December 24, 2370

For the first time in years, Beverly awoke to the feel of warm sunlight on her face. Smiling, she stretched her arms above her head and arched her back, hearing a few satisfying cracks as she did so. Slowly she opened her eyes and snuggled into the warm bedding, not wanting to surrender her cocoon of comfort quite yet.

Her mind wandered back to the events of the night before. After dinner, she and Michael had stayed up past midnight catching up, drinking too much in in the process. In a million years she never expected to run into him again. She had first met him at Starfleet Medical five years ago, during her year away from the Enterprise. Due to their similar personalities and interests, they had hit it off almost immediately and had become quick friends. While she ran the department, he taught a biology course at the Academy. When she first met him, he had just gone through a messy divorce and she had been a little depressed being away from Wesley – and Jean-Luc, though she never admitted that to anyone but herself. They were never more than friends, but Beverly often wondered what would have happened between the two of them if she hadn't gone back to the Enterprise. Was fate trying to give them a second chance now?

Frustrated, she pushed herself up and out of bed, making her way to the on-suite bathroom. As she stood in the shower letting the hot water relax her muscles, she thought about what she wanted. What would make her happy? Who would make her happy? Was it time to move on from being CMO on the Enterprise?

Turning the knob harshly, she turned off the shower. She did not have enough coffee in her system to be making life changing decisions. Besides, nothing needed to be decided today. She was here to relax and have fun for the holidays, and that was exactly what she intended to do.

Pulling on the warm, Starfleet-issued black winter leggings, she rifled through the tops she had packed with her. Deanna had another day planned for them around town, while Will stayed behind at the inn finishing the repairs needed inside of the barn. Settling on a form fitting cream-colored sweater, she pulled on her fuzzy boots and headed downstairs for breakfast.

The savory smell of pancakes and bacon hit her nose as she descended the stairs. She could also smell rich coffee wafting through the air, which excited her far more than it probably should have.

"Beverly!" Dana's voice welcomed her as she entered the dining room. "Good morning! Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, Dana, thank you. Everything has been wonderful." The woman smiled and took her elbow, leading her to the adjacent room to join the other guests.

Will and Deanna were already seated and waived her over to join them. These were the moments she was dreading on this trip, the moments that made her realize she was alone and was acting as their third wheel. Pushing aside her feelings, she smiled brightly at them and sat down at the small table across from Deanna.

"Have fun last night, did we?" She shook her head and smiled, while simultaneously glaring at Will for good measure for teasing her.

"There is a chance I may have had too much wine, but overall, it was a great night." Dana brought her a cup of coffee; a gesture Beverly was utterly grateful for.

"Define great." Will had a huge smile on his face. Deanna smacked his arm and he pretended to be hurt, while his smile grew even larger.

Beverly just smirked and raised an eyebrow at him. "Notice how the coffee is still in the cup, Will." She took a sip of the strong liquid and held his gaze, letting him know it wasn't the time. If she didn't know what was happening in her life, she wasn't about to discuss it with him.

"Anyway…" Deanna elbowed Will and changed the subject. "If you are still up for it, Beverly, I thought we could explore Stars Hollow a bit today. I hear there is a cute coffee shop we could check out, and we could also see what they are setting up for the festivities tonight."

That was new information. "Festivities?"

"Dana was telling us this morning about the Christmas Eve celebration they have in the town square. It sounds like the entire town is involved! She said there will be booths set up with food and hot chocolate, games, ice skating and there is even a performance by the local high school choir."

"Wow. That sounds…really fun, actually." While Caldos didn't go quite all out as it seemed Stars Hollow did, what Deanna described reminded her of the holiday memories she had of Nana growing up. "Nana and I used to go to something similar on Caldos every year."

Deanna smiled and Will grimaced. "You're going to make me go ice skating, aren't you?" Deanna just smiled wickedly at him.

