From: mabtng@aol.com (MABTNG)
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
Subject: NEW STORY: A Force Of Nature- Ch. 1&2(TNG/P&C)
Date: 16 Jul 1995 12:05:31 -0400

Here's another story for Picard/Crusher fans...you are forewarned. As
usual, I welcome all constructive comments and suggestions.

DISCLAIMER: PARAMOUNT OWNS EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING IN THIS STORY. THE
STORY IS MINE. IT IS NOT INTENDED FOR COMMERCIAL REPRODUCTION. FEEL FREE
TO PASS IT ALONG TO YOUR FRIENDS, BUT PLEASE LEAVE MY NAME AND THIS
MESSAGE ATTACHED.

A FORCE OF NATURE

By M.A.Boyd
July 1995

CHAPTER ONE

Captain Jean-Luc Picard sat in his quarters, nervously preparing the
speech he was about to give. He knew that his audience might not
appreciate his "timing" so he rehearsed each and every word until he was
thoroughly convinced that... it was going to be a disaster. This
proposition was not a good idea right now. He was about to cancel the
whole thing when his door chimed.

It was too late. His "audience" had arrived.

"Come," Picard called. He stood and firmly tugged his jersey down
around his waist. Unfortunately, all that did was make him aware of how
tight the collar was about his neck. It threatened to choke all of the
words in head.

The door opened and Dr. Beverly Crusher entered...or rather, glided
into the room. She was wearing a simple leotard with a wrap around skirt.
Picard surmised that she had been dancing on the holodeck again. She
smiled at Picard. He pulled at his collar with his finger. The
temperature in the room had suddenly become very uncomfortable. He
cleared his throat as quietly as possible.

"Good evening, Beverly. I'm glad you could join me for dinner." He
held out his arm and she took it as he led her to the dining table.

"Thank you for the invitation, Jean-Luc. After tonight, I have a
feeling that I won't have a chance for a leisurely dinner for a while."

Picard adjusted Beverly's chair as she took her place at the table.
He was thankful her back was to him as he realized that he had been
staring at the way her auburn hair fell around her neck. He quickly moved
to his own seat.

As they began to enjoy the food and wine before them, Picard slowly
began to broach the subject that had been preoccupying him for most of the
day. He would utilize every lesson he had ever learned in diplomacy and
small talk so that Beverly would never know how long he had been
rehearsing.

"So, Beverly. How are the preparations for your mission coming
along?" He looked up and realized that he had caught her in the middle of
taking a rather large bite of Maravian Duck. So much for being smooth.
He smiled at her as she bobbed her head, trying to chew and swallow so she
could answer his query. She finally finished and gave him an apologetic
smile as she took a sip of wine.

"I'm sorry. Jean-Luc, this is wonderful! You were saying..."

"I was just wondering if you were ready to leave tomorrow for Kalan
II?"

"Oh...yes. The medical supplies have already been loaded into the
shuttle. Seeing as the settlement there is quite small I should be able
to complete all of the medical check-ups and procedures relatively
quickly."

"Excellent. It's too bad you won't be able to join the Enterprise
for some R & R on Starbase 281." Picard was leading the conversation
quite deftly now.

"You know I don't mind, Captain. Besides, a Starbase is not my idea
of a place to rest and relax. I'll be quite happy on Kalan II. Then, the
Enterprise can pick me up after the crew has had its shore leave.

Besides, didn't I hear you say something about some dinner with a bunch of
stuffy admirals while you're there? No. I will definitely forego that
pleasure and make this *sacrifice.*"

Picard had to smile. Beverly Crusher was the only one in the
universe who detested those pompous dinners as much as he did. He
swallowed his grin as he realized he was reaching the treacherous part of
the conversation.

"So, who has been assigned to pilot the shuttle?"

"Actually, I was going to find out from Commander Riker after
dinner." Beverly's eyebrow raised slightly. *Where is he going with
this? I have this feeling....*

Picard was lost in thought for moment and didn't notice her
quizzical stare. He was remembering their recent dinner after their
*experience* on Kesprytt. Perhaps it was too early to ask Beverly for
this favor. She had made it clear that night that she did not want to
push the matter of their *relationship.* He was afraid that this request
might seem a bit forward of him.

"Jean-Luc? What is it?"

Picard looked up and realized that she was staring at him.

Suddenly, an idea entered his desperate mind.

"I'm sorry, Beverly. I was just thinking about Kalan II. I don't
believe I told you why the Enterprise was assigned this medical mission."

