Volcanoes and other Distractions By Astra Things didn't really get interesting until the volcano erupted. Before that I was resigned to spending yet another shore leave in this planet's equivalent of a shopping district, tagging along as Beverly indulged her compulsion to purchase things she doesn't need. "Did you see that?" I asked her as I rushed to the window to watch the malevolent orange mass flow down the sides of the distant volcano. Behind me I barely registered Beverly's casual comment. "I'll see it tonight." She continued her happy plundering of the hotel room's supply of little bars of soap. She stuffed them all into her suitcase bound for her collection. Then she extracted the Starfleet issue soap she'd brought along so that we'd have something to wash with. It was yet another eccentricity I had long ago given off trying to understand. As I watched the eruption, her words congealed in my brain. Combined with the varying levels of interest displayed by the beings on the streets below, it seemed as though erupting volcanoes were expected here. She gave me one of those pitying you-didn't-read-the-brochure smiles that I hated and crossed the room to look out the window. "The old 1:15. Right on time." She stepped back and gave me a different kind of smile. "It wouldn't kill you to read the brochure once in a while, Jean-Luc. You might learn something." "But I enjoy being surprised." I told her, taking just a moment to glance out the window and note that the eruption was over before gathering her into my arms. "Besides, I love it when you scold." "Oh really?" she replied, kissing me before adding, "I'll have to do it more often then." "Everything in moderation." I reminded her, releasing my hold and turning towards the window one last time. She caught my chin in her hand and gently turned my face to meet her gaze. "Except shopping." "Except shopping." I conceded, knowing enough to recognize a battle I would never win. ***** "Jean-Luc, look!" I knew that cry too well, the sound of a hunter triumphant. Beverly had found something to buy. Reluctantly I left the table of books I had been staring at for what seemed an eon and returned to the shop across the street where any number of odd-smelling items were sold. Whatever she found I hoped it didn't have that wet targ scent that seemed to fill the air. "Isn't it perfect?" she asked holding the misshapen thing out to me. I knew better than to ask what it was. Instead, I took the cowards way out. "How interesting. What is it made of?" Not that I really wanted to know, but it didn't do not to play along with Beverly's little quirks, especially if I wanted her to play along with mine later when we were back in the hotel room. "Lava. They harvest it after it cools and break it down, combining it with other ingredients to make soap. Then they carve it. See, it's a mermaid." I squinted my eyes slightly and tilted my head. A mermaid. Right. "It's very nice." I assured her, hoping against hope I wouldn't have that thing sitting in my bathroom for the next few weeks. "It would make a very nice gift for Deanna." I suggested, trying not to sound too hopeful. "And practical too. It's supposed to be good for the skin." She smiled. "You're getting better at this, Jean-Luc." I hoped with every fiber of my being that that was not the case. ***** We survived the marketplace with only minor damage to Beverly's supply of credits and were headed back to the hotel when a small bookshop caught her attention. Admittedly, this was the one kind of shop I didn't mind spending time in and so I graciously led her inside the rather cluttered establishment. It was nearly half-an-hour later when she returned to my side clutching a slim volume in her hand. She was smiling and her eyes were alight with joy. "I can't believe I found this. Jean-Luc, look." She held the book up for me to see the title, but didn't hand it to me as she usually did. Instead she clutched it with almost childlike delight. "It's only a reproduction, of course but see. It was my favorite book when I was a child. Nana used to read it to me every night." "Eloise." I read the title, not recognizing it. It was obviously a child's book, with a rather cartoonish drawing of a little girl, perhaps five years old on the cover. "I've been looking for a copy of this book forever, Jean-Luc. I never thought..." there was a catch in her voice and she looked as though she might cry. "I know it's foolish, but it had been passed down for centuries..." "Then you must have it." I assured her, placing my arm around her and gently leading her to the counter where I purchased the book for a rather exorbitant fee. The clerk placed it into a bag and handed it back to Beverly who smiled and thanked him before leaning over and giving me a kiss. "Thank you." She whispered in that voice that made me want to take her back to the hotel immediately. ***** It was much later when we returned to the room, happy for the chance to rest our feet and our ears. Apparently we had arrived just before a rather large contingent of tourists from Carnelian Prime. The place was positively crawling with the scale-covered beings. We settled on the sofa with a good view of the volcano and waited for the show. According to the guidebook it would erupt promptly at 9:05 pm local time. Beverly rested against me, her hair tickling my arm where it wrapped around her. She was quiet, almost subdued after our long day and I suspected that we'd retire early tonight. A vibration shook the room, growing stronger until the glasses on the coffee table rattled against the metal surface. A faint hum was punctured by muffled noise from the crowd below. It grew louder until it felt as though all the glass in the room would shatter. With a might roar, the volcano erupted for the second time that day. Unlike the blasé reaction she had given it earlier, now Beverly seemed mesmerized, Her fingers clutched my arm, pressing hard into the flesh as she stared. She didn't move again until the