Survivors 2

Beverly led Danielle into Sickbay, keeping a tight grip on her hand while scanning the ward, searching for her son. She quickly located him on an isolated biobed where he was apparently still unconscious. Beverly joined Jean-Luc next to the bed where he was keeping a silent vigil, with their granddaughter sleeping peacefully in his arms.

"Jean-Luc?" He looked up at the sound of Beverly’s voice and gave her a small smile. Before she could voice the question, he spoke, "Wesley is fine. He suffered no permanent effects of the phaser stun and he’s resting peacefully now. In fact, the attending physician said he should awaken fairly soon."

Beverly breathed a sigh of relief and took one of Wesley’s hands in her own, scanning the biobed readings for her own peace of mind. Jean-Luc smile and shook his head, then turned his attention to Danielle.

"Dani, are you okay?" he asked.

Danielle broke off her observation of Wesley and looked at her father, giving him a small smile. "I’m feeling a little better now Dad, thanks. I had a little ‘talk’ with Mom and Deanna." She sighed at his concerned expression, "I really am feeling better."

Jean-Luc smiled, "Good. Then you can relieve me of my little burden. My arms are numb." He gently lifted Elizabeth from his shoulder and passed her to Danielle. "Gladly," Danielle replied with a smile as she hugged her sleeping daughter.

Both Jean-Luc and Danielle turned their attention to Beverly when they heard her excited gasp. "He’s regaining consciousness!" she cried.

"Ummm," Danielle interrupted, "I’m gonna go now."

Beverly turned to Danielle in surprise, "You’re leaving? Why, Dani?"

"I just think you should have some time alone with Wesley."

"No, Dani, please stay," Beverly pleaded.

Jean-Luc recognized the nervous look in Danielle’s eyes. "He’ll understand about the accident, Dani," he said.

Danielle shook her head, tears clouding her vision. "I’m sorry, Mom, Dad, I just can’t right now. Besides, I have to get Beth back to bed. Later, I promise." Before Beverly or Jean-Luc could protest further, Danielle turned and rushed out of Sickbay.

Beverly took a step toward Danielle’s retreating form, but quickly halted and turned back to the biobed when she heard Wesley’s voice. "Mom?" he croaked, struggling to open his eyes against the bright lights of Sickbay.

"Yes, Wesley, I’m here," Beverly replied.

Jean-Luc stepped away from the bed long enough to retrieve a glass of water from the replicator and hand it to Wesley, who was now fully conscious and slowly sitting up on the biobed. Wesley accepted the water gratefully and took a few sips, trying to clear his throat. He barely had time to set the water aside before Beverly enveloped him in a hug, which he readily returned.

"Oh, Wesley," she whispered, "it’s so wonderful to have you home, son. I’ve missed you so much."

"I’ve missed you too, Mom," Wesley replied. He pulled back to look at her face and smiled at the tears rolling down her cheeks. He looked over at his former captain and grinned, "You too, sir."

Jean-Luc returned his grin, "Welcome home, Wesley," he said, placing an arm around Wesley’s shoulders.

"Thank you, sir," Wesley replied, somewhat surprised by the captain’s relaxed demeanor. He glanced around the room, taking in his surroundings, noticing that he was in Sickbay. "What happened?" Wesley asked, rubbing his eyes and trying to shake off the groggy feeling.

"You don’t remember?" Beverly didn’t bother covering the concern in her voice. She pulled her tricorder out of the pocket of her lab jacket and began scanning his head. She frowned, "There’s no evidence of brain damage or concussion." She closed her tricorder, "What do you remember, Wes?"

Wesley closed his eyes and thought back to his arrival on the ship. His eyes suddenly shot open and he reflexively grabbed his chest, gasping as the memories came flooding back. "What...who...why?" He struggled against Jean-Luc and Beverly, trying to stand.

"Calm down, Wesley," Beverly said, pressing firmly but gently on his shoulders.

"Who was that girl?" he asked, relaxing his struggle.

Beverly sighed, "It’s a long story, Wes."

"Yes, and I don’t think this is the place to go into it," Jean-Luc added. "Why don’t we move this to my quarters."

When they arrived at the captain’s quarters, Jean-Luc motioned Beverly and Wesley to the sofa while he retrieved three cups of tea from the replicator. As Wesley made himself comfortable, he took a moment to look around the cabin. Frowning slightly in confusion, he noticed a few of his mother’s belongings displayed around the room. He settled back against the sofa, deciding to listen to what the captain and his mother had to say before he launched into his multitude of questions.

Beverly sat across from Wesley and was soon joined by Jean-Luc who sat the teacups on the coffee table and then sat next to Beverly. Wesley accepted a cup of tea and sipped quietly, his eyes staring expectantly at the captain and Beverly. They glanced at each other; both hoping the other would break the ice. Minutes dragged by with no attempt at speech from either of them. Finally Wesley decided to take the first step.

"So, will one of you please tell me what’s going on? Who is she and why did she shoot me?" he asked, setting his cup down.

Beverly let out a sigh and opened her mouth to reply. Before she voiced her response, she suddenly frowned and instead asked him a question. "Wesley, what were you doing in her quarters?"

Wesley’s eyes became unfocused, taking on a faraway look as he considered his response. "I’m not really sure how I ended up there. I just had a feeling...someone...someone close to me...my family...they were in pain...so much pain. I felt the pain, so I had to come back." His eyes refocused on Beverly. "I thought you were hurt, Mom, so I focused on that pain and traveled directly to it. I don’t understand how I ended up in that girl’s quarters."

Beverly sat forward, resting her elbows on her knees, trying to think how to word her response. She felt Jean-Luc move forward and rest his hand on hers. Taking a deep breath, she looked Wesley in the eye, "She’s no stranger, Wes. She’s your sister."

Wesley’s eyes were wide with shock. "What?" he whispered.

"Her name is Danielle and she’s you sister, well half-sister actually. Danielle is my daughter," she glanced at Jean-Luc, "our daughter."

Jean-Luc didn’t think Wesley’s eyes could possibly get any wider, but they did. He also noticed the young man’s face beginning to take on a deep shade of red. He tried to diffuse this potentially explosive situation. "Wesley..." he began gently. He stopped when Wesley suddenly leaped off the sofa. "How old is she?" he demanded. "How old?" he repeated. They could feel the anger emanating from him.

Beverly quickly stood and stared her son down, her own temper flaring, "She’s twenty-five."

Wesley’s quick mind did the math. His father had died just over twenty-five years earlier. His mind could barely process the idea that his mother had been unfaithful to his father...and with his father’s supposed best friend, Captain Jean-Luc Picard!

"But, Dad..." he managed to choke out.

Beverly quickly jumped in, "She was conceived AFTER your father died, Wesley."

"How long after?" he demanded.

Beverly’s face took on a pained expression and she looked away from her son, wringing her hands nervously. "Three weeks," she whispered.

"Three weeks?!" Wesley cried out in shock and despair.

Jean-Luc stood and attempted to intervene, "Wesley..."

Wesley turned on him, seething with anger, "Don’t!" he yelled. "Don’t even try to justify your actions. You and Mom..." He couldn’t even bring himself to say it, "and my father wasn’t even cold in his grave!" Wesley turned back to his mother, focusing his anger on her, not caring that her eyes were bright with tears. Wesley’s eyes seemed to bore right through her. "Jack Crusher is still my father, isn’t he? Or am I just another bastard child of yours?" His cruel words tore at Beverly’s heart as her tears began streaming down her face.

"Enough!" Jean-Luc roared. Both Wesley and Beverly jumped at the force of his anger. Jean-Luc closed his eyes for a moment trying to control his temper. No one had the right to treat Beverly this way, not even her own son. "Wesley," his voice was low, but firm, "your mother and I are very sorry for the pain and anger we have caused you, but there is nothing we can do to change the past. We both made some mistakes but we’ve also more than made amends for them." Jean-Luc stepped closer to Wesley and dropped his voice to a whisper. "However, I refuse to apologize for Danielle’s existence. She is my daughter and I love her very much, and nothing you can say will ever change that."

Wesley looked away from Jean-Luc, not trusting himself to give a controlled reply. Beverly watched Wesley through her tears, brushing them out of her eyes and struggling to control her emotions.

"Wesley," she whispered.

Wesley glared in her direction, then turned away and, stepping quickly around the coffee table, rushed out of Jean-Luc’s quarters. Jean-Luc took a step toward the doors, fully prepared to charge after Wesley, but the sound of Beverly’s sobs stopped him in his tracks. He turned toward her and found her slowly sinking to her knees, her arms hugging her body. The force of her tears and anguish caused her body to tremble violently. Jean-Luc quickly moved to her side and knelt down, taking her into his arms.

"Oh god, Jean-Luc, I’ve lost him. What am I going to do?" she sobbed. "I’ve found my daughter only to lose my son!"

"No! No, Beverly, you haven’t lost him. He’s angry right now, yes, but once he cools down, we’ll talk to him. He’s a very smart young man and he’ll understand. We’ll make him understand." He drew Beverly into a tight embrace. "You won’t lose him, Beverly, I promise," he whispered.

Wesley barreled through the corridors of the ship, pausing momentarily at a computer terminal to ascertain the location of his intended destination. Still feeding off his own anger, he shut off the terminal and rushed toward a turbolift, fired with determination. Finally arriving, he stood in front of the doors, clenching and unclenching his fists. He pressed the door chime and waited for the occupant to respond. The doors finally swished open and he found himself face to face with his ‘sister’.

Danielle stared at Wesley in shock. He was the last person she expected to find standing on the other side of the door. At a loss for words, Danielle simply stared at him. Wesley warily returned her stare, but his eyes were full of anger. Danielle feared he was angry with her for the ‘accident’ and tried to find some way to apologize. "Wesley," was all she managed to choke out.

Wesley glared at her. "Danielle," he spat out. Not bothering to wait for an invitation, he stepped around Danielle and walked into her quarters.

In Jean-Luc’s quarters, Beverly finally began to calm down with the help of Jean-Luc’s tender embrace and loving words. Beverly suddenly gasped and pulled away from Jean-Luc.

"Jean-Luc, where did Wesley go? Oh god, he didn’t leave the ship, did he?"

Jean-Luc stood, pulling Beverly up with him. He moved to his computer terminal and used his command codes to scan for Wesley’s life signs aboard the ship. He found him. "He’s on deck 8, section 12. Danielle’s quarters!" He shut off the terminal and bolted out the door with Beverly hot on his heels.

Wesley circled Danielle, who felt as if he was sizing her up. He finally stopped directly in front of her and stared at her. Danielle racked her brains to try and put together a descent apology for Wesley. She opened her mouth to speak and froze when she heard the words coming from Wesley’s mouth.

"I do apologize for bothering you so late, Danielle," his voice was dripping with sarcasm, "but I just had to meet the product of my mother’s disgusting liaison personally."

All hopes for building a close relationship with her half-brother flew out the window as Danielle felt her temper spiral out of control. Determined to wipe that superior look off his face, she slapped him as hard as she could across his face.

