "I keep having nightmares," she replied falling back on her second excuse.
"Ah, so you don't want to go to sleep?" he asked softly.
"I do want to go to sleep," she replied, "But as soon as I do I get the same thing."
"Well I suggest you make good use of Deanna's help when she arrives back on board," Jean-Luc smiled softly.
"Don't worry I fully intend to do so," Beverly replied as she climbed to her feet and headed towards the door.
Jean-Luc got to his feet and followed her to see her out. "Well I hope you can get some sleep tonight at least," he said with a soft smile as he leaned over and kissed her goodnight on the cheek. "Good night."
"Good night," she replied as she walked through the doors.
Beverly was tempted to not even go back to her quarters that night, but she felt a little braver and she really wanted to read her grandmothers journal about Bailey's visit, she decided to go.
She walked inside with an aura of confidence around her that wasn't what she was feeling inside. She walked straight over to her bookcase and scanned through the spines of the books for the year that Bailey would have visited her grandmother all those years ago.
Taking the book, she sat down on the end of her bed and flipped through the pages to the month that if she remembered correctly, was the month that Bailey's parents died.
She began reading the entries carefully and didn't come across Bailey's name until the last day of November.
Beverly was disappointed to find that her grandmother had hardly mentioned Bailey at all. It basically said that the child was not to be trusted, and that there was something about the child that had her worried.
Beverly was even more surprised to find a note her grandmother had written on the very last line of the page to remind herself to talk to Beverly about this and see if she wanted to bring up Bailey.
Beverly couldn't remember ever speaking to her grandmother about Bailey and she was sure that she would have remembered something as important as this. It was ten years ago, around the time that Jean-Luc had been taken by the Borg. She supposed that she could have had a lot on her mind at the time.
She was about to get up and go back and check through the letters she had saved from her grandmother when she felt the bed sink beside her as though someone had taken a seat beside her. She jumped to her feet and tried to get away but as usual Devon was too fast for her. He grabbed her waist from behind and pulled her back so that she was once again sitting on the bed beside him.
"You know something," Devon said slowly. "You're really beginning to annoy me."
Beverly sighed heavily and tried to hold back the tears. Her spirit was breaking and she didn't know how much longer she could take the constant mental and physical abuse. "How am I annoying you!" she demanded.
"Taking your time leaving Baldies company!" he yelled back. "I haven't got much time and you are wasting it!"
"Oh well I'm so sorry!" Beverly yelled sarcastically. "You have got some nerve! What do you want me to do! Lie back and let you?"
"I want you!" he yelled back. "I am making love to you! I love you!"
Beverly's bottom lips trembled and fresh tears spilled over her cheeks. "Why can't you just leave me alone?" she asked in a small voice. "If you go now I won't tell anyone about you."
"You won't tell anyone full stop. I have the power to put an end to you. And I'm not scared to do it," he replied. "I am not going anywhere either," he added flippantly. "You'll just have to get used to me being around."
"I don't want you around!" Beverly cried.
"Listen, as I've said before," Devon replied. "We can either do this the hard way or the easy way. Right now you seem to be opting for the hard way."
"Is there an easy way?" Beverly demanded. "I'm not one for backing down from a fight and I am never going to do it! I don't know what your plan is, but what ever it is, I can tell you know it's not going to happen!"
"It's already begun," Devon replied as he moved and shoved her down on the bed.
Beverly could feel his knees pushing into her hips either side of her and she squeezed her eyes tightly shut against the inevitable. "Let go of me!" she screamed.
"Is it bothering you that I'm invisible?" Devon asked, his voice close to her ear.
Beverly struggled against his grip, but did not dignify him with an answer. She tried grabbing the arms that held her firmly down to the bed by her shoulders, but it was as if nothing were there.
"Open your eyes," Devon said in a low voice.
"No!" Beverly spat as she tried to buck him away with her hips.
"Open your god damn eyes!" he yelled directly in her face.
His torrent of swear words shocked her into doing as he asked. The vision that greeted her made her gasp in surprise and fear. Above her and pinning her down to the bed was the most handsome man she had ever seen. The most handsome totally naked man she had ever seen! He was about her age and had thick dark hair and glowing green eyes. His mouth was sensual and his body was magnificent. She found her eyes drawn to his genitals without even being aware of the fact.
