AN: Here we are, another piece to this one. There's at least one more to come (possibly two).
I hope you enjoy! If you do, please do let me know what you think! (All comments and interactions are appreciated! I hope to be catching up on responding this weekend!)
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"Laris…" Beverly said. "Jean-Luc…help her?"
Beverly didn't need to give more instructions. Jean-Luc helped situate the two babies in Laris's arms, and then he returned to Beverly's side to help her. Deanna took Beverly's other side, without request, and walked with them down the hallway. Laris followed just behind with the babies, and Will brought up the rear.
Jean-Luc told the story about what had happened with Q in such a way as to make it sound somewhat calm. His ability to tell the story in such a matter-of-fact way, though, was probably owing to the fact that they'd spent a few hours—or, at the very least, what Q had made feel like a few hours—cuddling with their newborns and coming to terms with the fact that the twins were very real and very much theirs to take home and love as they grew.
When they reached their quarters, Jean-Luc immediately helped Beverly to bed. As soon as she was settled, Deanna went about tucking her in and issuing a laundry list of needs and requirements to Jean-Luc. The babies would need things. Beverly would need things. There were immediate needs and, of course, needs that were far less urgent and could be handled in due time.
And Beverly needed to rest. Deanna remarked that she could feel the fatigue radiating off of Beverly.
"Where are the babies?" Deanna asked to the general room around her. "Beverly needs the babies…"
Beverly smiled at Deanna and, catching her hand, stopped her fussing as Deanna smoothed her hair back and wiped at her face with a damp cloth. The touch helped ground her friend, and it strengthened the empathic connection that Beverly knew they shared—a connection that had been stronger since they'd come back together than it ever had been before Beverly had taken such a long leave of absence from her loved ones.
Deanna smiled at her, recognition flashing in her eyes. Jean-Luc brought Beverly the babies, and Deanna helped to situate them in Beverly's arms.
"You need to rest. Spend some time with your babies."
"And my family," Beverly offered.
Deanna nodded her head gently.
"And your family," she said. "If you need me…"
"I won't hesitate," Beverly assured her. "Thank you."
"I love you," Deanna assured her.
"I love you, too," Beverly said, without hesitation. Life was too short, and far too precarious, not to say what you meant to your loved ones—she had learned that and embraced it fully.
Deanna looked over her shoulder. She looked back at Beverly. Beverly could practically read her mind as surely as though they were telepathically linked.
"I sense…" Deanna said softly, her voice low.
"I know," Beverly assured her, equally as softly.
Will and Deanna left them, soon after making sure that they were settled and that nobody needed anything that they could acquire for them, leaving them to spend their energy resting and bonding as a family. Left alone in their quarters, Jean-Luc sat on the edge of the bed with Beverly, while Laris huddled somewhat uncomfortably near the corner of the bedroom, clearly unsure of what to do with herself and, more than likely, trying to process everything that she'd only just learned.
"Laris—why don't you come over here?" Beverly asked. "I'm feeling a little…well…I've missed you. Come cuddle?"
Laris, in general, wasn't a "cuddler" by nature, and she made that quite clear. She also made frequent exceptions for Beverly. Laris liked affection on her terms, but Beverly's offered affection often seemed to come just in time, and in just the right way, to be on Laris's terms.
And Beverly could sense that her wife, having not been there for the birth of the twins, and in no other way being prepared for their arrival, was clearly feeling a touch out of place. The tension was palpable.
Laris hugged herself. She seemed to carefully consider the offer, as though it were necessary to scrutinize every tone of Beverly's voice, as well as every single bit of rhythm and inflection, to discern her true meaning.
With an infant in each arm, Beverly could hardly pat the bed. She gestured with her head and gave Laris the best sleepy smile she could.
"Come on," she urged. "I need you."
Laris stepped a half a step toward her. She leaned her body slightly toward her. Laris wasn't the only one, after all, that was adept at reading body language. As a physician who had worked with any number of species in any number of states of being, Beverly was pretty well-schooled on reading others. She noticed, then, when Laris decidedly pulled back a little and looked quickly toward Jean-Luc.
"Jean-Luc…don't you want to…hold Beverly? You'll need to spend time with your babies."
Beverly tensed slightly at the chosen possessive. She wanted to pretend it was a slip of the tongue, but she felt that there was more to it than that.
"Of course, I would love to hold Beverly," Jean-Luc said. "But…I believe the invitation was issued to you."
"There's room for us all," Beverly offered with a laugh, hoping that lightening things might help.
