THE SKY'S THE LIMIT

by mabb5

This is the GEN version of my adult novel, THE SKY'S THE LIMIT which was originally published on fanfic as "M". It is the sequel to the gen novel that I recently published called THE BEST LAID PLANS. In this novel, Jean-Luc is trying to solve the problems of the universe, marry Beverly and help all of his former senior officers find their own places in the universe.

6. Chapter 7 Par-Tay!

THE SKY'S THE LIMIT

CHAPTER 7

A.N.: The End is near! Finally, all the loose ends should be tied up. There's a wedding, a few arguments, a really big party, and the launch of the Enterprise. All the usual disclaimers apply.

I thank you for reading.

Any comments would be appreciated.

Revised September 2016. Only corrected typos and some continuity problems.

=/\= =/\= =/\=

The bright white light was burning through his eyelids.

Finally, he had to open them.

But when he saw Q, he wanted to go back to wherever it was that he had been. He'd been loving Beverly there. And it would take the power of a Q to drag him away from Beverly's arms…

=/\= =/\= =/\=

The operation was over. Somehow, Jean-Luc Picard had managed survive it. There was no logical reason as to why he should still be alive. Everything that medical science could predict contraindicated his survival. Picard should be dead. But he wasn't.

Beverly sat by Jean-Luc's bedside and watched. She was not going to leave him.

A large, warm hand rested on Beverly's shoulder. She looked up to see Captain Jellico.

"Is there anything that you can do for him, right now, Doctor?" Jellico gruffly asked.

"No," she admitted.

"Then I order you to get some rest. Don't bother protesting. I will override you." He glanced at Dr. Ogawa. "But you may sleep here, next to him if you wish. You have your babies to think of, Doctor." She didn't protest as a med tech brought over a bed.

Jellico stepped away from Beverly and into the main section of the sick bay.

"Thank you, Dr. Ogawa-Powell, for telling me."

"She wouldn't listen to any of us," Alyssa explained. "I've known Beverly for years. She is one of the stubbornest people in Starfleet. And the universe."

"Understood." He looked at the surgical crew. "Thank you for all coming so quickly at my request." He purposefully stared at every doctor. He wondered if anyone would contradict him. No one did.

Jellico then entered the hallway, where all of the Enterprise officers were waiting for news. "Nothing yet. I've ordered Dr. Crusher to get some sleep. We'll all be notified if there is any change." He walked a few steps, made a decision, then turned and ordered, "Follow me."

There was something in the tone of his voice, that suggested to all of Picard's officers that maybe they should follow Jellico.

He took them to Geordi's quarters. They all were somewhat surprised by Jellico's destination.

"Mr. Data, check for bugs," he ordered as they entered the suite. When they were all sitting, including a rather startled Geordi LaForge, Jellico took center stage.

"I appreciate what you all have tried to do for Admiral Picard." He stared with barely controlled anger at Captain Riker and Commander Crusher. "And I completely understand why you did what you did." He glared at all of them. "But do you have any idea how you may have jeopardized that goal, for which Jean-Luc may very well end up sacrificing his life for? How dare you endanger Jean-Luc Picard's mission!"

"Captain, I do protest your assessment…"

"Shut up, Data!" Jellico ordered. "I have witnessed the extraordinary bravery of this man. A man who gave up the woman he loves and his children to be, the job he'd given his life for, all of his friends; a man willing to even submit to disapprobation and the scorn of his peers, and then to finally suffer horrific torture - all this in order to do his duty. To bring peace to the Federation. To destroy a silent enemy bent on controlling us."

Jellico watched all of them.

"You may have thought that you were doing the right thing. And if Picard lives, then you'll be somewhat justified for thinking that you did do the right thing. But, ask yourselves - will Jean-Luc Picard believe that you all did the right thing? You all should have been concentrating on doing your duty - making Jean-Luc Picard's mission a success - and not giving in to your own personal wishes."

No one said a word.

"And what will you say to Picard, if he lives, but the mission is a failure? What then?"

Their silence continued.

Jellico glanced at Geordi. "Commander LaForge, Dr. Brahms, and Commander Barclay will be returning the Montgomery Scott to Utopia Planetia tomorrow. I do not want to have to worry about the security of a major Starfleet experiment, and maintain the security of this conference simultaneously." He turned and looked at LaForge. "Starfleet has accepted my explanation of requesting that Mr. Data arrange for Dr. Crusher to come as soon as possible. By the fastest means possible. There will be no charges against you, Commander LaForge. Count yourself lucky that because of the conference, I could not find the time to file the well-deserved charges." His head pivoted to look at Mr. Data. "Am I correct, Mr. Data?"

Data knew that he was being asked to confirm a lie. But he didn't have to think about it. He knew it would save his friends' careers.

"Yes, Captain."

"You all should have consulted me first." With that, Jellico left the room.

"Whoa." Geordi muttered. "Did Captain Jellico just save my ass?"

"He saved all our asses," Data replied.

Riker looked in the direction of the closed door. "Yes, he did, for now." He glanced at all of his friends. "But what if he's right?" He left.

Riker paced around the ship, walking the decks, thinking. He ignored his own physical pains. He knew that Jellico was only suffering his presence. Riker had been so focused on Picard he had forgotten what was really important. And he felt an overwhelming guilt as he understood the mistakes that he had made including the guilt he'd felt because he hadn't prevented Madred from stabbing Picard. He made up his mind. There was only one thing that honor dictated that he do.

The door to Jellico's ready room chirped.

"Enter."

The last person Jellico wanted to see was Captain Riker. His opinion of the man had not really changed.

Riker stood at attention in front of Jellico's desk.

"Yes, Captain?" Jellico wasn't bothering to be polite.

"Sir, with your permission…"

"What?"

"You were right. I was wrong. I apologize."

Jellico finally looked up at him. "Meaning?"

"You are the better Starfleet captain. I will be withdrawing my name as captain of the Enterprise. You should be captain of the Enterprise E. Not me."

Riker had finally managed to surprise Jellico. And Jellico studied Jean-Luc's Number One rapidly reassessing his opinion of him. He had just read the report of how Madred had tortured Riker too. And the way Riker had behaved in its aftermath.

"Captain, I do understand and appreciate the magnitude of your offer. But what makes you think that Starfleet would offer the Enterprise to me if you withdraw?"

"There's no one else as worthy of the captain's chair of the Enterprise, Captain Jellico."

Jellico started chuckling. "No, Will Riker. There's you." He motioned for Riker to sit down.

"Sir?"

"Picard saw something in you that I never did until now. So, I'm not going to second guess the great man. To be frank, I don't want her any more. I've learned a few lessons along the way, myself. And what I really want is what I already have - and Nella. If I were the captain of the Enterprise I wouldn't be able to have my wife and son on board with me. I understand Picard's point of view on that subject."

"Captain."

Jellico interrupted him. "You'd better call me Edward, Will."

For the first time in days, Will smiled. "Yes, Edward. So what can I do to help?"

Edward matched Riker's grin. He still did have a few scores to settle with Will. "You're fit for duty?"

Riker said yes, hoping Beverly would back him up. "No one knows this, but the Romulans are arriving in sixteen hours. Why don't I put you in charge of them."

Riker had never suspected that Jellico had had a mean streak as well as a sense of humor before.

=/\= =/\= =/\=

Something had beeped. And she woke up. Ro Laren stretched on her bed in her new captain's cabin. It was quite comfortable. She would have asked Tom if he liked it too, but he was snoring next to her.

Eventually, she began to realize that something was still beeping. "Now what," she grumbled as she went in search of her clothes. She wasn't about to answer a subspace message in the nude.

On the bridge, she found the proper button to hit.

"Data!"

"Laren!" They'd become friends during their communiqués, and she was finding that she actually liked him. Of course, knowing how Jean-Luc felt about the android, had been a major influence upon her.

"You are safe!"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Ro, the last we heard of you, you were being held captive by the Cardassians."

"And so you thought to call me, just to see if it was true?" Data was taken back a bit by her attitude. Ro smiled. "Tell Jean-Luc that an old friend of his, the Vorlo Captain Ragner rescued us."

"Us?"

"Tell Will that his brother is safe too."

Mr. Data nodded. Then his expression saddened.

"What is it Mr. Data?"

"Jean-Luc Picard was gravely injured by Gul Madred. Captain Picard is on board the Cairo. Dr. Crusher was able to come and replace his heart. However, he is still in critical condition."

She was close to throwing up. "Data, is there anything that I can do?"

"Yes."

"What?"

"I do not wish to ask this of you, Ro Laren, but I must. I need you to testify about what Gul Lemec did to you and your father. Admiral Picard was supposed to testify about his treatment at the hands of the Cardassians, but he is not able to do so. We need you to testify, Ro Laren. Would you?"

"How would I get to Qo'noS! Won't Starfleet try to stop me?"

"I have been assured that if you come to the Klingon border, Gowron's personal flagship will escort you."

"How did you know to contact me, Mr. Data?"

"Admiral Picard mentioned that he was getting you a ship. I contacted DaiMon Behlk."

"I understand, Mr. Data." She didn't have to think twice. "I'll be coming as soon as I can."

"Data, out."

Hours later, Tom Riker found Ro sitting in the pilot's seat. He realized that they were going somewhere.

"I can drop you off on Macias, if you wish."

Riker wondered if he'd gotten out of bed in the wrong dimension, considering the night they'd just shared. "Drop me off where?"

"I'm on my way to Qo'noS, Tom. They need me to testify before the delegates at the conference."

"You can't go. You'll be arrested!"

"Gowron says that he will offer me sanctuary."

"Do you really believe that? Are you really going to trust a Klingon?"

"I don't have a choice, Tom."

"Of course you do, Laren!"

"Really?"

Riker shook his head in disbelief. "After all that the Federation and Starfleet have done to you, you still are Starfleet in your heart."

"I am what I am, Tom."

He stomped away. After a few minutes he returned holding two cups of coffee, and handed one to her.

"So, when do we reach Klingon space?"

=/\= =/\= =/\=

He croaked something. Merde…

She was right there, next to him, before he could try to say something again.

"Jean-Luc?" she prayed. She leaned closed to his ear. "It's Beverly, Jean-Luc. You've got a new heart."

"You have my heart?" Somehow he found the strength to brush his thumb against her cheek. "Don't throw it away…"

Through the tears, she almost smiled. "Rest, my love," she whispered. "I'll be here when you wake up."

"The babies…"

"They're fine, Jean-Luc. I love you.

"You… rest." His eyes closed.

And then she cried great tears of relief. She ran from the room, straight into her son's arms.

"He spoke to me, Wes," she wept.

"He's getting stronger, Mom. He's coming back to us - his way."

The news quickly spread through the ship that Picard woke up. There was hope.

=/\= =/\= =/\=

She just had to do it. Flaunt it. So Ro Laren replicated another version of her cat suit, this time in a flame red with a touch of burnt gold here and there. It was definitely not a sedate little outfit. Then she lowered the zipper a couple of notches.

Tom could only stare with admiring appreciation at his lover. She really was something else.

Tom had replicated a suit similar to those that Federation Terran diplomats wore. If he wasn't clapped in irons the minute they set foot on Qo'noS, he wanted to blend in.

When they beamed down to the Chancellor's great hall, the last person either expected to see was Captain Will Riker. He was accompanied by Klingon guards. They were armed.

"Oh no," both Ro and Riker groaned.

Will just flashed his best Cheshire cat grin. He was going to enjoy this.

Will stepped up to Ro, took her hand, lingeringly kissed each knuckle, pulled her closer, and then pressed a rather sensuous kiss against her lips. "Good to see you again, Laren."

He straightened up, waiting to see if Tom - or Laren -was going to take a swing at him.

But Will forgot that Tom was also him. And two years in a Cardie labor camp had taught him a lot about patience and waiting for the appropriate moment to act.

Tom grabbed Will's hand and shook it. "Good to see you again. Long time since I've been with my evil twin."

An eyebrow rose. Will instantly realized that Will had changed. This was going to be interesting.

"So, where are we going?" Ro asked as Will motioned up the steps. She looked towards the large amount of Klingon warriors on guard.

"You're going to be briefed, and escorted, and you're scheduled to testify tomorrow morning. By the way, you're staying on board the Cairo. Gowron has literally run out of rooms for all the delegates and witnesses."

"In the brig, no doubt," Tom remarked.

"As long as you remain in the Klingon Empire, you'll be treated as honored guests," Will replied.

"You mean honored guests residing in the brig," Tom mumbled under his breath.

Ro stopped. "You want us to beam up to the Cairo? No thank you! We'll stay on board my ship - the Gale."

"Together?" Will just had to ask.

"And what is that to you?" Tom bristled.

Will turned to confront Tom. "Ro Laren is many things. One of the things that she is, is my friend. I don't want her hurt by the likes of you."

"You mean us don't you?"

"Yes, that's why I won't let you hurt her."

"Boys, boys! The Klingon warriors are properly impressed with your posturing over a female. Now, let's get going before this female kicks both of your asses." Ro patted both their chests. "Now, let's go. She then swatted both their behinds. A few warriors snickered. And she was touched by Will's defense of her.

Will Riker was amused by Laren. And relieved too. For though she had been captured by Madred and Lemec, they obviously had not hurt her as severely as they had done before. After a few minutes, Will ushered them into a small room that he was using as an office.

Ro glanced about the room as Will closed the door. "Is it safe to talk?"

Will pulled out his Tricorder and checked. "Right now, it is."

Will sat down opposite of them.

"How is Jean-Luc?" She did not bother to hide her concern.

"He's still alive, Laren. He woke up a little while ago. But Beverly is keeping him comatose at the moment."

Will noticed that Laren seemed pale. And her concern for Jean-Luc was obvious. He also wondered how Tom was handling this. Hell, he was jealous, and it had been years since he'd known Ro Laren as a lover.

Ro opened up a pocket, and removed quite a few data chips. "You might be interested in what I've uncovered, Will. I got info from the Vorlo captain Ragner, too. He had a lot to say on the subject matter of the Suliban. I've got names, dates, payoffs and cargo movement for them."

Will Riker began to really understand what Jean-Luc Picard had seen in Ro Laren.

Hours later, they were almost done. But Tom was acting worried now. Ro was turning green. "Where's the bathroom?" Tom asked.

"Two doors to the left," Will answered.

Ro dashed, waving at Tom to stay.

"What? Laren's sick? Was it the Cardies?"

Tom thought about it and decided that maybe Picard's first officer should know the truth. "Ro's pregnant."

"I'm going to become an uncle?" Will was suddenly pleased with that thought.

"No. She's pregnant with Picard's child."

"Oh my God." He thought of Beverly. And then he understood how complicated Jean-Luc's life was rapidly becoming.

"That's why Madred wouldn't let Lemec rape Ro." The hate still churned in Tom. "You don't want to know how they tortured her. But the Obsidian Order wanted to use Picard's daughter against Picard so they wouldn't let Lemec seriously hurt Ro. But he still hurt her."

Will felt the hate now, too. He also had to ask the question. "Are you lovers now?"

"Yes. I've sort of asked Ro to marry me."

Will accepted this knowing he could do nothing about it. "Care for a Klingon ale?"

Tom was surprised by the offer but agreed.

Will decided to plunge right in. He didn't want Tom to find out years from now. For Will might not like having an evil twin, but he was getting used to the idea of having a brother.

"Did Ro ever tell you about me?"

"You mean how much she hated you? What an ornery, Rigelian worm of an evil superior officer you were? Or the part where you slept with her?"

"Or the part where I let her escape?"

A servant brought two ales and a tea.

"Figured some part of you would support the Maquis, Will. After all, I do."

"I let her go because she was Ro Laren, and not because it was for the Maquis."

Tom drank some of the dark ale. He didn't believe Will for a minute. "I think I'd like to play poker with you someday, Will."

"I'd like that too." Will grinned at the thought of a poker game with himself. It would be an interesting game. But there was more that Tom should know.

"Tom, there's something else. Beverly Crusher is pregnant with twins."

Tom put down his drink. "And here I thought you were the Don Juan of the Enterprise."

"I don't know if it matters, but this behavior is very atypical for Picard."

"Yes, that helps a lot, doesn't it?" Tom drank his ale. "Is Picard going to live?"

"I hope so."

"Then I'll punch him in the jaw when he's better." He drank some more ale. "It's a real mess, isn't it? I'd planned on raising the baby as my own, Will."

Will thought about it. "It's possible Jean-Luc will agree to it. After all, you are me where it counts. And Jean-Luc has already asked me to take care of Beverly and her twins, if something should happen to him. I can't see where he'd object to you."

"I'm Maquis."

"It might surprise you that a very good argument could be made that Jean-Luc is Maquis too. Or at least has Maquis sympathies." Will jerked his head toward the door. "That's why Picard started all this. He couldn't reconcile his conscience with his duty. He had to resolve the situation."

They talked.

"By the way Will, thank you."

"For what?"

"For helping me escape the Cardie labor camp."

Will didn't deny it. "You'd been there over a year when I found out about it. Otherwise I'd have come to the rescue sooner." They shook hands recognizing that they both were coming to accept each other. "I envy you. Laren is one helluva lady. Kiss her once for me."

When Ro came back to the room, she understood that Tom and Will had reached some sort of accord about themselves. And her.

Will explained. "Ro, you don't have to stay on the Cairo. Though Geordi and Reg are on board tonight. I know they'd love to see you again. They have to go back to UP tomorrow. And that is another long story. Anyway, you can meet Geordi's wife, Leah Brahms. And if you're not careful, Reg will talk about his fiancée for hours and hours on end. Plus, there is a perfectly fine sickbay up there. I've contacted Dr. Ogawa-Powell to see if she can see you within the hour."

Ro didn't have to be told that both of the Rikers had ganged up on her about going to sickbay. She knew that they were right.

=/\= =/\= =/\=

It was the low murmur of voices that roused her. She recognized one - no, both of them. Alyssa and Laren. Then the adrenaline surged through her body.

Laren!

She woke up. Immediately glanced over at Jean-Luc and saw that there was no change. She heard Alyssa asking about the frequency of morning sickness. Beverly was about to interrupt, when she heard Alyssa gasp. "You were tortured?"

"Yes. Lemec considered me entertainment."

Dr. Crusher came into the exam room. "Hello, Laren." She spoke as gently as she could. She nodded at Alyssa. "May I?" She motioned for the tricorder.

"Beverly?"

"Let me, Laren. I will take good care of you."

"Never doubted that."

"Your baby is fine and healthy." Beverly wiped away a tear as she finished her exam. "You have suffered. But there was no permanent damage. We can fix those scars for you right away, if you wish."

"Not until after I testify. I need to show all of my scars to the delegates."

"Do you want me to pull the records from the last time?" Beverly remembered what she'd seen then. And wondered how Ro could be so stoic about what she had recently endured.

Ro nodded. "Yes. I want the universe to see how Gul Lemec treated his prisoners."

"I am ordering a full course of personal counseling. Once you testify, you're going to need it to deal with the aftermath of your torture, and your emotions." Beverly sat next to Laren. "It's a miracle that you didn't lose the baby. This baby is precious to you, isn't it?"

"Yes." Laren fought her tears.

"Jean-Luc doesn't know yet, does he?"

"No, I don't think so. I haven't seen or talked to him in over six weeks." Ro stood up.

"Now what?"

"Dr. Ogawa-Powell will give you two vitamin shots, as well as a list of what you must eat. You've missed too many meals lately. You're going to have to watch that."

"And Jean-Luc?"

"He's got a lot of explaining to do, don't you think?"

Ro started giggling, Beverly joined in.

It was the laughter that awakened him. It seemed so long since he'd heard kind laughter.

"Doctor…"

Within seconds Beverly and Ro were by his side. For a second he considered himself the victim of a lousy practical joke by Q. Q had been in his dreams a lot lately. Then Beverly grasped one hand. And Ro, the other. He thought that maybe the better part of valor was to pretend to be sleeping again.

"How do you feel?"

He couldn't ignore Beverly. "Better." His voice was hoarse. "I'm thirsty."

She gave him a little to drink. "You'll get more in a little while."

"Tyrant," he mumbled.

Finally, Beverly began to breathe more normally again. If he could be grumpy, then he was getting better.

"Crusher to Jellico."

"Yes, Doctor?"

"Admiral Picard is awake."

"I'll be right there."

Beverly turned to see Ro caressing Jean-Luc's cheek. He wasn't saying anything; he was just looking at her as if he missed her and was glad to see her. And Beverly wouldn't have been human if she wasn't jealous. Just a little bit.

He recalled Beverly's presence. "The conference?" His voice was a little stronger now.

"Captain Jellico is coming. He'll tell you."

"Where are we?"

"Orbiting about Qo'noS."

"I missed a lot, didn't I?"

Beverly chuckled. "You don't know the half of it. Just to get me here, Geordi stole a top secret starship." On his look, she added, "You can discipline him later."

"Wesley?" He looked over to Ro. "Please Laren, leave us. I'll talk to you later."

He reached for Beverly's hand. "Did Wesley use…"

"No, Jean-Luc. He didn't. Not even when Will asked him to do so."

"Will did more than ask, didn't he…"?

"Yes."

"Tell Wes, I am proud of him. He did the right thing."

He still clutched her hand. "Will. Is he all right? There was so much blood…"

"We took care of him, Jean-Luc. He'll recover."

He closed his eyes, relieved.

Jellico interrupted them. "May I come in?"

Beverly stepped back. "Not too long, Captain."

"Good to see you alive, Jean-Luc."

Picard wearily opened his eyes, then found the strength from somewhere, to draw his invisible mantle of command about him. "Good to see you too, Edward."

"The conference is going well. The Romulans are now involved."

"Co-operating?"

"Yes. So is the Cardassian Government. The Obsidian Order has been officially outlawed. They've turned Gul Madred and Gul Lemec over to the Klingons."

Picard closed his eyes. He accepted what the Klingons would do to the Guls. Madred and Lemec would never make it alive to Federation space.

And he did not care.

Edward waited until Picard opened his eyes again. "And your Ro Laren turned over enough information that we've been able to identify Suliban operatives on forty-two different worlds. The depth of the network is staggering. But we're going to get a lot of them." Jellico almost controlled his enthusiasm. "We're going to do it, Jean-Luc. We're redefining the zone itself. And even the Maquis are approving, so far, of the realignment."

"Now that's a miracle."

"Yes, that is. By the time we're done, we might be able to tear up Ro Laren's arrest warrant. Not to mention yours."

Picard was able to chuckle, albeit weakly.

Picard closed his eyes, drifting off again. He understood Kirk's words all too well. If he were to die today, he'd have done enough to make a difference.

After Beverly checked on Jean-Luc, she joined Ro who was still waiting in the outer office of Sick Bay. Dr. Kil'dar approached her.

"Dr. Crusher, you've been on your feet for over sixteen hours. I've also been informed of your pregnancy. It's time you ate something and got some real rest. I will call you when the Admiral wakens."

"Yes, Doctor. Where am I supposed to go?"

Doctor Kil'dar personally escorted them. As they approached Beverly's quarters, Ro casually asked, "May I talk with you?"

Knowing that she shouldn't avoid it but dearly wishing that she could, Beverly allowed Ro to precede her into the room. It was a typical guest suite. Not as large as the Enterprise's suites, but still acceptable in colors of grey and blue, decorated in a style to which no one would object. Or really notice.

"Two ginger teas," Beverly ordered at the replicator.

She handed one to Ro, and then sat down on a grey armchair kitty corner to Ro's position.

"Where shall we begin?" Beverly asked.

Ro took a sip of the ginger tea. And was surprised at how nice it tasted.

"Settles the nausea," Beverly mentioned. "You're about seven weeks pregnant."

"Something like that. And you?"

"Going on four months."

"So, how are we going to handle this?"

"I'm personally in favor of the old Earth tradition of tar and feathering him once Jean-Luc gets well. Then I'd like to see him teach kindergarten for at least a year."

Ro laughed out loud. "Oh, he really deserves what's coming to him. Maybe we should ask Guinan for some more suggestions."

"That's not a bad idea at all. She's very good at bedeviling Jean-Luc." Beverly pondered some more. "The problem is; I suspect that we both love him."

"He might like me but he never said he loved me."

Beverly laughed. "Considering your condition, I'd say more than like…"

"You're not jealous?"

"Of course I am. But I can't condemn him for doing that which I gave him permission to do."

"Rather foolish on your part."

"I know, Laren. I was being noble. And look where it's got us. Pregnant, and having to be civil about it too. Jean-Luc has had other lovers around me but nothing quite like this."

"I heard about Vash. I heard she was trouble."

"Not as much as you…"

"I do tend to have that effect on people." Laren wasn't sure she should ask this, but she had to know. "In the future, I'd like Jean-Luc to know his daughter…"

"What makes you think that I'll have a future with Jean-Luc? Other than with our children, that is."

"I was the woman that Jean-Luc had sex with now and then. You have always been the woman he loved, that he worshipped. I knew that fact even when I served on the Enterprise. There weren't many people on that ship that didn't know you were the captain's woman." Beverly didn't quite believe her. "And I knew it every time I was with him, and I saw him stare out of a port window looking for someone that wasn't there."

