Part 12

"I haven't heard from him in weeks, Jean-Luc!" cries Beverly, pausing in the corridor as they reach their cabin door.

Refraining from rolling his eyes, Picard follows Beverly through the cabin door as it opens for them. "Beverly, I'm sure Wes is just busy. If you're worried, just send him a short message."

Pausing in her tracks inside the cabin entrance, Beverly's jaw drop when she finds her seven year-old son kneeling over her thirteen year-old daughter on the floor in the living room, his little arms pinning hers to the ground. Alarmed, Beverly gasps. "Louis!"

The little boy's head whips around to find both his parents charging into the living room.

"Showing Addie the finishing strike Mister Worf showed us in class yesterday!" Louis states triumphantly on top of his sister.

"Get down!" orders Beverly, lifting her son off of the teenager on the floor. Red-faced, Beverly deposits Louis onto his feet. "What do you think you're doing, young man?"

Shrugging, Louis turns to Adele jumping to her feet and straightening her blouse. "Just practicing mok'bara."

Huffing, Beverly crosses her arms over her chest. "You don't practice your mok'bara moves on your sister! You could have broken her neck!"

"He didn't hurt me, Mom," shrugs Adele indifferently. "We were just playing."

Exhaling in exasperation, Beverly drops her hands to her hips, turning to Jean-Luc. "Would you talk to your son?"

"What?" shrugs Picard, trying to keep the amusement off of his face.

Brow raised, Beverly's lips part. "Your son is using your daughter for mok'bara practice. Tell him he's not to use those techniques outside of the gym."

Lips curling upward, Jean-Luc folds his arms across his chest as both children glance between him and Beverly expectantly. "Beverly, they weren't fighting. They were merely playing."

Rolling her eyes, Beverly turns to Louis, grasping his shoulder. "You're not to practice what Mister Worf teaches you in mok'bara class outside his classroom. You need supervision to use mok'bara. Got it, Mister?"

Frowning, Louis looks up at his mother in confusion. "But, then what's the point in learning it? How am I gonna be a good officer when I'm bigger?"

Stifling a groan, Beverly is interrupted when Jean-Luc interjects.

Picard ruffles the light brown hair on Louis' head, smiling down at his son in amusement. "No worries, Cadet. You have plenty of time to learn and train to be a good officer. Right now, you must follow your mother's orders. No mok'bara without Mister Worf's permission, or under another adult's supervision. Understood?"

Nodding solemnly, Louis sighs. "Yes, sir."

Letting out a long breath, Beverly gives her head a shake. "Alright, guys. Go get cleaned up. You can help me get dinner ready."

"Come on," urges Louis to Adele. "Last one back has to set the table!"

Picard watches as the children race to the washroom, laying his hand on Beverly's shoulder.

Frowning, Beverly turns to face him. "You think I over-reacted?"

"Perhaps," admits Jean-Luc in an amused grin, dropping his hands to her waist.

"Jean-Luc, you must instruct him properly," Beverly insists, weary. "He's seven years-old and he thinks he's going to make captain next year!"

Rolling his eyes, Jean-Luc draws her in. "He's just precocious, Beverly."

Exasperated, Beverly sighs. "He's ambitious, that's for sure. And, I'm too old for this."

Chuckling, Jean-Luc drops a kiss to her crown. "Of course not, my dear. I will talk to Louis. Just think, it's still another ten years before Louis will be in the Academy."

Fixing Jean-Luc with a powerful glower, Beverly's lips part. "Your son will be the death of me, Jean-Luc."

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Poking her head into Adele's room, Beverly finds her thirteen year-old laying on the bed, a PADD in her hands. "Hey, honey. Your brother's ready for you to read his story."

Nodding silently, Adele glancing up, discarding the PADD on the bed.

"What's wrong?" inquires Beverly, appraising Adele's quiet and melancholy demeanour.

Brushing her mother off, Adele sits upright on the bed. "Nothing. I'll come read to Louis."

Jean-Luc and Beverly had always read to the children before putting them to bed. However, lately Louis had been requesting that his older sister read him his bedtime story. Adele, a protective and doting big sister, always complies, never wanting to disappoint her baby brother.

Beverly crosses over to the bed and lowers herself onto the bed beside Adele. "Something happen at school today?"

Pursing her lips, Adele shakes her head.

Wrapping on arm around Adele's back, Beverly smiles knowingly. "What happened, honey?"

Exhaling audibly, Adele lowers her head. "Nothing. It's stupid. Just something someone said. It's dumb."

"Was it Emily again?" Beverly raises a brow, drawing Adele in closer.

Sighing, Adele bobs her head.

"What'd she say?" Beverly asks, already rolling her eyes.

Huffing, Adele bites her lip. "It's stupid. She…she made a silly comment. She said that you weren't my 'real' mom. She said my real mom didn't love me so she gave me up."

Eyes as wide as saucers, Beverly can hardly fathom Adele's words. Processing the accusation, Beverly pauses to consider her response. "Sweetie, you know that's not true. You can't listen to anything Emily says. She's only being hurtful."

Brows furrowed, Adele reflects on Beverly's words, glancing up at the only mother she's ever known. "But, she is right. Isn't she?"

Lips pursed, Beverly struggles to articulate the proper reply. "Honey, we can't focus on why your 'real' mom isn't in your life. Frankly, it's her loss because she doesn't get to know the amazing girl that you are. You have to keep in mind that you have a father and a mother right here that love you more than anything."

Smiling lightly, Adele bobs her head. "Yeah. You're right."

Giggling, Beverly flicks the girl's nose lightly. "And don't you forget it!"

Grinning, Adele straightens. "You and Papa got married when I was just a baby. We were all a family right from the start. How'd it happen?

"How did what happen?" Louis pokes his tiny head of light brown hair around the door.

Mischievous, Adele giggles. "How did Mama and Papa fall in love?"

Rolling her eyes, Beverly makes a show of resisting her daughter's jesting.

"Come here, Louis!" Adele gestures to her little brother, patting the bed. "Mom can tell us a story tonight. " As Louis scoots over to the bed, Adele snuggles up to Beverly. "Come on, Mom. Tell us the story."

"What story?" Picard, inquires curiously, pausing in the door, observes as his son scrambles onto the bed between Beverly and Adele.

Glancing up at her husband with an amused and expectant expression, Beverly laughs. "Hi, dear. Come sit down. The children want to hear how you came to fall madly, helplessly, head-over-heels in love with me."

Smirking, Picard raises a brow. "Oh, that story? Well, that one could take a while."

Giggling, Adele nudges her little brother.

Picard crosses the room to the bed and sits down beside Adele, wrapping an arm around his daughter. " I think it's late, Cadets." Jean-Luc leans over and ruffles Louis' hair. "It's time for this young officer to retire."

"Five more minutes?" pleads Louis, glancing up at his father with the same hazel eyes.

Shaking his head, Jean-Luc's lips curl into a tiny smile. "Come on, Louis. Time for bed. You and I have an early start tomorrow, rock climbing on the holodeck. You don't want to be tired, do you?"

Eyes illuminating, Louis shakes his head. "Okay. I'll get a real good sleep, Papa."

Dropping a kiss to his crown, Jean-Luc pats the boy's head. "Say 'goodnight' to your sister."

Beverly slips off of the bed as Louis gives Adele a quick hug.

As Jean-Luc takes Louis' hand and leads them out of the room, Adele watches them exit. "Mom?"

Beverly turns in her track to address Adele sitting upright on top of the bed. "Yes, honey?"

"I'm really lucky," proclaims Adele.

Inferring her daughter's meaning, Beverly smiles softly, reaching for her son's hand. "So are we."