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“A lot of things can happen in twenty-five years.” Beverly contemplated the words she spoke to Jean-Luc nearly twenty-five years ago and how many things had changed in their life since. The D was lost, they nearly got stuck in the twenty-first century thanks to the Borg, their relationship nearly never happened because of a woman named Anij, and they had discovered a clone of Jean-Luc’s...which she had felt responsible for when it came out that they had procured his DNA at her wedding to Jack Crusher.
The guilt had made her take up the position Starfleet Medical kept offering her, but her feeling for Jean-Luc after he had come after her when her assignment led to her capture had brought her back to him. Their kiss in his ready room mirrored the kiss just a few years before and it wasn’t long before Beverly and him were sharing his spacious quarters and getting married and having a son together. Rene was the apple of Jean-Luc’s eye and he positively doted on him. Beverly had hated her time apart from both Rene and Jean-Luc when she was stationed on Deep Space Nine briefly, but the time had come at a point where she had begun to question if she and Jean-Luc had rushed into their marriage. She loved him, that much was sure. But, she returned from her tour sure of the strength of their relationship....and then all hell broke loose.
If it wasn’t the Borg, it was the Romulans, and Jean-Luc was full of passion to help Ambassador Spock unify Vulcan and Romulus. Beverly didn’t know all of the details, but she knew that Ambassador Spock had perished and Jean-Luc had been there when it happened. In fact, it had been her who had found her husband, covered in several inches of ash, barely clinging to life. She had fixed him, just as she had every time before, and she accompanied him to Starfleet to request a fleet of ships to move all the displaced Romulans after they dropped off six-year-old Rene with his aunt. Naturally, Starfleet had at first balked, but they eventually relented, and Jean-Luc had led the largest rescue mission Starfleet had ever seen.
It hadn’t been enough. Between the Romulans who didn’t trust Starfleet, the Federation, or Jean-Luc personally and the sheer number of people – many women and children – they simply hadn’t had enough man power or ships and many of the Romulans wound up dying of exposure or starvation.
Beverly looked out at the vines, where her two Romulan “sons” were working alongside Jean-Luc and Rene. Narek and Elnor weren’t brothers by blood, but Beverly had found Narek taking care of baby Elnor on his own and Narek called Elnor his brother. Narek was the same age as Rene and it had torn at her heartstrings to see Narek, just a child himself, taking care of the baby, who couldn’t have been a year old, yet. Both boys were filthy, Elnor covered in his own filth, but Beverly had immediately had them beamed to her quarters where she bathed both children, replicated clean clothing, and fed them a decent meal. Jean-Luc had arrived back in their quarters later that evening and he had been shocked to discover Beverly playing games with the two children. Elnor had crawled over to Jean-Luc and pulled himself up with his trouser leg and Jean-Luc was just as smitten with the baby as he had been when his own son was born. Jean-Luc had asked them in halting Romulan what their names were, and Narek had launched into a long explanation in Romulan, with Jean-Luc only understanding a few words, and Beverly even less. Narek was soon fitted with a universal translator and Beverly dug out a few of Rene’s old baby books to help him learn Standard.
Instead of bringing the two children to the Cargo Bay that had been converted for use by the refugees and expecting others to look after them, Beverly and Jean-Luc kept the children in their quarters. Narek was placed in Rene’s bedroom, sleeping on the lower bunk of Rene’s bunk beds and Elnor was placed in a crib in their bedroom. Beverly had determined the baby to be approximately six months old. She registered their DNA signatures into the computer that would try to match them up with their surviving relatives, but after several weeks, no match had been found and the boys would be placed in a care home with other orphaned children.
Elnor and Narek had both been crying when Beverly and Jean-Luc left them at the home. Beverly had kissed little Elnor’s face and hugged Narek close. Narek had started to learn Standard and told her he loved her and Elnor had made a noise that Jean-Luc swore sounded like ‘dada’. Teary-eyed, the couple returned to Starfleet headquarters where Jean-Luc was promoted to Admiral for all his trouble, and Beverly was given the rank of Captain.
They returned to the vineyard to pick up Rene and Rene asked where “Nark” was. Rene had learned about the two children when his parents had called him and he had offered to share his toys with the other boy. Jean-Luc carefully asked Rene if he wanted Narek and Elnor to be his brothers, and when he nodded, Jean-Luc was immediately at his console, contacting the home.
They had to fight to adopt the two children. Admiral and Captain Picard couldn’t be seen with Romulan children. Romulans were traitors. There was no telling what the small boys might be able to do....or at least, that was Admiral Nechayev’s reasoning for denying their application. So, Jean-Luc did what he felt was best for his family and he resigned, effective immediately.
Captain Beverly Picard, still Chief Medical Officer of the Enterprise, brought her family on board with her, but Jean-Luc had found it difficult being on his former ship reduced to the role of a house spouse. Jean-Luc and the three children left the Enterprise and returned to La Barre, where the two Romulan children flourished in the local school alongside Rene.
Beverly missed her family and so she, too, submitted her resignation. The admiralty was not happy with the prospect of losing both Picards, so they offered Beverly a compromise – she would stay in Starfleet, but not on active duty, meaning they could call her in if they needed her. After discussing it with Jean-Luc, she agreed to the position.
Their two eldest were now fourteen, and Elnor was nine. Beverly had been called out a few times, but she finally felt ready to formally retire to spend time with her husband and children. She laughed as she watched Rene chase his younger brother through the vines until Elnor ran up the steps to the veranda Beverly was standing on. Elnor threw his arms around Beverly’s waist and yelled back to his brother. “Base!”
Beverly smoothed down Elnor’s pitch black hair. “I’m ‘base’ am I?”
“Uh-huh!” Rene caught up to Elnor and was breathing heavily.
“Not fair using Mom!” Beverly chuckled.
“What are you playing?”
“Tag. I’m ‘it’.” Rene’s sandy brown hair, a perfect match for Jean-Luc when he was a child was plastered to his forehead with sweat and Beverly wrinkled her nose.
“Looks like you could do with a shower, kiddo.”
“Nah, I’m fine. Hey Mom, can I have some lemonade?” Beverly nodded.
“Find your brother and your father and tell your father it’s time for a break. I think Aunt Marie made some lemonade this morning.” Rene nodded and ran off back towards the vines, with Elnor trailing behind. She grinned to herself.
A lot of things can happen in twenty-five years, indeed.