Picard Season 3 -Jack removes his BORG implants.

The transporter room had never looked so welcoming to Jean-Luc as the four men materialised on board Enterprise. He could almost see past crew standing at their stations as the three officers and his son landed on the solid pads. Jack immediately stepped from the dais, yanking off his gloves and tossing them away he began pulling at the ugly borg implants fixed to his face.

Riker and Worf paused taking stock of themselves and their former Captain. "Are you all right?" Will put a concerned hand on Jean-Luc's shoulder. The older man looked as rattled as he had ever seen him.

Picard hesitated glancing at his son first to check the boy had landed safely. Jack was loosing his battle with the implants and would injure himself if his father didn't intervene soon. But Picard nodded "Yes, Will. I think so. I was only inside the hive for a few minutes. Jack was immersed much longer than I."

Will nodded released his friend "He's been hearing borg almost his whole life, poor kid" he sympathised also observing the young man tugging frantically at the red laser weapons guidance embedded by his eye. Jack's whole body radiated distress so palpable even Worf was affected.

"We should help him" the taciturn Klingon observed placidly to his shipmates.

Will nodded stepping off the pad towards Jack "His face is too pretty to let him disfigure it" he agreed moving carefully towards the preoccupied boy. "Sidney would never forgive us" he muttered.

Jean- luc was so relieved to be off the Borg vessel with his son alive, he was the last to recover. Worf stood in front of Jack and stared at him until the boy stopped worrying at his implants and looked forlornly up at him.

"Well?" Jack said woefully "Can you help me get this bloody thing out of me?" his voice came out a lot wobblier than he hoped. The emotional impact of the past few hours hit him like a photon torpedo the moment he landed on the star ship. But the adrenalin coursing through his system refused to let him collapse into oblivion. He was so strung out he suspected he looked half crazed to the veteran Klingon.

Will moved up on his other side and his father positioned himself to the right of his shoulder from behind and put a gentle hand on his back "Hold still, Jack. We can remove it, but you need to calm down, son".

Jack visibly wilted in defeat. His normally defiant posture shrank before Riker's eyes. His heart went out to the kid. Jack was younger than his own son would have been. Had he lived. Right now, the boy was in pain, vulnerable and strung out. His expressive blue eyes were watery. Jack was barely holding on.

The boy stopped struggling with himself. "Please. Help rid me of this damn borg tech" he pleaded with the others. Picard shifted his grip to his son's right arm holding him calmly but firmly on the elbow.

"We will. But you must hold still. We need to remove the lazer piece last and these two implants first" he instructed the other men, who nodded to where he gestured. Jack went totally compliant. Relieved for once to let the older men surrounding him and take charge of his wellbeing. He trusted them completely. He trusted his father. His father who had buried his own fear of the borg to rescue him. The father who had made good on his promise never to give up on him. He closed his eyes and waited.

Jack's sudden compliance caused the others to side eye each other in concern. The loss of fire in his demeanour was out of character. They needed to free him of the borg, now. Bring back the cocky, brave young man they had all grown fond of.

"Worf, can you please try and remove this one out first. Brace yourself, Jack. It will hurt" he warned his son. The boy nodded. Eyes tightly squeezed shut. Brow furrowed. Lips pressed tight.

Worf nodded his understanding and gripped the metal objects as best he could. They were close to the boy's skin and securely embedded. Riker and Picard braced Jack on either side holding him in place. He offered no resistance.

With a grunt, Worf pulled the borg part right out of Jack's face. The boy blew out an explosive breath but otherwise uttered no sound. The probes came out cleanly leaving stark red marks on the kid's white skin.

Picard nodded his approval. "Are you all right, Jack?"

His gave one curt nod. "Keep going" he gritted. The men firmed their hold on him once again.

"Here" Picard indicated the next pieces to be removed.

Worf fixed the implant with a jaundiced gaze and gave it a rough yank. It also came out cleanly. Jack hissed. Tears of pain leaking from beneath his closed lids and rolled down his cheeks. Silent testament to his courage.

"Here, now the lazer pointer, pull it directly out. Avoid any angles or you might take his skin with it".

"I understand"

Worf once again gripped the last implant confidently. Riker and Picard nodded their readiness as he looked at them to be sure they had a firm hold on Jack. He tried to wrench it out. But this one held more firmly than the others. It sparked in protest, hitting Jack in the face. He flinched but the men held him reassuringly.

"I am sorry Jack" Worf apologised. "This one is stubborn, but I will get it out this time".

Jacks' eyelids fluttered.

"Do your best Mr Worf" Jean-Luc encouraged his former security officer.

He determinedly gripped the stubborn piece and without preamble managed to rip it free. Jack's gasped loudly and doubled over cradling the side of his face with both hands. Picard bent over him murmuring comfortingly and rubbing circles on his back while the Klingon and Riker moved away to give them privacy.

"Poor kid" Riker said softly "He didn't deserve any of this".

"Indeed"

They watched in silence as the young man tried to recover from their impromptu medical intervention. The angry marks where the tech had been fixed to his face looked painful and raw. Picard was hovering over his son telling Jack he would recover from the ordeal as he himself had. He instinctively leaned into the comfort of his father for the second time in his life. The first being on the Borg cube when his father had embraced him in a circle of loyalty and love. Jack could get used to it.

Picard held his son for a few moments more before Rikers communicator chirruped and Geordie's worried voice came through "Do we have everyone? Are you alright?"

"Yes Geordie. We will be right up" Will replied tiredly.

"You showed great bravery, boy" Worf praised him. Hoping to offer him comfort.

Jack's exhausted bloodshot glance said everything. His voice was subdued as Riker had ever heard him "Not as brave as you three" he managed to say. He straightened up slowly.

"I owe all of you my gratitude" he offered each officer his hand which they solemnly shook. Man to man.

Picard patted him on the back "Its over now, son. We should get to the bridge before your mother has a fit".

A tiny spark lit his face. "How do I look" he put his arms out, turning his marked face left and right for inspection like it was a gala night. The kid was irrepressible.

"You have looked better" the Admiral admitted wryly "Come on, Jack"

They made their way to the turbo lift and piled eagerly into it. They all wanted to greet their shipmates on the bridge. Jack sill looked like hell but at least he was standing on his own.

"No offence Worf, but I think I'll let my mother cut the rest of this suit off me" Jack quipped.

"None taken" the big Klingon growled. "She will indeed be relieved to see you alive and mostly in once piece".

A smile ghosted Jack's lips as the door slid open. Piccard stepped out cautiously first and looked around. He saw Beverly watching him anxiously and smiled. He looked back encouraging their son to come forth and greet his worried mother.

Jack moved stiffly in the suit. Whether it was voluntary, or he was in pain, Jean-luc couldn't tell. The boy entered the bridge and walked straight into Beverly's embrace. They held each other tightly. Crying openly.

The relief on her face said it all. Riker and Troi were also holding each other close. Data looked relieved and Geordie gave Picard a quick embrace. The Admiral moved to stand next to his son and former lover. Feeling more a part of their family than ever before. All of Jack's previous hostility and defensiveness had completely faded away. Replaced with respect and deference for his father.