FC - Another Perspective
by Astra <astraplain@yahoo.com

A blow to the stomach woke her with a start.  It took 
several seconds for her to get oriented and in that 
time she received two more blows.  

For the fourth night in a row she found herself 
holding Jean-Luc, soothing and comforting him in 
French - the only language he would respond to.  When 
he was calm again, never having fully woken from his 
dreams, she slipped out of bed.  

Two nights ago at supper she had contrived to cut 
herself, a shallow but messy wound that let her 
justify leaving a medikit in the bathroom.  She 
retrieved it now, after securing the door.

A visual inspection revealed one potentially nasty 
bruise on her face.  She healed it quickly then used 
the tricorder to scan lower.

That was how she discovered she was pregnant.

*****

It was early when he woke, reaching for the golden 
warmth beside him and finding only a cold pillow.  It 
gave him a moment of panic, as it always did when he 
woke up alone.  

She saw the look in his eyes when he emerged from the 
bedroom.  Setting down her cup of warm milk, she 
reached out to him.  

"Good morning Jean-Luc."

"Is everything all right?" he responded.  She smiled 
convincingly.

"Yes, I just needed something to drink.  I didn't 
mean to wake you."

"Oh."  He said it softly, but his eyes told her what 
he meant.  He needed to love her.  Now.  Abandoning 
her drink, she rose and crossed to his side.

"We don't need to be up for several hours yet.  Why 
don't we both go back to bed."

Jean-Luc smiled as she slipped her hand inside his 
sleep shirt.  "Splendid idea, Beverly."

She took his hand, twining her fingers with his and 
let him guide her to the bed.  She kissed him, then 
tilted her head to the side.  He nibbled her neck and 
shoulder, easing her nightgown down until it caught 
on her hips, leaving her top bare.

Slithering hands down her sides, he eased the garment 
the rest of the way to the floor, then let her 
undress him.  

They climbed into bed, then resumed their kisses and 
caresses.  Beverly gave herself fully to Jean-Luc, 
wanting desperately to replace his nightmares with 
memories of their love.  When they reached their 
peak, him first, and immediately after, her, they 
felt nothing but love and ecstasy.  And for a little 
while, all the nightmares and fears were held at bay.

*****

Later on the bridge, the nightmare returned.

It was as if somehow he'd known.  The recent 
nightmares after so many years at peace seemed an 
omen of the Borg's return.

Three days the Enterprise patrolled the Neutral Zone, 
ordered there by admirals, who, despite everything, 
still did not trust Jean-Luc Picard to face the Borg.

Three days in which he shut Beverly out of his live, 
refusing to love her or be loved by her, coldly 
rejecting her efforts to comfort him.

Three days in which a very troubled and lonely 
Beverly Crusher wrestled with the knowledge of the 
child she was carrying.

*****

That night as the Enterprise hurtled towards Earth at 
maximum warp, Jean-Luc was more distant than her 
wayward son.

She offered herself to him, needing his comfort as 
badly as he needed hers.  He turned her away coldly, 
sounding as unfeeling as the Borg.

The tears she would not weep burned her inside as she 
lay, cold and alone, in her own bed.  She vowed to 
herself to keep her pregnancy a secret until the Borg 
were defeated.  She would not add that burden to her 
beloved's already tortured mind.  Even if it meant 
the unthinkable.

*****

She didn't see Jean-Luc again until she escorted Worf 
onto the bridge.  She hadn't bothered to show up for 
breakfast, she knew Jean-Luc wouldn't be in his 
quarters.  Instead, she wrote a long letter to her 
son.  When it was done, she saved it, not even trying 
to send it anywhere.  She couldn't even guess 
wherever Wes might be now.

*****

Jean-Luc was sweating, a fine line of perspiration 
wetting the collar of his uniform shirt.  Beverly 
focused on that, refusing to watch the viewscreen as 
they followed the Borg escape pod back through time.

She continued to focus on him until he turned and 
ordered her to join the away team.  Only then did she 
raise her eyes, locking her gaze onto his, trying to 
convey her love and strength to him.

For just a moment, he accepted what she offered.  She 
allowed herself to brush his hand with hers as they 
stood side by side in the turbolift.

He caught her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

We'll be all right, she promised herself.  We'll be 
ok.

*****

He called her away from the scattering of dead bodied 
into the missile silo.  She tended to the fallen 
woman, not allowing any trace of fear into her voice 
as she announced the danger of radiation poisoning.  
She didn't flinch as she injected herself, having 
assured Jean-Luc that she would keep her patient 
unconscious.  Nothing she did or said betrayed the 
knowledge that the injection posed a risk to the 
child he didn't know she was carrying.

*****

Back on board the Enterprise, Beverly escaped into 
her office to change back into her uniform while her 
nurses tended to the unconscious 21st century woman.  
Once in private, she scanned herself, relived that 
there were no signs that the baby had been affected 
by the radiation or the injection.  She'd have to 
keep running scans for the next few days to be sure, 
but she felt better already. She didn't realize her 
hands were shaking until she dropped the tricorder.

