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Jean-Luc Picard looked at Wesley Crusher across the table from him with a sad smile. “I know the past few days have been had on you, son.” Wesley nodded.
“Sir, I’m sorry I told Jeremy I was angry with you.” He looked at the table, unable to look the older man in the eye.
“It’s alright, Wes. You don’t know how much I beat myself up wishing it had been me and not him.” Wesley raised his head to look at Jean-Luc.
“Why?” Jean-Luc sighed. He hadn’t really talked about the aftermath from Jack’s death in a long time, and only Walker had ever heard these words.
“Jack had you and your mother. He had a family. I didn’t. I hated having to come and tell you and your mother about his death. That night...” Wesley grinned.
“I remember. Mom fell asleep on the sofa with you and I came down and you held out your arm to me. I woke up in my own bed in the morning, but I don’t know how I got there. And I remember you yelling at me to clean my room in the morning.” Jean-Luc chuckled.
“I carried you upstairs and I tripped over some of those bricks you used to build with.” Wesley cracked a smile.
“Oh. Sorry.” Wesley thought a little longer.
“It’s going to be harder on Jeremy, won’t it?”
“I can’t answer that. I don’t think anyone can...except perhaps Mister Worf or your mother.” Wesley straightened up and glanced over at his mother.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I was so caught up in remembering when Dad died, I didn’t even think about you losing your parents when you were a kid.” Beverly smiled at her son. Truthfully, her parents had passed away so long ago she barely thought about it, but Jean-Luc was right.
“I was the same age you were when your father died. But, I had Nana, so I wasn’t entirely alone.”
“Yeah. I had you...and Captain, I had you, too. I mean, you’ve been like a dad to me.” He smiled at Jean-Luc and Jean-Luc reached across to pat Wesley’s hand.
“I’ve always considered you my son.” Beverly watched the interaction with a tear in her eye and shook her head.
“What am I going to do with my boys?”
“Boys? Beverly, I haven’t been a boy in a very long time.” Beverly eyed her Captain.
“Yep. My boys.”