"How dare you!" she screamed. "You don’t even know me! Get out of here!" She pushed him away with all her strength. As he fell backward toward the doors, he tripped the sensor mechanism and stumbled into the corridor, directly into Jean-Luc and Beverly. They’d heard Danielle’s screams from the other end of the corridor.

"Wesley!" Beverly gasped in disbelief. She looked at Danielle, who turned away and walked back into her quarters, the doors shutting behind her. Beverly’s own anger began to build. What the hell was Wesley thinking? She grabbed Wesley by the hand and dragged him down the corridor.

"Where are we going, Mom?" Wesley asked innocently.

"To my quarters," she snapped. "You and I are going to have a long talk."

Jean-Luc stayed where he was and watched them disappear around the corner, deciding they needed some time alone. He turned back toward Danielle’s quarters and entered, intent on having a talk of his own with his daughter.

Once they reached Beverly’s quarters, she pulled Wesley to the sofa and practically pushed him down on it, taking a seat next to him.

"You know, Mom, I could just ‘phase’ out of here," Wesley smirked.

"You won’t if you know what’s good for you," Beverly glared at him. He knew at this point not to argue with her.

"Now you listen to me, Wesley Crusher. I know how angry you must be about this whole situation, but you had absolutely no right to treat Dani the way you did. She has done NOTHING wrong and she didn’t choose to be involved in this. If you want to shout and insult someone, then do it to me, NOT Danielle. She is a sweet, wonderful young woman and she’s been through enough recently to have you adding to her problems."

Wesley raised a skeptical eyebrow at his mother, prompting her to launch into a long explanation of Danielle losing her husband and then being attacked on Caldos. With each sentence, Wesley’s expression grew softer, his anger seeping away and being replaced by guilt. Beverly watched her son’s reaction closely and moved closer to him, taking his hand in her own.

Beverly sighed, "Wesley, Dani’s lost so much and her family is all she has left at the moment. I know she wanted to build a close relationship with you, but her hopes for that were crushed when she shot you. Right now she’s experiencing a great deal of guilt and pain, and all she really wants from you is some compassion and understanding. She really is a wonderful person, Wesley, and I’m sure you’d agree if you’d just take the chance to get to know her. Jean-Luc and I happen to love her, and her daughter, Elizabeth, very much."

Wesley looked away from Beverly at her last statement, his eyes suddenly filled with sadness. At that moment, Beverly suddenly understood. "That’s it, isn’t it?" Beverly asked incredulously, "Something about the fact that I care so much for Danielle disturbs you. Why, Wes?" Wesley remained silent. "Please tell me Wesley," Beverly pleaded.

Wesley sighed and looked into her eyes. He was surprised at the amount of warmth and compassion reflected in them. He suddenly felt ashamed at his actions. "I know it sounds stupid, but I’m afraid that you will build a new life with the captain and Danielle and that there won’t be room for me. I guess I’m jealous of the happy little family life you have now...that I’m not a part of." He looked away from her when he finished his explanation, feeling slightly embarrassed by his confession.

Beverly reached up and cupped Wesley’s chin, gently pulling his face back toward her. "Wesley, you know that’s not true. You’re my son. You are a part of my life, my family, and you always will be, no matter what. Having Danielle back in my life is a wonderful bonus, not a replacement of you. I love you so much, son, and you will always be welcome here. Jean-Luc loves you as if you were his son and Dani desperately wants to get to know you as her brother, although you did manage to piss her off royally."

Wesley managed a small smile at the amusement in her voice. "I guess I should go apologize to her, huh?"

"That would probably be a smart move. Although, in light of the phaser incident, I’d say you two are pretty even at this point. You may want to call a truce before someone gets killed, though."

Wesley began to stand but Beverly put her hands on his shoulders, pulling him back down to the sofa. "Before you go Wes, there is one other issue I want to discuss. You deserve an explanation about the circumstances surrounding Danielle’s birth."

He looked as if he would argue the point but she hushed him with a stern look. "Please, Wesley, just hear me out. I love you father very much and whether you believe it or not, I was devastated by his death. A few weeks after that, Jean-Luc visited and we spent the evening talking about Jack. We laughed a little, cried a lot, and eventually sought to comfort each other through love. Don’t get me wrong, Wes, our actions weren’t completely based on grief. I didn’t completely realize it at the time, but I was, and still am, deeply in love with Jean-Luc Picard. We both tried to deny it, especially after that night, but the love was always there, and it always will be. Unfortunately, we were both overcome by guilt and chose to act as if it never happened. Jean-Luc left for deep space on the Stargazer the next day. A few weeks later, I found out that I was pregnant. Do you remember when I sent you to stay with Jack’s parents for awhile?"

Wesley nodded, "I always thought you were taking time to grieve and put your life back together."

Beverly shook her head, "I went to Caldos to stay with Nana. That’s where I gave birth to Danielle, and then gave her up for adoption." Wesley gripped his mother’s hands tighter when he saw a few tears slip down her cheeks. "That was the most difficult decision I’ve ever had to make, but I didn’t think I was strong enough to handle raising you and a newborn baby all alone, while traveling with Starfleet. Believe me, if I had it all to do over again, I would not have given her up. But, as both Danielle and Jean-Luc have pointed out on numerous occasions, I did what I thought was right at the time and since I can’t change the past, there is no point in continuing to punish myself. It’s time to move on."

Beverly reached up to caress her son’s cheek. "I’m sorry if I hurt you, Wesley. Keeping this from you and Jean-Luc was wrong and I know that now. But I’m not sorry that it happened. I love Jean-Luc very much and I realize that our timing sucked, but if it hadn’t of happened we wouldn’t have Danielle now. I’m very happy with my life now, Wesley, and I hope someday you’ll forgive me, and Jean-Luc, and want to be a part of our life."

She held her breath while she waited for his response. Wesley sighed and looked down to their joined hands. He knew he had every right to remain angry with her. She had made some terrible mistakes and had pretty much lied to him for most of his life. He looked back up into her eyes, which were silently pleading with him, and felt all his anger drain away. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remain angry with her, he loved her too much. She was all the family he had left. Although, the more he thought about it, if he could forgive his mother, than he could also find a way to accept Jean-Luc and Danielle into his life. He had always thought of Jean-Luc as a father figure, and he had always wanted a little sister.

"Mom..."

"Yes?" she sat up straight, unable to hide her anxiety.

Wesley smiled warmly at her, his eyes bright with unshed tears. "Mom, I’m so sorry about everything I said. I was angry, but I’m not angry anymore. Actually I think I was more scared than angry. All I want is for you to be happy. I don’t want to lose you, Mom, and I would very much like to be a part of this family, if you’ll have me."

Beverly smiled brightly and hugged her son, tears running down both of their faces. "I love you, Wes. Always remember that."

"I love you too, Mom." Wesley pulled away from her and looked into her eyes. "Do you think Danielle and the captain will forgive me?" he asked.

Beverly smiled and brushed his bangs back from his forehead. "I’m sure they will."

"Do you forgive me?" he asked softly.

Beverly smiled mischievously, "I will on one condition."

Wesley frowned, "And that would be..."

"That you escort me down the aisle when I marry Jean-Luc next month."

Wesley’s mouth dropped open in surprise. Just how many more surprises did his mother have for him? He could see how blissfully happy she was about this event and sense how utterly at peace she felt. How could he deny her? "It would be an honor," Wesley finally said.

Beverly’s smile brightened and she drew her son into her arms for another hug. "I’m happy for you, Mom, really," Wesley said softly.

"Thank you, Wes. I’m so glad you’re okay with this. I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my life, and I really want you to be a part of it all."

Wesley leaned back and looked at his mother, smiling, "I really want to be a part of it too, if Danielle and the captain are willing to put up with me."

Beverly smiled gleefully, "I’m sure they’ll manage. I learned to put up with you, eventually."

Wesley smirked, "Gee, thanks Mom. Your confidence is overwhelming."

Beverly laughed and hugged him again before finally standing up, pulling Wesley up with her. "Come on. Let’s go see Jean-Luc and Dani and try to get this whole mess straightened out." Without waiting for a response, she took him by the hand and led him from her quarters.

Jean-Luc peeked into the bedroom and saw Danielle lying on her bed, her back to him. He glanced at the crib and saw Elizabeth sleeping soundly, despite her mother’s earlier screams. He walked into the bedroom and carefully sat down on the bed behind Danielle. He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. "Hey," he said softly, "Are you doing okay, sweetheart?"

Danielle sighed and turned over to look at her father. "I’m fine, I guess," she said, taking his hand.

"No, you’re not," he countered. "Come on, talk to me."

She frowned, "Okay, I’m angry, hurt, and disappointed."

"And you have every right to feel that way. What Wesley did was uncalled for, and very out of character." Jean-Luc sighed, "When we told him that you were his sister and when you were conceived, he became almost hysterical. You see, sweetheart, Beverly’s been his only family since his father died and in his eyes, she could do no wrong. During the years he lived on the Enterprise, I became a father figure to him and I guess he looked up to me. For him to find out that his mother and I are human and do make mistakes was too much for him. He’s angry about being deceived and he needed someone to direct his anger at, someone to hurt as much as he was, and apparently you were that someone."

"Yeah, well, he’s succeeded admirably," Danielle snapped.

"Dani, he’s really a wonderful young man and I’m sure when he cools down, he’ll apologize to you for his behavior. As I said before, he’s angry at Beverly and I for our mistakes, not at you."

Danielle fixed sad eyes on his, "Is that what I am, a mistake?" she asked softly.

"No," he said emphatically, "you most definitely are not a mistake in my, or Beverly’s eyes. Yes, you were not planned and you weren’t well-timed, but we do not regret your birth in any way, shape, or form."

Jean-Luc took Danielle’s hand in his, "Honestly, Danielle, I’m happier now than I’ve ever been in my life, and that’s because I have you and Beverly, and Beth, in my life. I wouldn’t trade what I have now for anything in the universe."

Danielle smiled, "Thanks, Dad." Sitting up, she hugged him tight. She expelled a breath, "What about Wesley?"

Jean-Luc pulled back and looked into his daughter’s eyes, "Wesley is a part of this family, whether you, or he, likes it or not. He’s Beverly’s son, just as much as you are her daughter. He’s always been like a son to me and I love him very much."

Jean-Luc heard a throat clear behind him and turned around suddenly. He sighed in relief when he found Beverly and Wesley standing in the bedroom doorway watching him. "Trying to give me heart failure by sneaking up on me?" Jean-Luc asked. His voice was filled with amusement.

Beverly smiled innocently, "Of course not. And we weren’t sneaking up on you, we were eavesdropping."

Wesley managed a weak smile as he looked at the captain. "Did...did you mean all those things you said?" he asked quietly.

Jean-Luc smiled warmly, "Absolutely, every word. I’ve always thought of you as my son, Wesley. I know at times I was strict with you, but I knew how much potential you had and I didn’t want to see you waste it." Jean-Luc stood and moved to stand directly in front of Wesley. He took both of Wesley’s hands in his own. "Son, I couldn’t be more proud of your many accomplishments, or love you more, if you were my biological child."

Wesley smiled and embraced Jean-Luc, "Thank you...Dad," he whispered.

