The BLTS Archive - Hogmanay
by Quill of Minerva (MinervasQuill@aol.com)

---

Beta: Jamie

A/N: This was originally meant to be my Xmas story to you
all but I didn't get it done in time. The original title was
Christmas on Caldos. Happy New Year Everyone.

---

It had been two years since she had hung up her Starfleet
uniform. Two years since she had said her goodbyes to
Deanna, Will, and Geordi. Two years since she had kissed
Jean-Luc Picard on the cheek and wished him well before
stepping on to the transporter pad and beaming off the
Enterprise. Two years since she had returned to Caldos and
set up the medical practice that she had promised her
grandmother, Felisa Howard, she would set up once she
graduated from the Academy. The promise had been a long time
in coming, but it had finally been fulfilled and had become
an important part of the colony, just like Felisa had hoped
it would.

For the first time in a long while, Beverly Crusher felt at
peace. She was able to work on her own projects while still
being able to treat the colony's people without fear of
screwing up the Prime Directive or having to obey orders
that took her away from her research or treating people.
Caldos had welcomed her right with open arms and she had
slotted back into colony life remarkably easily. Years of
space travel had finally taken its toll on Beverly and she
had longed to return to where days were filled with sunlight
not stars. She had also become disillusioned with Starfleet,
by their constraints, by the politics that seemed to revolve
around every mission, every move she made. Her mind had been
made up weeks before Jean-Luc had dropped the bombshell of
his marriage to Belle Du Maurier on her. His bombshell had
simply reminded her that she needed to send off her
resignation. She managed to call in a few favours so it
would seem to Jean-Luc that she had actually sent off her
resignation a week before his announcement. In the two years
since leaving the Enterprise, she had lost contact with him
but had been updated on his progress by Deanna who was in
constant contact. The engagement has been called off a
couple of months after Beverly's departure and, according to
Deanna, it had been a mutual decision. However, she wasn't
sure of the all details because Jean-Luc had not confided in
her.

The only thing that Beverly lacked on Caldos was the
presence of her friends; she hadn't truly appreciated the
true meaning of them while serving with them on board the
Enterprise day in, day out, but, now that she was away from
them, she missed their presence. She even missed Deanna
turning up at some insane hour and demanding that she have
company while eating her weight in chocolate before her
shift started.

So one dismal morning, while Beverly pondered her friends
over a mug of steaming hot chocolate, an idea had come to
her and she immediately set about writing invitations for
them to join her for the celebration of Hogmanay on Caldos.
Hogmanay was an important time of year for those of Scottish
heritage. It was a magical time of year and Beverly really
wanted to share it with them and show them the traditions
that had been passed down to her.

Deanna and Will immediately answered and accepted her
invitation, while Worf and Geordi were unable to come. Data
accepted, but had asked if he could bring a guest. From
Jean-Luc, she heard nothing. She hadn't expected him to
reply instantly, but she had expected something, a polite
apology even, yet she received nothing. The days went by and
became weeks, but still nothing from him. According to
Deanna, Will had not heard anything from their former
captain, but Data had assured them that he was well, though
he could not shed any light on why the esteemed captain had
not returned Beverly's message. Beverly was concerned as to
why she was being ignored, but put it down to that she
hadn't been in contact with him much since she had left him.
Maybe he was still angry with her and had no intention of
speaking with her. Maybe he had decided to move on
completely and push her to back of his mind.

With two days to go till Deanna, Will, Data and Data's guest
Eva descended on her home, Beverly stood on the porch of the
house that had belonged to her Nana and stared up at the
night sky above her. It was a beautiful night, the stars
twinkled brightly and the moon shone with all its glory.
Light footsteps on the gravel path stirred her from her
thoughts and she turned to see who would pay such a late
night visit.

Her jaw loosened and her mouth fell open at the sight of the
man coming towards her.

"Jean-Luc?" she asked when her mouth finally engaged with
her brain.

The streams of moonlight shone on his manly features, giving
him a mystical glow. He didn't answer her and Beverly
blinked and rubbed her eyes; she wanted to make sure she
wasn't seeing things. Maybe the brandy she had consumed half
an hour before had gone to her head. When she opened her
eyes again, he was still there, coming to standstill
before her.

"Jean-Luc?" she asked again as she made her way down the
porch steps and moved towards him.

"Beverly," he said, his baritone voice soft and smooth.

As soon as she heard his voice, she bounded down the porch
steps and moved towards him, throwing her arms around him
and hugging him to her. She wasn't quite sure why she had
reacted like that, but she did know that she needed to feel
him. It had been so long since she had heard his rich voice,
and as soon as she had heard it, it stirred something within
her and she had melted. His arms wrapped around her and he
hugged her back. Instantly, she felt like they had never
parted. His hands caressed her back as his head buried into
the crook of her neck. If she didn't know him better, she
would have thought he was smelling her hair.

"What are you doing here?" she heard herself ask, her voice
muffled by his shoulder.

