"This is such crap!" Isabel plopped down on the couch in the small Captain's quarters on the Insurgent, wrapping her arms around a small throw pillow, pulling it to her stomach. Beverly sighed and moved to sit next to her, catching Jean-Luc's eye as she did so, the corner of her mouth curling up in amusement. Over the past few months they had become accustomed to Isabel's dramatic flair, and she knew as soon as the Major had ordered them not to initiate a rescue mission on their own they were going to see some fireworks.
"Order are orders, Iz." Wes shrugged, obviously not bothered by their directive. Popping another peanut into his mouth he casually walked across the room to join them. "We'll find him, then figure out the best way to rescue him. Chances are he's not even on Marva anyway. This is the just the first step in solving the final pieces of the puzzle."
Lifting the small pillow up to her face Isabel screamed her frustration into the soft fabric. Beverly did her best to stifle her laugh, while Wes threw a peanut Isabel's way hitting her on the top of her head. In turn, she glared and launched the pillow in his direction, his arm effortlessly deflecting the pillow from hitting his face.
"It's as if you two have been siblings your entire life." Beverly mused as she shook her head and relaxed into the soft cushions of the couch, pulling her right leg underneath her.
"Hey Iz, if you're done with your temper tantrum, I have something for you." Wesley smiled wickedly, continuing to tease her.
Without missing a beat Isabel folded her hands calmly on her lap and responded stoically. "Yes, thank you for checking. I'm finished."
Laughing, he tossed her a small, square box. "I made this after our last training session...you know, before you went all MIA."
Quirking an eyebrow, Isabel carefully opened the lid, peered inside, then tilted the box in Beverly's direction. Inside was a single right-handed black leather glove with all the finger sections cut almost all the way off – very similar to a fitness glove. Secured on the palm of the glove itself was a flat metal disc that shimmered an iridescent cobalt blue.
"Thanks, Wes." Isabel tilted her head as she looked at him. "If I'm a good girl, do I get the left glove too?"
Shaking his head, he laughed again. "It's a remote transporter."
Isabel's eyes went wide. Smiling with pride, he explained. "You made a comment that we wouldn't be able to have a bat'leth everywhere with us on our mission, so I created a remote transporter that will allow us to energize a weapon right into the palm of our hands. We can now have a bat'leth literally at our fingertips anytime we need one."
"Oh my god, Wes, you're a genius." She looked down at the glove again, then back up at Wes. "This is incredible."
Jean-Luc reached out to take the device from her, turning it over examining it thoroughly. "How does it work?"
"It's simple, actually. Obviously, the glove slips right onto your hand. We place the weapon we want to transport on the linked transporter pad on the shuttle, then when we want to energize, we simply tap the code onto the blue disc, and it activates the transport. That way we aren't dependent on anyone, and it materializes directly in our hands versus a separate location. We programmed it with morse code so it couldn't accidentally be activated. I made one for each of us, but unfortunately the shuttle is only equipped to handle two transports at a time, so..."
"You've tested this, I presume?" Jean-Luc's eyebrows rose, no doubt imagining the sharp edge of a bat'leth slicing through his palm as it materialized.
"Yes, Sir, several times. Data helped me configure the settings. We've rigged it so the blue pad on the glove matches with a small blue pad secured to the handle of the weapon. When it materializes, the pads align." He turned to address Isabel. "Go ahead and try it on."
"Impressive, Mr. Crusher. Very impressive." Jean-Luc grinned and handed the device back to Isabel who quickly slipped it on her hand, flexing her fingers and admiring the fit. Taking a seat next to Wesley, Jean-Luc's face became serious as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he addressed all of them. "Alright. We should arrive at Marva in about twenty-four hours. I want us to go over everything one more time and finalize our plan."
"I volunteer to check out the bar."
"Yes, Isabel, of course you do." Jean-Luc rolled his eyes and continue, a soft smile on his lips. "Once we arrive, Data will take over command of the Insurgent, which will be cloaked, and the four of us will take the shuttlecraft down to the surface. Major Kira had the standard shuttle replaced with a non-descript, non-Federation craft. Do you all have your civilian gear ready to go?"