"Not all the time, apparently."

"The first time we were together, he really didn't have much of a choice. Ragner did like to play his despotic games. And as for the second time - I honestly had the impression that he might have been using me. That he wanted to give me an incentive, as it were, for joining him on his missions. He may not even have been consciously aware of doing it. Resolving the DMZ mess and forcing the Suliban into the light, was his primary focus. He would have done just about anything to succeed, including using me."

"That doesn't sound like Jean-Luc.

"I know he really didn't mean to do it, which is why I'll never tell him that I guessed. But I do think he'd have done anything to be able return to you."

"Jean-Luc would never have gone that far."

"Dr. Crusher…I know he cares for me, and I for him, but what we had was not true love."

"I'm sorry, then. It wasn't fair to you."

"Oh I think things will turn out okay. For if it weren't for Jean-Luc, I probably would have never met that transporter accident known as Tom Riker. He's got all the charm of Will Riker, and none of the, uh, baggage, Doctor. I won't have to worry about women hiding in Tom's closet for Tom knows that if I found any, I'd shoot him. I do know that if Will Riker had ever been nice to me on board the Enterprise, I probably would have joined the chasing after Will Riker happy bottom fan club too. He was one hell of a lover." She couldn't hide her mischievous grin. "As you should know, Doctor. Now Tom, on the other hand, may not have had all the varied experiences, but he still is a Riker. And one hell of a lover, too. I am not going to let him slip away from me."

"Ro, considering everything - and all the men that we have had occasion to share - shouldn't you be calling me Beverly? And I'll call you Laren?" Beverly's grin was devilish. "Imagine the look on Jean-Luc's face when he hears us talking."

"By all means, Beverly. He should pay."

"Yes." Beverly thought some more and considered a few facts. "I don't mean to be too personal, but were you planning on getting pregnant?"

"Of course not, Beverly. Having a baby and being a Maquis - those two things don't work together too well."

"So what happened. How did you get pregnant?" She glared at Ro to stop her from stating the obvious. "I mean, did your birth control fail? What?"

"I really don't know." Ro could play the same game too. "We're you planning on getting pregnant?"

"No. According to all the tests that I ran when I was on the Clara Barton, everything was the way it should be. There is no way that I should have become pregnant either." Beverly considered the facts again. Then she tapped her comm badge. "Dr. Crusher to Lieutenant Crusher."

"Yes, Doctor?"

"Robin, can you come to my quarters right away?"

"Your wish is my command, oh most revered mother-in-law of mine."

"Who the devil is that?"

"My son Wesley is married to her - Robin Lefler. She's quite something else, herself."

A minute later Robin showed up. She kissed Beverly's cheek, and then introduced herself to Ro. "I've heard a lot about you - mainly from Wes and Geordi. Neither one of them condemned you for joining the Maquis." Robin added, with a twinkle in her eye, "Geordi tells the most interesting stories…"

"Don't believe a third of them."

Then Robin noticed that Beverly was scanning her.

Beverly dropped back down in her seat. Then tapped her comm badge. "Dr. Crusher to Dr. Leah Brahms LaForge."

"Yes, Doctor?"

"Please come to my quarters immediately."

Beverly had to know.

"I'll be right there."

A few minutes later Leah showed up, wearing a pink caftan. "Sorry," Beverly commented as Leah came into the room. She introduced Ro. And then scanned Leah. "Dammit." Beverly wasn't tired any more. "You're pregnant, Leah. So are you, Robin. We all are pregnant!"

"But I'm on birth control," Robin said.

"I'm not," Leah mentioned. "Geordi has promised me at least six kids and I've been holding him to it."

"Q!" Beverly shocked everyone in the room.

"What did Q do?" Robin asked. For she knew Q.

"Robin, if Wesley can kill him, please let him. Or else I am going to squash that Ardalian cockroach myself!"

"You rang, ma Cherie?" Q appeared, floating on his favorite hand-made ivory Kerman rug.

"I am going to file a formal complaint with the Continuum. Guinan taught me how! HOW DARE YOU! You have overstepped your boundaries by a couple of galaxies! And then some!"

"Tish Tosh. You just don't think that you're old enough to become a grandmother, that's all." He glanced about Beverly's quarters. "I like the cottage a lot better. Does Starfleet get a kickback for every can of grey paint they buy?"

"Q!" Beverly warned.

Q jumped off his flying carpet. It disappeared. Then he noticed Dr. Brahms studying him as if he were some sort of lab specimen. "What?"

"You're fascinating."

Q preened.

"Your manipulation of all the temporal planes and dimensions are impressive. Would you ever consider submitting to a few experiments? I would love…"

"Tish Tosh. Data's been after me for years. He hasn't caught me yet." He plopped onto the floor. "So, Beverly, how is mon capitaine?"

"The Admiral is getting better."

"Wesley wouldn't let me help. Otherwise, I would have. You know how I feel about Jean-Luc, don't you Beverly?"

She nodded, a little bit. "Jean-Luc. Our pregnancies. You are playing games with our lives. Why?" Beverly was trying to control her righteous fury.

"Me to know and you to find out. Buh-Bye! Bye! Baby, Good Bye!" He vanished.

Leah finally spoke up. "Would somebody mind telling me what's going on? And what was that?"

"For some reason, Q decided that we all should get pregnant. Why, I don't know. But I will make him pay for it." Beverly was still furious.

"Don't you want to be pregnant, Beverly?" Ro asked.

"Of course I do!" was her indignant reply.

Leah announced, "Well, I've been wanting to get pregnant for years. I've been trying since my marriage to Geordi. I am very happy that I am pregnant."

"Me too," Robin spoke up. "I'll have enough time to have the baby and join the Enterprise E when she is launched." On Beverly's questioning look, she added, "As if the launch of any new ship ever happens on time." Then she took a really good look at her mother-in-law. "You know; I think we all really had better leave so that Beverly can rest. You do look beat, Beverly. Besides, some of us have husbands to tell." Her grin was really big as she envisioned everything that she was going to make Wes do, now that she was pregnant.

=/\= =/\= =/\=

Things happened quickly once more of the evidence was presented to the delegates. As the governments came to realize that they were all duped by the Suliban Cabal resolutions were proposed, a more equitable division of the Zone was accomplished, so that within weeks everyone who'd come to the table were now in agreement. Those who had settled planets in the Zone, were now free to choose. The Romulans were somewhat in accord too, though they weren't quite willing to publicly admit that they'd been fooled as well.

Picard's health was improving to the point that he was able to sit at the head of the conference table during the final days of the conference - under Beverly's intense supervision of course.

And Jean-Luc Picard was the first signature affixed to what would eventually be referred to as The Picard Peace Treaty.

The admirals were showing up now, at the conference. Most of them had never put a foot inside the Klingon Empire before, much less met Gowron. But now Gowron was the toast of the conference. He was the leader who had stepped in, made peace, and helped stop one of the most dangerous threats known to all of them. He also made sure that every faction knew what Jean-Luc Picard had done.

=/\= =/\= =/\=

Beverly was ready to start tearing out what was left of Jean-Luc's hair. She always hated it when he was her patient. He did not take kindly to doctor's orders. And now, he'd outdone himself, with Klingon cooperation. He was actively working outside the guidelines that she had set up to help him heal and to protect his health. He wouldn't listen. And the Klingon's just lauded him for his continuing bravery.

Even on board the Cairo, Jean-Luc managed to find ways to keep busy, without even the slightest consideration for his own health.

She had to do something. She called Gowron. He'd abetted. Now he'd have to aid.

An hour later, she escorted the admiral to the conference hall. Except when they beamed down to Qo'noS Picard found himself by the door to the Gowron's private quarters.

"You're staying here from now on, Jean-Luc."

They started walking towards the inner sanctum. "On one condition." Picard wouldn't admit it, but he was glad she'd made these arrangements. He was drained.

"What?"

"That you stay with me, Beverly."

"Do you think I am foolish enough to let you out of my sight ever again?"

He suddenly grasped Beverly around the waist and twirled her about until they were both giddy.

"Jean-Luc!" She knew should be scolding him, but she was laughing with him instead.

"We did it Beverly." He kissed her hard. "We did it." Then he had to catch his breath.

"To bed. Now."

"I've never refused that command from you, mon coeur." He paused, and rested his hand against her stomach. "Stay with me."

They walked into his former bedroom.

She wrapped her arms around him, and kissed him gently. "Our things are already here."

A short time later, they lay in bed together.

"I knew I should have insisted on another doctor as my personal physician."

She was in his arms, resting on his shoulder. "And why is that, Admiral?"

"Then I could lie to you about what he told me. And I could make love to you. Instead, my personal physician is a tyrant."

"Another week of tyranny and then you can wreak your revenge on me if you pass your physical," she reminded him.

"But by then will you be up to it?" He patted her tummy.

"Oh, you're going to be the worst father-to-be ever," she moaned as she felt his fingers stroke lower. He pleasured her. She understood his need to touch her. Unfortunately, he wasn't well enough for her to reciprocate.

Then, they were quiet, just being grateful for the fact that they were together again. And thinking about their futures…

"Beverly, about Laren…"

"You know we're friends, Jean-Luc."

"I do. Rather unsettling, that."

"You're afraid we're plotting something once you're healthy enough to handle it."

"If Guinan shows up I'll run as far and as fast as I can."

She should have known he'd guess. "You could just try begging for mercy." She kissed him. "Have you decided what you're going to do about Laren?"

"I can't even decide what to do about myself."

"Once the conference is over, we'll have time to straighten out our private lives."

They were quiet for a few more minutes.

"There's one thing you should know."

"What, Jean-Luc?"

"I told Jellico that I was going to marry you."

He felt her stiffen. "Why would you do that?"

"I was anticipating an ideal future. With you."

"So, are you going to do anything about it?"

"What would you have me do, Beverly?"

"Propose?"

He rolled over onto his left side, still feeling the stings of damaged muscles. "Is that what you wish?"

She rolled over to face him. "I want you. I love you. I need you. We are facing quite a few problems, if we wed. But that is nothing compared to how I will feel if I don't have you in my life, Jean-Luc."

"So, when I get around to it, I should propose?"

She kissed him with just a hint of passion. "Consider yourself engaged, Jean-Luc Picard."

"Is my personal physician still going to be a tyrant with me, tonight?"

"When you no longer have those dark circles under your eyes - that's when I'll personally stop being your personal physician."

"Those bags are not from being exhausted. I'm still too old for you, mon coeur."

"You've never said that to me before."

"Of course I have, Beverly. I used to tell you that in the beginning all the time…"

"Of course, Jean-Luc."

He raised himself up on an elbow. "You don't honestly remember me telling you, do you? I was having this dream, and I most certainly remember saying…"

"Jean-Luc. It was only a dream…."

He resumed his former position. "Yes, of course."

=/\= =/\= =/\=

The conference was almost over. All that was left was the self-congratulatory banquets and parties - round one. Once Jean-Luc Picard and Gowron got back to the Federation, there would be more such celebrations.

Jean-Luc Picard had beamed back to the Cairo. There were a few matters he had to settle. First and foremost, was Ro Laren.

He commandeered the command conference room, and sent for Ro. They did have quite a lot to talk about.

First thing she did when she entered the room was kiss his lips as if to remind him that he was no longer her commanding officer.

He allowed her that gesture.

"So, what now, Jean-Luc?"

"I've been going over the data you brought back…"

Ro sighed. He only wanted to discuss business. Sooner or later she was going to have to have a private discussion with him, since there just simply hadn't been a chance once he was well enough to join the conference.

About an hour later, he stood, and slowly walked to the replicator. He ordered his usual, and then looked over at Ro. "Coffee, Laren?"

"No, I'd prefer ginger tea."

"Beverly's blend?"

"Exactly."

He brought her mug to her. "I am glad that you and Beverly have reached an accord."

"So now we're going to talk about us?"

Picard mentally groaned as he sat back in his chair. He started to tug down his tunic, and then remembered that he was wearing an admiral's uniform now. It didn't need tugging.

He remembered Madred's threats. "I was told that you are with child. Is it our child?"

At least he wasn't in a snit thinking that Tom had replaced him in her bed too quickly.

She spoke softly. "Jean-Luc, it is your daughter. I was already a month pregnant when I met Tom Riker. And it took the Cardies to force us to become lovers."

"Do you want this child?" For he had remembered a lover's conversation not that long ago.

His very lack of emotion told her how much her answer would mean to him. "With my heart and soul."

He nodded as if it were an everyday kind of declaration.

"And you?"

He chose his words carefully. He never wanted to be in disagreement with Ro about their child. "I want our daughter. Laren, I will love her more than you can even imagine. She will always have a home with me."

"I think I can imagine, Jean-Luc." She reached over and held his hand.

He forced himself to withdraw from her touch. She was not upset. Clearly he still felt something for her if her touch bothered him.

Then he studied his padd. "You were tortured."

She recognized another Picard tactic.

And she knew it was all about his guilt.

"Jean-Luc, Madred was looking for me long before we joined forces. You were not responsible for my kidnapping and torture. Madred alone did this."

"The Klingons arrested Madred and Lemec. They never made it to Starfleet custody." Picard looked away for a moment. "They are dead."

"Good. Swift justice for a change."

In his heart he agreed with her. "The nightmares? Have they returned?"

"Yes. Tom is helping me now. I'm going to undergo counseling once everything is over."

He nodded. "I have learned to accept counseling, Laren. It does help."

He wasn't sure what answer he hoped to hear from her. But he had to ask. "And our daughter?"

"I will keep her Jean-Luc. Beverly and I…," She heard him groan. "…we've discussed this. Beverly agrees with me. She wants the sister to your twins to be part of your lives too."

"It will be difficult."

"Tell me about it. Unless he changes his mind, I am going to marry Tom Riker. Tom wants to raise our daughter as his. However, I think that you should have an active part in her life. How big a part that is will depend upon what happens in the future. But, there are many families that consist of two fathers, so it may not be too confusing for our girl."

"I want to formally declare her as my child. She's entitled to know about her Picard heritage."

"I would prefer it if you did it informally, Jean-Luc. Tom wants her to legally be his daughter." She knew what she was asking. The Picard name might be a liability too close to the DMZ.

He understood though his heart ached with the thought of it. "That might be for the best. The Riker name is an honorable one too."

"I won't argue about that with you, Jean-Luc."

He stood, and picked up his tea, turning away from Ro to look at the stars for a while. "Our time together is something that I will always remember with fondness. I could have very easily found myself…" He didn't have the nerve to finish the sentence. He could only smile.

"I could have very easily found myself too..."

They shared a smile. "I will miss those days. And I will miss you, Laren." He sounded wistful. "I knew more freedom with you - even on board the Adama - than I did on board any of the starships that I've ever captained. And contrary to what you once implied, I never did use you Laren - other than for mutual carnal delights. You will always be a very dear friend to me, Ro Laren... And you can always count on me if you are ever in need."

"Thank you. I feel the same, Jean-Luc."

He didn't have to say it. She knew it was over.

She went to him and hugged him. And then he kissed her. The kiss was passionate. And both knew it was the last time they would ever kiss with passion again. It was the end to their love affair. And her heart was breaking more than a little bit.

When they broke apart, he sat back down. After a few deep breaths as he mentally pulled himself together, he added, "One more thing, Laren. The first time I threw you into the brig on this ship, there was a reason."

"I had the feeling that you wanted to see my ass in a prison jumpsuit."

He chuckled. She was never going to change. And he was glad of it. "There was another reason besides your accurate guess. I wanted to see what you would do with the Bank of Nagus accounts."

"You didn't think I would abide by your requests?"

"Cool your temper, Laren. I already had measure of your character. I just had to have proof to show Admiral Nechayev that she could trust you too."

"I don't understand."

"I've always said that my DMZ missions were based on what you once asked of me. I've made this statement many times. And it might interest you to know that Admiral Nechayev, the moment we actively began setting up my missions, ex post facto dismissed all Federation and Starfleet charges against you. I recanted my charges against you, saying that what you did was necessary for my missions. I didn't help a prisoner escape from the Cairo. According to the official Starfleet record, if it ever is declassified, you were an undercover operative who had joined the Maquis."

She didn't like this. "Why would you do this? Don't you know that there still are some Maquis who will kill me if they even get a hint of me being called Starfleet?"

"There's more."

"What?"

"I don't know if you'll be pleased or insulted."

He picked up a small box that was on the table. He shoved it toward her. "These were mine."

Laren opened it then croaked, "Is this a joke?"

For inside the box were four shiny pips.

"Nechayev created a paper trail for your promotions. Considering all the praise that will be heaped upon you because of your actions, no one will question it if you choose to return to Starfleet as an officer. A captain." He paused, then added, "If you accept, and if you wish it, I will formally announce that you are the first Maquis officer to become a captain in Starfleet."

"What about Tom?"

"Tom Riker has been given a pardon, and if he wishes it, he may return to Starfleet as well."

"I think I know enough about the Riker psyche to know that Tom could not live with a wife that out ranked him - by several ranks."

"Well, you could consider Gowron's offer."

"I'm almost afraid to ask."

"He thinks that you should teach classes to his officers on the use of guile."

"Any other options?"

"Yes. Option three is to join the Federation council as a formal ambassador for the Maquis. You and Tom can help resolve the problems that will arise from the new treaty."

"I'll have to think about it."

"You can take your time. All options will be open for quite a while. And my option of joining Starfleet will always be open. Unless you decide to use the Gale to torpedo an admiral's yacht or something like that."

She grinned. "I rather like option number four."

=/\= =/\= =/\=

Will Riker breathed a sigh of relief as the last of the Romulans left Klingon space. Klingons and Romulans do not mix. And it had been a major headache trying to keep both sides from proving it to the detriment of the conference. He walked down the corridor to give Jellico his final report when he bumped into Wesley and Robin.

"Lieutenant Commander Crusher, I've been meaning to ask you…"

"Yes, Captain Riker?"

"Where's the Mae Jemison?" He stifled his grin as he watched Wes blench.

"I'll go double check and let you know, Sir?" He ran away from Will just as fast as he could go.

Robin just giggled after her husband left. "You are a wicked and dangerous man, Captain Riker." She patted his chest. "I'm going to love serving under you."

"Always love it when a beautiful, pregnant lady says that to me." He patted her tummy, ignoring the looks from everybody else in the corridor. "Thank you for remembering about the Mae Jemison, Robin. Considering everything that has happened, the fact that you still sent that message to the Isaac Asimov to pick up the yacht was greatly appreciated. By me and Woody Nakamura."

"Wes has always seen the big picture. He just has a problem recollecting the little details."

Still chuckling, Riker dropped off his reports. He was about to head back to his quarters for some long overdue sleep when he got a page from Beverly. She asked him to come to her quarters.

When Beverly opened the door, he was surprised to see that she was dressed in a robe.

"Come in, Will."

"Beverly. Get any rest?"

"A little. Not as much as I need. I'll be going to sickbay shortly."

Wes was surprised to see coffee ready and waiting by the couch. Beverly motioned for him to sit down, and then she handed him a mug fixed exactly the way he liked it.

She sensed his surprise at knowing how to fix it. For coffee klatches with Will alone had been few and far between on the Enterprise D.

"Will, I've seen the way you fix your coffee for staff meetings for over six years. Did you think I wouldn't remember?"

"What's up, Beverly?"

"Jean-Luc died when Madred sliced through his artificial heart with his knife."

"What?"

"It was Wes who brought him back and kept him alive. That stasis shell he put around Jean-Luc, was not real stasis - it was Wes' own life force. He risked his own life until I was able to go in and repair the damage and save Jean-Luc's life." Beverly touched Will's arm. "No one must know this, Will. Especially not Jean-Luc."

"Then why are you telling me this, Beverly?"

"Because for my son's sake, I didn't want his captain to think that Wes would not risk everything - even his own life - to save Jean-Luc Picard's life."

"Does anyone else know?"

"Mr. Data. He's helping me alter the records so that no one will question what kind of stasis it was when it comes up for review. The doctors who worked on the transplant may be suspicious about certain elements, but without positive proof they'll not voice their opinions."

"Do you need my assistance with the records?"

"If I do, I'll let you know."

Will drank his coffee. "Thank you for telling me, Beverly. I must admit that I just couldn't accept that Wes wouldn't help Jean-Luc. I'm relieved to know that in the things that really matter, Wes is still really Wes."

With a spring to his step, Will went off to his bed.

=/\= =/\= =/\=

Captain Jellico looked up to greet the person who had just buzzed his ready room door.

"Jean-Luc! You're looking better."

"Amazing how good one feels once the weight of the fate of the universe is lifted off of one's shoulders."

"Please, sit down." Jellico immediately went and ordered an Earl Grey for Jean-Luc. He brought it over to the Admiral. "What can I do for you?"

"I was going through my messages, and I saw that you'd requested a meeting a few weeks ago. I was just wondering what you wished to discuss with me."

"Oh, that." Jellico looked a little chagrinned. "I just wanted to take you to task for helping Ro Laren escape from the Cairo."

"I do apologize, Edward. It was part of the plan."

"I suppose I should believe you, Jean-Luc," Edward agreed. "And I thought that I knew how to strategize and plan things in advance."

"Everything propitiously worked out. We know how easily it all could have ended in disaster. Up until the moment I beamed aboard your ship, I seriously thought I'd be arrested."

"That can always be arranged."

They both smiled at that thought.

"Edward, there are some new galaxy class ships coming down the line. Would you be interested? I hear that one of them will be named the Cairo. They are planning on decommissioning your ship."

"Yes, I'd heard that. I think I want to remain captain of the Cairo. I think I've been a good captain to her."

"I agree. Then the new Cairo shall be yours."

"Thank you, Jean-Luc."

"Edward, I have a favor to ask of you." Picard seemed a bit embarrassed. "I'd like you to marry Beverly and myself. We want a quiet ceremony…"

Jellico rapidly shook his head. "With all of the admirals in Klingon space? They'll want a three ring circus with skyrocketing exploding asteroids."

"That is exactly what we do not want. Just a simple ceremony. With a few close friends."

"Of course, Jean-Luc. But wouldn't Will be the better choice to marry you?"

Picard was glad that the differences between Riker and Jellico appeared to have been settled. "It seems that the Enterprise E will not be commissioned for quite a few months at least. The Admiralty wants more testing on the worm hole drive before they put it into a galaxy class ship. And I do not wish to wait until Will is a captain of the Enterprise E. Beverly can't wait either. The babies are due in four months. And it may be old-fashioned of me, but I would prefer it if my children were born bearing my surname."

"Just tell me when, Jean-Luc."

Both men walked onto the bridge and were greeted with a scene that Jellico had never envisioned. Jean-Luc on the other hand, was very familiar with this kind of chaos. He immediately ducked behind Jellico.

For Deanna was standing there trying to kiss her husband. And Lwaxana was trying to hug him, all at the same time. Mr. Worf was trying to be a stoic Klingon, still at his duty post. The look of horror on his face when he saw both Captain Jellico and Admiral Picard appear in the ready room doorway was memorable.

Jellico quickly took charge. "Mr. Worf, kiss your bride. That's an order."

Picard grinned. He never thought that he'd actually come to like Edward Jellico. The captain had unexpected depths.

Jellico pointed at Lwaxana. "And you, leave them alone." Jellico ignored her then as he sat in his captain's chair. Jean-Luc saw the expression on Lwaxana's face as she discovered a new masterful man to bedevil.

"He's engaged, Lwaxana," Jean-Luc casually mentioned. "And so am I!"

"Tish, Tosh. You both ain't married yet." Lwaxana moved to stand in front of her prey. "I am Lwaxana Troi, Ambassadress from Betazed. Guardian of the Holy chalice of Rixx. How dare you order me about!" Lwaxana was at her royal impressive best in her neon purple dress with a plunging neckline and crawling tilsit trim that revealed about all of her ample assets. She made sure that Captain Jellico could view them.

"Jean-Luc," Jellico mumbled, trying to hide his panic.

"You're on your own," Picard whispered as he patted Jellico's shoulder. "You might want to introduce the lady to Nella - and her Aunt."

Picard went over to Worf and Deanna who were still kissing. "Ahem." He cleared his throat. That caught Deanna's attention. She finally broke free from Worf's arms to throw herself into Picard's arms. She was still tearful as her hormones overfloweth. And she was very, very pregnant.

"Deanna. It's so good to see you. How are you feeling?" He kissed both her cheeks, and then kissed her briefly on the lips. He'd always wanted to do that, but never could as captain. "Your presence just might be what I need to get my tyrant of a physician to lengthen her leash."

"Nice try, Admiral." Deanna placed her hand on his arm. "When can we talk?"

"Ever the counselor, eh Deanna?"

"When it comes to you, then yes, Jean-Luc."

"An hour, then." He nodded toward his Klingon who was now standing in a stiff pose. "Mr. Worf just started his duty shift."

Jean-Luc took pity on Edward who was trying to prevent Lwaxana from sitting on his knee.

"My dear Lwaxana, will you permit me to escort you to your rooms?" He whispered to Worf, "Find some rooms for her as far away from yours as you can - Woofie."

