December 23, 2370

"I can't believe I let you talk me into coming with you." Beverly shook her head as they made their way up the driveway of the historic 19th century inn, the newly fallen snow crunching softly beneath their fur-lined boots with each step.

"Beverleeee…" Deanna moved to her side and looped her arm through her friends, pulling her close. Their winter coats making the task a little more difficult than normal. "I promise you; you are going to have a wonderful time. Look how gorgeous it is here!"

She couldn't deny Deanna was right. The charming two-story inn and surrounding property were breathtaking. Set far enough back from the road and small town of Stars Hollow, it was just close enough to be secluded while still having the appeal of being part of the quaint town. Even though the inn was almost five hundred years old, Beverly had been told it had undergone several renovations in its lifetime to ensure it was kept in near pristine condition.

After climbing the few wooden steps that led up to the porch, they began stomping the excess snow from their boots as the front door swung open unexpectedly, startling them both.

"Deanna!" They were literally greeted with open arms by, whom Beverly assumed, was Dana Sullivan the current owner of the inn, who immediately swooped Deanna into a hug. Turning to address her, Dana gave her a big smile. "And you must be Beverly! I'm so happy you decided to join us for the holidays!" She held the door open and motioned for them both to enter. "Please, come in – welcome to the Dragonfly!"

The inside of the historic yellow and white inn was eclectic. No two items seemed to match, but somehow, they all worked together to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Immediately to the left, in a little alcove, was the check-in desk, an antique oak piece that Jean-Luc would have loved. She could see old skeleton keys hanging behind the desk on another elaborate wooden structure. Glancing to her right she noticed the living room. Wooden shelves lined the walls and were filled with a variety of hard covered books. Another perk that would have brought a smile to Jean-Luc's face. On the far wall was a stone fireplace, already roaring to life on the cold morning.

Smiling, she realized she actually was excited to be in a place that was completely different than the Enterprise. Deanna had been right. This change of scenery was going to be good for her.

She pulled her attention back to Dana who was chatting with Deanna about what needed to be finalized around the inn. Besides some minimal construction work in the stables, which Will had already volunteered to do – or more likely had been volunteered for – the main concern was simple decorative details here and there in a couple of the bedrooms and procuring more antique pieces from around the area. Which is where Deanna came in…and why Beverly had agreed to come along.

Truth be told, it was Jean-Luc who ignited her interest in antiques. His passion for his home in La Barre was contagious. While Nana's home did have some great pieces, it seemed most of the treasures in Jean-Luc's childhood home had fascinating origin stories. Furniture, nick-nacks, books – there was a story behind them all. She loved to hear him talk enthusiastically about his memories, loved that he shared them with her. Secretly, she hoped her excursion with Deanna to find rare pieces for the inn would also turn up a meaningful gift for Jean-Luc as well.

"So, Beverly," She smiled and turned her focus back to Dana who was gesturing up the stairs. "I have you in room five, otherwise known as the lavender room. It's up the stairs and to the right. I think you are going to love it! You have your own on-suite bathroom, complete with a clawfoot tub!"

Accepting the old key from Dana, Beverly nodded, feeling the weight of the metal in her hand. "Thank you, Dana. It sounds wonderful!"

"Deanna, you and Will be upstairs and to the right, room one. I gave you two the largest room, but I'm afraid Beverly lucked out as she gets the fireplace."

Beverly laughed. "Well, I won't have Will to keep me warm at night, so thank you, Dana."

Shaking her head, chuckling, Deanna reached out to touch her shoulder. "It's not as glamourous as it sounds – he snores!"

The women laughed and Beverly followed Deanna up the wooden stairs to explore their home for the next several days. Dana was right, her room was gorgeous, decorated with touches of lavender and rose gold. The fireplace, however, was extraordinary. Situated at the foot of the magnificent sleigh bed, it was the highlight of the room. To her right, the window provided a clear view of the front of the inn. Stables were to the left and she could even make out the quaint town in the distance. Leaning against the window frame, she took in the beauty of the blanket of snow that covered the countryside.