"So, why don't you tell me then?" She leaned forward in her seat
toward him, her hand resting lightly on her wine glass.

"Well, the leader of the settlement, Jonathan Byers, is an old
friend of mine. We met about fifteen years ago when I used some vacation
time to accompany him on one of his archaeological digs on one of the
moons of Thorial. He's a brilliant man. I understand that he has made
some incredible discoveries in his two years on Kalan II." Picard bowed
his head slightly and raised his eyes, almost pleadingly, at Beverly.

"Jean-Luc! Why didn't you say something before? I have an idea.
Why don't you accompany me as my *personal shuttle pilot?*"

Picard smiled to himself. He had successfully turned the tables so
that it was all Beverly's idea! But, he didn't want to seem to anxious.

"Beverly, I don't know...." he began...knowing she would interrupt.

"Don't be silly, Jean-Luc. I'm certain that the Enterprise can
survive a trip to a Starbase without you. Besides, at least you would not
have to attend *that* dinner."

"Well...if you're sure you don't mind..."

"Of course not. In fact, I'm sure we'll have a much more
interesting time than the crew will in that dumpy place."

Picard smiled at her words. Beverly stood and placed her napkin on
the table.

"And now, I need to get back to my preparations. Thank you for a
lovely dinner, Jean-Luc." She crossed over to him and kissed him lightly
on the cheek. Picard grabbed the arms of his chair, unprepared for her
move. This was going to be an *interesting* trip, indeed.

Beverly moved to the door and it opened. She paused and looked back
at him over her shoulder.

"And, one more thing, Jean-Luc. Next time, why don't you just ask
me...instead of making me ask you?"

The door swooshed closed behind her, leaving a rather bemused

Captain in her wake.

CHAPTER TWO

The departure of the shuttle went smoothly...well, almost.

Commander Will Riker had escorted the Captain to the shuttle bay and he
took the opportunity to tease his superior officer about his elaborate
scheme to avoid the admiral's dinner at Starbase 281. Picard reassured
Riker that he would not forget the favor Will was about to do for him.
When they entered the bay, they were greeted by the not-so-graceful
image of Dr. Beverly Crusher leaning over to examine the contents of
several crates that were last minute additions to the shuttle's cargo.
Picard cleared his throat, hoping she would notice them...soon. *Not that
he didn't enjoy the view,* he thought with some embarrassment.

The sound startled Beverly and she promptly tripped over one of the
crate lids and sprawled onto the deck. Picard and Riker rushed to her
aid. They both grabbed an arm and lifted her to her feet.

"Well, that was smooth of me..." she stated as she brushed her
uniform off.

Picard looked at her with a sheepish grin. "I'm sorry if I startled
you, Doctor."

She raised her eyebrow and smiled. "You know what I'm like when I'm
concentrating on something, Captain. ....Just don't do it again." She
walked back to the crates and proceeded to close them. Riker shrugged at
Picard and gave him a sly look that Picard didn't even want to begin to
translate.

Four hours later, the shuttle was well under way and more than
halfway to its destination. Picard had eased back into his chair and was
watching the stars stream by. Beverly sat in observation, attracted by
the wonder in his eyes.

Jean-Luc Picard was an explorer in every sense of the word. He
would never be satisfied unless he was discovering new worlds or pouring
over a new book or studying some ancient artifact that would bring him new
knowledge. She thought of all of the ancient relics and literature he
possessed. Somehow, he managed to avoid the usual dichotomy between the
past and the future. Jean-Luc cherished things past and eagerly awaited
each discovery of the future.

She thought of all of the different crises he had faced as Captain
of the Enterprise. Each time, he adapted to the situation at hand to see
them safely through it. He was a chameleon of sorts. In fact, there was
really only one situation that had really tested him and threatened to
undermine his cool facade. She lifted her hand to cover the grin that was
forming on her face as she remembered the first time Jean-Luc had
encountered Wesley on the bridge. Jean-Luc definitely needed practice
dealing with children. This was one area where his natural charm usually
failed him. But, she had to give him credit. His unquenchable thirst to
learn had spurred him on...even in the face of adversity...and kids.

Beverly understood that thirst well because she shared it...and not
only in the professional sense. Over the past seven years, she had found
a new area of research. One that never ceased to amaze her with its
complexity...Jean-Luc Picard. She had decided that, somehow, she would
make it her life's work.

Picard began to stretch and Beverly quickly averted her eyes. He
was the first to speak.

