"What, Mom, what is it?" He stops abruptly, halting his mad dash.

"Wesley Robert Crusher, what is going on? And don't lie to me!"

His shoulders sag in defeat. I know he was hoping to leave without me noticing. But, I'm his mother. There's too much of me in him and I know he's not being completely honest.

"Mom, it's nothing."

"What did I say, young man?" And then it occurs to me and I calm down, "you didn't get all those offers, did you?"

He shakes his head, "no. They're still deliberating over whether to let me join both labs. I just… I just told you that so that you and Jean Luc wouldn't worry. Everything at the academy is much worse than even I made it out to be. My professor who I'm doing warp field research – he's dropped me from the project. He told me that he was forced to. And, they've already started deliberation on kicking me out of school."

"Wes!" I draw him close to me and kiss his temple, "Wes, Jean Luc and I can handle not hearing good news. For goodness sake, Wesley! What were you planning on doing when they expelled you and you had no where to go?"

I feel him shrug against me, "I don't know. I was kind of hoping to have everything figured out by then. I'm sorry I lied. Do you think Jean Luc will be mad at me?"

I step back and look him squarely in the eye. "Wes do you know what Jean Luc called you when he was speaking with Admiral Paris?"

He tries to joke, "Wesley?"

"No," I whispered, "He called you his son."

Wesley looks shocked so I continue. "Wes, Jean Luc loves you. He's loved you for a long time and he just wants you to be happy. That's all he wants. I don't think he really cares about anything else. I know he doesn't."

"But Mom, when we were on the Enterprise, he was so stern with me all the time. I thought he hated me for the first few years. And then when the incident happened with Nova Squadron, I knew that I had let him down. And now, I feel like I'm letting him down again."

How can he even think that? This is none of his fault! "Wesley, when we were on the Enterprise, Jean Luc was a different man, and that was partially my fault. He's different now and you know that. He's not your Captain and you don't have to live up to expectations – there are none! And Wes, none of this is your fault!"

"I know, Mom. I know it's not my fault, but I still want to make him proud of me."

"He is. Stop worrying about it. Now, is there really nothing else that we can do to prevent you being expelled over this sham? Who else could we talk to?"

Wesley shrugs his shoulders and hangs his head, "I don't know, Mom. But I don't want to be in Starfleet anymore. Remember that incident a few years ago where I almost left?"

"Yes. Don't remind me." I shudder as I think about that incident. There was so much hostility between the two of us and I know how unhappy he was. I'm reminded of how unreasonable I was and how I treated him; I never want that sort of anger to tinge our relationship again if I can help it.

"I still feel that same way. There's more out there for me. I know that I'll find something, but I might need a place to crash in the meantime. Can I come home?"

I smile and muss his hair, "you needn't even ask. We always want you to come home."

I let the truth of that statement linger with him before I add: "And Wes, don't lie to us again; not about something like this. We're a famly now and we can handle anything that comes our way. But we have to do it together as a team."

He bows his head, smirks in acquiescence, and mock salutes me "Acknowledged."