Title: Parterre, Season four, Chapter Five: "Data's Day"

Author: Psycha (deadestiny at yahoo dot com)

Rating: K+ (PG)

Codes: C, T

Summary: A wise man once said; "Nothing worthwhile is easy." And Doctor Beverly Crusher is just about to find out how right he was, especially in matters of friendship and love.

Feedback: Any type is welcome, even flames. Criticism is especially appreciated though :) You can leave feedback via the websites indicated below, send a direct e-mail via my profile, go to Parterre's homepage (as linked to in my profile) or simply use fanfiction's easyand quick review feature :)

Archiving: The Femme Fuh-q Fest, ASCEM, fanfiction dot net and the Parterre homepage. Anywhere else is fine, but please ask first.

Author's Note: Many apologies for being so late in updating. Real life has been a bitch and the weather was just too good to sit indoors behind the computer ;) I want to thank everyone for reviewing and to those who flamed me privately – thank you for the laughs -grin- LaSemeuse, I'm honoured you're reading this in spite of not liking the pairing :D

Well, here's the next part, hope you'll all enjoy :)

Chapter Five: "Data's Day"

"Doctor, may I join you?"

The captain's familiar voice jogged her out of her thoughts. She forced a smile, knowing that she couldn't possibly justify turning him down. Her eyes drifted back to the couple dancing a few feet away.

"They match well together," Jean-Luc remarked, following her eyes. "I'm confident they can make a marriage work."

Her heart stopped. "What?"

He stared, his eyes full with confusion. "O'Brien and Keiko." He clarified, nodding over his shoulder to indicate the newlyweds dancing just in front of Riker and Troi.

"O. Yes." Her eyes fell back on Deanna's back. The counselor was moving in fluid, elegant motions, her body close against that of the first officer and her brilliant blue dress hugging every curve of her figure. She could remember the kiss so clearly, every little spark that jumped between their lips, the whisper of promises against her skin. Absently she rubbed her hand over a sore calf under the table, cursing herself for jumping into the dancing lesson with Data without properly warming up first.

Deanna's laughter carried across the lounge. Her head was thrown back, black curls reaching her rear, brushing over Riker's hand. The jealousy she felt surprised her and made her grit her teeth. Since she'd left Troi's quarters two days ago, the woman had constantly been on her mind.

"-ctor?"

"Huh?"

"Beverly, are you all right?" Jean-Luc's concerned hazel eyes met hers and she cringed. "You seem a little occupied."

There was no point in lying. "I am." She was occupied, namely by the way Will was touching her… her what? It had been just a kiss. Granted, a gentle, earth-shattering kiss, but still just a kiss. She had no claim on Deanna whatsoever, and yet she found herself wishing that it would be different.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No, not at all. Just lost in thoughts." His strong features shifted slightly, the disappointment barely visible. She knew him too well. "It was a beautiful ceremony."

"Yes." He agreed. She thanked him silently for not pressing the issue. "Yes it was. It's good to see an old tradition survive for this long."

Beverly smiled, beaming at the newlyweds when they passed their table. "They love each other very much." Did she love Deanna? She didn't know. The question had been plaguing her for days. There was so much to think about, to consider. They were best friends, the only two female Senior Staff members. They worked closely together and provided each other with a willing ear and a soft shoulder. Conflicts of interest would be unavoidable, she didn't want to risk losing their friendship. "Did you contact Command yet?" The distraction was meant for herself, rather than him, but failed to serve its purpose.

"Yes." She recognized the grim tone, the flexing of his jaw. He wasn't happy with Command's decision. "They are investigating if T'Pel, no, Selok was privy to any sensitive security information." How would he react if she and Deanna… The two of them shared a long history. There had been times when she thought he'd kiss her, or she him, but they always chickened out. Jack's presence hung between them, she could never not think about her late husband when she was in Jean-Luc's company.

And Wesley. Wesley looked so much like his father, even the way his mind worked reminded her of Jack; quick, precise and difficult t distract. He even looked up to Picard in a similar way as Jack had once had. When had it all gotten so complicated?

"May we join you?"

"Of course!" Jean-Luc invited the couple before she'd even been able to process the question. Deanna sat down at her left side and Will at her right, leaving her with only the table's surface to look at.

"Shouldn't you be dancing Captain?" She smiled at Riker's teasing, all of them fully aware how uncomfortable Jean-Luc was with public displays of affection, even in something as innocent and non-committal as dancing.

"What about you Beverly?" Deanna piped in with a wink.

She groaned, but laughed in spite of herself. "I've done enough dancing for today." The mirth on the counselor's face eased her concerns, but fanned a whole different set of emotions. How could she be acting so normal, after that kiss? Their eyes met and Picard and Riker disappeared into the far background. The subtle scent that she recognized so well from that night in Deanna's quarters hit her full force, going straight to her head. She'd been fighting these feelings for months, but she couldn't ignore them anymore. She was falling for her best friend and she suspected the landing was going to be harsh.