"You know, there's something about being in a small ship...a feeling
of freedom one cannot get aboard a ship with over one thousand people..."

"Be careful, Jean-Luc. Someone might get the idea that you want to
give up your command." Beverly teased.

He laughed. "Hardly. But it is nice to have this reminder of why I
joined Starfleet...once in a while."

"Agreed," Beverly answered softly.

They stared at the panorama before them in silence for several
minutes. Suddenly, Jean-Luc stood, rubbing his hands together.

"So, Doctor. The autopilot is on and we have a few more hours
before we arrive at Kalan II. What shall we do?"

Beverly blushed slightly as she thought of several suggestions she
wanted to give him. She turned her chair toward him, regaining her
composure.

"Well, Jean-Luc, it would be nice to have some lunch...and I would
like to hear more about your friend and his work on Kalan II."

"Very well...will you join me?" He held out his hand to her and she
took it. He then escorted her to the back of the shuttle.

Fifteen minutes later, they relaxed with some post-lunch tea. As
they reclined in their seats, Picard began his narrative.

"Professor Byers is an amazing man. He taught at Oxford for ten
years, before he received several grants that allowed him to go out into
the field to continue his research. He and his wife, Katherine, have been
on the move ever since. Jonathan's specialty is cultural anthropology.
Specifically, he investigates the myths and folklore of different
civilizations."

"So, what has brought him to Kalan II?" Beverly interrupted.

"Well, I haven't communicated with him for several years; however,
from reading several journals on the subject, it is my understanding that
he is investigating a legend from one of the first colonies from Earth
that originally settled on Kalan II over two hundred years ago." He
paused for a moment to see if she was really interested. She didn't
disappoint him.

"Well???" She was leaning toward him now.

"Well, according to folklore, when the first settlers arrived they
were attacked by a powerful cloudlike being. It laid waste to their camp
and killed several of the colonists. They were unable to communicate with
the being and were forced to take refuge in the many caves that surrounded
the valley they had settled in. They stayed there for several weeks and
the being left them alone. Their leader, however, knew that they could
not remain where they were. They devised a plan to trap the being.
Details of the plan have been lost over the years; however, they evidently
succeeded in capturing the being in one of the caves. They sealed the
cave and apparently soon forgot about it.

"The colony on Kalan II failed...mainly because of poor planning and
administration; however, disease was a major problem also. After ten
years of little success, the colonists abandoned the planet. No one has
settled there since. The legend has been passed along by word of mouth
ever since.

"Professor Byers wants to determine the validity of the story...and
to see if somehow this being caused the failure of the colony."

"That sounds fascinating. I hope he'll have some news to share with
us." Beverly's eyes were lit up in excitement. She loved a good mystery.

Picard decided that he could definitely get used to seeing that
expression on her face. In fact, he mused, he wanted to see that look
every day for the rest of his life. He shook himself from his daydream.

"So, Beverly. We still have some time before we arrive. Why don't
you get some rest. I'll wake you when we're close."

"That's probably a good idea...thank you for telling me the story,
Jean-Luc."

"Anytime, Doctor." He smiled at her and then returned to the
pilot's seat. Beverly moved to one of the berths and stretched out. She
knew what she would be dreaming about.

Picard woke Beverly as they approached Kalan II. Both of them were
amazed by the beauty of the planet as it loomed before them. The
vividness of the greens, blues and reds of the landscape was so bright it
almost hurt their eyes. Picard had tried to hail the compound but
received no answer. He was not concerned, however, as the group was small
and it would not be unusual for all of them to be involved on the project
away from their base.

Picard maneuvered the shuttle for their entry into the planet's
atmosphere. He had the coordinates for the scientists' compound and set
the appropriate course.

"We should almost be there...see if you can see anything..." Picard
advised.

Beverly scanned the ground below them. She spotted something on
the horizon...but it didn't look right...the color didn't match the rest
of the terrain.

"Over there, Jean-Luc. But something's wrong."

They approached the area and were shocked as the green fields were
abruptly replaced by a area of brown and black. The area looked burned.
Debris was scattered throughout the zone.

"Jean-Luc...I don't like the look of this...."

Beverly was interrupted by the alarm in the shuttle. They quickly
checked the controls.

"There is something approaching us from the starboard side!" Picard
shouted.

He barely finished before the shuttle was rocked by a powerful
force. It wasn't really a blast...more like a very determined push. The
power in the controls fluctuated wildly for several seconds.