Beverly smiled through her own tears as the two men she loved most in the universe embraced. She glanced over at Danielle and was relieved to see her smiling warmly at Jean-Luc and Wesley. Without pulling out of the embrace, Wesley spoke softly to Jean-Luc, "I’m so sorry for everything I said to you. I didn’t mean what I said. I was angry, but I’m not anymore."

Jean-Luc pulled away and looked into Wesley’s eyes, "Completely forgiven and forgotten."

"Thank you," Wesley said softly and hugged Jean-Luc again quickly before looking at Danielle, who was smiling at them. When their eyes met, her smile wavered and she looked away. Wesley looked first at Jean-Luc, then Beverly. "Can you guys give us a few minutes, please?"

Beverly glanced at Jean-Luc then back to Wesley in surprise. "Of course," she replied. Jean-Luc stepped around Wesley and, taking Beverly’s hand, walked out of the bedroom, the doors closing swiftly behind them.

Wesley watched them leave and took a deep breath as he turned to face Danielle, who was still sitting silently on the bed. Danielle watched him curiously for a moment then shifted her attention to the crib to watch Elizabeth sleep. Wesley sighed and slowly moved toward the bed. This was going to be harder than he thought. He lowered himself onto the bed; worried that jostling Danielle too much would give her cause to leave the room. Wesley cleared his throat in a somewhat pathetic attempt to get Danielle’s attention. Danielle smiled to herself, mentally giving him an ‘A’ for effort.

Wesley sighed in frustration, "Danielle?"

No response. Not even eye contact. Considering her parentage, *she must have gotten a double helping of stubbornness* he thought. Wesley thought for a moment and decided to switch tactics. "You know, the least you could do is apologize for what you did."

That got her attention. Danielle’s head snapped back to Wesley, her eyes filled with rage. "What?! Me, apologize?! What about you?" she tried to keep her voice down, not wanting to wake her daughter with her shouts.

Wesley grinned mischievously, "I knew that would make you talk!"

The anger drained from Danielle’s face. She looked away from him again. "I can’t believe I fell for that one," she muttered. Wesley breathed a sigh of relief, detecting a note of amusement in her voice.

Wesley reached over and gently turned Danielle’s face toward his. He took a moment to analyze her features and noticed for the first time how much she resembled both his mother and the captain. Her blue eyes burned with the determination of Jean-Luc Picard not to mention a hint of his mother’s legendary temper. Her facial structure was reminiscent of Beverly but her hair color matched the image of a younger Picard that he remembered seeing in images with his father, Jack Crusher.

Danielle grew anxious under his stare and pulled her face away from his grasp. "What?" she asked, looking down self-consciously at herself.

"Just noticing how much you look like Mom, and the captain," Wesley replied with a smile.

Danielle smirked, "It’s nice to see you’ve accepted my parentage without the insults."

Wesley frowned and looked down into his lap. When he returned his gaze to hers, she could see the regret reflected in his eyes. "Danielle, I’m truly sorry for the horrible things I said to you. I had no right to take my fears and anger out on you. I’m sorry. I really hope you’ll forgive me, because I’d really like to get to know you better. I’ve always wanted a little sister."

Hesitating momentarily, Danielle finally smiled and shook her head in defeat. "How could I possibly hold a grudge against that? Besides, I owe you an apology as well. I’m sorry about the incident with the phaser, Wesley. It’s just...you startled me, just appearing in my bedroom...and, with everything that’s happened lately...I just wasn’t thinking straight. I’m sorry Wesley."

Wesley held up his hand to stop her rambling apology. "You don’t need to apologize, Danielle. Mom told me everything and I don’t blame you for what happened. It was a natural reaction, considering the circumstances." Wesley chuckled, "I think in one night, we’ve managed to make up for twenty-something years of no sibling rivalry. Perhaps we should call a truce now, before innocent bystanders get hurt."

For the first time in weeks, Danielle giggled. "Agreed," she said.

Wesley leaned toward her and drew her into a hug. "Nice to finally meet you, sis."

"Thank you," Danielle replied, "I’ve always wanted an older brother. I probably should have been more specific, but I guess you’ll do."

Wesley’s eyes narrowed, "Gee, thanks. I’m so glad Mom’s sense of humor has made it into the next generation."

Danielle smiled innocently at him. Their light banter was interrupted by a quiet voice coming from the crib. "Mama?" Elizabeth was rubbing her eyes and peeking through the bars of the crib at Danielle.

Danielle stood and moved toward the crib. "Hi sweetie. Did we wake you?" Danielle picked her daughter up and settled the little girl on her hip. Danielle turned back to Wesley. "Wesley, this is my daughter, Elizabeth. Beth, for short."

Wesley stood and smiled at the little girl. "Hi Beth," he said softly.

"Say ‘hi’ to your uncle Wesley, Beth," Danielle said. Elizabeth eyed Wesley suspiciously, seemingly sizing him up. After a few moments she offered her uncle a shy smile. "Hi, Wessey," she finally said.

Wesley grinned at her mispronunciation of his name. "Maybe you should just stick with ‘Wes’ kiddo."

Elizabeth’s smile brightened, "Wes!" she exclaimed, bouncing up and down in her mother’s arms. Danielle tightened her grip, trying to settle Elizabeth. "Something tells me you won’t be going back to sleep any time soon," Danielle muttered, kissing Elizabeth’s cheek. Danielle looked at Wesley, who was still smiling at Elizabeth.

Danielle smiled to herself. "Wes, would you like to hold your niece?"

Wesley looked slightly concerned. "Do you think she’d let me?"

"Yes. She loves the attention." Danielle gently lifted her daughter into Wesley’s arms. Elizabeth squirmed in his arms initially, but eventually settled down and laid her head against Wesley’s shoulder. Wesley smiled and placed a kiss atop her curls. "Should we rejoin our parents? I’m sure they’re worried you’ve rendered me unconscious once again."

Danielle glared playfully at him. "You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?"

"I will. Someday. In the very distant future." Danielle stuck her tongue out at him as they walked through the bedroom doors and into the main living area.

When Beverly and Jean-Luc saw them emerging from the bedroom, they practically leaped off the sofa and rushed over to them. Danielle and Wesley exchange amused glances. "And you thought they’d be worried," Danielle said.

Wesley shrugged, "What was I thinking? They obviously have no interest whatsoever in our conversation."

Beverly crossed her arms, "Ha, ha. Very funny. Now, tell us what happened. Are you two okay?"

Danielle adopted a serious expression, "Well, we agreed that it would be in everyone’s best interest if Wesley hopped the next phase shift to the nearest dimension and stayed there."

"What?" Beverly’s expression went from shock to confusion when Wesley and Danielle burst into laughter. Wesley contained himself long enough to choke out, "Mom, the expression on your face was priceless!"

Beverly’s only reply was to glare at the two of them, which only made them laugh harder. Even Jean-Luc began to laugh, which he tried to cover as a coughing fit when Beverly’s gaze swung in his direction. Danielle finally managed to calm down. "I’m sorry, Mom, I couldn’t resist. Wesley and I are fine, really. One big happy family."

Beverly smiled and pulled first Danielle and then Wesley, still holding Elizabeth in for hugs. "Oh, I can’t tell you how happy that makes me!"

"Don’t get too excited, Mom. You may still have some sibling rivalry to deal with," Wesley said.

This time Jean-Luc replied. "Wesley, with the potentially life-threatening problems you caused on the Enterprise-D, and Danielle’s problems with Starfleet, sibling rivalry is the least of our concerns."

"Hey," Danielle countered, "I resent that accusation. Mine was more of a ‘situation’, not a ‘problem’."

"Semantics," Jean-Luc replied.

"That’s what we get for having children who are too smart for their own good," Beverly said.

Wesley smirked, "Oh, please, we keep your lives interesting. Without us, you’d just be exploring vast unknown regions of space day in and day out. We merely throw a disaster or two in your direction, to spice things up a bit."

Beverly sighed, "In that case, I think both Jean-Luc and I are more than ready for retirement."

Before Danielle or Wesley could make a smart-ass comeback, Elizabeth began bouncing in Wesley’s arms again. "I’m hungry, Mama!" she said excitedly.

Danielle sighed and shook her head; "It’s a little early for breakfast Beth. Why don’t we wait awhile?"

"I’m hungry now, Mama!" Beth cried.

"Aha!" Wesley exclaimed, "The legendary Howard appetite rears its ugly head."

Danielle took Elizabeth from Wesley’s arms. "I think I will get her some breakfast. Then maybe she’ll go back to s-l-e-e-p." Wesley chimed in, "Why don’t we all have an early breakfast? I have to leave soon and I’d like us to spend a little more time together."

Beverly looked crestfallen. "Leave? But, you just got here."

Wesley smiled sadly, "I know, Mom. But I have some unfinished business to attend to and the sooner I get it done, the sooner I can get back here. I want to be back in time to escort you down the aisle."

"Promise you’ll be back as soon as possible? I miss having my baby boy around," Beverly teased.

Wesley groaned, "Mo-om, please. I promise I’ll be back soon."

"Good. Now, let’s eat!" Beverly replied.

After their loud and, thanks to Elizabeth, messy breakfast, the unconventional little family spent what little time they had left together, talking about the upcoming wedding and listening to stories about Wesley’s travels. Wesley finally checked the ship’s chronometer and stood reluctantly.

"Well, I guess I’d better be going," he said.

Beverly stood, "Already?"

"Mom, don’t make this any harder on me than it already is. You know I would love nothing more than to spend some more time with you, but if I’m going to make it back here for the wedding, I have to go now."

Beverly sighed and put her hands up in a defensive gesture, "I know, I know, I’m sorry." She looked at her son with narrowed eyes, "What exactly is so important that you are in such a hurry to return to?"

"Well, I could try to explain it to you, but with your comparably limited brain functions, you would have trouble understanding it," Wesley said smugly.

Danielle bust into laughter, at her mother’s stricken expression. "I’m really going to miss you, Wes," she managed to choke out.

Wesley grinned, "Likewise, sis." He pulled her in for a warm hug. "Do me a favor and take good care of our parents. Try to keep them out of trouble, ok?"

"I’ll do my best, but I am only human."

Wesley chucked and released her. He lifted Elizabeth from her chair and gathered her into his arms. "Hey, kiddo, be good for your mom and your grandparents, ok?"

"Ok," Elizabeth replied. Wesley hugged her gently. "Bye, Beth," he said softly.

"Bye, Wes," she offered him a bright smile, prompting one from him in return.

Wesley shifted his niece to his hip and turned to his sister. "Well, I know we got off to a bad start..."

Danielle raised an eyebrow, "That’s one hell of an understatement."

"But," Wesley emphasized, "I’m very glad we were able to overcome our initial problems, because I’m looking forward to life with my favorite little sister."

"I guess that means you’ll have to visit more often. And I’m not your favorite sister, I’m your only sister." Danielle’s brow creased as she looked toward Beverly, "At least I think I am."

Beverly raised her hands in defense again, "Hey, I’m not hiding any other children." Three sets of eyebrows raised at her. "I swear I’ve only given birth twice. I don’t have any other children." Beverly sounded more desperate with each word she uttered.