"I think—it might be best if I were to…contact a shuttle," Laris said. "You've always wanted this. You wanted what you missed with Jack. You have it now. You have each other…the babies. I don't want to get in the way of that. I won't get in the way of that. I'll just take a shuttle. I've got some offers on the Romulan colonies. I'll choose one of those. I don't really need anything from the Château. Romulans don't get as attached to things as people do, you know…"
Beverly's throat immediately tightened. She swallowed against it.
She understood. It hurt to hear the words—words she knew weren't meant, not really—but she understood.
Jean-Luc spoke before she could, and his tone came out as almost being acidic.
"It would seem that every time I have a child, I manage to lose a wife…"
The words were mostly directed toward the Romulan who, given the insecurities and fears that Beverly knew she had, was already dealing with a few difficult feelings of her own, but Beverly felt the sting of the words as well—especially since she and Jean-Luc had just spent some time trying to heal from the wounds that the words suggested were still there, though maybe not quite as open as they had been.
Beverly could see how this could get out of hand—far out of hand—and though she could still feel every bit of the hormones coursing through her blood, she realized she was probably the most emotionally stable of them all at the moment—which was saying quite a bit, especially when the babies in her arms started to react to what she might imagine was the tension in the room.
"Jean-Luc," she said, sharply enough to draw his attention and leave him unwilling to question or challenge her, and also sharply enough to go ahead and stir up the little ones, which was a problem that could be dealt with soon enough, "why don't you give us a moment? Could you please replicate a few of those things Deanna mentioned? Especially some bassinets…"
Jean-Luc half-opened his mouth like he might argue, but clearly thought better of it. He sighed, frowned, and nodded. He looked at Laris, like he might speak to her, but she was looking at the floor and probably didn't see him.
She was still looking at the floor when he left the room.
"Your son and daughter are fussing," Beverly said. "And I didn't do this on my own…so you better come over here and help me." When Laris didn't look at her, Beverly decided to try one more tactic. "I'm too tired to do this on my own, Laris…I need your help."
Laris looked at Beverly, then, and Beverly saw the profound sadness in her eyes. Beverly felt that same sadness, suddenly. Her chest and throat ached.
"Please," she said, the word barely seeming to escape her tightened throat. "Come? Talk?"
Laris came, finally, to the bed. She hesitated half a moment, and then she crawled next to Beverly and accepted the baby that Beverly offered to her.
"William," Beverly said. "Your son. And…Emilie. Your daughter. Unless, of course, you're very opposed to the names. We could discuss them…"
"They're your children," Laris said. Beverly didn't miss the look of affection she gave to the baby in her arms, though, or the fact that it didn't take long for the baby to start to settle.
"I thought they were ours," Beverly said. "Or—is the child you have with Jean-Luc not to be mine, as well?"
Laris looked at Beverly, but she wasn't holding eye contact. Beverly knew Laris well enough to know, by now, that if she didn't hold eye contact, she was very clearly trying to conceal something—in this case, Beverly was certain it was her feelings.
"You know that's not the case," Laris said. "We discussed that…"
"We did," Beverly said. "Which is why I'm confused. Unless…you're upset because the twins weren't planned. Because they were born first…or because that wasn't what we planned."
Laris didn't take her eyes off the baby boy that had settled in her arms and was appearing to think about returning to sleep, as his smaller sister seemed eager to do.
"You and Jean-Luc wanted a family together," Laris said. "You wanted what you missed with Jack."
"We did," Beverly said.
"I want you to have that," Laris said, meeting Beverly's eyes for the first time and holding them. "I want you to have what makes you happy."
She was sincere. Beverly smiled at her and nodded.
"Then—stop trying to take my wife away from me," Beverly said. "Away from Jean-Luc. Stop trying to take our babies' mother away. And—stop trying to break our hearts. We wanted a family with you, Laris, and that hasn't changed."
"You don't need me for a family," Laris said. "Not anymore."
"You think we only wanted you to have a baby for us?" Beverly asked. "You think all that…that love wasn't real?" Laris didn't break eye contact. "I love you, and Jean-Luc loves you, and if you don't believe me? I'm going to be so…angry."
"I do believe you," Laris said. "And I love you…and Jean-Luc. But—this was your dream." She gestured at the babies.
"That was my dream," Beverly said. "But we're allowed new dreams in life. This, now? This is my dream. Besides—I need you now more than I needed you before…"
Laris laughed, but Beverly saw there were tears on her face. Beverly laughed to herself because she could only see them through the clearing of the blur caused by her own tears.
"That's not true," Laris said.