"New eyes, new hair, new wardrobe. I'm ready, Pops."
"Isabel."
"What? It's catchy." Jean-Luc glared at her, his mouth a tight line, clearly not amused. Isabel raised her hands in the air. "Fine. You win. I'm all set and ready to go, Captain."
Beverly bit her lower lip to stop herself from laughing at the exchange. Truthfully, she was extremely grateful the four of them had been able to reset their relationship on the trip. While Isabel was still dealing with her memories returning, overall, she was back to her usual carefree, sarcastic self – despite having reservations about returning to her universe, though she had to share that with anyone other than James. Beverly only hoped there wouldn't any more triggers along the way, but realistically she knew that probably wasn't going to be the case.
She glanced at Isabel who was grinning from ear to ear. Sighing, Jean-Luc squeezed the bridge of his nose. "Isabel, since you're so eager to speak, would you care to share with us the information Major Kira shared with you?"
Relaxing into the couch, Isabel mirrored her own position, curling a leg beneath her. "The file was very…medical. It was a detailed report of their hypothesis regarding what makes Drew and I different – why the serum was successful when administered on him, but not anyone else." Pushing herself up, she adjusted her position as she explained. "It's probably best if I start at the beginning."
"Does that mean you are going to add your own information and commentary, essentially making this story about five times longer than it should be?"
Shooting a raised eyebrow at Wesley, she smirked at him. "Obviously, so if you can stop interrupting me, I would appreciate it." He grinned at her in response, and she continued. "As I was saying, the information in the report makes more sense when you understand my mother was working at Medical during her pregnancy. She was still in school but was able to work in the lab for credit. Anyway, about five months into her pregnancy she started to have complications. Beverly, I'll need your help to decipher all the doctor-speak, but from what I can gather there was an issue with the development of our lungs. Generally, some sort of steroid would have been administered, but instead she was given an experimental drug."
Jean-Luc held his hand up, causing Isabel to stop. "Experimental? Your mother allowed them to give her a drug that hadn't been approved?"
Isabel nodded. "Apparently it was one she had been working on, and they were having issues with obtaining approval for human trials. She and her team thought if they could prove it worked, then they would get the authorization they needed to move forward."
"Well, clearly it did work since you're here."
She laughed. "Yes, Wes, it did, and their assumption was correct as well. Once they had the data to prove it worked, it moved on to the next stage. However, it wasn't human trials as they thought." Isabel paused, glancing at the faces absorbed in her story. "Section 31 stepped in and overtook the project. They used the drug as a base for what became the Lazarus serum."
Beverly started nodding slowly, her mind putting together the pieces. "So, the serum worked on Drew because he had been giving the underlying drug during fetal development."
"Exactly. After the accident, his body was taken to Medical where they gave him the serum…but get this, according to the report, Drew wasn't dead. He still had brain activity, which is why it worked. Which, if you think about it, makes sense because it's not like you can just bring people back from the dead."
"Can't your body only live for a few minutes without oxygen?" Wesley looked at Isabel, then they both turned to look at her for confirmation.
She nodded. "On average the brain can go without oxygen for about three to six minutes before serious damage occurs. In some cases, I've heard of people who have gone up almost ten minutes without incurring any negative effects, but that's rare."
Wesley looked back at Isabel. "I thought you said Drew was pronounced dead when Medical arrived."
"He was." She shook her head, staring off across the room taking a moment to gather her thoughts. "My theory is that Section 31 had been keeping tabs on us since we were a part of the original experiment. I think the EMT's from Medical who arrived were working for Section 31 and purposely lied to us. They must have revived him…he must have been breathing, albeit barely, when they left for Medical. The timing from when my mother called for help to when they took him away would have been too long for his brain to survive that long without oxygen." Isabel paused again, catching her eye, then turning her gaze to Jean-Luc. "My parents didn't know. There is no way they knew Drew was still alive. How they reacted…how their perception of me changed. Plus, mom scanned him as we waited for Medical. We all truly believed he was dead." Her voice caught in her throat as her emotions threatened to take over.
