Disclaimer: No matter how many temper tantrums we throw, Star Trek never has and never will belong to the fans sobs, but fanfic exists so we can speculate what should happen after the series ends and Paramount see it as inefficient (to quote Seven of Nine) to produce more movies on the better series! (AKA Voyager and TNG)
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Love of her Life
Chapter Two
USS Titan, Utopia Planetia Space Station, Earth orbit
The Sickbay was in a frenzy. Doctors and nurses were running around everywhere, shouting orders back and forth. The commotion was coming from a private room next to the Chief Medical Officer's office. Though main Sickbay still had patients occupying the biobeds, all on duty staff were focused on the activity in the private room.
The doors to Sickbay opened, allowing the ship's first officer to enter the chaos.
Looking around for his superior, Commander Brandon Graham almost bumped into Doctor Beverly Crusher, the woman currently visiting the ship in dry dock.
"Pardon me, Doctor," he said. "But do you know where I can find Captain Riker?"
The doctor's face was slightly flushed and the look on her face troubled the commander.
"Doctor! We need you over here!" Will Riker's voice called from the private room in Sickbay.
Commander Graham followed Beverly Crusher towards the voices and the commotion, and was almost horrified at what he saw.
Deanna Riker was lying on a biobed, a pained look on her face. Captain Riker was standing behind her, obviously providing some support.
"Doctor..." Deanna was almost crying. "Beverly, what is happening?" The look on the empath's face was a look of pain, worry and anxiety.
"Deanna," Beverly said. "The baby is coming out in a breached position, which means feet first. This type of birth is difficult at the best of times, but your baby is showing signs of distress, so it will be even harder than usual on both you and your child."
The compassionate eyes she was giving her half-Betaziod friend were almost the eyes of sadness.
"Thank you, Beverly," the counsellor said, her voice straining and her eyes squeezed shut against the pain. "I'm ready. Lets do it."
With a nod, the visiting Doctor moved into action. Moving around the biobed, Beverly began barking orders and moving the staff into position.
"Nurse, prepare an incubator. Doctor, set up for a foetal transport if the need arises, and have any monitoring equipment ready. Everyone else, please stand back or returned to your duties."
A chorus of "Yes, Doctors" echoed from the medical staff members, before they all moved into places accepted by Doctor Crusher.
"OK people, lets get moving!" Beverly took control of the situation, ready to bring Deanna and Will's baby into the world. "Deanna, you need to push with every contraction. Do you understand?"
Deanna merely nodded in Beverly's direction, bearing down with the contraction rocking her body. Will still stood behind his wife, holding her hands in support.
OK, Imzadi, lets deliver this baby, Will thought, directing his thoughts towards his beloved the way she had taught him years ago.
I'm ready, lets do this, she thought back to him, before briefly opening her eyes and locking her gaze with that of her husbands.
"Push, Deanna! Push," Beverly encouraged. "Come on, you can do it!"
USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E, Utopia Planetia Space Station, Earth orbit
Jean-Luc Picard sat in his quarters, facing the console on his desk. He was ready to accept the unknown transmission, though he really didn't know if he wanted to or not.
Overcoming the mental battle in his head, the captain reluctantly answered the call and was immediately pleased and surprised to see the faces of Beverly Crusher and Will Riker.
"Beverly, Will," he greeted, a warm smile playing at his lips. "To what do I have the honour of receiving your call?"
The pair of his former staff shared a look between them. "Captain, we are calling from the Titan. As we are currently docked at Utopia Planetia, and our former senior staff are all currently in the sector or already on Earth, Beverly has planned a get together for us."
"How so?" Picard asked sceptically, already having an inkling to where this conversation was going.
Beverly spoke up this time. "Well, since everyone is already here, we are meeting at Starfleet Headquarters at 1500 hours tomorrow afternoon to meet with some members of the brass who wish to see us, then we plan to spend the evening in Paris at a restaurant I found. So we can catch up and reminisce on old times..."
Another smile played at Jean-Luc's lips this time, a sure sign of his caving in.
"Please, Jean-Luc," Beverly said again. "Everyone will be there, Geordi and Leah, Will and Deanna, Worf and even Wesley. Please say you'll come, Jean-Luc..."