She snatched her eyes away and looked back into his smiling face. "Whoa…" she breathed.
"Like what you see?" he asked with a lustful gleam in his eye. He had the power to recreate himself in the image of his host-to-be's fantasy man.
"I… um," Beverly was totally lost for words.
Devon smiled. "See, its not so bad is it," he said softly.
Beverly was trying frantically to come up with a way to get him to let her go for a moment so she could make her escape again.
Devon leant forward and gently brushed his lips against hers. It sent sparks through her body and she tried desperately to keep her mind focused on her main objective. As Devon deepened the kiss in intensity, she lifted her hand and ran her fingers across the small of his back. It was as far as her hands could reach, but it had the desired effect, Devon released his vicelike grip on her shoulders and allowed her to roll him over so that she sat across his hips.
Beverly was enjoying the kiss immensely and reluctantly broke it before punching him hard on the face and in his momentary shock, she jumped to her feet and ran from her quarters and headed straight for the haven of Jean-Luc's quarters again.
She hadn't stopped long enough to see if Devon had followed her and she stood inside Jean-Luc's closed doors catching her breath.
She waited for her heartbeat to slow to a normal level before venturing further inside. Once again she walked to the doorway of Jean-Luc's bedroom and watched him sleeping soundly. She wished she could go over and crawl into bed beside him and for him to put his arm around her and not ask any difficult questions or assume she had arrived to make love to him for the first time.
She rubbed her face and reluctantly wandered over to the couch where she had slept the night before. She lay down in the darkness, chilled to the bone by what had just happened. It took hours before sleep finally claimed its victim.
The next morning Jean-Luc climbed out of bed, stripped down naked and padded barefoot into the lounge on his way to the bathroom. A feeling of déja vous over came him as he spotted Beverly asleep on the couch and retraced his steps backwards into his bedroom to don his dressing gown.
Assuming she must have had the nightmare again he didn't wake her and went straight into the bathroom to wash and use the toilet.
She had moved when he came out of the bathroom, her knees curled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. She had certainly made herself comfortable. He chuckled to himself as he went back into his bedroom and changed ready for his duty shift in two hours time. A grown woman running from her bed because of a nightmare!
It was ten minutes later before he arrived at Beverly's side and softly tried to call her into the land of the living. She didn't answer him at first and so he gently laid a hand onto her shoulder and shook her.
Beverly's eyes flew open and she flinched from his away from his touch.
"It's me," he said trying to hide his amusement.
Beverly stared at him blankly as she tried hard to get her eyes to convince her brain that it was Jean-Luc she was looking at and not Devon. "What time is it?" she asked in a sleepy voice.
"Almost six," he replied sinking down onto the couch by her feet.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled, a flush creeping across her face.
"It's okay," Jean-Luc replied with a reassuring smile. "I had a feeling I would find you here again this morning."
Beverly smiled wryly at him in return. "Damn nightmares!" she cursed.
"They must be horrible," he replied. "Especially to have you running scared. Would you like to talk about it?"
Beverly took a deep breath in through her nose and pulled herself up into a seated position. "I can't really remember what it is I'm dreaming about. All I know is that I'm very scared and can't stand being in my quarters alone."
"Have you had them before?" he asked.
"Not that I know of," she replied. "I haven't had any since I was a child. And don't worry, I will be seeking Deanna's help when she gets back."
"Well it's a good thing she's going to be back early. She'll be arriving in two days," Jean-Luc smiled at her and couldn't quite figure out the look in Beverly's eyes. It was a cross between fear and hopefulness.
Beverly didn't know whether to be pleased or not. She knew that as soon as Deanna met up with her again she would sense that something was going on and probably alert the crew and the next thing Beverly would know was either Jean-Luc lying on a table in the morgue or nothing at all because she would be dead. The only way to avoid the inevitable was if she left the ship. Of course she would have to take Devon with her. That thought made her feel sick.