"Someone mentioned something about celebrating New Years on
Caldos this year," he replied, his voice also muffled.

"But I thought, as I didn't hear from you, you wouldn't
come," she responded, somewhat confused.

"You have no idea how many messages I recorded to you but
then deleted," he replied, pulling away from her slightly
and looking into her eyes. "In the end, I thought it would
be better if I just came to tell you in person."

The intensity of his gaze bored into her, and in the past,
she had turned from him but this time she couldn't; he held
her in his gaze and she didn't feel the need to turn from
him. His hazel orbs flickered with the all too familiar look
that she had often run away from and refused to acknowledge,
but, though she had seen the look before, it was as if she was
seeing it for the first time.

"Tell me what?" she asked in a whisper, fearing if she spoke
any louder, she would break the spell surrounding them both.

"That I accept your invitation," he replied.

Though it was the reason she had invited him for, she
couldn't help but feel a little disappointed by his words.
She had thought that he had come to say something else to
her, the look in his eyes had given her that impression, but
she had been wrong.

"Would you rather I not?" he asked, obviously responding to
the silence.

"Pardon?" she asked, his voice had broken into her deflated
thoughts.

"Am I still welcome to join you?" he asked.

"Of course you are," she said, taking a step back from him,
slipping out of his warm embrace. "You're a little early; I
wasn't expecting everyone to arrive till New Year's Eve."

Jean-Luc shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot and she
instantly took pity on him, as it must have taken a lot to
get him here.

She wasn't about to let him go again. "However," she said,
and shot him a smile, "you can help with the preparations. I
have so much to do and an extra pair of hands would be
gratefully received."

"Then I am at your service," he said with a little bow.

Beverly smiled, slipped her arm through his, and led him
into the house. The last time he had been here, he had
caught her in an awfully embarrassing situation. But he had
been very good about it, and never mentioned the incident
again. She told him to go and claim one of the guest rooms
as his own; they had all been made up in preparation of her
visitors. While he was selecting his room and unpacking,
Beverly began to make them a light supper and some of Aunt
Adele's warm milk. She felt his presence even before he
stood directly behind her, so she didn't jump as she turned
and handed him his milk.

"I thought you may be hungry so I fixed us some sandwiches
and milk," she told him as she waved her hand towards the
plate of sandwiches she had made.

"I am rather peckish," he agreed as he picked up the plate
of sandwiches. "Shall I take them into the living room?"

"Make yourself comfortable and I'll be right with you," she
told him. "I just need to make sure I have enough whiskey
in."

"Whiskey?" he questioned. "I'll have a glass if you are
having one."

"Sorry Jean-Luc," she said looking over at him. "The whiskey
is for all the men who step out in the first foot."

Upon seeing Jean-Luc's confusion, she moved forward and
steered him into the living room. With a gentle push, she
pushed him down on the comfortable couch and sat down beside
him. She got herself comfortable and turned to look at him;
it was time to explain the traditions of Hogmanay to her
guest.

"Let me start from the beginning and explain what
celebrating the New Year means to us on Caldos," she began.
"Hogmanay's roots reach back to the pagan celebration of the
winter solstice. People celebrated it completely free of
restraint and inhibition and we carry that on till this day.
There are many traditions, so many that I will explain them
to you as we go along, but I will tell you about
first-footing."

Beverly could tell by the bewildered look on Jean-Luc's face
that he had no idea what he had let himself in for. If he
had presumed he would be spending the night with a group of
close friends, he was going to be in for such a surprise.
Everyone on Caldos celebrated together, and undertook the
traditions that had been passed down through the many
generations.

"First-footing takes place after the traditional firing of
the guns at midnight," she began to explain. "The men set
out to those houses into which they are welcome and a giving
of symbolic gifts takes place. Whiskey, shortbread, coal,
and black bun are the usual gifts and each of them bring
luck to the household."

"How do the men know they are welcome?" asked Jean-Luc.

"Well," Beverly began as she tried to think of the easiest
way to explain it. "The women would be home for the
first-footing. Husbands, fiancé, partners, or prospective
partners would make sure they were the first at the door."

"You seem to be expecting a lot of men," he cut in, making
reference to her earlier comment about having enough whiskey
in.

"Here on Caldos," she said, ignoring the accusing tone of
his voice, "friends usually visit in groups and bring luck.
As I am the healer, I will get many visits."

She glanced over at the man sitting on her couch and smiled
inwardly as she noticed that he looked rather chastised for
jumping to conclusions.

"Hogmanay is considered more important than Christmas.
Festivities can go on for days," she added.

Beverly explained a few more of the customs to Jean-Luc, but
soon noticed that he was growing tired. After promising that
she would explain the other customs in the morning, she bid
him goodnight and watched as he climbed the stairs. It felt
so good to have him here with her and they had easily
slipped into their comfortable friendship, despite the
absence they had endured. Hogmanay was meant to begin on a
happy note, a clean break from all that may have been bad in
the previous year. Beverly hoped that his presence here for
the festivities would lead to something for them to really
celebrate in the upcoming new year.