Jean-Luc stepped in and placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently. "We believe you, my love. We were only teasing. We didn’t mean to upset you."

Beverly sighed, "I know and I don’t mean to be so defensive. I guess there’s still some latent guilt that I need to deal with."

"Don’t get over it too quickly, Mom. It makes for great ammunition," Wesley grinned wickedly.

"Ha, ha," Beverly said, unable to hide a smile of her own as she took Elizabeth from his arms.

"Anyway," Wesley said slowly and turned his attention back to Danielle, "Are you going to be okay?"

Danielle’s enthusiasm shifted in light of Wesley’s question as memories of recent tragic events returned in full force. Smiling through her anguish, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes, she finally replied to Wesley’s question. "I’ll be fine, Wes. At least, I’d better be. I don’t know if either one of us would survive another ‘surprise visit’ from you just because you sensed my pain," she quipped.

Wesley smiled sadly at her attempt at a joke. He fully realized the depth of her fear and pain, wishing he could stay longer to make sure she would be okay over the next few weeks. Wesley had surmised right from the start, without considering her parentage, the strength, and the stubbornness that flowed through her veins. "Hey," he whispered, drawing Danielle in for another hug, "I know you’re putting on a brave face, trying to hide from the pain. Trust me, it’s in your genes. Promise me you won’t push it away and that you’ll find some way to deal with it. Don’t close yourself off from everyone who loves you."

Danielle pulled back in surprise, "You really care that much?"

Jean-Luc broke in, "We all do, Dani."

Danielle brushed at the tears in her eyes, "I promise I’ll get help. I just need some time." She shivered and hugged her arms around herself. Beverly handed Elizabeth over to Jean-Luc and put a comforting arm around Danielle. "We’re all here for you, honey, whenever you need us."

"I know, Mom, and that means everything to me."

"Are you sure you’re up to helping me plan this wedding?" Beverly asked. "Maybe you should take a break, honey. You could use it."

"No, Mom. I want to help with the wedding. I need the distraction. The more time I spend alone, the more I start thinking about everything that’s happened in the last few months and I can’t deal with it right now."

"Okay, sweetie, okay. I’ll gladly relinquish most of the work to you." Beverly squeezed Danielle’s shoulders. Danielle laid her head against Beverly’s shoulder.

"Thanks, Mom," Danielle murmured.

"Well, I hate to break up this tender moment, but I really need to get going." Wesley turned to Jean-Luc and held out his hand. "I want to apologize again, sir, for the things I said."

Jean-Luc took Wesley’s hand in a firm grasp, holding Elizabeth on his hip with the other arm. "There’s no need to apologize Wesley. Your anger was understandable under the circumstances."

"Thank you for everything...Dad."

Jean-Luc pulled Wesley in for a hug. Elizabeth giggled as she was squeezed softly between the two men. "I love you, son," Jean-Luc said softly.

"I love you, Dad."

Jean-Luc stepped back and shifted Elizabeth in his arms. "Take care of yourself on those other planes of existence."

"I will," Wesley finally turned to Beverly. Beverly released Danielle from her embrace and wordlessly moved into her son’s arms, hugging him tightly.

"I know you’re only going to be gone for a short time, but it still feels like a lifetime."

"I’ll be back before you know it, Mom. I wouldn’t miss this wedding for anything."

"I love you, son. Please be careful out there." Beverly hugged him again.

"I love you too, Mom, and I will be careful."

Wesley released his mother and stepped away from his family. Taking one last look at them, he waved as he began to shimmer out of their dimension. Beverly watched her son disappear with tears in her eyes. She felt the comforting weight of Jean-Luc’s arm around her waist and closed her eyes, leaning contentedly into his embrace.

One week later...

The Enterprise continued its slow pace toward Terran space. Jean-Luc used every distraction at his disposal to delay their arrival. The ship had responded to every emergency hail and scanned every spatial anomaly they encountered. Sitting in his ready room, Jean-Luc was informed by his first officer that they would arrive at Earth in approximately 36 hours. Unable to stall any longer, Jean-Luc contacted Beverly and Danielle and asked them to meet with him in his quarters. He stood and exited his ready room, and nodding to his first officer, headed to his quarters.

Jean-Luc paused at the entrance to his quarters when he spotted Beverly coming from the opposite direction. She smiled at him but her expression was filled with curiosity at this impromptu meeting. Jean-Luc took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly before leading her into his quarters. The door closed behind them, but Jean-Luc did not release Beverly from his grasp. He turned suddenly and pulled her into his arms. Before Beverly could say anything, his mouth was on hers, kissing her passionately. Beverly pushed her surprise aside and melted into his embrace, returning the kiss just as hungrily. Beverly finally ended the kiss and pulled away from him to look in his eyes.

"What was that for?" she asked huskily.

"You left early for Sickbay this morning and I didn’t get a chance to kiss you good-bye."

"That was no ‘good-bye’ kiss, Jean-Luc. If you kiss me like that again, you had better not have any plans for the next couple of hours."

They both jumped at the sound of someone clearing their throat. Looking toward the sofa, they found Danielle sitting comfortably, watching the entire scene with amusement.

"How on earth did you get in here?" Jean-Luc asked in alarm. He hadn’t given Danielle his access code, in order to prevent just such an occurrence.

Danielle grinned wickedly, "During the time I’m not planning the wedding or helping in Sickbay, I’ve been playing around with the computer. Before we were married, Jeremy taught me a few tricks, which I used to gain access to your security codes."

Beverly grinned and joined Danielle on the sofa. "That’s my girl," she said under her breath.

Jean-Luc shook his head and sighed, "Do I want to know what other classified information you’ve appropriated?"

"Probably not."

Jean-Luc smiled to himself and took a seat in the chair across from them. "Well, now for the purpose of this meeting." He rubbed his hands together and looked at Danielle. "We’re going to be arriving at earth in the next couple of days and Starfleet officials will want to meet with you, Danielle." He put his hand up when Danielle attempted to object, her expression filled with anxiety. "They are only meeting with you to discuss your return to Starfleet, which will only be after you are released for duty by your physician and counselor."

"My return to Starfleet?" Danielle asked uncertainly.

Jean-Luc smiled, "Yes. Not only are they dropping the charges, but also they want you to return to duty as soon as possible. In fact, there was a special request for you to return to the research you were working on before you left."

"No!" Danielle cried, the color draining from her face. "I won’t do it!" She looked away from him.

Jean-Luc sat back in surprise. He had assumed she would be more than happy to agree to Starfleet’s terms. "Dani? What’s the matter? I thought this was what you wanted."

Unwilling to return her gaze to her father, she kept her eyes fastened on her lap. "I’m sorry, Dad. I know how much trouble you went through to help me, but I can’t do it. I’m sorry."

"Why not?" he asked incredulously.

Danielle looked up and fastened her eyes on him. "I’ll return to Starfleet and resume my work in medicine, but I refuse to return to the research project I was working on. I’m sorry."

"Why?" She didn’t respond.

He tried again. "What was this research?" Jean-Luc asked.

"I can’t tell you," she finally replied.

"Dammit, Dani, tell me something! Do you have any idea what I went through to persuade Starfleet to agree to those terms?" Danielle flinched and looked away again. Jean-Luc paused to regain control of his emotions. He sighed, "I’m sorry I lost my temper but I’m confused and frustrated. Danielle, what is going on?"

"I can’t tell you because Starfleet deemed it classified," she snapped.

Beverly intervened, "Dani, does this have anything to do with why you and Jeremy went into hiding?"

Danielle nodded hesitantly, "Yes."

"Should I order you to tell me?" Jean-Luc asked.

Danielle looked slightly amused. "You could try, but it wouldn’t do any good. My orders came from higher up...the person in charge of the project."

"And whom would that be?"

She hesitated again. "Admiral Wood," she finally supplied.

Jean-Luc’s eyes narrowed. "Wood," he said, his voice deathly quiet.

"You know him?" Beverly asked.

Jean-Luc looked at her, "Yes. Admiral Robert Wood. The title is merely a formality. He in no way earned that rank. He used his connections with Starfleet and the Federation Council to talk to bribe his way into the Admiralty. Since then he’s been connected to more than one questionable situation, but there has never been sufficient evidence to bring him up on charges." Jean-Luc looked at Danielle, "You say he’s in charge of this project?"

She nodded.

"I think it would be in everyone’s best interest if you went ahead and told me about your research, sweetheart."

"But..." Danielle began.

Jean-Luc held up his hands, "I know, I know, it’s classified." He ran his hands over his head in frustration. "Dani, when Wood is involved, chances are good that consequences will be severe. I have some friends in high places that could help with this situation, but I need you to tell me what this mysterious project is."

Danielle looked to her mother who nodded slightly. She sighed, "Alright. I guess I should start by telling you that my field of expertise is Immunology. I was chosen for this project because of my experience working with haptens coupled with protein carriers."

Jean-Luc interrupted, "Hold on. Let’s pretend I know next to nothing about immunology."

Danielle laughed softly, "Sorry, Dad. The basis of immunology is the immune response, which is the body’s reaction to a foreign substance, such as viruses or bacteria, usually referred to as antigens. Cells in the blood activate an immune response by producing antibodies, which bind to the antigens and destroy them.

Jean-Luc nodded, "That much I am familiar with."

"Okay. Well, when I was first recruited for this project, I was working with haptens. Haptens are very small molecules that, by themselves, won’t induce an immune response. They’re too small to be recognized by the immune system. Only when attached to a large protein molecule is the hapten able to produce an immune response in the body. The research I was doing involved synthesizing different hapten-protein complexes that induced different responses in different species. We basically created new antigens and, using computer simulations, observed their reaction in different humanoid species. Our results were then sent to other researchers, presumably to develop treatments."

Beverly’s brow creased, "I’ve read some of this research, Dani, and most of the results have been very promising. I fail to see the problem."

Danielle sighed, "So did I, at first. It was only recently that I discovered the real purpose for this research."

"Which is..." Jean-Luc prompted.

Danielle looked him straight in the eye. "How much do you know about metagenic weaponry?"

Beverly gasped. Jean-Luc closed his eyes and allowed his head to hang low on his slumped shoulders. "Apparently you have heard of it," Danielle commented.

Beverly nodded silently and laid a hand on top of Jean-Luc’s, who grasped it tightly. After a few moments, he collected himself and looked back up at Danielle, pushing away the horrible memories of his last ‘encounter’ with metagenics. Finally finding his voice, he spoke, "Does Starfleet suspect the Cardassians of developing a metagenic weapon again?"

Danielle was confused, "The Cardassians? No, not that I know of. Why?"

Jean-Luc looked away again while Beverly gave Danielle a brief account of their failed mission to Celtris 3 and Jean-Luc’s subsequent torture at the hands of Gul Madred. Danielle was horrified. "Oh my God," she whispered, "Oh, Dad, I’m so sorry."

He smiled sadly and held up his hand to stop her. "It’s okay, sweetheart. There’s no need to apologize. It happened a long time ago and, with your mother’s help, I managed to move on with my life." He took a deep breath, "Now, proceed with your explanation. What about metagenic weaponry?"

