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Jean-Luc carried a wooden crate into Beverly’s quarters on Starbase 32 and turned to look at her. “You sure this is alright?” Beverly leaned over, crate in her own hands, and gave him a quick kiss. “Of course it’s fine. Jean-Luc, where else were you going to go while they fix the Stargazer?” He shrugged.
“France, I guess. Or the flat in San Francisco...I haven’t been there since....well, before Jack died. I wonder if Walker has been there at all?” Jean-Luc, Walker, and Jack had purchased a small brownstone house in San Franscisco 15 years ago as they all figured they might at one point need to be based near Starfleet headquarters . Despite Jean-Luc referring to it as a flat, the house was three stories, and contained five bedrooms. “I suppose it belongs part to you now . I’ll make sure the deed gets changed.”
“Uh, thanks. I hadn’t even thought about the house. But no, you’re staying here.” It had been seven months since Jack Crusher had died in an accident on board the Stargazer. In the interim months, Beverly and Jean-Luc had started to see each other. Neither of them knew where their relationship was going, but it was comfortable...and Jean-Luc loved Wesley, Beverly’s son, as if he was his own. Beverly placed the crate down in a corner of her living room. “What’s in these boxes, anyway?”
“Books, some archaeological finds...mostly boring stuff. They needed me to empty out my ready room for whatever it is they are doing and some of this stuff is fairly valuable. I can send it to Earth though if you don’t have room for it.”
“No, I’m sure we can find room for everything . Please, make yourself at home...feel free to make room for your books on the shelves, but don’t forget to put the breakables up high. Wes is a smart kid, but he’s pretty clumsy.” Beverly glanced at her clock. “I need to pick up Wes from the base’s school. We’ll be back soon.”
“Can I make you and Wes dinner?” Beverly raised her eyebrows. “It’ll be wasted on Wes, he only seems to want chicken nuggets and hot dogs lately, but you know I won’t say no to some authentic French cuisine. After I put Wes to bed?” Jean-Luc nodded.
Jean-Luc was in Beverly’s – and now his – bedroom putting his clothing away in the drawers Beverly had emptied for him and briefly wondered if he was using Jack’s drawers, then shook his head, remembering that Jack never lived with Beverly on the base. He was hanging his dress uniform in the back of the wardrobe when he heard the door slide open and Wesley’s voice filled the quarters. “Uncle Jawn Loo!!”
“In Mommy’s bedroom,” he called out to the boy. Wesley came in and wrinkled his nose. “Are you gonna sleep in here with Mommy?”
“Yep. Is that okay with you?”
“I guess. But I have toys in my room.” Jean-Luc grinned at the boy. “But would I fit in your bed with all your animals?” Wesley shook his head. “Then I think I’ll sleep in here. Now, I told Mommy I would make dinner tonight, what do you want?”
“Chic’n nuggets an’ chips!” Jean-Luc groaned. “Really? Not Boeuf Bourguinon? Or Croque-Monsieur? Coq au Vin?” Wesley started to giggle. “Noooo. Chic’n nuggets an’ chips!”
“Mm, I hope you’ll make Coq au Vin for us, Jean-Luc.” Beverly came into the room, carrying one of Jean-Luc’s crates.
“If that’s what you want, my love.” Beverly leaned over and gave Jean-Luc a kiss. They had had decided not to hide their relationship from Wesley. Wesley scrunched up his face. “Ew. Kissing is gross.” Beverly smiled at her son. “Some day, Wes, you will meet someone you want to kiss.”
“Nuh-uh.” Jean-Luc chuckled. “Trust me, Wesley. It will happen when you least expect it.” He exchanged a knowing look with Beverly and reached over to squeeze her hand.
“Yuck. Can I go play before dinner?” Beverly nodded and Wesley left the bedroom. Jean-Luc wrapped his arms around Beverly. “You’re positive you want me to live with you? The Stargazer could be here for months....”
“I told you, Jean-Luc. I’m sure. I want you here with us....where I know you’re okay.” Jean-Luc frowned.
“Do you still worry about me?”
“Of course I do. I love you,” she paused as a blush crept up her face. She hadn’t told Jean-Luc she had loved him, even if it had been fairly obvious. “I love you too, Bev.” He leaned in and kissed her deeply. Beverly responded to the kiss and reached for the clasp on Jean-Luc’s shoulder to open his jacket. Jean-Luc pulled back. “Beverly? What about Wesley?”
“He’s playing in his room and we have an hour before dinner.” Beverly commanded the door to lock and continued to take off his jacket.
“An hour you say?” Jean-Luc kissed down Beverly’s neck and popped open her jacket with ease.
“Mmm-hmm.”
