AN: Here we are, another chapter here.

I hope you enjoy! If you do, please do let me know!

111

Beverly was able to find a pretty clear place to idle under auto-control for a little while. She stole a nap that she desperately needed, sleeping next to Laris.

It had been nice to sleep next to someone—to feel warm and, simply, not alone. Beverly felt oddly safe next to Laris, too, despite the fact that she was aware that the woman was only really holding onto life by a thread.

When she'd slept enough that she no longer felt like her skull was splintering or her brain was too fuzzy to figure out her next move, Beverly ate from the replicator and gave Laris another supplement to help increase her blood volume, along with the last of the nutrition cartridges she had. She could replicate more, but the replicated cartridges didn't provide the same whole nutrition as the ones she could pick up if she were able to rendezvous with another medical carrier who had non-replicated stock.

She needed to restock all her supplies, but she almost felt exhausted by the idea. She would have to reach out to Mirah to find out who was in the area.

For the time being, Beverly replicated blankets for Laris, and she brought toiletry items. She carefully cut the woman out of what was left of her clothing—mostly scraps and a blanket had been used to cover her after Beverly's initial treatment of her wounds—and she set about carefully and meticulously washing her. She kept a close eye on her vitals, watching for any change that should be concerning.

Beverly washed away layers of green blood that had dried black. Slowly, covering Laris with a blanket to keep her warm as she went, aware that Romulans could be particularly susceptible to the cold, Beverly felt some satisfaction in the fact that Laris was clean and all her wounds were more obvious and had a better chance of being healed.

"You're going to feel much better now that you're clean," Beverly said. She took up her dermal regenerator. "That arm is definitely in need of care, and that collarbone is very badly broken, but…I don't think you're stable enough to handle it right this minute. I'm not willing to risk it. My supplies is desperately low. I don't need to accidentally complicate anything. I can heal these, though. I missed them in all the confusion."

After Beverly had healed every scratch and abrasion she could find on Laris's body, she gently massaged Laris's abdomen, searching for any sign of life from the baby within her. Romulan gestation, Beverly knew, was a full year. As such, it was longer than human gestation. She hadn't treated too many Romulans, though, outside of the recent situations where it had been necessary—and where most had died.

"You're not that far along," Beverly mused, out loud.

"Twenty-five weeks."

Beverly jumped. Laris laughed quietly. Her laugh sounded as hoarse as her words had. She looked exhausted, but she was awake, even if she wasn't lifting her head. Her eyes were on Beverly.

Beverly couldn't help but think that she had beautiful eyes. She had kind eyes.

"Don't move too much, OK?" Beverly said, keeping her voice low and as positive as she could. "Try to stay as still as you can. Your right arm is probably in a great deal of pain. Your right collarbone, too."

"They've felt better," Laris offered.

"I will fix it," Beverly said. "But—you're not strong enough, yet, to handle it. We need to build up your strength a bit more. For now, it won't cause any problem, it's only going to hurt. I can give you something for the pain."

"I believe I can manage," Laris offered. "My baby…"

"Don't worry," Beverly said. "I'm doing everything I can."

"Everything I can doesn't exactly sound like something that makes me not worry," Laris offered with a quiet laugh. Beverly could see the pain register on her face, but she made no comment about it.

Beverly knew enough about Romulans to imagine that the woman may have had more than one experience with tolerating pain that many would find unbearable.

"Are you warm enough?" Beverly asked. Laris simply looked at her. Beverly's stomach clenched, and she thought she understood. She smiled at her—the best she could give her. She reached across her, caught her left hand—the one she could move without hurting the woman too badly—and held it. "My name is Beverly. I'm a doctor."

"Starfleet?" Laris asked.

"Independent, mostly," Beverly said. "I used to be in Starfleet. Now I work with the Mariposas and the Fenris Rangers. I don't know what you remember…"

"They gave the order," Laris said. She looked away from Beverly, though Beverly noted that she only turned her eyes, clearly not wanting to turn her head. "Eliminate the children." She looked back at Beverly. "You can always produce more children."

"You refused the order. You turned against them," Beverly said. Laris slightly nodded her head.

"Did they make it?" She asked.

"I treated them myself. Scratches and some fear, but they were very honorable little warriors," Beverly said. She smiled at the genuine smile she saw on Laris's face, and she noticed the tears that glistened in her eyes. "I'm sorry. The supernova occurred, just as predicted…but they're safe. They're all on their way to a Romulan colony."

"Are we?" Laris asked.

"Do you want to be?" Beverly asked. "I thought—if they knew you turned on the Tal Shiar, you might…well…you might think it was for the best to stick with me for a while. If you'd rather go to a Romulan colony, though…"

"No," Laris said. "No." She repeated. "The others…"

Beverly moved over to Laris's other side, making it easier for the woman to look at her. She continued to hold her hand.

"I'm sorry," Beverly said. "I'm…I'm so sorry. Zhaban…"

"Didn't make it," Laris offered. She gave Beverly a reassuring smile. "It's OK."

