"Everything was easier on the Titian!"
"Why do you think that is?" Judith shot back just as quickly.
"The crew was more flexible, calmer. They thought outside the box. Regulation was respected but not necessarily regarded as the last word." He sighed. "It was friendlier."
"And why do you think that was?" McKenna raised an eyebrow at him.
"Judith." He moaned, burying his face in his hands. "You know when Deanna used to do this she would actually put in her two cents."
"Will." She breathed back. "You have just spent the last half an hour complaining that this ship doesn't fit you because you are more calm, flexible, and a little loose with the regulations." He looked up at her, his blue eyes bright with understanding for the first time since they'd started this session. "Will you didn't change to fit the Titian.."
"It grew to fit me." His lips parted slightly. "And the Enterprise?"
"A little too formal, polite but not at ease when things are not what she expects. Cautious. Reserved, but amazingly resilient." She arched her eyebrow again, pushing her face into his line of sight. "Remind you of anyone?"
He smiled and she almost sighed in relief.
"I'm not Picard." His eyes were glowing now, as he tried to stop grinning.
"And the Enterprise is no longer Picard's ship." Judith finished. "And it's time you stopped acting like she was."
Beverly Picard pulled off her lab coat and looked at the scene in front of her. Lizzie and Jack busily playing a game of Vulcan checkers while Sienna helped her daddy scoop large pieces of cantaloupe out of the serving dish and onto individual plates while he bounced Luc on his shoulder.
"Mommy's home." He whispered warmly, nudging Sienna with his elbow.
"Mommy! We made dinner." She giggled.
"You did?"
"We assembled dinner." Jean Luc teased. "We did not grow anything while you were at work."
"I cut the cantaloupe." Sienna wrinkled her nose at her father in disappointment.
"Sienna did in fact cut the cantaloupe." He raised an eyebrow at her. "Jack help your sister set the table."
He moved towards her and she reached out her hands for the baby.
"You look very domestic." She purred. "I'd forgotten how natural you eventually became with a baby on your shoulder."
"Don't get any ideas Beverly. We are old."
"You are old." She reminded sharply with a raise of her perfect eyebrow. "I am accomplished."
"You are beautiful." He muttered kissing her. "Deanna was here earlier. She looked better than I've seen her look in years."
"I hope so." Beverly drew her finger across Luc's face.
"How's our Captain?"
"He was just coming out of a session with Judith when I left Sickbay but the twinkle was back in his eye."
"That's something." He watched his wife glance over her shoulder for a second before looking back at him.
"And I cleared Deanna for intercourse today so he should be twinkling tomorrow." She told him secretively.
"Beverly!" He muttered with an embarrassed grin.
"Well I'm just saying.."
"You're saying that these two aren't going home anytime soon?"
"Not tonight." Beverly smiled, dropping her eyes to Luc who looked back at her with infantile interest.
"I think I made a breakthrough." Will said quickly strutting back into the guest quarters. "I now know what to do to make us happy !"
"Me too." Deanna called softly. His eyes lifted with the tone and he found her stretched out against the doorway in nothing but a soft pink silk robe. "Hi."
"Hi." He froze. His body tingling at the sight of her.
"Will.. " She smiled taking a few steps toward him before loosening the ties of the robe enough that he actually gasped a little. "I know it's been a long time but I can't believe you've forgotten what to do in this situation." He swallowed hard , his eyes squinting just a little before her hand reached out towards his. He took it cautiously. "Ooh Kaay." She raised a hopeful brow. "Usually, this is where you would sweep me up in your arms and-."
The gasp that escaped hr lips knocked the words away as he yanked her against his chest and pressed his mouth to hers. He freed her hand and it found it's way frantically to his hair.
The small whimper of surrender that slipped form his mouth as their lips parted made her want to weep. She moved her arms around his neck as his hands roamed down the length of her body, still gentle at first, searching her mind for the pain that he knew logically wouldn't be there. However logic and experience were two different things, and Will Riker never again wanted the experience of causing his wife pain.
It's alright.
She urged him on, using his shoulders to support herself as she let her legs slide around his waist. He clamored to lift her the rest of the way up, grunting as her body pressed against his suddenly very awake genitals.
His fingers pressed firmly against her thighs as he clumsily carried her into the bedroom and sat them on the edge of the bed. She moved back a little, meeting his gaze.
I love you.
