And then, she woke up.

Beverly Crusher was exceedingly disoriented when she awoke because her dream became too ghastly to keep her asleep any longer.

God, all I do is think about him when I'm awake and apparently all I can do is dream about him too! This man is taking years off of my life…

Lifting herself off of the on-call room bed, Beverly stretched and then pulled her arms back through her lab coat, immediately exiting the room.

She immediately went down to Jean-Luc's room and noting that he was still sleeping, Beverly did her best to quietly record his vitals.

Of course, she wasn't quiet enough, and his eyes fluttered open.

He smiled in recognition of the woman who had saved his life.

"I was hoping you would come back soon, though I'm glad you finally got some rest. The nurses were saying you didn't sleep much during my ordeal."

"I'm sure they were…but no, they are right, I guess I really didn't get much rest. I was too busy worrying about you."

"Beverly?"

"Yes, Jean-Luc?"

"Just exactly how close was I to dying. Originally, you made my situation sound so trivial, but even now I see the remnants of worry in your eyes…"

"Close, Jean-Luc, it was close." Beverly whispered the words as they painfully exited her mouth.

"I thought as much…"

"But let's think of happier things, captain, like the fact that you'll live to captain another day."

"All thanks to the talented and exceedingly brilliant Dr. Beverly Crusher!" he winked at her as he said the words.

"Yeah, well, now you're just being a suck-up."

"Suck up? Me? Never! It just so happens that a brilliant and beautiful doctor saved my life this week."

Beverly blushed at his blatant flirtatiousness.

All at once, a thought passed through Beverly's mind and her eyes darkened in response.

"Jean-Luc, I have to say something…"

"Yes?"

"Jean-Luc…I…I…almost lost you this week…and the entire time all I could think about was what it would feel like if…if…I never got to tell you…" the doctor's voice trailed off.

"…tell me that you loved me…?"

Beverly nodded sadly.

"Jean-Luc, I've been so stupid! All this time I've tried to convince myself that it wasn't safe to love you, but seeing you lying there…well…it changed things for me. I don't want to be afraid to love the man that has been revered by my heart for so long. Jean-Luc…I want a future with the man I love….with you."

"Oh Beverly, you haven't been the only one at fault over the last 15 years. In the beginning, I just felt like Jack came between us…and then…I just thought that you didn't want anything more than a friendship."

"But Jean-Luc, Jack has been dead for 25 years and all that time I have been very much alone. And now I'm tired of pretending that feelings don't exist. I'm tired of running away from us!"

Jean-Luc reached over and grabbed Beverly's hand and held it tightly. He looked her straight in the eyes and said:

"Beverly, I love you more than words can express and I want to promise you forever. "

"Forever?"

"Forever."

Beverly bent over and kissed the man she loved and had always loved.

Professional detachment be damned.