AN: Here we are, another chapter.
I hope you enjoy! If you do, please do let me know!
111
"Can you tell?" Beverly asked.
"Well, of course, I can tell," Jean-Luc said. "I'm willing to make allowance for the fact that I already know, though, and that may color my perception."
"Could you tell if you didn't know?" Beverly asked.
Jean-Luc laughed quietly, but he did his best to swallow his amusement quickly. He reached an arm out and, catching Beverly's shoulder, slipped his arm around her to pull her close to him. He kissed her softly and rubbed her back.
There was something very satisfying about the moment that he felt her relax, and he heard her sigh.
Jean-Luc smiled and simply held her closer for a moment.
"It doesn't matter, Beverly, if they notice the moment that they're here," Jean-Luc said. "We'll welcome them off the transporter pad, and we'll tell them that Jack is coming."
"It won't be much of a surprise," Beverly said.
Jean-Luc laughed, but he didn't stop rubbing his hand over her back for whatever comfort it might offer.
"Oh—I feel certain that it's going to be a surprise, no matter when or where we tell them," Jean-Luc said. "Besides—our only plan was really to simply say that we had some surprising news. They might as well see it for themselves. Tonight, Beverly, is going to be a night full of surprises for Will and Deanna."
She pulled out of the hug and looked at Jean-Luc.
"But—pleasant surprises," she said.
"The best," Jean-Luc said. "Are you satisfied with this outfit? They're supposed to be here in fifteen minutes…which means ten, at most, because Deanna prefers to be early for these things. And Laris is occupied in the kitchen, so she won't be there to greet them."
Beverly smiled and nodded.
"You're sure that I look OK?" Beverly asked.
"My love, you are always beautiful," Jean-Luc said. "And tonight is no exception."
Beverly requested a kiss, which Jean-Luc happily gave her, and then she caught his hand and led him from the bedroom and toward the transporter pad, where they would be meeting Will and Deanna to welcome them to dinner.
Jean-Luc could tell that, the moment Will and Deanna were firmly and fully in their presence, they had detected the presence of Jack. Both their eyes seemed so instantly drawn to Beverly's belly that it was as if, instead of choosing an outfit she thought would somewhat camouflage their little one, as she'd attempted to do, she'd actually chosen one with an actual target placed merrily over her bump.
She knew, too, that they saw it, and instead of imagining that there might be a perfect moment to tell them or perfect words to say, she seemed to embrace that they had waited far too long for that—she had waited far too long for that, really, but Jean-Luc wasn't going to leave her to carry any responsibility alone, not when it came to Jack.
Beverly smiled and held out her arms toward Deanna.
"Surprise!" She said.
Jean-Luc couldn't help but smile as he watched the surprise wash down over both Deanna and Will, slowly moving in the same way an egg might move, having been cracked over their heads.
Will's reaction was wide-eyes and a smile that was almost comical. Deanna's reaction was wide-eyes and a look of something akin to fear. When Will looked at her, and she looked at Will, it was evident that her fear was more about Will and his reaction than it was about Beverly and the surprise. A quick elbow to Will's side, and Deanna seemed to defrost into her normal warm self. Her smile became genuine, and she enveloped Beverly in a warm hug that involved some high-pitched words between the women and a bit of rocking back and forth.
Jean-Luc left them to their celebrations and turned his attention to Will. The elbow in Will's side had done a little to tone down his expression, but the smile still spoke volumes.
Jean-Luc laughed to himself and felt his face run warm. He took the handshake that Will offered him and then the hug. And, then, like an intricately choreographed dance that none of them had actually studied, they were switching places. Will offered Beverly a warm hug, and Jean-Luc found himself wrapped in Deanna's friendly embrace, hearing her words of congratulations.
When the initial congratulations were done, there was still something of a stand-off. Jean-Luc could sense the anticipation in the air. There was the need for some explanation. He offered it as simply as he could, slipping a hand behind Beverly's back.
"It would appear that, when Beverly…embarked on her adventure with the Mariposas…she was not entirely alone," Jean-Luc said. He was relieved when the anticipation and tension seemed to dissipate. He had given them enough—the child was their biological child, they had clearly resolved, at least as much as possible, Beverly's earlier disappearance, and that was all that really mattered.