glowing lava had stopped, cooled and hardened into interesting formations decorating the base of the volcano. "Beverly?" I moved slightly looking down at the top of her head. Carefully I loosened her fingers aware that there would be bruises. Slowly she seemed to come back to herself. "Would you like to see it tomorrow, Jean-Luc? Up close?" She looked into my eyes to let me know she was serious. "I would love to, Beverly. But now..." I couldn't resist the desire to kiss her. When she responded passionately, I decided that it might not be such an early bedtime after all. ***** It wasn't until later in the day that I realized I had made a serious mistake. We had been in a hurry and Beverly, as usual when we were on shore leave, was easily distracted. She insisted we had plenty of time for a long breakfast, and other things. We barely arrived in time and had to sit at opposite ends of the transport. The fact that Beverly was seated next to an overly attentive man didn't improve my mood at all. Neither did the lady beside me who talked incessantly and insisted on giving me taffy of all things. I managed to palm the sticky sweet and shoved it into my backpack for disposal later, when it wouldn't hurt the woman's feelings. Just as we were getting off the bus the woman shoved a battered brown bag at me. "Take this, dear, and give some to your lady friend. You should always have candy for a lady." She laughed and patted me on the cheek. "Such a nice man." I watched her go, not sure if I should be annoyed or flattered. Beverly, however, was amused. She imitated the pat on the cheek and laughed out loud at my expression. "She's right, you know. You are a nice man. except when you're glaring at strange men who happen to be sitting next to me. The poor man thought you might be dangerous. As soon as he saw you watching us he was too afraid to say another word." "I'm not responsible for other people's misconceptions, Beverly. Now, shall we go see this volcano?" Shoving the bag into my backpack I gallantly took her arm and led her towards the viewing area. We just had time to settle into our seats when the rumbling began. Excited shrieks conversations gave way to silence as the enormity of what we were about to witness struck the group. It was truly awe-inspiring. Beside me I felt Beverly trembling, whether from fear or excitement I wasn't sure. The viewing platform rose until we were high enough to see down into the cone. Given Beverly's fear of heights it must have been quite and effort for her to suggest we do this. In appreciation, I hugged her closer and gave her a kiss. We stayed like that, stunned motionless by the vision of molten rock as it moved, emerging from the cloud of ash and dust that accompanied the eruption. Just as quickly as it emerged, containment units gathered up the smoke and ash keeping it from affecting the atmosphere. It also allowed an unobstructed view of the molten rock as it overflowed the cone and oozed down the sides where coolant was sprayed onto it to cool and solidify it. It puddled harmlessly in the troughs that had been prepared for this twice-daily event and immediately workers began breaking it up into pieces roughly the size of a basketball for easy transport. As the viewing platform descended, the guide explained about the many useful products that were made from the lava. I didn't hear much of it, my attention being focused on Beverly and what she was wearing. How in the world had I missed that? "Like it?" she smirked, tilting her shoulder back slightly to give me a better view of the fabric. "Very nice. " I assured her before making myself look away. I had no wish to embarrass myself. Besides, there would be plenty of time for studying this particular outfit later. "Here we are." The woman who had been sitting beside me on the transport was back, smiling as if she were Betazoid. "Time to go, dear." I smiled and nodded politely while helping Bevly up from her chair. As a trio we stepped off of the platform and followed the group towards the displays and shops nestled at the foot of the volcano. "Whew." The woman exclaimed, fanning herself with her hand. "That was too much heat for an old body like mine. I need something to drink. Come along you two." And for some reason we complied, following her into the crowded restaurant and sharing a table. Her name was Cora. She was from Delphinus Four. She was a retired geophysicist. Her husband had been an exobiologist. After that I stopped paying attention. Beverly took up the conversation, leaving me to relax and cool off. I had been so enthralled by the sight of the volcano I had barely noticed the heat. Now it was all I could think of. That and the thought of dozens of sweaty tourists all packed into the transport to return to the hotel. By the time my drink was finished I was almost tempted to ask for a transporter. "Jean-Luc, you're sleeping." Beverly announced, finally catching my attention. "Am not. Just savoring the experience. Shall we go?" Reluctantly I included Cora in the question. "No, no," she insisted, waving us away. "You two youngsters go along now. Leave me to my rest." We wished the woman a pleasant afternoon and returned to the bright outdoors. With a smile, Beverly took the lead insisting that there was something I had to see. I followed her, wondering. She stopped at a small shed where a young woman was handing out shovels, picks and other tools. Beverly took a shovel and pail and handed me a pick. "Come on, Jean-Luc. Time to grub in the dirt." I followed her over a slight rise and was rewarded by the sight of a vast field of lava rocks. Scattered across the area were tourists, each working at breaking up the large stones and putting the pieces in a pail. "For every three pails you fill, you get to keep one. To take home. If you're lucky, you'll get crystals. Sometimes the lava cools so fast that it crystallizes inside a hard shell - like a geode. Finding it brings luck." She smiled. "Do you feel lucky, Jean-Luc?" Seeing her