Chapter 41

"Stop that!" Guinan smacked the back of his hand, and not too gently.

"Ow!" yelled Picard, his eyes snapping open at the same time. "You hit me."

"You were rubbing the bridge of your nose again. I just got you to stop pulling your shirt down, and now you start this again."

"My eyes were closed," he protested, stretching out his cramped legs on the floor of his temporary quarters.

"Closing your eyes does not trick me into believing you are truly meditating, Captain. You need to work harder."

Picard yawned and stretched. "I don't even understand why we are doing this," he said with obvious irritation, dropping his hands onto his thighs. "And I don't understand how this is going to help me to save Beverly."

"I told you. You need to learn to quiet your emotions so that you can keep your mind out of the Other's reach."

"Fine. But that doesn't resolve the problem of our weapons shortage, or how I'm going to defeat Doulos once I find her. There are too many factors outside my control, and I'm just sitting here."

Guinan pointed into his face. "No, you're wrong, Captain. The only thing within your control is the fact that you're sitting here. So don't you want to make the most of it? Now close your eyes and get your breathing in rhythm again like I showed you."

He glared back at her for a moment, but then did as she instructed.

"Clear your thoughts of anger and fear."

"I'm trying," he said testily.

"Try it without talking," she suggested dryly.

He sighed and tried to keep his posture straight while relaxing his shoulders and neck as she had showed him. But it was so difficult. All he could think of was Beverly, and how she must be frightened and angry.

"You're thinking of Doctor Crusher aren't you?" Guinan asked.

"Yes. But I'm trying to stop…."

"No, no, keep thinking of her," she said. "Think about good things. Think of something pleasant—a pleasant moment- but not anything that will throw your emotions out of control again. Find a picture in your mind of that moment and then focus on it."

"Alright," he said, sounding determined. Images began to flow through his head, and he tried to immediately push aside the ones that caused a pounding of emotion in his chest, or an almost painful sensation of desire. Instead he rested on the wry smile she gave him while they were eating breakfast together and she was about to tell him what was on her mind. His breathing slowed and warmth began to spread throughout his body.

Guinan opened her eyes slowly and watched with muted alarm as a purple glow began to emit from underneath on the bottom left corner of his shirt. Interesting. A remaining vestige of Orla's presence? But why?

She cleared her throat and he shifted but kept still kept his eyes closed, with a pleasant smile upon his face. It made her feel good to see him seemingly relaxed. Perhaps he did not want to leave whatever image of Beverly he had been able to summon, and who could blame him? "Very good," she said quietly. "Now Captain, I want you to continue sitting very still, keeping that image of Beverly in your mind and the gladness it has created in your heart. I want you to do that no matter what you hear me say, or whatever you think I am going to do, do you understand?"

Picard nodded. The purple glow now covered his entire torso, but he appeared oblivious to that fact, keeping his eyes closed. Guinan got up and took about ten steps backwards until she reached the wall. She reached deep inside her own mind and grasped a very old and bitter feeling. It was the feeling she had when she arrived home following the Borg attack and had seen the sky and ground were indistinguishable from one another, both being grey and lifeless. She had hated herself then nearly as much as she hated the Borg. Feeling the visceral hatred and fury again as though it were the first time, she felt enveloped in despair. She imagined for a moment that Picard was a Borg, and that if she killed him she would have her revenge. Feeling ready, she took a deep breath and then ran toward him swiftly, screaming at the top of her lungs that she would kill him.

Picard opened his eyes, just as she threw herself at him with her arms outstretched. His eyes showed alarm, but it all happened so quickly. A bright burst of purple exited from the front of his chest forming into a bubble which covered Guinan and froze her in place, suspended over his head. Quickly rolling away, he stood up and shouted in alarm. "What are you doing?"

Inside the purple sphere, Guinan struck the sides of the sphere, but it was immovable. She couldn't escape. She calmed her emotions, shaking off her self-imposed rage and then struck the side of the sphere again. Still she could not escape. She laughed and looked at Picard who was standing there staring at her with a perplexed expression. "Look," she said, nodding at his chest. He looked down to find a gradually fading purple glow coming from his torso. He looked back up at her with astonishment. "You try," she suggested calmly. "Try to reach in here and pull me out."

Picard hesitated but then reached his arm out slowly until his fingers touched the bubble. It felt like nothing at all, so he pushed his hand through. He grasped Guinan's arm and pulled her out, and as she dropped to the floor the sphere disappeared with a pop.

Still gripping her arm Picard looked as frightened as she had ever seen him. "What was that? What just happened to me? And why the hell were you trying to kill me?"

"When I…revived you after Doulos killed you, I used the small sphere I had used to transport into the Other's world. I was just guessing, and yet it worked. It had the power of Orla, and healed you. And apparently, it never really left you, Captain. So as far what just happened to you…I noticed the signature violet glow when you focused on your positive thoughts of Beverly and the more focused you became, the more powerful the glow became."