Damn, he thought, she knew he would give in when she used his first name like that. "All right then," he said, finally giving in to the woman he loved. "But on one condition, Beverly, that you come and visit the Enterprise first."
Hearing the ultimatum, Beverly knew she had won the arguement. "Of course I will Jean-Luc. I want to see how Kate Pulaski is holding up in my Sickbay."
Unsuccessfully trying to subdue a laugh, Jean-Luc smiled at the woman he had loved for years. "How about at 1600 hours today, then you can stay the night and we can go to the reunion tomorrow together."
"That I can accept. See you this afternoon, Jean-Luc. Titan out."
As the comm link closed, Jean-Luc Picard felt as if the purpose of his life had been returned to him. He had to get planning for Beverly's return.
"Picard to Bridge," he called into thin air.
"La Forge here, sir. Is there anything I can do for you?" came Geordi's disembodied voice over the link.
"Geordi, how have you managed to keep Dr Crusher's reunion from reaching my attention?"
Chuckling, the engineer answered. "Sir, I was under strict orders not to tell you, or she would do something terrible to me. And, being a doctor, I know she is capable of torturous means."
"That I can believe, Geordi, that I can well and truly believe. Well, Beverly will be visiting the Enterprise this afternoon, arriving at 1600. As soon as she arrives, I will be off duty until we transport down to Earth. You will be in command until then."
"Understood sir. La Forge out."
With the closure of another comm link, Picard knew he had some serious planning to do before Beverly transported over.
'Then I really should be getting on with it,' he thought, turning his desk console to face his chair, ready to plan his evening.
USS Titan, Utopia Planetia Space Station, Earth orbit
Sitting on a biobed in Sickbay surrounded by family and friends, Commander Deanna Riker was exhausted yet exhilarated. The complicated birth of her daughter had worn her out, but made her connection with Will stronger than ever.
Imzadi, she heard, the title running through her thoughts. Imzadi, have you seen our daughter? She is as perfect as her mother.
"Beverly," Deanna called softly to her friend, responding to the message from Will. "Can you bring over my baby girl please?"
Beverly appeared from the next biobed over, a small pink bundle in her arms. "Here you go, mummy, your little baby girl."
Smiling, Deanna held her daughter close to her chest, careful not to drop the newborn.
Hello my Little One she thought to her child, passing down the nickname her mother had given to her upon birth. Will was right, you are perfect, aren't you, my Little One?
"Does she have a name?" Beverly asked curiously, wondering what she could call her goddaughter.
"Kalila," Deanna said, her gaze never leaving Will's. "Kalila Marie Riker. Lily for short."
"Lily," Will breathed. "My girls."
After leaving the three of them in silence for a few minutes, Beverly had to interrupt the new family. "Will, if you don't mind, we have to call Jean-Luc, since I hear the Enterprise is nearing dry dock. Care to join me?"
Will looked up from his sleeping daughter to smile at his friend. "Only if we leave Lily's birth as a surprise."
"Deal, and I'll tell Geordi to surprise the Captain of our comm call too."
"Sounds like fun," Deanna spoke up, her eyelids drooping. Handing Lily to Dr Ferguson, the exhausted diplomat lay down for a nap. "Give Jean-Luc my regards," she whispered, before falling into a deep, well deserved slumber.
"Let's go," Beverly said, turning to move away from her sleeping best friend.
Reaching the doors, Riker being the perfect gentleman, let the lady pass through first. "After you, to my ready room."
Interlude
Surgeon General's office, Starfleet Medical, San Francisco, Earth
Beverly sat behind the desk that had once belonged to her, the Surgeon General of Starfleet Medical. Her memories wandered to the picnic reunion the day before. That memorable afternoon was one she wasn't going to forget in a long time.
The door chime rang before the entrance revealed Admiral Janeway and Beverly's replacement.
"Kathryn, please come in. I see you have convinced Doctor Jameison to head up Medical."
Doctor Vanessa Jameison, a short woman with vibrant red, curly hair, stepped out from the Admiral's wake to position herself next to her predecessor.
"I hope to high hell you know what you're getting yourself into, Nessa. Once you become surgeon general, you belong to Starfleet." Beverly laughed, remembering her past three years in the position. "Good luck, Nessa."