This would be the perfect place for a romantic getaway.

Sighing, her thoughts automatically wandered to the object of her affection. For months she'd been trying to get over her fear of losing him like she lost Jack. Truth be told, if she was being honest with herself, over the years she had come to love Jean-Luc more deeply than Jack, and she had been terrified of opening her heart to him. Letting him in would mean their love would grow even stronger. Losing Jack had torn her soul apart. Losing Jean-Luc would destroy what was left of it.

If that wasn't enough, she wasn't sure where their relationship stood. They had been drifting apart, and she was scared if she told him her true feelings it would completely sever their connection if he no longer felt the same way. Maybe it was for the best she hadn't had the courage to ask him to spend the holidays with her.

Sighing, she let her forehead fall against the cold glass. Was time to face reality? Considering all the failed and missed opportunities over the years, perhaps they were truly only meant to be friends. After all, wasn't it better to have him as a friend than nothing at all?

"Earth to Beverly!" Ripped from her thoughts of regret, she spun around to see Deanna smiling in her doorway.

"Oh, hey." She moved to the bed and began unpacking her small suitcase. "Sorry, I didn't hear you."

"Well, you were a million miles away." Sauntering into the room, Deanna perched herself on the side of the bed. "What's wrong? Why am I sensing an immense amount of regret from you?"

Beverly looked at her and smiled sadly. She didn't need to explain. Deanna knew what had happened after Kesprytt. "This place is beautiful, Deanna. Very romantic."

Deanna sighed and gave her a familiar look. "Beverly, I know you don't like to talk about this – you never have – but you need to talk to him. Just tell him how you feel."

"I can't." She stared at the elaborate mirror above the fireplace. "You know that."

"You're scared. Just be honest with him about how you are feeling."

Beverly shook her head. "I've come to realize I'm lucky to still have his friendship, what's left of that anyway. I don't want to push him away even further. I can't lose him, Deanna."

"You realize you aren't making any sense right now, don't you?"

She met her friend's eyes with a look of hopelessness. "Maybe it's best if we both just moved on."

Deanna rolled her eyes. "Okay, that's it. Grab your coat, we need to get out of here. Let's go shopping!"

Beverly rolled her eyes but complied and snatched her white winter coat off the bed as she followed her friend back out into the cold Connecticut winter.

"Do you think Dana would like this?" Deanna's head popped up from where she was kneeling on the floor of the musty antique shop. Craning her neck, she looked over to see the piece Beverly was pointing to.

"What is it?" Her brow crinkled in confusion and Beverly laughed.

"It's a 19th century pitcher and bowl. According to the tag, it was used for personal washing..." Her voice trailed off as she glanced down at her friend, lips tightly pursed together to hold in her laughter. Deanna's dark eyes became wide and after a beat, both women burst into a fit of giggles.

Wiping tears from her eyes, Deanna stood to join her. "Actually, I think Dana would love this." She reached out to examine the pieces of the matching set, lightly tracing her fingers over the pale pink flowers painted on to the snow-white ceramic. "And I don't think I've ever been more appreciative of my sonic shower." Grinning, she gently scooped up the items and headed for the front of the shop.

As Deanna sought out the help of the salesclerk to purchase their first find, Beverly wandered around the crowded store. She was still in awe at how many items could be packed into a single space. Everything was so carefully stacked; she was nervous one wrong move – one accidental bump – would cause an avalanche of the precious inventory.

Carefully weaving her way through the cramped aisles, she kept her eyes open for the one special gift she was looking for. Not that she knew what that was exactly, but she was certain she would know when she saw it. This was only the second store they had visited. The first held mostly large furniture, which was not what they were after. Their current location sold the smaller items they were looking for, which made for an even more cramped and prolonged experience. Beverly smiled as she noticed Deanna already asking the clerk about a small wooden chest perched high on a shelf. Deanna was the queen of shopping. Without a doubt, they would be leaving this store with more items than Dana expected or wanted.