---

The next morning, the smell of tar floated through the
cottage and Beverly wished for the third time that she had
worn a mask while making the fire balls for the colony's
youth. She had lost count on how many times she had cut her
fingers on the chicken wire as she tried to mould it in the
balls.

"Beverly?" came the concerned voice of Jean-Luc.

She glanced up from tending to her cut and saw him rushing
down the stairs and making his way over to her. He took her
hand and inspected the cut closely, stemming the blood with
his own finger.

"That is quite deep," he observed as he looked up at her.

"I know," replied Beverly. "I was just going to get my
medi-kit."

"Keep your finger on it and I'll sort it out," he told her
as he reached over and grabbed her medical kit. He quickly
set about healing the offending cut and without thinking, he
placed a delicate kiss on where the cut had been.

"You have a very good bedside manner," Beverly told him as
she watched him turn slightly red with embarrassment.

"Care to tell me why you're making such a mess?" he asked,
obviously wanting to shift the attention away from himself.

"I am making fire-balls," she answered. "They are swung
around the body and the head while the swinger walks through
the town till they reach the lake. The fire balls are then
swung into the river."

Jean-Luc looked down at the misshapen balls on the table and
then looked back at Beverly. "Isn't that a little
dangerous?"

"Non-flammable ropes are attached to the balls, Jean-Luc,
and the swingers have had years of training."

Beverly could tell that he still wasn't convinced, but she
wasn't going to go into Starfleet health and safety
regulations with him because she was no longer in Starfleet.
In all the years she had experienced the flaming balls, no
one had ever been hurt. It was a Hogmanay tradition and when
done at night-time, it was a beautiful display to watch.

"Would you like to come into town with me?" she asked
softly.

"I would like that," he answered. "I'll just go and get
ready and maybe we can get some breakfast out."

Beverly nodded in agreement before turning to tidy up the
mess she had made while making the balls. She had made five
balls, but needed to get some non-flammable rope from the
market before she could to deliver them to the governor. She
wasn't sure how she had ended up making them, as Kika
McDougal usually made them, but for some reason, she hadn't
this year and Beverly found herself volunteered for the job.
It seemed that Beverly was well and truly integrated into
colony life and the former Starfleet doctor knew that Felisa
Howard would be very proud.

"Ready?" asked Jean-Luc, his voice breaking into her
thoughts.

"Yes," she answered as she reached over and grabbed the
wicker basket that had once belonged to her Nana. "It will
be busy, so stay close and watch for a woman with flame
coloured hair and wandering hands."

"But you told me to stay close," he said with a small
chuckle.

Beverly whipped her head around to look at him and gave him
a mock glare. "Another comment like that, Jean-Luc, and I
will personally hand you over to Estelle."

Even thought she had threatened she would hand him over to
the colony's town bike, she had no intention of ever handing
him over to Estelle. She wanted to be the only woman with
flamed coloured hair and wandering hands to get her hands on
Jean-Luc Picard. She guided him out of the cottage and along
the dirt track road that led to the town centre. Whenever
she made this walk to the town, she always felt as though
she had stepped back a few thousand years and that she had
never been in space. Caldos' old rustic charm had always
endeared her, but it had been a stifling place to grow up. It
was only now that she had grown up and travelled through
space that she could really appreciate it. From the look on
Jean-Luc's face, she could tell that he was enjoying the
scenery and the feel of the place as well.

"This reminds me of the small village near La Barre,"
Jean-Luc said, breaking the comfortable silence. "It's been
such a long time since I was there last. I should go back."

Beverly knew that La Barre and the events that had happened
there a few years ago still kept him away. She reached over
and slipped her arm through his and her hand squeezed his
arm, offering comfort. His own hand covered hers and they
remained that way until they reached the small, narrow
bridge that led into town.

"Ladies first," he said as he stood aside and allowed her to
cross the bridge.

Soon, they had both crossed the bridge and were stood on the
outskirts of the town. Beverly had been right when she had
said that it would be busy. They watched the people dash
from stall to stall, bump into friends they hadn't seen
since the day before, and listened to the sound of the
fiddler playing Gaelic tunes while standing on the edge of
the fountain that stood proudly in the centre of the town.

"Beverly, this is so beautiful." Jean-Luc said as he drank
in the sights before him.

"The Governors wanted to recreate the traditional villages
of our ancestors," Beverly explained. "They pored over
books, holograms, and other things for months before they
got to work. I should have brought you here sooner, but I
never got around to it and, when we came back for Nana's
funeral, there wasn't the opportunity."

"Well, I'm here now and I'm enjoying myself," he assured
her.

Beverly smiled warmly and led the way into the busy town.
She knew exactly what she wanted and made her way to the
market stalls that she knew sold what she needed. Jean-Luc
stayed close to her and managed to keep out of the way of
Estelle who was serving mulled wine near the fountain. The
fiddler was still playing and had gathered quite a crowd;
the children of the colony were dancing. Jean-Luc had
stopped to watch the dancing while Beverly busied herself
collecting incense sticks of juniper from one of the stalls.