"Beverly, we're losing altitude! Brace yourself for an emerg...."

His warning was cut short as the shuttle crashed through the trees
and hit the surface below.

CHAPTER THREE

Jean-Luc Picard awoke to the friendly, yet very concerned face of Beverly
Crusher. Her voice was almost enough to make him forget about the
incredible headache that was erupting just above his right eye. He raised
his hand to explore the area of pain, but Beverly grabbed his hand and
placed it on his chest.

"Jean-Luc...please lay still for a moment...how do you feel?"

"Like I just crash landed in a shuttle..." he smiled.

"Very funny, Captain. You have a nasty bump on your head...but, it
doesn't appear that you have any other injuries."

"Really, Beverly. Other than a rather pronounced headache, I'm fine."

He was profoundly tempted to remain there, under her tender
ministrations, but his sense of duty overruled those thoughts. He began
to sit up. Beverly helped him, but she still had a doubtful look painted
on her face as she watched his every movement, scanning for any indication
that he was not telling her about a pain or an ache. Picard was moved by
her concern for him. He took her hand to reassure her.

"Really, Beverly. I'm fine."

She smiled and then gestured toward the mess in the cabin behind them.

"I'm sorry, Jean-Luc. I would just feel better if I could find my
tricorder...so I could be sure we didn't miss anything."

"Well, Doctor. Why don't we see if we can find it...quickly.
Considering the force of whatever hit us, I'm not comfortable staying here
very long. We should try to find Professor Byers and his group. Perhaps
they can tell us what is going on."

Beverly grabbed his elbow and assisted him to his feet. As she released
him, she turned toward the back of the shuttle. The collar around her
uniform was slightly torn in front and her movement revealed the skin
below. Picard could not help but notice the large bruise that was now
forming on her collarbone. He grabbed her by the arm before she could
walk away.

"And what about you, Doctor? That's a bad bruise."

"I guess...but it's just a bruise. Nothing broken." She smiled...but it
wasn't working.

"And I also know for a fact that doctors are their own worst patients.
Now, stand still for a moment...that's an order."

Beverly sighed in surrender. Picard gently pulled the material away from
her neck to get a better look at the injury beneath. He frowned. He was
angry with himself for getting them into this situation. As the
pilot...and Captain...he should have been better prepared for the attack
on the shuttle.

"Beverly, I'm sorry...."

She turned her head and her eyes locked onto his. "Jean-Luc, this is not
your fault. In fact, if it weren't for you and your piloting skills, we
would be dead."

Her words...and her eyes...helped to sooth the stinging guilt that he
felt. He moved his hand to her cheek and he gently brushed the strands of
hair that had fallen to cover her face back behind her ear. At that
moment, Beverly wanted only to reach out and hold him to her...to make him
forget the guilt he was feeling. It seemed that he had the same idea as
he slowly leaned toward her.

They jumped as a shower of rocks hit the side of the shuttle.

Picard moved quickly to a panel by the door. He removed the cover,
grabbed two phasers and handed one to Beverly.

"Any ideas, Captain?" Beverly queried. The arch of her eyebrow told
Picard that she was not likely to forget the moment that had just been
interrupted. He was always exasperated by her ability to inject humor
into tense and dangerous situations. It was even irritating...and he
loved it.

She was still staring at him. He tugged at his jersey and stretched his
neck, trying to regain his aura of command.

"Well, Doctor. I find it unlikely that the...*thing* that attacked the
shuttle would now be pelting us with stones. I will open the door. Stand
clear... and be ready with that phaser."

Beverly nodded and pressed herself against the bulkhead for cover.
Picard pressed the panel to open the door and raised his phaser.
Nothing happened. The door didn't budge.

"Merde," Picard muttered. "There's no power."

"So much for our blazing entrance into the new world," Beverly noted,
wryly.

Picard shot her a *this is not funny* glance. She raised her hands in
defeat and casually leaned back as Picard began surveying the control
panel.

After a few minutes of fruitless efforts, Picard shook his head and
stepped back, his hands on his hips.

"Well, Jean-Luc...I don't think that an angry stare...even your angry
stare...will open the door. Perhaps I might make a suggestion?"

Picard's eyebrows arched in surprise. "By all means, Dr. Crusher."

She moved back from the door at an angle. She motioned for Picard to
step back.

"I think this will do it." She pushed several keys on her phaser and
raised it toward the door. Picard got the idea. She fired.

