Chapter Text
Jack and Q stare at each other for a while, Jack not sure what to say.
“Why does your presence….voice for that matter seem so familiar to me,” Jack finally asked the question that had been gnawing at him.
“I’ve always been with you, Jack….been watching you since you became a little blip in your mothers womb….I knew about you before you own mother did.”
“Well, if that isn’t a little creepy, I don’t know what is…” Jack said, turning back to continue unpacking his duffle.
“And why wouldn’t I? Jean-Luc has always been, shall I say, an obsession of mine….so when I realized he had an offspring, I couldn't resist checking up on you from time to time.”
Jack was about to respond when he heard his door chime.
“I’ll be back, just know that you never know when I’ll be testing you….watching….” and with that Q disappeared in a flash of light.
Jack turned towards the door as he called for the person to come in.
“I hope your quarters are okay….probably much better than where they had you before…” Sidney LaForge said.
Jack smiled, “Quite.”
“Were you talking to Admiral Picard before you told me to come in? I thought I heard a voice.” Sidney asked. She looked around for an open console, but finding none she was confused.
“No, I don’t think I’ll hear from my dad or my mum for awhile….they said they were taking a much needed vacation before going back to France.”
“Oh….hmm, I could swear I heard someone else in here….”
“It’s just me, Sid…” Jack opened up his arms and turned around to gesture around the room….”Are you alright?” he teased. “Not still hearing those horrid voices are you?”
“God no, thankfully….you?” Sidney asked.
“Thankfully, no….would you like to stay for a bite to eat?” he asked, wanting to take their relationship to a level more than friends.
“I would, but my dad wouldn’t like it….” Sidney said, putting on a pout.
“Who said he has to know?” Jack said smiling…..”Besides, it’s just supper…nothing else….for now," Jack walked towards the replicator, “What would you fancy?”
“You are a bad boy like my dad said….” she said, stifling a giggle. “Okay, just supper.”
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“I wonder what he’s doing right now…” Beverly Crusher wondered aloud as she leaned her head on Jean-Luc’s shoulder. They sat together on a beach towel, watching the suns set over Temtibi Lagoon on Risa. Will and Deanna had convinced them to join them on the planet, Deanna saying it was a much needed rest from all that happened. They barely saw their companion travelers though, which was fine with them. They had much catching up to do.
“Oh, I imagine he’s busy charming Sidney LaForge….” Jean-Luc said, turning to get Beverly’s reaction, and she didn’t disappoint.
Beverly's mouth dropped open and she lifted an eyebrow, “I hope not….Geordi told him to stay away from his daughter.
Jean-Luc chuckled, “All the reason why he will pursue her…that makes it all the more adventurous…”
"Like father, like son," she said, moving her hand to rub his thigh.
"I should have pursued you more…" he replied, moving his hand to cover hers and move it to a more intimate spot.
"How about some supper?" She said, before kissing him.
"And dessert?" He said when their kiss had ended.
Beverly smiled, "I have something planned for after supper." She stood up and offered her hand to help him up off the beach.
"Mmm, sounds lovely."
The two walked back to their suite together, wishing they'd done this a long time ago.
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Beverly opened her eyes and sighed contentedly at the sight of Jean-Luc sitting shirtless in a chair beside the bed reading a book. He was always reading something, usually Shakespeare or another classic. She sat up, wrapping the sheet around her naked frame…"Now this is a sight I don't think I'll ever tire of," she said smiling.
"The sight of a half naked old man sitting in a chair?" Picard said, chuckling.
"Not just that….you…I want to continue looking at you for the rest of my life."
"I wish I had done this a long time ago.." Jean-Luc sighed.
"You did…more than once."
"But I didn't do this," and he got up and went to the drawer beside the bed.
Beverly watched him as he took something out and walked back to the bed and knelt beside the bed on one knee. She covered her mouth with her hand.
"Beverly, you have always been the love of my life and I can't imagine spending the rest of my life without you by my side….I know that I've messed up…a lot, but I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you, if you let me…" he opened up a small white box to reveal a simple but beautiful diamond ring. "Will you marry me?"
Beverly leaned forward and covered his mouth with hers, "I thought you'd never ask," she said when their kiss had ended.
"I've let my career in Starfleet stop me from doing that for years…I'm done letting Starfleet interfere in my life."
Beverly smiled, "I'm the head of Starfleet Medical."
"It will be fine….you can transport to work from the Chateau every day…I won't let anything stop us from being together…we've done that for far too long already."
Beverly nodded, as she gave Jean-Luc her hand and he slipped the ring on her finger.
"Now, can you help this old man up off of the floor?"
Beverly kissed him again, pulling him into bed with her…"I think you're a little too dressed for this next activity," she said, working the buttons on his pants.