"Dr. Beverly," called a voice of a young boy who was dancing
wildly.

Beverly turned at the sound of her name and waved merrily at
the young boy who had now stopped dancing and was now making
his way towards her. He wasn't the only child who had
suddenly become aware of the doctor's presence. Soon, she was
surrounded by the children who were all talking at the same
time and she couldn't make out a word of what they were
staying.

"One at a time please," she asked as she put her hands up to
get their attention.

"Are you going to be taking part in the loony douk, Doctor?"
asked the boy who had called out to her while dancing.

"I'm not too sure, Finn," she answered with a smile.

"My Pa said he would if you did," Finn continued,"but then
Ma hit him with the paper. I don't think she wants him to
get cold."

Beverly bit her lip and looked over at Jean-Luc who stood
with an amused smile on his face. Jethro McDougal was known
to have a wandering eye and he always made Beverly feel a
little uneasy when she had to deal with him on her own. She
knew he would never over step the mark, but she still didn't
like the way he looked at her. If she had been married to
him, she would have hit him with something harder than a
newspaper.

"My uncle is taking part," called another voice. "He always
does it and he's never gotten a cold."

"That is because he wears garlic around his neck when he
jumps," said Finn matter of factly.

"Garlic doesn't fend off colds, does it, Doctor?"

"Well, it can help to prevent them," answered Beverly. "Go
on you lot, go off and get your bands sorted for tomorrow."

"Yes, Doctor Beverly" they chorused in unison before dashing
off and continuing their dancing.

Beverly had turned back to her purchasing when she felt
Jean-Luc's hand on her back. She closed her eyes and
savoured his gentle touch. What was it about this man that
made her body yearn for him after the simplest of touches?
She didn't know, but she wasn't going to question it anymore.
She had done enough of that over the years and it had only
prolonged agony of not being with him.

"Two questions, Beverly," he whispered, leaning close to
her, his lips almost touching her ear. "What is the loony
douk and what's this about bands?"

Beverly turned her head so she could look into his eyes;
their faces were mere inches away from one another. If she
were to move any closer, their noses would be touching and
one step closer, their lips would be.

"The boys form bands and the leader wears sheepskin. The
bands then move from house to house, reciting a Gaelic
rhyme. When they are invited into the a house, the leader
walks clockwise around the fire, while the rest of the band
hit the sheepskin with sticks. The boys are given some
bannock and then move on to the next house," she explained,
not once breaking eye contact with him. "As for the loony
douk, I think I'll keep that as a surprise."

"You have some very strange traditions," he said as he held
her gaze. "I guess it explains some things though."

"What do you mean by that?" she questioned, indignantly

"Oh, nothing, my dear," he said as he dropped a quick kiss on
her lips and then strode off to continue watching the
dancing.

Beverly felt herself rooted to the spot as she tried to
process what had just happened. His chaste kiss had come out
of nowhere and then he acted like it hadn't really happened.
He has also used a term of endearment, but she didn't really
bother analysing that, the kiss took up most of her
thoughts.

"Beverly, are you going to stand there all day?" Jean-Luc
called out to her.

"Erm, no, of course not," she snapped as she turned on her
heel and made for another stall. As she had her back to him,
she failed to notice the triumphant smile on his face as she
walked away from him.

---

Half an hour passed by before Beverly clapped eyes on
Jean-Luc again, he was still stood by the fountain but
instead of watching the dancing, he was talking the
Governor. They seemed to be in deep conversation as she
approached them but it came to an abrupt halt when she
reached them.

"I think there must be a conspiracy against me, Beverly,"
said Jean-Luc. "No-one will tell me what the loony douk is."

Beverly smiled and caught the twinkle in the Governor's blue
eyes. The three of them made small talk, avoiding the
subject of the loony douk. Beverly's stomach rumbling brought
the conversation to an end as Jean-Luc insisted they go
somewhere for some brunch since they had missed breakfast
that morning. The Governor gave them both a certain look,
which they both understood and blushed at. The Governor
walked off and Beverly felt herself wish that the reason
they had missed breakfast was the reason he thought it was.

"Where do you suggest we eat?" he asked.

"The Inn," she replied as she led the way. She couldn't help
but wish that she could read his thoughts right now so she
could know what he thought of the Governor's knowing look.

They found a comfortable spot in the Inn to settle down
together and once again, they slipped into their old ways.
Hardly noticing when their food was set down before them and
when it was noticed, they only picked at it, preferring to
talk rather to eat. Beverly listened intently to Jean-Luc as
he told what he had been up to in the last two years and she
was delighted that he was not just telling her about ships
business, but also about his holo pursuits, the books he had
read, the formal balls he had had to attend and the lack of
a good partner to dance. The only thing he left out was any
information about Belle Du Maurier. Beverly wanted to know
what had happened but because of the break in their
friendship, she wasn't sure how far she could still push him
when it came to get him to open up.