She quickly dismissed the thought and decided to try her other brainwave first. She was going to take a phaser to bed with her tonight. She still had no idea what Devon was, but the phaser had worked a treat on Ronin. And Ronin was the closest thing at the moment that resembled Devon in anyway and it was worth a try. She didn't know why she hadn't thought of it before.
"Would you like some breakfast?" Jean-Luc asked as he watched what was obviously a torrent of thoughts rush through his best friends eyes.
"Although I am in my uniform already," Beverly replied climbing to her feet. "Its yesterdays and I've slept in it all night so I had better go and change first. I'll be ten minutes."
"I'll send a search party out if you're not back in fifteen minutes," Jean-Luc said with a grin before she left.
Beverly didn't dare to go back to her quarters to change; instead she went down to sickbay and changed in the staff changing room. She was just brushing the tangles out of her hair when Devon appeared at her side leaning against the lockers.
She caught his reflection in the mirror and gasped in surprise. "Go away!" she snapped in a hushed tone. There were four members of staff working in the room right next door.
"I am not very happy with you," Devon said slowly, his face wore a mask of anger.
"Why don't you wear clothes?" Beverly asked, hoping to distract him for the moment she needed to leave the changing room.
"I don't need clothes," he replied irritably, putting his arm across the door when she made an attempt to brush past him.
Beverly sighed heavily and closed her eyes. She was tired of this, tired of the whole situation. Devon was making her lose her credibility in Jean-Luc's eyes as well as her staffs. She had made a few minor mistakes that she had later realised that Nurse Ogowa had corrected for her before she had got in trouble. And now Jean-Luc thought she was childish because she was running from her nightmares.
"Jean-Luc is expecting me," Beverly said trying to push him away.
"Jean-Luc is not important!" Devon yelled. "Your Betazoid Counsellor coming back is!"
"How do you know about that?" she demanded.
"Well invisibility does have its advantages," he sneered. "If anybody on this ship finds out about me I will have to kill them. Your friend Deanna coming back will be a problem. I shall have to neutralise her."
"Neutralise her!" Beverly exclaimed. "You touch one hair on her head and I'll… I'll…" her voice trailed off. She didn't know how to kill him.
"You can't do anything can you?" he laughed. Beverly groaned in frustration. "You don't have the faintest idea what I am. You've searched through all the information on the computer and come up with a complete blank. All you can really relate me to is some entity called Q. You are in a hopeless situation and I suggest that if you want the Counsellor to live, you figure out a plan pretty quickly and put it into action."
Beverly stared expressionless at his face. "What the hell do you expect me to do?" she asked in exasperation.
"It's up to you," he replied. "You're the Starfleet Doctor. You figure it out!"
With those last words he disappeared from view. She stared at the space he had occupied for a few moments before heading out of the changing rooms and back to Jean-Luc's for breakfast. Devon had given her a lot to think about. The only logical thing to do was to leave the ship and she had to do it without raising suspicion and leave within the next three days before Deanna got back from the conference.
"Shore leave?" Jean-Luc said in surprise. "This is a bit out of the blue isn't it?"
"I guess so," Beverly replied trying to sound nonchalant and not like her life and the lives of the crew depended on it. "But I have some leave owed to me and I'm not needed for the next mission. Anything that comes up, I'm sure Dr Massing can handle it. She is very competent."
"Of that I have no doubt," he replied. "Where do you plan on going?"
"I haven't done any research on that yet," she replied wishing that she had had the foresight to do so. "I think that I need a break from the routine. It might be the cause of my troubled sleep."
"I hope you are planning to speak to Deanna about it before you leave," Jean-Luc replied offering her some coffee.
"Of course," she lied.
"Good," he replied with a smile. "Well I see no reason for you to stay. Permission granted."
Beverly forced a smile onto her face. She tried not to let the daunting prospect of spending time alone in Devon's company get to her.
Bailey slowly awoke from her slumber and opened her violet eyes to be greeted by a smiling face.
"Morning sleepy head," Jamie said holding out a mug of coffee to her. "I've run you a bath."
Bailey sat up with a start. "What…" her voice trailed off as she remembered the previous night. She had managed to meet up with Jamie in Ten Forward after all and things had gone well. Maybe a little too well.
