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Beverly stalked into Jean-Luc’s quarters, Jean-Luc trailing behind. She waited until the door slid shut behind him before she turned around and levelled a glare at him. “You slept with her.”
“Er...”
“Don’t deny it. I could see it in the way she looked at you this morning! She came to your room and you slept with her!” Beverly began pacing around the room. “I should have known that this wasn’t going to work. I should never have...and I can’t believe you...and I...”
“Beverly,”
“No. I don’t want explanations.” Beverly was getting agitated more and more. She spied a clay vase on a shelf and she picked it up, enjoying the hefty weight in her hands. Jean-Luc’s eyes went wide.
“Beverly, my love, please put that down...it’s a thirteenth century crematory urn from Resnova.” He held out his hands to his angry lover. “Please, my love, let’s talk...surely we can have an adult conversation about this.” Beverly glared.
“An adult conversation? Is that what you were doing with Vash last night? Tell me, Jean-Luc. Did you tell Vash you were seeing someone ? Did you deny her advances? Tell me she took advantage of you. I’m waiting,” Beverly tapped her foot impatiently. Jean-Luc could only stare back at her, his eyes drawn to where the wide neck of her blue sweater dress slipped down to reveal a creamy shoulder. What he really wanted to do was to tell her how much he loved her and cared about her. But what came out was “Er...”
“That’s what I thought. “ Beverly hefted the vase and threw it towards Jean-Luc’s head . He managed to duck and the clay vase smacked into the bulkhead, shattering. Jean-Luc winced. Beverly picked up another knick knack. This one was made of faceted crystal. It didn’t mean much to Jean-Luc as it had been a present from Admiral Nechayev to commemorate his 40th anniversary of his Captaincy, but he was sure it would hurt if it was hurled at him. He put his hands up in surrender. “Beverly, please.” He spoke evenly and softly.
“Oh no, that accent isn’t going to suck me in this time. “ Beverly’s voice was venomous. “Did. You. Sleep. With. Vash?” Jean-Luc swallowed.
“Ever?” Beverly threw the crystal. It joined the clay vase on the floor, but surprisingly, it remained in one piece. Beverly picked up pieces off a chess board and started flinging the small glass figures at Jean-Luc.
“Last night! Did you sleep with Vash last night!” Jean-Luc reached out to still Beverly’s arms from tossing yet another chess piece at him when his comm badge pinged.
“Security to Captain Picard.”
“Go ahead, Mister Worf.”
“Sir, we’re hearing reports of a...disturbance...coming from your quarters. Is everything alright?”
“It’s fine.” Beverly huffed, “it’s not fine.”
“Doctor Crusher, do you require assistance?”
“No, Worf. But thank you.”
“I’m sorry to disturb you both. Worf out.”
Beverly momentarily paused and glanced over at Jean-Luc. Mirth was playing at the corners of his eyes. Beverly reached out and smacked Jean-Luc in the chest. “Don’t you smirk about this, Mister!”
“I’m sorry, Beverly. But you have to admit, it is kind of funny. Worf wanted to come and protect me from my angry lover.”
“Damn right I’m angry,” despite her words a smile threatened to break out on Beverly’s face. “But I’ll give you that. Do you need the big Klingon to protect you from me?”
“Depends on if you’re going to throw any more priceless artefacts at my head. Though if you are intending to, would you mind throwing that ghastly orange plate? I’ve been trying to get rid of it for years...”
“Not funny, Jean-Luc.” Jean-Luc wrapped his arms around Beverly’s waist and pulled her close. Beverly put her arms up in an attempt to struggle free, but then sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. He felt, rather than saw, her hot tears against his neck. He lifted her head and gave her a gentle kiss.
“Oh my love, please don’t cry.”
“Jean-Luc...why do we put ourselves through this?”
“Through what?”
“This...seeing other people...making each other jealous...” Beverly pulled away from Jean-Luc and wrung her hands together. “Maybe we shouldn’t.”
“Beverly, you don’t mean that, do you?” Beverly studied her hands. “I don’t know.”
“Hey, come here. Please?” He held out his hand to Beverly and this time she took it willingly and allowed Jean-Luc to pull her into an embrace. “Beverly. I didn’t sleep with Vash last night.” She looked up into his eyes with her tear-stained ones. “You...you didn’t?”
“No. How could I when you and I are...”
“Yes?”
“Together.” He captured her lips in a slow, lingering kiss. Beverly wrapped her arms around Jean-Luc and returned his kiss.
“I guess I owe you an apology...and a new...what was it? A thirteenth century crematory urn?”
“Hmm. I never liked it. Apology accepted. Now, do you want to know what happened last night after you left my quarters?”
“I’m sorry I didn’t stay last night after dinner. I just had some work I needed to get done, and then when I was finished I thought it was too late to come by...if only I had. Then, none of this would have happened.” Jean-Luc kissed Beverly’s exposed neck. “True, but now we get to make up.”
“I like that idea,” Beverly reached for the zip on Jean-Luc’s duty uniform and slowly tugged it down. “But do tell me what happened...and why did Q think you were in love with her to make us attempt to rescue her?”
“That, I have no clue on, my love. Perhaps he isn’t as all-seeing as he seems to think he is,” Jean-Luc moved to free his arms from his jumpsuit and Beverly shoved it down his hips. He reached for the hem of her sweater and pulled it off over her head. “You are so beautiful, my love.”
“Hmm. Continue the story please.”
“You left and I went to bed. Vash had somehow managed to sneak into my quarters...I still don’t know how she overrode the security code, but you can bet I will be having Worf and Geordi look over the system on my door. She came into my bedroom, and she did touch me,” Beverly withdrew her hand from where she was tracing circles on Jean-Luc’s back. “She did, did she?”
“I told her to stop.” Beverly bent down to untie Jean-Luc’s boots and motioned for him to continue. “Of course, she didn’t believe me at first that I really wanted her to stop, but she got the point when I threw her off me,” Beverly smirked as she stood up and kicked off her own shoes. “And then I kicked her out of my bedroom and told her to go back to her own quarters and I locked my bedroom door.”
“Why was she here this morning in yesterday’s clothing?”
“She must have slept on the settee or returned in the morning, because she was sitting at the table when I came out in the morning.” Jean-Luc stepped out of the legs of his jumpsuit and stood before Beverly clad only in his boxer shorts. Beverly licked her lips and took off her leggings before taking Jean-Luc by the hand and tugging him towards his bedroom.
“And after we got back from...where did you say we were?”
“Sherwood Forest. In Nottingham, England.”
“Right. What happened when she said goodbye to you?”
Jean-Luc looked sheepish. “I’m sorry, Beverly...she kissed me.” Beverly frowned. “Well, as long as that’s all she did.”
“I swear to it.”
“Good.” Beverly slid her knickers down her legs and tossed them to one side . “Did I mention how sorry I was for getting angry and throwing things at you?” Jean-Luc removed his own shorts and pushed Beverly back down onto the bed.
“Hmm. It might require a lot more apologising.”
“Oh, you.” Beverly and Jean-Luc made love well into the night, and by morning, Vash had been forgotten.