FREIGHTER
Captain's log star date 45973.21: We have for the last two days, we have been for an escape pod from the freighter Norcross that ran into a very large fast moving meteor shower, so big that its shields failed and its crew of three had to abandon ship real fast.
Captain Picard and Commander Riker are looking at the main viewer, Picard turns and looks at Riker as he says, "Will give it another hour and then we will set course back to Deneb four."
Riker turns and looks at Picard and answers, "If you asks me, we have spent two days to long looking for the crew of the Norcross. From the looks of the ship, no one could have gotten away."
Picard looks towards the viewer as he answers Riker, "Our sensor did show that one escape pod was jettison." He leans back in his sit and adds, "I meet Captain Mackey and his wife and son a last year, he was says that he was going to retire sometime this year."
"If we find him, it looks like he will be able to retire finally." Riker answers as he too leans back in his sit.
Just then Commander Data says, "Sir, I'm getting a reading that maybe the escape pod, it heading towards the Corvus sun."
Picard jumps up and shouts, "Lt. Worf can you get a tractor beam lock on them?"
Worf runs his fingers over his control panel and then says, "They are just out of range sir."
"Transporter one, can you beam them off?" Picard asks as he takes a few steps towards the viewer.
They hear a female voice answer, "I'm have a little trouble getting a solid lock on them."
Picard turns and says, "When you get them, Beam them straight to sickbay."
"I have them and beaming them to sickbay." They hear the female voice again.
Picard stands up with a big smile and looks down at Riker and says, "You have the bridge number one."
Riker watches as Picard heads towards the turbolift as he says, "Give the captain my best."
Crusher is standing in sickbay with two female and one male nurses as three people are being beam in, one of the three is a young man in his late twenties. The other two are a young boy about ten and the other one is a young girl about eight. All three are all wearing masks to help them breath.
When they are done beaming in Crusher looks at the young man and says, "Sue you take the boy, Jane you take the girl and Paul you give me a hand with the man." She bends down and with Paul's help she gets the young man onto one of the, bio-bed.
The young man pulls off his mask and in a very quite voice says, "See to my kids first!"
Crusher puts her hand on his shoulder as she says, "They are being token care of, just lay still."
Just then Picard walks into sickbay, he stops in his tracks when he sees, the three on the bio-beds and says, "Where is captain of the Norcross?"
The young man tries to setup as he says, "I'm the captain of the Norcross and these are my kids." He points at the two kids who are starting to move around a little bit.
"You are not captain Mackey, I meet him last year." Picard says as he looks at the young man and then at the two kids, who are sitting up looking at him now with wide eyes."
The young man sits up and faces Picard as he says, "I purchase the Norcross from captain Mackey two months ago, he want to retire to earth, because his wife was getting tired of that kind of life."
Picard slowly walks up to the young man as he asks, "Captain, what happen to your ship?"
The young man looks towards the floor as he answers him, "Our navigate system went out and I was tiring to fix it when we were hit."
Picard nods his head yes as he says, "You can get off at Deneb four, that is our next stop."
The young man looks at his kids and then back at Picard and asks, "I would like to get in contact with my insurance agent, on Vulcan."
Picard nods his head yes as he turns and leaves sickbay, Crusher walks around so she is in front of the young man and asks, "I need some information from you. Like what is your name is?"
He looks at his kids and then back at Crusher and answers, "Jim Green Jr. and that's Jon and Lee." With a little nod of his head towards the two kids who do not look too happy.
Crusher gives the kids a big smile as she says, "I will have Sue show you to a cabin you can use till we get to Deneb four." She starts to walks towards her office but stops and asks, "When was the last time you kids eat?"
Lee looks at her brother and then answers, "About three hours before we had to escape from our ship."
"Then the first order of business is food. Sue will you take them to ten forward for a meal." Crusher says as she looks at Sue who is holding a medical tricorder as she stands next to Lee.
Four hours later Crusher walks into Picard's ready room where Picard is reading some data padds. "I just found out a little more about our guests." She sets a data padd down on his desk as she says, "Jim Green Jr. was only two days away from graduation from Starfleet Academy at the top of his class!"
Picard looks up at Crusher and asks, "Did you find out why he did not graduated?"
Crusher shakes her head no as she adds, "His father was the last star fleet officer to be tired and convicted of treason!"
Picard looks up at her and says, "I thought I hear that name somewhere before."
"Maybe I could asks, Ensign Mary Nelson she was engaged to him when all of this happen." Crusher adds as she sets down a data padd onto his desk.
Picard picks up the data padd and looks at it and then says, "I would be real interest to see Jim Green's face when he finds out that she was the one that save them."
They both sure a little laugh as Crusher says, "I'm going to see them in about three hours after they have gotten some food inside of them."
"Let me know what you find out." Picard says as he sets the data padd down and turns and looks toward the window and the stars.
Crusher walks out of Picard's ready room and walks over to the turbolift and enter it and says, "Deck ten." The turbolift stops at level ten and Crusher gets off and walks towards Ten forward hoping that Jim and his kids are still there. She walks into Ten forward and looks around, not seeing Jim or his kids but does see Ensign Mary Nelson eating all alone by the window eating. A big smile comes over her face and she walks over to her and says, "May I join you Ensign?"
Mary looks up with a little smile and answers, "Have a sit Doctor."
Crusher sits down and says, "I have something to asks you."
Mary puts down her fork as she answers, "Asks away Doctor?"
"Why did Jim Green Jr. not stay around to graduate with you?" Crusher asks with a little smile.
The smile leave her face as she answer her, "That is a very personal question and I do not want to answers it at this time." She pushes herself away from the table and starts to get up and move away.