After a few moments Jean-Luc's voice echoed softly through the room. "Did the report indicate how the Cardassians came to know of the serum and how they orchestrated Drew's kidnapping?"
Isabel shook her head. "No. However, there was a note at the end saying that Subject 161 – that's Drew – was being transported to the Omega research facility off-planet, but it didn't give a location. My guess is that the Cardassians infiltrated the facility at some point and took him from there so they could be in control of the only weapon that would defeat the Borg."
Silence once again encased the room as each of them processed the information. Beverly was grateful Isabel had further confirmation she didn't kill Drew. While Isabel was doing better, Beverly knew from Deanna that she was still dealing with a lot of guilt and regret and hadn't been sleeping. Despite the good that resulted in this news, Beverly couldn't help but be nervous about what secrets they were uncovering, and what trouble they were going to encounter along the way.
"This is not going to work." Wesley fashioned his communication watch around his wrist. He looked up at her with worried eyes, before nodding towards the counter. "Don't forget your ring."
"Ah, thank you, and calm down. It's going to be fine." Slipping on the ring, she looked at herself in the mirror, admiring her own communication device that was fastened securely around her neck in the form of an opal pendant. She touched it slightly, taking a moment to appreciate how thoughtful Wesley was. When they were done with this mission she was going to have to do something nice for him. Grabbing her dark brown leather jacket, she slipped it over the black tank top she was wearing and sat on the bed to pull on the matching leather boots.
"That's easy for you to say. Your job is to be loud…so essentially you just have to be yourself. I'm the one who's going to have to sneak around this guy's office."
Grabbing his jacket off the bed she tossed it into his face, catching him off-guard. He rolled his eyes at the action. "You might have to sneak around. We'll see what happens with we get there. Just remember – "
They both stopped and looked towards the living room as the sound of the door swishing open distracted them. Making their way out of the bedroom they stopped short, both of their jaws dropping simultaneously.
"Oh, wow."
"Holy shi – "
"Isabel." Jean-Luc's stern voice cut her off as he strode toward them, his hand on Beverly's hip, holding her close. They were both clad in similar civilian clothes as her and Wes.
Smiling at him, Isabel stepped forward and patted the top of his head, now covered in short, gray hair which matched the full beard he was now sporting as well. "I approve." She turned to address Beverly, who was starting to blush at the attention. "Blonde?"
Beverly reached up to run her hand through the long golden waves. "Since we both have a history with sneaking into Cardassian space, we thought it would be smart to change up our look, even if just a bit."
Smirking, Isabel quirked an eyebrow. "Well, I love it. You look gorgeous, and I never thought I'd see Jean-Luc with hair, so this is shaping up to be a great day." She clapped her hands together. "Are we ready to go?"
"One moment, there has been a slight change to the game plan."
She looked at Jean-Luc skeptically, crossing her arms already knowing she was not going to like his answer. "Define slight."
Grinning, Jean-Luc walked over and placed a supportive hand on her shoulder. "You're no longer the sole diversion. Lieutenant Mitchell will be joining you, playing the part of your…partner."
Isabel felt an unexpected blush creep up her neck to her face. Instantly she was warm, and it took her a moment to reply, her voice more a little shakier than she would have liked. "Uh, do you really think that's necessary? I'm more than capable of acting drunk on my own." She laughed nervously and absentmindedly started fidgeting with the ring on her finger as a multitude of thoughts raced through her mind.
James was going to be acting the part of her husband. She noticed Jean-Luc conveniently left out that specific title, but the game plan was clear. Isabel was to act inebriated at the bar and loudly complain about a man matching Drew's description swindling her out of money, which resulted in a falling out with her husband. The hope was the bartender, Dek, had been being pressured by the Cardassians for assisting Drew and would want to know as much information as possible on Drew's to get back into the Cardassians good graces. Then, once Isabel had Dek's full attention, Wesley would casually wander into the back of the bar to search his office, assuming it wasn't being guarded, for any information regarding Drew's transport. While she and Wes were on bar duty, Beverly and Jean-Luc were going to wander around the camp and see what other information, if any, they could find – especially from the transport station itself.