As she was looking down at a cabinet full of old vases, she noticed a beam of sunlight from the storefront window reflecting off a small glass case buried under a stack of boxes to her right. It was low to the ground and if the sun had not reflected off its surface, she probably wouldn't have even noticed its existence. Making her way over, she shook her head in disbelief. The case held antique telescopes and other nautical treasures. Her gaze was instantly pulled to one piece in the back, labeled as an 18th century octant, which was nestled into a custom velvet-lined wooden case.

Opening the case, she reached in to carefully remove the piece. It was beautifully crafted of brass and wood and seemed to be in impeccable condition. Beverly normally wasn't one to believe in signs, but she couldn't deny some sort of divine intervention had helped guide her way. Almost a year ago she remembered Jean-Luc making a comment about having difficulties finding an authentic piece from the Ferengi he usually worked with to procure these types of items. Now here she was, in some dusty store in the middle of nowhere Connecticut, looking at the real deal. It was perfect.

"Oh my god, Beverly, that's incredible!" Lost in thought, she jumped a bit at the sound of Deanna's voice. Putting a hand on Beverly's shoulder, Deanna smiled. "He's going to love it."

Beverly shook her head. "Sometimes I really do forget you're an empath."

"Beverly, it doesn't take an empath to realize this is a gift for the Captain." Beverly arched a perfectly manicured eyebrow in response. "What, are you really going to tell me this is for Worf?" Rolling her eyes, Deanna laughed as she helped her off the floor. "Come on, let's go. We still have the other half of the store to rummage through!"

Beverly shook her head, still in disbelief at how much enthusiasm Deanna had for shopping, and followed her friend through the cramped aisles as she clutched the precious octant tightly to her chest.

After a few more stores and a few more finds, they finally headed back to the inn. Beverly was exhausted. She didn't know how people could enjoy shopping all day long. Deanna, on the other hand, seemed full of energy after the busy afternoon. Beverly loved how they could be such great friends, while having completely different interests. Mentally, she reminded herself to figure out a way to repay her friend for helping to lift her spirits.

The sight of William Riker, clad in heavy winter clothes, perched high on a ladder greeted them upon their return. He was in the process of hanging a string of white twinkle lights along the edge of the roof of the barn. A festive green wreath, complete with a red plaid bow, was already hanging above the tall double doors. Based on the confused look on his face, and the gentle sway of the ladder, Beverly was certain this was his first time in his life he had ever attempted to put up Christmas decorations.

"Try not to fall and break your neck. I don't think I'd be able to fix you." Beverly yelled up smiling, earning her a nasty glare in return.

"Very funny. This is a lot harder than it looks." He balanced himself with one hand against the old structure as he turned to look down at them.

"Oh, Will, be careful!" Deanna's voiced was laced with concern as she approached, arms full of packages from their outing.

"What, couldn't find anything you liked, Imzadi?" Will's eyes lit up as he teased her.

"For your information, these are for Dana. Beverly and I offered to help her find some antiques for the inn." Will just stared at her with a grin on his face. "Okay, fine. I did buy two little things, Mr. Riker, but trust me when I say you will highly enjoy them as well." She winked at Will and started towards the porch. He shook his head and turned back to his task.

Beverly chuckled and started to follow Deanna inside. She never understood why those two ever broke up, but she was extremely happy they had found their way back to one another.

Balancing the packages she was carrying, she opened the door to the inn and was greeted with a wave of warm air mixed with the smell of apples and cinnamon. The smell was heavenly and instantly transported her back to Nana's house during the holidays. Putting her bags down to unbutton her coat, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, enjoying the memory the smell created.

"Beverly?"

Eyes snapping open, she quickly turned to her right at the unexpected sound of her name.

"Oh my god, what are you doing here?!" Before she could fully register what was happening, strong arms were wrapped around her pulling her in for a tight hug.

"Michael?" She pulled back to look at him, smiled, then pulled him in for another tight hug.

"It's so great to see you! What has it been…five years?" She nodded, happy to see him after so long. "So much for keeping in touch, right?"

"Well, you know, it's hard to keep in touch when you're a busy CMO on the Federation's flagship. I mean, I have a valid excuse. You on the other hand…" She smiled and pushed his shoulder, easily falling back into the friendly banter they had established so many years ago.