*****

The Borg moved swiftly in their singular purpose - 
assimilate the Enterprise.  One team branched off 
from the central group and turned down an 
intersection corridor.  Reaching the first door, the 
began banging on it, trying to force their way in.

*****

The main entrance to sickbay was crumpling under the 
onslaught of whatever-it- was that was that was 
trying to force it's way in.  Beverly leapt into 
action, shoving her fears aside as she guided her 
people, staff and patients alike to what she would be 
safety.

The emotions she pushed aside formed a hard knot in 
her abdomen and she desperately hoped she could wait 
until later to be sick.

*****

Later, when Worf's team had escorted her staff to 
deck 2 and they'd rigged a sickbay for the injured, 
Beverly handed command over to Alyssa.  The nurse 
could handle things here.  Beverly was needed on the 
bridge.

It was quiet when she arrived, slightly breathless 
and sweaty from taking the Jeffries tube to the 
bridge.  The bridge was strangely quiet considering 
the level of tension.  Beverly offered a closed smile 
to the lieutenant in charge as way of encouragement 
before taking command.  Taking a seat in the 
captain's chair, Beverly steeled herself to wait, 
ignoring the fluttering in her stomach.

*****

Worf's team returned, exhausted and tense.  They'd 
lost a lot of good people and worse, they'd lost 
contact with the captain.

Beverly examined the wounded, grateful for something 
to keep her mind off Jean- Luc.  She was almost sorry 
when the last person was tended.  

Worf was conferring with some of the security 
personnel, but he stepped into the ready room to 
confer with her.  

"Where’s the captain?"

"I don’t know.  We were separated.  Now that I see 
you are in command, I will return to look for him."

"No, we have to concentrate on destroying the Borg.  
I want you to station a security team in every escape 
pod bay.  Make sure the Borg don’t cut off our access 
or use the pods to reach earth. Understood?"

Worf rumbled dangerously.

"Dismissed."

Worf stood toe to toe with the doctor, ready to 
argue.  But he had to concede that she was correct.  
The captain had to be considered lost and that meant 
considering the possibility of destroying the ship.  
With a snarl he turned and walked away.

Beverly waited for the door to close, then walked 
slowly into the bathroom to be sick.

*****

Worf returned with news from his security teams.  The 
Borg were stopped on deck 11.  That meant that, so 
far, the escape pods, located on deck 4, were safe.

They were interrupted by the sound of someone 
climbing up the Jeffries tube to the bridge.  Beverly 
snatched up a phaser rifle and aimed it at the hatch 
a fraction of a second after Worf.  Seconds later the 
hatch opened and Jean-Luc Picard emerged leading the 
missing woman.  Beverly allowed herself a relieved, 
"Jean- Luc I thought…"

"News of my assimilation is premature."

He climbed onto the deck, then turned and helped the 
woman to her feet.  Looking at Beverly she said, "I 
found something you lost."  His tone halfway between 
teasing and a reprimand.

Beverly was so relieved at seeing him still alive and 
in one piece that she didn’t mind the comment.

She watched him take command.  Perhaps there was hope 
after all.  For the briefest moment she rested her 
hand on her abdomen and allowed herself to believe 
everything would be all right.

*****

They were back from their space walk, mission 
accomplished, but at the cost of Lt. Hawk.  Beverly 
saw now that she had been deluding herself into 
thinking Jean-Luc would save them once again as he 
had so often in the past.

This time was different.

He was different.

He wasn’t  going to save them.  He was going to 
destroy them all.

She watched, horrified as he shouted at Worf, 
accusing him of cowardice.  She tried to stop him but 
he ignored her.  She tried reason.  He ignored her.

Watching him retreat into the observation lounge, 
Beverly made her decision.  He was going to listen to 
reason whether he wanted to or not.

She was about to follow him when suddenly Lily was in 
her way.  Demanding answers.  Beverly replied, 
defending her captain although she herself knew he 
was wrong.  She would not express any of her doubts 
about Jean-Luc’s fitness for command here on the 
bridge.  Not to this woman, who barely knew him.  Not 
in front of this crew who trusted him with their 
lives.  She would not be so disloyal to Jean-Luc, no 
matter what he did.  No, this was between her and 
Jean-Luc and best kept in private.  She stepped 
forward, only to be cut off by Lily as she barged 
through the door to the lounge.  

Beverly scowled, what right did this woman have?  She 
had no idea, no idea what this meant.  Aware suddenly 
of the silent tension on the bridge, Beverly blanked 
her expression and turned.  Deliberately she stepped 
down to the captain’s chair and sat.  The meaning, 
and her intention were clear.  She would not 
relinquish command until the captain returned to his 
senses.

*****

Voice calm and clear, Beverly seconded the auto-
destruct command.  This was it.  Their last chance to 
return to their Earth and their time was about to be 
blown up with the Enterprise E.  

Strangely, she found herself less upset at the 
thought than she had expected.  She had little tying 
her to her time now that Wesley was gone.  Certainly 
she had less to lose that most of the people around 
her.  It was them she felt sorry for.  And for Jean-
Luc.