"So anyone special?" she asked, trying to sound interested.

"Not really," he answered. "Well, only one, but she left
me."

"Oh," replied Beverly softly, thinking he must have been
referring to Belle.

"What happened?" she asked, she wasn't sure she wanted to
know about his relationship with another woman, but she had
to ask so it would appear she was concerned for him.

"One moment she was there, and another she was gone," he
explained as he glanced down at his bowl of lukewarm
vegetable soup. "I knew it was something she had to do, but
she took my heart when she left."

Beverly swallowed hard as she fought the outburst that was
threatening to overwhelm her. How dare this Belle just up
and leave him! What kind of woman had she been to do, that
to someone as wonderful as Jean-Luc.

"Deanna told me a little of what happened," she finally said
as she managed to control her anger.

"She did?" he asked, surprise evident in his voice.

"I'm sorry that you and Belle didn't work out," she
continued softly. "I should have been there for you,
supported you through it. I am so sorry, Jean-Luc."

"I wasn't talking about Belle, Beverly," he told her as he
reached across the table and took her hand in his.

"You weren't?" she asked in surprise. "Then who?"

"For someone who is meant to be bright," he said with a
chuckle,"you can be remarkably dim at times. I'm talking
about you. You are the special one, you are the one who left
for greener pastures and took my heart with you."

Beverly pulled her hand from his and stood up. She was about
to bolt towards the door when she felt his hand on her arm,
holding her in place so she couldn't go.

"Don't leave me again," he asked, his voice soft and barely
audible to anyone other than her. "Please, Beverly."

Beverly felt the invisible pull to him and forgot about her
escape route as she turned to look into his beautiful hazel
eyes. She didn't know why she had nearly bolted from him
again, especially when she had been hoping they could
progress. Maybe it was because, once again, he was taking
the control away from her and indicating that she needed to
follow his lead, rather than him following hers. She sat
down beside him, his hand still securely holding her arm,
making sure she wasn't going anywhere.

"Jean-Luc, I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"Sssshh," he replied as he let go of her arm and moved his
hands up to cup her face. "I know why you left and I want
you to know I understand the reasons now. I don't hold your
leaving me against you."

She closed her eyes as she felt the pads of his finger tips
press against her cheek bones, exploring her face, taking in
every detail he could. He was so close to her, she could
feel his breath on her face; it felt like soft, chaste
kisses all over her cheeks.

"I just don't want you to leave me again," he continued, his
voice softer than before.

"Jean-Luc," she began, but she was silenced by one of his
fingers pressed on her lips.

"A new year is coming," he cut in. "Let it be a new start
for you and I."

"For you and I?" she repeated as she opened her eyes and saw
his hazel ones looking deep into hers.

She watched as a smile appeared on his lips and he nodded.
She felt herself nod in agreement as she couldn't find the
words she wanted to say. It seemed that he understood the
reason for her lack of words and took advantage of that by
sealing his words with an another brief kiss on the lips.

"You never fail to surprise me, Jean-Luc," Beverly said,
finally finding her voice.

"That's why you love me," he replied, his voice full of
expectation and hope.

"That may be one of the reasons," she answered. She didn't
want to give too much away too soon. "Come along, I need to
get the cottage ready for redding tomorrow."

"Redding?"

"House cleaning," she explained. "I'll explain that
tradition in the morning."

Beverly rose from her seat and nipped into the toilets while
Jean-Luc paid for their meal and collected together what she
had brought that morning while he had been watching the
dancing. She appeared a few moments later and took hold of
the basket and left him holding the two tightly bound
packages. She slipped her free hand into his and held on to
it tightly, hoping that he wouldn't pull away from the
intimate gesture. To her delight, he squeezed her hand back
and led her through the Inn and outside into the crisp,
winter breeze. They walked through the town and back to the
cottage, never letting go and even when they reached home,
they both seemed reluctant to do so. Beverly finally found
the strength to let go first, and she couldn't help but
think their reluctance to let go was absurd. They weren't
exactly love's young dream.

While she put things away in cupboards, Jean-Luc went
outside to collect some firewood from the nearby woodland
area. Beverly could still feel the gentle caress of his lips
against her as she packed the potatoes away. Her lips
tingled and she couldn't wait to experience a proper kiss.

"I've stacked the wood by the fire in the living room," she
heard him call as he made his way through the living room
and into the kitchen.

"That should be enough to last us till New Year's Day. I've
been collecting it for the last couple of weeks as I didn't
intend on venturing out again till then."

She felt his warm arms encircle her waist and his chin come
to a rest upon her shoulder. She leaned back against him and
closed her eyes; she couldn't quite believe the ease they
had slipped into things. There was still a lot to discuss,
but there would be time for that later, much later on.

"I know this isn't very festive of me," he told her, "but
part of me wishes that it was just me and you here for
Hogmanay. It would be nice to see the others but..."