Another round of congratulations followed, and Jean-Luc ushered them toward the hallway to move toward the dining room.
"That's certainly not all for the night," he said. "But—do let's go and enjoy a wonderful dinner together. We have a great deal more to discuss!"
He didn't miss the somewhat "knowing looks," that passed between Will and Deanna, and he certainly didn't miss the little smile from Beverly that communicated to him what he already knew—no matter how much they thought they knew, they were not at all prepared for everything they would learn before the night was through.
111
Jean-Luc pulled out Beverly's seat and, as soon as Laris had returned from the kitchen, bringing the last of the items that she intended to bring—and having set the table in their absence—Jean-Luc pulled the chair out for her, as well. When everyone was seated, he took his seat at the head of the table and invited everyone to enjoy the dinner that had been set before them.
"You made all of this?" Deanna asked Laris. Laris smiled at her and nodded. "It's actually beautiful."
"I enjoy cooking," she said.
"Well, it looks delicious," Will offered.
"Wait until you taste it," Jean-Luc said. "Laris is an exceptional chef."
Laris didn't thank him—at least not with words. The expression she gave him was her thanks, and it also communicated that she was at risk of being embarrassed by simply being the recipient of their attention and positive words. He assumed that, perhaps, praise was not often heaped upon her for her cooking on Romulus. They would, of course, remedy that, in their home, as they intended to remedy a great many other things among the three of them.
For a moment, everyone served their plates, tasted their food, and proclaimed it to be delicious. It was, Jean-Luc knew, something of a polite ritual that simply had to take place. He'd seen it across species and cultures.
"Is your shoulder entirely healed now?" Will asked Laris, when all the niceties about food were done.
"I feel like there's still some improvement to be made in the range of movement," Laris said. "But the pain is much better."
"And the flexibility will continue to improve," Beverly said. "Laris is a good patient, in that she'll do anything I ask."
"As long as rest isn't one of those things," Jean-Luc teased. He laughed to himself at Laris's narrowing of her eyes in his direction.
"When you're—sufficiently recovered," Will said, clearly trying to figure out how to choose his words, "will you be…moving to one of the Romulan colonies to settle?"
Jean-Luc caught Beverly's expression, and he understood it. He cleared his throat, drawing the attention to him.
"Please—continue to enjoy your food while it's hot and fresh," Jean-Luc said. "I just—wanted to say a few things. In addition to the surprise of our new arrival, we do have some other news that we wanted to share with you this evening."
Looks were exchanged. Will and Deanna's communicated that they knew what was coming. Beverly's communicated the fact that they hadn't exactly planned how to make this announcement. Laris's communicated that she was, at best, uncomfortable with the anticipation of the announcement and the reaction of their closest friends.
Jean-Luc decided that simply putting everything out there, quickly and neatly, would be the best approach for everyone.
"I am usually one who can give a speech, when necessary, motivating someone to do some thing or another," Jean-Luc said. "However, when it comes to giving a speech about my personal life, I find that I am not quite as…adept…at the skill. Perhaps, that's owing a great deal to the fact that I only recently began to really think of myself as someone who has a personal life."
Jean-Luc found Deanna's smile and her gentle nod reassuring. Will's grin was something else, entirely.
"Beverly, did you want to…?" Jean-Luc asked.
"You're doing wonderfully," she assured him. He laughed quietly at her remark and shook his head.
"Laris will not be going to any Romulan colony," Jean-Luc said. "At least, she won't be going alone, should she decide that such a move is absolutely necessary to her well-being. She will be staying right here, at the Château, in her home and with her family. You may or may not know this, but…Romulan marriages are called trust bonds…Laris, feel free to correct me, should I say anything wrong." Jean-Luc paused, but he had the distinct feeling that Laris had no desire to correct him, no matter how poorly he may explain things. "Trust bonds are marriages between three individuals. I have asked Beverly and Laris to join me in marriage and, though I cannot say that it speaks volumes for their judgement in choosing to marry me, both have agreed."
They waited the moment that it took for the news to sink in for Will and Deanna. Will and Deanna looked at each other, and Jean-Luc found himself wondering just how developed the telepathic element of their imzadi connection was.
