AN: Here we are, another piece to this one!

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

111

"Where have you been?" Beverly asked, not bothering to soften her tone.

Laris stopped just inside the bedroom door and raised her eyebrows at Beverly in surprise. After a second, she stepped fully into the bedroom and closed the door behind her.

"Well—someone is glad to see me," she said. "Did you have a nice meal?"

"Where have you been?" Beverly repeated, drawing the words out, one at a time. She moved from her position, reclining against pillows piled against the headboard, to the side of the bed. The book she'd been staring at, pretending to read, was finally closed and placed on the bedside table.

"Oh—I don't know," Laris breathed out. "Here and there, really. Did you have a chance to talk to Jean-Luc?"

"I was worried sick about you," Beverly said. She got up and walked around to where Laris was. "Neither of us knew where you were. I didn't know if you were OK. I didn't know if she was OK, or if you'd…"

"If I what?" Laris asked, when Beverly stopped.

"I didn't know if something was wrong, and you'd gone off to…" Beverly stopped, not sure how to delicately proceed.

Laris stared at her, hard, and then her expression softened. She hummed and nodded.

"I see," she said with a sigh. She sat on the edge of the bed and patted the space beside her. When Beverly didn't immediately join her, she patted it again and then reached for Beverly, letting their fingertips brush against each other. Beverly drew in a deep breath, let it out with a sigh, and sat beside Laris. "Now," Laris said, as soon as Beverly was settled. "Before—when I…well…the first time, I was not at all alone. In fact, I went looking for help. They told me that…if the baby was strong enough and healthy enough to survive, it would." Beverly frowned at Laris, and Laris gave her something of a soft smile. "The second time, I didn't go looking for any help. But—I also didn't hide. Not from Zhaban. We were quite alone, in our home…and we weren't under any impression that the child was…you say viable, right?"

Beverly frowned at her.

"Laris…I…"

"Will I need to hide from you?" Laris asked.

"Of course not," Beverly said. "If you do…I'll…Laris…I'll be so…"

"Angry?" Laris asked.

"Hurt," Beverly said.

Laris smiled at her and nodded.

"Then, I won't hide," she said. "Not for that. Not for any reason surrounding the baby."

Beverly took Laris's hand and squeezed it.

"For what it's worth? If she came now…I think she'd be OK."

"I would be counting on you to make that a reality," Laris said. "As much as possible, of course."

Beverly leaned and kissed Laris. For a long moment, they stayed like that, prolonging the kiss that they both seemed to need, enjoying the taste of each other and the softness of each other's lips. When the kiss broke, Beverly leaned her forehead against Laris's forehead.

"You're still not off the hook for scaring me," Beverly said. "And you still haven't told me where you were."

Laris laughed quietly.

"There's a delightful little reading nook up on the second story," Laris said. "I found a book in the library, and the softest blanket that I think I've ever touched in my life…and…well, I didn't read much, but the nap was wonderful."

Beverly laughed.

"Did you at least eat something?" Beverly asked.

"I'll have something before bed," Laris said.

"Now," Beverly said.

Laris backed away from her enough to hold her eyes.

"As soon as you tell me all about dinner. The sooner you tell me everything, the sooner I'll eat something. I want to hear about your dinner."

Beverly ran through dinner in her mind. The conversation, once the initial concerns had been placed on the table, had been wonderful. It had been easy. It had felt, to Beverly, like drawing in a deep breath after being under water for too long—struggling to hold on and even beginning to wonder if she was going to be able to hold everything inside her any longer.

And she was under no impression that Laris didn't know much of at least the gist of all that had taken place in that conversation.

"Did you really tell Jean-Luc about Romulan marriages?" Beverly asked. "Did you tell him that they take place between three people?"

"Trust bonds. Marriages, you call them," Laris said. "They always take place between three."

"Is that real, Laris?" Beverly asked.

Laris laughed quietly and shook her head with disbelief.