It was a solid, safe plan and she had been confident in her role. Now, Jean-Luc was throwing a very complicated wrench into the mix. She knew he couldn't possibly have known about the sudden shift in her relationship with James – if she could even call it a relationship at this point. Sighing, she squeezed the bridge of her nose tightly and tried to take a few deep breaths.
"What's the matter?" She glanced up at Jean-Luc, noticing the smirk on his face and a knowing glint in his eye.
"Oh my god, you do know!" Reaching up she roughly pushed his hand off her shoulder and started pacing around the room like a caged tiger. Stopping suddenly, she pierced him with a steel gaze. "Wait – how do you know? No one knows."
Wesley's confused voice floated from behind her. "I'm clearly missing something. What's does he know?"
Jean-Luc opened his mouth to reply, but she cut him off with a glare. He closed his mouth and looked at her and she crossed her arms and continued to stare back. Neither of them backing down.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Beverly move towards them with an annoyed look on her face, but the sound of the door chime stopped her in her tracks. As Wesley authorized access, Isabel turned to face the door coming face to face with James.
Taking note of the tension in the room, James cleared his throat and addressed Jean-Luc. "Apologies for interrupting, Sir, but Commander Data wanted me to notify you the shuttle is ready for launch."
Isabel bit her lower lip and tried to find a spot on the floor fascinating enough to distract her from the warm chocolate of James's eyes. He was entirely too close, and her heart started beating faster with his proximity.
"Thank you, Lieutenant. We're ready to go." Jean-Luc motioned for James to lead the way and Beverly and Wesley quickly followed.
She hastily turned to follow but was stopped by Jean-Luc wrapping his arm around her shoulders pulling her close. Grinning, he leaned down and placed a kiss on her temple. "Yes, I know, but even if I didn't, I still would have changed the plan. Logistically, it's the smarter move." She was silent, not knowing what exactly to say in the moment she was finding extremely awkward. Thankfully, he continued. "Isabel, I want you to know that if you're happy, I'm happy. I trust you, just keep your head in the game and stay safe today."
She did look at him then, really look at him. His eyes were shining in genuine happiness for her. Nodding, she elbowed him in the ribs. "Come on. Let's get this party started."
"I told you this wasn't going to work!"
"Wesley, just shut up and run!"
Isabel caught his eye as she reached out to grab Wesley's hand to yank him into a dark, narrow space between a cluster of dilapidated buildings Jean-Luc had just pointed out. Turning, he pulled Beverly close to his side, blocking her from view, as the four crouched down in silence deep in the small space hoping to evade the Cardassian soldiers chasing them.
All four remained still and quiet as they waited for the sounds of footfalls and orders yelled fade into the distance. Jean-Luc let out a silent sigh as he kept an eye out on the opening of their makeshift hideout. He tapped his watch, currently acting as his comm badge, and waited for the familiar chime. It never came. Reaching out, he tapped Beverly's pendant, hoping it would provide a different result. It didn't.
Sighing, he whispered into the darkness. "We've lost communication with the Insurgent. The Cardassians must have enacted some sort of interference once they started pursuing us." Looking between Wesley and Isabel he raised his eyebrows. "What happened?
"They knew who I was. I don't…" Isabel met his eyes, confusion clouding her features as she whispered. "The bar was filled with soldiers, but we stuck to the plan. Everything was going well…but they knew. How did they know?"
Not having an answer, he shook his head as he let out the air from his lungs and focused on their plan of escape. Closing his eyes, he replayed the last few minutes in his head. He and Beverly had been making their way back to the shuttle after not having any luck finding any leads on Drew, when suddenly their communication devices began exploding with urgent warnings from Wes and Isabel. He wasn't sure what had happened in the bar, but James had not been with them when they came running down the street. His assumption was he had either been detained by the Cardassians or had been killed.
After a few minutes he chanced a look towards the street, peaking his head out a few inches from the darkness to get a better look. He squinted in the dim evening light as he carefully scanned the area. He didn't see a sole, which was concerning to him almost as much as seeing another group of soldiers. He did not have a good feeling, but he knew there was no hope for them if they were discovered in the small passage, as there was no other way out.
