Author's Note: This chapter includes spoilers from the book/movie Nemesis, as well as Resistance by J.M. Dillard.
They walked through the gardens one more time before they returned to the ship, watching the birds chirping to each other in the trees, and flittering up and down the rows of vines. They walked in silence again, much as they had when they first arrived.
Beverly was amazed at how much difference just a few days made. Tomorrow they'd be leaving Earth Station McKinley, but this time, they'd truly be leaving together.
They talked about the world they were returning to. Not only had their separate lives changed, but the lives of those around them had also changed. Data was gone. B-4 would be disassembled the following morning before being sent off to the Daystrom Institute for study. Will and Deanna were off on the Titan, along with a good portion of their former crew. Worf had returned, but he was different; he'd matured. It seemed fitting somehow, to start off with a mission of exploration. They were exploring their new life together, exploring the personalities of the new staff assigned, and now exploring the Denab System.
When they returned to the house, they gathered up their belongings and beamed back to the ship. As they walked to Jean-Luc's- their quarters, Beverly touched his hand in the empty corridor when no one was looking. It was a decadent thing, but enjoyable, and rewarded with a tiny smile that anyone who hadn't known him for so many years wouldn't have picked up on.
Approaching the door, Jean-Luc turned sideways, and in one swift move, swept her up in his arms. As they crossed into his private space that had become theirs, he whispered, "welcome home," as his lips met her own.
He carefully set her back down on the deck and watched as a packing crate containing the rest of her possessions materialized next to them, their bags perched atop it.
They stood together, staring at the crate for a moment.
"What about your plants? The orchids and the moss?"
"Let's just say that some former interns of mine do better at patient care than plant care." She answered with a wry smile. "The good news is I do know how to get some more."
"Just don't let any interns near them in the future," Jean-Luc smiled.
Beverly sighed for a moment, then turned back to Jean-Luc. "I guess it's time to get this stuff unpacked."
"I have a better idea," he began with a smile as he brought his hand up to her cheek. "I love you." Beverly felt her heart leap in her chest when he spoke. They were words that, only weeks ago, had seemed surreal. Now those words filled her with a warm bliss that was unlike anything else.
"I love you too, Jean-Luc." Beverly replied, as she leaned forward, and tenderly touched her lips to his, lingering to enjoy the scent of him, as his fingers trailed through her hair.
His lips gently rejoined hers without hesitation, as his hands skimmed across her hips, coming to rest on the small of her back. She could feel the passion, barely checked, flowing through him. This is what I wanted. They broke apart, taking in each other as they gulped in air.
Beverly's hands moved toward Jean-Luc, grazing his torso as they moved upward, across his chest, past his shoulders. She caressed his face as he closed his eyes, allowing the sensation to pass through him. He brought up his arm, and took her hand in his, kissing her fingertips, her palm, and the inside of her wrist as he opened his eyes, still holding her hand at chest level. She glided her other hand back toward his neck, as her lips danced across his cheekbone to his ear, then down his neck to the collar of his shirt. Beverly felt their feet moving together toward the bedroom, as though they were dancing to a silent melody...