Picard stared at her. "But I didn't intend to…do whatever it was I apparently did."

Guinan smiled. "No. But it was wonderful wasn't it?"

"And by pretending to kill me…"

"I was testing it out. And it worked. The sphere you created contained me and all of my rage…which was real by the way."

Picard rubbed his jaw, and touched his chest absently, where the strange glow had been just moments before. "A weapon that works against anger, and doesn't actually harm the attacker, just contains him…Guinan, assuming I could call up such a phenomenon again, would could this sphere be sampled in some way?"

"It's worth a try," said Guinan. "The problem is that such a power will not want itself to be used to harm anything. Also, you might not be able to summon it at will. Even with your self-control, Captain, this would be difficult."

"But what if we could capture it somehow to use when we needed it? Perhaps I would only need to summon it one more time, just long enough for us to sample it and make use of it as a kind of defense mechanism. " Guinan looked hopeful, but said nothing. Picard reached up to tap his communicator, before remembering these were no longer operational. He sighed. "I'm going to go and locate Mr. Data and Mr. LaForge and enlist their help." He turned to leave and then turned back again. "Thank you, my friend."

"Hold still!" LaForge used a wet cloth to carefully dab at Saris' eyebrow which had been cut before in the fight with Korok and the wound had reopened after the attack in the corridor during which Doctor Crusher had been taken. Medical supplies were running lower than ever.

Saris tried to duck away from Geordi. "You are not a doctor," she said stonily. "I believe you just wanted an opportunity to touch my face, Commander LaForge."

Geordi made a face. "You know me so well," he murmured.

"So you admit it, then?"

LaForge scowled. "I was being sarcastic. No, I don't admit that was looking for a reason to touch you. Can't I just be concerned for your welfare?"

She shrugged and stared off into the distance.

"You could have died, you know," he said after a moment.

She fixed him with that piercing stare again. "Commander, I am your enemy…have you forgotten?"

Geordi glared at her. "You're the one fighting on our side, Saris. You stood guard out there for nine hours straight. You're not exactly behaving like you're still our enemy. Aside from the fact that you still hate my guts." He threw down the cloth and paced away from her.

"Geordi," she said sharply, and he turned in surprise that she had called him by his first name. Her heat signature he observed through his Visor rose a bit higher, perhaps from slight embarrassment. "I do not hate your…guts," she said, sounding unsure of what guts actually were.

He turned to face her. "Oh really? Because the last I knew you required orders from Tomalak just to be nice to me."

"Geordi, Romulans are not by nature...nice."

"Oh really," he said sarcastically.

"It is true," she said seriously, getting to her feet.

"And yet, you are still here. And yes I know there is no damn way off the ship, so don't tell me it's because we're trapped here. Why aren't you fighting for Doulos…against us?"

She crossed her arms and tilted her head. "What a strange question. Do you think I am evil?"

Geordi cleared his throat. "No of course not," he said. "But it's not a strange question either. You've see the people fighting for Doulos. Most of them are our fellow crew members. Good people."

"Well it seems that these people are not so good after all," she suggested.

He shook his head. "I don't believe it's that black and white. There must be a reason why they betrayed us."

Saris walked closer to him. "I do not hate you, Geordi," she said again as though she were trying to reassure both of them.

Geordi nodded, but said nothing, because he wasn't sure what she was getting at. It wasn't the worst thing he'd heard from a woman he was attracted to, but still seemed worse than the typical I think we should just be friends. Still, from this particular woman it was probably an improvement.

"You and I are very different," she said. "But as you noted, I am still here. I feel a kinship to you and your crewmate that I could never have anticipated. And I am not certain why."

"Seems like we have more in common than we originally thought," he said. He looked down at his hands and then back up at her. "Despite everything Saris…and the fact that the best you can say is that you don't hate me, the truth is…I really like you. A lot."

She stared at him so intensely that he started to back away, but she caught his wrist in a very strong grip, and backed him up against the wall quickly. "Whoa," was all Geordi could think to say.

Saris reached up to touch Geordi's Visor. "Will you take this off?"

His brow furrowed, still not entirely trusting her intentions. "Why?"

"It may get in the way," she said.

He reached up and took off the Visor, blinking as darkness replaced color and light. Almost immediately he felt Saris' palms on either side of his face, and her forehead touched his. She was very warm, which he attributed to what little he knew of Romulan physiology. They stood like that for several more moments and then he felt her lips pressing earnestly into his own. The fact that he could not see only added to the intensity of the experience. Their breathing seemed accentuated, as it was the only sound aside from the rustling of their uniforms….

"Commander LaForge," came a tight voice behind them. "What are you doing?" Geordi broke free of Saris and fumbled for his Visor only briefly before snapping it on quickly. Saris stood stiffly with her hands behind her back. Captain Picard and Data stood in the doorway facing them.

"If I may interject, Captain, it appeared that Geordi was kissing—"

"You may not interject, Mr. Data," snapped Picard. "And I could see quite well what he was doing, thank you."