"Yes, Sir" Worf would permit Woofie from his man.

As he led Lwaxana away from the bridge, the lady asked, quite innocently, "I understand that Beverly is having a boy and a girl. How wonderful."

"Yes, I do think it's wonderful."

"Did you know that Deanna is having a boy?"

"Yes, I'd heard. That's good news as well."

"My grandson and your girl and boy, playing together. Becoming friends. We must see that it happens. It will be good for them."

Picard could not disagree.

Lwaxana bestowed a beatific smile on her Admiral. He didn't know it, but he just had approved of her plans. If Deanna had heard the conversation, she would have started banging her head against the nearest bulkhead for her Mother was now matchmaking for her grandchildren.

=/\= =/\= =/\=

Picard's session with Deanna did not go that well. Partially because he wasn't willing to admit everything to Deanna. It wasn't that he didn't want to tell Deanna. But because it was Will Riker's torture that he had been forced to watch. And he didn't want to leave any of those images in Deanna's mind.

Picard didn't want to know the specific details about Deanna's relationship with Worf and Will. That was their business. But still he understood that Deanna was emotionally close to Will.

It took Deanna a while to figure out why Picard was being more difficult than usual.

"It was that bad?" she whispered. "When I talked to Will after he'd been rescued, he just brushed it off. And I thought that all the feelings I'd sensed was the result of my out-of-control hormones."

"Deanna, in your condition - there are just some things that you should not know."

"Then how has Will seemed to you?"

"He's been Will."

Deanna agreed. "No discernible change. Which means he's acting - putting up a front." She glanced over at Jean-Luc. Will didn't just know his captain. The captain knew Will too.

"Yes. The only difference is that Madred took days to torture me. Madred only had a few hours with Will. But it was intense. He threatened rape. Will was injured anally."

She knew then. "So now Will knows what Madred did to you. That won't change Will's opinion of you."

"In my head, I know that. But still, I feel the shame."

"You're going to try to help Will cope anyway…" Her voice trailed off as she got a strong impression of Ro Laren in his thoughts. "You helped Ro, too, didn't you? I know I was never able to help her very much. She wouldn't let me in. But she let you…"

"I understood what she'd undergone. You showed me how to cope. To help. So I showed her…"

If Deanna hadn't already respected and adored Jean-Luc Picard before, she most certainly did so now.

"As for Will, I'll see what the counselors on board can do to help." She shifted in her seat as she felt her baby kick.

"May I?" Picard reached out his hand.

"Of course."

After a moment Picard said, "He's a feisty little fellow, isn't he?"

"Believe me, I know he takes after Will. And you're sidestepping your issues, Admiral."

"Jean-Luc," he reminded her.

"As you wish, Jean-Luc. How much has resurfaced from your past memories?"

"The moment I stepped onto a Cardassian ship, it all came back to me. Especially the paralyzing fear."

"And how did you deal with it…"

Almost an hour later, Deanna decided that Jean-Luc had talked enough for now. His psyche was not in as fragile a state as the last time. Deanna credited the change to Beverly. Now that Beverly was close to Jean-Luc in every way, he was finding ways of coping that he'd never previously imagined.

Picard helped Deanna to her feet. Will came into the room, after patiently waiting for quite some time.

"Admiral, get some rest," she ordered.

"You're a tyrant, too," he grumbled. But he added a smile to his words. He patted Will on the shoulder, and left to go find Beverly.

Deanna threw herself into Will's arms, hugging him with all her might. "Imzadi…"

She stroked his face, trying to get a sense of him. She recognized that all his emotions were tightly under control - the same kind of control that Captain Picard used to have.

"You're going to have to talk to someone, Will. If it's the last thing I do before I go on maternity leave, I will insist that you have counseling."

He moved a little bit away from her. "I am not an idiot, Deanna. I just haven't had the time to do anything yet. Besides, it wasn't my physical pain that was the problem. It was watching what was happening to Jean-Luc. That was the worst torture of all knowing he was forced to watch what Madred was doing to me."

She understood.

"Now, let's go find Worf. I don't want him to get too jealous. Otherwise I might not survive our next holo deck bat'leth encounter. "

"Actually, that is an excellent idea. You and Worf should do that routine together. You're a physical person, Will. That kind of exercise will help you cope."

"In that case, I think I'll ask Tom to join us." Will's smile was not nice.

=/\= =/\= =/\=

That night, Jean-Luc and Beverly invited all of their friends to a private dinner. It was held in the ship's lounge, Six Forward.

Deanna had sensed Beverly's repressed excitement during the day so she showed up in her best dress, in spite of being nine months pregnant. She casually mentioned the possibility of a wedding to Will. Especially when the admirals Nechayev, Nakamura and Wiley showed up, escorted by Gowron and several Klingon captains.

Beverly was lovely in a turquoise blue velvet gown with a bolero style matching jacket. She was carrying a bouquet of glittering ivory roses sprigged with lavender. Her long hair was swept up, highlighting a pair of blue earrings that she'd owned forever.

Jean-Luc wore his new best dress admiral's uniform.

Will was the best man. Wesley gave the bride away then acted as a groomsman. Deanna was the matron of honor. Robin and Laren were bridesmaids. Beverly had asked Laren, and Laren had suggested that she be the one to give Jean-Luc away. Both ladies had laughed when they considered Jean-Luc's reaction to such a suggestion.

Then Edward Jellico said the ancient words marrying the two lovers against a background of starlight. Simple gold rings were exchanged.

Jean-Luc had thought about rings and decided that he would surprise Beverly with a ring from his grandmother's jewelry when they finally made it back to Earth. There'd been a perfect star sapphire ring surrounded by blue diamonds in that inheritance. It was as if the ring were made for Beverly as her engagement ring. Strangely enough, it matched her earrings.

And in the background, Admiral Winston Holt Wiley whispered to the other admirals, "Only Jean-Luc could pull this one off. Having an ex-mistress as a bridesmaid. And another ex-lover as part of the wedding party." He motioned toward Nella who was standing with her aunt.

Nechayev politely grimaced.

Gowron made several impolite comments in Klingon to his captains about his Arbiter of Succession's sexual prowess. Mr. Worf was just grinning as he refused to translate what was said to Deanna.

Lwaxana understood the Klingons, though. She'd picked up quite a few languages over the years. She was also eyeing Gowron in a new light, for she'd just learned that the Chancellor was a widower. And considering how good a marriage her daughter had made, Lwaxana now considered adding Klingons to her husband quest list.

As wedding feasts go, this marriage was definitely low key affair, but it was greatly enjoyed by everyone in attendance.

At the dinner, Jean-Luc stood to toast his bride. All he said was, "Beverly. Mon coeur."

Her toast was to kiss her husband, much to the cheers of the crowd.

Alynna Nechayev brushed away a tear.

Mr. Data stood and was still. Then he spoke:

"Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Admit impediments. Love is not love

Which alters when it alteration finds,

Or bends with the remover to remove:

O no! it is an ever-fixed mark

That looks on tempests and is never shaken;

It is the star to every wandering bark,

Whose worth's unknown,

although his height be taken.

Love's not Time's fool,

though rosy lips and cheeks

Within his bending sickle's compass come:

Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,

But bears it out even to the edge of doom.

If this be error and upon me proved,

I never writ, nor no man ever loved."

There was quiet for a moment. Then Jean-Luc softly spoke. "Thank you Mr. Data. I am honored that you chose Shakespeare. It is very appropriate."

Relieved, Data sat down. He had gone with his emotional choice and it had been the correct one.

Will just wished them the best - which they already had, because they had each other.

Wesley stood. "To my Mother and Jean-Luc. Even as a child, I thought that Jean-Luc would be the perfect husband for my mother and father to me. Little did I understand what I was wishing for, but somehow, I knew that it was what should be. With the happiest of hearts, I declare Omnia vincit amor."

More toasts were offered.

Gowron stood. Mr. Data joined him and played the tIngDagh, a stringed Klingon instrument as Captain Kargan played the may'ron, a Klingon accordion. Gowron then sang his favorite love aria from Gav'ot toH'va. Worf joined in. So did Kargan, and Kang.

After the guest's toasts were over, Jean-Luc ordered more champagne for his guests and much to his surprise, Guinan, dressed in a cerulean blue outfit with a hat of extraordinary proportions, served the flutes. He was glad to see Guinan.

As Guinan gave Beverly a small amount of champagne in a flute, she whispered, "Things are going to get bumpy, but you will survive this too. Remember that you love him."

Beverly gasped for Guinan seemed very serious. But her face didn't reveal a thing.

Jean-Luc stood and raised his flute. "To those we love because they hold our hearts, to those we respect because we share and believe in their sense of honor, to those who suffer us because they are our family, to those who before they are born have already become beloved members of our extended family, to those who suffer us because they are our friends through heaven and hell, and to those who helped us create a better future for us all, with some even making the greatest sacrifice of their lives for us. To all who have gone before us. To the Enterprise in all of her incarnations, to Starfleet and to the Federation!" After the clapping stopped, he added, "Beverly and I invite everyone to a slightly larger wedding and birth celebration in a few months, in LaBarre, France."

Everyone insisted that Jean-Luc and Beverly have at least one wedding dance. Nella, who had been tipped off by her fiancée, had the appropriate music prepared to play as Mr. Data sang. Data's first choice was Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered.

"You're a bit rusty, my love," Beverly teased as her husband slowly danced with her.

"A long time ago, I decided that you were the only one with whom I really wished to dance."

"So why did you so rarely dance with me when I asked?"

"I had a difficult time holding you in my arms, and then letting you go, Beverly. Dancing with you depended upon how much willpower I had that evening."

Picard began to remember some of his moves, and was able to prove that he still knew how to dance.

Then Data picked up his violin and played Placer d'Amor, a love song which had been sung for over a thousand years, with many changes of verse from Italy to France to England to Elvis.

Beverly thought that it was one of the happiest moments of her life, waltzing with Jean-Luc…

Beverly took off her jacket at the end of this waltz for she was getting hot. Winston Hold Wiley noticed the dark blue rhinestones that formed her spaghetti straps and the way the design highlighted her now ample décolletage.

Tom Riker got his saxophone and played several numbers including Night Bird. Will had to concede that Tom was the better musician for he'd hit all the notes.

And then Winston Holt Wiley started remembering another dance; another place.

When Jean-Luc decided that he wanted to dance with Beverly one more time, she pushed him down in his chair, handed him another glass of champagne, and then walked straight up to Gowron and invited him to dance. Data didn't think that Aktuh and Maylota was something that Beverly could dance to, so he played Go Home to Bonnie Jean from BRIGADOON instead. Beverly, in spite of her pregnancy could show Gowron the steps. He quickly picked it up, and Beverly's husband, after watching her break a sweat suggested to Wesley that it might be wise to go rescue his mother. He would pay Data back for the pun at a later date.

Winston sat next to Jean-Luc. Winston was in a jovial mood thanks to a third tankard of blue ale.

"Marvelous wedding party, Jean-Luc. Always knew you were going to marry Red. That's why I didn't court-martial you back there on Clarion. When I first met Beverly, I knew she was a cadet. But I saw how you were dancing together. And then you sent me a fancy bottle of champagne to bribe me. I've always liked your style Jean-Luc. As I recall, Red was wearing a dress like the one she's wearing today, too. You must like her in blue velvet. I knew you meant to have her when I saw those blue diamond earrings. Figured you wouldn't be spending that kind of latinum on a floozy…"

Deanna dropped her water glass. "No!" she screamed. Everyone stared at her. "Captain Picard!" she yelled. She ran over to him, shook his shoulders and cried over and over again, "Stay with me, Jean-Luc. Stay with me…"

Picard did nothing. He just sat, staring into nothingness, blankly.

Will Riker tapped his comm badge. "Riker to Sickbay. Intraship transport. Beam Admiral Picard, Dr. Crusher-Picard and Deanna Troi to Sickbay immediately. Notify Sickbay of a medical emergency."

"Now what," Jellico wondered. Life had been a lot calmer when the crew from the Enterprise was not around.

Once again, everyone waited outside of Sickbay. Jellico stood around for a little, considered the sickbay corridor, and the rooms opposite it and decided that it was time Sickbay had its own waiting room. He'd get Life Services to redo the nearest storage compartment.

Inside Sickbay, Deanna and Dr. Kil'dar were examining Jean-Luc.

"It's some form of fugue state, Doctor," Deanna explained. "I don't know what set it off. He was just sitting there talking with Admiral Wiley. Something the admiral said must have triggered it."

Dr. Kil'dar kept looking over the physical stats of his patient. Deanna went to the outside door to Sickbay. "Is Admiral Wiley here?"

"I will get him," Worf growled.

Will privately pitied Wiley if he tried to refuse coming back with Worf.

Beverly sat in a chair watching the doctors work on her husband. What had now been the happiest day of her life, had suddenly turned into another day of fear. Then she remembered what Guinan had said earlier. "Wesley?" He was at her side immediately. "Please go get Guinan. She knows something. Maybe it's Q."

Deanna came over to Beverly. "Has Jean-Luc been doing or saying anything odd the past few days? Since he was rescued?"

Beverly thought for a while. "Actually, it started before his kidnapping. He mentioned something about Starbase 74 having a turquoise bathroom. It was nothing really. Except the quarters that we shared on SB 74 had a pink bathroom - not blue. He's been saying other odd things too. He recently told me that he'd said he was too old for me when we first met. But he never once said anything like that."

Winston came to Sickbay. "What can I do to help?"

Deanna motioned for the Admiral to be seated. "Admiral, can you remember exactly what you said to Admiral Picard?"

Winston looked at Beverly. "I was talking about how I first met you, Red. On Clarion."

Beverly carefully chose her words. "I don't remember meeting you on Clarion, Admiral Wiley."

"You must. You were dancing with Jean-Luc, heating up the floor. Anyone watching you knew that you were lovers. Hell, you're even wearing the earrings that Jean-Luc gave you that night."

Beverly touched her earlobe. "I don't know where I got these earrings. I've just had them in my jewelry box for a very long time. Though Guinan did pack them…"

"Beverly, they're blue diamonds and sapphires. I bet Jean-Luc spent a year's salary of latinum on them."

Her fingers trembled as she removed an earring and studied it, willing herself to remember.

Wiley continued. "When I went to your table, Jean-Luc tried to bribe me with a bottle of champagne. First time he'd ever tried bribing me. I didn't know he had it in him. That's when I decided he was my kind of captain. That and the fact that he was risking his career and his starship for the love of a very beautiful red-haired cadet."

"Sir, you're mistaken. I did not meet Jean-Luc on Clarion. I was there three weeks before my wedding. And I didn't meet Captain Picard until right before my marriage to Jack Crusher. Besides, we all know that Jean-Luc Picard did not like dancing in public. He never willingly danced with me or anyone else, until today."

"Nonsense. Why pretend now, Beverly? You and Jean-Luc spent a long hot weekend In his hotel suite. Even Woody mentioned you to me when we played poker during that Clarion shore leave."

"I'll get Admiral Nakamura," Worf announced.

A minute later, Woody came into Sickbay too.

"Woody, tell Beverly about the first time you met her." Wiley gave the lady a sly look.

Beverly didn't understand.

And Woody blushed.

Deanna calmly asked, "Did you meet Beverly and Jean-Luc on Clarion, too, Admiral?"

"Well, I didn't actually meet Beverly at that time. I sort of interrupted them while they were playing some sort of, er, game, in the waterfall pool attached to Jean-Luc's suite. You were rather involved with each other, so I walked away. Later on I asked Wiley to find out who you were, Beverly. I heard Jean-Luc laughing out loud. I still can count on one hand hearing that kind of laugh from Jean-Luc in all the years I've known him."

"You heard me? You didn't see me?"

"Beverly, you were naked. I didn't think I should come barging in. Especially since Jean-Luc was nude too," Woody explained. "I wanted to get to know any woman who could get Jean-Luc naked in the middle of the day, and play games with him. I knew he needed someone like you in his life rather desperately. I just never thought that it would take decades for you two to actually get together. Hell, one of the reasons why I recommended you to be CMO of the Enterprise was because of how I thought the two of you felt about each other." He could see that Beverly didn't like the idea that she hadn't earned her CMO position. "Don't get snitty on me, Beverly. You were qualified as CMO. I just hoped that you and Jean-Luc could work something out too."

Deanna went to Beverly. "You do remember going on leave on Clarion, don't you?"

"Yes. You know, one of my roommates kept teasing me about…" Her voice trailed off. "…my romantic Frenchman. I thought she was joking."

Deanna conferred with Dr. Kil'dar. "The etiology of this event has to be the Clarion mention. Clearly something happened then."

Beverly's own ideas began to form. And the more she thought about it, the more she jumped to a conclusion. "The pregnancies!" she whispered. In a louder voice she spoke to Deanna. "I got pregnant on my honeymoon with Jack Crusher. And that was three weeks after my Clarion shore leave." She paled. "Oh my lord, what did Q do?" She froze at the thought of what might really have happened. "Jean-Luc…" She rushed to her husband's bed side. "Jean-Luc, it's all right. It's all right. I understand now. Come back to me. And watch me kill Q!"

Beverly had lost her temper. She understood - not everything - but enough to know that Q had been fouling up her life for decades now.

But it was Wesley who acted. He took a needle and pricked himself. He suspended the blood droplet in mid-air. Then he did the same to Picard. Suspended that blood droplet too. He waved his hands about. The droplets glowed green. And Wesley started cursing in several languages unknown to the Alpha and Beta quadrants.

He quickly turned and knelt in front of his Mother. "Q manipulated my DNA. I am Jean-Luc Picard's son. But he didn't want you to know. That's why he altered the sequences to make it look like Dad…" He had to take several breaths before could continue. "That Dad was my father. Q tricked us both."

"It's got to be about the pregnancies." She turned to Will. "Contact Reg and see if Mela is pregnant."

Winston and Woody just sat there, trying to figure out what was going on.

Wesley snapped his fingers. And every person in Sickbay who did not know of Picard's personal rapscallion, no longer knew what was being discussed about the Admiral's condition.

Will casually whispered to Wes, "I wonder how many years in the brig wiping an Admiral's brain might get you."

"Wesley, did you just do what I thought you did?" his mother asked.

"Yes." He walked over to the admirals. "Please, leave us gentleman. My mother needs to rest."

The two admirals dutifully left.

Wesley then snapped his fingers again. "I've set up a privacy shield. No one can hear anything we say. And no one can enter without my permission."

Will then received a subspace message from Mela. "Mela's pregnant too. They just got married."

Beverly looked at her son. But she was seeing a Q. "Do you know what this is all about? What is Q doing?"

"I can only guess, Mother. It has something to do with the Q gene."

Beverly felt a headache coming on. And then she felt weak. Worf caught her before she fell. Now Beverly was on a bed in sickbay.

Guinan walked into the room. She brought with her a small bottle of something. She handed it to Wes. "Give Beverly a few sips of this. It will help." Beverly felt better but Deanna wouldn't let her get out of bed.

Guinan looked at Will. "Get the conference room. I've got a lot of explaining to do. And invite Jellico and Nella, and her Aunt Carrie too."

Then Guinan walked over to Jean-Luc. She placed her hands on his shoulders, and lifted him into a sitting position. "Fugue state diagnosis is almost correct, Deanna. I think Q's manipulations put him into a Dissociative Fugue. If that's the case, I'll be able to bring him out of it." Before Deanna or Beverly could say anything, Guinan added, "I've been a doctor a couple of times during my life. Not much difference between being a psychiatrist and being a barkeep." Then she focused on Jean-Luc. "Come back to me, Jean-Luc. It's safe, Baldy. It's safe."

Jean-Luc awoke, moaning. "I couldn't have done it. I couldn't have done it. He was my best friend. Yet I love her…What did I do? How could I do it…"

Guinan waved Beverly back.

"You didn't do it, Jean-Luc. It was Q!"

And then his voice sounded more normal. "I know it was Q…" He closed his eyes.

"Oh Lordy, I am going to filet Q when I get my hands on him. And he thought I was difficult when he didn't pay me my alimony…"

Beverly rushed to the nearest sink and vomited. Stress was taking its toll. She now understood what had triggered Jean-Luc's fugue state. Because of his health and his mental stresses, discovering what Q had done had just been too much for him."

Deanna put her arms about Beverly's shoulders and helped her back to the bed. She looked at Guinan. "Am I correct in assuming that Jean-Luc thinks that Q made him fall in love with Beverly? And therefore his love and the life he's lived ever since, was based on deceit? That everything that was and is, is a lie?"

"Close but no Vulcan cigar." Q's voice filled the room. He materialized wearing a surprisingly tasteful tuxedo, and shiny patent leather shoes.

"I didn't make Jean-Luc or the red-haired witch do anything that they didn't want to do on Clarion." Worf took a threatening step closer to Q. "Heel, Woofie."

Worf grrred.

"Wake up, Jean-Luc," Q ordered.

"I don't want to," was the admiral's reply.

Guinan picked him up again. "Jean-Luc, you love Beverly. Beverly loves you. You're having twins. Time to get up and deal with it."

"Guinan…" Beverly's voice was weak.

"Time to kiss Sleeping Beauty here, Bev."

Beverly didn't know whether to laugh or cry. So she went to her husband and kissed him. A moment later his eyes opened. He reached up and brushed her lips with his thumb. "What happened?" Beverly started hugging him and kissing him at the same time.

An hour later, they all were in the senior officer's conference room. Jean-Luc had recovered somewhat from his collapse.

Surprisingly, Q had not disappeared. Guinan had convinced him to stay.

Jean-Luc surveyed everyone in the room. Beverly, Wes, Robin, Worf, both Rikers, Ro, Mr. Data, Captain Jellico, Nella Daren, Carrie DelaChancie, and Deanna. He was about to begin when Lwaxana swept into the room. "Mrs. Troi, this is a private conference."

She ignored Jean-Luc. "Like my caftan, Q?" She twirled about showing off her hot pink and gold silk caftan. "I'd worn it in hope that Jean-Luc would have wanted a traditional Betazed wedding ceremony."

Q swept her into his arms. "Oh, my cherry."

"Let my mother stay, Admiral. It's the path of least resistance," Deanna observed.

Jean-Luc didn't quite have the strength to glare at Deanna, or Lwaxana.

"Oh, Jean-Luc is impatient," Q complained. "I suppose I'd better start at the beginning. He glanced around the table. Then smiled. "Hello, Carrie. Long time no see."

"You have not improved at all over the years." Everyone stared at Nella's aunt. "Q and I were engaged once," Carrie explained. "But we broke up when he questioned my taste in music!"

"What the hell is going on?" Jellico wanted to hurry the proceedings along. They all were giving him a headache.

"Babies." Wesley stared at Q. "The Q Continuum needs heirs. That is why Tau Alpha, the Traveler took me to the Gamma Quadrant. He didn't want me around while Q played his games."

"Well they weren't games to me. I thought I was helping." Q harrumphed. "Somehow along the way, the Q lost the ability to reproduce amongst their own kind. So, a few brave souls such as myself, went in search of wild, wild women - or men." He glanced at Lwaxana. "And sometimes if we were really lucky, we'd find one." He grinned at the Betazed Ambassadress. "Anyway, I was put in charge of tracking down the Q gene in this quadrant. It seems that a lot of the Q like having sex with human beings. So over the centuries there's been a lot of babies being born with Q genes out there."

Beverly observed, "You were using human beings as breeding machines for the Q."

"Not exactly. Many humans have the gene. But most when they mate, do not give birth to bouncing baby Qs. What they do give birth to is a smart kid. Or someone who has an exceptional talent. Or is destined to do something great."

"The Eugenics Wars?" Beverly acerbically observed.

"We had nothing to do with that! But apparently, some of those super genes found their way in to the human genome. And then they mixed with the Q genes, and lo and behold, along comes you, Dr. Beverly."

"He's telling the truth, Beverly," Guinan added. "Q wasn't interested in Jean-Luc. He was interested in you at the beginning."

"Sorry, Johnny. Hate to burst your egotistical bubble. But you screwed up all my plans. That's why I've been bedeviling you for a few decades."

"Q, would you please explain what is going on?"

Q saw that Jean-Luc really did look pale and tired. "Not the way to start a honeymoon, eh? Of course, you and Red had quite a honeymoon on Clarion."

"You erased our memories?" Beverly asked.

"But he didn't erase your feelings for each other," Guinan explained.

"Actually, I did erase your feelings. Only problem was, I hadn't created them in the first place, so I couldn't take them away. You both really did fall in love at first sight. I am truly sorry for what I did to you."

Beverly almost believed the apology. "And all the pregnancies?"

"You all have the Q gene. And considering how good Wesley turned out, I thought that I should encourage you all to go forth and propagate. With each other. So I altered your birth control."

"Women have killed men for less," Ro casually and calmly observed.

"Bloodthirsty. That's why I've always stayed away from Bajoran women," Q mumbled.

"We are not lab experiments!" Worf roared.

"No, you're not," Guinan calmly replied. "But people who have part of the Q Continuum within them, are just naturally attracted to other people like them. We can sense each other on some level. Something to do with the pheromones and how we perceive beauty and art. All that sort of nonsense."

