[ Author's Note: This will be the last chapter unless I get lots of reviews asking for more. This has been a fun little story but I'm not sure how much more I can add. Thanks for reading! ]

Beverly sighed. Was it really that obvious? Of course she loved Jean-Luc. She had loved him for years. At least since she and Wesley joined the Enterprise. No, she had loved him far longer than that. A decade? Longer? Beverly honestly couldn't remember falling in love with Jean-Luc Picard, only that he was, madly, deeply in love with him. She couldn't stop it. And apparently, she couldn't hide it. Taking the position at Star Fleet Medical had put some distance between them, and if she were to be honest, Beverly was missing seeing the captain every day. The video call hailing from the Enterprise made it seem that Captain Picard were the empath and not Deanna, feeling that she was thinking of him.

"Good evening Jean-Luc." Beverly smirked flirtatiously as she answered his call.

"Beverly. Good evening. I wanted to let you know that the shuttle excursion to the Academy went very well. Wesley arrived to his exams safely. I have no results, but I am certain he did very well."

"And how are you, Jean-Luc?" Beverly knew he had had his surgery today.

"Much better. There were some minor complications, but Dr. Pulaski did an excellent job."

"Oh I wish I could've been the one to perform your surgery." Truthfully, Beverly thought she may have been too nervous to have been able to complete the surgery. She had been Jean-Luc's physician for many years, but as her feelings for him grew, she had begun to doubt her ability to hold his life in his hands.

"Well, it's all over now and soon I'll be back to the ship." Jean-Luc left off that he missed seeing her on his ship now that she had taken the position at Star Fleet Medical. "Did you get a chance to speak with Wesley? You have a very bright young man there Beverly."

"Oh yes, I actually just got off the comm with him about ten minutes before you called. He said he had…an interesting time on the shuttlecraft." Beverly smiled, laughing internally at Wesley's terror in his call.

"Ah, yes, we discussed many interesting topics. I don't believe I every properly thanked you for bringing him aboard the ship. It's lovely having him, despite what most people believe I think of children."

"I know you love him, Jean-Luc. And he loves you."

"Ahem. Yes. Beverly…" Jean-Luc didn't know just what Wesley had told her but he felt he needed to discuss Wesley's new nickname for him. "Beverly, Wesley had many questions today."

"Yes, he is such an inquisitive boy. Hopefully he wasn't too unyielding for you. I know you would've wanted to rest up for the procedure."

"Well…his questions were about children. I shouldn't be bringing this up with you; it's a conversation for Counselor Troi, but you're more of an expert on the topic, so…" Jean-Luc trailed off.

"Jean-Luc, it's alright. I'm always here for you."

"Do you think I've made the wrong decision? Choosing to prioritize my career, rather than have a family?"

"You have always wanted to be a starship captain. I can't imagine what you would've done if you hadn't achieved that…but, having Wes has been one of the best and most fulfilling things in my life, I won't lie. I'm sure you remember how much we wanted a child."

"I do. Wesley called me dad today, on accident."

Beverly chuckled. "I know. He called me in a panic about it. He thought you surely were going to revoke his bridge privileges."

"Oh, no, it was rather nice actually. I don't believe I ever properly thanked you for bringing him on board. And for making me his godfather."

"You've been a wonderful part of our lives. I'm very glad you called. I've missed you."

"Oh don't hang up!" Jean-Luc felt that this conversation was actually going somewhere, a place he'd been waiting to go for years. "I've missed you too, dearly. You know, I always wanted to be the captain of the Enterprise, and now that I am, it's not enough."

Beverly could fell her heart beating faster. She was breathing deeply, trying to calm herself down. Jean-Luc rarely talked this way with her. "Perhaps you need a vacation."

"No, Beverly, I need you. I love you. I'm so sorry if you don't feel that way, but Deanna has been trying to get me to confess my feelings to you for months."

"Oh, Jean-Luc." Beverly felt tears fill her eyes and she didn't fully understand why. She did love Jean-Luc. "I love you too."

"God, how I wish I could kiss you!"

"Perhaps I need to do a follow up on that heart surgery." Beverly turned to her computer and punched a few buttons. "You have an appointment with me next week. Privately." Beverly winked. "Goodnight Jean-Luc."

"Goodnight darling." The captain signed off, sighed, and smiled. All was well.