Beverly closed her eyes. She drew in a breath. It was entirely unreasonable that she felt more affected, at the moment, by Zhaban's death than it seemed Laris might, but she accepted it. Romulans weren't supposed to show weakness. She opened her eyes when Laris squeezed her hand.

"He died to protect them," Laris said. "I choose to believe that…his death had meaning. It was an honorable death."

Beverly nodded.

"He loved you," Beverly said. "He…died loving you."

Laris smiled, but Beverly saw the tears glistening in her eyes. She blinked out her own tears and laughed at the absurdity of it. She reached for one of the clean cloths she'd brought over to wash Laris earlier and had never used. She used it to dab at Laris's eyes, and then at her own.

"I'm so sorry," Beverly said.

"Don't be," Laris said. "I loved him, too. Truly. But—Romulans don't suffer loss as humans do. It isn't in our nature…our biology. We love deeply, and then we are to honor that love by loving again—more deeply still—when love next presents itself to us."

Beverly's chest ached at the words. They had an effect on her that she didn't try to understand. She didn't mean to do what she did—she only realized that she'd done it, once she'd done it. She raised Laris's hand and kissed it, resting her cheek against it. And, at that moment, she saw in Laris's eyes the softened expression and realized that the gesture had been practically automatic.

"I'm sorry," Beverly said.

"Are you truly?" Laris asked. There was a hint of challenge in the question. Beverly thought about it.

"No," she admitted. "I would do it again."

Laris hummed and raised her eyebrows at Beverly.

"I would invite you to, whenever you may feel like it."

Beverly smiled. Her heart drummed in her chest, but she welcomed the rising feeling that the words created.

"You have to feel safe enough to ask me for what you need," Beverly said. "I need you to tell me what you want. What you need. Are you warm enough? You have to tell me the truth, too. No deception, Laris. Only truth."

Laris smiled at her.

"Only truth?"

"Only truth," Beverly confirmed.

"I'm cold," Laris said. "And very thirsty. And…well…I need to…relieve myself, somehow."

Beverly blushed. She imagined, if Laris had a high enough blood volume, she might have blushed green. Her vitals were still shaky at best, though, and her blood volume was registering as critically low. Beverly wasn't going to tell her that, though. As long as she could keep her spirits high, her chances were better. Every doctor, Beverly felt, knew that a positive attitude was the best medicine.

"I'm a doctor," Beverly said gently. "I can help you, and you're never to be embarrassed. Understand?"

"That's easier said than done," Laris said, closing her eyes as a clear sign that she was embarrassed that she was in no condition to anything for herself at the moment.

"You'll pay me back, then, someday," Beverly offered.

"I'm not a doctor," Laris said.

"No, but…you can learn. And I know that Tal Shiar doesn't get by without some medical skills. Besides—I'm pregnant, too, and I'm going to need some help when the baby comes. You can relax, Laris. You're safe with me."

Beverly helped Laris. Then, she covered her with an extra blanket that she replicated, and she offered her a straw to make drinking water possible from the position that was the only one the woman dared, at least until Beverly was able to repair the broken bones that she'd suffered when a structure had collapsed, probably thanks to stray disruptor fire or the impact of bodies, and had half-buried her. The Ranger who found her said that she was almost missed in the rubble.

Helping her drink the water, and realizing how oddly attached she already felt to her, Beverly couldn't help but feel that it was some act of fate that had helped the Ranger find her in the rubble.

"Are you OK without the oxygen?" Beverly asked. "Your lungs were badly damaged. I did my best to heal them, but some of it simply takes time."

"For now, I'm fine," Laris said.

"Don't suffer for some cause," Beverly said. "If you need the oxygen…"

"I will ask," Laris assured her. "You're pregnant?"

Beverly smiled.

"Eight weeks," she said.

"And—the father?" Laris asked.

"It's just me and my baby," Beverly said.

"Widowed?" Laris asked.

"No," Beverly said. "I'm sorry—is it insensitive to talk about this?"

Laris laughed quietly.

"I told you," she said. "It's…it's just different for Romulans and humans. I loved Zhaban. I honor him by…choosing love and happiness. He wouldn't benefit from my sadness and mourning. In fact, as someone that did truly love me, it would only hurt him to know that I was hurting…especially if it kept me from moving on in search of happiness."

"But you must be sad," Beverly said.

"I am," Laris said. "Very. But—there is space for that. In my heart. There's space for everything we feel. There's no need to push down your emotions like Vulcans or believe yourself to be limited to one emotion only. Many feelings can exist, together. What's important is that we remember not to waste a moment. Today is glorious, and none of our tomorrows are promised."

Beverly drew in a breath and let it out slowly. She nodded her agreement.

"He wasn't ready for this," Beverly said. "The father, I mean. He's a wonderful man, don't get me wrong. But he's married to his work…to duty. He's…married to his freedom. I wouldn't want to know that he was with me out of obligation. I wouldn't want to clip his wings."

Laris smiled at her.

"But you still love him?" Laris asked.

"That's in the past," Beverly said. "And…I'm choosing not to waste the moment, right? Today is glorious, and none of our tomorrows are promised."

Laris smiled to hear her words come back to her.