Q walked over to Beverly, then glanced at Wesley. "You were supposed to marry Jack Crusher. He was your destiny. And you were supposed to eventually fall in love with Jean-Luc - after Jack Crusher died. Jack was supposed to be Wesley's father. For he did have the Q gene too. But then I screwed up and you met Jean-Luc before the wedding. Once I realized that you were pregnant, well, I just figured it was safer for everyone, including me," he glanced over at Guinan to see if she would hit him, "if you believed that Jack was the father. So I did a few things to change Wesley's DNA around. But only when he was being scanned. Not in reality."

"You didn't think you were being unfair to Jean-Luc, denying him knowledge of his son?"

"Well, eventually Jean-Luc got the chance to be a father to Wesley. But when you first met, he didn't have the time for a family. That's why you were supposed to marry Jack in the first place."

"Surely you knew that this wouldn't be covered up forever," Jean-Luc finally observed.

"Well I was hoping you'd all be dead before you found out." Q was getting snarky. Then he went to Jean-Luc. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize how injured you really were, Jean-Luc. You are what you are. I may have meddled, but you fell in love exactly the way you are supposed to love. I didn't make you love Beverly, And I certainly didn't make Beverly love you. You came up with that loverly idea all by your selves. I wouldn't have minded having a son like Wesley, if I were you." He looked at Wes. "I'm sorry about the mess."

"If you're omnipotent beings, why can't you just do what you want to do?" Jellico was a little shaken by all this Q talk. He'd read the reports about the Q, but he'd never really believed half of what he read - until now.

"There are rules, Captain Jellico," Wes explained. "I was born with the gene from both of my parents. And for some reason, I'm able to harness some of the Q's powers. But there is only one way to become a real Q. And that is to use your powers. The greater the demand for power with each using, the closer you become a Q. That's why if I had interfered and saved Admiral Picard and Captain Riker from the Cardassians, I would have hastened my powers along too much." Wesley apologetically smiled at Will Riker. "That's why Admiral Picard ordered me not to save him, or you, Captain. I was very tempted to do so, but Admiral Picard didn't want me to change over. I'm not ready to advance quickly. I need more time being human before I'm ready to evolve to the next level."

Jellico dearly wanted to get himself a drink. This day had just too much excitement. And he hadn't a clue how to write his captain's log entry for this stardate.

"How much of this does Starfleet know?" Jellico always worried about the details.

Picard chose his words carefully. "It's a very fine line to keep their secrets, and to keep a log as well. I have always believed that if it concerned people, then it wasn't any of Starfleet's concern. Unless it interfered with their doing their duty. And then there is the problem of other people trying to exploit the Q into doing their bidding. With a fledgling such as Wesley, there are outside forces that could force Wesley to do things against his will. It could hurt people I love and care about."

Carrie spoke up. "I've lived with this knowledge a long time, Edward. I've come to believe that some of the best that the universe has to offer, is based on the intermingling of the Q with human beings."

Robin was not willing to let Q avoid answering the important questions. "So what happens to our children when they are born?"

"You raise them. All their mistakes will be on your heads. The Q ain't babysitters."

"Will you interfere with them?"

"Ordinarily we do not - unless they make the mistake of marrying a Klingon."

Deanna groaned. Suddenly understanding a few things, she glanced over at her Mother, who was playing with her crawling tilsit. And she knew. Her Mother had sold her soul to the Q in order to get Deanna married.

Lwaxana knew her daughter's thoughts and answered them. "Someday you'll thank me, Little One."

"And that is it?" Robin continued.

"Actually, yes." He stood, pirouetted, and announced, "My work is done. Enjoy yourselves! Tata for now." He disappeared, this time with a puff of smoke.

Everyone looked at Wesley. "I honestly didn't know what the Q were doing. But if you knew, would that really have changed anything? You are all with the people that you love. The Q didn't have anything to do with those feelings." Wes glanced at his Mother. "They might have helped move events along, or not, as the case may be. But in the end, we all made our own, free-will decisions." And he smiled at Robin. "And I rejoice in my choice."

Beverly, sensing how tired Jean-Luc was, ordered in her best physician's voice, "Admiral Picard needs rest. If we have anything more to discuss, we'll do so tomorrow."

Reluctantly almost everyone left.

It was Worf who asked the important question. "Wesley Crusher. Are you Starfleet or Q?"

"Starfleet, Mr. Worf. If I am given an order by my commanding office with which I disagree, I will explain why I am challenging that order. But I will obey that order." He glanced at Riker. "I wouldn't be wearing this uniform if I weren't willing to follow its rules."

"This new worm hole engine. You or the Q?" Jellico had grave reservations about Commander Crusher.

"Commander LaForge, Dr. Brahms, Commander Barclay, Mr. Data and I created that engine, Captain. The only magic I used was my intelligence. Dr. Brahms was already close to coming to the same conclusions and designs as myself."

Picard spoke up now. "Then what you saw and learned with the Tau Alphan. You won't use the knowledge now?"

"Sir, so much of what I've learned I cannot use because it is too advanced for us to use now. But there were no restrictions placed on my knowledge. When I can use my knowledge to help, I will." He came and touched his father's shoulder. "If you will forgive me, Sir, it is time that you rest." He leaned over and quietly added, "We can discuss other matters tomorrow." He helped the admiral stand, and handed him over to his mother. He kissed his mother's cheek, and whispered "Goodnight, Mother." And then, he unexpectedly kissed Jean-Luc's cheek. "Goodnight, Father." With that he left them to go embrace his wife.

Picard walked slowly, trying to assimilate the events of the day. "I have a son," he whispered to Beverly.

After watching them leave, Robin asked, "You already knew, didn't you Wes?"

"The first time I met Captain Picard, I knew that he was part of my family. I never questioned it. Years later I learned of some of the powers of the Q. And I began to suspect, but I never really knew for sure until tonight." He kissed her briefly. "I've got to go do something right now, with Mr. Worf."

"What?"

"See if my father's reputation with the Klingons needs saving. I don't think that Klingons understand phrases like Dissociative fugue states…"

Mr. Worf had the same idea. Fortunately, the two captains had not changed their opinion of Jean-Luc Picard. And Gowron invited both of them to drink with him at his Palace. Though Wesley did suggest to Mr. Worf that Deanna might not be so understanding. Gowron and Wesley spent the whole night talking and drinking. Gowron had always wanted to talk to a Q.

=/\= =/\= =/\=

Jean-Luc walked among the grapevines, smelling the fertile earth; listening to the caw of crows. He breathed deeply of the air, still redolent with summer's waning scents. He was enjoying the peace of the day.

And he was listening to Reg prattle on about the harvest. Reg was applying himself to learn how to be a vintner. For Mela loved it here at Château Picard. And Reg had found that he loved coming home to the wine country. The house he was restoring was the first permanent home he'd ever had. He was living there with a wife who adored him, and children whom he loved.

"Funny how much can change in a year," Reg observed. "I never thought that I'd ever meet a woman who would love me much as I love her, much less marry and have children of my own." For Reg now had a son - Geordi Data. And he had adopted Mela's children.

"I agree." Picard looked toward the Château down the road. Preparations for the wedding/christening parties were being made. It was going to be a very long and busy weekend. All of their friends were coming, along with all their children too.

The real question was, would Will and his crew make it? For Beverly had joined the Enterprise E as CMO. The new Enterprise E was supposed to be christened in three weeks. Mr. Data was Will's Number One. Worf and Deanna held their original posts. They were there with their son Jean-Luc. Geordi had accepted the offer of being the chief engineer. Dr. Brahms and their daughter Lal, were going to travel with the ship, too. Leah was conducting continuing tests on the new worm hole drive, as well as continuing on with a host of other experiments.

Wesley, Robin and their son Jean Jackson would be joining the crew. When Wes was done at the Academy, he'd be the Science Officer. Robin was a senior pilot.

Ro Laren and her husband Tom, along with their daughter Gale Guinan, were coming to the party. Ro had accepted the role of being a Maquis Ambassadress. Tom was supervising the rebuilding of war damaged DMZ cities. He was also building their home on Salva II.

Edward Jellico and his wife were still on the old Cairo. The new Cairo was finally at the UP for the finishing touches before launch.

As for all the others who had been a part of their lives they were already on Earth.

Jean-Luc knew how busy they all were especially Will and Beverly in getting the Enterprise E ready to go. He'd been there and done that. And it was an imposition that they all take time off to come to LaBarre. But Jean-Luc also knew that the odds were pretty slim for everyone who should be at the party, actually being at Sector One all at the same time again. The decision was made to have one grand party. Mr. Data was planning everything. Unbeknownst to Jean-Luc, Will Riker was helping Marie and Data.

As for Jean-Luc, right now, he was taking care of his twins. Along with the help of Marie and Guinan. For some reason, Guinan assumed that she was the Picard family nanny, and Picard couldn't quite decide if it was a good thing or not.

Jean-Luc and Beverly had named their daughter Deanna Marie, and their son, William Robert. Though it would be Winston Holt Wiley who would create William's nickname of Billy Bob. And nothing that Jean-Luc could say or do would stop that nickname from sticking. Deanna's nickname became Annie. Will, Laren, Worf and Deanna were the god parents.

Q had been very upset when they hadn't taken his suggestion of Suzie Q as the daughter's name

Jean-Luc would be on board the Enterprise E when she was launched. He was going to be an Ambassador Ad Litem for the Federation, and his first assignment would be to deal with issues that had arisen on the Cardassian and Klingon Empire borders. The Enterprise E would be considered his personal flagship, as well as the Federation flagship. Though pleased with this arrangement, he knew it was a temporary one. He had to give Will a chance to be a captain in his own right, away from constraint of possibly deferring to Picard.

Reg and Jean-Luc ambled their way back to Château Picard along a dusty cart path. Reg then went to his home on the other side of the field where the party was going to be held. Jean-Luc decided to see how the party preparations were going. He was surprised to see Mr. Data on site.

"Mr. Data."

Data, still wearing his duty uniform, nodded as Jean-Luc approached. "Sir."

"How goes it?" There was an expression on Data's face that Picard couldn't quite identify. He looked harried. "Is there anything that I can do to help?"

"You could deal with Marie, Jean-Luc. She is over in your wine tasting center. I think that she is underestimating how many cases will be needed."

"Of course, Data. I'll go talk to…" his voice trailed off as he saw Guinan running toward them, her puce hat threatening to fly off of her head. "Guinan?"

"Jean-Luc. The twins are sleeping." She paused to take a couple of frantic breaths. "There's been a mix-up that I've got to straighten out. Feed the babies when they wake up." And with that she disappeared. She'd also neglected to mention just how many babies were asleep in the nursery too. Jean-Luc would have his hands full that afternoon. And if he didn't know any better, he would suspect that Guinan had planned this, as he took care of his twins, as well as Mela's sons. He fed, cleaned up, diapered and played with all of them.

That evening, Jean-Luc joined Marie for dinner. Reg, Mela, and Woody Nakamura were there too.

After a pleasant dinner, Jean-Luc went to check on the babies. Then, he went down to the salon for some quiet conversation, and a glass of good brandywine. He found it surprising at how easily he'd slipped into becoming not only the father but primary caretaker for the twins. Beverly came when she could, but he was in charge of his children.

He remembered his last days on board his Enterprise D lamenting the fact that he was the last of the Picards. And now there were at least three of his children who would call Château Picard home. Though considering the way all three would be raised, the stars would be their playground. He wondered if any of his children would be willing to stay on Earth and make wine. Still, he was pleased with the direction his life had turned.

Jean-Luc would always miss being a starship captain. He would miss it every day for the rest of his life. But for now he could accept his happiness. He'd paid dearly to achieve it.

After a snifter of brandy and some conversation, he went upstairs to bed. It was going to be a long weekend, and he wanted to at least get some sleep.

But Beverly had other plans. She'd beamed into their bedroom without alerting anyone else. She missed her husband and children, and just wanted a little quiet time with them by herself.

He greeted his surprise with a kiss full of promise. "Beverly, welcome home. How was your day?"

"Did you know my captain is a slave driver?"

"Really?" He'd never been privy to Beverly complaining about her captain before. Not like this.

"He's nearly as bad as my former captain."

"Really?" He pulled her into his arms, and removed her duty jacket, casually asking, "And is there anything that your former captain can do to make amends?"

"Scrub my back?"

He kissed her neck. "You wish is my command."

After a fairly long, intimate shower, they got ready for bed. He pulled his bride onto his lap as he sat down on a comfy, burgundy upholstered bergere. "I've been meaning to give this to you, mon coeur." He reached over and picked up a small box that was on top of an inlaid library stand. He opened it. "I believe it was my granmere's ring. He slipped the oval blue star sapphire and blue diamond ring onto her ring finger. "The minute I saw your earrings at our wedding, I knew that this ring was a perfect match. It is an extraordinary coincidence." He softly kissed her. "The fates have decreed that we were meant to be, Beverly."

"It's beautiful, Jean-Luc." To prove that she liked it, she kissed him. A while later, Beverly slept in his arms. He hadn't felt this content in years. Neither had she.

The next day dawned bright and beautiful. Jean-Luc heard the sound of Data's voice in the courtyard. He nudged Beverly. "Rise, my love. It's begun."

Beverly just mumbled.

"All right, I'll go check on our twins. You sleep." He was smiling to himself as he dressed. A few minutes later, he picked up Deanna. She was always the first one to get fractious in the morning. He was just grateful that now both twins were sleeping through the night.

A soft voice behind him whispered, "Let me." He turned and handed their daughter to her mother. Beverly opened up her robe to breast feed, then sat on a rocker. Jean-Luc watched for a while, then asked, "Have you enough milk for Will? I can prep some of your stored breast milk, if you wish it."

"No, I think I'll be fine this morning." She sighed, then she studied her husband as intently as he'd been gazing upon her. "Have you decided?"

"You know I don't want to leave them behind."

"I don't either. I just think that it is best for them that they do stay with Marie. At least until they reach two." She shook her head. "I know your surprised at my stance. But babies need constant attention. I can't give that to them on board a starship."

"But I can," Jean-Luc countered.

"Yes, while we're traveling to where we are going, you can. But once you get there you'll be so wrapped up with your mission, that the twins will have to take second place to your work. If I have a light load that day, then it is fine. But what if I don't have a light load? Then what? Dragoon some yeoman into taking care of them?"

"Actually…," Jean-Luc began.

"You want to ask Guinan," Beverly guessed.

"She's offered."

"Then I have another suggestion."

'What, Beverly?"

"Considering how many of us will have babies on board the Enterprise, why don't we work out a schedule where one of us is tending to all of the children, with the occasional help of a nursery aide. Guinan can volunteer and take care of Will's Happy Bottom Riding Club Lounge (aka Ten Forward) at the same time." She had it all worked out.

"I'd be delighted to do so."

"You would be willing to volunteer?"

"I took care of our twins and Mela's boys all afternoon yesterday. I found it enjoyable."

Beverly shook her head as she wondered how Jean-Luc would cope with all the babies having a cold at the same time. She smiled to herself as she envisioned it. Then she motioned for Jean-Luc to bring her Will. "I'll say yes on one condition." She settled William on her other breast, and handed him Deanna. He burped her.

"And that condition being?"

"That you dance the tango with me tonight. Otherwise I will let Will Riker see that recording of you changing your son's diaper for the very first time." Her grin was evil as she recalled what happened. He'd had to change his piss soaked shirt.

"Then I accede to all your demands, you red-haired witch." He trailed his fingers through her loose hair. Then he kissed the top of her head. "I'll go see to our breakfast. It's catch as catch can in the kitchen today."

As he left the room, Beverly called out, "Jean-Luc."

"Yes, mon coeur?"

"Will's been grinning like a Circassian cat all week whenever the party's been mentioned."

Jean-Luc nodded. "Yes, I know that he's plotting something. It's his nature to be plotting something."

"Trouble is, Mr. Data has been smiling too."

=/\= =/\= =/\=

Jean-Luc's smile began to stiffen as he watched all the hundreds of people coming to the party. Mr. Data had his own list. Marie had her list. And unless he missed his guess, Lwaxana had a very long list too.

Everyone he'd cared about had arrived early willing to help. Even Ro had greeted him with a quick kiss, as she arrived arm-in-arm with Tom and Will.

Marie was guiding those parents with babies to the upstairs bedrooms at the Château. She'd brought in a lot of extra staff and neighbors to take care of the nursery, the food and the party.

The merchant's sales building was where all the food preparation was going to be. Thousands of floating candle lights formed the ceiling for the large dining tents which had been placed next to the wine tasting rooms. Those rooms had been converted into the bar.

An open dance floor with another ceiling of floating lights had a stage for the band. It was set by the courtyard near the gardens, folly and maze. Mela and Reg's house would handle the overflow if necessary.

All of the couples involved took turns at the greeting line. Otherwise Picard would have had to stand there most of the day. Considering his experience with other parties that Data had planned, Jean-Luc was not too surprised at who had accepted the invitations.

Then Jean-Luc met Riker's surprise. Visions of legendary brawls crossed his mind as he greeted Chancellor Gowron and his entourage. Moving next to Mr. Data, Picard whispered his orders. "Mr. Data. You do not throw the first punch!"

"Do you wish to designate another person to throw the first punch? Captain Riker, perhaps?"

"No brawling at all, Mr. Data!" His voice was a bit louder now. And stern. And then he saw Mr. Data's grin. The android was pulling his leg.

Picard's laughter was heartfelt when he met Gowron's date - Alynna Nechayev. Apparently the Admiral had maintained her contact with Gowron from the Enterprise D's wake.

And then Jean-Luc heard it. The sound of a shuttlecraft landing where it was not supposed to land. He looked up and saw the Starbuck. He'd once spent a memorable few days on that shuttlecraft. For it had been with Ro. A minute later a tall Vorlo free-trading pirate ran up to Picard and socked him. Picard almost fell backwards if it hadn't been for Data's swift catch.

"You can't imagine my surprise when I received your invitation Johnny!"

Picard heartily greeted Ragner, shook his hand, braced himself and flipped Ragner into the dirt. "Glad you could come." The Vorlo guffawed. "Where's my charming cantankerous Bajoran?"

"That's Ambassador Cantankerous Bajoran to you, Captain," Picard replied as he offered his hand to the Vorlo to help him stand up. He saw Beverly and Worf approaching rapidly. "Captain Ragner, may I introduce you to my wife, Beverly, and one of my best friends, Worf. Perhaps you'd care to arm wrestle later on."

Picard didn't know who had the odder look on their faces. Beverly, when she realized that this scruffy, scraggly haired, very dusty Vorlo was the pirate who had almost killed Jean-Luc, or Worf realizing that Picard had called him a best friend.

Ragner's eyes widened when he saw Beverly. He whispered to Picard, "You have to tell me your secret! He glanced around. "Where's my favorite Bajoran? I can console her."

Picard grinned. "Laren's here - with her husband."

Perhaps the highlight of the afternoon was when Nagus Behlk arrived, bearing gifts. He only kissed Jean-Luc's feet once. Then he quoted the 236th Rule of Acquisition: You can't buy Fate.

Behlk wandered around Château Picard under the watchful eye of Mr. Worf. Behlk may not have known the artistic value of much of what was inside the Château, but he did understand old and craftsmanship. And the value of property, land and wine. He was impressed. And mentally started revising upwards the bills he would later on present to Picard.

It was also the first time that a Ferengi Nagus had come to Earth. Many of the admirals in attendance were trying to figure out all the reasons why.

During the cocktail hour before the actual banquet, Admiral Winston Holt Wiley pulled Jean-Luc aside. "Thought we'd have a little round up poker, later."

"The room is already ready," Picard concurred. "May I propose a new member?"

"Admiral, you can propose whomsoever you wish. You're an admiral now. You get to wield the power."

"Thank you, Winnie."

Wiley laughed. "Wondered how long it would take you to use that nickname instead of the usual old Horse's Ass."

"Winnie, I can genuinely say that I have never called you that out loud."

Wiley knew better. "But you thought it."

Picard joined Nella and Edward. He paid the proper compliments to Nella for she was glowing. Picard had his suspicions. And then he pulled Edward aside, motioning toward the garden. They walked over to a more quiet corner framed by floribunda, and lavender.

"Yes, Jean-Luc."

"Congratulations. Nella looks very happy."

"Thank you and yes, we are happy." He stopped. "You know Nella is pregnant?"

"She has that look, Edward. I've been around quite a few pregnant ladies lately. I've learned to recognize it." He shook Edward's hand. "How is your son Franklin?"

"Frank is excited. He's getting along very well with Nella and the thought of a sister. And being on board the Cairo. He wants to go to the Starfleet Academy." Edward couldn't accurately express all the pride he'd felt.

Picard had some news to impart. "I've also heard that your new ship should be going into its final completion phases very soon. That will give you at least six months to set up the new Cairo. Do you still wish to continue flying your Cairo during the final stages, or would you rather come to UP and work from there?"

"May I think about it, Admiral? I know what I would prefer, but it might ease Carrie's mind to have Nella on Earth with her during the last trimester of her pregnancy."

"I'm sure we can work out a solution."

"I want to thank you for the party, Jean-Luc. It's a wonderful gesture for all of us." Edward turned to leave.

"There is something else, Edward." Jellico waited. "Have you ever heard of the Admiral's Round Up?"

"Actually, I have." Jellico held his breath. For rumor had it that if you weren't invited to be part of the round up when you got your first captain's chair, you were never going to be promoted to admiral. And after decades as a captain, Edward had assumed that he would never be asked, much less be asked by this man.

"We're going to be playing poker, later on. Would you care to join us?"

"You sure, Jean-Luc?"

"Only if you bring plenty of credits."

"Will Captain Riker be there?"

"He has not yet been invited to a game."

"I am looking forward to playing poker with you, Jean-Luc." Jellico was mystified. He had long given up hope of becoming an admiral, and yet now, Picard of all admirals, was inviting him into a very exclusive club.

"Jean-Luc, why you? Why now?"

"You've always been considered a steady, reliable starship captain. But the way you handled the peace treaty and my own rather complicated situation showed depths that I had never suspected you to have. Also, Mr. Worf and Mr. Data respect you. I have always valued their opinions. But I would have never invited you to play poker if I had not thought that you are a starship captain whose talents are greatly needed. I hope that you will consider me to be a friend."

He offered his hand to Edward. And they shook hands as friends.

With a slight smile, Edward added, "And I did have the good sense to marry Nella."

"Yes, that too. Marie has some of Nella's special tea blend in the house. Just ask one of the waiters. Though how you can drink her herbal teas is beyond me."

As Jellico walked away, he remembered what he'd told Nella. That he would keep silent about the Q connection to Picard and the children-to-be. It wasn't for Picard's sake, but for the sake of the children. Considering what they'd be born into, trying to give them some semblance of a protected, normal life was the decent thing to do. And in spite of all of his flaws, Captain Edward Jellico was a decent man. Then Jellico chuckled. The great Jean-Luc Picard had just offered him, however discreetly, a bribe. Picard was a mere mortal after all, willing to do anything and everything to protect those he loved. They could be friends, after all.

It was time for the banquet. The dais held all the couples who were celebrating. Jean-Luc and Beverly, Tom and Laren, Will, Worf and Deanna, Edward and Nella, Wes and Robin, Geordi and Leah, Mela and Reg and Mr. Data (Who was godfather or honorary uncle to every new born babe).

As the meal neared its completion, only the champagne was yet to be served. Picard stood and raised his champagne flute.

The tents quieted down.

"I wish to thank you all for coming. It is likely that we will never all meet again like this, so you being here is an honor to all of us." He looked about the dais tables. "We are celebrating the continuation of life from our marriages to our children. And I wish to honor and thank our hostess," he motioned in Marie's direction, "Madame Marie Picard, Comtesse de Holl and the provider of all the wine which we are to drink tonight." Everyone cheered and applauded. "So, mon ami, all that we ask of all of you is to eat, drink, laugh and to enjoy yourselves. Live now! Make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again..."

Riker stood, holding his glass high. "First, to Jean-Luc and Beverly…" He lauded every other couple. "Only one phrase says it all. Live long and prosper!"

Jellico stood next and toasted all the brides. And so it went, down the table.

Deanna leaned over and suddenly grabbed Will's sleeve, and whispered, "Do you love me, Will?"

Somewhat startled by the question, Will said yes.

"Then dart down the aisle and tackle my Mother before she gets to the stage!"

It took Will a moment to find Lwaxana. She was holding a champagne glass in her hands. He groaned. And then swiftly moved to intercept her. But then he stopped. For something bizarre had happened. Q stepped into the lady's path, passionately kissed her and then led Lwaxana away from all the lights, and into the darkness of the courtyard. Will didn't know whether to be grateful or worried. Or both.

After all the toasts were almost done, Gowron stood, raising his glass. "Chec'tluth, qong'daq, par'Mach and opera. May my Arbiter of Succession and his warriors have a full life!"