Danielle looked down to her lap again, trying to gather her courage. "Well, Starfleet, or rather, Wood and associates are developing a metagenic weapon."

Jean-Luc exploded, "What?!" he cried out in shock and disgust, jumping to his feet. "Starfleet? A metagenic weapon?"

"I don’t believe it. How is this possible?" Beverly asked, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Mom, I swear I had no idea what the research was being used for or I never would have agreed to work on the project."

"I know, sweetie. We’re not blaming you for any of this."

Jean-Luc sank back down on his chair, clamping down on his anger, visibly trembling from the effort. "How much can you tell us about this weapon?"

"Only what I got from Jeremy. The rest I pieced together myself."

"Alright. Tell me what you know."

Danielle took a deep breath, "Okay, here goes...I told you before that Jeremy was chosen for a covert mission which had been deemed classified." Her parents nodded and she continued. "Jeremy shared some of the details with me, but not all of them. However, I was able to ‘hack’ into some of his logs concerning the mission while he was away." Danielle’s expression filled with mischief, "He’d have killed me if he knew that I used the tricks he taught me to tap into his logs." Frowning, she continued, "Anyway, I learned that the mission he was supposed to take part in was to test a Starfleet prototype metagenic weapon...against a newly terraformed colony comprised mainly of federation civilians." Danielle paused in her explanation to give her words some time to sink in.

Beverly was livid, "A new Federation colony?! Why?!"

"Because there wouldn’t be as many questions asked," Jean-Luc answered. He voice was strained with his effort to control his anger. "A small colony with limited medical and communication capability would be the perfect test case. Few would question a sudden die off from an unknown viral infection."

"The more I read about the mission, the more I realized that the research I was doing was actually being used for this weapon," Danielle said.

"How?" Beverly asked.

"We synthesized many types of antigens, mainly viruses, that were able to replicate their own DNA within host cells and spread at phenomenal speeds. These were then sent to another section for treatment development. Apparently several samples were ‘rerouted’. The toxicity of these samples was amplified and they were stored for later use. They took medical research and genetically engineered killing agents."

"How were they planning to launch the weapon?"

Danielle’s brow creased, "Well, theoretically the antigens themselves would be launched as haptans separate from their protein carriers and therefore, completely harmless to those who launch the weapon. I’m not completely sure about the technical details of the launching mechanism. That was Jeremy’s area of expertise. But supposedly some pre-arranged time after launch, the haptens couple with their carriers and become incredibly potent antigens."

"What happens after the antigens infect and destroy?" Beverly asked.

"The coupled hapten-carrier complexes are supposed to disassociate into harmless molecular components again."

"How was the material transported to the target after launch?" Beverly asked.

"That I don’t know," Danielle replied.

"Probably a subspace carrier wave like the one proposed during the Celtris 3 mission," Jean-Luc said softly.

"All I know is that the whole weapon design was theoretical and that the mission Jeremy was being sent on was to test the prototype. No one was sure how harmless the metagenic material really was, since there was always the chance of early coupling and activation of the antigenic compound. That’s probably why the team that initiated the launch was not expected to return."

Danielle took a shuddering breath. "I think Jeremy realized the implications of this mission as much as I did, so he agreed to ‘disappear’ with me. Neither one of us wanted any part of this mission. We both knew that the powers that be would not allow us to back out. Not with the amount of information we both had."

Beverly took one of Danielle’s hands in her own. Danielle sighed, "Mom, I didn’t find out about any of this until just before we left. After I realized what was going on, I just wanted to get away."

Jean-Luc cut in, "Were you planning on telling anyone about this?"

Danielle was startled by the angry undertone in his voice. "What?"

"I asked you if you were planning on telling anyone about this. Or were you just planning on disappearing and letting Wood continue to develop this weapon?" His voice lacked the warmth that was usually present when he addressed her. Danielle had never seen him act like this and it scared her. "Well, I...I guess," she stuttered, "we...we were so focused on leaving that we didn’t really think that far ahead. I guess once we settled somewhere I would have sent an anonymous communiqué."

"Why not come forward and tell someone right from the start?"

Danielle’s temper began to emerge. "We didn’t know who we could trust. Wood is a very powerful man and he has eyes everywhere. Trying to expose his plan would have been suicidal!"

"Why didn’t you at least tell us sometime in the past few months? Innocent lives are on the line after all!"

"Jean-Luc, stop it!" Beverly was shocked at his behavior.

He ignored her. "We could have protected you."

"Protected me?! Ha! This from the man who sent me to Caldos to keep me safe! Look how well that plan worked. Yeah, you did a great job protecting me from Starfleet. Instead you left me to be raped by some freak!"

Jean-Luc recoiled form his daughter’s stinging words. Beverly watched the exchange, completely stunned. Danielle pulled her hand away from her mother’s grip and curled into a ball at the end of the sofa, fighting to hold back her tears.

"Maybe you’re right, Dad," Danielle’s voice shook with emotion. "Maybe I should have come forward right from the start. Then I might still have my husband and you wouldn’t be bothered with putting your career on the line to help your daughter." Danielle lost her battle with her tears.

Beverly was seething with anger. She moved over and wrapped her arms around Danielle. "What the hell is the matter with you, Jean-Luc?" she asked, glaring at him.

His shoulders slumped. "I don’t know," he answered softly, letting his gaze drop to the carpet in shame. "I don’t know." He brought his eyes back up to his fiancée and daughter. "I’m so sorry, Dani. Beverly, I’m sorry." He stood and turned away from them, intent on giving them some time alone.

"Dad." The softly spoken word made him pause his retreat. "Don’t leave."

He slowly turned back to face them but remained silent. "I don’t want you to leave like this," Danielle said softly. He walked toward them and took a seat next to Danielle on the sofa. "I’m sorry," he whispered again. Danielle moved wordlessly out of Beverly’s arms and into his. He wrapped his arms around her. "I’m so sorry, sweetheart, about everything...especially Caldos."

"Don’t Dad. Don’t apologize for that. It wasn’t your fault. I don’t blame you. I only said that because I was angry," she paused. "Are you...are you still angry with me for not telling you earlier."

"No," he said emphatically. "I was not angry with you. I have some unresolved emotions over the Celtris 3 ‘incident’ that I let get out of hand. I never meant to direct my anger with Starfleet, and especially Wood, at you. I’m so sorry, Dani. It won’t happen again, I promise."

"I know. I’m sorry too, Dad."

"Don’t be, sweetheart. I’m glad you’re finally expressing some of these bottled up emotions after everything that’s happened over the past few months." Jean-Luc glanced over at Beverly who gave him a small, but concerned smile.

"So, what do we do about Admiral Wood and the weapon?" Danielle asked.

"Leave that to me," Jean-Luc replied.

"Why is Wood developing this weapon anyway?" Beverly asked. "What about the treaties? Not to mention the danger of developing such a weapon."

"I doubt Wood is all that concerned about the treaties or the dangers of metagenic weaponry. He’s in this for himself and he’s probably convinced other ranking Starfleet officers to join his ‘cause’ because of the war. The Federation lost a lot during the war with the Dominion and Starfleet is concerned about this happening again. If they could develop a weapon which would give them an upper hand against threats from other warring races like the Jem Hadar, they would feel much more secure."

"What about Wood personally?" Beverly wondered aloud.

"I would hazard a guess that Wood intends to sell the weapon itself or possibly ‘blue prints’ to the highest bidder...Cardassians, Romulans, Ferengi."

"Dad, what are you going to do?" Danielle asked in concern.

"Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it."

"Well, I can’t help but worry. You’ve put your career out on a limb for me and now you’re going up against a man who could be very dangerous."

"She’s right, Jean-Luc," Beverly chimed in, "Please be careful."

"I’ll be fine," he replied. He stood and made his way to his computer terminal, "I’d better get started." Beverly and Danielle followed, watching him closely. They made no motions to leave as he began tapping commands into the computer. "What?" he finally asked in exasperation.

Beverly raised an eyebrow. "Well, what do you expect, Jean-Luc? You won’t tell us your plan, so we’ll just have to stand here and eavesdrop on your entire conversation."

Jean-Luc rolled his eyes at her. "I’m contacting a friend. He may be able to help us."

"Ok. Go ahead," Beverly replied but remained where she was.

Jean-Luc let out a heavy and shook his head in surrender. He turned back to his computer, "Computer, open a secure channel to Admiral Adam Stone."

Moments later the face of an older, but handsome man appeared on the screen. "Jean-Luc! This is a surprise! How are you, my boy?"

Jean-Luc smiled politely, "I’m well, admiral, how are you?"

"Fine, fine. What’s all this ‘admiral’ stuff? I’ve known you since that skinny-dipping incident of yours in the fountain at the academy. You never were one to turn down a dare."

Jean-Luc shot a look at Danielle who had clamped a hand over her mouth to try and suppress her giggles. Jean-Luc turned back to the screen "Very well, Adam. I need your help."

"I don’t like the sound of that, Jean-Luc. You haven’t crashed another Enterprise, have you?"

Jean-Luc groaned, "Very funny, Adam. The Enterprise is fine. Besides, I wasn’t even on the D when it crashed. It’s the rest of the Federation I’m worried about."

Adam’s expression grew somber, "What’s going on, Jean-Luc?"

"Where do I begin? I guess I should start with the transport accident a few months ago..."

Adam cut him off, "Skip ahead, Jean-Luc. I already know about your daughter. Congratulations on the reunion by the way."

"You’ve heard?" Jean-Luc asked in surprise.

Adam snorted, "Oh please. Anything involving you and Dr. Beverly Crusher is some of the hottest gossip out there. Congratulations again, I hear you’re getting married. I’m still waiting for my invitation."

Jean-Luc shook his head in disbelief, "Is there anyone who doesn’t know about this?"

Adam shrugged, "Probably not. Now go ahead with your problem."

Jean-Luc spent the next several minutes filling the admiral in on Danielle’s discovery of Wood’s plans to develop a metagenic weapon. By the time he had finished, he noticed how quiet his old friend had become. A dark shadow settled over the older man’s features. After a few moments of silence, the admiral finally spoke. "For the first time in a long time I find myself at a loss for words, my friend."

Jean-Luc nodded in understanding. "I contacted you, Adam because I knew I could trust you with this problem. I have no way of knowing how many people Wood has in his pocket."

Adam nodded thoughtfully. "You know, this explains Wood’s behavior when your request came through."

"Oh?"

"I happened to have been in a meeting with Wood when your request came through that the charges against Danielle be dropped. The man went positively pale when he heard her name and I was sure he was going to pass out when he learned she was your daughter."

Jean-Luc frowned, worried about his daughter’s well being. "I need your help Adam, if we’re going to stop him."

Adam nodded emphatically, "I understand your situation, Jean-Luc. For my part, I had no idea what Wood was up to. Several of us knew he was up to something but he’s managed to cover his tracks very well so far. Your daughter may be the key to stopping this before it becomes a disaster. With the losses we took fighting the Dominion, we can’t afford another disaster on our hands, no matter how insignificant."

"I quite agree, Adam."

"Let me get back to you, Jean-Luc. I know a few members of the Federation Council that can’t be bought. I’ll contact you again in two hours. Stone out."