The door disappeared almost immediately. They were instantly hit by the
bright light pouring into the darkened shuttle. As their eyes adjusted to
the sudden change they were hit by another volley of rocks. Picard winced
as one hit him squarely in the stomach. Now he was angry.

"I've just about had enough of this!" He shouted and stormed out the door
before Beverly could stop him. He spied movement in some trees a few
meters away. He raised his phaser.

"Jean-Luc! No!" Beverly cried.

He turned to see her running toward him. She was pointing toward the
trees. He looked back at his target.

"Jean-Luc....they're children!"

Picard could see that she was right. Two small heads bobbed from behind
the tree trunk. He lowered his phaser.

"You there! I am Captain Picard of the Federation starship Enterprise.
Come out from there now!"

The children did not budge from their hiding place. Beverly cast a
disapproving glance at her Captain. A kinder touch was definitely called
for here. She moved slowly toward the tree.

"My name is Dr. Crusher. We don't want to hurt you. You just startled
us. Please come out...we want to help."

Slowly, two children, a boy and a girl, emerged from behind the tree.
Beverly guessed that the boy was about thirteen years old and that the
girl was about eight. Both of them were filthy and disheveled. The boy
approached them cautiously. His eyes moved over Picard slowly, assessing
him. Beverly smiled at him and some of his reserve seemed to dissipate.
She held her hand out to him.

"Thank you for coming out. I guess we all surprised each other, huh?"

The boy nodded. The girl had moved behind him. She peeked out from her
hiding place as Beverly spoke. Beverly smiled at her.

"Well, now. I think it's time we were all formally introduced. I'm Dr.
Beverly Crusher and this is Captain Jean-Luc Picard. We came here to
bring supplies to Professor Byers. And you are..?"

The boy responded slowly as he tried to decide whether or not he could
trust the strangers before him. He made his decision.

"My name is Lukas Byers...and this is Sara Hayes." He pulled Sara from
behind him.

Picard stepped forward to shake Lukas' hand, hoping he would not douse
the truce that Beverly's charm had produced. He was relieved when Lukas
took his hand. Picard was surprised at the strength of the boy's grip.
Picard spoke cautiously, hoping to maintain the air of friendliness.

"So, Lukas...perhaps you can help us. Are you related to Professor
Byers?"

The boy frowned and looked at the ground. "He was my grandfather."

The tense was not lost on Picard or the Doctor. Beverly could see the
tears beginning to flow down Sara's cheeks.

"What happened Lukas? Where are the other adults?"

After a moment, Lukas looked to the Captain. "My grandparents...and Dr.
and Mrs. Hayes were killed...trying to fight the monster...."

Picard's shoulders fell. Beverly sensed the loss he felt. He had lost
too many friends. She kneeled beside Sara and stroked her hair.

"I'm so sorry. Is there anyone else here?" She asked gently.

Lukas motioned and three more children emerged from behind some nearby
bushes. The boy was about seven years old. The two girls were younger,
maybe four and six. Lukas introduced them.

"This is Brian Hayes...and my sister, Christina...."

Beverly moved towards the youngest girl, who was clinging to the doll in
her arms. Her blonde hair was covered with dirt.

"And who is this beautiful young lady?"

Christina stepped forward. "That's Kellie Hayes...she's four!" Beverly
smiled at Kellie. She pointed at the doll.

"And who is your friend, Kellie?"

Kellie smiled. This woman was pretty. And she had red hair like her
mommy.

"This is Esmerelda...my daddy gave her to me." Kellie replied in a very
small voice.

"Well, I bet she's a good friend, huh?" Beverly was surprised, but
pleased, when Kellie nodded and then ran to her. Beverly picked her up.
Kellie trembled in her arms. Suddenly, Beverly was very angry at whoever
or whatever had caused this little girl to be so terrified.

Picard used this distraction to pull Lukas out of the others' earshot.

"Lukas, I'm not sure what is going on here...but I suspect that whatever
the *monster* is, it also attacked our shuttle. I'm not comfortable out
here in the open. Is there someplace safer where we can talk?"

Lukas nodded. "We've been staying in a cave nearby. The monster seems
to be afraid of it and won't go there."

Picard was impressed with Lukas' confidence. He turned to Beverly and
the other children. "Dr. Crusher, Lukas is going to lead us to a better
location. We'll continue our introductions there."

Beverly nodded and began to follow, Kellie still wrapped in her arms.
She soon felt a tug on her sleeve. She looked down to see Brian at her
side. She held out her free hand and he grabbed onto it. In the
meantime, Christina had glued herself to Picard's side. Beverly smiled.