"Absolute truth," she said. "Isn't that we agreed on? Zhaban was my husband, yes, but we had a wife as well. We lost her very soon after our bonding ceremony. She was Tal Shiar, as well, and there was an accident while she was performing her duties."

"I'm sorry…" Beverly said.

"It's part of the job," Laris said. "A trust bond requires three. Three is a number that keeps people honest."

"And if I were going to marry you—bond with you—then you would expect for there to be three of us?" Beverly asked.

"I would adapt to anything that made you happy," Laris said. "It's as simple as that. What makes you happy is what I would most like—however that looks. If that means that you wish to be bonded to me, alone, or to…to Jean-Luc, alone…"

"Stop…no…" Beverly said. "No…Laris…I committed to you. We committed to each other."

"And you're allowed to change your mind," Laris said. "You love Jean-Luc. You loved him before you met me."

"And I love you, now…both of you," Beverly said. "I am not prepared to lose you, Laris…so if you're planning some kind of…some kind of damned disappearing act…"

Laris laughed quietly and turned her head away for only a moment before finding Beverly's eyes again.

"Tomorrow, I will show you the nook," Laris said. "I would like to go back for that blanket, honestly, at any rate. I hardly disappeared, Beverly. But—since I can see that it's distressing to you, I promise that I won't disappear without discussing it with you, first."

"Ever," Beverly said.

"Fine. Ever," Laris agreed. "Does this mean you want to…bond with both of us?"

"If that's not what you want," Beverly said, "Laris, I'll never force you into that."

"And I would never be able to live with myself, if I thought that you spent even a day without the love of Jean-Luc because of me, especially when I know how dearly he loves you," Laris said. She smiled. "Besides—he's very charming, Beverly. I can see what you see in him. I hope you didn't tell him that you weren't interested in bonding with him—or marrying him."

"I told him that I wanted to talk to you," Beverly said. "And he was more than happy to allow for that."

"Well, then," Laris said. "Shouldn't you go and tell him that you've spoken with me?"

"First—let's get you something to eat," Beverly said. "And then, you can show me that nook."

"Before we speak to Jean-Luc?" Laris asked.

Beverly smiled.

"He might want us to stay a while," Beverly offered. "And you might want your blanket."

111

"There are no rules," Laris said. "Not beyond those we make ourselves, of course. What works for us—all of us."

At the moment, the three of them were in the bedroom that Jean-Luc was calling his for the time being. It had been his childhood bedroom. Beverly had seen it the first time that she'd been at the Château. It had been updated, of course, and it had had several occupants since Jean-Luc was a boy. It bore no trace of how it must have looked back then, except for some of the furniture, perhaps.

Laris sat on the bed, the blanket she'd retrieved from the nook upstairs draped over her shoulders. Beverly and Jean-Luc stood, all three of them practically making the points on a triangle. Beverly could almost sense Jean-Luc's anxiety as he asked questions about how this might work.

"It's simple," Beverly said. "We make the rules that work for us."

"Exactly," Laris said.

"And we're all married," Jean-Luc said.

"We're all married," Laris said.

"Officially?" Jean-Luc asked.

"You can file for whatever papers and things you like," Laris said. "One important…one very important…part of the whole ceremony is that it's private. Just between the three of us. If you want to invite your friends to pay witness afterward, certainly I would love the chance to celebrate with them, but the ceremony must be private."

Beverly could sense a rising anxiety in Laris over this. She was calm and accepting of everything else, so the slight show of anxiety seemed extra obvious.

"Absolutely," Beverly said. "We have no problem with that. Do we, Jean-Luc? We'll have a private ceremony…"

"Completely private," Laris stressed. "There are no officials."

"Completely private," Jean-Luc added, his voice soft enough to make Beverly shiver. He sensed the anxiety as well. "The three of us. Doors locked and security system on."

Beverly saw Laris visibly relax.

"Then, when all the private things have taken place, we'll invite Deanna and Will over to witness for us and to celebrate with dinner," Beverly offered.

"When does our ceremony take place?" Jean-Luc asked.