"Don't worry, Will. If you fall and break your ass – that I can fix." They all shared a laugh and continued the light discussion as they enjoyed their breakfast. After a few cups of coffee, Beverly started to feel energized and ready for whatever crazy shopping adventures Deanna had planned for the day. She knew her friend better than to believe they would just be going out for coffee.

"Good morning!" They all glanced up at the sound of Michael's voice.

They exchanged pleasantries. Instead of sitting down, he stood next to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him at the unexpected touch.

"Beverly, I was wondering if you would be up for a little horseback riding today. Dana said the trails around the property are gorgeous – especially in the snow."

At the mention of horseback riding Jean-Luc immediately popped into her mind. He loved riding, even had his own saddle, and she knew he made an effort to go riding in the holodeck as often as possible. She couldn't help but feel as though she would be cheating on him if she accepted Michael's invitation, yet on the other hand it sounded like a wonderful opportunity to relax…and honestly, she wasn't looking forward to the million questions Deanna would inevitably have for her today about her past relationship with Michael, or her currently situation with Jean-Luc.

As she was deciding on whether or not to disappoint her friend, Deanna spoke from across the table. "You should go." Beverly shot her a questioning look. "It's okay, really."

Surprised and recognizing she was nowhere near off the hook chatting with Deanna, she smiled at Michael and nodded. "Sounds great. What time?"

"An hour okay? Meet you in the lobby?"

"I'll be there." With that, he walked away and she slowly turned to face Will and Deanna once again. She felt a warm flush rise up her neck to her face.

Deanna looked at her and gave her a sincere smile. "You deserve to relax on this trip, Beverly. Have fun today."

She wanted to have fun, but she couldn't push away the feeling of guilt tugging at her heart.

"The barn looks great, Will! I never knew you were so handy." Leaning on the wooden ladder, Deanna gazed up at him in the hay loft as he nailed the final rail into place. The sound of his efforts echoing through the massive space.

"It's actually a lot easier than fixing a Jefferies Tube." Will winked at her and shot her one of those bright smiles she loved, the ones that stretched all the way to his eyes.

Casually glancing around the barn, she noticed the horses hadn't been returned yet, which meant Beverly was still out riding with Michael.

"No, Deanna, they aren't back yet…and here I thought you were coming out here to check on me out of genuine concern." He wasn't even looking at her anymore, but he knew exactly what her motive was for wandering out to the barn.

Ever since Beverly had left with Michael she had been mentally kicking herself for encouraging her to go. While she knew being supportive was the right thing to do as a friend, she couldn't help feeling disappointed about how things were transpiring. This was not what she had planned for this weekend.

Deanna sighed, slowly making her way around the dusty space, touching the various pieces of machinery she was unfamiliar with. "It's been almost three hours. I would have thought they'd be back by now."

"I'm sure they'll return soon." He rested his elbow on his knee where he was kneeling. "I'm surprised you were so eager to have her go with him today. After last night, I would have thought you would have wanted to keep her as far away from him as possible."

She looked up at him with a sad smile. "After all is said and done, Will, I just want her to be happy – and you were right. If it's meant to be, then it will be. In the meantime, however, I want her to relax and if that means taking time to catch up with an old friend, so be it."

Will chuckled. "I feel as though you mean about sixty percent of what you just said."

She smiled wickedly. "Maybe fifty."

It was at that moment she noticed his hand, wrapped in a white cloth that was now thoroughly soaked with blood. He noticed her eyes widen and raised his other hand before she could speak. "It's worse than it looks, trust me."

Ignoring his attempt to waive off her concern, she urgently started climbing up the ladder. "What happened?"

"Let's just say it took me a trial run before I learned how to successfully use the saw." He willingly gave her his left hand and watched as she started to unwrap the cloth.

"Will, this is deep." She carefully examined the cut, which was in the webbing between is thumb and forefinger, noticing it was still trickling a steady stream of blood. "It's going to get infected."

"Beverly isn't back yet, so I thought might as well work in the meantime. She promised to fix me, remember?"

"She promised to fix your ass…and she was teasing."