"It is," Beverly said. "I was going to ask you if you might consider taking the supplements necessary to induce lactation. I can make milk, thanks to Q, but I'm not certain that I can keep up with twins. It would be much better if I had help, and I'm sure the babies would appreciate the chance to bond with their mama. Or—you could be mommy, if you prefer. I thought we could establish the titles and, then, there won't be confusion when you add another Picard or two to the mix."
"You don't have to do this, if you don't want…share the babies…"
"With my wife? Their mother?" Beverly asked. "Laris…I am exhausted. I assure you that I'm sincere. I wouldn't lie to you. I know how you are about truth. So—I'm going to ask you to be entirely truthful with me. There's something else you're not saying. What is it?"
Laris hesitated a moment, but Beverly knew that she would tell her. She would be honest. It was part of the rules for their bonding that they'd created together—there was to be absolute truth among them. If someone asked for truth, within their bond, they couldn't be denied it.
Laris glanced at Beverly, but pulled her eyes away quickly.
"I'm not sure that there will be other Picards," she offered. "Zhaban and I were never blessed and…I haven't used anything to protect against it with Jean-Luc. Not ever. I feel awful. I know that you're tired, and you must need your rest and…I should be caring for you. Yet, I'm selfishly thinking that…this miracle happened for you and Jean-Luc, and…"
She stopped.
Beverly understood. She reached for Laris, catching her hand and squeezing it.
"It hasn't happened on its own," Beverly said. "But not yet doesn't mean never, and I have a few medical tricks up my sleeve to try to help with miracles…"
"There was once that I thought…and there was a…situation…with the Tal Shiar," Laris said.
"Don't say anything else," Beverly said, interrupting. "Not unless you want to." Laris shook her head. "We'll figure it out. In the meantime, I know that William and Emilie will be anxious to love on their mama. And if you take the supplement, you can help me feed them." She stopped and laughed to herself. "Because I really am exhausted."
"Even if I take it, it'll take days to work," Laris said.
"Oh, for pity's sake!"
Both of them looked at the being that invited himself directly into their private space. Beverly was accustomed to seeing him, but she saw Laris bristle, and she noticed that the woman tucked the baby back a little, her body in front of him as she faced Q, positioning herself as much between Q and the rest of the family as she could.
"Q?" She said, hesitantly, but also with a touch of venom in her voice.
"You mortals and your never-ending concerns," Q said. "I solve one problem for your little mating trio—helping to lessen the boatloads of grief, and guilt, and everything else Picard and his precious Beverly have been carrying around…only to find that they've been keeping their own little traumatized Romulan as a companion." Q snapped his fingers. "Don't think I'm going to solve all your silly little mortal problems. Still—do try to relax a little. It's so frustrating when people second-guess the nice gifts you give them. You can make your ridiculous milk now, and you can stop worrying. There will be more than enough pointy-eared Picards in the world. For the next year or so that it takes to bring one to fruition, you can entertain yourself with the two I've already supplied to your little family."
Before either Laris or Beverly could fully process what Q had said or respond, Q smiled at Beverly.
"The Missus Picards…give my regards to Jean-Luc," he offered, before vanishing just as suddenly and surely as he'd appeared.
Beverly looked at Laris, and Laris looked back at her. For a long, quiet moment, they both simply let the moment soak in—until the fussing of the babies pulled them both out of their thoughts.
Beverly smiled at Laris.
"Tell me you're never leaving?" She said. "Truth—so I can rest."
Laris smiled at her. She leaned forward to kiss Beverly, and Beverly closed her eyes, savoring the kiss and the warmth she felt from it.
"I'm never leaving," Laris said. "Unless—you want me to."
"I'll never want that," Beverly assured her.
"You should rest," Laris said. "Let me take care of you. What do you need? What do they need?" She asked, indicating the fussing newborns.
"They need their mama," Beverly offered. "And I need to rest. Laris—I really am very tired, and I could use a little nap. Would you hate, terribly, watching them while I rest?"
Laris smiled and shook her head.
"Would you mind if…Jean-Luc came in?"
"He should rest with you," Laris said, so that Beverly didn't have to ask it. She passed her the baby boy to hold while she got up from her position. "I'll get him. And when I get back, I'll take the babies."
"Would you feed them?" Beverly asked. "I know they'll be hungry. They really weren't ready to feed on the holodeck."
"Won't you want to…?" Laris asked, letting the words hang.
"When they're hungry, I want you to feed them. I expect you to feed them, when they're hungry," Beverly said, putting just enough force behind the words that they wouldn't be questioned. "That's what their mama should always do. Their mommy will never mind. Understand?"
Laris smiled and nodded her head gently.
"I'll get Jean-Luc," Laris said.