"Whenever you're ready," Laris said. "Tonight or…months from now."

"For obvious reasons," Jean-Luc said, "I think we might want to limit how many months we wait."

Beverly found herself laughing.

"A few days," she said. "Let's give everyone time to settle into the idea."

"So—I don't want to do anything wrong," Jean-Luc said. "I don't wish to do anything that alienates or offends…"

"Relax," Beverly said, moving toward him. It was her who closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him and leaning her head against his shoulder. "We make the rules."

He cleared his throat and held her back, but she could feel the insecurity in his touch.

"Yes…well…we haven't made them yet," he said. He looked directly at Laris, leaving no question as to whom he considered the authority on these matters. "I understand that you and Beverly are…intimate…with one another."

Laris laughed and got to her feet.

"You could say that," she said.

"What else would you say?" He challenged.

"We love one another," Laris said, coming closer to them. "And we like to show our love to each other in a variety of ways."

"One of those ways being physical intimacy," Jean-Luc said, letting the words hang somewhat as a question.

Laris moved close to them, and she put an arm around Beverly's back.

"We make love with each other, yes," Laris said. "And, sometimes, we're not even as reverent as we may be other times."

"Am I allowed to be intimate with Beverly, then?" Jean-Luc asked. "Without offending you or compromising your relationship in any way?"

"We'll call the whole thing our relationship," Laris said. "And—of course. You love each other. You make each other very happy. I would expect you to be intimate."

Jean-Luc looked at Beverly. He touched her face. He brushed her hair back. He held her eyes and he smiled at her. Her pulse kicked up. That simple smile and the way that he looked at her made her whole body ache for him. She felt a fluttering in her belly and she laughed, resting her hand over it, though she knew he couldn't feel it yet.

"You look at me like that and…even your child knows."

Jean-Luc pulled back slightly.

"Maybe I shouldn't," he said. "I wouldn't want to do anything to…disturb the baby."

"It's natural," Laris offered gently. "What we feel, they feel…in a manner of speaking."

"Chemicals get released," Beverly said. "It's more—I feel good. I feel happy. So, the baby feels happy, too."

Jean-Luc's smile renewed.

"I would want you both to be very happy," he said. He glanced at Laris, tensing slightly. "May I kiss Beverly, then, as well?"

Laris laughed. She nodded her head.

"In fact—I think you must," Laris offered. "Often. Freely. And without always asking for permission. Unless, of course, Beverly doesn't approve."

"I very much approve," Beverly said, touching Jean-Luc's face and turning it back to hers. He leaned and brushed his lips against hers. The kiss was timid—far more timid than she was accustomed to from him. She smiled when he pulled away. "Is that it?" She asked. He flicked his eyes toward Laris who, realizing that her voyeurism, perhaps, was making him uncomfortable, took a sudden interest in the carpet just to the left of her feet. Jean-Luc turned back and kissed Beverly with more enthusiasm than before. She leaned into him, lengthening and deepening the kiss. "It's been so long…" she breathed out, when the kiss did break.

"Too long," Jean-Luc agreed. He pulled Beverly into a more complete hug, rocking her from side to side. She inhaled deeply, enjoying the embrace. When he let go, he looked at Laris, who had stopped pretending to be studying the pattern of the rug beneath their feet. "Will the two of you continue to be intimate?"

Laris opened her mouth and, for the first time, looked surprised by any of Jean-Luc's questions. She looked at Beverly and then quickly back at him.

"Well…I suppose…I mean…"

"Yes," Beverly said, interrupting before Laris could go any further. "Yes. We will. Openly, and freely…and without asking permission."

Laris blushed green and looked away a moment before looking back.

Jean-Luc accepted the declaration as easily as he'd accepted the allowed intimacy between himself and Beverly.

"And you and I?" He asked Laris. "Will we be intimate with each other?"

"If you would like," Laris offered.

"And what about what you would like?" Jean-Luc asked. "Forgive me, but I've heard about what Beverly may like, and what I may like…but…don't your desires play into this?"