The raw emotion made his eyes shut as he pressed his forehead against hers. She moved the lower half of their bodies closer as well and he groaned as she touched him though the fabric of his uniform.
"Beverly Okay'd this?" He mumbled, pulling his arm away from her just long enough to free it from his sleeve.
"Yes." She kissed him again, helping his other arm from the fabric. "Happy?"
"You have no idea."
"Commander?" Gibson made his way into the other man's quarters.
"They here Sam?" Geordi sighed turning from his desk and looking at him.
"The Foremost is entering range." He nodded, following his First Office to the turbolift. "Transporter room three."
They walked in silence until the doors swished open and Sam dismissed the Ensign at the controls.
"Sam." LaForge swallowed. "Thanks.'
Gibson nodded solemnly as he retrieved the signal from the Foremost and beamed aboard the other man's children.
Elexa launched herself from the platform and into her fathers somewhat stunned arms. David took a few steps before stopping in front of them. LaForge extended his hand slowly and dropped it on the young man's shoulder.
"Dad.." Geordi looked up at his step sons' face. "What the hell happened?"
"I don't know." The engineer shook his head. "None of it makes sense. B4's working on it."
"B." Lex pulled back from her father and wiped her face. "Is he okay?"
"I think so. He's had lots of questions." He smiled at her round face, so much like Leah's. "That's probably a good sign don't you think?"
She nodded.
"Where is he?" David asked.
"In his quarters." La Forge smiled.
"I'm gonna go.." He looked past his father and sister. "I don't want to.."
"Are you sure?" Geordi watched David nod before looking at Elexa. "And you're sure you want to?"
"I need too." She whispered. "I want to see her."
"I'll make sure David gets to the Lieutenant Commander. ." Sam said stiffly. "Cadet?"
"Yes Sir thank you." He whispered, touching his stepfather's shoulder as he walked by them. "He seems like he's doing okay."
"I don't think it's hit him yet." Sam answered honestly. The young man nodded and continued down the corridor. He watched with mild interest as David greeted B4 much they way that you would greet a younger brother.
"How are you doing?" The Cadet asked leaning forward towards the android.
"I believe I am supposed to be asking you that question David."
"Well I asked you first." The young man leaned back against the couch.
"I find my self with a list of questions."
"Sure."
"Questions that I would normally be asking your mother." The android explained.
"You can ask me." David smiled. "I might be able to answer." A warm smile spread across David Brahms' face and Sam decided he'd intruded enough.
"Cadet, Lt. Comander. I'll be going." David jumped to his feet, turning to face his superior. B4 rose slowly.
"Thank you Sir."
Sam nodded at him.
"Again I'm very sorry about your mother. She was a genuine person."
"Thank you." David's eyebrow quirked at the Commander's word choice as the doors swished shut behind him.
"I believe that is high praise for him." His eyebrows arched lightly in a way that reminded David of Data.
He'd been ten when Data had been lost, five when he'd met him, but he still had managed to remember quiet a bit. But he guessed it was hard for any five year old to forget meeting an android.
"Well then." He shrugged his shoulder. "How's Geordi?"
B4 cocked his head slightly.
"He is not behaving how I would have expected."
"How do you mean?"
"I have found in my experience that when people loose a spouse they tend to be overly emotional. Geordi has shown no high spikes in his emotional responses. If anything he has seemingly no emotional spikes at all."
"He's numb." David shrugged. "It's perfectly normal for a human to become numb when they don't know how to deal with an emotional issue. "
"Then I guess I would also be described as numb. Even with out the capability of emotion." B4 looked at his friend's step son. "When my brother Data was destroyed, I did not fully comprehend the ramifications of that happenstance. It did not occupy so much of my neural activity as Leah's death seems too. I find myself considering all of the variables that will be effected by her absence. It makes me wonder the same things about when my brother was destroyed. I find myself wondering what would have occurred differently if he hadn't."
"I think that Data would be impressed with your progress." David guessed, fiddling with one of the pads on the desk. "I know Mom would have been." Brahms' sighed.
"Are you numb as well?"
"I'm numb, then I'm mad, then I'm sad." He pursed his lips. "Mostly I'm just worried about everyone else."
"I believe that is also acceptable for human grief."
"I'm glad that you approve." He grinned, watching B4's face quirk. "What?"
"You smile like your mother." He blinked.
"Thanks." David looked at the android. "You smile like your bother."
"Thank you." B4 tilted his head to side and David tried not to smile.