###
Wesley quietly sat on the floor in his bedroom, tiny metal parts all around him. He had a screwdriver in his hand and he was happily taking apart the phaser he found in Jean-Luc’s crate and separating the pieces by size and shape. He was fascinated at how the pieces all went together and this one was more fun to take apart then the old toy one he had from when he and his friends played Federation and Aliens. That one was made up of two halves, with a few other pieces screwed on, and there had been nothing inside of it. But the one he found in his uncle’s crate had all sorts of screws, bolts, and coils. Wesley was starting to put the phaser back together when he heard the bedroom door slide open and movement in the main room.
Jean-Luc went to the replicator to program it for Wesley’s dinner, deciding the boy was going to eat some carrots with his chicken and chips and adding on a glass of milk while Beverly went to Wesley’s room to get him to wash his hands. Jean-Luc heard a shriek and he dropped the plate of food and ran into Wesley’s room.
“What’s wrong?” Beverly pointed at the floor, where Jean-Luc could see the pieces of an old Mark I phaser were scattered. Jean-Luc knelt down and calmly said, “Wesley, where did you get this?”
“It was in your box. Did I do something bad?” Jean-Luc glanced over at Beverly, who had her hands on her hips and if people could really have smoke coming out of their ears, he was sure she would be smouldering. Jean-Luc sighed.
“Wesley, you shouldn’t have gone into my belongings without my permission, and you shouldn’t have taken out the phaser! You’re lucky this is an old antique and didn’t have a power cell in it. You could have hurt yourself!”
“Oh. I only wanted to see how it was put together...my toy one was boring.” Wesley pointed to the pile of plastic that used to be his toy phaser. Jean-Luc couldn’t help but smile slightly.
“Can you put it back together?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Good. Show me.” Wesley looked up at Beverly. “Mommy, am I gonna get punished?”
“Yes. Put the phaser back together for Jean-Luc, then you will eat your dinner, have a bath, and go straight to bed on your own.”
“No toys?” Beverly sighed. “You may keep one toy in your bed and you may have one book. That’s it. Everything else comes out of the bed for the rest of the week. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, Mommy.” Jean-Luc watched on in awe as Wesley put back together the phaser. “Wesley, I’m very impressed,” Wesley grinned. “Does this mean I’m not punished Uncle Jawn Loo?” Jean-Luc chuckled. “Nice try, Wes. Go wash your hands, I’ll get your dinner.”
Wesley left the room and Jean-Luc turned to Beverly. “Bev...I am so sorry. I didn’t even think about that old antique being in my boxes. “
“No, it’s not your fault. Wesley shouldn’t have gone into your boxes.”
“You know, Beverly...Wesley really does show an amazing aptitude for Engineering. Perhaps I should get him an engineering kit?”
“Maybe for his birthday. I don’t want him to think he’s getting a reward for this.”
“No, I guess not,” Jean-Luc reached for Beverly and squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry if I took over...I realise I’m not....I’m not his...I’m not Jack.”
“No, you’re not.” Beverly gave him a kiss. “And I’m quite glad you aren’t.” Jean-Luc smiled against her lips. “Oh?”
“Yes. Now go, I still want Coq au Vin for dinner and you need to replicate a new meal for Wes.”
“One more kiss?” Beverly laughed and kissed him again.
Wesley was sitting at the table with his hands folded in his lap when Jean-Lu came out. Jean-Luc quickly replicated a new meal for Wesley and sat it in front of him. Wesley made a face at the carrots. “Do I hafeta eat the carrots?”
“Yes.” Wesley pouted.
“Don’t start, Wes.” Wesley silently ate his meal while Jean-Luc cleaned up the dropped meal and replicated the ingredients he needed to make dinner for Beverly and pulled a bottle of wine out of his stash. Coq au Vin made with real French wine sounded perfect.
Beverly came out of Wesley’s room. “Smells delicious already, Jean-Luc.”
“Mm, it needs to simmer for about an hour. Enough time to get Wesley in the bath and to bed.”
“Ohhhhh.”
“Wesley.”
“Sorry, Uncle Jawn Loo.”
A half hour later, Beverly emerged from Wesley’s bedroom and closed his door with a soft click. “He’s asleep already. Didn’t even read his book.” Jean-Luc handed Beverly a glass of wine. He had lowered the lights in the room and had soft music playing.
“Hmm. I could get very used to this.” Jean-Luc wrapped an arm around Beverly and swayed with her to the music, pressing soft kisses on her cheek, jaw, and neck. He spoke against her neck. “I hope not.”
“Why’s that?”
“Well, I hope I can always surprise you.” Beverly smiled. “You do surprise me. All the time. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Beverly put her wine glass down and wrapped her arms around Jean-Luc and wondered how long it would take before his temporarily living with them turned permanent.