*Welcome to the world of parenthood, Jean-Luc.*

CHAPTER FOUR

The entrance to the cave was narrow, but it opened up inside into an area
that was large enough for their group to fit comfortably. Picard ran his
hand over the wall of rock. It was an odd shade of white, almost crystal
in appearance. He guessed that it was some sort of quartz, although he
had never seen anything like it before.

Boxes and drilling equipment lined the walls. An excavation had
obviously been underway. It was also evident that the children had been
staying there for quite a few days. Picard turned to Lukas.

"Is this where your grandfather was conducting his research?"

"Yes, sir," Lukas replied.

"Perhaps you could show me around?"

Lukas nodded. Picard signaled to Beverly and she responded with a wave,
telling him to go ahead on his *tour.* She knew that he wanted to talk to
Lukas away from the other children. He needed answers...and so did she.
She busied herself with the four young children. Kellie was still
attached to her side. The little girl didn't speak. She just stared at
Beverly with her sad blue eyes. Beverly knew that no matter where she
stepped, Kellie would be beside her, never allowing the Doctor out of
arm's reach.

Picard continued to follow Lukas into the cave. As the light from the
entrance faded, Lukas picked up a torch and quickly lit it. Picard was
surprised at the boy's use of such an ancient instrument, especially
considering all of the modern equipment that surrounded them.

"Lukas, why are you using that..why not use one of the palm beacons?"
Lukas stopped short. He looked up at Picard. "Because none of them work
anymore, Captain." He made the statement matter-of-factly...as if Picard
should already know the answer.

Picard frowned. He sat back on a large crate and motioned for Lukas to
join him.

"Lukas, perhaps you can tell me what happened here..."

"I figured that was why you asked me to take you down here...to get away
from the little kids."

Picard smiled. This boy was sharp...his grandfather would be proud.

"So, Captain. Where do you want me to start?"

"Why don't you start at the beginning. I wasn't aware that you were here
with your grandfather. How long have you been here?"

"Christina and I came here four months ago. Mom and Dad are on a special
diplomatic mission on Tyleria Beta and they thought it would be more fun
for us here. Anyway, Sara, Brian and Kelly have been here since their
parents came two years ago."

"Was there anyone else here?"

"Just Mr. Chilton. He was with the other grown-ups when...when they were
all killed."

"And you've been on your own since?"

Lukas nodded.

"Well," Picard continued, "it looks like you've done an admirable job
taking care of the children, Lukas." The boy smiled at the compliment.

"Lukas, what happened to the adults? Do you know where this *monster*
came from?"

"I'm not entirely sure. Grandpa was working up here one day with Mr.
Hayes and Mr. Chilton. They had been drilling at the end of this tunnel.
A few hours later, they came running back to the house. Something had
come out of the tunnel. It had overloaded all of the equipment...I think
Mr. Chilton used the word 'fried.' "Anyway, that night, the monster
attacked our generator and destroyed it. Grandpa sent me with the other
kids up to this cave. He said it was probably the only safe place. As we
left, I saw Mr. Hayes and Mr. Chilton getting a bunch of weapons out of
Mr. Chilton's shuttle..."

"What shuttle? Where is it?" Picard interjected.

"Mr. Chilton arrived in it...but he said it wouldn't fly anymore because
it needs some part for the warp drive. I think he was hoping you could
repair it. The shuttle is a short distance from the house."

"You'll have to show me where it is later, Lukas. We might need it. So,
what happened after you went to the cave?"

"I really don't know. A few hours later, we heard a loud explosion. I
went down to the compound a little while later...the house was okay, but
the other buildings were destroyed...burned. Everyone was dead." Lukas'
voice was soft now.

Picard did not want to push the boy any further. He had enough
information to start his investigation. He was determined to find out
what had killed his friend, not only for himself, but for Lukas and the
other children.

Picard and Lukas returned to the others and found Beverly standing over
the four sleeping children. Picard recognized the look of concern and
anger on her face. Picard turned to Lukas.

"I think that sleep is an excellent idea. Lukas, you get some rest and
we'll talk more in the morning."

Lukas looked from Picard to Dr. Crusher and could sense that they wanted
to talk...alone. He nodded and laid down beside his sister, even though
he really wasn't tired. He would close his eyes and listen to their
conversation. Unfortunately, his body had other ideas. He was asleep
within two minutes.

