"What are you saying?" He jumps down to reach his level, eagerness playing at him.

"It's always been yours for the taking, Wes." He confirms, his features soft and open. "I think you know that."

A blush colours Wesley's sallow skin, "Do you mean that?" He whispers.

"Of course I mean it–" a crooked smile gracing his face. "I wouldn't have offered it otherwise."

"But," Wes looks down, shuffling his feet against the dry dirt. "Are you just saying that just because of what happened?"

"What?" He stands back. "No, absolutely not."

"Wesley," I follow their lead and slip from the tree. "Is this something that you want?"

I grab his hand in the face of his reserve, "Wesley?"

"It's something that I always wanted…" he mumbles, gaze still downcast. He perks his head and looks at Jean Luc. "I've never been happier than I've been in the last year since I left the Academy." He begins to pace. "I… I… was happy on the Enterprise because I was able to explore my creativity. You," he looks at Jean Luc. "You gave me a lot of license to grow and experiment. And being around you, even if I felt that you were cold towards me sometimes, made me feel comforted and somehow closer to the person that I thought that Jack was…"

"I'm sorry, Wes, about the person that I used to be. I was afraid," he takes my hand. "I was uneasy around you and your mother because of the feelings that I held." I squeeze his hand as he lets out a sigh, "I was trying so hard to compensate for those feelings for her… and you…" He laughs at the memory. "I couldn't believe it when you first came on board! You were so little, scrawny, but completely enamored and taken with everything. I didn't know what to do with you!" He waits for a moment, forming his next thoughts. "I wanted to be there for you, Wes, but I just didn't know how… And I'm sorry if I made you feel that I didn't care for you, because I did. I did, and do, a great deal. And I honestly don't see you any differently than I see Aaron or Saoirse. You and I," he gesticulates. "We have a special relationship and one that I love..."

A smile plays lightly on Wesley's face, "I always knew how you felt. Well, it was a little more obvious how you felt about mom," He smirks. "Everyone knew about that!"

"Oh goodness," I laugh, hanging my head in my hands as I feel Jean Luc wrap an arm around my waist and plant a kiss on my cheek as he himself laughs at how painfully transparent he was.

"Yes, well… uh…" He clears his throat as his hand moves to rub the back of his head.

Wesley just laughs at his reticence. "It was nice, you know, to see how you felt about her. How you still feel about her; even more so now" he finishes more seriously.

"Thank you, Wes," It means a great deal that he feels that way. Somehow, it makes us stronger, more unified.

The moment settles. "Wesley," He disengages himself from me, his voice lowering earnestly as he refocuses the discussion. "Is this something that you'd consider doing? I can assure you that nothing would make me happier."

He matches our gaze with a smile, "I was going to ask you two anyway, before all of this happened… when we got back from France the first time." He blushes. "There just wasn't time to ask, and then, well, you know the rest of the story."

The butterflies that fly around us have found their way into my stomach and pure elation and a sense of completeness settles and pervades the three of us. "Wesley Picard," I intone wistfully.

Wes looks at me, "I like it." He smiles as peace finally settles through him. "It sounds… right."

"Indeed," Jean Luc smiles. "Yes, Wesley Picard. I don't think I've ever heard anything better."

"Well," I reach for Wesley's hand. "Should we go tell Marie and Robert the good news?"

"I can imagine," Jean Luc sighs heartily as he takes his other hand. "That they're going to be delighted."