"Don't worry, she'll still fix me. I haven't pissed her off too much today for her to refuse me medical attention…at least I don't think I have anyway."

Deanna shook her head and pulled him to his feet. "Come on, funny man. Let's go inside and clean this out and wait for Beverly to get back."

The gray overcast sky paired perfectly with the line of pine trees which lined the vast snow-covered field, creating what Beverly always imagined a winter wonderland to look like. They rode slowly side by side on the worn path, which was just visible after the last snowfall. It had taken a little bit for her to get familiar with using the reigns, but once she did, they started on their journey. They rode out far into the woods, finding a small creek that had frozen over along the way where they stopped to stretch. Now, they were on their way back to the inn.

While the night before they spent hours chatting about their careers, common friends, and interests…today they rode mostly in silence, just enjoying the beauty surrounding them and each other's company. When they had stopped to stretch, he did ask if there was anyone special in her life. She had hesitated as she honestly wasn't sure how to answer the question. Instead, she had smiled at him and made a joke about CMO's not being allowed to fraternize with members of the crew, but it was obvious from the look on his face he knew she was avoiding the topic. Since they had started on their ride back to the inn, she had been waiting for him to bring up the topic again. He didn't disappoint.

"So, are you going to tell me about the mystery man in your life, or are you going to leave me in suspense the entire weekend?" He glanced over at her, raising a thick eyebrow as he assessed her reaction.

Taking a moment, she thought about what she should say. Was there a man in her life? Yes, of course there was, but not a man she had any obligation to, no matter how much she wished she had.

"It's complicated." That was the only answer she could muster in the moment. Not the best explanation, but at least it was the truth.

He laughed and shook his head. "That's it? It's complicated?"

"Very complicated?" She shot him a pathetic look and they both laughed together.

"Tell me about him, Beverly. Who is this man who has captured your heart?"

Deciding she had nothing to lose by opening up to Michael, she nodded to him. "He's someone I've known for over two decades, whom I've shared many experiences with – good and bad. Someone who has saved my life more than once, and I his." She paused, trying to sum up what she was feeling in a few words. "He's my best friend, and I'm scared to have it be anything more. So, to answer your question, yes there is a man in my life, but we aren't together."

Michael was silent, staring ahead at the inn now coming into focus in the far distance. Finally, he turned to her. "Why are you afraid of being loved, Beverly?"

She stared at him, mouth agape. Her brain incapable of forming a coherent response.

"You know you deserve to be happy, right? Why are you afraid?"

She shook her head. "I don't know."

"Yes you do." She turned her head sharply towards him. He shrugged. "Think about it. Deep down you know. If you didn't, you wouldn't be afraid."

He was right. She did know why she was afraid. "I'm not afraid of being loved, I'm afraid of losing myself in that love, and what it would do to me if I lost him. I already lost one husband; I can't stand the thought of losing another man I love as well."

"Exactly. You already love him. Would it hurt less if something happened to this man tomorrow than it did when Jack died? No, right? I would assume in that case, instead of just having a broken heart, you'd also be full of regret for not having had the courage to tell him how you feel or having had the opportunity to be together."

Once again, he was right and her brain wasn't functioning due to the realizations of the impromptu mini-therapy session that just occurred, so she simply nodded.

"Beverly?" She looked at him, eyebrows raised acknowledging his question. "If you tell him how you feel, and he doesn't feel the same way – which I highly doubt – give me a call." He smiled and winked at her, trying to lighten the mood.

She let herself laugh and nodded. "Absolutely. You'll be the first person I call." She turned her head and caught his eye. "Thank you." She was thankful for his support, his friendship, and his understanding. She knew he wanted to be more than just friends – maybe he always had – but she appreciated that he cared for her so much that her happiness was important to him.

They made the rest of the trip in silence. Her mind was racing, thinking about how the next couple of days at the inn were going to be torture. She wanted nothing more than to see Jean-Luc, but he was in La Barre with his family, and while she could send a message, this was the type of conversation they needed to have in person. Perhaps she could use the next couple of days to figure out a romantic way to tell him how she felt before New Year's. Smiling to herself, she decided she liked that plan, that it was something she was genuinely excited for.

