The BLTS Archive - Hot Springs
by Quill of Minerva (minervasquill@aol.com)

---

Published: 02-14-07 - Updated: 02-14-07 - Complete

Disclaimer: They don't belong to me, I am merely borrowing them and
letting them have the courage to do what they wanted to do but weren't
allowed by the powers that be.

A/n: Many thanks to my beta, Jamie, not only for going through the
story and making sure I haven't made any glaring mistakes but also for
the random chats we have on AIM.

Consider this my Valentine's gift to all you P/C-ers out there.

---

Finally, after six days of intense mediation between the Federation
and the Deltrims, the planet's government had reached a conclusion
that was acceptable to all parties concerned. It hadn't been easy, but
with Captain Jean-Luc Picard heading the diplomatic party, a truce had
been assured and normal trade routes were re-established. The Deltrim
Governor, Marcus Lepal, granted the Enterprise's crew some shore
leave, letting them have free rein to enjoy the comforts that Deltrim
offered. The planet was rich in greenery, the farmland was fertile,
and the snow peaked mountains dominated the skyline. The Deltrims were
gracious hosts, suggesting places to visit or to eat and even offering
to be tour guides for a small, reasonable fee.

The Enterprise's Chief Medical Officer, Beverly Crusher, stood staring
out into the distance. The sound of the early morning bird song broke
the silence that had reigned supreme throughout the night. Beverly had
risen early because Deanna had told her about the hot springs.
According to the counselor, the hot springs on Deltrim 3 were
legendary; a must-see place if you were ever fortunate to be on the
planet. Beverly wasn't about to argue with her, when it came to
relaxation Deanna's suggestions were gold. Because of their
popularity, the springs were always in use, crowds would descend on
them at midday and remain there for the rest of day. It wouldn't have
been a problem if bathing suits could be worn but according to
Deanna, you had to be naked upon entering the spring. Beverly wasn't a
prude, but when she chose to be naked, she was either alone or with
someone she wanted to see her naked. She wanted to enjoy the springs
without feeling self-conscious or worrying about sharing the springs
with naked strangers and trying to make small talk. Despite Deanna's
assurances that nothing could be seen once you entered the springs,
Beverly decided on an early morning visit to the springs in order to
avoid any awkwardness.

As the morning sun began to rise, Beverly went back into her room and
gathered her things before heading towards the springs. On her way,
she couldn't help but admire the plant life and she decided she would
have to ask the Governor if she could take some samples back with her.
To her relief, she didn't come across a soul as she entered the glade
and she felt herself relax. She would have been disappointed if she
had come across someone. A large willow-like tree dominated the glade,
its branches hanging down to the ground, hiding the springs from view.
Beverly walked forward and gently pulled some of the branches to one
side. She gasped as her eyes fell upon the welcoming spring; it
reminded her of the lagoons in stories her Nana had told her when she
was a child. Beautiful, bright flowers of yellow, orange and red
surrounded the spring, which was bubbling away. The heat rose from
the pool, giving the whole area a mystical look. Deanna had been right
when she had told her that you couldn't see the bottom of the spring.
It really was enchanting and Beverly was glad that she had chosen this
time in the morning to pay her visit.

Beverly walked forward; her excitement and curiosity piqued as she
drank in the beautiful sight before her. She bent down and picked one
of the red flowers, the petals were as smooth as silk. She placed the
flower in her hair and resumed to her intended spot. Taking another
quick look around to make sure she was truly alone, she began to
undress. She undressed at a leisurely pace; she saw no sense in
rushing. There was something quite liberating about undressing
outdoors and something naughty about baring all. The cool air of
Deltrim 3 kissed her skin as inch by inch it was exposed. Beverly
shuddered slightly as her skin goose bumped. She bent down and picked
up her discarded clothing and then walked towards the bubbling water.
As she placed her clothing on a nearby rock, she suddenly had the
desire to run around the glade, to experience the serene area in all
her glory. She knew it was childish, but that was the fun of it. She
took off in a gentle jog, her hands cupped around her own breasts to
hold them in position. She gathered speed and a giggle erupted from
her throat as she ran in circles. She remembered running around like
this at Arvada III while her father filled up the paddling pool. The
bittersweet memory brought a smile to her face. Her father had come
back from the town with the plastic inflatable and had explained to
her that they had been popular in the twentieth century. She had loved
that paddling pool and had spent hours out in the garden in it.