Mr. Data then stood. "As Chancellor Gowron has just said, I wish all of my friends wine, lovers, a bed, true love and song. Which now means that the band, which consists of my fellow musicians from Harvard and the University of Michigan, is now ready to perform. So I ask that all of the happily married newlyweds whom we are honoring tonight, dance the first dance." Data drank his wine then threw his glass onto the floor and shattered it.

Picard grimaced. Beverly whispered, "Please don't tell me that was the ancestral Baccarat."

"No, it's replicated."

Crashing glasses could be heard around the banquet area. "Send in the servo units," Picard ordered a waiter.

And so the dancing began on a perfect evening, under a candle lit canopy floating beneath the stars.

Mr. Data held the baton, and sang Blue Skies.

As expected, all of the couples began trading partners during the second number. Jean-Luc Picard surprised a number of people, when he stepped up to where some children were watching, and politely bowed in front of Harla wearing a cherry red dress. The now eight-year-old young lady, curtsied, and accepted Oncle Jean-Luc's invitation. It was the highlight of her night. Not to mention bringing tears to her mother's eyes.

And some were wondering where the vicious rumor got started that Jean-Luc did not like children…

Jean-Luc danced with many ladies that night. He even asked Ro Laren for a waltz.

For a few minutes, they said nothing. He didn't recognize how well they danced together, though some noticed. Then he whispered, "Ma belle, are you happy?"

There was a sheen to her eyes that might have held a tear or two. "Yes, Jean-Luc. I actually am."

"And our daughter?"

"She's the miracle in my life that I never expected."

"Laren, if ever there is a problem in the future, Gowron has promised me that he'll protect you and our daughter. All you have to do is ask him. You can believe that, even if for some reason the Federation goes to war against the Klingons again."

"Thank you." She started relaxing in his arms, and then realized the hidden dangers. She chose another path. "I was actually thinking of asking you and Beverly to come and visit. Tom's building a huge house. There's plenty of room. It would give the twins a chance to get to know their sister. I'll ask Wes and Robin as well."

"Or, you could also come to Caldos. We've been building an addition to Beverly's house. We'll have plenty of room in a few months too."

He felt her trembling, and without thinking, he guided her off the dance floor into the shadows.

"What is it, Laren?"

"Sometimes, when I'm with our daughter, I just wish you were there."

He understood the ache in her heart. For he had it too. Without thinking he pressed a light kiss on her lips.

"Ahem." The voice came out of the darkness.

Startled, Jean-Luc stepped away from Ro.

Guinan appeared. Her golden gown and flapping chapeau seemed to have a lighted power source of their own. "Just taking a walk, watching out for my goddaughter."

Jean-Luc suddenly comprehended how kissing Laren might be misinterpreted if someone had seen them. He was surprised by his personal error. Turning to Laren, he kissed her brow. Then he looked at Guinan and offered his arm. "I believe they are playing our song, Guinan. Shall we dance?"

"I don't dance."

"You do, now." He offered his other arm to Laren. They all casually strolled back to the dance area, as if daring anyone to say anything about their actions.

And Jean-Luc discovered that Guinan really couldn't dance. His toes would hurt for days.

A few minutes later he was waltzing with Marie. "I wish to thank you, Marie. For everything."

"I should be thanking you, Jean-Luc. In the space of a year, how things have changed. Château Picard has family again. You know how strongly Robert valued the family. I'd just never realized how much you do too."

"I didn't for a long time, Marie. I let my bitterness blind me to what I was missing. I will regret my foolishness the rest of my life."

"But now you do understand. And that is what counts, Jean-Luc. I was guilty of not insisting that Robert reconcile with you a lot sooner. But, you live your life. And you have to learn as you go."

"I just am grateful that Robert married you. You are the best of sisters."

Marie was touched that he hadn't added in-law.

He danced next with Mela. He was not too surprised as to how graceful she felt in his arms.

"Thank you for my life, John Luke."

"No, I should thank you. When I met you, it was one of the luckiest days of my life. Thank you for your kindness toward Marie. And for marrying Reg. You've made a remarkable difference in his life, and in all our lives." He escorted her back to her husband, then bowed and kissed her hand. He smiled at Reg. "You're a very lucky man, Reg. For everything that you've done for my family, I thank you." Reg was speechless.

On his way to check with Beverly, Jean-Luc bumped into Edward and Nella. With just a bit of deviltry, he politely asked if they'd like to sing a duet. He added that Mr. Data had suggested it. Edward grimaced. Nella shoved Jean-Luc onto the dance floor.

"I specifically told Data that we would not sing!" Nella hissed as they danced to some sort of popular song from Risa. (For Data and his musicians had a very varied repertoire.) "He'd already asked."

"I know." Jean-Luc smoothly dipped.

Nella stumbled when he pulled her back up. "You're dancing! You told me that you never danced."

"Beverly has been making me take lessons. Apparently when I'm a diplomat, I'm supposed to dance."

Nella laughed. "And you hate it."

"Depends upon the partner." He twirled her. He noticed the way she kept glancing towards Edward, standing at the edge of the dance floor. "You'd rather be in Eddie's arms?"

Nella shuddered. "Don't ever call him Eddie. I can't even get away with it. He prefers Edward but will answer to Ed. And yes, Edward is a good dancer too."

Picard grinned to himself. He knew that some time tonight, that little bit of information about Eddie would come in useful during the poker game.

He began to maneuver her towards her husband as they danced. He softly asked, "Are you happy, Nella?"

All she saw on his face was the concern of an old friend. And she smiled in reply. "Very, Jean-Luc."

He handed her back to her husband and then kissed her hand with a flourish, as if he were an ancient cavalier. Surprisingly Edward didn't seem to mind.

And Picard recognized just how solid their marriage was. He was pleased.

Jean-Luc wandered amongst the crowds as a host greeting friends, villagers and relatives. Normally he would have disliked such activities, but tonight, he felt the strong pull of ancestral ties. This was his family, his land, his house, his friends, and his people. He finally began to understand the pride that Robert had felt toward Château Picard. The bonds went back centuries.

He felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned.

"My turn to dance," Deanna said with a smile.

"May I have the pleasure of this dance, Deanna?" He smiled back, admiring his favorite counselor in her dress of amethyst silk. "You look lovely tonight."

Picard swept her off into a slow fox trot.

"You're happy, Jean-Luc. That's an emotion I've rarely felt in you."

"It's taken me a long time to accept my life. But now that I have, I don't know when I've been happier."

Jean-Luc pulled her a little closer. He'd always had admiration for Deanna as a counselor, and as a woman. Now that he no longer was a starship captain, many of the formal barriers between Jean-Luc and his friends were gone. "Thank you Deanna, for everything. You've saved my life, and my sanity, many, many times."

"I am just glad that I could help, Jean-Luc."

"I just wish for your happiness too, Deanna." He kissed her brow, and then let Will cut in.

He couldn't resist. Data was conducting a song that had been played at his wedding - about the Pleasure of Love. He saw his wife with Marie, talking with the Mayor of LaBarre and a priest. Picard smiled as he walked over, introduced himself, and then let it be known that the waltz being performed had been played at their wedding. Within a moment he had his bride in his arms. And all was right with the world.

Beverly nestled her head next to Jean-Luc's chin. "I do love you, Jean-Luc. Remember that."

He indulgently smiled. Then there was a tap on his shoulder. He turned his head and gave the intruder his best annoyed captainly stare. Didn't work though, because it was Geordi standing there with Leah. Sighing, he switched partners, instinctively knowing that Leah understood every nuance about the exchange.

They danced. Picard silently admired the lady in her gold evening gown, then offered her a polite compliment.

She ignored it. "Do you know how much courage that took for Geordi to switch partners?"

He eyed Leah, trying to figure out what it was that had upset Geordi's wife. "Please don't tell me that Will made a bet with Geordi."

"No, I did."

They moved about the floor. He noted that she was a very good dancer which surprised him since most hard core scientists were not known for their dancing abilities. "Why?" he finally asked.

"It's time that Geordi got over his hero worship of you, and got to know you better as a human being. Geordi's your friend, Jean-Luc. Are you his?" Her words bore no hint of accusation, but he felt her disapproval quite strongly. What was worse, he knew that Leah Brahms LaForge was absolutely right.

He had gotten complacent, always assuming that Geordi would treat him as he always had. Jean-Luc had automatically assumed that he would be forever Geordi's captain - and admiral - with the deference and respect to rank to which he'd become accustomed. But it wasn't an equal relationship. Geordi was also his friend. Just like Will. And his former chief engineer deserved far more than what Jean-Luc had previously proffered by way of friendship. It was time that he repaid the debt he owed Geordi. He could do it now. He no longer was a captain bearing a captain's burden. He could actually be friends with his officers.

There had always been an innocence, a naivety and an optimism about Geordi, that never seemed to waver regardless of what he'd experienced. And Leah had assigned herself the role of protector of her husband in ways he really would never understand. Jean-Luc's estimation of the lady rose greatly.

Especially since she was right.

As the number ended, he led Leah back to Beverly and Geordi. He kissed Leah's cheek, then whispered, "You were right to reproach me. Thank you." Then he put his arm around his bride. "I was thinking…" He paused. Beverly did not disappoint. She did chuckle at thought of her husband thinking. "…Geordi and Leah, we'd like you to come for the wine festival. Come for a weekend at least. Or a week. It's been quite a while since we have really had a chance to simply talk. I've been keeping up with both of your work in the journals, and I have quite a few questions for you…"

A flustered Geordi replied, "Sound like fun. That is if my Boss will let me take time off."

Leah laughed. "We'd love to come. Did I ever tell you how I beat Will at poker?" Jean-Luc took the bait.

Geordi tried to stifle his grin. What Leah wasn't mentioning was that she'd been Fleet poker champion for two years. She was setting Jean-Luc and Beverly up. And Geordi truly admired his wife's deviousness. He adored the way she dealt with the universe.

They said their farewells and walked back to their rooms in spite of the early hour, his arm still about Leah's waist. It was time for them to go to bed. Eventually they'd get some sleep.

In a dark corner of the Château Picard, Laren and Tom kissed. Ro had gone up to the nursery to breastfeed Gale. Tom had accompanied her. Afterwards, she just had to see what the Château looked like. So they went exploring. When they entered the library, Tom found the cellarette hidden inside of a free-standing inlaid wood terrestrial globe. He looked at the sterling labels on the ancient crystal bottles. "Laren, we have our choice of scotch, whiskey, brandy or port. Which would you prefer?" Tom picked up two cut crystal glasses. He whistled. "We get to drink it out of antique glasses too. How elitist is that?"

Ro was examining some of the bookshelves, reading the titles. Most were in French. She fingered an odd looking flute in a case. "I'll take the brandy, Tom."

Moments later they were seated on a tufted leather couch. "Should I light the fire?"

Ro sipped her Fine de la Marne brandy, then whispered, "No. It's hot enough in here with you." She pressed a brief kiss on his lips. Then she snuggled closer to her husband.

"What is it, Laren?"

She put down her glass and kissed Tom. Then she casually asked, "Remember our first night together when you slipped me a mickey?"

"Every detail, Laren." Tom slipped his hand under the neckline of Ro's ruby red evening gown. "I remember how I touched you." He showed her.

"What was the mickey, Tom? What kind?"

"Something from Sirius."

"That's what I thought you'd said." She slid onto her husband's lap. "I finally got around to asking Mr. Data about Sirius mickeys in general."

"And?"

"Did you know that some of them are love potions too?" She squirmed a little to encourage him as it were.

"Yes. I had heard. But those potions only last a couple of days." He nuzzled her neck. "Not years."

"You sure about that?"

"I didn't need a drug to help me fall in love with you, Laren. The first time you shot me, I knew I was in deep trouble." There was a fire gleaming in Tom's eyes, as he felt her inquisitive fingers. "Here?"

"I'm sure were not the first lovers to tryst in this room."

"You're insatiable, Laren." He grinned. "Just my luck. Just my very, very good luck."

She straddled him and lifted her skirt, undoing his slacks. A moment later, she guided her husband. They kissed and loved.

Guinan quietly closed the library door. "Now that's guramba," she observed to herself.

A while later, as they were straightening up, Laren observed, "I almost feel sorry for Will. He's got his captain's chair. And not much more."

"His choice, Laren. It's one that I might have made too, if I had not met you. Thank the Prophets."

The topic of their conversation was climbing the back stairs, up to the rooms converted into nurseries. After checking a few doors, Will found his son.

Even though there was a nursery maid, it was Will who changed the diaper. He was so rarely alone with his son, that there wasn't anything that he would not do. He was still coochy-cooing when Guinan came over to him.

"Will."

"Guinan." He made a silly face at his son.

"There's something I'd like to show you." Guinan judged that he'd had a couple of drinks in him, since he'd willingly changed a diaper. He was very sociable tonight.

Will kissed his son goodnight and then ambled after Guinan. She walked down a long corridor then into her room. It was another suite, this time decorated in an eclectic mix of the Louis styles.

Guinan poured two snifters of the most expensive brandy in the Picard cellars. It was a Fine de la Marne champagne brandy. She handed one to Will. "To Jean-Luc Picard!"

He willingly toasted the man. Then he really appreciated what he was drinking, savoring it for a long moment. He asked, with a bit of curiosity, "What did you want to show me?"

"Me." Guinan dropped her golden robes then pushed him down on the rug by the fireplace, kissing him.

After the second time that they'd mated in front of the fire, Will gave up pretending that he was there under duress. Guinan was clearly offering doctoral courses in lovemaking, and he wasn't about to refuse. Especially since the last time he'd made love had been to Deanna over a year ago. He'd never been a big fan of abstinence.

A while later, they managed to make it to the massive four-poster bleu de roi canopied bed.

Will thought that he knew a lot about the sensual arts. He quickly realized he was an amateur compared to Guinan. Though under Guinan's tutelage, he was becoming a talented amateur.

"Well, Captain, how are you doing?"

Will gazed into her fathomless eyes. "Care to tell me what this is about other than heart pounding, very pleasurable exercise? Jean-Luc mentioned that I'd be inheriting…" His voice trailed off as realization dawned. "You're Jean-Luc's lover!"

"I was when we needed each other. I've always been a counselor to the Enterprise captains. But I've only been lover to one, and that was Jean-Luc." She rose and stared at him, licking her lips. "And now you."

"Why?"

Exasperated, she glared at him. "Do you think you'll still be able to pick and choose amongst the Happy Bottom Riker Fan Club, when you're captain of the Enterprise? Unless Deanna changes her mind about really making you her husband Number Two, I'm the only option that you'll have for meaningless magnificent sex." She leaned over, offered her breasts, and waited to see if he'd kiss her anywhere. He did.

"Is this what you really want?" Will had concerns that somehow this arrangement was not quite all her doing.

"Oh yes. Let's just say that Jean-Luc liked to have a lot of meaningful philosophical conversations." As Riker positioned her on top of him, she added, "I've been looking forward to less talk and more action."

Will created a new lady killer grin just for Guinan. Then he thought about her words. He stopped thrusting. "Are you saying that you had Jean-Luc for his mind, but wanted me for my body?"

Guinan did something that caused him to moan. "Are you complaining?" Her voice was nonchalant. The internal contractions of her muscles indicated otherwise.

"No," he gasped, as he was quickly losing control - again. She bit a part of his body that had heretofore never been nipped during sex before. He spasmed.

"Will," she ordered, "Recite the periodic table."

He was no longer sure that staying aroused was such a good thing at this point, but he did try.

"Good. You're learning," Guinan stated with satisfaction. Guinan was thoroughly enjoying herself. After a few more minutes of rousing and arousing rumpy pumpy, she permitted him to come, not showing Will her own satisfaction. She'd always keep Will guessing. It would do wonders in shaking up Will's sexual ego.

Then she slid off of him, wiped herself off, and slipped her robes back on. She just stood there and stared at him. And waited.

"For your information, I haven't had sex with anyone since Deanna and Worf were married."

"I know." She still waited for him to get out of bed.

Wondering how the hell she could know, eventually he gave up, crawled out of her bed, and picked up his clothes, walking with as much dignity as he could muster into the bathroom. A few minutes later he emerged, completely dressed in formal civilian attire.

She casually commented, "For future reference, and if there isn't a red alert claxon going off somewhere, after we enjoy this kind of vigorous physical exercise, I'd prefer to take a shower with you." She saw him gulp. "One more thing."

"What?" It sounded like a croak.

She walked over to him and kissed him softly, with great fervor. And humor. She whispered, "Will Riker, I surprised you tonight, didn't I?" He nodded. She kissed him again, more as an offer of comfort rather than passion. Then she warned, "You've grown complacent, Will. The captain of the Enterprise must never be complacent. I've a lot to teach you." And then she grinned her best mysterious grin, taking a page out of his playbook. "Will, I began instructing Jean-Luc while he was captain of the Stargazer. He needed every lesson I could teach him in order to help him cope with the enormity of what was coming when he was in the big chair. You won't need as many lessons as Picard."

He studied her, watching her fix her flopping chapeau which had fallen on the floor by the fireplace. And he understood his first lesson. "Thank you, Guinan." He pointedly looked at the bed. "I'm looking forward to our next lesson." Then he tried to top her grin. "I'll never take you, or the universe, for granted again."

"That's how you stay alive, my Grizzly Bear."

He grimaced and knew that if he said anything about the nickname, she was perfectly capable of bestowing something even more awful on him. His eyes widened. "I don't suppose you'd care to tell me what you called…"

"My lips are sealed, unless Jean-Luc really pisses me off tonight."

"What?"

"Stick around Jean-Luc after the poker game to which you weren't invited to join, is over." She gave him a quick kiss. "Next time you will be invited."

By the look in her eye, Will was suddenly glad that he wasn't in Jean-Luc's shoes tonight.

Worf was dancing a very slow dance with Deanna. He was aware of the fact that Gowron did not think that dancing with one's wife, was an appropriate action for a Klingon officer. But the way Deanna felt in his arms, was worth every bit of the Klingon heckling he would receive.

And then things changed. Deanna moved closer to him, brushing herself against him with every step.

He looked down at her. It wasn't his wife in his arms. Her seductive secretive smile told him it was his lover. On any other night this would not have been a problem. But she was trying to arouse him. The way she was brushing up against his genitals was not an accident. And then he realized the probable source of her arousal. Riker was having sex with someone. And Deanna was being aroused through her Imzadi.

He groaned. Worf would have groaned louder if he'd realized that Deanna still had a connection with Tom as well as Will…

Worf warily glanced over at Gowron, Kargan and his entourage. They no longer were just drinking. They had the alert look of warriors about them. They'd smelled Deanna's scent - her pheromones. He had always welcomed this sexual perfume when he was alone with Deanna. But tonight, and with all the wine the Klingons had been drinking, it was akin to waving an honor challenge in front of them all. For if Worf did not satisfy his wife's desire and soon, they all would fight for who would answer Deanna's siren call, the Klingon way. Over his dead body.

"We leave," he ordered. She didn't mind, for clearly it was her intent to be alone with her husband. Data watched them leave the dance floor. He'd also noted the way Worf had been watching the other Klingons.

Worf didn't know where to go. Gowron and his warriors were between them and the Château. He reached for his comm badge. And then remembered he'd left it on a bed stand in their suite.

Deanna seemed to understand her husband's problems. "Rose garden," she suggested.

Worf picked up his bride and ran towards the entrance to the elaborate gardens. But his senses told him there were other couples in the secluded corners of the gardens. Having sex was apparently the goal of many couples this late into the night. But then he remembered the maze. With his superior Klingon senses, he could navigate it with only the floating overhead candles and the stars to guide him.

He'd almost reached the heart of the maze when he heard the voices of Mela and Reg. And judging by their moaning, he knew exactly what they were doing.

And then he saw a dead end. It had a bench. Before Deanna knew what was happening, she found herself perched on the edge of the cold white Carrara marble bench. Worf tossed her dress aside, ripped off her Parisian lingerie and began feasting on her body as if he were a Klingon gone mad. She climaxed several times, urging him on every time. And then he stood and took her, roaring when he achieved his own pleasure.

She didn't know what had gotten into her husband, though she suspected maybe he was feeling some of the arousal feedback from Will's considerably long fornicating session. Whatever the cause, she was thrilled with the results. Ever since the birth of their son Ian, Worf had been treating her with kid gloves. He'd been so considerate. And now her wild warrior was back. She exalted in him. And oh how she had missed this passionate wild man side to him. She reached her ecstasy many times without him. And quite a few times with him. Their last loving was calmer, slower, and more precious to him than she knew. Deanna was his woman - his warrior woman.

When sanity returned, Worf was horrified as to how he'd let his Klingon nature dominate their matings. He was worried as to how badly he'd hurt Deanna. But the woman who cuddled him in her arms was not moaning in pain or complaining. She was sweetly kissing him. "Thank you, my warrior."

When they were finally calm, he held her in his arms.

As for Reg and Mela, they were a little afraid to come around the corner considering what was going on by the tall, dense hedging next to theirs. After a while Reg got some inspiration too, much to Mela's delight.

And when Deanna found her dress and straightened out her husband's clothing, Mr. Data dared to approach them. "I watched your back," was all he said. Then he left.

Deanna didn't understand. Worf did and would thank Data later. Worf eventually would tell Deanna why they'd had such a passionate tryst, but first he was going to corner Will Riker and physically impress upon the man his need to control his libido - especially around other Klingons drinking bloodwine.

Later on that night, Winston Holt Wiley started rounding up the admirals for the poker game.

Beverly didn't mind Jean-Luc's disappearance since she had many partners willing to dance with her. She'd been observing Jean-Luc all day. She'd never been happier. Or had a greater sense of well-being. Everything was all right for the first time in a long time.

Later on she went upstairs to feed her babies before they were put to sleep. As she quietly walked up the staircase, she heard someone singing. She paused at the door to her nursery. Tears welled in her eyes. Data was singing. He held her twins in his arms as he rocked:

"Twenty tiny fingers, twenty tiny toes,

Two angel faces, each with a turned up nose.

One looks like Mommy, with a little red curl on top

And the other one's got, a big bald spot,

Exactly like his Pop. Pop, Pop, Pop,

Pop a-dop, Pop…" *

*(AUTHOR'S NOTE: DATA'S SONG IS "TWENTY TINY FINGERS" BY THE STARGAZERS,1952. I REALLY AM NOT MAKING THIS SONG UP. - IT IS LEGIT!)

When he was finished, he looked over at Beverly. "I hope you do not mind. I heard them crying."

"I could never mind you, Data. Would you care to baby sit some time?" Beverly had learned a long time ago to corral every babysitter whenever she could…

"I would be honored." He handed Beverly her twins, and then understood that Beverly was going to breast feed them. "May I stay?"

Because it was Data, she agreed. She handed him Will. Then she got a towel, and uncovered her breast to feed Deanna. Annie greedily started suckling. The look of awe on Data's face touched her deeply. "You've never seen a mother nursing her child before?"

"Not like this, with emotions. I find myself strangely envious. And sad, that I will never have children of my own. Lal was the closest I ever came to having a child."

"Data, you will always be a member of our family."

"Thank you, Beverly."

After a while, Beverly asked for Will and then gave him Annie. Data put her in her crib. When her daughter was contentedly sleeping, Beverly fed Billy Bob, put him to bed and joined Data in the hallway.

She kissed his cheek then asked, "Are you going back to the band, or would you care to dance with me?"

"I would love to dance, my dear Dancing Doctor. But I shall leave after the tango. I do not wish for Carrie to get too tired, so we are going to go home."

There was something in the way that Data said home that caused Beverly to pause on the stairway. "Data, are you and Carrie lovers?"

"Yes. We have been for some time. At first, I had asked her to be my lover because I wished to learn how to make love properly. But once we became close friends, I find that I enjoy her company in all ways. I regret that it will end soon, once I become first officer."

"Perhaps you could persuade Will to invite her…"

"Carrie does not like starship travel. The only reason she tolerated the Cairo was because of Nella. She has already declined Captain Riker's invitation."

Beverly patted his arm in sympathy. "She knows her limitations, Mr. Data."

"Carrie has said that I will always have a home with her whenever I am on Earth." And he could smile over that offer.

The poker room was a side room off of the tasting rooms. All of the admirals were very pleased with the location and the accommodations. They were also determined to seriously deplete Picard's cellars.

The players included Jellico and Wesley. And these admirals: Picard, Nechayev, Wiley, Nakamura, Haden, and Gregory. Winston Holt Wiley had also insisted upon Wesley joining them, for some reason. Of course, considering how quickly Wes had gone from disgraced cadet to Commander, none of the admirals questioned Wes' right to be there.

Several hours later though, the final three players left were Wesley, Winston and Jean-Luc. The admirals and Edward watched, fascinated by the show down. Picard was privately wondering if Wesley should consider becoming a civilian for if he beat Winston, he would soon wish that he was a civilian.

It was Winnie's turn to deal. Wesley politely requested to cut the deck. Someone gasped. Winston glared his anger at such gall before he let Wes cut the deck. The game was Texas Hold 'Em. They each held two cards. Picard folded. Wes went all in. Wes had the slightly larger stack, so Winston was not a happy man as he matched the bet. Wes laid down a pair of Queens. Winnie had spades, an ace and a ten. As the cards were dealt the first two that were turned over were diamonds. But the next three were spades. Winston had won the hand and eliminated Wesley.

