REP: NEW: Enceinte (TNG P/C) 1/5
EW810
on AOL, she's on AOL--why did we think AOL's servers would talk to each
other?!?
She asked nicely, so here it is.
Disclaimer: Paramount owns 'em, we just put 'em to good use.
Author's Note: This is an international effort. Written in the USA, edited in
Brazil. Monica is the *best* kind of editor because she flatters me with her
glowing reviews and still makes suggestions that help enormously.
(Lunch reservation for two: Ms. Monica and Mr. Ego <g>)
Thanks for all your help Monica!!
Title: Enceinte
Author: E. Wallace (EW...@aol.com)
Series: TNG
Code: P/C
Part: 1/5
Rating: G
Summary: 9 months in the lives of Jean-Luc and Beverly Picard.
Archive: Yes, ASC, please and thank you.
Enceinte
By E. Wallace
Part 1 - News
Back pressed against the cabinet, she slid to the floor then leaned her
forehead on her up raised knees. Her breathing was ragged, but at least her
stomach seemed to be steady--for the moment. She heard him call her name, and
her head snapped up, a move she instantly regretted. 'This isn't the way it
was supposed to go,' she thought forlornly.
*****
Jean-Luc wearily rubbed the back of his neck as he entered their quarters. He
stopped short when he noticed the table. It was set more elaborately than a
usual dinner required. He panicked as he mentally ran down a list of important
dates he might have possibly forgotten. No birthday or anniversary came to
mind. Of course, that didn't mean he was off the hook yet.
"Beverly?" he called, as he headed for the bedroom. He glanced at the
discarded uniform on the bed, then frowned as he spied the black leggings next
to it. His wife was one of the few people he knew who was as methodical as he
was. It must have taken something drastic to have interrupted a habit as
automatic as changing her clothes. He moved toward the bathroom, calling her
name again.
"Jean-Luc," her voice was faint through the door. "Go--oh, hell, you might as
well come in."
Opening the door, he was stunned to find her sitting on the floor. The
unusual paleness of her face was heightened by the fiery hair framing it. His
eyes raked over her, taking in the dark green sweater that came to just mid
thigh, but could find no visible injuries. He rushed to her side. Her skin
was clammy as he brushed damp hair off her face. "Beverly! Are you all right?
What happened? Did you fall?"
She waved off his rapid fire questions with one hand while holding her head
with the other. "Jean-Luc, don't shout," she pleaded, her voice low and
gravelly. "I'm all right, just help me up."
Jean-Luc slipped an arm around her waist and drew her to her feet. She swayed
slightly and clutched the front of his uniform to steady herself as she closed
her eyes against the wave of dizziness that swept over her. He was good and
scared now as he lifted her into his arms. Beverly groaned at the sudden
movement, her fingers twisting the uniform material tighter. "I'm calling
Sickbay," he insisted as he carried her back into the bedroom and laid her
gently on the bed.
"No, don't!" She refused to release her hold until he looked at her. Now
that the room had stopped spinning, she mustered a small smile. "If you'll get
me a cup of tea, I'll explain everything." He hesitated. "It's all right, I
promise."
He left, against his better judgement. In the few moments he was gone, she
got up and managed to finish dressing. She was putting her uniform away when
he returned. "Beverly! You shouldn't be up!"
She took the tea cup, sipped from it and sat back down on the bed with a small
sigh. "This isn't the way I had planned to tell you, but you might as well get
used to the worst of it up front. It's going to be bad enough without you
panicking every time. I just hope it doesn't last as long as it did with
Wesley."
"Beverly, nothing you've said has been the least bit informative or
reassuring. What is going on? And what does Wesley have to do with it?"
She could feel the fear and exasperation warring within him. Setting the cup
on the nightstand, she took his hands in hers. "First of all, I'm fine,
perfectly healthy--recent appearances aside. Second," she took a deep breath,
"Jean-Luc, I'm pregnant." Beverly watched more emotions flash across his face,
confusion, shock, disbelief.
"Preg... pregnant?" he stammered. "Beverly, are you sure?"
She gently caressed his cheek. "Yes, *Papa*, I'm sure. Even if I hadn't
been, this evening's little episode would have convinced me." She saw the
disbelief slip away to be replaced by--nothing. He stared at her, his face
blank. His lack of reaction was beginning to frighten her. What if he didn't
think this was good news? What if he thought it was a mistake? What if-- 'Stop
it, Beverly!' she scolded herself. 'Just ask him.' "Jean-Luc? Say
something." He still didn't move. She shook him slightly. "Jean-Luc! You're
scaring me! Say something, anything!"
Suddenly, he pulled her into his arms, hugging her close. "Dear God, are
people really allowed to be this happy?" he whispered hoarsely in her ear.
Relief flooded her heart. "Of course they are," she replied tenderly. She
tried to draw back enough to look at him, but he tightened his hold.
"Jean-Luc, I can't breathe!"
He jerked away from her so abruptly that he had to catch her shoulders to keep
her from tumbling off the bed. "Beverly, I'm sorry! Did I hurt you? Did I
hurt--"
"Jean-Luc, stop! I'm fine. Now take a deep breath. Good." She saw some of
the tension ease from his face. "Talk to me. Are you really happy about
this?"
Jean-Luc struggled to find the words that could even come close to what he
felt. He spoke quietly, but the awe was clear in his voice. "I never imagined
anything like this could happen to me. I've been feeling this way since the
first day you said you love me. Every time I think there's no room in my heart
for any more joy, you turn around and prove me wrong."