"I wish you great happiness," Laris offered.

"Somehow," Beverly said, "I feel like…I might find it. Would you…eat for me?"

"Would you tell me how my baby is?" Laris asked. "Truth, Beverly. Please."

Beverly nodded.

"I haven't scanned the baby yet," Beverly said. "I've been focusing on getting you to a point where you are reliably stable."

"We're still not there," Laris said.

"We're almost there," Beverly said. "If you eat, we may speed things along."

"But you believe…what?" Laris asked.

Beverly caught her hand again and squeezed it. She found herself kissing the woman's fingers once more, this time without hesitation, embarrassment, or apology.

"I haven't felt any movement," Beverly said. "But you have been through a truly traumatic experience, and your body has its ways of handling things. Your body is showing no signs of wanting to…to end the pregnancy. So, that's a good sign, for now."

"Will you scan me?" Laris asked.

"If you will eat for me, first," Beverly said.

Laris acquiesced, and Beverly chose what she thought she was best for Laris to eat. If Laris had any complaints about her choices, she didn't make them. Neither did she complain when Beverly made it clear that she intended to help feed her.

"What was the baby's father's name?" Laris asked.

Beverly's whole body practically went numb. She hadn't told anyone—nobody—about the baby's father.

"I haven't told anyone," Beverly said.

"Are you afraid I'll tell someone?" Laris asked. "That I'm—gathering information?" She was clearly teasing. She opened her mouth to accept the food that Beverly offered her.

"You are Tal Shiar," Beverly said.

"Former," Laris offered around her food. "And you're former Starfleet. Now, I suppose we're just…well…we're just Beverly and Laris."

"We're just Beverly and Laris," Beverly echoed, smiling because she liked the sound of it after spending so much time trying to convince herself that she would be alone for the rest of her life. Just Beverly.

"And, since you already know so much about me," Laris said, letting her words hang with meaning.

"Jean-Luc," Beverly said. "His name is Jean-Luc."

"Picard," Laris said. Beverly's heart squeezed. "Relax, Beverly. I've heard of him. But—I won't tell anyone. Not if you don't want me to tell."

"I don't want you to tell," Beverly said. "I'm believing that I can count on you to keep my secret."

Laris laughed quietly.

"That's one thing that former Tal Shiar can certainly do," she said. "Will you scan my baby now?"

"A few more bites," Beverly said.

"You're stalling," Laris said. "I'd like to know. One way or another."

"I won't have a way to do a detailed scan for some time," Beverly said. "I'm looking for a safe haven for you. For both of us. Just somewhere we can lay low until I can make sure that you're healed. There, I'll be able to get the equipment I need for a thorough scan."

"I understand," Laris said. "Beverly—tell me the truth. All I want to know is…is my baby alive?"

Beverly's communication chip chirped and she practically jumped out of her skin. She was ashamed of herself for being so jumpy. She put down the food she'd been feeding Laris, and she activated the chip.

"Beverly."

"Mirah—did you find something?"

"There is an individual sympathetic to Romulans," Mirah said. "He has a house. It's very large and comfortable. You would have space and privacy. It's rather secluded. He has a security system that can be activated, making the place more secure. There is space for you to set down the Eleos, and you can receive any supplies that you need at his location."

Beverly's heart soared.

"Mirah, that sounds wonderful! Where is it?"

"I've given him access to communicate you via the Eleos's onboard communications. He will be contacting you within the hour. Your patient is still alive."

Beverly smiled.

"She's still alive. Thanks to this, she's going to be fine. Thank you, Mirah!"

"You will contact me as soon as you have settled."

"Absolutely," Beverly said. "Thank you…thank you!"

She ended communication with Mirah feeling nearly ecstatic, and then she remembered the job that lie ahead of her. She returned to where Laris was, and her stomach clenched as she accepted Laris's reassuring smile and realized that it should be her that was reassuring Laris.

She activated the tricorder to run a fetal scan. This one, she realized, she was taking quite personally. For that reason, when she saw the heartbeat register, although a little weaker than she might have thought ideal, she made a sound, herself, that told Laris what she wanted to know before Beverly could even form the words.

"Thank you," Laris said, as a response. Whether she was thanking Beverly or some higher powers, it didn't matter. "Thank you…"

"Now—you have to finish eating," Beverly said. "Your baby needs your blood volume up, and you need it up. You have to eat for the supplements to help make that a reality. And you have to rest. And…"

"I'll do whatever you ask me to do," Laris assured her. "Just—help me keep my baby."

Beverly smiled and returned back to Laris's side to feed her until the call came through about their safe place.

"Don't worry," Beverly said, excusing herself for getting a touch ahead of herself. "Before long, we'll be deciding where the best place will be for the nursery on the Eleos."

When she was made aware of an incoming call, Beverly pulled Laris's blanket up a bit more to protect her modesty, since there would be no moving her from her current location, and commanded that the call be put onscreen.

And, then, she very nearly felt as though she were having a heart attack.

"Beverly…" He said, some hint of wonder and surprise to his voice.

"Jean-Luc," Beverly said, no less surprised and overcome than he had sounded.