And Picard breathed a sigh of relief that his son hadn't committed career suicide. As for Picard, the last hand was five card stud, nothing wild, and the sky's the limit. He had a pair of threes. And lost to a straight. But he wasn't upset. For he was very lucky in love.

Picard walked out into the night, followed by Wesley. The party had quieted down a bit after the children had gone to bed. The dancing was still going on strong.

Picard sat on a low stone bench near the wall that surrounded part of the ancient garden, taking in the sights and the sounds of the party, and the scent of the roses. It was near to heaven. He'd brought half a bottle of cabernet, and was planning on drinking it.

Wesley joined him. "I didn't cheat, Admiral."

"Not even to lose?"

"No, Father." Wesley always sound stiff and formal when he called him Father.

Picard winced. "Are you now ready to talk to me? Or are you going to still keep avoiding the conversation?"

"What do you want me to say?"

"You're heir to all this, Wesley. The Picard family has always followed the antiquated law of primogeniture. You're not obligated to accept, but it is something that you should consider." He offered the bottle to Wes. Wes drank a bit then returned it.

"You didn't."

"I had the stars in my blood, Wes."

"I do too."

"Yes, I know that. But there may come a time when you'd wish for something different, for a few decades. I find a peace here, that is unexpected but welcome. The Picard family ancestry can be traced back to the 16th century. And when the Reign of Terror began, the people of LaBarre protected the Picards. They never turned over any Picard to the guillotine. There are few other aristocratic families that can make that claim."

"Sir, please don't take this the wrong way, but I am not going to publicly declare that Jack Crusher is not my father. I won't do that to his memory."

"I understand, Wesley. And I will respect your wishes." He looked toward the vineyard. "If you ever decide that you do wish the vineyard, I will make arrangements in my will - as an inheritance to my step-son. Will you accept that at least?"

"I'd rather have the Galen…"

Picard laughed. "I suppose I can let you borrow her now and then. But you'll have to bring her back in one piece. No dents. So, let Robin pilot her." For a while they stood there just looking at the party. "I am pleased that we all could get together. Probably for the last time like this." Father and son were of one mind then.

Jean-Luc decided to broach the matter that was the barrier between them. "Your Mother and I did not plan what happened, Wesley. We certainly didn't know, thanks to Q. And at the time if I had retained my memories, I probably would have told Jack the truth of my feelings for your mother. We did fall irrevocably in love. You were the result of that love. And that is not something for which I am ever going to apologize."

"I never asked you to do so, Father. I only have vague memories of Dad. And the tape that he made. What I truly resent is that I never had a real father growing up."

"I tried to do the best I could when you were on the Enterprise, Wes."

"I' know that, Sir. But you were my pretend father - not my real father. And I resent all the time that we lost. All the family that I never knew." He looked about the courtyard. "I would have loved to have known my Uncle Robert and Rene. Other than Nana, Mother had no other relatives. I was a lonely child thinking that Mother was the only family that I had. It wasn't until I joined the Enterprise, that I ever even had some true friends. I always felt isolated as a child."

"I regret the lost time, too, Wesley. Son. It's been difficult. I literally became your father and a grandfather almost at the same time. And there were times, especially considering everything else, when I was very overwhelmed by the events of our lives."

Wes paused, as if he needed to say something more. "I've been thinking about what you said, Father."

"You have?"

"I have a few conditions."

"Which are?" Jean-Luc couldn't quite pinpoint Wesley's attitude at the moment.

"I will never call you Dad. That was and always will be Jack Crusher to me."

"I have no wish to be called anything but Father every now and then."

"We cannot, or rather should not change the past."

"But there is always the future, Wesley."

Wesley sat next to his father. "And then what?"

"I can only love you, Wesley. And try to guide you if you ask for my help."

"Perhaps I can guide you."

Picard considered this point and accepted it.

Wes sort of laughed. "Maybe warn is the better choice of words. You know that of all the babies that were born, my brother and sister - Deanna and Will - are going to be Q. Guinan and I felt their power even when they were in the womb. If you think you had a difficult time with me as a know-it-all kid, wait until you have to deal with two Qs in their terrible twos. That's the real reason I'll be joining the Enterprise E when she is launched. To take care of them, protect them and protect you."

"And Gale?"

"Gale has some powers too, but nowhere near equal to Deanna and Will."

"Oh." Picard considered all these new possibilities. "Does my grandson have…?"

"Yes, Jack is Q as well. Possibly the strongest of all the children. As his father, I wonder if I'll have any hair three years from now."

"Odds are you won't," Picard teased. They sat in companionable silence for a while.

"Father, I was sort of wondering. Could I ask you a question?" Picard nodded. "I sort of heard about what happened with Mom and Ronin. The official report was uninformative. Could you tell me what really happened?"

"Wesley, I want to live long enough to reach my second wedding anniversary. If you're Mother found out that I'd told you about Ronin, I would probably end up divorced - if I were lucky enough to survive." They laughed together. Both were wise enough to fear Beverly on the war path.

"You should know - Will heard about the round up."

"I do owe him an explanation as to why he wasn't invited," Picard agreed. "Though he may wonder why you were invited."

Wes grinned. "Do you know why Admiral Wiley wanted me at the game?"

"No, I don't."

"When I took the Academy entrance exam the first time, Admiral Wiley was at the tests, and then he was playing poker in the lounge. So I sat and watched the game. I started nodding or shaking my head when I saw him do the correct play. He finally got so irritated with me, that he said that if I could do better, I should join the game. I only had 5 credits worth of latinum with me. A couple of hours later, I had wiped out the table, including Wiley. I must admit at the time, I didn't realize the kind of powers that I had. I may have inadvertently used those powers to influence the outcome of those games."

"Wiped out Wiley, eh? I'm amazed that you ever got into the Academy."

"Actually, the second time around, I think Wiley arranged it. He wanted to keep an eye on me."

Jean-Luc chuckled. "When will you join the Enterprise?"

"I haven't told Robin yet, but I'll be on board her when she's christened. Reg is going to hold down the fort at UP. Captain Riker already knows."

"Then we'll have time to talk when I baby sit."

"You're trying to rope me into doing double babysitting duty, aren't you, Father?"

Picard grinned. "A father's prerogative."

They both heard footsteps approach.

Wesley stood. "I'll see you later, Father." Wesley didn't sound quite so stiff now when he said the word.

Woody Nakamura approached. After Wesley left, Woody commented, "He's a good man, your step-son. Jean-Luc. You wouldn't believe all the stories that I've heard about him lately. Any of it true? Or wild gossip?"

"Wesley is somewhat unique. He will always use his special talents for Starfleet and the Federation."

Woody accepted the Jean-Luc's non-answer. "He's Jack's son, Johnny. Couldn't do anything else. So how do you like being an admiral?"

"I'd rather be a starship captain."

"Wouldn't we all. If you thought that they gossiped about you before, just save the universe again and see how much everyone speculates about you now."

"I have no doubt that my life has been source of much conjecture over the past year."

"Well, you are a wellspring of juicy gossip."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"But you'd have done it all over again, wouldn't you, Jean-Luc. You also won the heart of the fair maid."

"Only trouble is, Woody, I still don't remember what happened on Clarion."

"Well maybe it will all come back to you."

"I hope so…" Picard changed the conversation. "There's going to be another poker game tomorrow night. A free-for-all. Care to come?"

"Will Captain Riker be there?"

"He'd better be."

"Then I'd be glad to help you fleece him."

Woody left and Guinan showed up.

"Nice party, Jean-Luc." She looked into the night.

"Thank you." He paused, sensing something. "For everything that you did too."

She handed him an open full bottle of wine. "You're going to need this in a few minutes." Picard knew better than to ask why. He poured some of the cabernet into his glass. "I can't answer your questions, Jean-Luc."

"I haven't asked anything yet."

"You could say that I'm now the official governess for all of my cousins."

"Meaning what, Guinan?"

"I'm only here to guide, Jean-Luc."

"I can accept that."

"The children will have stubborn minds of their own."

"I do not doubt it - considering their parents."

"You're going to enjoy the next part of your life, Jean-Luc. In fact, I predict that one day you'll be better known as an ambassador than you will as a captain."

"I hope not."

Guinan flashed him an ageless grin. "You'll never get everything that you want, mon amour, but you've finally learned to enjoy what you do have. You've matured into an exceptional man." Much to his surprise, she kissed him on the lips. It had been quite a while since Guinan had kissed him with any sense of passion. "I regret that some things have to end."

He kissed her with a sense of finality. "Thank you."

Guinan's smile turned wicked. "Now, it's Riker's turn to start inventing new curse words to describe me. He's already had his first lesson." Guinan disappeared.

Jean-Luc was still chuckling when Will showed up. "Beverly is looking for you," he too-cheerfully stated.

Picard knew his Number One too well. "I lost tonight. So did Wes. Winston won."

"Pity I missed the game. I thought I'd already been invited to join by Woody."

"Now was not the time. I couldn't invite you, Will. I'd already invited Edward Jellico…"

"I see."

'No, I don't quite think you do, Will. Technically, you're a captain without a ship. You need to be seated in the Enterprise's big chair, before you can actually join in the Admiral's Round up."

"I see." Will relaxed. He hadn't offended Jean-Luc which had been his chief concern.

"And Edward deserved the invite, more than you, Will. He's waited decades for that invitation. I believe I know why the invitation wasn't issued sooner for Jellico. I think that most of the admirals didn't think that he had the imagination necessary to join the round-up. It's only been recently that his abilities have really been allowed to shine. We all owe him."

"Yes, we do." Will struggled to find the right words. "I've just been feeling the odd man out, lately."

"I know the feeling, Will. I had it for too many decades." He glanced at his friend. "Are you willing to take some advice from an old friend?"

"Of course, Jean-Luc."

"I never understood what was really missing in my life until the Kataanian incident. It was as real to me as my talking to you is now. I loved a wife, Eline, a daughter, Mirabor, and a son, Batai. I treasured that life. When it ended, I was disconsolate. I also discovered that being the captain of the Enterprise was no longer enough for me. Whether I acknowledged it or not, ever since Eline, I was searching for that sense of completion again. Regrettably, I'd denied my feelings for Beverly so many times before, that I truly had to labor to prove to her that I was changing. We complete each other, Will. A captain needs a life that will make him a better man."

"I know that, Jean-Luc."

"I'm not going to pry into what is going on with you and Deanna and Worf. But I do know you love Deanna. A three-party marriage would not hurt your career."

"That's been discussed."

Suddenly Picard was serious. "Be very careful, Will. You're walking a very narrow tightrope between the personal and the professional with your situation."

"Speaking of walking a tight rope…"

Jean-Luc mentally sighed. Will was not willing to discuss it. He supposed he'd been like Will too, a long time ago. "Find someone to love, Will. If it's not Deanna, then someone else."

Will nodded. "Jean-Luc, Beverly was wondering when you were coming back to dance with her. She said something about a Piazolla Tango."

Picard groaned. "Not in front of all these people." He mentally cursed the day that Beverly had talked him into taking private dance lessons with her. She'd called it exercise. He now knew that she'd had ulterior motives.

"Jean-Luc, look at it this way. Most of the guests are drinking too much of your fine wine to even notice if you trip over Beverly's feet."

"But you know our Mr. Barclay. There'll be vids."

Will warily eyed Jean-Luc. "About Guinan…"

Picard chuckled. "Enjoy the lady. She does not grant her favors or her friendship easily. I always followed her advice. And I learned not to try to keep track of her. She will come and go as she pleases. And you should never ask your computer where her quarters are. How she gets around those protocols is something I chose never to investigate. Life will be much easier that way."

"But will I survive her?"

"I did, and look at what happened to me."

Will laughed.

Another person appeared in the darkness. Will quickly left Jean-Luc alone with Alynna Nechayev.

"Comte de Holl," she stated, as she held out her empty wine glass. Jean-Luc poured some from his new bottle. "Holding court in the rose garden, Jean-Luc?"

"It seems that way. He motioned for her to sit next to him. "Alynna, I am glad that you could come."

"You're very forgetful, Jean-Luc."

"How so?" He was mystified.

"There's a lot that you seem to forget to mention in your reports, Jean-Luc. You inherited a title. Wesley Crusher is Q. Little things like that. Plus, you did promise to be my starship captain."

He decided to drink some of his own wine before he spoke. "I did not wish to inherit that title. Now, it's only use to me is to perhaps impress some diplomat. You've known about the Q for quite a while now." He privately thought: Before me, I think. "Commander Crusher is a Starfleet officer. He will always do his duty. Any so-called powers he may have, will theoretically be used for Starfleet's benefit. And as for my being your starship captain," he took another sip of wine, "fate chose otherwise much to my deep personal regret."

"You shouldn't have thought up your damn scheme to bring peace to the DMZ, damn you." She drank her wine, then took his bottle and poured herself some more. "And as for having a Q as a stepson, well as long as it doesn't interfere with my plans, it's your business. Do we understand each other, Jean-Luc?"

"Of course, Alynna." There was silence for a moment. "Alynna, I just want to thank you for trusting me. For supporting me."

"Thank Lwaxana."

Now that surprised Jean-Luc. "Meaning?"

"Lwaxana and I have been friends for more than forty years. She has a unique way of discerning the true nature of people. Whenever she gives someone her trust, then I trust that person too. She is especially fond of you." Alynna poured herself another glass. "Aren't you going to ask what Lwaxana did?" Jean-Luc gulped. Alynna grinned as if her muscles weren't used to such a movement. "Lwaxana wasn't just a husband-hunting Betazed, Jean-Luc. It was also a test. It was how the men that she targeted treated her that told her what kind of men they really were. It's the small things that reveal true character. If they were kind, able to survive the extreme situations that she always created, with aplomb and diplomacy, then she'd tell me who they were. If they didn't, then their careers were doomed."

"I see."

"Jean-Luc, there will always be smiling, ambitious sycophants crowding around admirals. Lwaxana helped me discern those who would put duty ahead of themselves, and those whose ambitions superseded everything else."

"You mean her tormenting…"

Alynna laughed. "I don't think that the Ambassador would call it that. You didn't just pass the test, you know. You passed with flying colors and then some." She finished off her wine. "Do you remember meeting her after the loss of the Stargazer?"

"It was at the Rigelian embassy?"

"Something like that. She cornered you. You danced with her. You escorted her back to her suite, after you thought she might have had too much to drink. You were the perfect gentleman - kind, considerate, and tried to help her in spite of your annoyance with her. In short, you were you." Alynna finished off what was left of the wine in Jean-Luc's bottle. "And that is why I, in my own way, advocated for you to become captain of the Enterprise D. I didn't particularly like you back then, but Lwaxana did. So I've put up with all of your nonsense ever since. Including your going rogue to accomplish the Picard treaty." Picard took umbrage. "Stow it, Jean-Luc. By the way, I think that you are going to be an even greater diplomat than you ever were a Starfleet captain." She saw that her words had stunned him. "The Federation needs you more as a diplomat than as an officer, Jean-Luc. I know that you will do your duty." She stood and walked a step away, then turned to looks at Picard. "By the way, you're an official member of the Kirk Cabal. You'll find out more when I choose to tell it. Beverly is still waiting for you to dance with her."

And then Picard heard more footsteps coming toward him. He finished off his glass and idly wondered if he could grab another bottle. He'd been hoping for a peaceful end to the evening. So far, he'd had no luck.

Beverly and Laren stepped into the light arc cast by garden lamp posts. He choked when he realized what had been niggling at him all evening. Laren's dress was a reverse image of Beverly's dress. Beverly was wearing a black silk glittering tight gown flaring at the knees with a ruby red fishtail underskirt. Laren's was the reverse - a red silk glittering gown with a black underskirt. He heard a maniacal chuckle. It took only a glance to confirm that Guinan was on the portico watching him. She was holding Will's arm. And Picard thought that he glimpsed Q sitting on the roof.

Suddenly his wine glass was full. Hoping that it was Q and not Guinan that had given him this beneficence, he did not savor the fine burgundy. Instead he gulped more than half of it down by the time that both ladies had reached him.

"Laren." He hopefully smiled at his wife. "Beverly."

There was another glint added to Beverly's eye as he suddenly realized that he'd said Laren's name first.

"What can I do for you?" He watched a crowd gathering on the other side of the low garden wall.

He saw Deanna in the background. Her face told him there was no conciliator there. Worf muttered something in Klingon. Picard translated it into something about his going to Stovokor… Soon.

"Shall we dance?" both ladies said in unison.

Judging by the inflection that both ladies gave to the word dance, he suspected that Laren knew his secret lover's meaning of the word dance too.

Beverly took his goblet out of his hand, finished it off, then tossed it over the wall. Q obliged his host by causing the shards to disappear the moment the goblet hit the flagstone.

Picard escorted both ladies. Whatever they were planning, he'd have to grin and bear it. As if he were a prize bullock being led to the slaughter, the ladies guided him along the gardens until they reached the inset dance floor. He paled. And started sweating.

"You know the steps," Beverly informed him, as she nodded to Mr. Data.

Spotlights hit the dance floor. Piazolla's Oblivon began. And Picard knew there was only one thing he could do. He had to dance the tango. And if he stepped upon a lady's toe, well so be it. He started dancing with Beverly. And after a minute, Laren tapped Beverly's shoulder and cut in. Another minute later, it was Beverly's turn to cut in. In short, they were sharing him. He danced as if his life depended upon it. And as he changed partners, he comprehended Beverly's intent. "You thought this up?" he whispered into Beverly's ear as she pivoted and kicked about his body to the tango.

"We both did," she muttered through clenched teeth.

He tried to contain the mirth that was threatening to bubble up. Beverly had planned her revenge well. She'd picked one of the most difficult dances to do. She knew how much he just loved to dance in public. And Laren and Beverly had tackled head on all the exaggerated rumors that had been swirling about the three of them ever since the treaty had been signed over a year ago.

There was only one thing he could do now. He heard the cues coming for the last dance pattern of the tango. He didn't let go of Ro as he should have if he'd been following Beverly's choreography. Instead, he twizzled Ro about then caught her in his arms, and kissed her on her forehead. He released her. He grabbed Beverly about the waist, twirled her for a moment, then dropped her into a deep dip, passionately kissing her in a clinch. In front of everyone. He'd made his public declaration, again. Then he pulled her upright keeping her by his side. He caught Ro's hand as well. Somehow he'd managed to stay in rhythm too. Until he tripped over his own two feet. He landed on his ass.

Everyone just stood there watching as the music faded away. And then his laughter erupted. So hard, so loud, so unrestrained, that he had to catch his breath. Somehow both women found themselves laughing too. Tom rushed onto the floor, grabbed his wife about the waist, twirled her, kissed her hard and then extended his hand to help Jean-Luc stand up. But Picard was still laughing too hard. So was Beverly. Picard grabbed Beverly's hand and kissed it. She saw understanding in his eyes. He saw forgiveness in hers.

Tom joined in. Then Will and Deanna. Worf roared. Then Worf walked over and simply picked Picard up. Data thrust a goblet of bloodwine in Picard's hand. Gowron sang bawdy songs in Klingon, and soon they were all laughing, drinking and having a grand old time.

And any speculation about the nature of Jean-Luc Picard's relationship with the Maquis Ambassador was put to rest. The Picard triangle amoureux rumors finally were forgotten at the Admiralty.

"And there goes the dignity of the Starfleet Admiralty," Woody Nakamura remarked as his guided the woman he adored into the maze. He kissed her.

"Couldn't be in better hands," Marie agreed.

Hours later, Jean-Luc helped Beverly climb the stairs to their bedroom. She was in a decidedly giggly mood. To speed things along, he carried her. Beverly decided that her husband was being very romantic.

Toward dawn he awoke, slipped out of Beverly's arms, donned a robe and went down to the kitchen for some tea. He stepped into the shadows when he heard Marie's voice. She was coming in through the portico. What surprised him was the man who with her. They went up the back stairs. And then Jean-Luc smiled. He was rather pleased. Plus, it was something that he could casually mention to Woody during the next poker game. There was a reason as to why the admirals referred to their round-up games as 'cut throat'.

He was about to return upstairs when he heard the unmistakable sound of heavy boots on the portico. He stepped outside.

Chancellor Gowron, Captain Kargan and the entire Klingon escort stood in front of him, at attention.

Gowron stepped up to Picard. "We - I - have dishonored your house, Admiral. We will accept your final judgment and punishment."

By the very lack of emotion to Gowron's voice, Picard stiffened. It was serious. "What happened?"

"We insulted one of your officers. Threatened his wife. It should not have happened."

"Was anyone injured?"

"No. But we behaved with dishonor."

"Have you apologized to my officer? And his wife?" He knew it had to be Worf and Deanna, but for the life of him, Picard couldn't figure out what had happened.

From the shadows, Worf and Data stepped up.

Worf stared at Gowron, saying nothing. Something changed between them. Gowron had the unsettling feeling that though Worf had accepted his apology, Worf would never respect him the same way again.

Data spoke. "The matter has been settled, Admiral. There will be two new Klingon cadets at Starfleet Academy at the start of the next term. Is that acceptable, Admiral Picard?"

"Yes." He stared at Gowron. "When next I come to Qo'noS there will be no need to discuss this further."

"Honor is satisfied." That was all that Worf said.

All the Klingons saluted them and beamed away.

Picard relaxed and picked up his cold cup of tea. "Mr. Worf, the next time you involve me in a diplomatic incident which you then settle without my guidance, I would prefer not to be in my night clothes when it occurs." He took a sip. "I am assuming that Deanna is all right since I haven't noticed any blood. Or bodies."

"My wife is fine."

"And you?"

"No." Worf did not care to elaborate.

Picard accepted this. He recognized an implacable Klingon when one spoke. "I want your full report by the end of the day. Whether or not I choose to forward it to the Admiralty will be my decision - not yours."

Worf knew he was dismissed. And walked away.

Jean-Luc looked at Data. "What happened?"

And Mr. Data explained.

=/\= =/\= =/\=

Nothing moved. Everyone and everything was frozen in time - even the dust motes. Carefully Wesley walked the corridors of the USS Stargazer, searching for his Dad. He paused at the bridge, wondering if Picard's Number One would be there. His Dad wasn't.

But an alien looking Jean-Luc Picard sat in his captain's chair, with hair. Wes stared at the motionless figure, and noticed that this Picard seemed far more relaxed than the Picard he knew from the Enterprise. For Jean-Luc seemed to be laughing heartily.

The year was 2354, and it was the day that Jack Crusher was going to die in an explosion.

The Q had always warned Wes of going back into his own personal past, but Wesley had some questions that he needed to have answered. Wes thought that he was finally mature enough to ask the questions, and accept the answers. So he donned his Lieutenant Commander's uniform, and went to find his Dad.

He found his Dad in his quarters. It was before the Nensi anomaly phenomenon crippled the Stargazer causing an energy buildup in a nacelle. Commander Jack Crusher and Lieutenant Peter Joseph would volunteer to go out of the ship and cut the damaged nacelle off before the ship blew up.

Wesley stared at his Dad for quite a while, memorizing every detail down to even where Jack kept the holographic pictures of his Mother and himself.

Finally, Wesley blinked, and the breathing Jack found himself a step out of time, with a stranger who seemed oddly familiar.

"What the f…" was the first thing out of Jack's mouth. "Who the hell are you?"

"I am Wesley."

Jack muttered to himself, "I know I didn't have that much scotch after my shift last night…."

"I am a time traveler."

"You're a time traveler wearing some sort of Starfleet uniform?" Wes stood still as his Dad inspected him. "A Lieutenant Commander time traveler?"

"I am Wesley Crusher."

Jack snorted in disbelief. "Did Jean-Luc put you up to this? He always told me to watch my back after what I did to him during our last shore leave together."

"In a way, he did." Wesley smiled.

And for the first time, Jack saw something in this man. Something in his eyes that reminded him of Beverly. To be sure, he went to the door to his quarters.

Wesley waved a hand and it opened. Jack looked up and down the corridor and saw everyone in it frozen in time, including an ensign jogging down the corridor. The jogger was stopped in mid-step with neither foot touching the deck. Now Jack was becoming a little bit afraid of this being.

"What are you?"

"I was born with the capability of manipulating temporal planes. I cannot elucidate. It will be years into the future before my abilities will be explained. There is something I wish to ask you about… Daddy."

It was the way Wesley said 'Daddy' that convinced him. "Wes!" And he opened his arms.

Wes stepped into them. For a long time neither spoke as they hugged. Then Jack's brain began to think again. "If you had to come back into the past to speak to me, that means I am dead in your future, aren't I?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"Soon."

"That means I never saw you as a five-year-old again. Correct?"

"Yes."

"Never to kiss Beverly again…" His voice trailed off. Suddenly he began to realize his sorrow. Jack's voice broke as he asked, "How is your Mother? Is she well? And you?" He touched Wesley's collar. "You followed in my footsteps." His heart was proud.

"Mother grieved for a long time, Dad. Then she accepted the position of CMO of the USS Enterprise D."

"Great. CMO of a galaxy class starship. That was always her goal. And you?"