As they rounded the back of the inn to make their way towards the barn, she saw Deanna and Will making their way inside. His hand was wrapped in a bloody cloth. She shook her head and laughed to herself. It was always something.

Deanna caught her eye and just shook her head. Beverly looked at will and whistled at him. "If you think I'm going to fix that, you have another thing coming."

Without missing a beat, he shot back a response. "Love you too, Doc! Make sure to tell the Captain you chose to intentionally let his First Officer die of a raging staph infection."

She let herself laugh whole-heartedly. "Go clean that out. I'll be right in to make sure you stay alive, but only because Deanna loves you. I can handle Jean-Luc."

The Stars Hollow Winter Carnival was simply magical. Dana had informed them the carnival had occurred almost every year for over four hundred years, and throughout all those years the town strived to keep the authenticity of the event – which meant mostly everything was void of any technology past the 20th century.

As per tradition, all events and booths were set up around the white gazebo, which was in the center of the town square. White twinkle lights were in every tree, and the pop of red, green, silver and gold decorations on almost every bush and house added to the ambiance. In the gazebo itself, various musical acts were performing before the choir, which was scheduled to perform right after sunset. The small skating rink was set up down the street in a park, across from the coffee shop Deanna had mentioned earlier. Will was still hemming and hawing about having to skate, but Beverly could tell he was secretly excited to be able to share this time with Deanna.

Beverly and Michael had continued their conversation on their walk into town. She thanked him for being such a caring friend and apologized for not sharing the feelings he had for her. He waived off her apology, letting her know that he considered himself lucky they had rekindled their friendship after so many years. A part of her felt bad for not sharing his feelings, but she was also at a point in her life where she couldn't pretend anymore, and frankly, didn't want to. If there was any spark of hope she could salvage a chance at a romantic relationship with Jean-Luc, she had to take a chance on that before entertaining any other options.

They had made their way into town in the early evening and were now winding their way through the excited crowd, sipping hot cocoa and nibbling on the various sweets they stumbled upon. Currently, they were stopped at a fudge stand, where Deanna was in heaven sampling the various flavors of chocolate they offered.

Beverly, Will, and Michael were deciding on which booth to visit next, when the choir started singing. The harmonious notes filled the crisp air and the crowd instantly fell silent. Turning, they grabbed Deanna and pulled her reluctantly towards the gazebo. They found a spot next to the huge Christmas tree that wasn't too crowded and stood shoulder to shoulder for warmth, enjoying the music that floated through the air.

As the choir started singing the classic Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Beverly noticed snowflakes gracefully falling from the sky, which only added to the magic of the moment. To her right, she noticed Will wrap his arm around Deanna, pulling her tightly to him, Deanna wrapped her arms around his waist in return. To her left, Michael had his hands shoved into his pockets, a move she knew only too well. Her heart when out to him, but she didn't want to give him the wrong idea if she were to lean on him for warmth. The air suddenly seemed to become unbearably cold, prompting Beverly to wrap her arms around herself. Despite her thick winter coat, hat, and gloves, the cold still cut through to her skin.

Closing her eyes, she sighed and let her senses focus on the music. Suddenly, two strong arms wrapped around her from behind. Startled, she tensed and immediately spun around, unexpectedly finding herself staring into Jean-Luc's warm hazel eyes.

Her eyes went wide as her heart began beating loudly in her chest. "You…you're here?" Utterly shocked, she was surprised she was able to get the words out, though they were only just above a whisper.

He reached up and, with a gloved hand, gently pushed a strand of auburn hair out of her face. "I'm here."

He smiled lovingly at her, his eyes twinkling in the light from the Christmas tree. She returned his smile, not knowing the last time her heart felt such happiness. He pulled her close to him and without hesitating, bent down and captured her lips with his own. She instantly returned the soft kiss, deepening it after a few moments as she reached up to touch his face and neck, wanting to be certain he was really standing there in front of her, and not just some figment of her imagination.