She knew she was losing Jean-Luc, that he would not 
join the rest of the crew on the planet.  He would 
stay, trying to rescue Data and most likely die in 
the attempt.  Nothing anyone could do would make him 
leave the Enterprise.

Which is why she had to stay too.  She offered him a 
word of hope, asking if he thought there would be 
another Enterprise.  He gave her a positive answer, 
one that made her smile just a little.  Their eyes 
met and she felt him, as she hadn’t for so many days 
now, telling her with his eyes; *I Love you* and 
*goodbye.

She broke the contact first, leaving the bridge to 
help with the evacuation.

*****

She followed him, careful to keep well hidden so that 
he never suspected she was still on board.  The crew 
on her escape pod had tried to object, but she’d 
settled that with a single command.  She was second 
in command of the Enterprise at the moment.  For once 
it had it’s uses.

He’d gone straight to engineering, needing to rescue 
Data, whatever the cost. She found a hiding place 
with a view of the main entrance and waited.  If 
Jean- Luc failed.  If he became Locutus again.  She 
would kill him and end his suffering. It was the 
least she could do.

It seemed like an eternity as she waited, sweating In 
the cramped hiding place.  She watched, grimly 
fascinated as people she knew, now transformed into 
Borg performed their mindless tasks.  

Suddenly, there was a deafening explosion that shook 
the deck followed by what sounded like shrieks.  
Then, one by one, the Borg fell to the ground, 
twitching, then lay still.  Within minutes the ship 
was silent again.

She remained hidden until the door to engineering 
opened and Jean-Luc emerged, walking beside by Data.  
The captain seemed unharmed. But whole sections of 
Data’s skeletal structure were visible.  She rushed 
from her hiding place.

"Jean-Luc.  Data."

"Beverly?  What the hell are you doing here?"

She wanted to answer, to give a calm reply, but she 
couldn’t.  Without a conscious thought, she threw 
herself into his arms and hugged him tight. "I was 
afraid they would turn you into Locutus again."

"Shhhh."  He murmured, glad for her presence, for the 
feel of her in his arms.  At the moment, it didn’t 
matter that Data was there.

Data knew enough about human emotions to know that he 
was not needed here.  He simply stated, "Captain, I 
will return to the bridge and assess the damage." And 
left without waiting for an answer.

Beverly reluctantly moved back a step.  "Jean-Luc, 
I…"

"Not now, Beverly.  Please, let’s just…  talk about 
it later.  Everything happened so fast."

*****

They went together to the lowest decks and worked 
upward with Beverly cataloguing the location and 
identities of the dead crewmen.  Surprisingly there 
were fewer casualties than she had expected.

Jean-Luc studied each face, memorizing each one.  
Beverly saw this but had no idea how to stop it.  
Instead, she allowed him his silent brooding.  
Determining there were no corpses above deck 11, they 
entered the turbolift.

"Bridge" he commanded wearily.

"Halt."  Beverly counter-ordered and the lift 
stopped.  "Jean-Luc, there’s something we have to do 
first."  She taped her communicator.  "Crusher to 
Data."

"Yes doctor?"

"Data I want you to locate the escape pods and alert 
the team leaders that we will begin returning 
everyone to the ship in four hours.  Contact 
Commander Riker’s team with the same message.  The 
captain and I are in conference and are not to be 
disturbed for at least the next two hours.  Crusher 
out."

"Beverly."

"Don’t argue with me, Jean-Luc.  Just , for once, 
please just trust me." The way she said that made him 
swallow hard.  Had it really gotten that bad between 
them?

They arrived at her quarters and she led him inside, 
securing the door behind him.  Before he could demand 
an explanation, she threw herself into his embrace 
again, and started to cry.

"Beverly?"

"I thought you were dead.  That the Borg had gotten 
you.  That I would have to kill you."

His heart beat hard against his chest.  He tightened 
his grip on her and knew there were no words for 
this.  He lifted her face to his and kissed her, 
hungry for real human contact.  They undressed each 
other where they stood, neither tender nor slow, just 
desperate to chase away the dark shadows.

He was sure they would never make it to the bedroom, 
then surprised himself and her by swinging Beverly up 
into his arms and carrying her there.  She tightened 
her arms around him and kissed his neck until he lay 
her on the bed.

Two hours weren’t nearly enough to show how much they 
loved each other, but they did the best they could.  
When the alarm sounded, they showered together, 
fighting hard against the temptation to get 
distracted, then ate a quick snack before returning 
to the bridge.

Data knew by looking at the couple that they had 
resolved whatever differences had been separating 
them the last few weeks.  It was good to see.  After 
this experience especially, it was significant that 
they should regain their equilibrium so quickly.  
Perhaps love does conquer all.  

He filed that thought away for further study.

*****

They stood in the darkness, a little away from the 
others, not touching, just enjoying being in each 
other’s presence.  Beverly thought about the 
afternoon.  It didn’t solve all of the problems 
between them, but it was a start.  And she was sure 
they would be able to resolve their other 
difficulties soon.  After all, she still had a little 
surprise for the captain.

Unable to resist she turned her head and whispered in 
his ear, "Jean-Luc, there’s something I’ve been 
meaning to tell you…"

**** END***