Laris smiled and the viridescent quality of her cheeks only deepened. She did hold his eyes, at least.

"I would like that," she said. "If, of course, you would like it."

Jean-Luc looked at Beverly.

"I wouldn't want to do anything to compromise our relationship any more than I would want to compromise the bond that the two of you share," Jean-Luc said.

Beverly understood what he was saying. She nodded.

"You both make me very happy," she said. "It would give me great pleasure to see you able to make each other happy, in every possible way."

Beverly felt her own cheeks grow warm, and she had to fight not to look away, simply because she could feel Jean-Luc's anxiety. He touched Laris's face and, for a long moment, he simply looked at her, studying her. He raised his hand and brushed his fingers over the tip of her ear as, more than likely, he had seen Beverly do many times. Laris shivered and laughed quietly.

"They're very sensitive," she offered.

"If you don't like it," Jean-Luc said.

"No," she said. "It's just…"

"They're an erogenous zone, Jean-Luc," Beverly offered.

"Not always," Laris said. "It's a comfort, too. It's soothing. But—when you're looking at me like that, and then you do it…"

"Understood," Jean-Luc said. He stroked the tip of her ear again. "I do not withdraw the gesture, if you don't object."

She smiled at him and shook her head gently. He lowered his hand to her cheek. He leaned toward her, as though he might brush his lips against hers as gently as he had with Beverly, but Beverly saw the moment that he tensed. Instead of gently brushing their lips together, he crashed into her face with all the awkwardness of every teenager's first kiss. Laris, in response, snatched her head back and touched her lips, likely tasting at least a tinge of copper.

"I am very sorry," Jean-Luc stammered. "That—isn't what I meant to do at all. I…"

"Panicked," Beverly offered with a laugh. "You panicked. Jean-Luc…what came over you?"

"I'm so sorry…it was just…kissing someone else…"

"Oh—don't pretend I'm the only woman you've ever kissed!" Beverly said.

"Forgive me," Jean-Luc said with a laugh. "But—I am not accustomed to kissing other women in your presence."

"I could leave," Laris said, still touching at her lips. Beverly noticed a slight stain of green. She reached for her and caught her face, not at all bothered to lift her lip with a fingertip.

"I'm so very sorry," Jean-Luc said again.

"It's fine," Laris assured him, not pulling away from Beverly, as Beverly inspected her. "If you don't find me attractive…"

"I assure you, that isn't the case," Jean-Luc said. "I am quite new to this and, perhaps, I require a bit of a learning curve. You have been married before, haven't you? Then, this is nothing new to you. And Beverly has the advantage because she's been intimate with both of us. I am still very new to this whole thing."

Laris smiled at him.

"If it makes you feel better, I was promised, at birth, to be part of my last trust bond," Laris said. "We came to love one another and, when our wife passed, Zhaban and I came to love each other even more deeply—as is our custom. But—Beverly is the first partner that I have ever chosen, for myself, and the first that has freely chosen me. It's a bit anxiety provoking for me, too."

Jean-Luc sobered slightly.

He touched her face again, this time simply stroking her cheek affectionately.

"I choose you, as well," he said. "And—we shall learn together."

She smiled at him.

"I look forward to it," she said sincerely.

"I'm going to kiss you again," he said. "This time, I will try not to draw blood."

She laughed and offered her lips to him. This time, he did kiss her more gently, though the kiss was still clearly nervous and reserved.

"You'll get more comfortable with each other," Beverly offered.

"Of course, we will," Laris said. "We have time. As much time as you like. We can perform the ceremony whenever it pleases us, but…there is no reason that anyone should feel restricted before then. You two need to make up for everything that's happened. You need a chance to be with each other and to rekindle old love. Alone. I'll give you some time, and we'll have plenty of time to worry about the rest. You should spend the night together."

"Laris…" Beverly said, reaching for her before she could start to make any sort of escape from the room.