She felt ashamed of herself and guilty for betraying Devon for the first ever time. She held the bedcover firmly by the tops of her arms as she took the mug from his hands.
Jamie reached out and brushed a lock of tousled red hair out of her eyes. "I knew we'd get together one day," he said softly.
Bailey saw the adoration in his soft brown eyes. If things were different, she knew she could easily fall in love with this man. She smiled in response to his words. "I suppose it was inevitable."
He leaned over and kissed her lips softly and pulled back to look into her eyes. "I'm glad you saw sense," he laughed.
Bailey felt something weird happening, she could literally feel her iciness thawing inside her. Jamie was getting to her she realised in shock.
"What time do you get off work?" he asked.
"1900 hours," she replied. "But I have things to take care of and my cousin wants me to have dinner with her," she lied.
Jamie looked disappointed. "I'll see you tomorrow then," he said with a half-hearted smile. "I have got to go home and get changed for work."
Bailey watched him leave before sliding out of the bed and heading towards the bathroom to use the toilet. She bumped into something and fell backwards on the deck in surprise. "Devon?" she said in a small voice.
"Who the hell was that?" he screamed into her face.
"Jamie," she mumbled. "He just came over to drop something off…"
"Don't lie to me!" Devon screamed into her face. "How do you think it feels to see you laying naked in bed with another man!"
"I'm sorry!" Bailey cried desperately. She had never seen Devon so angry before and didn't like to think what the consequences would be.
He suddenly appeared in front of her, charging for her. His hands surrounded her throat and he knelt on her stomach as he squeezed.
"Please…" Bailey managed to say before the pain was too intense. She tried desperately to get his hands free as Devon forced the air out of her body.
Devon suddenly came to his senses. There was no way he could kill Bailey now, he had no place to go. Going into Beverly was no option; she hadn't been fully acclimatised yet. Going into a child as Devon had done to Bailey was one thing, but going into a fully-grown, strong woman was another thing entirely. Beverly was still able to resist him.
He let go of his grasp on Bailey's neck and threw her back on the deck in disgust and watched her gasping for the precious air she needed to survive.
Bailey watched Devon fearfully through the blur of tears. She held her throat and tried to ease some of the burning pain away. Devon stood above her staring down at his host.
"You won't do that again will you!" he snapped and began pacing the room, his anger was only beginning to brew. "You are lucky I managed to control my temper!"
"I'm sorry," Bailey sobbed and clambered to her knees, pulling the sheet around her.
"Sorry is not good enough!" Devon cried, spinning around to face her.
Bailey gasped and thought he was coming in for another attack, but he didn't, he grabbed her by the tops of her arms and hauled her to her feet. "What can I do?" she asked desperately.
Devon dragged her into the bathroom and threw her into the bath Jamie had run for her earlier. He grabbed the soap and roughly began to wash her all over while she sobbed. "Do it again Bailey," Devon said in a vicious voice. "I dare you!"
"I won't do it again," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry. I never meant it to happen."
"Well I may not be able to control myself next time," he said as he soaped her breasts.
When he was satisfied he had cleansed her of any trace of Jamie from her body, he dragged her out of the bath and into the bedroom. "Get dressed," he ordered.
Bailey numbly went to the wardrobe and dressed herself. "I won't see him again," she said softly.
"That won't be a problem," he replied. "I'll see you later."
Bailey watched him disappear before turning back to the bed, the scene of the crime. She stripped off the covers and threw them in a heap on the floor before collapsing on the bed in tears. She had hurt the one true love of her life and had found out that he was vicious, even a wife-beater.
Beverly did her best to keep her attention focused on her work all morning, but at lunchtime she gave up and headed towards Ten Forward for a drink to relax herself a little bit. She took a computer pad with her so that she could do a little research about her annual leave.
She settled at a corner table with a view of the stars and activated the pad after giving her order to the waiter.
She was searching through the database and organising her shuttlecraft for the journey when she realised that she was no longer alone at the table.
"Jean-Luc!" she exclaimed in surprise.
"You looked busy so I decided not to interrupt you," he replied with a smile. "What are you reading?"
"I'm reading up on the planet I shall be going to on shore leave," she replied returning the smile, albeit half-heartedly.