"I know," she said with a smile. "It's not bad, because I'm
thinking the same."

She felt him nuzzle into her neck and she felt her knees
buckle as he hit a particularly sensitive spot.

"I'll have to remember that spot for later," he told her
before pressing a kiss on her cheek.

"Make sure you do," she said.

---

The evening progressed smoothly with Jean-Luc helping
Beverly bake the oat bakes, toffee apples, and the other
traditional foods she had spoken of during the day. She was
grateful for his extra pair of hands, though sometimes they
became as bad as she imagined Estelle's wandering ones to
be. It had taken all her self control to push him away at
one point, she needed to get everything done before she
could allow herself to enjoy what was on offer.

Much later on in the evening, they made their way into the
living room and sat down on the sheepskin rug that was
directly in front of the roaring fire. She sat down between
his legs and leant back against him while they enjoyed the
Picard wine that Jean-Luc had brought with him. They spoke
to one another occasionally, but mostly they relished in the
presence of one another and their new found intimacy.

"I could get very used to this," Jean-Luc told her as he put
his glass down and then ran his hands up and down her arms.

"Could you really?" she asked. "It's not too quiet for you?"

"A few years ago, I would have said yes, but not now," he
told her. "I think I'm ready for this."

Beverly needed to look at him, she needed to look into his
eyes and see what they were really saying. In a quick, fluid
movement she was able to move herself around in his arms so
she could face him. Her long legs looped over his and
crossed behind his back. She placed her hands on his strong,
sturdy shoulders, the same shoulders that often carried the
burden of Starfleet on them, and massaged them slowly as she
looked him in the eye. She could feel the blood pumping
through his veins and almost feel his heart's rhythm
increase.

"You want to settle plane-side?" she asked.

His hands came to rest on her upper thighs, and his chest
rose and fell in a steadier rhythm. He sighed wearily. "The
time comes when a man needs to, Beverly. I think my time
came a few years ago, but I tried to ignore it."

"You can settle down anytime you want to, Jean-Luc," she
assured him.

"I know, ma cherie," he said with a smile. "I'm not going to
ignore it any longer."

"So what are you saying?" Beverly asked, barely able to curb
her enthusiasm.

"I'm ready to settle down," he told her. "With you, if
you'll have me."

"Oh, I'll have you," she answered before leaning forward and
capturing his lips with her hers. She felt his hand slip
into the fiery locks of her hair at the base of her neck as
he returned her kiss. One of her hands slipped from his
shoulder and came to rest on his chest as she leaned against
him.

When they finally pulled apart, they both shared a knowing
smile and stared into each other's eye. Beverly felt her
heart turn somersaults as she saw the love reflecting his in
hazel eyes. He reached forward and played with the ringlets
of red hair that hung around her face. Without words, simply
communicating with their eyes, they eased themselves down on
to the rug and lay facing one another. The light from the
fire flickered and bathed them in a golden glow. They were
only aware of each other, the outside world forgotten for
now. Beverly moved closer to him and eased herself slightly
on to his chest, where, once again, her mouth claimed his in
a searing kiss. His arms came up and wrapped around her
lithe frame, his hands coming to a rest on the small of her
back.

As Beverly gave herself over to the kiss, losing herself
completely in it and the sensations it was stirring within
her, Jean-Luc took advantage of her state and rolled her on
to her back. His strong arms held his weight above her so he
wouldn't squash her and he looked down at her, desire
glowing brightly in his eyes. He lowered his head to her
neck and his warm, soft lips caressed her delicate skin,
inciting moans of pleasure from her. Beverly reached up and
slipped her hands under the blue, casual tunic top he wore
and caressed his warm skin with her hands. She ran her
finger-tips lightly over his nipples and tweaked them. Her
efforts were rewarded with a moan and she felt his fingers
slipping under the material of her top. She gasped as his
fingers grazed against the soft skin of her breasts and she
decided there and then, that they had far too much on.

Her hands quickly divested him of his tunic and quickly
moved down to unzip his trousers, but his hands stopped her.
She looked up at him and saw that he was smiling at her
impatience. Under usual circumstances, she would have loved
to have wiped that smile off his face, but she had waited 30
plus years for this moment and she wasn't going to wait any
longer. She managed to wiggle herself out of her top and
reached behind to undo the clasps on her bra. In one fluid
movement, she shrugged off the bra and tossed it behind her.
She looked up at him for his reaction and smiled proudly as
he looked back at her, taking her all in, making her believe
that she was goddess to him.

"Beautiful," he murmured as his hands reached out to touch
her revealed breasts. His touch was soft at first as his
fingers brushed against the sides, but then he cupped them in
his large hands and massaged them as he brought his head
down to rest upon them. As his hands continued to massaged
her breasts, he planted soft kisses all over the smooth
flesh. Beverly whimpered beneath him as his touches drew her
closer to the edge. Never had she been so close to exploding
with just her breasts being caressed. She arched into his
touch, pressing as much of her breasts into his hands as he
could take, while her hands made their way down to touch
him.