Jean-Luc let out a deep breath, feeling only slightly more relieved than before he’d contacted Admiral Stone. What happens if Wood tries to silence Danielle permanently? He rubbed his temples, willing away his tension and then turned to Beverly and Danielle who were watching him curiously.

"Now what?" Beverly asked.

"Well, we wait until Adam contacts me again. If he can convince enough members of the Council, Wood will be brought up on charges, and if found guilty, he’ll be facing disgrace and a very long time in a penal colony. But the Council will most likely want to hear Danielle’s testimony." Jean-Luc’s gaze fell on his daughter. "Are you up for that?"

Danielle hesitated, "Are you sure there’s no other way?"

He shook his head, "None that I can think of. Of course, we could run the idea by Data and see how many possibilities he comes up with."

Danielle gave him a worried smile, "If you want me to testify, I will. I just want this man stopped before he causes a disaster."

Jean-Luc reached up and took her hand. "I’m proud of you, honey."

Danielle smiled again and then frowned in thought, "Am I going to have to go into hiding again?"

"No," Beverly answered immediately. "Absolutely not. I’m not letting you out of my sight. Period."

"Agreed," Jean-Luc replied. "You’re staying on the Enterprise."

Three hours later...

"Data to Picard."

"Picard here."

"You have an incoming message from Starfleet, sir."

"Route it to my quarters, Mr. Data."

"Acknowledged. Data out."

Jean-Luc walked over to his computer terminal. Before turning it on he tapped his commbadge. "Picard to Crusher."

"Yes, Jean-Luc?" came the reply.

"Will you and Danielle join me in my quarters at your convenience."

"We’re on our way."

Jean-Luc smiled to himself, knowing they were probably both on their way before he had even finished his request. He had finally persuaded them to take some time on the holodeck or the arboretum...anywhere besides his quarters where they had both practically been climbing the walls. Admittedly, he had been feeling very tense, especially after Adam had failed to contact him after two hours. He returned his attention to his computer and tapped the screen.

"Adam," he greeted.

"Jean-Luc, I apologize for my tardiness in contacting you but it took longer than I thought. However, I bring good news. Starfleet officials will conduct a discreet, but thorough, investigation into Wood’s affairs after which time the Federation Council will convene to hear whatever charges may be brought against him. I promise Jean-Luc, we’ll uncover his plans and put a stop to them. However, we will need Danielle’s testimony at that time. She won’t be penalized for her involvement in any way."

"I’ve already explained that possibility to her and she’s agreed to testify."

"Well, then everything should be in order."

Relief washed over Jean-Luc. "Thank you, Adam. I can’t tell you how relieved I am. What about Wood in the meantime?"

"Don’t worry, Jean-Luc, he’s being watched. Closely. Your daughter is safe. I’ll contact you again in a week with further instructions."

Jean-Luc nodded, "Again, thank you, Adam."

Adam smiled, "No need to thank me, Jean-Luc. I’ll speak with you in a week. Stone out." The Federation emblem replaced the face on the screen.

When Jean-Luc turned his chair, he found Beverly and Danielle standing behind him. He chuckled, "How much of that did you hear?"

"Almost all of it," Beverly replied. "So this will all be over in a little over a week?"

"So it seems."

"And Danielle stays here until then?"

"Yes. She will have to transport down to Earth to give her testimony of course."

"I’m going with her," Beverly declared.

"Beverly, you don’t..."

"Don’t even try to talk me out of it, Jean-Luc, because it won’t work." She turned to Danielle, "I’m going with you. Period."

"Yes, ma’am," Danielle replied. She knew better than to argue with Beverly in stubborn mode.

Jean-Luc sighed, "Very well. We’ll all go."

One week later...

"Ready, Dani?" Beverly asked.

"As ready as I’ll ever be," Danielle replied, trying to shake off her nervousness. Jean-Luc stepped up and gripped Danielle’s shoulders. "Try not to worry, sweetheart. From what I’ve heard Starfleet Intelligence managed to gather a lot of ‘dirt’ on Admiral Wood. Apparently he’s relaxed a bit when covering his tracks lately. Your testimony may end up being merely supplemental details for the Council’s benefit."

Danielle looked only slightly more relieved. "Well, let’s get this over with."

The trio exited Danielle’s quarters and made their way to the transporter room.

"Who’s watching Beth?" Beverly suddenly asked.

Danielle grinned, "Actually, Data volunteered to watch her until we return."

"Data? Really?" Beverly asked in astonishment. "And you agreed?"

"Yes. Why not?"

"Well, Data hasn’t had much experience handling young children."

Danielle just smiled, "I’m not worried, Mom. He seems really taken with Beth and besides, he does have access to a fully equipped Sickbay and state of the art communications systems should an emergency arise."

"You’re right. I guess I’m a little overprotective of you and Beth lately."

"That’s an understatement, Mom, but I understand and appreciate your concern. Although, if I were you, I’d be more concerned about what Beth may do to Data."

Beverly chuckled, "Good point. I hope she doesn’t find his ‘off’ switch."

The trio walked through the doors of the transporter room and stepped onto the pad. "Do you have the coordinates, lieutenant?" Jean-Luc asked the operator.

"Aye, sir," she replied.

"Energize."

They reappeared in a large ornate hallway. Danielle glanced around at the Starfleet personnel that were milling about, seemingly going about their own business. She let out a small sigh of relief. That was when the media pounced. In seconds, Jean-Luc, Beverly and Danielle were surrounded by a crowd of people with lights and recording devices being shoved in their faces. The crowd crushed in on them throwing questions at them from every direction.

"Is it true Starfleet has designed a weapon for biological warfare?"

"Tell us about Wood’s involvement."

"Are they hoping to destroy future adversaries like the Dominion?"

Other, more personal questions began to appear.

"Captain Picard, is it true Danielle is the product of an affair with Doctor Crusher?"

"How long did the affair last?"

"Do you have any other children Doctor?"

"We understand there is also a grandchild."

"Where is the child’s father?"

Danielle began to shrink away from the crowd. Jean-Luc and Beverly took up a protective stance around her. As the reporters closed in, Jean-Luc finally reached his limit.

"Stop!" he bellowed, bringing immediate silence from the crowd. Only the sound of flashing imagers and recording devices could be heard. At that moment several security officers appeared and methodically broke up the crowd. Danielle straightened up at their retreat and instinctively grasped a hand of each parent.

"Are you okay, honey?" Beverly put her free hand against Danielle’s cheek in concern.

Danielle closed her eyes and took a deep breath and nodded. She opened her eyes and looked at Beverly. "I had no idea our lives were such hot gossip. And what about this hearing? I thought it was being kept classified, so as not to spook the public."

Jean-Luc grimaced, "Apparently someone took it upon themselves to alert the media." He looked around and spotted the doors to their destination. "Well, if you’re ready, we can go in. It should be starting soon."

Danielle nodded again but made no move to release either of her parents’ hands. Catching each other’s glances, Beverly and Jean-Luc smiled at the gesture. They walked to the doors and stood in front of them for a moment. Danielle stared at the doors warily. "Is the media going to be present for the hearing?"

"No," Jean-Luc said firmly. "Absolutely not."

Danielle suppressed another shudder and advanced toward the doors. "Okay. Let’s get this over with."

As they walked into the courtroom Beverly whispered, "Don’t worry Dani, your father and I will be here for you every step of the way. We both love you very much and are proud of you."

Danielle looked at her mother and smiled reassuringly. "Thanks, Mom. I love you and Dad too. I couldn’t do this without you guys."

They surveyed the room and quickly found seats near the front. The Council members had yet to make their appearance, so Danielle spent a few minutes taking in her surroundings. She recognized Admiral Stone seated behind a table situated in front of the Council bench. He turned and spotted them, throwing a smile and wink in their direction. Danielle finally glanced at the table next to him and immediately recognized ‘Admiral’ Wood. He was looking directly at her, his eyes filled with hate. "Wood," Danielle whispered. She shivered and scooted closer to Beverly. Beverly pulled her hand out of Danielle’s tight grip and moved her arm around Danielle’s shoulders, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

"He can’t hurt you honey," she whispered. "We wouldn’t allow him to even get close to trying. You’re safe."

Danielle nodded silently and tore her eyes away from Wood’s evil glare. She leaned into her mother’s embrace, resting her head against Beverly’s shoulder. Moments later everyone stood as the Council members entered the room one-by-one, and took their seats behind the bench. Once in their seats, everyone else sat in their own seats. For the next couple of hours, members of Starfleet intelligence presented the evidence they had gathered against Wood and his associates. Jean-Luc listened attentively to each presentation, surprised at how thoroughly Intelligence had investigated this case. *I suppose there’s a first time for everything* he thought.

The time finally came for Danielle to take the stand and testify. Still leaning against her mother, she sat up straight and glanced at her parents. They smiled at her as she stood and made her way to the front, avoiding eye contact with Wood. She took the stand and fielded questions from the Council, Admiral Stone, and Wood’s representative to the best of her ability. She continually let her gaze drift to either Jean-Luc or Beverly, finding strength in their encouraging smiles. After what seemed to Danielle like forever, everyone was finished with his or her questions and Danielle was dismissed. She breathed a sigh of relief and stepped down, returning to her seat between her parents.

"Thank goodness that’s over with," she whispered.

"You did great, sweetheart," Jean-Luc whispered back. "With your testimony and the evidence Intelligence collected, Wood will most definitely be dishonorably discharged and probably spend the rest of his life in a penal colony."

After the testimonies form others that had, like Danielle, unknowingly taken part in this project, were entered into evidence, closing arguments were made to the Council. At this time the Council members would usually have taken several hours to make a decision, however this time was different. Members of the Council merely glanced silently at each other and nodded. The head of the Council stood and officially removed Wood’s rank before sentencing him to life imprisonment and his co-conspirators to somewhat lighter sentences. Several other ranking officials would later take early retirement.

At the pronouncement of his sentence, Wood stood and roared at the Council members, cursing each and every one of them like a man possessed. Two security officers grabbed him and began to haul him out of the room, kicking and screaming the whole time. He paused his tantrum when they reached Danielle and her parent’s seats. He smiled down at her in a sadistic way. Jean-Luc immediately stood, instinctively trying to protect his daughter. Danielle stood behind him.

Wood continued to smile, "I’m so sorry about your husband Mrs. Taylor," he sneered. "It wasn’t an accident you know."

Danielle merely stared at him in confusion.

Wood frowned, "Your transport that exploded, it wasn’t an accident! The electrostatic discharges provided a wonderful cover." He leaned forward and whispered, "It was sabotage."

Danielle froze. Beverly gasped in horror, "Oh my god."

Danielle suddenly lunged at him. "Bastard!" she screamed, "I’ll kill you!" She didn’t care what happened to her, she wanted him to feel pain. The same pain he’d put her through. She probably would have succeeded if Jean-Luc hadn’t caught her mid-lunge. "Get him out of here," he roared. The security officers snapped to attention and escorted Wood out of the room.

Jean-Luc turned to Danielle who was now leaning heavily on Beverly, her eyes unfocused and her face deathly pale. "Dani, are you alright? Talk to us, sweetie," Beverly shook her slightly.