She could still hear the music in the background, but every other sound and every other person simply melted away. It was only the two of them in this moment, standing in front of the beautiful, brightly lit Christmas tree as the snow cascaded down around them. While it only lasted a few moments, time seemed to stand still. Eventually he pulled away and stared intently into her eyes.

"Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you too." Hot tears brimmed in her eyes, threatening to fall. She clutched the front of his jacket with one hand as she caressed his face with the other. "I'm happy you're here."

They shared a sweet smile as they enjoyed the realization that they had finally arrived at the place they had both been longing for. Then – just as quickly as before – he was kissing her again. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she gave in to years of wanting and eagerly kissed him back, giving him every part of her soul she was scared to share with him before.

Finally, he broke their kiss and tucked her into his side as they stood with their friends to enjoy the rest of the concert. She never wanted him to let her go. She couldn't believe he was here, with her, on Christmas Eve. It was like a dream out of a fairy tale she never thought would come true. Eventually, the concert concluded and the crowd went back to the hustle and bustle of the carnival.

"Captain!" Will clapped Jean-Luc on the shoulder and flashed a wide smile. Next to him, Deanna shared his happiness as they turned to say hello.

"Hello, Will, Deanna – Merry Christmas!" For the first time Jean-Luc took in his surroundings, eyes moving from one attraction to another. "This is quite the elaborate celebration."

Beverly turned to introduce Jean-Luc to Michael, but he was nowhere to be found. She wasn't surprised he had made a quick exit. It their roles had been reversed she wouldn't have wanted to stay either. Focusing back to the conversation Jean-Luc was having with Will and Deanna, she realized Will was trying to talk Jean-Luc into going ice skating. She smiled at his attempt, knowing quite well he would be unsuccessful.

"Actually, I was hoping Beverly would agree to join me on a carriage ride." He turned to her, eyebrows raised. "What do you say?"

She smiled and nodded at him enthusiastically, while Will's shoulder's slumped in mock disappointment. Deanna smacked his arm. Will smiled at her, catching and kissing her hand in return.

In an instant, they were saying goodbye and Jean-Luc had taken her hand in his, leading her towards the street where a white carriage had conveniently stopped. A cheerful couple in their 20's hopped out, arm in arm. Jean-Luc waived at the driver, who nodded, and then he helped her up into the carriage.

As he sat next to her, she looked at him in disbelief. Still amazed he was here. He caught her eye, smiled broadly and swiftly grabbed her hand, entangling his fingers with hers. The carriage started moving slowly through the square. Snow was still falling and music had started playing again...everything was absolutely perfect.

Finally, she let herself laugh. "Jean-Luc…I… What are you doing here?"

He squeezed her hand lightly. "Let's just say someone made me realize it was time to stop acting a fool."

She looked at him inquisitively, then it dawned on her. "Deanna."

"Will, actually." Jean-Luc laughed at the shock that came over her face. This was Will's doing? She had a hard time believing Deanna wasn't the orchestrater behind this. "Yesterday morning Will came by my quarters. Let's just say he made me realize what I really wanted for Christmas." His eyes continued to sparkle as he gazed at her.

She couldn't help but tease him. Smirking, she reached up to adjust the cap he wore, then focused back on his hazel eyes, her nose now a few mere inches from his own. "And that would be?"

He let the question float between them for a moment, letting the tension build. "You."

If she thought her heart was beating loudly before, it surely must have been beating out of her chest now. She just shook her head and smirked at him. "Well, that's good…because I all I want for Christmas is you too."

Tracing her jaw with his free hand he smiled at her, unable to contain his happiness. "You're not afraid anymore?" He spoke softly as his eyes bore into hers.

She shook her head. "I'm afraid of a lot of things, Jean-Luc, but I'm not afraid of letting myself love you. Not anymore."

Closing the gap between them, their lips met in a sweet caress as the carriage carried them into the night.