She pressed her hand against his groin and felt his need for
her; he was so hard and so confined in his trousers. She
needed, she wanted, to release him from his confinements. She
unzipped him and pushed his black trousers down past his
waist as she placed soft kisses on his chest. He assisted
her by kicking his boots off and then slipping out of his
trousers and underwear. He was completely naked and she
drank in the sight before her; he was glorious. Her hands
needed to touch him, explore all of him, but he stopped her
before she could; she needed to undressed as well. His hands
moved down her body slowly, teasing her with gentle caresses
until he reached the zip of her skirt. Slowly he unzipped
her, pulled her skirt down, kissing her exposed skin as he
he went. Her skirt, followed by her underwear, was thrown on
the near-by chair and there she lay in all her glory beneath
him.

He moved up her body and caught her lips again as his hands
explored her. Her own hands moved across his body, touching
him, caressing him and exploring. She arched into his touch,
wanting more, wanting him completely. She gasped as she felt
his warm, wet mouth clasp around her pert nipple. He
lavished them with attention as his hands moved southwards.
He cupped her moist desire and pressed against her, letting
her grind against the palm of his hand as he nipped and
sucked on her nipples. Her own hand searched out his
erection and she took him in hand, exploring his length with
her fingers, brushing a fingertip against his swollen head.
She felt him jerk in her hand and she knew he was close, but
she didn't want it to end like this; she needed him in her.

"Jean-Luc," she purred as she arched into his touch.
"Please, my love."

It was like they were on the same wave length because he
knew exactly what she needed, what she wanted, because it
was what he needed and wanted. His mouth caressed her
lovingly as he centred himself above her and entered her in
one smooth stroke. Beverly reached up and clasped him to her
as they moved in unison; they moved like one. They cried out
one another's name as they reached their release together
and then collapsed down against the sheepskin rug.

Beverly felt Jean-Luc's lips touch her shoulder as she
wrapped her arms around him and snuggled into his warm,
slightly sweaty chest. She heard him whisper 'I love you'
before they both dropped into contented sleep.

---

The next morning, Beverly awoke, still locked in his tight
embrace. She opened her eyes and glazed at the man she
loved. She was no longer afraid of losing herself in him and
she knew that they had a future ahead of them. She would
have loved to have woken him up and made love again, but she
needed to make a start on redding. If she didn't start now,
she wouldn't get it done and Felisa would turn in her grave.
She didn't want to wake Jean-Luc, so managed to slip out of
his arms and get up, but not before pressing a gentle kiss
on his lips.

Redding was the custom of giving the house a clear out
before the New Year. Beverly had to make sure that the
fireplaces were cleaned out completely so that new fires
could be started for the new year coming. She also needed to
let the Governor know that the flameballs were ready for
collecting and she also needed to pack up the tartlets and
other things she had baked with Jean-Luc yesterday.

"Did I dream last night?" Jean-Luc's voice called from where
he was still lying.

Beverly wandered back into the living room and leaned over
the edge of the couch to look at him.

"What was the dream?" she asked, stifling a small smile.

"Beverly," he warned.

"It was no dream," she said as she moved around and joined
him back on the floor. She wrapped her arms around him and
snuggled into his neck. "It happened and it was wonderful."

She felt his arms wrap around her and begin to drag her back
down on to the floor with him. She wanted to give in to him
but she couldn't; she had to prepare for the meal she was
putting on for the others as well as tackle the rest of the
fireplaces in the cottage.

"My love," she whispered, struggling playfully. "I would
love to, but not right now. I need to light all the juniper
incense sticks."

"What? Why?" he asked as he sat up straight.

"It's tradition to burn juniper throughout the house while
cleaning it because it ensures that any evil spirits, which
may have moved in during the year, are also cleared out."

"Oh heavens, Beverly," groaned Jean-Luc. "Whatever next?"

"Don't mock our traditions, Jean-Luc," she warned him, a
finger coming to rest on his chest. "We hold them dear to us
even if they do seem a little far fetched."

"I know, ma cherie," he said as he pressed a gentle kiss on
the tip of her nose. "I'll put something on and then I'll
help you clear out the evil spirits and the fireplaces."

"I love you," she said, cupping his face with her hands.

"And I love you," he replied as he stood up and wrapped
Felisa's quilt around his naked body and headed upstairs to
freshen up.

"I prefer it without the quilt," she called up after him.

Beverly had her head in the kitchen fireplace when Jean-Luc, as
she had hoped, hadn't resisted the temptation of smacking
her bottom as he wandered by to put the kettle on the stove.

"Couldn't resist," he said as he caught her looking at him.
"You have something smeared on your cheek."

Beverly wiped her cheek with the back of her hand, but only
smeared the offending ash across her cheek more. She stood
up and brushed herself down before making her way over to
where Jean-Luc was standing. He pulled her into his arms and
against his chest.