Picard and Beverly moved to the mouth of the cave and sat down. There
was a cool breeze blowing, carrying the chill of the fast approaching
night. Beverly shivered. Picard removed his jacket and placed it around
her shoulders. She smiled.

They sat there, silent, looking at the valley below them. Beverly leaned
back slightly until their shoulders touched slightly. The physical
contact brought both of them comfort. Beverly spoke first.

"Jean-Luc, what is going on here?"

"I'm not sure, Beverly. Lukas gave me a few details, but I still don't
have any idea what we are dealing with." He then proceeded to recount
Lukas' story.

Beverly remained quiet for a few minutes, absorbing the story, imagining
the children's horror at discovering their loved ones dead. At last she
spoke.

"So, Jean-Luc, what are we going to do?"

"Well, first, we are going to get some rest. In the morning, we'll go to
the house. Hopefully, there are some clues there."

Beverly smiled hopefully. In the back of her mind, she was trying to
imagine what she would be doing if Picard had not invited himself on this
trip. She was very glad to have his strength and intelligence along for
this ride. She reached out and took his hand.

"Jean-Luc, in case I haven't said this, I'm glad you're here."

Picard smiled. "Beverly, I promise that we'll all get out of here soon.
Now, go to sleep. That's an order."

Beverly was too tired to argue. She leaned back against the wall of the
cave and closed her eyes. The waves of slumber covered her shortly.
Picard watched her. The lines of worry were still etched on her face. He
could only hope that they would be erased soon. He picked up his jacket
that had fallen from her shoulders and placed it over her gently.

Picard sat by her side, keeping watch.

CHAPTER FIVE

The next morning, the group left their refuge to search the house.
Picard did not really want to bring the children along, but he also did
not want to leave them in the cave alone.

The house was unscathed. A well sat to the rear of the house. Beyond it
lay the ruins of the other buildings that had been destroyed by the
*monster.* Beverly almost gasped at the scope of the destruction.
Picard entered the house first, while Beverly stood guard over the
children outside. He called for them to enter a few moments later.
Everything appeared normal inside of the two story dwelling. A tea
kettle sat on the dining table, a book lay open beside the sofa. The only
thing that out of the ordinary was that the power did not work.

Picard hoped he could remedy that situation. He had found Professor
Byers computer and he hoped that there were journal entries that would
provide information on the destructive entity that had killed Byers and
the others. it would also be nice to get the replicators working so they
could have a hot meal for the children. Picard called to Lukas.

"Lukas, I'd like to get the power back on line. Can you show me where
the generator is?"

Lukas ran to his side. "Of course, Captain, but the main generator was
pretty well destroyed."

"The 'main' generator? Is there another one?"

"Yes, sir. Grandpa keeps...kept...a small backup down in the wine
cellar."

Picard had forgotten how much his friend had enjoyed fine wines. In
fact, he kept a reserve that Picard had delivered to him from France after
their expedition those many years before. Picard had hoped to add to that
collection, and share it with Byers and his wife.

Picard shook himself from these painful memories. "Lukas, please show it
to me."

As Picard followed Lukas, he could see Beverly heading upstairs with the
other children. She was saying something to them about getting cleaned
up...he chuckled to himself. *Always the mother...* Of course, they were
all pretty filthy by now.

Lukas led Picard down the steep steps into the unfinished cellar. A wine
rack leaned against the far wall of the room. It was filled with bottles
from vineyards that he knew crossed the galaxy. He wished that he had
time to examine each bottle, but he knew there were many more important
things to attend to.

Lukas pointed toward the corner of the cellar. "There it is, Captain."
Picard crossed the room and knelt down beside the generator. He examined
it for a few minutes. It was old, but appeared to be in good order. He
lifted it and was surprised by its heavy weight. Lukas led the way up the
stairs while Picard struggled up behind him.

They moved to the main control panel at the entry of the house. In a few
minutes, the generator was humming, sending power to the panel. Picard
cautioned Lukas that they would need to limit the number of items they
used or the generator could overload.

He moved toward Professor Byers' office. Beverly was coming down the
stairs. He could hear the children running around above him.

"I see you had some success, Jean-Luc."

"Yes, although I'm not sure how long the generator will last. I was
about to examine Professor Byers' journal. Would you care to join me?"

"Of course. Let's hope he left some information that we can use."

They stood before the computer screen, staring at the face of Professor
Byers. They had retrieved his last journal entry. For some reason, the
other entries had been removed. This entry was apparently made just a few
hours before he was killed. The archaelogist's face was smeared with
sweat and dirt. He looked exhausted.

