The BLTS Archive - Continuing Down the Road Third in the Road series by Kerri Bush (Blondiee17@aol.com) --- Standard Disclaimer: This road which you choose to take has been forged for two hearts' sake. The money gained from this road the minstrel cannot count; she makes none so she is not sued by the great god Paramount. --- She sat in the small lounge of Starfleet Medical, just off a hallway that was just off the main stretch. She was alone,which was unusual for such a young, attractive woman, and she carried no supplies, which was unusual for a medical student. She wore a blue sweater with a white skirt, and her hair was let down, a rare treat for hungry eyes. As he came closer,he saw she wore makeup, something he was not accustomed to viewing on her delicate features. She stared unseeing out the window into the dusky sky of San Francisco, and tears glistened down her face. This revelation made it even harder to deliver the message he had been given. He stalled a bit longer, allowing himself to indulge in her beauty while giving her a minute to pull herself together. It had been almost a year since Jack's marriage to Beverly; almost a year since he'd seen her for the first time. He had been silenced by the elegance of this goddess just as much then as now. And now, just as then, he still was filled with a sense of deja vu, as if he had met her somewhere before, though place of the occurrence had always eluded him. She turned her head, she had seen him. She quickly wiped her eyes, and called to him in the process. "Jean-Luc, please, sit down." Her heavenly voiced called to him, and he had not the power to drift from her wishes. "I can only stay a minute, Beverly. Really, I'm just here to deliver a message -" "From Jack." "Yes, from Jack." She turned to once again face the window, pulling her knees under her chin. "Let me guess. He couldn't meet me tonight because he's been called away by God to participate in a mission that will save all humanity." Though her tone was not one of humor, he chuckled anyway, hoping to lighten her mood. "No, actually. Admiral Hawke called him and asked if he would like to be a witness in a court martial hearing." "He didn't even have the decency to call me." "It was quite a sudden affair, Beverly. He didn't have all that much notice, and -" "Stop making excuses for him, Jean-Luc! The truth of the matter is witnessing a court martial is more important to him than being with his wife, whom he hasn't seen in three months." He could see the tears forming again. Damn Jack! How could he put him in this situation? Beverly was right, after all. Jack *did* care more about seeing a court martial than his wife, simply because the court martial hearing could help promote his career. But what could he tell Beverly to convince her that was not the case, when it was obvious she saw right through it all? He was so immersed in his own thoughts, he almost missed her whispering. "I want to go home." She was sobbing, a horrible, pathetic sound coming from the depths of the soul. He rose and after a bit of hesitation, took her in his arms. Thank goodness she had picked a remote location to meet her husband. It would not be good for them to be caught in this rather compromising situation. "Now, it's all right, don't cry. I'll take you home, then I'll call Jack and tell him that you need him to come home." Pulling away from his comforting embrace, she sighed. "What bothers me is my *loving* husband," she spat sarcastically, "blows me off when I have something very important to tell him." "I'm sure he didn't blow you off, Beverly -" "Sure he didn't." " - I'm sure he just forgot. You can tell him whatever it was tonight when he gets home." Beverly attempted a smile, but failed miserably. "He isn't coming home tonight. He's helping out with the _Stargazer's_ engine repairs. And you ship out tomorrow morning." He was at a complete loss. Jack *had* completely blown her off. "Perhaps you can do me a favor, Jean-Luc?" "I don't mind. What can I do for you?" "You can tell my *loving* husband that I'm pregnant, and if he doesn't call me on subspace within twenty-four hours of you delivering my message, he can expect divorce papers." "Pregnant?" Beverly managed a smile this time. "Oh yes. Isn't it wonderful? I'm failing Gross Anatomy, my mentor refuses to recommend me for a job, my husband doesn't care that I'm alive, and to top it all off, I'm having a baby." Fresh tears filled her eyes, a few spilling down her cheeks. He patted her shoulder. "Things will get better, Beverly." He stared into her eyes, and was sure that somewhere, somehow, he had seen her before. She stared into his eyes, and was sure that somewhere, somehow, she had seen him before. He leaned in toward her, she toward him. It was so natural, it seemed so right... The second their lips brushed, she pulled away, and instead focused her attention on the darkening horizon. He felt he should apologize, but there were no words. How can one apologize for something he feels no remorse? He started to speak, but she shook her head. "Just go," she whispered. Knowing not else what to do, he left her there, staring out the window into the San Francisco sky, searching for a light that would never again grace the vast blackness of the heavens. --- The End