"I whole-heartedly apologize for not staying in touch. I can see it was entirely my loss." He caught her eye and winked. Feeling an unexpected blush grace her cheeks at his unspoken affection, she broke their gaze and tucked her hair behind her ear as she glanced into the adjoining room. After a moment he changed the subject. "I didn't realize you were friends with Dana as well."

"I'm not, actually." She gestured to Deanna across the room who was chatting with Dana at the front desk, showing her their recent purchases. "My friend Deanna invited me for the holiday weekend."

"I'm very glad you decided to join her." He smiled one of his 1,000-watt smiles as he slipped his hands into his pockets. "Join me for dinner? I'd love to catch up."

Knowing Michael, that was his way of assessing if she had come by herself or not. Seems he was alone on this little holiday adventure as well. "I'd love to, but I already promised Deanna and Will I'd have dinner with them. Why don't you join us?"

"I'd love to, thank you." He smiled her.

"Alright then." She smiled back.

"Alright." He laughed but didn't drop his eyes from hers.

She probably stared at him a little longer than she should have, but she was still in a little bit of shock he was standing in front of her. "Okay, well I'm going to get these things upstairs. I'll see you later."

He walked back into the sitting room, turning to watch her as she walked up the stairs. Smiling to herself, she made her way up to her room to shower and get ready for dinner.

"Will, I'm telling you. This isn't right." Deanna pleaded with him with her eyes as she paced around their room. "Did you see how they looked at each other during dinner? And now they are off together – "

"Deanna." He cut her off sharply as he walked up to her, reaching up to put comforting hands on her shoulders. He didn't need to say anything more.

Deanna sighed in defeat. "Will, she belongs with the Captain. You know that as much as I do."

"Perhaps, but we have to let them find their way on their own. If it's meant to be, then it will be." He pulled her into a bear hug. She knew this was his go-to tactic to calm her down. Often it worked, but tonight she was filled with too much anxious energy.

"She's downstairs with Michael right now, sitting in front of the fire, talking…"

"Exactly. They are just talking. Catching up." Kissing her forehead, he crossed to the old, wooden dresser. Pulling out the pajamas she packed for him, he turned to her, holding them up. "Seriously?"

"What? It's Christmas. I thought it would be cute if we matched." She crossed her arms and shot him a challenging look.

His laughter reverberated through the room. Shaking his head, he stood up. "You are lucky I'm head over heels in love with you." He gave her a quick kiss on the lips before he started to change into the soft red flannel pants. "I never knew you were so into Christmas." He paused, catching her gaze. "Wait, why are you so into Christmas?"

Shrugging, she began to change as well, pulling on a white and red reindeer shirt. "I haven't celebrated since I was at the Academy. Honestly, I think I'm just excited to be with you, at a romantic inn, in the snow. I suppose I'm just being swept up in the holiday spirit. It's hard not to around here. Dana has this place decorated from top to bottom!"

Will held out his hands, adorned with a few fresh cuts. "Yes, I'm aware of the decorations."

Pushing him onto the bed, she crawled to snuggle up next to him as he settled back against the headboard. "I liked seeing that, you know. You…up on a ladder, hanging lights. It was very…domestic."

He wrapped his arm around her. "Maybe the Captain will let me decorate the Enterprise next year. I think the Bridge could use a few twinkle lights."

"Were you able to talk to him before you left this morning?" She looked at him, hope radiating in her eyes.

He nodded slowly. "Yes." Looking down at her, she sensed sadness in his heart. "Even though his trip was delayed due to the issue with the warp core, he still went to La Barre to be with his family. I'm sorry, Deanna. I really did try."

Fidgeting with her fingers, she looked down at her hands. "I know, and I knew it was a long shot. I suppose it really is up to fate at this point."

"It always has been. Come on, let's go to bed. It's late and I still have a lot to do around here tomorrow."

Pulling the thick quilt around them, Deanna held him tight, thankful they had found their way back to each other. She fell asleep hoping fate would do the same for their two friends as well.