"Let me see," he replied holding out his hand.
"I was thinking of this one," she said as she handed him the pad. "There is a wonderful villa that I'm thinking of renting for the three weeks. A lake and a forest surround it. It sounds lovely."
"Harrison to Captain Picard," a voice sounded over the communications.
"Picard here," Jean-Luc replied to his security chief.
"Sir, we have a problem," Lieutenant Harrison replied.
"What is it?" Jean-Luc asked, looking over at Beverly.
"One moment sir," Harrison replied.
"Ogowa to Doctor Crusher," a second voice came over the communications.
"Crusher here," Beverly replied.
"Report to Lieutenant Peitx's quarters, deck seventeen."
"On my way," Beverly said flashing Jean-Luc a worried look. Of course Jean-Luc didn't know that Jamie Peitx was Bailey's boyfriend.
Jean-Luc climbed to his feet and followed Beverly out of Ten Forward.
"Sir," Harrison's voice sounded over the channel again.
"Yes Lieutenant," Jean-Luc replied.
"There appears to have been a murder committed," Harrison replied.
"Where?" Jean-Luc barked. "To whom?"
"Lieutenant Jamie Peitx didn't report for duty this morning on time," he replied. "Ensign Blackmore found him dead in his quarters five minutes ago and called security."
"I'm on my way Lieutenant," Jean-Luc replied. "You can apprise Doctor Crusher and I of the situation when we arrive."
"Yes sir, Harrison out."
"Jamie's dead!" Beverly exclaimed in horror.
Jean-Luc wouldn't have paid any attention to his companion as he marched in full Captain mode, if he hadn't had of caught the tinge of emotion behind Beverly's voice.
"You know him personally?" he asked taking her arm gently.
"Come on!" Beverly said charging forward, shaking his arm away.
"Beverly!" Jean-Luc snapped, stopping Beverly in her tracks. "The man isn't going anywhere, he's dead."
Beverly glared at him. "That is a bit insensitive," she replied as she turned back to face him. "The reason I am a bit… well… Jamie Peitx is Bailey's boyfriend."
Suddenly it dawned on him. "Oh," he said in a small voice.
"So come on!" Beverly said, "I don't want Bailey finding out about this on the grapevine. I want to tell her myself." Beverly then began walking away from him down the corridor.
"Well perhaps you should break the news now," Jean-Luc said hurrying to catch up with her. "You know how fast news travels on this ship, and bad news tends to travel faster than good."
"I'll check out the scene with you first," Beverly replied. "Knowing my luck Bailey is probably there in the thick of it."
They travelled the rest of the way in silence, each contemplating the situation in their own way. Beverly was extremely worried about Bailey, this couldn't have come at a worse time. As far as Bailey was concerned, everyone she loved had died.
Jean-Luc on the other hand, was working his way through even more worrying thoughts. He had seen Bailey preparing for an argument with this Jamie, and hoped that she wasn't somehow involved in his murder. Bailey's past record wouldn't hold her in good steed if she were suspected of this murder. All the things that had happened at the academy would just complicate the situation even more.
They arrived at the scene to find that the new security chief had everything in order. The Acting Counsellor, Lieutenant Brown, was sitting in the lounge area with a young ensign. Beverly surmised that she must have been the one that found Jamie dead.
Beverly collected a medical kit from a nearby nurse and went into the bedroom to examine the body.
Jean-Luc followed close behind her. He didn't say anything until she had finished her initial scan. "Well?" he asked as Beverly leant back and looked up at him.
"He's been dead for about two hours at the most, rigger mortis has passed. He died from what at first appears to be asphyxia. I'll find out more when I do the autopsy."
"And it's definitely murder?" Jean-Luc asked in concern.
"At first glance I'd say yes," Beverly replied, returning her eyes to the body. "It looks like a classic strangulation. As I said, I'll look deeper during the autopsy." She looked back up at Jean-Luc and then signalled to her staff to move the body to the morgue.
"I will be with security," Jean-Luc said, "I suggest you find Bailey immediately before performing the autopsy."
Beverly nodded and got to her feet. They both stood in silence and watched as Jamie's body was covered and laid on an anti-grav stretcher and taken out of the room.
