AN: This is just a warm little family chapter to close this "episode" of their lives out.
I hope you enjoy! If you do, please do consider leaving a comment to let me know!
111
"Good morning," Jean-Luc said, keeping his voice low, so that Beverly could continue to wake calmly and gently, just as she was already waking.
She drew in a breath, sleepily, and hummed—a sound that indicated that she was waking, and doing so in a manner that she enjoyed, more than anything else.
She opened her eyes to him, finally, and a smile slipped across her lips. Jean-Luc felt warmed by the genuine nature of the smile.
"Good morning," she said, her voice thick with sleep.
"Did you sleep well?" Jean-Luc asked.
She hummed in the affirmative and nodded. Jean-Luc slipped his hand down, his palm covering the small show of their daughter. He rubbed Beverly's belly gently.
"And did she sleep well?" He asked.
Her cheeks seemed to go a bit pink in the morning light of their bedroom. Her smile grew. She covered his hand with hers, and let her fingers rub his gently. He didn't move, not wanting to end the moment prematurely.
They had missed so much—so many years and experiences had been lost to both of them—that Jean-Luc didn't want them to miss a single opportunity in the new life, together, that had been given to them.
"I'm ready for you to be able to feel her," Beverly said.
"Can you feel her now?" Jean-Luc asked.
Beverly hummed and moved his fingers with her own. She pressed her fingers against his, pressing his fingertips deeper into her skin.
"There," she breathed out. "Did you feel that?"
She searched his face. She searched his eyes. Jean-Luc ached, slightly, with the desire to tell her that he did—that they could have this moment together, just as surely as they had had every moment so far. He couldn't lie to her, though.
He didn't have to say anything. As surely as if she were telepathic, she read his mind.
"Soon," she said, nodding her head gently.
Jean-Luc smiled in response.
"Very soon," he agreed.
"She's not quite big enough yet," Beverly said. "But she's growing."
"She's growing perfectly. Just as she should," Jean-Luc agreed. "What if—we were to get up, and her Papa was to see about getting her something for breakfast? To help her keep growing so well."
Beverly smiled at him.
"I think she would like that," she said. "But—first—I think her Mommy would like a little more quiet time with her Papa."
Jean-Luc smiled, understanding her meaning.
"I believe that can be arranged," he said, taking her into his arms.
111
Beverly was almost perfectly relaxed. She could hardly recall the last time that she had felt like this. In the aftermath of their lovemaking, she felt practically flooded with affection for Jean-Luc. They lingered in bed far longer than she really intended, but she simply felt like she couldn't bring herself to pull away from him and rise.
It had been, finally, her daughter, and the almost constant war she seemed to wage against Beverly's bladder, that had gotten her out of bed.
Jean-Luc was making the bed as she emerged from their bathroom, and she helped him, stopping to share a long, lazy kiss with him before accepting his offer to fulfill the promise of breakfast that he'd made earlier. She walked, her hand in his, like they were just dating and still giggling over touches they sneaked whenever possible. He rubbed his fingers over hers as he held her hand, and she smiled at him.
"Has it been a good morning?" He asked.
"Wonderful," Beverly assured him. "I can only think of one thing that could even possibly make it better…"
Jean-Luc smiled at her—it was the mischievous smile that she knew, from him, meant that he was either about to tease her about something, or it meant that she was about to find out about something that he already knew.
As she stepped into the living room, Beverly heard the sounds coming from the kitchen. She stopped and looked at Jean-Luc.
"I heard her when you were in the bathroom," he offered.
Beverly smiled and rushed onward into the kitchen. Laris had her back to her, already preparing something for breakfast, and Beverly rushed up to her and wrapped her arms around her, from behind, without warning—an admittedly dangerous thing to do to their Romulan wife.
Laris, however, must have heard her coming, because she tensed—a natural response, perhaps—and then purposefully relaxed.
"Be careful," she said. "This pan is hot, and I would hate for you to be burned."
Beverly leaned and kissed the back of her neck, squeezing her gently.
"You've been gone for days, and all you can say is—don't get burned?" Beverly said.
Laris laughed.
"I suppose—my greatest concern is your safety," she said. "If that's also a shortcoming, then I accept my imperfections and only hope that our home is so far removed from the Romulan Star Empire that I won't be executed for having them."
Beverly laughed and tickled Laris's sides.
"Hey!" Laris said, squirming in one direction and the other. "That was shared with you in the confidence of our trust bond."
"And I'm using it only in the safety of our home and in the presence of our bondmate," Beverly responded equally as quickly. "If you don't turn around here and greet me properly…"
Laris barked at Beverly when Beverly tickled her again, this time with more purpose.
"If I do turn around, I'll burn the eggs!" Laris howled.
Jean-Luc approached them and, reaching over Laris's arm, took the spatula she was using. He pushed at both of them.
"Move," he said. "I believe that I've already claimed breakfast as my responsibility."
Laris turned, as she released the spatula, and came willingly into Beverly's arms. Beverly kissed her, properly, and squeezed her tightly. Laris squeezed her back, but Beverly was always aware that Laris held back a bit—her own strength was considerable, and she didn't want to risk hurting Beverly in any way.