"I was fourteen at the time when Mom became CMO. We lived on board the Enterprise for almost eight years. I grew up on board ship until I left for the Academy. Then I quit the Academy to explore the possibilities of my skills. And when I returned, I helped design a new starship drive. And here I am."

"Who was your captain?"

"Who else? Jean-Luc Picard was captain of the Enterprise."

"Jean-Luc? Captain of the Starship Enterprise? He achieved his goal too. Good for Johnny-boy…" Jack sat back on his bed. "Was? Is he…?"

"An admiral."

"Johnny away from a starship." He chuckled at the thought. Then Jack opened a drawer in the bed stand. He got a bottle of scotch. "May I pour my son a drink?"

Wes picked up the glass on the nightstand.

His Dad complied. Then tapped the bottle against the glass in Wes' hand. "To life! And your future!"

"To my Mother!"

"The great love of my life!" He toasted her. And then he sadly asked, "Does she still remember me?"

"She's telling her grandson all about you already."

"Why did you come? Is it because of your Mother and Jean-Luc? When did they marry?"

"How do you know they married?"

"I knew Jean-Luc was in love with Beverly, Wes. It changed him. Oh, he never said anything to me. And he certainly never did anything about it or even tried to do anything about it. He's the most honorable man I know."

"He still is, Dad."

"That's Johnny. He would always be constant to his true love. I always knew that if anything should happen to me, he'd be there for you and your Mother." Jack took a swig from the bottle. "I also knew that Beverly loved him too. She never said anything. But sometimes she'd look at him so puzzled. As if she couldn't admit to herself that the human heart can love more than one person at a time."

"Yes, they both did love you. And each other."

"We were all such good friends. I am happy for them." He sighed. "I'm glad they're together."

"They've been married only a year."

"What? What took them so long?"

"Grief. Guilt. Jean-Luc had to order you to your death, Dad. It broke his heart. He's never quite forgiven himself."

"I didn't want that for Johnny. If he could have died in my place I know he would have."

"Yes."

"And your Mother blamed him?"

"No. But being that Mother and Jean-Luc are two of the stubbornest people in any universe they had a lot to straighten out."

"No, that's all Jean-Luc's doing. He's a master traveler at going on guilt trips." Jack took another swig of his scotch. "I tried to tell him once that if anything should happen to me, then he was free to love Beverly."

"I tried to tell him that too when I was fourteen. I knew he loved my Mother."

"So then what did Jean-Luc do?"

"He made me an acting ensign. I became one of the Enterprise's bridge crew. I even got a field promotion to full ensign. On my first day at the academy, I showed up in my duty uniform. Problem is, they couldn't give me hell for it, since it was my regulation uniform. I was an ensign and a cadet. Woody Nakamura then talked me into resigning my commission to become just a cadet."

"Woody, eh? I'd love to hear more."

"I'd like to talk. But I can't stay much longer."

He worked up the courage to ask, "How do I die?"

"Bravely. Captain Picard had to save his ship - or save you. I think that this choice broke his heart."

"So what's so important that you had to come here to see me?"

"I needed to know about you. To see you." Wesley sat next to him on the bed. "Mother had twins. A boy and a girl." He held his Dad's hand. "And I am married to the woman I love, Robin. We have a son named Jean Jackson. Robin and I call him Jack."

"I live on then, in you. That's a kind of immortality."

"And I still love baseball."

Jack said nothing for a while. "What are you really, Wesley Robert Crusher?"

"Some would call what I am an angel. A guardian angel. The scientists would argue that I am an evolutionary leap for humankind. I just wanted to be reminded that I was your son." Wes stood. "My strength is ebbing. I have to go. But know this, there isn't a day that goes by that we don't miss you."

"A man can't ask for more than that. To be loved. To be proud of his family. And to know that he did make a difference. It's not a bad legacy."

Wes reached into his pocket and showed a holographic image of the future. Tears rolled down Jack's face as he gazed upon the future. "Tell your Mother that I will always love her. And I love you."

He hugged his son, grateful that at least he knew that those he loved would have a good future.

"I love you Dad, and I will teach your grandson what you taught me. Goodbye, Dad." And Wesley cried.

Jack faced the future now.

And Wesley wasn't angry any more…

=/\= =/\= =/\=

"Where did you go, Wes?" Robin sat up in the bed that they always shared together when staying at Château Picard. It was a beautiful room with many fine Louis XIV antiques upholstered in blue and ivory toile.

"I wasn't gone that long." He quickly undressed.

"In this time period you weren't gone that long. But the place where you went?" She always knew too much.

He slid under the antique coverlet, naked. "I went to say goodbye to my Dad."

"Wes…"

"Dad knew about Jean-Luc loving Mom."

"How did that make you feel?"

"Oddly glad. Dad accepted Jean-Luc's marriage to my mother. He was pleased that they did wed."

"So who are you to begrudge them?"

"I know. I should be happy but I still feel some resentment. I'm not even sure as to why."

"How about the obvious, Wes?

"Which is…" Wes tried to distract his wife. He knew where to caress.

She smiled, encouraged his stroking, and still stated, "You were the only man in your mother's life for so many years. Now you're not. Add to that a little sibling resentment…"

He silenced her the best way he knew how.

And then Jack started crying.

"Hold that thought," she commanded as she slid out of bed and found her robe. "I'll be back soon."

Wesley could only smile in anticipation.

Just after dawn, Wes went looking for his Father, and found him currying his white Arabian mare, Ardra.

"Care to join me for a ride, Wes?" There was a glint of a challenge in his father's eye.

A few minutes later they were trotting towards a large pasture. Much to Jean-Luc's surprise, Wes was almost as skilled an equestrian as he was. Wes was riding a bay Thoroughbred gelding, and clearly knew what he was doing.

And then Picard saw it. The grand oak tree in the middle of the pasture. He remembered many times climbing that tree, reading books in that tree and looking at stars in that tree. Picard grinned and nudged his horse. "Race you to the tree!" Wesley took off after him. Wes pulled up by the ancient oak tree just a few paces after his father. They laughed together.

"Not fair, Father! I wasn't ready!"

"Whoever said that life had to be fair, Wes?"

""You've got a point." He was still laughing.

"Where did you learn to ride so well?"

"Nana taught me to ride when I was a kid. I've just kept it up ever since then." Wes dismounted, appreciating the grandeur of such a huge oak tree.

"But Beverly never learned?" Picard joined him.

"Deep dark secret time, Father. Mother doesn't like horses. She knows the basics, but I've never seen her willingly ride."

"Now that explains a lot." Then he told Wes all about this tree and what it had meant to him as a boy.

Father and son watched the sun rise over land that the Picards had owned for hundreds of years.

It was an impressive fact.

After a long moment, Wes announced, "I talked with my Dad last night."

Picard stilled. "You went back in time?"

"Yes. For a few minutes. I saw it all, Sir. First I talked with Dad, and then I watched the explosion."

"How could you do that, Wesley?"

"Jean-Luc, when I first learned of my Dad's death, I blamed you. As I grew up, I knew I was in error. But I finally came to understand that I had to know for sure."

"And you weren't tempted to change history?"

"Of course I was tempted, Jean-Luc. But as a temporal agent, I'm sworn to protect the time line, and not destroy it. Besides, no one, not even the most skilled of the Q can predict everything that might happen if you do change the time line." He smiled at his father. "I no longer harbor any doubt, Father. You didn't kill my Dad. It was simply cruel fate."

Jean-Luc expressed a quiet sigh of relief.

"Father, Dad knew that you'd loved Mother from the moment that you'd met. He approved of your marriage to my Mother, though he did criticize you for taking way too much time to marry her. He thought you should've married Mother within a year of his death."

"I thought Beverly did blame me for Jack's death. At the funeral she said something to me …"

"You should have come back sooner."

"What did you just say about changing the time line, Wesley? But you are correct. I should have contacted your mother more often."

"Speaking of changing things, I heard that Mr. Data is organizing a poker tournament tonight. So many people wanted to play that the best player from each table will be in a show down at the final table."

"Yes, we will play after the christenings, and when everyone who's left dines en famille, Wes."

The poker tournament turned out to be the highlight of the weekend. Mr. Data was responsible for the arrangements and choosing the draws for the player table placements. Though eyebrows were raised when Will Riker and Tom Riker found themselves at the same table for the first round. Their luck was rotten but Robin Lefler's wasn't. Her husband pitied their captain. She wasn't going to ever let Will forget that she'd bluffed him.

Hours later the final table was set. Robin, Admiral Wiley, Admiral Nechayev, Wes, Dr. Brahms and Picard were all seated around the table. Picard dealt first, picking his usual game of five card stud. He won that hand. Then his luck turned. Hours passed until they were down to the final three - Wiley, Nechayev and Lefler. Wiley eliminated Nechayev.

The last hand was Robin's game. She picked five card stud. And successfully bluffed an admiral.

After being too jovial about his loss, Wiley pulled Will aside. "Make sure your lieutenant plays in the intra-fleet poker tournaments, Captain. I intend to play her again!"

=/\= =/\= =/\=

Jean-Luc woke up with a start. He looked about, and then cursed, "Merde! Ce que le diable!" He slid out of bed and stared about the room. He glanced over to see if Beverly was still with him. She was sleeping. This bedroom was definitely not in LaBarre though it seemed somewhat familiar.

"Bon jour, mon ami!"

Picard groaned out loud. "Q!" He glared at the man sitting on a floating rust woven kelim mat above his head.

"I thought I'd make up for past sins."

"I won't live that long," was Picard's tart reply.

"Tish Tosh, Jean-Luc. I've decided to restore your memories if you wish it."

"We're on Clarion, in my hotel suite?"

"Correct, mon ami."

Picard was about to correct Q for the thousandth time and tell Q that he was not his friend, when he was shocked to realize something that he'd been deliberately denying for quite a while now.

Q was his friend.

A naked Picard walked over to the replicator. "Tea. Earl Grey. Hot." Then he looked up at the floating Q. "Would you care for anything?"

Q fell off his flying carpet.

"Same as you," Q muttered, after he picked himself up off the floor.

Picard handed Q a mug, then motioned toward an azure upholstered armchair and loveseat. Q warily sat down in the armchair, facing Jean-Luc.

"You're offering to bring back our memories?" Jean-Luc casually asked.

"If you want them."

"What do you think? Should I?"

Q's jaw dropped. "Who are you and what have you done with the real John-Luck Pickard?"

Picard was rather amused. "I have given up, Q. No matter what I do or say you keep turning up in my life wreaking havoc. I surrender. You win."

Q was genuinely stunned by this turn of events. "But whatever will I do with you if you aren't complaining about something outrageous that I've just done?"

"We could just have tea…"

"…and sympathy. Or better yet a beer?"

"Something like that, Q. Someone pointed out to me a while back, that if you hadn't been part of my life, the Borg would have won and the Federation would have been lost." His words confounded Q.

"And let us not forget the primordial ooze."

"No, I can't forget that either, Q. It led to the events that ended up with my marrying Beverly. Thank you for that as well." Picard drank his tea, then stood, motioning at the replicator. "Breakfast?"

"Allow me." Q snapped his fingers. Fresh fruit, croissants, honey butter and Caldosian whiskey orange marmalade appeared on the table next to them.

Picard helped himself then sat back down.

"You're being so reasonable about this," Q argued.

"That's what friends are for," Picard idly stated.

"Friends?" Q croaked.

"You would prefer that I call you something else?"

"You've called me everything else, Jean-Luc!"

"I was in error."

"I must be feverish. I must have caught the Antarian bubonic plague. That's the only explanation." Q felt his own forehead. "The great Jean-Luc Picard admits to making a mistake? Impossible."

"I am beginning to believe that I did make one this morning, considering the way you are now behaving, Q"

Q suddenly chuckled. "You're beginning to understand the Q too well."

"From what I've been told, I need to know the Q very well. Apparently Deanna and William are Q."

"Oui, that they are. The best and brightest hope for our kind. And then there is Jack. He's going to be a handful, that one. Already knows how to read - Klingon."

"How do I raise Deanna and Will, Q?"

"Obey Beverly in all things."

Picard chuckled. Then he made the mistake of asking, "You're not serious, are you Q?"

"I am." In a loud stage whisper, Q added, "The flame haired witch is awake, by the way, Jean-Luc."

"Did you transport us the way we usually sleep in bed?" Q nodded. Picard stood and ordered two robes. Then he brought one over to his bare bride. He quickly explained Q's presence. And then ordered a hot chocolate for Beverly from the replicator.

She strode into the bathroom, then came out a few moments later. "We're on Clarion, aren't we?"

"Yes, mon coeur. Q is offering to restore our memories if we wish it."

Beverly squeezed next to Jean-Luc. Based on the way she kicked him, Picard suddenly had the suspicion that Beverly had indeed heard his jest.

Q suddenly knelt before Beverly pleading, "I would have obeyed you in all things, if you'd had just given me the chance, Comtesse."

Picard groaned. Beverly pinched him. "Q, nothing personal, but you obeying me won't mean anything to me. My husband on the other hand…"

"I can explain…"

"What, dear?" She waited a moment before she let him off the hook. "The dowager Comtesse Marie de Holl instructed me in all my duties for the fete that we just held at Château Picard."

Picard was relieved, for he'd never bothered to really discuss his title with Beverly. By the look in her eye, he knew they'd be having a conversation on the subject in the very near future.

"So, do you really want to know everything?"

"Beverly, it is up to you."

"It might be inspirational," Q interjected.

"About our children…" Picard attempted to change the subject.

"As I said, obey Beverly. She did a superb job with Wesley. Her sane, cool head will help guide the twins. Especially when they learn the concept of good twin and evil twin. Just be grateful that they aren't identical."

Beverly didn't know what to make of Q's praise. So she ate a chocolate croissant. "I don't know about you, Jean-Luc, but I'd like to know what kind of cad you were back then."

Her smile wasn't pleasant.

"Then inspirational, it is," Picard agreed, silently wondering if he was out of his mind.

Q grinned, snapped his fingers and disappeared. And as an afterthought, Q's voice floated over, "I left the Galen with the hotel valet…"

"We'd better call Earth and let everyone know where we are," Beverly suggested.

Minutes later Jean-Luc confirmed that Q had taken care of everything including his ship and the hotel. Marie and Guinan were watching the twins. Riker had received a message that Beverly was taking a few personal days, which was okay with Will since once again the launch of the Enterprise E was being delayed.

They replicated clothing. "Now what?" Beverly asked, as she walked about the suite. She'd sensed that things weren't quite like she almost remembered it to be.

The lodge was now decorated in tones of greens and blues. The furniture was different. And there now was a fountain with a series of small stepped basins cascading by the fireplace.

"Let's go for a walk." Beverly opened the door.

Picard joined her. "I think I went for a walk down to the Amphitheatre. I remember stopping to see the performers along the way in the park."

Beverly nodded. "I know. I danced there…" She stopped moving. She knew now. "That's how we met. You admired my dancing."

Picard clasped her hand. "Rachmaninoff I believe."

He raised her hand to his lips, lightly kissing each fingertip. Beverly placed her hand over his.

"I was yours the moment you kissed my palm."

She stared at the waterfall. "If I remember correctly…"

"Computer, privacy screen," Picard ordered. Then he swept her up into his arms.

"Don't you dare, Jean-Luc…," she warned.

But he did dare. When she surfaced, he offered her his hand. Apparently he'd yet to remember everything.

When he floated up, she shoved him back under. Then she waited until he surfaced again, before she ranted, "Galatea indeed! You were going to teach me everything I needed to know about sex!"

He had forgotten that conceit. "Actually, I think I did a pretty good job."

For this remark he was the lucky recipient of a swat with a wet blouse. He tossed it onto dry land. Then he dove down, came up behind Beverly, and unhitched her bra. He had to struggle with Beverly in order to remove it successfully. Then he realized that she was struggling with him, deliberately thrusting her breasts into his arms; his hands. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her with all the passion that heaven allowed.

A very long time later, they reclined on a ledge by the waterfall, lazing under the warm sun.

"Very inspirational indeed," Beverly murmured, as she leaned against her husband's shoulder.

"I was an arrogant ass, back then," Picard noted.

"You won't hear any disagreement from me. I still think I could have taken that Nausicaan." He groaned and muttered something about beautiful foolhardy women… She turned and entwined her arms about his neck. "But you can be magnificent on occasion. I think it must be something that you learned from me, my love."

"Oui, mon coeur." He softly kissed her.

She leaned against him again, content "How much time do we have before we have to get back?"

"Actually, Will first cursed Dr. Brahms, and then said you could take three weeks off. He suggested that we actually take our long delayed honeymoon. I think that by the time the Enterprise E is actually launched, our grandson will be graduating from the Academy."

"It's funny. I had this thought that our lost weekend seemed like a real honeymoon to me back then. It's what I'd wished for little knowing what I'd get."

"We anticipated our actual marriage just a little bit."

"I regret all the lost time, Jean-Luc. Though I'm also glad that I didn't have the memories. It would have short-changed the way I loved Jack, and I would have never wanted that to happen. Now, I have no regrets about the way I was Jack's wife. It was real for both of us. And now there is time for us."

"I am rather relieved that you didn't have that moral dilemma back then, Beverly. Oh, I envied Jack, but I also knew that I had to be a starship captain. You would have been a major distraction. And it comforted me over the years, that Jack had you as his wife and mother of his child. He had that happiness." He crossed his arms over her breasts, enjoying the texture, the touch of her sweet flesh. "I can't even regret our mutual stubbornness. For we are now what we are. If things were different, would the changes have been for the better? I doubt it."

"Well, there would have been fewer cold showers if we'd been less stubborn." She kissed her husband. "Much as I find it difficult to believe, Q did us a favor again." Beverly sighed. Life was funny indeed.

Picard kissed below her earlobe. "Yes, Q did."

Knowing where his nuzzling was going, Beverly moved away from him. "Jean-Luc, since we have the time, let's go to Caldos. We began our actual life as lovers there." Her grin was naughty. "And we've never made love on board the Galen. Don't you think it is time you do so," she archly added, "…with me?"

A few hours later, they were on their way to Caldos. And Beverly was moaning in ecstasy. For Jean-Luc was nibbling his way down her body. And Picard, as always, watched the pleasure roll through her.

"Come back up here, Jean-Luc."

He went into her arms, kissing her deeply. Soon he was hilted in her heat, waiting for her to desire him again. He smiled as he bent to kiss and suck her breasts. She pulled him closer. And her moaning started again. He moved, almost as if he were a randy young man again. They moaned together as their orgasms flooded over them.

"Remarkable," Beverly observed, as she rested in the shelter of his arms. She sometimes believed that these times, when they were flesh-to-flesh in each other's arms, were the best moments of her life.

He kissed her temple. "Magnifique."

"Jean-Luc, there is something that I've always been meaning to ask you…"

"What, mon coeur?"

"If you're such a romantic Frenchman, why do you speak with an English accent?"

He chuckled. And then whispered his explanation, between nips to her ear lobe.

=/\= =/\= =/\=

Merde…

His arm was stiff. And though he wouldn't admit it to his tyrant of a personal physician, old wounds were aching too. But it didn't matter…

Jean-Luc Piccard looked about him, and sighed, slightly bemused by his current position. His beloved Beverly was sound asleep, recumbent against his left shoulder. She'd been napping for a while now. And Jean-Luc's shoulder was definitely getting stiff. He would never complain about holding Beverly, for he'd been starved for her touch for far too many years.

She had not changed much since their first meeting. Her hair was a bit shorter. He noted it was also tangled up between his shoulder and the backrest of the wrought iron chaise lounge upon which they both were resting He carefully detangled her silken strands.

For a very long time, he'd had only dreams of her to sustain him. Now she was here in his arms, forever.

The scents of lavender, roses and camellias were drifting and intermingling upon the low breezes. The still bright colored petals of the many flowering plants, swayed their way through the twilight's descending shadows. The sounds of the lazy trickle of water that flowed into a fountain water basin seemed to be music. All of these elements formed his impression that this Caldosian garden was only a few steps away from being called an Eden. It felt like home. He could rest.

And when his mind permitted itself to relax, if only for a little bit, he acknowledged to himself, how much he needed the soothing peace of this home. He'd worry about the construction plans of the additions, tomorrow.

He must have dozed for a while, for when he was in that twilight zone between sleep and awareness, he realized that Beverly was missing. He stirred.

"Finally," a pleasant teasing voice was heard.

"It's your fault that I'm so tired, mon coeur," he grumbled. "You kept me up all night." He eyed his wife. She was wearing an ivory cotton dress with a cherry red sash for a belt. She looked cute which was a style choice she did not often attempt.

"Well, I don't have to do it again tonight."

"Actually, you do." His grin looked silly. "We're finally on our long-delayed honeymoon, and I'm not going to let anything disturb us."

"Guess again, my love."

He knew that tone of voice. "What now?"

"Ruby MacPherson invited us to tea. And we're about ten minutes late." She leaned over and kissed him. "If you wanted to be totally alone with me we should have stayed on board the Galen."

He just shook his head and then stood, trying to straighten out his ivory shirt and khaki pants.

"You look fine. And it's only Ruby. She's seen you in far less," Beverly wickedly observed.

"I did not really care to know that fact," he muttered.

"She cares, Jean-Luc. You should have seen how protective everyone was of me when you were gone. How many pots of stew she made for me."

"Gowron had a hand in it. He sent guards."

"Yes, I know. They're still talking about a Klingon battle cruiser landing on the green."

She held out her hand. He took it. And then she stopped, staring at her engagement ring. A ray from the afternoon sun had hit a facet. Suddenly she was looking at blue firelight dancing with starlight on her finger.

"Beverly, what is it?"

"This ring. It's not your granmere's is it?" He couldn't say anything. She looked into his eyes and guessed the truth. "You bought it during our lost weekend, didn't you?" He mutely nodded. "You didn't even know my real name yet you wanted to marry me…" She sighed, "Oh, Jean-Luc…"

She kissed him thoroughly.

"I loved you then, Beverly. I knew you were the love of my life. And the depth of that old love is miniscule compared to the love I feel for you now. You're my wife. The mother of my children…"

She brought his hand to her lips and softly kissed his palm. Then she nipped it, her tongue tasting salt, feeling the calluses from where he held the reins, his epee…

"You're my husband, and the father of my children," she whispered. She straightened up. "Let's just have a quick cup of tea, talk for only a few minutes, and then tell Ruby that we're still on our honeymoon. She'll understand." She twined her fingers through his. And they walked the two kilometers over to Ruby's house.

"Ah, there you are," Ruby cheerily greeted them.

"I'm sorry we're late," Jean-Luc politely said.

"No. You're fine. I'm still waiting for my son."

"Your son? I've never met him, have I?" Beverly walked into a kitchen similar to hers but the smells emanating from it were familiar. The copper gleamed, the old pewter was burnished, all the furniture smelled of beeswax, and there were herbs drying everywhere.

Ruby started to pick up the tea tray, but Jean-Luc took it from her hands. He placed it on the tea table.

"You knew Quintin as a girl when you came here to live, after Arvada III. We all were impressed by how brave you were, Beverly Howard."

Beverly was taken back by Ruby's words. She'd never even discussed the tragedy with Jean-Luc. "I wasn't brave. I just did what I had to do."

"And isn't that the definition of bravery, Jean-Luc?"

Jean-Luc had observed the sorrow in his wife's eyes. "Yes, I do believe it is." He reached for his wife's hand. "Beverly has always been the bravest, sanest person I know." He looked at Ruby. "Tell me what she was like as a young girl."

"Well at first, she was quiet and subdued. Felisa was very worried. She was such an old soul in a young girl's body. It took a while, but all the children in the village tried to coax her out of it. We just wanted her to laugh again, like any twelve- year-old girl should."

Beverly suddenly stood. "The mud pie. We'd had a rain storm and there was mud everywhere. Your son threw a mud pie at me! He got my new pink dress dirty."

"Yes, Quintin was a rascal. Still is, if truth be told. Ah but then Beverly lost her temper. She chased him straight through the village, flinging every clump of mud she could find at the poor boy's head. She finally tackled him and gave him a good what for…" Ruby chuckled. "And to make matters even more fun, I made my son apologize to Beverly."

Ruby sighed. "Quintin is always late. If there aren't any scones left by the time he comes, it will be his own fault." She reached for her Brown Betty teapot. "Earl Grey, Jean-Luc?" He nodded. Ruby then picked up the Flight Barr teapot. In the "Imari" pattern. She poured a cup and handed it to Beverly. "Black Irish with a touch of cardamom." She then offered Jean-Luc and Beverly a tray of her scones. Both Jean-Luc and Beverly picked the almond cherry variety. Jean-Luc went for the brandied strawberry preserves. Beverly didn't.

Picard glanced about the cottage. It was rather similar to their cottage, but Ruby's tastes were more floral. Every piece of fabric in the parlor had some sort of rose motif. Cabbage roses. Tea roses. Roses of every type and kind. In many colors. And it all should have clashed with the grey MacPherson of Pitmain tartan. But it didn't. Instead, it all seemed to go well together from the cushions to the oak antique corner cupboard filled with old pewter tankards to the needlepoint fire screen. Picard instinctively recognized the kind of fine eye and skill it took to create a room like this. He doubted it was a random haphazard effort.