"He was the one you beam off that escape pod early today!" Crusher says as she slowly gets up too.
Mary turns around real fast with a real big smile on her face as she asks, "Are Jim and the kids OK?"
"They are doing just fine, you must have just miss them, I sent them here to eat." Crusher answers as she leans back a little bit and asks, "I take it you still love him?"
"Yes I never fell out of love with him, I just made a very big mistake." Mary answers as wipes a tear off her face. She looks down at the table and after a few seconds she says, "But I'm not sure he still love me after want I did."
"What did you do?" Crusher asks as she reaches out and puts her hand on top of Mary's.
"Four days before graduation some of the cadets came to me and asks me to sign a sheet of paper that I though says, congratulation on your promotion to captain of the Hoffman. But that is not what it said."
Three hours later up on the bridge Picard and Riker and sitting watching as a shuttle is landing in shuttle bay three. Riker turns and with a little smile says, "I wonder who Deanna meet went with her mother?"
Picard still looking at the main viewer as it goes back to showing stars, answers him, "I do not get involve in other people personal family matters."
"Sir we are receiving a message from the Commandant of Starfleet Academy." Worf says with a frown on his face.
Picard stands up and takes a few steps towards the viewer as he says, "On screen."
On the screen an older woman appears she has a little smile on her face, she says, "Captain I just found out your have Jim Green Jr. on your ship?"
"Yes we have them on board." Picard answers as he looks over shoulder at Riker who is also getting up slowly.
"Good, please tell him that he wants, we still want him." She looks down and then looks up and adds, "Tell him that the cadets who treat the other cadets into signing the petition have been token care off."
Mary is slowly walking up to the shuttle is coming to a stop, she takes a step forward as the door open and Deanna starts to walk out of it. She walks up to her and says, "I need your help with something, very important."
Deanna shows her a big smile as she answers, "Could it wait till I get back to my office?"
Mary looks down at the floor as she answers her, "Could we talk as we walk, I need to talk to you."
Deanna reaches out and takes Mary by the arm and says, "Tell me what is bother you."
"The man I was engaged to marry is now on the Enterprise with his kids." Mary answers as she wipes a tear off her chin.
"Do you still love him?" Deanna asks as she feels that Mary is very happy.
"Yes with all of my heart." Mary answer as she come to a stop and adds, "If he will still have me I will still marry him, even if it meant leaving StarFleet!"
"Why don't we go and see him and see if he still love you?" Deanna asks as a very big smile comes over her face. "After all leaving Starfleet is a very big step, if he does not love you still."
"He does not even know that I'm on the Enterprise." Mary answers as a scared look comes over her face.
"Then the first thing we need to do is find out if he is still in love with you." Deanna takes her by the arm again and they head towards a turbolift together.
When they exits the turbolift they meet Picard who is standing right out front of the cabin that Jim Green Jr. is in, he turns and sees them and says, "I have some good news for your friend Jim Green Jr."
Picard then sounds the door chimes and they hear a Jim Green Jr. voice says, "Come in, its not lock."
Mary is the first one throw the door and she sees Jim standing at a window looking at he stars. The kids are no ware to be seen, she takes a deep breath and says, "Jim I'm sorry." She walks up to him and reaches out to touch his arm as tears start to run down her face.
He pulls his arm free as he says, "Get out of here." After giving her a quick look with a very mean look on his face.
From one of the bedroom Jon comes running as she says, "Mary is that you?" When she sees that it is Mary she runs into Mary's arm.
Right behind her comes Lee who does not look too happy as he walks over next to his father and says, "What are you doing here?"
"You have to let my explain what happen." Mary answers as she gives Jon another big hug.
"Your signature was enough!" Jim answers as he puts his arm on his son's shoulder as they both give her a mean look.
Picard who has been standing next to Deanna in the doorway steps in and says, "I think it would be best if you let her explain."
Jim looks at Picard and then slowly looks down at Mary and says, "OK explain and it better be good."
Marry gives Jon a kiss on the top of her head as she stands up and looks at Jim and says, "What I thought I signed was a paper that said, congratulate on your promote to captain for on of our instructor." She looks down at Jon as she puts her hands on her shoulder and adds; "If I had now want it really said I would have made them eat it!"
"I wish I could believe you." Jim answers as he looks down at his son who is looking up at him.
Picard takes a step closer as he says, "I just got done talking too Commandant Linde at Starfleet Academy and she said that they still want you."
"If you do not take them up on it, I will follow you where ever you go!" Mary says as a tear starts to go do her face.
Jon looks up at her father and says, "Please Daddy listen to them."
Deanna smiles as she lean closer to Picard and whispers "I think we had better leave and let them work it out." She takes him by the arm and leads him towards the door, with a big smile on her face.
Once outside Picard says, "I hope this story has a happy ending?"
Deanna looks back at the door that they had just exited and answers, "I think you are going to be getting a new ensign."
"Starfleet hate to loss a good man." Picard answer as a little smile comes over his face.
A week later Picard walks onto the bridge and sees Ensign Jim Green Jr. sitting at the Conn, with Ensign Mary Green sitting at Ops. He walks down to his sit and sits down and says, "Sorry about cutting your honeymoon short, but we are needed at Rigel seven."
They both turn a little red as Jim answers him, "We understand, but the kids hated to quite riding the horse here."
Riker who had been sitting and listen turns and looks at Jim and says, "The Captain has a few programs they might enjoy."
Mary gives a little laugh as she answers, "His horse maybe a little too tame for them."
Picard does not answers as he looks towards the main viewer and says "Take us out of orbit Ensign and engage."
THE END
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