Sighing, he turned to whisper his thoughts. "We aren't safe here. We should try and make it back to the shuttle." Pausing, he glanced into Beverly's eyes. Blue orbs that were staring at him intently, laced with worry. "It's not far. Just over the bridge at the end of the street. We landed in a clearing in the trees just to the right."
"We can't leave James." Isabel's forlorn words pierced his heart.
"Sweetheart, we can't go back for him. I'm so sorry." Beverly placed her hand on Isabel's shoulder as she spoke, squeezing gently. "Once we get back to the Insurgent we can figure out what to do." Isabel gave a small nod, then refocused her eyes on him, head back in the game.
He looked to Wesley, then to Beverly. "I want the both of you to go first. Run as fast as you can to the shuttle and prep it for launch. Keep trying to reach the Insurgent as well. Don't stop no matter what happens." His eyes locked once more with Isabel's as he lifted a gloved hand. "We only have two phasers between us. Isabel, you activate one, I'll take the other. I want you to cover them. I will follow you and do the same. Wes," He caught the young man's eye once again, appreciating how much he had come to look like Jack now that he was an adult. "Once you've reached the shuttle you are to leave within three minutes – no matter if we are all there or not. Do you understand?"
Wesley nodded sharply. "Yes, Sir."
Before giving the order to go, Jean-Luc slowly caressed Beverly's cheek, pulling her face close to his for a lingering kiss before he touched his forehead to hers. "I love you."
He felt her hand rest over his. "I love you, too." She placed another quick kiss on his lips. "Now let's get the hell out of here."
Slowly standing, he pressed his back as close to the rough stone as possible as he carefully slid towards the opening. Peering out one last time, he nodded towards the group indicating it was clear. Stepping out onto the street he kept close to the building as he made room for Beverly and Wesley to slip out. Catching her hand, he gave it one more firm squeeze. "Go. We'll be right behind you." Nodding, Beverly and Wesley took off quietly towards the bridge, using the shadows to hide their figures as much as possible.
Reaching up he squeezed Isabel's shoulder, catching her eye as he nodded for her to go as well. With a quick wink and smile, Isabel took off into the night following the same path, newly transported phaser clutched tightly in her hand. Jean-Luc followed closely behind, eyes constantly scanning their surroundings for any movement. Glancing ahead, he noticed Beverly and Wes were more than halfway across the bridge, the forest looming directly before them.
His heart pounded in his chest as adrenaline rushed through his veins. As he scanned the buildings to his right, the feeling of unease bubbled up once again within him. Things were too quiet. No one was on the street and not one light was shining through any window. His heart clenched and stomach sank at the possibility they were running directly into a trap. Pushing the fear from his mind, he pressed on and tried to catch up to Isabel, who had just reached the entrance to the bridge.
The loud bang of a metal door echoed through the silent streets, immediately followed by one single order. "Stop her!"
Isabel glanced back at him; eyes wide as she realized she was their intended target. Picking up her pace, she focused on making it across the bridge. He was now directly behind her.
It seemed as though he felt the searing pain in his shoulder at the exact same moment he heard the phaser fire crackle through the air. Crying out, he stumbled into Isabel as he fell, catching himself on the low guardrail as his knees slammed into the hard wooden planks. The old wood groaned at the impact, moving slightly at the force. Gritting his teeth, he tried to breathe through the pain and stand. He needed to keep moving. Glancing up he noticed Isabel scrambling to her feet as she moved towards him.
"Leave me!" Ignoring his order, she grabbed his bicep and hauled him to his feet. Impressed with her strength, he smiled slightly as he found his balance.
"Where are the shots coming from? It's so dark…I can't make out anything."
Jean-Luc shook his head. "I can't tell either. Let's keep moving. I can't see Beverly and Wes, hopefully they've made it to the shuttle safely."
As they started picking up their pace, another loud crack rippled through the stillness. This time the blast hit the bridge directly behind them, blowing the wood into a million little splinters and propelling them forward. They both caught themselves with their palms, pain radiating throughout the left side of his body as he did so. Small shards of wood rained down upon them as he desperately looked for their phasers.