"Are you sure? I love this piece of music." Troi didn't finish the sentence, she didn't have to. Deanna couldn't be flirting with her here, right in front of Will and Jean-Luc, her cheeks began to burn with discomfort.

"I'm sure." She answered timidly, cursing being on call. She could do with a nice drink about now.

"You could teach her a thing or two." The first officer joked, and made a big show of rubbing his shins. Deanna scowled, making Jean-Luc laugh. Beverly just shook her head, feeling even more uncomfortable when Will blew a mocking kiss to the counselor.

"You're just not light enough on your feet Commander."

Her eyes moved from Troi to Riker, observing the level of ease between the couple. They knew each other so well and had built a strong, intimate friendship in spite of their rocky past. She couldn't imagine what it was like. With Jean-Luc she was always aware of the distance he kept between himself and others. They could joke and tease, but any sign of true intimacy made him freeze which in turn made her self-conscious.

The captain agreed with his counselor. "It's never the lady's fault Number One." She didn't miss the pointed look he threw her and smiled, remembering the arguments she and Jack used to have about his dancing abilities.

"I never understood the Terran costume of couples dancing." Deanna exclaimed. "All the dances are based on a leading man and a following woman. Why doesn't the woman lead?"

Jean-Luc sat a little straighter, she recognized the twinkle in his eyes as one of anticipation. This kind of discussion was right up his alley and a glance at Troi made her think that was exactly why Deanna had broached the subject. The empath leaned forward, bringing her attention almost fully to the captain. Beverly couldn't help but notice the cleavage she displayed and swallowed.

"When most Terran dances were created, they reflected the social structure at that time. Most cultures on Earth were patriarchal, this is signified by the man leading the woman." Jean-Luc answered, the glint in his eyes now accompanied by a wry smile. "Dancing was also seen as a sophisticated form of a mating ritual and according to many beliefs of that time, only a man and a woman could mate."

Troi shook her head. "It seems terribly narrow minded to me."

"Earth has a long history," Will defended, a little off-put by the counselor's rejection. "Most cultures grew out of that "narrow mindedness", but a man/woman coupling is in many levels still the 'default' setting, dancing included."

"How about Be-"

The chirp of her commbadge interrupted Picard's question and Crusher quickly reached to answer, grateful for the excuse to tear her eyes away from Deanna. "Crusher here."

"Doctor, Lieutenant Juarez wants to talk to you." Nurse Ogawa's calm voice betrayed nothing but the young woman's level headedness. The Asian woman had only been on her staff for a few months, but had proven herself to be up to the task.

"I'll be right there Alyssa." She stood up and threw an apologetic glance at her friends, then headed to the doors. She fought the urge to look back over her shoulder in spite of having the distinct impression that a certain beautiful alien was drilling holes in the back of her head with two onyx eyes. As she entered the corridor she tried to get Deanna out of her mind to make place for the possible scenario's she could encounter once she reached Sickbay.

The familiar grey/orange exterior of the corridors soothed her anxiety and she held still in front of the LCARS strip on the wall to check her hair, amused with her own vanity. She tucked a wayward lock of red hair back in line and hurried into a nearby turbolift. "Sickbay." She turned to face the doors and was startled by Troi suddenly standing in front of her. "Deanna."

"The captain asked me to make sure you were all right." The raven-haired woman explained as she leaned against the wall, her eyes neutrally surveying the small space. "He said you seemed unusually pre-occupied."

"I'm fine."

"Yes." The counselor agreed slowly, drawing out the word.

"I just have a lot to think about."

Silence dragged on between them and in the small cabin Beverly was assaulted by Deanna's subtle perfume. Her eyes kept going back to the pair of sensuous lips that had turned her world upside down. The temptation to repeat that kiss, the gentle, intimate contact grew by the second. Troi showed no sign of being aware of her dilemma, but she knew better.

She had learned a lot about her friend over the course of the last week. Deanna was trying to give her her space and let her make the choice of pursuing whatever it was between them that had such a strong hold on her, but she wasn't blind. She'd seen the way the Betazoid had watched her and in hindsight it was hard to miss that Deanna had become more tactile with her over the last months. Something was brewing between them. And here, in the enclosed space of the turbolift it sounded wholly unappealing to walk away.

Without knowing exactly how she'd gotten there, she found herself standing right in front of the counselor, their breaths mingling together. Large, black eyes looked up at her and she searched them for the answers to her questions. Deanna didn't move or blink, not even when the lift halted and the doors whooshed open.

The sudden exposure made her jump and she could feel a blush rising on her cheeks. Behind her Deanna released a long breath. Without looking back Beverly darted into the corridor and hurried to her office, holding her breath until the doors closed behind her. She gave herself barely a second to inhale and focus her thoughts before she stepped into lieutenant Juarez' view, readying herself to ease the new mother's concerns.

...tbc...

I want to put in a little warning for the next chapter here; this one will be adult-rated and might be a bit confusing because it's basically the same point in time told twice. (Tied in with the episode "Clues") Thanks again for your patience and reviews:)