Coming to an abrupt stop at edge of the spring, she looked down into
the misty water before closing her eyes and jumping in. The warm water
surrounded her as she went under and held she held breath before
bobbling back up to the surface. The water refreshed her instantly and
she made a mental note to supply Deanna with as much chocolate as she
wanted when they returned to the ship. Her skin began to tingle as the
minerals and other holistic properties of the water lapped against her
body. Beverly let out a contented sigh as she floated on her back. She
wouldn't have wanted to share this blissful moment with anyone else.
Well, a certain captain had fluttered through her mind when she had
first entered the glade, but she wouldn't have been able to mess
around like a pre-adolescent child if he had been accompanying her.
Hell, she wouldn't have been naked if she had been with him. Though,
she would have liked to be naked while *with* him.

Her head coming into contact with something jolted her from her
thoughts and she turned in the water to see what she had bumped her
head on. She didn't think it had been a rock or anything like that
because it hadn't been that hard. Sturdy, but not hard. The steam from
the spring was clouded her vision, so she reached out blindly with her
hand to find what she had hit. Her hand touched something smooth; she
groped around, exploring the thing and then pulled her hand back
abruptly when she realised it wasn't a something she had bumped into,
but a someone.

'Oh god,' she thought.

As the mist cleared slightly, Beverly came face to face with who she
had bumped into. The annoyed face of her captain and best friend
looked back at her. She was far too embarrassed to notice that his
expression softened when he realized who had bumped into him.

"Beverly," began Jean-Luc.

'Oh god, I'm naked.'

"I didn't think anyone else would be up at this time," he continued.

Beverly simply stared at him. Her brain wasn't engaging with her mouth
and she stood there gaping. She was naked and in the same hot
spring as Jean-Luc Picard. If she was naked, he would be too and that
meant they were both naked and standing mere millimetres away from
each other. Despite their obvious lack of clothing, Jean-Luc just
stood there as if they had just met up in a turbo-lift.

'Say something ** it," she mentally scolded herself.

"Get out!" she suddenly blurted aloud.

"What?" asked Jean-Luc, clearly taken back by her tone of voice. He
knew it was an awkward situation, but he had tried to make it less
awkward by acting as though nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

"Jean-Luc," she pleaded, her voice strained, "get out."

"I've only just got in," he began.

"I was here first," she cut in as she looked down to make sure she was
covered.

"It's big enough for the both of us," he said as he took a step back.
"I can't see anything."

Beverly wanted the ground to open and swallow her up whole. Why did he
have to go and say that?

"That's beside the point," she said. "Stop acting like a child and get
out."

"If anyone is behaving like a child. . .," he began.

Beverly felt her temper rising and she bit down on her lip to prevent
herself from saying something that she might regret. She wasn't being
childish; she was just trying to preserve the little modesty she had
left. She couldn't understand why Jean-Luc wasn't panicking like she
was. Usually he was the one whose ears turned red when he brushed
against her accidentally at breakfast while reaching for something. He
was the one who would cough to cover a nervous laugh and yet here he
was, standing naked in front of her without a care in the world.

"Get out," she asked again.

"I've nothing on," he replied.

"Nor have I, but I'm your doctor, after all," she said, a little smug.
"So, I've seen it all before."

Beverly had to fight the grin now threatening to appear on her lips.
It was true; during his annual physical, she had seen all of him.
Jean-Luc Picard was a fine specimen of manhood, his body not showing
his true age. She would even go as far as saying his body was as
good, even better then men half his age. He looked after his body. He
had done a good job.

A very good job.

"So maybe it's about time the tables were turned."

Beverly felt her mouth drop open. Once again, words evaded her. She
cursed her brain for letting her down at a moment like this. She was
known for her quick wit and sharp replies, but at the moment Jean-Luc
had the upper hand. Had she heard him correctly?

"It's only fair," he said.

He was right. She could see the logic in it. She had been his doctor
for years, she had seen him in many states, both clothed and
unclothed. The only skin she had flashed him had been her leg and that
had been on purpose because she had wanted his attention. She shook
her head, startling herself from her thoughts. She shouldn't be
agreeing with him. He had overstepped the line. She didn't owe him
anything. It was her profession that had led to her seeing him naked.

"You can't compare the two situations," she finally said.

"I'm only trying to lighten the situation," he admitted. "It is funny
when you think about it."