"Wait," Jean-Luc said, catching Laris's other arm with a bit more authority, perhaps, than the brushing of Beverly's fingertips commanded. "Forgive me, if I'm overstepping boundaries. However, as I understand it, they are my boundaries to…if not overstep, at least approach. Given what I do know of your past—shared with me with your own permission—I have to say that I am more comfortable if you continue to spend the nights with Beverly. I feel it will be emotionally beneficial to you both."

"You need some time alone," Laris said. "You'll relax more with time alone…without me there."

Jean-Luc smiled at her.

"And, perhaps, we can take advantage of that offered time tomorrow—when you might enjoy the sunshine and the warmth of the patio…or a long walk in the vineyard. But the nights? Nights can easily become haunted by our pasts. I would feel better, if I knew you were spending yours in Beverly's company. I am well-accustomed to spending nights alone."

Now it was Laris's turn to smile.

"Perhaps, before too long, nobody will be spending any nights alone," she offered.

"Come on," Beverly said, putting a hand on each of their shoulders and gently pushing them toward the bed. "Let's spend this evening together. We could…cuddle for now? We'll work up to the rest."

She noticed that neither resisted, but she could feel tension in both of them. Still, they went with her to the bed. To keep things from being too stressful, she left the blankets where they were. Jean-Luc settled on the bed without her having to communicate what she wanted, and she crawled onto the bed to join him. She crawled over him, settling against him. He held her, and she wiggled herself comfortably into the place under his arm that he provided her. She leaned against his chest and sighed with comfort.

"Laris…" She said.

Laris nodded and joined them on the bed. Jean-Luc offered his other arm in her direction, and she settled in beside him, a touch stiffly at first. He put his arm around her, and Beverly reached over and pushed her head down against Jean-Luc's shoulder so that they were practically facing each other. Beverly couldn't help but laugh and, thankfully, Laris laughed, too. Jean-Luc echoed it, and everyone seemed to relax a bit more into place.

"Everyone calm down," Beverly said. "Nobody here bites."

"Actually…" Laris offered. There was another round of laughter.

"If that is desired or requested, it's another thing, entirely," Jean-Luc said. Laughter again.

Laris spread her blanket over all of them, and settled more comfortably into Jean-Luc. Beverly closed her eyes. The hand that had touched Laris's head, before, now rested comfortably on her arm as she reached across Jean-Luc. For a moment—a very peaceful moment—they were simply still and quiet together.

"What the hell was that?" Jean-Luc asked, breaking the silence and starting abruptly.

"What?" Beverly asked, tension filling her as she tried to imagine what she might have missed. Laris laughed.

"That was a very tiny Romulan thinking that her mother might be considering sleep," Laris said. She laughed again. "She hates it."

"That's the baby?" Jean-Luc asked.

"She moves a lot," Beverly said. "Apparently, Romulans are very strong from a very young age. She kicks like a mule."

Laris laughed, and Beverly did, too. Jean-Luc clearly wasn't sure if he was amused or horrified. Laris guided his hand to her belly.

"There, now you don't have to be afraid. Say hello."

Jean-Luc relaxed and Beverly watched as he moved his hand around Laris's belly, with her assistance, tracking the movements of the baby who tended to wiggle and kick to protest her mother's stillness.

Beverly saw, in his eyes, an awe that made her throat ache. She couldn't wait until the moment when he felt that same sensation, again, as their own biological child publicly announced its presence.

Happy to see the expression on his face, and the smile that Laris wore as she watched his eyes while she helped him find the little Romulan, Beverly closed her eyes—holding onto the image of the two people she loved most in the world finding a moment of happiness together.

Beverly heard when Laris settled with a sigh against Jean-Luc. She heard his own contented sigh, too, as he started to adjust to all that they had promised already and all that lie ahead for them.

"Is this OK?" He asked, quietly, to Laris, probably referencing some touch or position. Beverly didn't open her eyes, or give up her comfort in any way, to see what was taking place.

"That'll do wonderfully for now," Laris said, with a sigh.

And, if anything else was said, Beverly didn't hear a word of it as she drifted off for a nap.