And, then, the congratulations came happily and warmly from both of them. Still, despite the congratulations, it was easy to see that the news hadn't fully sank in for either.
"So—when do you get married?" Deanna asked.
"Well, that's just it," Beverly said. She looked at Jean-Luc. "Did you…?"
"By all means," Jean-Luc said, passing the proverbial torch to her and turning his attention to enjoying his meal for a moment, while he simply observed.
"Our—bonding ceremony—will be private," Beverly said. "Completely private. Only the three of us will be present and involved. We can't see any reason to wait, though, and there is no required waiting time for the bonding ceremony, so…we were hoping to do it tomorrow." She looked directly at Laris, as if she were seeking confirmation for what she knew, and Laris smiled at her and nodded to let her know that, in fact, she was speaking correctly. "We were hoping, however, to also have an official Federation-recognized wedding. Just something small and simple, with the exchanging of vows and witnesses. Something that's entirely legally binding in the eyes of the Federation. We were hoping that you two would attend and…if it's not too much to ask…Will, would you officiate the wedding?"
"A Starfleet wedding between a captain, a chief medical officer, and a Romulan," Will mused. "I don't think we ever expected to see the day. Besides the fact that I wasn't sure we'd ever live long enough to see you two give up fighting it and settle down. And—a baby! Two babies! Jean-Luc Picard…from confirmed bachelor to absolute family man overnight. And one of the babies is even Romulan…"
"Will…" Deanna said. She leaned into him. "I think—you should save your speech for after the wedding. And, perhaps, I can help you with it?"
Jean-Luc appreciated the gentle nudging. Will was at risk of saying something that, given time to truly think about it, he would likely not say.
"I do look forward to hearing the speech," Jean-Luc offered. "I do hope that…just as I would keep any sentiments about any other alien species leaning toward the positive, there would be no room in the speech for any negative stereotypes or anti-Romulan sentiment."
Will laughed quietly and he looked a little chagrined. Being gently reminded that things all of them might have once said had no place at the table now was enough.
"Of course," he said. "I do apologize, if I offended you."
He directed his words toward Laris. She gave him a soft smile and shook her head gently.
"I'll only be offended, if you refuse to marry us," she said. Will smiled in response.
"I would be honored to officiate the ceremony. I'll need a few details, of course…like are you all taking the Picard name?"
Beverly and Laris both nodded.
"And the vows?" Will asked.
"We'll work out what we want ahead of time," Jean-Luc said, "but we'll have them prepared."
"We are so excited for you. All of you!" Deanna said. "And two babies!"
"A boy and a girl," Beverly said. "Jack, and our daughter doesn't have a name just yet."
"Jack…as in…" Will said.
"Beverly's first husband," Laris offered. For moment, Jean-Luc saw the first real connection spark between Will and Laris—a moment of amusement.
"Jack was an important part of both of our lives," Jean-Luc said. "And, without him, none of this might be taking place today."
"And Jack is a diminutive of John or Jean," Beverly added quickly. "John Lawrence will be his full name. After Jean-Luc and Laris."
Deanna reached her hand across the table and Beverly reached hers out. For a brief moment, they clasped hands before returning to their food and sharing only smiles as they glanced at each other.
"Does it matter to you what day we do the wedding?" Jean-Luc asked Will.
"Is there a certain time you have to wait after the…uh…the…?"
"Bonding ceremony," Beverly said.
"No," Laris said. "We will be bonded during the ceremony tomorrow. We will consummate the bond immediately following the ceremony, and it will be complete. Anything else that we decide to do, after that, is a separate event. There are no rules for it."
Will smirked at Jean-Luc and Jean-Luc understood, without words, that he was amused by the whole thing on a number of levels.
"Whenever you want to is fine," Will said.
"The day after?" Jean-Luc asked.
Will looked at Deanna, as though confirming that he wasn't forgetting some grand event in their lives.
"Will you need time to inform anyone else? Family…friends…?"
"We are all quite without close blood-related family," Jean-Luc said. "And we'll simply inform our friends as we come across them. Everyone is busy with so many things at this time. You two are all the family and friends that we'll need to make the celebration of our union special."
"Well—if the food at the reception of this little get-together is half as good as this dinner," Will said, "then I'll look forward to it."
"Save some room," Laris offered. "There's dessert, too."