The words were perfect. She leaned in to kiss him, and he was surprised to
feel a dampness transferred to his own skin. He sat back to search her face.
"What is it? Aren't you happy?" he asked worriedly.
Beverly caught his hand and kissed that, too. "Of course I am! For a long
time I thought I would never feel again, certainly not this much. That's what
*you've* done for *me*." She gave him another quick kiss, then wiped a hand
across her cheeks. "This is something else you'll have to get used to," she
laughed. "There's no telling what's going to make me cry from now on!"
Jean-Luc slipped his hand free to tenderly remove the last traces of tears.
"I don't care," he assured her, "so long as they're happy ones."
*****
All evening, the only thing Jean-Luc could talk about was the baby. Although
they had decided to keep the news to themselves, for a few days at least, he
could hardly wait to send a letter to his sister-in-law, Marie, to tell her.
Lying spooned together in bed, he tenderly caressed Beverly's abdomen. "How
far along are you?"
"I was wondering when you were going to ask that. Almost seven weeks. That
puts it about a week before Deanna and Will's announcement."
"And that's important because--?"
"Because, if it happened *after*, Will would probably try to claim credit as
our inspiration!"
"Then we have about seven months before the baby comes?" he asked almost
rhetorically. He was considering larger quarters to accommodate a nursery and
wondering just what it would take to get the Picard family cradle from France
to the Enterprise.
"So I guess you like the idea of being a father?" Beverly interrupted his
musings.
"Like the idea? It's almost the best news I've ever heard."
"Almost?" she demanded as she turned in his arms to face him. "That's it?"
He playfully tapped her nose. "Well, it is fairly equal you saying you'd marry
me. Still, they both come behind you saying you love me."
She nuzzled his ear, then trailed her lips down his neck to trace his
collarbone. He moaned under her tantalizing ministrations, then abruptly pulled
back.
"Beverly," he croaked, "are you sure this is a good idea? I mean now that
you-- well, that you're—"
"Pregnant. It's a perfectly acceptable word for a rather common condition,"
she laughed. "Besides, *this* has been a good idea fairly regularly over the
last seven weeks, up to and including last night! And I wouldn't be so willing
to give it up too soon if I were you," she teased as she resumed her previous
activities. "Besides, you still have a lot to learn about Howard women and
their libidos."
Jean-Luc's shock at her words turned quickly to pure pleasure as her wandering
hand drifted lower. This was one lesson he was going to *enjoy* learning!
One week later
"We aren't going to be able to keep this a secret much longer. Will and
Deanna are coming back tonight. *She's* going to know what's going on."
Beverly laughed mischievously as she finished dressing. "And we can't ask her
to keep quiet. The others would never forgive us!"
Jean-Luc wrapped his arms around his wife's waist and pulled her back against
his chest. His hands splayed out over her flat stomach with a tender
protectiveness that brought tears to her eyes.
"We've had plenty of practice this last week at keeping our news to
ourselves," he murmured in her ear.
"No, we've just kept the details to ourselves. Even Data suspects something."
Beverly turned to face him, draping her arms around his neck. She touched her
warm lips to his. "Besides, they'll be delighted with this second 'payoff'."
He smiled at her paraphrased quotation. Six months ago, he had been slightly
embarrassed by Will's touching toast, even if he had been acting as best man at
their wedding.
'Many of us have waited a long time for the 'payoff' this wedding represents.
But none have waited as long as the two people most directly involved. For
twenty-five years, they shared hope and joy, fear and tragedy. They took a
winding road through friendship to a love that's as perfect as anything has a
right to be. No two people have ever entered into marriage with a stronger
conviction that this is right. The family and friends gathered here today are
honored to be a part of this wonderful day. To Jean-Luc and Beverly, may your
love grow and protect you forever.'
Their love had indeed grown, now to include a third person. Jean-Luc still
marveled at the very thought of becoming a father. He knew with unwavering
certainty that the feeling would never end.
Beverly watched the play of emotions over her husband's beloved face, and
tears welled again. She tried to blink them back, but one escaped. Concern
now etched his features as he gently wiped the tear away.
"Beverly, what's wrong?"
"Absolutely nothing," she whispered and hugged him close. "I told you to get
used to the waterworks."
*****
There was only a scattering of personnel in Ten Forward. As Beverly sat with
Alyssa, she kept a diligent eye on the rest of the room. Geordi sat at the
bar, daring Guinan to come up with something new. To her right, Jean-Luc stood
talking with Data. She paused briefly to watch her husband. 'What would it be
like to see that face staring back at me in miniature?' she thought idly. Her
musings almost caused her to miss her cue.
Will and Deanna entered the doors at the far side of the room. They parted,
she to greet Beverly, he to join the Captain.
Jean-Luc sighed. 'I guess it's too late to run.' Aloud, he simply said,
"Welcome back, Number One."
They watched the women hug as though Deanna had been gone a year instead of
three weeks. Will heard the captain grunt and turned to look at him. His
expression was unreadable, but there was a slight flush to his skin.
"Pregnant!?"
Will's head snapped around, his own greeting lost. He realized he'd heard
Deanna's voice distinctly because everyone in the room heard it distinctly.
"Beverly, that's wonderful!"
Jean-Luc glanced at Will and Data and shrugged. "Beverly was never very good
at keeping secrets."
The news swept through the ship in less than an hour.
tbc