"But you asked the question, sir."

"It was a rhetorical question, Commander," said Picard stiffly. "I didn't actually expect an answer. However, one does not usually see a Starfleet Officer and an officer of the Romulan Star Empire in such close proximity."

"I have not personally witnessed such an occurrence before now," offered Data helpfully.

"We were uh…just um…sorry, Captain," said LaForge, smoothing out his uniform.

Picard waved it off, and gestured for LaForge to follow him. "Never mind…I need your help with an engineering matter. Let's go."

LaForge paused. "Sir, Sub-Commander Saris is an engineer too. Maybe she could help sir."

Picard looked at Saris. "Very well. If you are willing of course," he added.

"I am," Saris agreed.

"Sir?" They turned to find Wesley Crusher in the doorway. He looked absolutely lost. "If you're working on a plan to bring my Mom back…well I'd like to help sir."

Picard's expression softened immediately. "Of course, Wesley."

"Beverly…Beverly, it's me. Wake up," said Jean-Luc. "Let's go…quickly. Unable to believe her ears, she peeled herself off of the cold floor and sat up reaching out for his hand. But as soon as he was there he withdrew back into the darkness and her hand grasped nothing at all.

She gasped and sat up, or rather her head jerked forward away from the wall she was already sitting against. She had dozed off sitting up. She had been so intent on defending herself that she had kept her gaze on Doulos, who now sat at the table in the middle of the room. She opened her parched lips and tried to curse at him, but no words came out of her mouth. She knew she was growing delirious from the lack of water.

Doulos got up slowly and limped over to the fountain again. He dipped the clay cup into the pool and filled it. She licked her lips instinctively with anticipation for something cool to drink, despite her stubbornness. He turned to face her and limped to the middle of the room. She broke into a smile. He was still injured. "Will you not drink this time?" he asked. He had offered before, several times and she had refused. But this time she nodded slightly and stretched out her hand.

He didn't approach any closer, but crouched down and deftly slid the cup of water across the smooth floor to her. Then he backed into his chair again and sat down, still watching her almost warily. She reached down and picked up the cup, drinking it down quickly. He gestured for her to throw the empty cup back to him, and then he re-filled it, repeating the process of sliding it to her.

She rested her head back against the wall, feeling invigorated. The water seemed fine. Certainly almost anything would have tasted good after all she had been through. When she opened her eyes, Doulos was watching her again. He looked slightly less confident than before, and she knew why.

"You're still limping," she said, not trying to hide her satisfaction. "I thought you had some kind of special healing powers. What's wrong?"

"These…soft parts do not heal so quickly," Doulos said looking down at his lap.

Beverly stretched her legs out. "I know," she said. "I'm a doctor."

"You strike very fiercely," said Dolous.

"I had to. You were going to kill that young man."

"He is nothing. He is weak."

"Look who's talking? You're still limping your way around this room."

Doulos was distracted. "My master is displeased with me…perhaps that is why he has not healed me."

Beverly sat up straighter. "The Other is the one who heals you?"

Doulos dropped his head into his hands. "I am not focused. I must focus on the master's wants and needs and forsake my own." He clenched his fists before him on the table. After that he was silent for some time, and she didn't have the energy to probe for more information. She fell asleep again within minutes. When she woke up later he was gone.

"What's that you're doin'?" Pritchard said, jumping down from his horse, and walking over to where Guinan was hunched over. She didn't answer, so he walked to her and pulled out a cigar.

She snatched it from his lips. "Can't you wait to light that thing until I'm done?"

His eyes widened in silent protest. "Hey, I don't even know what you're doin', which is why I asked. Just trying to pass the time."

"Well go pass the time over there," Guinan suggested, handing him back his cigar. Ignoring her dismissal, Pritchard leaned down and peered into her hands. She held what appeared to be a map, but it had strange glowing figures on it. As she passed her hand over it, the shapes changed and moved, growing larger or smaller as she manipulated it. She seemed frustrated, but he kept quiet, fascinated by the map. "Where is it?" she murmured.

"Let me guess," said Pritchard from behind her, as he had retreated to lean against his horse Ulysses. "You and that squirrely fella from the saloon are searching for the same object."

"Good guess. Only Q doesn't really want the object. He just wants to keep me from finding it."

Pritchard lit his cigar and puffed a few times. "Maybe he hid it then."

Guinan carefully folded up the map and turned to look at him. Maybe he was right. Just then they heard voices winding up the path.

Pritchard pulled out his gun and ran back toward the trail crouching down in the brush. He turned back to look at her and made a motion for her to stay hidden. Still crouching he headed back to re-join her. He took his hat off and slapped it against his leg. "Shit," he said. "It's Loomey's gang. We're going to have to get further off the trail. I don't get it… we left those suckers in the dust miles ago," he said, grabbing Ulysses by the reigns and leading him away on foot.

Guinan followed behind him with Peaches. "I do get it. Q is playing one of his little games."