Danielle’s vision began to blur and her heart pounded in her ears. She knew the blood had drained from her face; it felt so cold and numb. She knew her parents were talking to her but she couldn’t make out what they were saying. Swallowing hard, she fought against the bile that was forcing its way into her throat. She tried to shake the feeling but finally gave in and let the blackness envelope her.

Beverly stiffened as she took on Danielle’s full weight. "Danielle!" Her voice was filled with fear. With Jean-Luc’s help she lowered Danielle into a chair with her body leaning forward, her head toward her knees. After a few moments, the episode seemed to pass as Danielle slowly regained consciousness.

"Mama," Danielle said softly, wrapping her arms around Beverly. Beverly hugged her sobbing daughter against her chest and gently rocked her back and forth. She pressed a soft kiss to the top of Danielle’s head. "I know, baby, I know. I’m so sorry Dani. Just let it all out, sweetie." Her heart broke at her daughter’s pain. Danielle seemed to have finally begun healing from the pain caused by the death of her husband. This new revelation had just brought it all back and worse than before.

As hard as Beverly tried to soothe Danielle’s spirit with rocking and sort words, her sobs began to grow into hysteria. Jean-Luc rubbed his daughter’s back trying to help comfort her. He looked up to find quite the audience gathering around them. He looked back at Beverly in concern. "Get her out of here," he said softly. He didn’t want anyone else adding to Danielle’s problems. Beverly nodded in understanding and shifted Danielle’s body slightly to tap her commbadge.

"Crusher to Enterprise. Two to beam directly to Danielle’s quarter’s." She and Danielle immediately appeared on the sofa in the main area of Danielle’s quarters.

Looking up, Beverly noticed Data walk in from the bedroom, bouncing Elizabeth in his arms. Elizabeth rubbed her eyes and looked over at Danielle. She frowned, "Mama?" She watched Danielle, her eyes full of fear, "Mama!"

"Take Beth out of here, Data," Beverly said quietly.

"Do you require assistance, Doctor?" he asked uncertainly.

Beverly shook her head. "No, thank you, Data. I can handle this. I just don’t want Beth seeing her mother like this. Take her somewhere else."

Data nodded, "Yes Doctor." He hesitated once more at the door, and then exited the quarters.

"Mama!" Beth shrieked again, reaching toward the doors they had just exited. Data gently patted her back. She looked up at him, "Mama’s okay?"

He tilted his head, not quite sure if Danielle was ‘okay’. "I am sure you mother will be okay, Elizabeth," he finally said. He thought for a moment. "Would you like to meet my cat Spot?" he asked excitedly.

Elizabeth brightened considerably, "Kitty!"

Data smiled at her and turned toward the turbolift.

Beverly hugged her daughter tight and continued her rocking motions and soothing words. Danielle’s hysterics had finally tapered down to sobs. Beverly blinked back her own tears and tried to push her jumbled emotions away, concentrating on Danielle. Part of her was glad that Danielle was expressing her grief instead of bottling it up, which was so reminiscent of her father. Another part of her felt the loss that Danielle did, having been through the pain of losing a partner. But mostly she was angry at the injustice of it all.

Danielle had risked everything to keep her family together only to end up losing her husband anyway. In yet another attempt to hold together what was left of her family, she ended up being the victim of a violent attack. And now to find out that the supposed ‘accident’ that had ripped her husband from her was actually a planned incident was too much to bear. It wasn’t fair. Why did this have to happen? Danielle didn’t deserve this. Although she had her mother’s temper, Danielle was just too caring and full of love to be experiencing such pain. As she held her daughter, Beverly silently prayed that Danielle would find the strength to get through this. She also prayed that Danielle would never have to experience this kind of pain again.

Danielle’s sobs grew quieter but she mad no move to leave Beverly’s embrace. "Why, Mom?" she suddenly asked.

Beverly’s heart broke at Danielle question. "I don’t know baby," she replied softly.

"What did I do to deserve this?" she choked out. "Am I that horrible of a person?"

"No," Beverly said firmly. "Don’t you believe that for a second. You are too wonderful for words. You have done nothing wrong. None of this is your fault."

"Then why me?" Danielle’s sobs grew in intensity.

"I don’t know, sweetie. Things just happen. I know that’s not what you want to hear and I wish I had a better answer for you, but I don’t honey, I’m sorry. All I can do is promise you that the pain will ease a little each day and that your family and friends will be here for you, no matter what."

Danielle didn’t reply but her sobs eventually grew quieter, finally stopping all together. Her heaving breaths slowed to an even rhythm. Realizing that Danielle had fallen asleep, Beverly relaxed against the sofa, making herself more comfortable without releasing Danielle from her embrace. Beverly sighed and closed her eyes, finally giving free reign to her own tears. Sometime later, Beverly opened her eyes and almost jumped out of her skin when she found Jean-Luc standing over them.

"Jean-Luc," she whispered, "you scared the hell out of me."

He smiled sadly, "Sorry." Nodding at Danielle, he asked, "How is she?"

Beverly sighed, "Not too bad, considering everything she’s been through. I think she was starting to feel a little better when she finally cried herself to sleep."

Jean-Luc shook his head and sat next to Beverly on the sofa. He wrapped one arm around Beverly’s shoulder and placed his free hand against his daughter’s cheek. Beverly rested her head against Jean-Luc’s shoulder. Jean-Luc spent a few silent moments observing his family. He wondered at how much his priorities had shifted in the past few months. He had spent the previous couple of years questioning Starfleet’s actions. Now he was beginning to question his own commitment to Starfleet. His love for Beverly, their daughter and granddaughter, their welfare and happiness, had all become more important to him than the Enterprise and Starfleet.

Beverly’s voice shook him out of his reverie. "Where were you?" she asked quietly, her voice slightly muffled by his uniform.

"I had a long talk with Admiral Stone. The Council has put him in charge of overseeing Wood’s sentence. In light of the new information Wood volunteered, the Council has given him a great deal of leeway. Stone is planning on contacting Captain Welles on Starbase 42. He’s the one who dealt with Danielle’s attacker. Welles will see to it that Wood is ‘taken care of’. He has a knack for that sort of thing."

Beverly raised her head and looked into his eyes. "What’s going to happen to him?"

"I don’t really know. I do know that we will never have to worry about Wood again. Honestly, if I’d had my own way, I’d have throttled Wood where he stood. This is the second time in the past couple of months that I’ve truly wanted to kill someone."

Beverly smiled softly at him. "It’s because you love your daughter."

Jean-Luc smiled back. "Very much so. And I love her mother, more than life."

"I love you, Jean-Luc." He leaned down and kissed her softly. "Thank you for taking care of this, Jean-Luc," she said when the kiss ended.

"Don’t thank me, my love. Admiral Stone is responsible for this and I already thanked him. His one request was to conduct our wedding ceremony. I told him that I wanted to speak with you first."

"I’d be honored if he would marry us," she replied.

"Good. I’ll contact him later and let him know." Jean-Luc frowned slightly as another thought occurred to him. "In light of everything that’s happened, do you think we should postpone the wedding, for Danielle’s sake?"

"No," another voice said firmly. Startled by the new voice they looked down to Beverly’s lap. Danielle’s eyes were open and she was looking up at them. "Please don’t postpone the wedding, Dad. Not for me. I’ll be fine, really. I’m looking forward to the wedding and I really am enjoying being involved in the planning of it. There’s nothing I want more than to see you exchange your vows and promise to love each other forever. Please don’t take that away from me."

Beverly glanced at Jean-Luc, "Well I certainly can’t argue against that." She looked back down to Danielle. "If you’re sure honey..."

Danielle nodded vigorously, "I am."

"Alright, then the wedding goes on as scheduled. But, there is one thing I want you to do for me, Dani." Beverly looked her straight in the eye.

‘"Talk to Deanna,"’ Danielle said in unison with Beverly.

"Please, Dani," Jean-Luc added with a pout. Danielle rolled her eyes and sat up. Jean-Luc and Beverly stared at her, saying nothing. Danielle finally let out a sigh, "Alright, alright. I’ll talk to Deanna."

They smiled. "Good," Beverly said, tucking a lock of Danielle’s hair behind her ear. "Are you feeling a little better, honey? Tell me the truth."

Danielle nodded, her eyes still reflecting a hint of sadness. "I do feel a little better, honestly. Thank you, both of you, for everything."

Beverly smiled, "You know we’d do anything for you."

Danielle nodded and leaned forward, hugging her parents tightly. "So, now what happens to me? I’m assuming I don’t have to return to the work I was doing before all this happened."

Jean-Luc shook his head, "No, you don’t. Starfleet is going to be very accommodating to you in the future. They will station you to the post of your choice. It all depends on what you want to do."

Danielle looked down to her lap and back up sheepishly. "I want to stay with you guys."

"Really?" Beverly asked excitedly.

Danielle nodded emphatically, "Definitely. I’d like to work in Sickbay."

Jean-Luc smiled, "Well, I’m sure we can use you. I’m constantly granting transfers out of Sickbay. Something about a strict and overbearing boss."

"Jean-Luc!" Beverly gasped and slapped him on the shoulder. He merely chuckled. Beverly looked back at her daughter. "I’d be proud to have you as part of my staff."

"Thanks, Mom," Danielle hugged her again.

"But you get no special treatment. You’ll have to work as hard as everyone else," Beverly scolded.

"I know, I will." Danielle frowned, "Wait a minute, children aren’t allowed to live on this ship. I know it’s been okay as a temporary condition, but what about now? I can’t let her be separated from me."

Jean-Luc shook his head, "You won’t be separated from her. I told you that Starfleet would be very accommodating to you now, and I meant it. Beth will remain on the ship."

Danielle’s eyes widened, "Wow. Maybe I should have asked for my own command."

Jean-Luc and Beverly laughed. Danielle joined them. They were so relieved to see her smile. It may take some time, but she was going to be okay.

Danielle looked around suddenly. "Where’s Beth?" she asked.

Beverly spoke up, "I sent her off with Data. I didn’t want her to see you in the state you were in."

"Oh," Danielle said meekly, "I guess I was kind of a mess."

"Understandably so," Beverly replied. She looked away, "Computer, location of Lt. Commander Data."

‘Lt. Commander Data is in his quarters,’ the computer replied.

Beverly looked back at Danielle, "Do you want us to come with you?"

"No, it’s okay. I’d better go reassure her that I’m all right. Then I’ll bring her back here. So if you want to see her, stick around here for awhile." She stood and stretched and headed for the door. She stopped before the doors opened and looked back at her parents. "Do me a favor and behave yourselves while I’m gone."

Beverly gave her a look of pure innocence, "Of course."

Danielle rolled her eyes and shook her head as she turned and walked out the doors. When she was gone Beverly looked at Jean-Luc. "Wanna make out?" she asked.

"You read my mind," he replied with a grin, then smothered her giggle with a passionate kiss.

Data sat on the floor and watched. For the last twenty-two minutes, he had observed Elizabeth sleeping peacefully on the floor, using Spot as her pillow. He had been concerned about Spot’s reaction to an excitable two-year-old, but the two had hit it off immediately. Elizabeth had spent the entire time in his quarters playing with Spot until they both fell asleep. His observations continued for another two minutes when the door chime interrupted them.