The warmth in his voice eased her and she had to admit, she could see
the funny side of. It would be one of those stories to have about over
a glass or two of Chateau Picard. Deanna would have a field day with
this as soon as she found out. She had just been taken by surprise and
she hadn't reacted well. She had just been thinking about him and
then, there he was.

"I guess we both had the same idea this morning," she said.

"To avoid the crowds and preserve some modesty," he offered.

"Yes," she agreed before breaking out into a light-hearted chuckle.
"The best laid plans."

"I'm telling the truth when I say, I can't see anything," he assured
her.

"Ssshhh," she asked as she reached out and placed a finger on his
lips. "Don't keep on."

She felt him smile against her finger and then he surprised her by
placing a gentle kiss on it before pulling away.

"Why don't we just enjoy it," he suggested. "If it means anything,
there is no one else I would rather spend this time with than you."

His gentle words touched her. They were heart felt and she knew the
admission wouldn't have been easy for him to say. He was a closely
guarded person, one who kept his feelings close to his heart. Only a
few people were privileged to know the man behind the captain's mask
and she was one of the fortunate ones. She had taken that for granted
at times, but what hurt her the most was that she hadn't realised she
was doing it.

As they stood in the water, she recalled all the times she had hurt
him by rebuffing his advances. He hadn't pushed her into anything, but
if he had, he would have had her. She knew if he had just kissed her
that night they had returned from KesPrytt, she wouldn't have left his
quarters. She had wanted him to kiss her. She had willed him too, but
he hadn't. He hadn't seen that the pitiful excuse she had used was
meant to have given him the reason to prove her wrong. She should have
gone straight back into his quarters after waiting for him to come
after her. She should have known he was far too much a gentleman to
pursue her after she had given him what he thought the final word on
them.

"Penny," he asked, breaking into her thoughts.

"Now I'm usually the one who asks you that," she said with a smile.

"I know," he said, returning her smile. "You seemed a little lost
there."

"I'm sorry," she said suddenly.

"Whatever for?" he asked.

"For hurting you," she answered. "I never meant to."

She felt his hands brush against hers under the water before taking
them in his and squeezing them gently. She felt him pull her towards
him, but then he stopped suddenly as he remembered their current
predicament.

"You didn't hurt me," he said. "It is understandable. You thought you
were alone here."

"I don't mean this," she said as she detangled one of her hands from
his and reached out to touch his face. "After KesPrytt."

She felt him stiffen at her touch and, as she caressed his cheek, she
felt him relax. She took a step closer to him, she could see him
clearly now as the stream encased them together. His hazel eyes held a
glint of sadness in them and she knew she was the case of that.

"I wanted you to kiss me," she revealed.

"How was I know that?" he asked.

"I just thought you would," she admitted.

"Oh, Beverly," he said, shaking his head. "Am I ever going to
understand how that pretty little head of yours works?"

Beverly smiled and looked down at their still joined hands. "I could
help you."

"I would like that," he said as he placed a finger under her chin and
cocked her face up so she was looking at him. His fingers danced
across the smooth skin of her neck as he smiled at her.

Beverly forgot all about where they were at that moment; she was too
busy concentrating on Jean-Luc's hand. His hand had dropped from her
neck and down on to her shoulder while his other hand reached up and
tucked a stray piece of red behind her ear.

"Now I know what you want, I hope you don't mind if I. . ." he
stopped what he was saying and pulled her towards him. His lips
brushed against hers softly and, when she responded, he kissed her a
little harder. Her hands moved up his chest, caressing him before they
ran over his shoulders and looped around his neck. The kiss was loving
and tender, it emphasized the truth of their feelings for one another.
They pulled away to gain their breath but they remained in each
other's arms. Neither wanted to break the spell that had fallen upon
them. They kissed again and then again, letting the years of pent up
emotion pour out through their swollen lips.

"I love you, Beverly," he whispered against her ear.

Beverly's eyes shone with tears. One slipped down her cheek and
Jean-Luc gently kissed it away.

"Oh, Jean-Luc, I love you too," she said as she buried her head in his
shoulder.

She felt safe as his arms wrapped around tightly, comforting her as he
whispered sweet nothings in her ear. The emotional dam she had been
building for most of her adult life had finally been broken down by
the man holding her. She felt one of his hands slip into the hair at
the base of her back as he gently tipped her head back and covered her
lips with his own.

---

The End