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"Jack Crusher to the Bridge," a voice came over Jack's communicator.
Jack looked at the time, 0300 hours.
"You should go back to your quarters and get some sleep…" he said to Sidney before tapping his com badge. "On my way."
Sidney nodded, "It's been fun," she said looking one last time at the table that was covered with a map and dice with several sides.
"Maybe next time we can invite some others to join," Jack said as he and Sidney left for their destinations.
Jack smiled as he stood in the turbo lift on the way to the bridge. He really did like her, but he was determined to do this right. He certainly wouldn't take a lifetime though like Picard had done with his mum.
"Interesting little friend you've got there…Geordi's daughter…didn't think he had it in him," a voice from behind him said.
"I'd really love it if you didn't spy on my private time with her…," Jack turned around.
"Oh, you're no fun!" Q protested.
"I'm not here for your enjoyment…" the lift reached the bridge and the doors opened at the same moment that the lift was filled with a bright light and Q disappeared again.
"Ensign Crusher, wait for me in the observation lounge," Captain Seven said looking up from the console she was looking at.
Jack didn't like her tone, but maybe it was nothing. He walked to the observation lounge, took a seat and folded his hands in front of him.
"You're being reassigned," the Captain said as she came into the room. She walked to the replicator, "Would you like anything?"
"No…reassigned? To another ship?"
"Tea, iced," she told the replicator, "No, still on this ship…Dr. Ohk has requested you."
"I am a doctor, so I can be of help in SickBay." Jack said smiling.
"I still want you to be my counselor too," Seven said, sitting down at the table.
Jack nodded, "Fine by me."
"How are you adjusting to being Starfleet?"
"Oh, it's fine…different…but fine."
Seven nodded, "I remember how hard it was for me to adjust to Starfleet…so many rules."
Jack nodded and was going to reply when a voice came over his com.
"Ensign Crusher, there's a long range communication for you." Commander Raffi's voice told him.
"Go ahead," Seven said, signaling that their conversation was over.
"I'll take it in my quarters, Commander."
"Jack…report to SickBay in a sciences uniform at 0800 hours," Seven said before Jack left.
Jack nodded and headed for his quarters.
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Jean-Luc and Beverly sat together on the couch, holding hands while they waited for Jack to answer their call.
"Do you think he'll be happy for us?" Beverly wondered aloud.
"Oh, I'm sure he will be," Jean-Luc assured patting her hand with his other hand.
"Mum, dad…is everything alright?!" Jack said upon seeing his parents on the view screen.
"More than alright, son," Jean-Luc smiled to reassure their son.
"In fact…," Beverly pulled her hand from Jean-Lucs and showed it to her son, "Your father FINALLY asked me to be his wife."
Jack smiled, "That's great news!"
Both Beverly and Jean-Luc blushed, "We're glad you think so," Jean-Luc said.
"I got reassigned today," Jack said.
"Oh?" Jean-Luc asked.
"Yeah…I'm…"
"What did you do now?!" Beverly interrupted.
Jack frowned, "What do you mean, what did I do?"
"Well, you're not a stranger to getting yourself in trouble…" Beverly said, regretting immediately she said that.
"I've put all of that behind me….trust me…"
Beverly put her head down and stared at her and Jean-Luc's intertwined fingers.
"So what ship are you going to be on now, Son," Jean-Luc said, trying to recover the good conversation that they had stared with.
"I'm staying on The Enterprise, but I'm being reassigned to SickBay. Dr. Ohk requested me actually…"
Beverly looked up, a look of pride on her face. "That's wonderful! You'll be a great help to her."
"I think so too…" Jack nodded.
"Anything else been going on?" Jean-Luc asked.
Jack looked down at his hands, "Actually…I had an interesting visitor the other day…"
"Oh?" Picard said again.
"Q is not dead!" Jack announced.
Beverly looked at her son, then gave Jean-Luc a worried look.
"Q came to you?" Beverly asked.
Jack nodded, "He's harmless…more like an annoying fly."
"Just stay aware, he may not always be harmless…" Jean-Luc admonished.
"I need to know you'll be safe…," Beverly said.
"Are you serious, I helped saved the world from the Borg…I think I can handle one little Q."
"Beverly, he'll be fine. And we'll see him soon when he comes home for the wedding."
Beverly sighed, "I love you, Jack. Stay safe!" She put her hand out to touch the view screen
"Love you too, Mum." He smiled as he put his hand out to touch the spot where her hand was on the other side.
"Love you, son," Jean-Luc said when the two had removed their hands.
"You too, dad," he raised his hand to wave, "Bye."
After they hung up, Jack lay back on his bed and contemplated taking a nap. He'd stayed up all night with Sidney playing D&D, which he was starting to regret since he had so much to do today. He still had to recycle his uniform and get a science officer's uniform.