"I haven't been this happy for a long while," he admitted.

"Well, you will be even happier when I tell you who I heard
from while you were making yourself handsome."

"Who?"

"Deanna and Will can't make because the Titan has been sent
on a rescue mission and Data informs me that Spot 3 is about
to have kittens and he can't leave her so it is just you and
me after all."

Beverly gasped loudly as she found herself unceremoniously
lifted up into the air and swung around.

"Jean-Luc, put me down," she laughed.

Moments later, she found her feet back safely on the floor
and a smiling Jean-Luc looking at her. She knew that it was
what he had wanted and briefly, she wondered if he had
called in any favours but that thought was pushed out
quickly as she knew; he would have loved to have seen the
others as much as she.

"Tell me what loony douk is?" he asked.

"You will find out tonight, my love. Now stop going on about
it. It happens before the midnight guns and the first
footing."

The rest of the day progressed quickly; it would have taken
Beverly a lot longer to do the redding if Jean-Luc hadn't
been on hand to offer assistance. Though what he had done,
she would only go over and change when he didn't notice.
They settled down together in front of the roaring fire and
ate a small supper of cheese, cold meats, pickles, and bread
before joining to the other colonists for the traditional
Hogmanay celebrations.

"Doctor Beverly," called Finn, running over to meet them as
she and Jean-Luc stepped off the bridge. "Are you doing it?"

"No, I'm on standby, but my friend is going to give it a
try."

"Don't forget your garlic, mister," called Finn as he ran
away to find his father.

"What exactly am I doing?" Jean-Luc asked.

"The Loony Douk," Beverly replied as she took his hand and
led him towards the river side where half a dozen men were
lined up.

Beverly grinned to herself as she caught sight of Jean-Luc's
bewildered expression.

"It will all become clear in a second, darling," she
whispered before she placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

He was about to say something when the men beside the
river-side gave a loud wail and jumped into the freezing
depths of the river one by one. Beverly smiled and nodded
towards the water when a startled Jean-Luc shot her an
alarmed look.

"For me!" she mouthed.

Beverly noticed his eyes light up in determination and
stepped up on to the small platform that the men were
launching themselves off of. He turned to look at her and
then mouthed, "You owe me!" With a loud wail, he launched
himself up into the air and dropped into the bitter cold
water of the river. Loud cheers erupted through the crowd
that had gather to watch the Loony Douk. Beverly ran to the
river-side, never in her wildest dreams had she ever though,
he would do that.

"Merde! Bloody freezing!" he called out as he swam to where
Beverly was waiting.

"Oh, Jean-Luc," she said as she opened a big towel to wrap
around him. "I didn't think you would do it."

She helped him out on to dry land and wrapped the towel
around, then, fussed over him as she led him towards the big
bonfire that burned.

"I can't believe you did that," she laughed softly as she
rubbed his head with a hand towel.

"I thought if I didn't, I would bring bad luck," he said
with a shiver.

"Oh no, only a few brave lunatics do it each year," she
explained. "The rest of us just come to watch it."

"But you said," he began.

"I didn't think you would do it," she cut in. "You're a
lunatic, but I love you for it. Oh look, it's my flaming
balls."

Beverly wrapped her arms around Jean-Luc's waist and rested
her chin on his shoulders as they watched the swingers walk
by, swinging the balls of fire around their bodies and over
their heads. Beverly laughed brightly as the procession
progressed and then the balls were thrown into the river
where the men had just done the loony douk. Cheers erupted
and filled the night air just as the town hall bell rang
out loud, letting the women know they needed to be back at
home for the first footing.

"Jean-Luc," called Beverly over the chanting. "Aren't you
coming with me?"

"No, I want to be the first one at your door when the guns
go off. Get home quickly."

Beverly squealed as she kissed him quickly and then ran off
into the darkness, back to her cottage to wait for her
callers. As she reached her front door, she heard the
midnight guns go off and cheers coming from the town centre.
She waited impatiently by her door, peeking out the window
every few moments and wondering what was taking him so long
to get there. Finally, after what had seemed like an
eternity, there was a knock on her door and she flung it
open to find Jean-Luc stood there with a piece of coal in
his hand.

"Lang may yer lum reek," he said as he presented with the
lump of coal.

"Oh, Jean-Luc," she cried as she jumped into his arms and
hugged him tightly.

"I'm not sure what I just said," he admitted softly. "The
Governor told me to give you this and say it."

Beverly smiled brightly and rubbed her nose against his.
"Coal is a traditional good luck blessing for the long, dark
nights. What you just said roughly translates in to 'long
may your chimney smoke.' Thank you for making the start of a
new year so wonderful."

They stumbled back into the cottage and moved directly into
the bedroom where they planned on celebrating the new year
in their own special away. Neither of them heard the door
knock countless of times, nor did they hear the town singing
Auld Lang Syne. The New Year had arrived and luck was
bestowed on the Howard Cottage.

---

The End