Thanks for reading guys! Drop me a line if you're liking it or if there's anything in particular you'd like the family to do in Labarre. I'm open for ideas.

"Well, uh," he clears his throat. "I remember seeing the wall collapse on Beverly. The sound of the blast was so loud that it temporarily deafened me. But, uh, I had to look for Beverly. I don't remember much of the details. I remember throwing stones off the rubble pile and looking for her. I remember not being able to breathe until I saw a little bit of her hair…" He's a million miles away.

"It's okay, Jean Luc," I say softly. "We don't have to talk about it."

He smiles, "No. I will. They should know." He takes another sip of wine, "well, uh we were able to uncover a good bit of Beverly, at least enough to have the Enterprise beam her out. I remember being in Sickbay with her. I just stood there, off to the side in Beverly's office while she was in surgery with Dr. Selar." He looks right at me and nervously smiles, "it felt like forever. And then when she was out of surgery, I must have stayed by her bed for hours until one of our nurses, Alyssa, practically forced me to leave," he finishes with a laugh.

I never knew any of this, and tears are in my eyes, falling down my cheeks as I feel them blown into a zig-zag by the tepid evening breeze.

I add, "When I woke up, I remember being so angry. I was so mad that I was injured and in that sickbay bed. I was so ashamed that I had survived and the young woman that I had been treating had died cushioning me from the fallen cement wall. But Jean Luc, he –" I look at him, sharing a private moment, "you brought me out of my misery – like you always do. You made me realize that it wasn't my fault. You didn't let me sink into self-loathing or depression. Thank you."

His eyes warm in my gaze and a crooked grin surfaces, "you're welcome."

Marie is intrigued, "So," she gestures, "then what happened?"

We're torn from the private moment and I wipe the remaining moisture from my cheek, "well then Jean Luc and I had a long talk. A very long and painful talk."

"But," he takes a drink of water, "it was necessary."

"Mmmm." I intone.

Marie's not satisfied with our vagueness, "about?"

I smile at her, "The past. Our mistakes, our wasted time, how we've hurt one another with past relationships, and things that we've done…"

"And then," Jean Luc smiles at me. "Then I sort of asked Beverly to marry me."

"Sort of?" Robert asks.

He grins at his older brother, "Well, I just sort of stated my desire to marry her and start a family and then, uh she just sort of said-"

"Yes." I whisper, finishing his sentence. And it's not merely an affirmation; it's a continued promise to our life together.

I see Wesley in the corner of my eye; he's laughing. "What's so funny, young man?"

"Sorry, Mom. But, eh, after everything that you two have gone through in your two and a half decade long romance I would have expected a little more. That's so anticlimactic!"

Marie's laugher starts with Wesley's statement, "I agree! Oh, Beverly, Jean Luc! I was expecting loud declarations of love and Shakespeare, knowing Jean Luc!"

I roll my eyes, "You two sound just like, Deanna Troi, our old friend, when I told her! I think she was expecting roses and horse drawn carriages!"

"I don't blame her!" Wesley laughs nervously. "Do you two know how much gossip there was on the Enterprise about you two?!"

Jean Luc balks at Wes with a smile, "No! People really talked about us?"

"Well yeah!" Wesley gathers his napkin from his lap and lays it on the table, "you two were a hot item! People always asked me about you guys. Of course there was never anything to tell other than my own personal theories. But, people had their suspicions what with all of your breakfasts and dinners together. And everyone knew when you two were arguing. It was so obvious. Mom" he looks at me, "you would be agitated all day. And, you…" He turns to Jean Luc, "you snapped at everyone. Alpha shift was pure torture. We all breathed a sigh of relief when you retired to your ready room!"

I see Jean Luc put his head in his hands to hide his blush, "I didn't know I was so obvious!"

"No, but," Wes gains and air of seriousness, "I was really happy when you two showed up on campus that day and told me that you were engaged. You two, of everyone, deserve to be happy. And in order to be happy, you needed each other. And, I can see from how things are at home that I was right."

Marie holds up her wine glass, swirling the red liquid and inhaling the delicate aroma. "I agree. I remember back a few years ago when you two came to visit. When Robert told me that you were coming, Beverly, I was so excited! I thought that you and Jean Luc were finally engaged! He spoke of you in his letters – which, sadly, were a lot less frequent than they are now. But when you came, I knew that nothing had changed in your relationship. I remember being so frustrated with the two of you! Jean Luc you used to look at her with such a longing and my heart would go out to you. And you, Beverly, you were uncomfortable; you were uneasy with yourself and with him. There were so many barriers between you two. Every smile was couched and every glance was guarded. There was so much love there, though! I told Robert that I just wanted to corner the two of you and shout at you for your collective stubbornness!"

"Here, here!" Wesley raises his glass to her. "I think that's what everyone on the Enterprise wanted to do!"

I'm blushing and so is my husband. "Yes, well…" I drawl, "at least we finally realized it!"

Robert lets out a hearty rumble of laughter as he raises his wine glass, "To Jean Luc and Beverly – and may their children never inherit the Picard and Howard stubbornness. For the two together would be a lethal combination!" And with a clang of glasses filled with a beautiful vintage, the night air is once again renewed with mirth, laughter, and family congeniality.