"Computer, location of Ensign Bailey Howard," Beverly asked the computer.
She was waiting for the computers answer, when Jean-Luc nudged her attention with his elbow and nodded towards the doorway. Bailey was standing in the doorway, staring emotionless at the stretcher.
"Bailey," Beverly said softly as she approached her cousin. This wasn't supposed to have happened, Bailey shouldn't have found out about his death like this.
"He's dead?" she asked in response, in a low cracked voice.
Beverly nodded slowly. "I'm so sorry Bailey," she said softly, getting ready to give her a hug.
"He can't be!" Bailey yelled and took off up the corridor after the stretcher.
Beverly was hot on her heals, "Bailey calm down," she called after her.
Two security guys managed to grab Bailey just before she made it to Jamie's lifeless body. She struggled in their grasp for a few moments before breaking down into heart wrenching sobs of despair. Although the people nearby thought that it was because she was in love with the lieutenant lying covered on the anti-grav stretcher, that was far from the truth.
Beverly reached Bailey's side and pulled her into her arms. "It's all my fault!" Bailey screamed at Beverly, shoving her away fiercely.
Beverly glanced at Jean-Luc, his expression said it all, he seemed to suddenly take in the acknowledgement of guilt from Bailey's words. Beverly couldn't bring herself to believe it. "It's not your fault," Beverly replied.
"It is!" Bailey snapped back, her eyes on the medical team as they walked away around the corner. "It's all my fault…" her voice trailed off, and she sunk to the floor as she looked into Beverly's eyes. All she could see was total confusion. She looked to the Captain who was now standing next to Beverly watching her. Disappointment shone in his eyes, that was when it dawned on her, that they both thought she had murdered Jamie.
"Unless you were the one that strangled him…" Beverly began slowly, not wanting to hear Bailey's answer.
"I didn't do it!" Bailey snapped angrily.
"I never said you did," Beverly replied. "Tell me what happened. I don't understand."
Bailey shook her head slowly, finally looking away from their accusing faces. How could she possibly explain what had happened? She couldn't tell them the truth, Devon had scared her beyond belief today. And for the first time in the ten years she had known him, she had finally seen what Devon was truly capable of.
She would not have known anything about Devon's death, had it not been for the fact that Devon had appeared to her whilst she was dressing for work and announced that he had sorted out the 'problem' and that there would be nothing to worry about now.
Then Bailey had asked him what he had meant by that, and was startled to find out that Devon had just murdered Jamie in cold blood. Not wanting to believe him, she had tried to run to Jamie's quarters to see for herself. But Devon hadn't let her leave until he knew for a fact that the body had been found and pronounced dead.
"Bailey," Beverly said softly to remind her that she was still waiting for her answer.
"Nothing," Bailey replied softly and thoughts raced wildly through her head at lightening speeds, but still she could not come up with a good enough excuse for her announcement that it had been all her fault.
Jean-Luc stepped forward and held out his hand to Bailey and pulled her to her feet. He stared back into her intense violet gaze, and realised she was pleading with him silently to help her. He tried to portray his single thought back to her 'I'm sorry' before issuing orders for her to be confined to her quarters until this matter had been settled. He hoped Beverly's autopsy would reveal someone else had attacked Jamie Peitx, but until then he couldn't take anything for granted.
He stood next to Beverly and they both watched, as Bailey was lead away by the two security officers that had stopped her from reaching Jamie's body earlier.
"Well," Beverly began. "I think I should get that autopsy done right away."
"This might put a stop to your leave tomorrow," Jean-Luc said, not quite knowing what to say. He had never been in this situation before.
Beverly sighed and walked away. She didn't know what Devon was going to have to say about that and wondered whether there was some other way to make sure Deanna stayed away from the ship and safe.
She went straight to sickbay to begin the autopsy on Jamie Peitx. What she would have liked to do right now, most of all was to go to Bailey and try to get more sense from her. She was sure that Bailey had done nothing wrong, and at the moment, the autopsy was the only thing she could do to help.
Her nurse had already prepared the body, so Beverly went straight down into the morgue to begin.
