Meeting Again

She had not seen him in ten years and now here he was in front of her for the second time in two days. She had thought that seeking an assignment on The Enterprise had been the right thing to do, but now she was not so sure. Maybe some things were simply best left alone. Jean Luc looked so awkward stood in her office. She heard his words,

"I can understand that it might be difficult for you, if you would like to request a transfer".

She heard her own voice,

"Captain, I requested this assignment."

She saw his face, he looked surprised even a little shocked, and then she heard herself speak again,

"It seemed the only way to get your attention."

Silence. He looked back at her.

"What do you mean?" she heard him ask and without hesitation she replied

"You know exactly what I mean."

She looked him in the eye and refused to look away. She watched as her comment registered and then Jean Luc turned on his heel and walked out of her office.

As the doors of sickbay closed behind him she let out a sigh and sat down in her chair. She knew that he had understood her words. Beverly closed her eyes and let her mind drift back to memories of the terrible days following her husband's death. The grief had nearly consumed her. If it had not been for Jean Luc's steadfast support it probably would have. When she thought of her relationship with Jack her mind always turned to thoughts of Jean Luc. The two men were inextricably linked in her memory. She had not seen or heard from him in ten years, not since the morning that she had woken up to find him gone from her house without a word. In her mind she had replayed the events following Jack's funeral many times. She knew why Jean Luc had left, why he had never contacted her.

That last night she had made him dinner. It was a thank you gift for all he had done for her and Wesley in the days leading up to and following the funeral. He had been so kind and thoughtful. Beverly knew that she would never have been able to get through it without him. Afterwards they had sat in comfortable silence next to each other in front of the fire watching the flames dance. What happened next was as much a surprise to her as it had been to him.

She remembered that as she watched the flames she had begun to cry. Jean Luc had reached out to wipe the tears away and she had looked up straight into his eyes. What she had seen had taken her breath. For one brief instant she had seen such love staring at her and then he had looked away. She had reached out putting her hand on his cheek and she had said his name. Leaning forward she had kissed him. At first it had been tentative but it soon had become much more. Jean Luc had responded opening up to her kiss and pulling her into his arms. They could not stop, they had been swept away in that moment. There on the floor in front of the dying embers of the fire they had made love and then she had slept in his arms. When she awoke she found that he had gone and she had not seen or heard from him again in the ten years that had followed.

Beverly opened her eyes. She had a determined look on her face. Whatever shame and guilt they both might feel about that night it was time to do something about it so they could get on with the future and whatever that might bring.

So it was that a few days later Beverly found herself stood outside Jean Luc's quarters early one evening. She was not in uniform. She thought that might help. In her hand she was holding a bottle of wine, she thought that might help too. Reaching out she pressed the panel and heard the chimes. Jean Luc's voice rang out,

"Come!" and the doors slid open.

Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves Beverly stepped inside. Jean Luc was sitting in a chair, a book in his hand. When he saw her he stood up immediately and for the first time since she had come aboard she heard him say her name. She held up the bottle of wine,

"I've been saving this, I wondered if tonight might be good time to open it? Do you have a corkscrew?"

Jean Luc smiled in resignation and walked over to the sideboard. He brought back two glasses and a corkscrew. Beverly sat down on the sofa. Silently Jean Luc opened the bottle and poured out the wine into the glasses. As he handed her one he said,

"What shall we drink to?"

"Oh, I don't know" she replied, "perhaps we should just drink the wine and see what happens. I seem to remember it was rather wonderful the last time."

Jean Luc looked at her and put his glass down with a loud clink.

"Beverly don't" he said.

She could see that it was a warning but she was in no mood to heed it.

"Jean Luc I understand that you don't want to talk about it, but I think that you at least owe me an explanation. I invite you to my house, cook dinner for you, we make the most extraordinary love on the floor of my living room and then you leave without a word. Did I do something wrong? Did I misread the signals? What did I do that was so terrible that ten years later you still can't look me in the face?"

There was a pause and then he did look at her. She held his gaze, refusing to look away.

Finally he spoke,

"Beverly, what we did that night, it should never have happened."

Putting her wine down, she stood up and moved closer to him. He didn't back away. She took that to be a good sign. He did not even flinch when she took his hand. Slowly she lifted it to her lips and delicately she kissed each finger never taking her eyes from his. It was a dare, a deliberate provocation. Jean Luc was rooted to the spot. He closed his eyes.

"Beverly" he breathed "please don't play games with me."

"This is not a game Jean Luc" she replied, "I am quite serious. I have waited ten years to touch you again and I don't think that I can wait a moment longer."

Jean Luc opened his eyes and a look of surprise passed across his face.

"I left because I assumed that you would never want to see me again after what happened. I knew that I had taken advantage of you. You were vulnerable. I should have stopped you when you kissed me, I should stop you now."

"Jean Luc" she whispered "when have you ever known me to do something I didn't want to do?"

She moved closer to him and took hold of his other hand. Looking straight into his eyes she said,

"I wanted you then and I want you now. If you don't take me, I think I might explode. Ten years is a long time to wait."

There was a pause and then they kissed.

She felt his arms envelop her and she let him lift her up and carry her to the bed. It was quicker this time, more desperate as they pulled at each other's clothes. She laid back watching as he hovered above her and then she cried out as he entered her. Jean Luc looked down as if gathering his thoughts and then he began a gentle rhythm that soon quickened. She rose to meet him, wrapping her legs around him, willing him on. She arched her back and cried out his name as she reached her climax and felt him as he shuddered to his own and fell exhausted onto her, holding her tightly and whispering her name.

Later when they had slept a little they made love again. This time they took their time and when it was finished they looked into each other's eyes and smiled. Beverly lay in his arms and sighed contentedly and Jean Luc nuzzled the back of her neck as she lay against him. She felt as his breath tickled her ear and then she heard him say,

"I love you Beverly, you do realise don't you? It has always been you. That is why I left that night. I didn't dare face you in the morning. I was too frightened that you would send me packing. I couldn't bear the rejection I was sure was coming, so I ran."

She didn't speak for a minute and then she whispered,

"Have you stopped running now?"

He turned her over and looking down into her eyes he smiled saying,

"I think so," and kissed her.