"Mother…" A voice called out. A huge bouquet of red roses entered the room being carried by somebody. The bearer's face was hidden behind roses.

It was then that Picard knew. For he recalled a similar scene with Marta Batanides. And Jean-Luc Picard started laughing. And laughing.

"Hello, Mother." Q handed his mother the roses, kissed her cheek, and then he started laughing too.

It took Beverly a while to see the humor of it.

"You're Q?" she asked, ignoring the two hysterical men. "All this time?"

"Yes, dear. I'm this rascal's mother."

Beverly buried her head on her arms, resting them on the tea table.

Jean-Luc couldn't decide if she was sobbing or laughing. His laughter faded away as he reached over to her. He realized that she was laughing. And hiccupping.

Q blinked and a scone floated through the air, landing on his tea plate. He blinked again, and his empty tea cup became a beer stein filled with amber ale. "Care for some, mon ami? I'm a bit of a connoisseur when it comes to beers."

Picard nodded. "Surprise me."

And Q did. It was the finest ale that Picard had ever tasted. "Where did this come from?"

"1796 England, a little smuggler's inn that I found in the Cornwall."

Picard knew Q well enough now to believe that he wasn't joking.

"I wasn't lying you know. It's always been Beverly who fascinated me."

"Thank you, I think," Beverly replied. "Dare I ask what you found so fascinating about me?"

"You threw mud pies at me. I had to get even."

"I'm surprised you didn't turn me into a dog. Then."

Q did laugh at that statement. "My petty little revenge, just a few decades later. You've always been my favorite, beautiful red-haired bitch."

Beverly made a face at him.

"Beverly, it was your courage, your grace, your intelligence, and your common sense that drew me to you. And the fact that you were a very distant cousin to the Q. At first, I considered wedding you myself."

Picard sat upright at that statement.

"Calm down, mon ami. By the time I considered courting Beverly, she had met Jack. And since Jack was a Q cousin too, I didn't mind stepping aside. I prefer my freedom, as any one of my former wives will tell you."

"I still don't understand."

Ruby answered her question. "To put it simply my dear, Felisa wanted me to find a suitable husband for you. She approved of Jack, so I instructed my son to make sure that your courtship and marriage would proceed without difficulties."

Picard choked on his beer.

Q continued. "Little did I imagine that Jean-Luc here would be a Q cousin too. You danced for him. Turned him into a Denebian rutting boar. That's when I became interested in you, mon ami. I was a bit jaded back then. What's the difference between a Jean or a Jack?"

Ruby rapped Q's knuckles with a spoon. "Idiot. By the time I learned what he had done, the damage had been done. But then things got complicated, and Quintin erased your memories. Though once I saw the pair of you together years later, I knew that fate had interfered. It wasn't totally Quintin's fault." She offered Beverly more tea. "I do apologize for that. But I think when all is said and done, things are right and proper now. You're with the man you love and who loves you, and you both are where you're supposed to be in this life."

Picard finally spoke up. "Are you telling me that everything that happened to Beverly and I, is because you were next-door neighbors to Beverly?"

Ruby answered. "Yes."

Picard shook his head in disbelief. "And then the Federation would have been destroyed along the way, if it weren't for two match-making ladies. I should have listened to Deanna Troi's woeful stories more closely."

Ruby complained to Beverly, "You see what I've put up with all these millennia?"

"But you love him," Beverly sighed. "He's your son." She sighed again. "Please tell me that my children aren't going to bedevil me like Q?"

Ruby patted her hand. "Oh, Quintin is a good boy. Not like so many other Q children. They can be imps."

Q interrupted their conversation. "Oh Mother, I heard from Pops. Pops says that he's done with his current job. And that as soon as he finishes off with the details, he'll resign his commission and come and stay for a while."

"Commission?" Picard's curiosity was piqued.

"Yes. Pop's an ensign in Starfleet named Steck."

Picard lost it.

=/\= =/\= =/\=

The Enterprise was being launched, finally, from Utopia Planetia. Jean-Luc and Beverly were invited. In fact, Jean-Luc was the guest of honor.

He grumbled. He wished people didn't make such a fuss all the time over him. Others had helped. He hadn't done it all by himself. But the Picard name now was the one that seemed to get mentioned the most.

He stood in the doorway of his Château's master suite, watching Beverly twist up her silver-shot gold and red hair. She'd grown older with such beauty and grace.

He sighed.

"What, Jean-Luc?" Beverly got up from her dressing table. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"Do you ever regret our life together…?"

"Of course not, mon coeur," she teased.

As with all marriages there had been sorrows and joys, white hot times and frigid icy times, ordinary boring times and too busy, hectic times. They'd been apart on many occasions, especially when she was on the Enterprise E or he'd been on a diplomatic mission. But underneath it all had been a deep current of love to support them. That, and the fact that on occasion, Wesley had helped reunite his parents with the blink of an eye, even if it only was for a night or two.

"We've had a good life, Beverly. Better than most. More blessed than most."

"Where is all this maudlin talk coming from?"

"It's just the realization that today is another milestone time in our lives."

Beverly lightly kissed his lips. "Yes, that's true. Remember this Jean-Luc Picard, you're the one who offered to seduce me, but I'm the one who chose to walk into the embrace of your loving arms. And in spite of everything, I'd never have wanted it to be any other way."

"Agreed." He kissed her. "It's time to go, Beverly."

Jean-Luc and Beverly boarded the captain's shuttlecraft that had come for them. They both wore the dress uniforms of Starfleet Admirals. They were going to join the others at Starfleet Academy, and then all would go together for the traditional captain's shuttlecraft transport to his ship for the first time.

Beverly held his arm as they entered the shuttlecraft. "Geordi. Leah! Good to see you."

"Geordi just had to pilot the new captain himself." Leah smiled. "Our kids are going to meet us on board."

"And the grand kids. I've lost track of how many there are now," Jean-Luc teased.

"So have I," Geordi mentioned, as he shook Jean-Luc's hand. "Good to see you again, Jean-Luc."

Beverly smiled. "Jean-Luc knows exactly how many grandchildren we all have. He just wishes that half of them weren't named Jean."

"Hey when you have seven kids, and four grandkids, naming them Jean makes it easier to get somebody to answer when you call," Geordi chuckled.

Geordi was dressed in civilian clothing now. He'd left Starfleet to become the head of the Daystrom Institute a while back. Leah was still head of all the propulsion departments. The BLF (for Brahms/LaForge) drives, which were formerly referred to as worm hole drives had been standard on galaxy class starships for more than thirty-five years. They were constantly being improved, and the new Enterprise NCC-1701-Q had the latest version as its warp drive. The new ship was also twice the size of Picard's Enterprise D.

The letter 'Q' was out of sequence. But for some reason Fleet Admiral Picard insisted upon that letter.

As Beverly was comparing grandchildren notes with Leah, Jean-Luc took the seat next to Geordi.

"Do you want to pilot her in, Jean-Luc?"

"You mean you trust me not to hit your baby?"

"Yeah. She's not just my baby, Jean-Luc."

"But you're the engineer, Geordi. You're the heart and soul of its warp drive. You've sweated every detail of her design. And the way you've improved the ships over the decades has been extraordinary - true genius."

"I had to Jean-Luc. She's the Enterprise."

"You do that for every ship, Geordi. Funny how my offhand remark about a shuttlecraft engine turns into an Enterprise built by you. What an accomplishment."

"And if the Enterprise D hadn't crashed on Veridian III, I might never have ended up working for Leah, or marrying her. Leah and the kids - that's the great accomplishment of my life. Building ships is just my job. Though I do hope I'll die while building them."

"I always thought I would go down with my starship. It's what I wanted. Yet that has been denied me. I never wanted to be the Fleet Admiral. But here I am."

"And here you are, watching your grandson take the big chair, Jean-Luc."

"Jack will be a better starship captain than me."

"That's never going to happen, Jean-Luc. There's never going to be a better galaxy class starship captain than Jean-Luc Picard."

"Thank you, Geordi. There is however, James T. Kirk," Picard added.

"That Enterprise wasn't a galaxy class ship, Jean-Luc." Picard chuckled. Geordi continued chatting. "Gale and the grandchildren said that she'll meet us on board."

"Geordi, your son Jean-Luc and my daughter Gale have been busy again. Another baby. Don't tell me that my son-in-law wants as many kids as Leah had."

"Jean-Luc, what can I say. It runs in the family. And your namesake is the changeling in our families. He just loves Earth and doesn't want to go anywhere else. As for Gale, who'd have ever thought that she'd be the agricultural expert in the family."

Picard sighed. Lwaxana's match making determination had gone into motion once all of his officer's children started entering Starfleet Academy. Their many grandchildren were the result.

Will and Deanna's son Ian William Martok had married Geordi's daughter Lal. They were both counselors attached to UP. Jory was still a bachelor and along with Gale, was now in charge of Château Picard, and all of its subsidiary vineyards on several planets. Harla had married Geordie's second eldest son, William Worf. They both were professors of Proto-Vulcan archaeology at Alpha Centauri University. Mela's John Luke was Starfleet. He was first officer of the Constitution Class USS Amerigo. And Reg's son Geordi, was a Lieutenant Commander and an engineer now assigned to the Enterprise Q.

As for Beverly and Jean-Luc's twins, they were at a university somewhere in the Q Continuum. They came home every now and then. They'd both graduated from the Academy but delayed accepting their commissions and instead joined their honorary uncle Q with something he had called studying at the academy of life.

Over the years, all the Q cousins had spent time with the Continuum on their own. And when they'd come home they talked of all the fun that they had, but never actually mentioned what Q had been teaching them. Picard knew that the pact that he'd made with the Continuum years ago had been for the best. All the Q heirs had been given choices about their future. But only the twins had preferred the Continuum.

Geordi landed the shuttlecraft at the Academy.

Will and Deanna were the first to board her. Wes and Robin came next, wearing their dress Admiral uniforms. Greetings were exchanged. Picard pulled Admiral Riker aside. "Is Chancellor Worf coming? I've received no response to my sub-space messages."

"I haven't heard either. In fact, I haven't heard from Worf since Deanna finalized their divorce." For ever since Worf had been forced to challenge Gowron and kill him during the Dominion War, he had been separated from Deanna and Will. When Worf had resigned from Starfleet and left, Worf had also divorced Deanna. Will then married Deanna officially. Worf was still legally Ian's father, but he hadn't seen his son since he'd left. The Rozshenkos always remained a part of Ian's life.

Picard could only accept Worf's decision. He mourned the loss of his friend. And what could have been with the Klingon Empire if Gowron had lived. Though Worf was now the Klingon Chancellor, relations with the Klingons had been strained for some time. The golden possibilities that Gowron and Picard had created were beset by too many outside influences. Picard felt it was one of the greater failures of his life.

The Picard treaty still survived. It was now as permanent as the Khitomer Accords.

Finally, Captain Jean Jackson Crusher arrived. He hugged his parents, greeted all of his relations, and then bowed before his grandfather and shook Jean-Luc's hand. He hugged him.

There were tears in Jean-Luc's eyes as he gazed upon the future that he'd literally helped create.

Geordi stood, "Admiral, would you care to pilot?"

"Only if Admiral Riker will be my Number One."

Will sat next to Picard. They flew toward UP, and slowly circled around the new Enterprise.

Her new captain came and stood behind his grandfather and Riker, placing his hands on the shoulders of both men. There was silence for a while as everyone stared in awe at the beautiful big ship. Then Jean-Luc flew into the shuttlecraft bay and landed.

There was a reception after the swearing in ceremony. Will Riker and Data had arranged it. It was not too extreme. There were no dancing Orion slave girls.

Everyone who mattered to the Picard family and friends had been invited. And most had showed up. Including Annie and Billy Bob.

Waiting for them on board, after they had arrived was Chancellor Worf and Admiral Kargan. Some of the burden that Picard's heart felt over the Klingon situation, lifted. As for Will, he had to watch Deanna kiss Worf in public. And then pull the Klingon out of sight during a quiet moment.

Picard was determined to privately talk with Worf before the Klingon left.

Guinan was there as well, supervising the younger members of the next generation of Q cousins.

Data was there with Nella and Edward whose son Franklin, was captain of the Cairo C. Data's friend Carrie had passed away leaving Data her Baltimore mansion. Data had wanted for Nella to own the house, but Nella insisted that Data take care of the house for her. For Nella and Edward's daughter lived with Mr. Data when he was on Earth. Their daughter Annabella was a concert pianist and composer who was well known through the galactical classical music world.

All in all, watching as Picard's grandson was sworn in as captain of the Enterprise had been one of the better moments of Jean-Luc Picard's life.

Will and Jean-Luc decided to stroll about the decks. They'd already had the official tour, but each of them wanted to see for themselves. They talked quietly of their lives and of their ships.

"Deanna's with Worf?"

"Yes, they had some things to work out. Deanna knew with the way the Klingon problems were happening, that Worf would have to choose. We both didn't think that he would leave though, and for so long."

"You're not jealous?"

"Was Beverly jealous of Laren?"

"Actually, if she was, she never told me. She just accepted Laren's place in our lives. I have, over the years, discovered that Laren owned a part of my heart. The way Tom and Laren raised Gale was wonderful. Yet every time I saw Laren with Gale, part of me wanted to be part of that equation too. I envied you."

"Jean-Luc, we wouldn't be human beings if we weren't capable of knowing more than one love during our lifetime. As for that so-called three-way marriage that I had, I was never Deanna's lover after she married Worf. I was only an honorary Number Two husband."

"That's why I divorced Deanna so quickly, Will. I knew what I had to do, and I didn't want Deanna waiting for me. It was your turn to love your Imzadi."

Both gentlemen turned to look at the Klingon standing in the doorway of the officer's conference room.

Picard spoke first, quietly, without revealing any of his emotions. "I thank you for coming, Chancellor Worf. It means a lot to me."

"You are my cha'DIch, Jean-Luc. And, it's the Enterprise. The happiest days of my life were spent with both of you on board her. So it means a lot to me too."

"I take it that you're not overly fond of Klingon politics," Riker politely observed.

"If I had my choice, I would still be serving with you, Admirals. But I could not ignore my duty. I am going to close the distance between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. Or die trying."

"I'd rather have you living, Worf." Riker extended his hand. Worf shook it. "Deanna still misses you."

"Yes. But I could not bring her or Ian to live in the Empire. The threat of assassination was and still is too great. I am not a popular leader."

"You could resign," Picard suggested.

"Would you, Jean-Luc?"

"If I thought that I could do no more good."

"That is the problem, Jean-Luc. Will. I have a hope that I can do more good, one day."

Riker considered Worf's words about assassination attempts. He quietly asked, "Your people - you sent bodyguards didn't you? To protect Deanna and Ian?"

"All of you have your guards," Worf gruffly stated.

"Don't you think you should have told me, Mr. Worf?"

"No. The threat of danger to you and our family still is too great. If you needed to know, Mr. Data would have told you who they were. The bodyguards do change, so that if you cannot detect who they are, odds are my enemies will not either."

"Were there guards even on the Enterprise E?"

"That was up to Mr. Data. He supervised the scheduling when he thought they were needed."

Riker shook his head. "All these years and I never guessed? I must be slipping."

Picard chuckled. "Yes you are, Will. Your decline began when you became an admiral." He put his hand on Will's shoulder. "Gowron assigned guards to Beverly when I was playing pirate. He never removed the order. To this day, Beverly has no idea that there are two sets of guards around her. Though I did have to explain to Starfleet personnel about the second unit."

Riker nodded, understanding. "Thank you, Worf." Worf just grunted. "Have you see Ian?"

Worf suddenly seemed nervous. "There is something I must tell you."

"What, Worf?"

"Whenever Lwaxana used to take Ian for summer vacation, what she really was doing was bringing Ian to see me. Sometimes on Risa. Betazed. Or Clarion."

"Why didn't he tell us?"

"Ian did not wish to upset his Mother."

Will breathed a sigh of relief. "I am glad, Worf. I knew you loved Ian. And that Ian loved you. Now I know why he didn't seem to miss you that much."

"But Deanna does, Will. She has invited me to dinner tonight. Should I come?"

"I know. I told Deanna to invite you Worf."

Worf stiffened, then looked curiously at Will. "You did? Why?"

"You'll find out why when we dine." Will didn't bother mentioning The Phase. Worf would find out soon enough. It was the one thing that Deanna's husband could give to his Imzadi that she wanted more than anything else in the universe - having both of the men that she loved in her life together again - and in her arms…

Riker put his arms about the shoulders of both men. "I think we need to go find some beer…"

"You go." Picard moved closer to the window. "I just want to stay here. I'll watch the stars and delude myself that I'm just a captain for a while. Then I'll come."

He was alone for a moment, and then he smelled Deanna's exotic floral perfume.

"Deanna." He glanced over at the still beauteous Betazed in her royal blue commodore and counselor's dress uniform dress. A few years ago, Admiral Jellico had issued an order that certain Starfleet counselors were permitted to wear uniforms of their own choosing. Picard knew the rumor that the change was due to a lost poker bet was true for he'd been at that game.

"Jean-Luc, you're pensive." She placed her hand on his. "What are you questioning?"

There was one deep fear left in Picard's heart. "Do you believe in love at first sight, Deanna?" She nodded. "In my youth, I always considered myself a romantic soul. But I also found it highly improbable that someone could glance over, look another person in the eye and think that they'd just found true love in an instant. The universe just doesn't work that way. Lust in first sight, yes. Love, no. Consider the years it took for you and Worf to become lovers."

"True. But I fell in love with Will the first time I saw him. And that was when I was gazing into his beautiful blue eyes and before I noticed the rest of his beautiful," she sighed, "body. That clinched it. Romantic love to me has always been about intellect, emotions and sex."

Picard suddenly blushed as he recalled that Deanna had met Will at a Betazoid wedding.

Deanna laughed. "Your conservative attitude about sex has always been a puzzlement to me, Jean-Luc."

"That's part of the problem, Deanna. Deep in my soul, there is a part of me that still wonders if I was manipulated by the Q into falling in love with Beverly. And if that is the case, then I have to ask myself why."

She remembered the first time she'd worked with Jean-Luc Picard, and how he'd been seduced by an ancient one bent on destroying the Federation. "Quintin is not Ariel. Surely your twins would tell you if the Continuum is plotting something nefarious?"

"I would like to think so."

"Perhaps your real problem is that your rational mind just can't accept your emotional self. falling in love at first sight. Did it never occur to you that you and Beverly have both been described as an old soul on many occasions? Maybe it was simply Fate reincarnating two long lost lovers who have finally found each other." She kissed his cheek. "Or maybe a cigar is just a cigar. You were meant to love Beverly, Jean-Luc. And Beverly was meant to love you. And that is all there is to it. Trust your heart, Jean-Luc." She kissed his lips. "And, technically speaking, you fell in love at first sight, twice. And then you loved Beverly from afar for decades before you fell in love with Beverly all over again - at last. From my point of view, I'd say you've been pretty consistent and constant most of your adult life." She sensed that the light was finally, truly dawning in the heart and mind of one of her most cherished, but difficult patients ever. "I'll see you on the bridge in a few minutes."

After she left, Picard sensed that Q would be joining him. He'd been sensing Q's presence all day. Whenever his pate prickled, he knew Q was around.

"You didn't think I'd miss my protégé's swearing in ceremony, did you, mon Capitaine?"

"No, I did not think you would, Quintin."

Q shuddered. "I hate that name. That's why everyone calls me Q."

"I know."

"You're still an evil man, Jean-Luc."

"Would you have me otherwise?"

"No," Q admitted. "I'm fond of you, even though it pains me grievously to admit it."

"And I, you. In your own way, you've been a good friend." It was a major concession, and Q knew it.

Q casually stated, "Your suspicions are correct, mon ami." Picard froze. "I did contrive to bring you and the red-haired witch together. But she's the one who put a spell on you. What you have together is magic, Jean-Luc. But it's your magic. I merely introduced you. I didn't have anything to do with what happened after that when you first lusted then loved."

Picard considered Q's words. "You had objections to Jack Crusher?"

"He may have had the Q gene, but to be frank, I thought he was a bit too nice. Too dull. Beverly needed someone who was her equal. Jack wasn't ever going to challenge her the way that you do. Beverly blossomed with your love, Jean-Luc."

And then Jean-Luc finally understood everything. "You love Beverly."

"From the first moment she set foot on Caldos after Arvada. She was such a brave soul - truly the best of humanity. And I loved her too much to let her throw away her life on me. So I searched the universe for the perfect man for her. I just miscalculated the time line by a few weeks. Still things worked out for the best."

He glared at Jean-Luc. "You're trying to distract me from my real purpose." He huffed. "The time is coming when you're going to have to decide, mon ami." He gave Jean-Luc a warning glance. "And don't ask about what. You already know what. You have your choices. I can give you immortality. I can extend your life so that you can live past two hundred years. With Beverly. Or, I won't do a thing. You choose."

"I'd like to live forever with you, Jean-Luc, but I think helping extend our lives is the wiser choice." Beverly stood in the doorway. "I'd like to see Jack married one day. With a family. And considering how difficult it is to get captains of the Enterprise to the altar, I know it's going to take some time for that to happen."

Jean-Luc studied his bride. "I would have said no forty years ago, Q. But perhaps I am a wiser man now." He held out his hand to the love of his life.

Beverly stepped by husband. She surprised Q by kissing him on the cheek. "I want to be like your Mother, Q. Who is looking for you, by the way."

"As you wish." Q left. But not before saying, "Thank you for naming a ship after me, mon capitaine…"

Beverly offered her husband her arm as she felt his silent laughter. "They want you on the bridge, my love. Our Jack would have been so proud."

"Yes, mon coeur." He knew why she sighed. He still missed Jack Crusher too, after all these years.

It was time for the Enterprise Q to begin her first official mission. All the dignitaries were on the bridge.

Geordi was proudly explaining Leah's design of force field seat belt restraints to the chairs. If the stabilizers detected any disturbance, the chair's force fields would automatically materialize, keeping the occupant in its seat. But it was only a partial restraint. They could still reach their com panels, in spite of the ship being tossed around. And the restraints disappeared if one stood.

And then the ceremonies began.

Beverly, Will and Jean-Luc stood close by the captain's chair as they watched Captain Jean Jackson Crusher sit in his chair for the very first time.

A tear formed. Beverly wiped it away from Jean-Luc's cheek. He was so very proud.

Wesley and Robin joined them. Wes came around the chair to shake his son's hand. Robin just ruffled the brown hair on the top of her son's head smiling at the thought of her little boy sitting there. And praying.

The bridge crew were in their positions.

Anticipation was building.

All the invited guests and the media were waiting.

Then Data spoke. "When I first joined the Enterprise 1701-D, I was privileged to escort Admiral, Dr. Leonard McCoy on a tour about that ship. He said something then which I believe is the appropriate quote to say now." Data used McCoy's voice: "This is a new ship, but she's got the right name. Now you remember that, you hear? You treat her like a lady and she'll always bring you home…"

Some of the invited guests laughed.

Will spoke up. "Captain Crusher, my greatest achievement as captain of the Enterprise was when I crashed the Enterprise D into Veridian III. I lost the ship - but I did not lose the life of a single crew member. You can love a ship, but remember that it's the people that really matter. Doesn't hurt to follow your gut too. My instincts kept me captain of the Enterprise for twenty-six years." He then walked over to the left arm side of the dark blue captain's chair.

Jack accepted these words of wisdom. "I will, Sir - Captain Riker."

Jean-Luc moved over to the right side of the chair.

"The sky is the limit, Captain Jack Crusher." He squeezed his grandson's hand. "I only have a little bit of advice to offer that James T. Kirk passed on to me. Have fun. And make a difference. That's what we're here for, Captain. James T. Kirk first said this too: Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its mission… to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before. It's not just an unofficial motto of Starfleet, Captain Crusher. It's what the captains of the Enterprise do."

There was silence. And then cheers and applause.

"Thank you, Captain Picard."

Captain Jack Crusher faced his view screen, looked at his bridge crew, nodded at his Number One and then quoted his grandfather. "Let's see what's out there…" He nodded at his bridge officers. "…Engage."

THE END

A.N.: Much as I enjoyed writing these novels over the past few years, I am not going to return to this specific a/u universe as a writer. I feel that I've done all that I can here.

Instead, I've been concentrating on my other series of TNG a/u stories which are mainly P/C in nature. These are ATTACHED MEANT and its sequels, DE-TACHED: LIFE WITH BEVERLY, PWP and the new novel DETACHED: JEAN-LUC: HIS STORY and RE-ATTACHED: BEVERLY: HER STORY.

There is also another series based upon my "Tapestry" universe which is entitled "A DREARY MAN IN A TEDIOUS JOB" and "A LESS DREARY MAN IN A TEDIOUS JOB". These series will continue have new stories written for them.

There are also quite a few stand-alone stories which you can access through my profile of mabb5

Thank you for reading. And if you feel so inclined, please leave a review or comment.