"Jean-Luc!" Whipping his around to the right at the sound of Beverly's strangled cry his heart felt as though it had stopped. She was being detained by two soldiers, one on each side. Directly behind her two more guards followed with Wesley.
Grunting, he stood once again. Knees and arms aching at the movement. Automatically he stepped in front of Isabel, shielding her from the phasers currently pointed at them from their left, though understanding there was nowhere for them to go but down…and a quick glance over his shoulder confirmed the deep, rocky gorge that would be awaiting them if they jumped.
Shifting his gaze, he glanced at each soldier surrounding them, trying to decipher which one was in charge, but no one stepped forward. The only sound in the air was the sound of heavy breathing and the low hum of fully charged phasers.
Isabel leaned in close to him from behind. "I'm trying to figure out our options, but unfortunately every plan I come up with ends up with us dying. Any ideas?"
He turned his head slightly to whisper a response. "Our phasers must have fallen into the ravine when the explosion occurred. We are surrounded and unarmed with no place to go but down…and that would ensure certain death."
"Yeah, okay, great. Good pep talk." Even though he couldn't see her face, he knew her eyes shining with humor. "Hey, maybe you can just talk them into letting us go with those amazing negotiation skills you have."
Rolling his eyes, he was about to form a response when a voice finally echoed through the horde of soldiers.
"Jean-Luc it seems we meet again. Put your hands in the air and step away from the girl."
The sound of the familiar voice was like a punch to his gut. His heart immediately began racing and he could feel the blood draining from his face as he urgently scanned the crowd. Automatically, he massaged his wrists as memories from his time on Celtris III began rushing back to the forefront of his mind.
"Jean-Luc?" Isabel's hand was instantly on his back and she no doubt felt his heart rate accelerate. Shaking his head, he tried to clear his mind and focus on the present.
He felt Isabel's hand slip from his back as she boldly stepped around him. Reaching out, he grabbed her arm stopping her from doing whatever foolish plan she had come up with.
"We only want the girl, Jean-Luc. Let her go, step away, and you'll be able to fly off in your shuttle with your Dr. Crusher in no time. It's so nice of you to bring her with you again."
Jean-Luc took a step forward, puffing out his chest as anger bubbled up within him. "No."
"Jean-Luc, just let them take me." Isabel was pleading with him as she tried to dislodge her arm from his grasp. "Please. Save yourself. Get Beverly and Wes out of here. Please."
He looked her dead in the eye. "You do not understand what this man is capable of. I will not leave you here to suffer as I did. I will not let them hurt you."
Opening her mouth, a reply clearly on the tip of her tongue, but she stopped. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at him. "He wouldn't die for me. You don't have too either." Not knowing what to say he simply stared at her as he silently cursed his other self. A single tear escaped her eye and slowly rolled down her cheek. "Please. Let me go."
"Listen to her, Jean-Luc. Make this easy on everyone."
"No!" He turned, finally locking eyes with the one man he had hoped never to see again. "I will never cooperate with you!"
"So be it."
With that, another barrage of phaser fire fell upon them. As before, he used his body to shield Isabel as much as possible, but her body quickly went limp in his arms as his consciousness began to fade. As he drifted off, the last sound he heard was Beverly's futile cries as she fought to get to them both.
To be continued…
UPDATE 3/5/2022 - So I decided to re-write the last section of the story. I know, I know...I'm sorry for the delay, but the muse has spoken. Hope to post the conclusion (all at one time) shortly!
UPDATE 6/25/2022 - I'm SO sorry for not finishing Closure yet! Apparently pregnancy zaps ones creative juices as it does other things...like energy. BUT I have not forgotten or abandoned the story, it's just taking me much longer to complete than anticipated. Thank you for reading, your feedback and your patience. :)
UPDATE 11/7/2022 - Our little guy (James Tiberius!) decided to come 6 weeks early, so it's been an adventure over here. Never thought I could be as tired as I am, but so in love with this little one. Thank you all for the encouraging feedback not only on the story, but for the baby as well. I do promise you I'm working on it! Sleep deprivation is a bitch...