"And to you too, Beverly," she wished.
Beverly Crusher rose from the chair, turning it to admit the younger woman into its comforts. Bending down to reach ear level with the doctor, Beverly whisered words of encouragement into her ear.
"Never, ever let your family out of your life. Just because you are Surgeon General doesn't mean you no linger have a life."
Picnic Garden, grounds of Starfleet Headquarters, San Francisco, Earth
Nine transporter beams materialised in the secluded area of the picnic gardens outside of Starfleet Headquarters at exactly 1500 hours on the sunny afternoon the reunion had been planned.
Spying one another instantly, Geordi and Leah ran into eachothers arms, kissing quickly before attaching themselves by their hips.
Wesley saw Beverly, one of her hands in Jean-Luc's own protective grip, and bounded over towards his mother and former captain.
A loud clearing of a throat drew everyone's attention to the burly Klingon standing uncomfortably alone. "Worf," they all greeted, walking up to their old security chief in an effort to alleviate his discomfort.
"What, so we don't get hugs..." Will pouted from the edge of the group, one arm around his wife, the other supporting their baby daughter.
Beverly was the only person not to rush over and gurgle at the child, having delivered her and all.
"Now, who do we have here?" Jean-Luc asked inquisitively, poking the sleeping girl's face with a soft finger.
"This is Kalila Marie Riker, born 0938 hours, April 14 2382. Will and I call her Lily," Deanna had the warmest motherly smile on her face, obviously proud of her Little One.
"Where's this picnic we're here for?" Wesley spoke up from behind Will, Deanna and Lily.
Jean-Luc and Beverly shared a quick look, a wide grin and hug. Tapping his communicator, Jean-luc hailed his ship. "Picard to Enterprise. Energise."
A large assortment of picnic baskets, blankets and accessories materialised underneath the large oak tree to the rear of the clearing.
Gasping at the sight of the lavish assortment, Leah, Beverly, Deanna and Jean-Luc led the rest of the congregation to their meal.
After completely demolishing the large meal between the eight adults, everyone was content to lie around and catch up on the intergalactic gossip they had missed out on during their separations.
Jean-Luc was propped up against the trunk of the large oak, the only remaining tree to be over 200 years old. Lying with her head in his lap, Beverly had her fingers entwined with his, while their free hands were stroking eachother.
Will lay on his side, holding his head up with his right arm, his left hand stroking Lily's tiny body. Deanna lay stomach-down on the ground, her head and feet in the air.
Geordi and Leah sat side by side on the edge of the picnic mat, Leah trying unsuccessfully to avoid a strawberry directed by her fiance's fingers towards her mouth. Playfully, she swatted it away and braced herself for the next attack.
Wesley and Worf sat discussing tactical scenarios and reminiscing old times on the Enterprise-D.
This was the way they liked it.
The approaching sunset across San Francisco brought the memorable picnic to an end, forcing the men and women to rise from their comfortable positions and return to their respeective ships.
"Don't forget, we have a formal dinner with the brass tonight. Dress uniforms, the whole shebang," Beverly brought up as she was disentangling herself from Jean-Luc's grip. "And you are all expected to attend."
The harshness of the final comment made everyone look towards Wesley Crusher, the one person in their congregation noted for skipping out on formal dinners on more than one occasion.
"Yeah, Mum, I know," he said, defeated by the other seven adults who knew his thought patterns.
Banquet Hall, Starfleet Headquarters, San Francisco, Earth
Another eight transporter beams returned the people to Earth for their official dinner with the heads of Starfleet, the Admirality. As guests of honour, the eight adults took their seats at the head table, the lavishly decorated one to the left of the Federation heads.
Obviously the last to arrive, the entire congregation burst into applause at the appearance of the Enterprise legends, a team that had survived the Borg, brushes with death, separation and commemoration.
"Welcome," a person in the centre of the head table called out over the noise of the crowd. "Welcome, everyone, to the party celebrating the legends!"
Author's Note: Does anybody know exactly when Deanna Troi started wearing her uniform in the series? This meaning the standard Staarfleet uniform, not her purplish jumsuits?