Bailey lay curled up on her bed, silent and still. She had long since stopped crying, and her tears had been replaced with shock. Her best friend and lover since she was sixteen had done something so terrible and she could do nothing about it. Devon had assured her that she would be in serious trouble if she even mentioned his existence to anyone. He hadn't actually said the words, but she was sure that he meant she would end up in the morgue on the table next to Jamie.
She felt the bed sink beside her and slowly opened her eyes to find Devon sitting on the bed beside her. He reached over and gently stroked her hair away from her forehead.
Bailey didn't move, she didn't attempt to flinch away or even to give into his caress.
"If you hadn't gone to Jamie's quarters you wouldn't be in this mess now," Devon said breaking the silence.
Bailey swallowed. "Why did you do it?" she asked, confusion shone in her violet eyes.
"I get jealous sometimes," he replied and just managed to stop himself shrugging. "Bailey you are my girl, what you did is unforgivable."
"We could have just split up," she replied numbly. "You should have killed me like you were going to. It wasn't Jamie's fault."
"I could never hurt you my love," he replied, smiling gently.
"But you did," she replied, sitting up.
"I stopped myself," he replied. "I couldn't do it. I will never do it again. I promise."
Bailey looked down away from his gaze. Something inside her, perhaps her rational half was telling her not to believe him, but at the same time her heart was telling her to forgive and forget. "I'm probably going to go to jail," she said slowly.
"Well there is no need to worry about that," Devon replied offhand. "You didn't do it did you?
Bailey shook her head. "No, but…"
"Innocent until proven guilty. Isn't that the saying?" Devon asked as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "Besides, who else has an invisible boyfriend who can visit you whenever you want?"
Nothing Devon could say would make her feel any better. She just leaned into his comforting embrace and tried hard to block out unpleasant thoughts.
Back in the Enterprise morgue, Beverly was just finishing up the autopsy when Alyssa Ogawa arrived with a pad full of test results on the dead body.
"Thanks Alyssa," Beverly said forcing a smile onto her face.
Alyssa shifted from one foot to the other and looked slightly nervous. "It's not good news I'm afraid."
Beverly looked down at the pad and back up at her nurse. From Alyssa's body language, Beverly already had an idea of what the test results showed. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Can you finish up here?" she asked Alyssa.
Alyssa nodded. "I just have a small wound to dress and I'll be right back."
Beverly watched Alyssa disappear up the stairs into main sickbay before activating the pad she had been given. Shaking her head in disbelief, she read the results. Every scrap of evidence she collected from the body and the evidence collected in Jamie's quarters all pointed a menacing guilty finger at her cousin Bailey.
Beverly was scientific in mind and the evidence presented her, did nothing but confirm her deepest fear. "Crusher to Picard, I think you better come down here."
"On my way Doctor," Jean-Luc replied through the con system.
Beverly had stood still the whole time she had been reading the results and suddenly turned back to the body lying cold and lifeless on the metal gurney. There must have been something she had missed in her examination. There just had to be! There was no way Bailey could have done something as awful as this.
"Where are we going then?" a voice sounded in the small room and made her jump.
"Go away Devon!" Beverly yelled at him, slamming the tricorder down on the gurney with force.
"I am not going anywhere!" Devon yelled back.
"I am in the middle of one of the most traumatic events in my life!" Beverly yelled, spinning around to find him standing behind her, naked as usual. "I haven't got time to have you winding me up! I am busy and too upset to deal with you right now. So if you have any decency, please leave me alone!"
"I don't," Devon replied with a wicked grin. "So I won't."
"Please…" Beverly practically begged him and hated herself for doing so.
"Well," Devon said walking around her in a small circle. "I just want to know when and how we are leaving."
"Its not important now!" Beverly snapped back.
"I have arrangements to make," he replied with a shrug.
"What arrangements?" Beverly demanded, finding it hard to believe that this alien life form would have anything to arrange.
"I have to make up some excuse," he replied.
"An excuse to who?" Beverly asked, suddenly interested.
"No one special," he replied. "How long are we going for? We have to stay away long enough for you to get your Counsellor friend off the ship permanently."
"How the hell do you expect me to do that!" Beverly cried. "I can't tell her to leave. I can't get her sacked."
End of part four