in that outfit made me feel lucky indeed. ***** And it was a lucky day. Beverly found a small cache of the hard pale orange crystals after only a few minutes work. She held them out triumphantly for me to inspect. "Let me put them in the backpack." I offered, reaching out to take them. "That's ok. I'll just put them in my pocket." We kept digging, poking at the rocks, becoming more selective as the pail was filled. By the time we were on our third pail we were spending more time choosing the rock than breaking it. Just short of finishing, Beverly found more crystals. "Let's put them all in the backpack." I insisted. "You wouldn't want to lose them." "Alright." She conceded, handing me all of the crystals, even the ones from her pocket. "Just be careful." I assured her I would, opening the pack and thrusting the hand with the crystals deep inside only to feel something soft and sticky. A lot of sticky. Casually I removed my hand, rubbing it against the items in the pack to scrape off what surely must be the melted remains of Cora's taffy. I didn't even want to think what it had done to the things in the backpack. Thankfully Beverly was back at work selecting another rock and hadn't noticed my unpleasant discovery. I quickly slipped the crystals into an outside compartment of the pack and joined her in searching for the perfect rock. I would deal with that mess later. If only I hadn't been distracted. ***** She was naked and dripping wet, standing in the doorway with only a towel and a very big smile. "Jean-Luc, put that backpack away and come take your shower. You'll feel much better." She lowered her voice, "I'll help wash your back." The backpack was forgotten in an instant. And it stayed forgotten until the next morning when Beverly went looking for her book. She was in full wrath-of-Crusher mode when she stormed into the bedroom, the pack in one hand and her taffy-smeared book in the other. I tried to explain. I tried to be apologetic. Then I tried begging. In the end she stalked off to take a shower and I resolved to buy a gift. A big expensive one. Tossing on the nearest shirt and pants I grabbed my shoes and when quickly and quietly away. There was a gift shop downstairs. Perhaps I could find something there. "Give me the biggest thing you've got. And gift wrap it." I told the clerk, casting looks behind me for fear that Beverly had followed. "But sir." The clerk was looking at me a bit oddly bit I barely noticed. "Please just, ring it up. Here's my card." I thrust the credits chip at her. "I don't have much time." "Yes sir." She accepted the chip almost reluctantly and when off to gather the item. From the back room I could hear muted conversation and sounds of movement. After a few moments the clerk returned with her arms wrapped around something about half my height. It was an oddly shaped package, and I was tempted to ask what it was, but Beverly didn't take long showers and I couldn't risk being gone too long. "Perfect. Thank you." I reclaimed my credit chip, and wrestled the package out of the store, into the lift and back to the room where I was much relieved to hear the water still running. I set about replicating breakfast and rearranging the artificial flowers to make the room look nicer. Then I cleaned out the pack. Fortunately there hadn't been much in the pack. Unfortunately, Beverly's book suffered the most damage. Luckily for me, I was sure that Geordi could fine some way to remove the taffy residue, perhaps with the transporter. At last I was breathing normally again. Just then the water stopped. "Jean-Luc, have you seen my shirt?" Beverly called from the bedroom. She didn't sound too mad. Maybe I had over-reacted. There was the sound of drawers opening and closing and the general sounds of someone dressing. Not bad at all, I decided. "There you ar... " Beverly stopped, mid sentence and crossed the room in a hurry, a smile growing, "So there it is. I must admit it looks good on you." I Looked down, then up again, confused, "Beverly, what..." and then I realized. "I must have been distracted." I offered. "So it would seem." "Maybe I should go change." "Might be a good idea." "I'll be right back." "I'll be right here." I could feel her watching me as I walked towards the bathroom, all of her earlier anger turned to amusement. It took all the willpower I posses not to run. ***** When I returned, showered and wearing my own shirt, she was waiting impatiently beside the present. From the angle it was resting at I assumed that she'd already shaken it. "What's this?" she asked. "Just a little something for you." "Any reason?" "No. Just because." I took her in my arms and kissed her, thankful that we were here and that she wasn't angry about the book. "I love you." "I love you too. Can I open it?" "Before breakfast?" I teased. "I suppose." She was tearing the wrappings before the words left my mouth. In mere seconds my offering of love was laid bare. "It's a...." "Pelican." "A pelican." She looked the question she wanted to ask. "A stuffed pelican." I added helpfully. She didn't appear helped. Instead, she moved around it, studying it from every angle. "I've never seen one." "So realistic?" "So... big. And colorful." "Oh." She picked it up experimentally, hugging it. "It's so soft!" She dropped onto the sofa, still hugging the bird. Buying her face into the fur she sighed. "This is nice." I took a seat beside her ready to apologize profusely. She stopped me by shoving the toy into my arms. It was soft. And it had a pleasant scent. It was nice. "Thank you, Jean-Luc." Beverly whispered, kissing the edge of my ear and making me shiver. "Now I'll have something to hold when you're away." "As long as it's only for when I'm away." "We'll see. Depends on how well you behave." "Then I'm in trouble." "I most certainly hope so." She stated and followed up with a kiss that showed exactly what she meant. Much later the volcano erupted, but we were too busy to even notice something as minor as that. ::the end::