Looking up, he bade entrance to the caller and was surprised when Danielle walked in. He quickly stood. "Danielle," he greeted. She placed a finger over her mouth to quiet him when she surveyed the scene before her.

"Hello, Data," she whispered.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked in an equally quiet voice.

"Yes, much better. I apologize for my ‘appearance’ earlier, but I’d just received some terrible news."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

Danielle smiled sadly, "No, but I appreciate the offer. It’s just that, I found out today that the ‘transport accident’ I was involved in was actually the result of sabotage."

Data cocked his head to the side, "The electrostatic discharges..."

"Were a convenient cover," she finished. She looked down at her daughter and Data’s cat and giggled. "How long have they been like that?"

"Twenty-seven minutes," Data replied. "They apparently exhausted each other. I have been observing them since we arrived. Their behavior has been quite intriguing."

Danielle giggled again, "Thank you for watching her for me, Data."

"It was my pleasure. I enjoyed spending time with your daughter."

"She really seems to like you, Data."

"The feeling is mutual. I will miss her, and you, when you leave."

Danielle smiled, "We aren’t leaving, Data. Dad says we can stay on the Enterprise indefinitely. I’ll be working with my mom in Sickbay, so you can see Beth anytime you want." Danielle looked down at her daughter once again. "It seems a shame to move her. They both look so peaceful there."

Data hesitated, "Actually, if you have a moment, I would like to show you images of my daughter, Lal."

Danielle raised her eyebrows, "That’s right. You mentioned you had a daughter. I’d love to see her Data."

Leading her to his desk, he called up several images of his daughter on the screen, speaking candidly of her the entire time.

"What happened to her, Data?" Danielle asked as the last picture disappeared. She was surprised when a wave of sadness seemed to sweep over Data. "She had ‘difficulties’ with her positronic matrix and had to be shut down. I guess, in a sense, she died."

Danielle stepped closer and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Oh, Data, I’m so sorry." She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to lose Elizabeth.

Data cocked his head in thought, "I appreciate your concern. At the time of her death, I had no emotions, so I really did not ‘feel’ anything at her death."

"But you have emotions now," Danielle pointed out.

Data nodded, "Perhaps that is why I enjoy spending time with your daughter."

Danielle smiled, "And you’re welcome to, anytime." She looked over at Elizabeth again, then back at Data. "Do you think that you would ever attempt to create a child again, Data? I mean, now that you have emotions."

Data considered the idea; "The idea of having my own child to love is very tempting. However the emotions that I would experience should the same thing happen again, I fear would be too overwhelming."

"I don’t know. When I see her like that," she nodded at her sleeping daughter, "it makes me think the risks are worth it." Elizabeth chose that moment to shift in her sleep. Spot awoke from her tentative slumber and slid out from under her sleeping burden. The loss of her head support brought Elizabeth out of her slumber, somewhat unhappily. At the sound of her daughter’s soft cries, Danielle moved around the desk and scooped Elizabeth into her arms.

"Mama," Elizabeth said sleepily.

"Shhh, sweetie. Go back to sleep," Danielle hugged Elizabeth against her shoulder and patted her back until the little girl fell asleep again.

Danielle looked back to Data, "Thank you again for watching her, Data. I’d better go put her to bed."

Data nodded. "Thank you for allowing me to care for her. I hope you will consider me if you require the services of..." he shifted his head in thought, "...babysitter, again."

"Of course."

"Danielle, are you certain you are feeling okay?" he asked with hint of concern in his voice.

Danielle smiled, "I will be, Data. I will be. Good night."

"Good night, Danielle."

Two weeks later...in Labarre

Danielle shook her head in amusement as she watched her mother nervously wringing her hands. "Mom, you cannot possibly be nervous."

Beverly looked up at Danielle and gave her a playful glare. "I most certainly can. I’m getting married in less than an hour, after all."

Danielle rolled her eyes, "Yes, but you’re marrying a man who has loved for over thirty years and with whom you share a child. Why are you so nervous about making it official?"

"Well, we could start with the fact that the young man who promised to escort me down the aisle has yet to make an appearance."

Danielle sighed, "Mom, Wesley promised to be here in time and he will be. I hope." The last two words were spoken under her breath.

Beverly only shook her head in response and went back to wringing her hands. Moments later there was a knock on the door and Danielle called for entrance. Deanna stepped over the threshold looking beautiful in her bridesmaid gown. "How’s the bride holding up," she asked.

Danielle rolled her eyes again, "She’s just barely holding it together. She’s very nervous. How’s Dad?"

Deanna smiled, "The same. Will’s trying to keep him from wearing a hole in the rug with his pacing." Deanna scanned Beverly’s attire. She was wearing a modest white gown with lace covering the sleeves. The bodice conformed nicely to her figure, accentuating her curves. Her long red hair was pulled up on top of her head with a few tendrils hanging loose. Deanna gasped, "Oh Beverly, you are absolutely breathtaking."

Beverly looked up at Deanna and smiled, "Thank you, Deanna."

Looking over to Danielle, Deanna said, "And you make a beautiful matron of honor, Dani."

Danielle blushed, "Thanks, Deanna. You look wonderful too."

Smiling appreciatively, Deanna looked back to Beverly, "So, are you ready for your big moment?"

Beverly barely suppressed a nervous shudder. "I think so. You haven’t seen Wesley, have you?"

Deanna began to shake her head ‘no’ when another voice caused all three of them to jump. "Why don’t you look behind you?" Wesley stood there with a satisfied grin on his face.

"Wesley! Thank goodness!" Beverly jumped up and rounded the bed to hug her son. That task completed she pulled back to slap him lightly on the arm. "Stop sneaking up on us!"

"Sorry Mom," he said sheepishly and turned to greet Danielle and Deanna with hugs. "The three of you look wonderful! I feel a little underdressed at the moment."

"Well, if you had arrived on time, you’d be dressed too," Beverly scolded. "Jean-Luc and Will are down the hall and have your clothes waiting for you. Get moving!"

"Yes, ma’am!" Wesley grinned and snapped an old-fashioned salute to her.

"Wait a minute, Wes, I’ll go with you. I want to check on Dad." Danielle stooped over her daughter, who was sitting on the floor systematically removing flower petals from her basket, and scooped her into her arms. Wesley dropped a quick kiss on his niece’s forehead and escorted them to the door. Danielle paused before exiting and looked at Deanna. "Try to keep her from climbing the walls while we’re gone."

"Ha, ha," Beverly replied. "Get going!"

Danielle giggled and was out the door. They entered the guest bedroom and tried to smother their laughter at the scene before them. Jean-Luc was pacing the floor like a madman and it was all Will could do to get out of the way, while at the same time pleading with him to sit down. Jean-Luc did manage to pause every few steps, if only to tug at the collar of his dress uniform. At the sound of muted laughter, they both looked up at Wesley and Danielle.

"Thank goodness," Will muttered then looked at Danielle. "It’s your turn to deal with him."

"Me? No way! I had my hands full with Mom."

"Well, I’m exhausted and Wesley needs to change," Will whined. "I’m sure you can find some way to keep him occupied."

"I do not need a baby-sitter!" Jean-Luc interjected.

"Of course you don’t, Dad, here," Danielle passed Elizabeth into Jean-Luc’s arms, "Beth can keep you company."

Jean-Luc’s argument died in his throat the moment Elizabeth leaned over and planted a kiss on his cheek. Danielle snickered and leaned toward Will, whispering, "Works every time." He just laughed and shook his head.

Thirty minutes later, give or take thirty years, the ceremony began. Jean-Luc stood before Admiral Stone under a floral arch with the lush vineyards surrounding them. Will Riker stood at his side, followed by Data and Geordi. The music began and everyone turned as Deanna made her way down the aisle, followed by Danielle, with little Elizabeth toddling at her side. Their pace was slow as Elizabeth seemed fascinated by all the guests and was having trouble concentrating on her petal-dropping task. They finally reached the end of the aisle where Danielle picked Elizabeth up, smiled apologetically at the guests, who were laughing softly, and took her place next to Deanna.

The wedding march began and all the guests stood and turned to see Beverly begin her journey down the aisle on the arm of her son. Jean-Luc’s breath caught in his throat when his eyes fell on his bride. She was absolutely gorgeous. Beverly kissed Wesley on the cheek, and then took her place at Jean-Luc’s side. He took her hand and whispered, "You are exquisite, my love." Beverly smiled in thanks and they turned their attention to Admiral Stone, who began his recitation.

It seemed like an eternity to Jean-Luc, but he finally heard the words he’d been waiting thirty years to hear, "Jean-Luc, you may kiss your bride." His heart swelled with happiness. Beverly Howard Crusher was now his wife. Smiling brightly, he turned to Beverly and pulled her body against his. He pressed his mouth against hers in a breathy kiss, which quickly turned passionate, much to Beverly’s surprise. The guests cheered and clapped as the stoic captain kissed his bride. There was not a dry eye in the house. When the kiss finally ended, Beverly opened her eyes and sighed, "Maybe we should skip the reception and go directly to the honeymoon." Jean-Luc chuckled and linked her arm in his escorted her back down the aisle.

"No way!" Danielle exclaimed.

"Why not?"

"You can’t be serious!"

"What’s going on here?" Wesley appeared at Danielle’s side with Elizabeth in his arms. Danielle was faced off against their parents. "Well?" he asked when no one answered him.

Danielle let out a breath; "They actually want me to stay here with them during their honeymoon! I’m trying to make it clear that they’re out of their minds"

"Come on, Dani," Beverly pleaded. "There’s plenty of room here. With the Enterprise undergoing a refit and everyone on shore leave, where else are you going to stay?"

"I’m going to divide my time between the Enterprise and my old place. I have to transfer my things, and Elizabeth’s to the Enterprise…and go through and pack away Jeremy’s things," she added softly.

"Don’t worry, Mom, I’m going to stick around for awhile and help her," Wesley said.

Danielle smiled, "You too just go enjoy your honeymoon, ALONE, and I’ll see you on the Enterprise in a week, ok?"

Beverly sighed in resignation, "Okay, okay. Just promise to take care of yourself or I’ll spend my entire honeymoon worrying about you."

"I promise I’ll be fine, Mom," Danielle insisted. She stepped forward and hugged them both. "Now, everyone is gone and Wes and I are heading back to the Enterprise."

"Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll take good care of her…and Beth," Wesley added.

"You’d better," Beverly threatened and then smiled, giving her son a quick kiss on the cheek. Jean-Luc embraced Wesley, then Elizabeth, then pulled Beverly back into his arms. "You’d better beam up while you can. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to hold her back."

Danielle giggled and tapped her commbadge. "Enterprise, three to beam up."

"Have fun you two!" Wesley called as they disappeared from sight. Jean-Luc chuckled and tightened his embrace around Beverly. "Ready, Madame Picard?"

"Absolutely, Monsieur Picard." Jean-Luc smiled and kissed her softly, then led her back to the house, eager to begin their new life.

The End

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