"Tell me your trip was wonderful," Beverly said, cupping Laris's cheek with one hand and affectionately rubbing her ear with the fingertips of the other hand. That move, she knew, was both affectionate and a guaranteed way to arouse her wife, but she was hoping for a bit of both. Beverly had absolutely no qualms about suggesting that they spend a little time ruffling the sheets and blankets of the bed that she and Jean-Luc had only just finished making.
"It was wonderful," Laris said, sincerely. She blushed, and a green tint spread across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. The sight of it, alone, was enough to make Beverly's pulse kick up a notch. "Saveena was everything I expected her to be. No deception. And she lives on Chaltok IV, so I will visit her and meet her bondmates with my next assignment there."
"And when shall we expect that she comes to meet your bondmates?" Jean-Luc asked.
Laris pulled away from Beverly, and Beverly followed her to check on Elbie, who was happily playing on her mat with one of the toys that helped to provide her with entertainment while she strengthened her muscles.
Laris had already set the table, but Beverly straightened a few items. She knew that she was doing nothing more than giving space to something of a nervous habit, and the need to be forever doing something.
Confident that Elbie was fine, Laris straightened up and started helping Beverly make sure that the table was ready for the three of them.
"Soon, I hope?" Laris said. "I've invited her, but…she does have to let me know when her schedule is open."
"She's welcome anytime," Beverly said. "You just tell her to come, and we'll make arrangements."
"Was it everything you hoped it would be?" Jean-Luc asked. "Having the chance to…tell someone about us?"
"It was," Laris said. "Of course—I look forward to her meeting you. I would like the chance to say—these are my bondmates and, for once, to be the one who is introducing someone new to an old friend."
"We will gladly be judged for you," Beverly said, teasing Laris and winking at her.
"I wish I could say that isn't what I meant," Laris said. "But—I suppose it is, at least to some degree."
"It's perfectly natural to want to be the most important person in the room, sometimes," Beverly said. "I believe we realized the importance of that while you were gone."
"Oh?" Laris asked.
"You were the object of most of our conversations," Jean-Luc said. "Your absence was profoundly felt in our home." He served the plates and, as he did so, he passed them to Beverly and Laris so that they could take them to the table. Laris and Beverly brought coffee cups to the table, and Jean-Luc brought his own plate.
Just before he sat, he offered his arms in Laris's direction, and she happily came to give him a warm embrace and the kiss that he requested.
"I don't know if the saying is true that absence makes the heart grow fonder," Jean-Luc said. "But I can say that—it certainly does remind one to appreciate what one has."
Beverly noticed that the slightly green hue hadn't left Laris's face. Neither had her smile, though, so the blush was likely from being overwhelmed in a positive way, and not a negative one. Jean-Luc pulled Laris's chair out for her, and pushed it in, while Beverly checked on Elbie once more. Confident that the baby was content to play, for now, Beverly returned to the table. Jean-Luc pulled her chair out for her, as well, and kissed her as soon as she was settled. Finally, he took his seat.
"Since I'm sure the two of you did a great deal more than mourn and mope in my absence," Laris said, doctoring her coffee so that it was to her liking, "did you have a good time connecting with one another?"
"Wonderful," Beverly said. "We hardly went anywhere or did anything, and it was the best decision that we could make."
"I find it difficult to believe that you didn't do anything," Laris said, raising an eyebrow.
"We did exactly what you expected and, I dare say, intended for us to do," Jean-Luc said. "However, we also made quite a few plans for our household."
"Plans?" Laris asked.
"Plans," Jean-Luc confirmed.
Beverly swallowed back her amusement and caught Jean-Luc's eye. Laris looked back and forth between them.
"And? Am I to know any of these plans?" Laris asked, a hint of amusement escaping in her tone.
"Of course," Jean-Luc said.
He smiled at Beverly.
"Well…are you going to tell me, or are you breaking the trust in our bond?"
"Delay is not deception," Jean-Luc said. "And part of trust is trusting that your partners have your best interest at heart. For now—welcome home, Laris. Rest. Relax. And when it's time for something to take place that's outside of the ordinary…we will let you know."
Laris looked slightly panicked. Beverly picked up on it. She wasn't going to let that happen. Teasing was fine, but distress of any sort was not.
"I don't care for surprises, Jean-Luc," Laris said. When he didn't respond, she looked at Beverly. "Beverly, I…"
Beverly reached and touched her hand.
"This was my idea, Laris. I promise, in our home, there are only good surprises," Beverly said, "where we don't have to be without each other. Three weeks and we're all travelling together. It will be nice. Something special, for all of us. Something new that we've never done before. Can you trust us enough to let us keep the secret beyond that?"
"I suppose I have no choice," she said, but she looked a great deal more relieved.
"Don't worry," Jean-Luc offered, patting Laris's other arm and giving Beverly another of his mischievous glances. "You and I will arrange a secret of our own—some special surprise for Beverly."
"And for you?" Beverly asked.
"Being married to the both of you, and being a father—truly—for the first time…well…every day, for me, holds some element of surprise," Jean-Luc said. "And it's absolutely wonderful. I wouldn't miss a moment of it for the world."