"This is Professor Byers. I am making this entry here in case something
happens. I am not sure we can defeat this entity that has attacked
us...but we are going to try. I have sent my grandchildren and the Hayes'
children to the cave site for their protection. It seems to be the only
safe place on this planet...perhaps because of the rock formations
there...or it could be because it is the place where this being was
imprisoned for so long. I'm not sure of anything any more.

"I do know now that the myths were correct...and they were not
exaggerated. We severely underestimated the strength of this being."
Professor Byers turned...there was shouting in the background. A man
entered the room behind him.

"Byers! We have to go now if you want to take that to the shuttle!" The
man ran out and Byers turned to the screen again.

"I have to go now. To whoever is viewing this, I am taking my journal
entries to Chilton's shuttle. Hopefully they will be safe there. I pray
you have more success in defeating this creature than we did."

The screen went blank. Beverly and Picard stood silently for a moment.
Picard reached out and turned the computer off. Beverly placed her hand
on his shoulder and gently squeezed.

"I'm sorry, Jean-Luc. I know that was hard for you to see."

"Thank you. But, now, it would appear that we need to visit the shuttle.
Lukas said that it was nearby."

"Good. The children need to eat...I'll fix up something fast and then
we'll go."

"Agreed. It won't take us long...and I'm sure they'll enjoy spending
some time here."

Five minutes later, Beverly and Picard left the house. The children were
happily ensconced in the living room, eating soup and sandwiches. They
were thrilled that Dr. Crusher didn't make them eat in the dining room.
They found the shuttle a few hundred meters from the house. Picard was
impressed. Chilton obviously had some friends in high places if he was
able to procure a shuttle with warp capability for this project. He knew
that Byers did not have the resources to purchase such a craft.

They entered the shuttle and began to assess its condition. A quick
diagnostic check revealed the problem that Lukas referred to earlier. One
of the relays to the warp engine was malfunctioning and needed to be
replaced. Picard was relieved. He knew he could repair it quickly with
parts from their own shuttle. They would have transportation from this
planet.

"Well, Jean-Luc, what's the prognosis?"

"Our patient will live, Doctor. I just need to get a part from our
shuttle."

"Wonderful! I can't wait to get out of here. In the meantime, I was
able to access Professor Byers' journal..."

Picard stood and moved to the computer screen at the rear control panel.
Beverly quickly punched several keys on the pad and the screen came to
life. Static filled the screen.

"Can you enhance the image?"

"I'm trying, Jean-Luc."

Beverly's hands flew across the panel. The image improved, but it was
still difficult to understand everything.

"Apparently the data has been affected by some sort of electro-magnetic
field. This is the best it's going to get...at least with this
equipment." Beverly sighed.

Professor Byers' image flickered before them.
"...entity is attracted...is feeding...power surges...equipment
targetted...we can't...must shut down..."

The screen went blank.

"That's all there is, Jean-Luc."

"I wonder what he meant by 'feeding.'"

"There must be a pattern here, Captain...let's examine what we know."

"Yes, Beverly. Let's start with the attacks we have witnessed. First,
our shuttle. We were hit by some sort of force, not a phaser blast...it
was almost like we were being repulsed from something."

"Then," Beverly continued "Lukas' description of the incident at the dig
site. The entity emerged from the rock and attacked the
equipment...'frying' it."

"And the generator at the house...and then the obliteration of the
buildings where Byers apparently set up arms against the creature."
Picard's mind raced now.

"Jean-Luc, what if this *entity,* or whatever it is, feeds off of the
energy in the things it attacks. If it was trapped in the cave for
hundreds of years..."

"It would be hungry..." Picard added. "But why would the equipment be
destroyed. I would think that it would simply be drained of power."

"Perhaps its like arsenic..." Beverly thought aloud.

"What do you mean, Beverly?"

"Well, arsenic is an interesting substance. If ingested in large doses,
it is a very fatal poison; however, if a person ingests small quantities
and slowly increases the amount..."

"They eventually develop a tolerance and can ingest very large
doses...Yes! Beverly, that's it!" Picard almost shouted. "The entity
was forced into a sort of hibernation. There was nothing for it to feed
on. When it was released, it immediately went in search for food...for
energy...but it couldn't take large amounts at once...it had to build up a
tolerance for it."

"Yes, Jean-Luc. Like a person suffering from starvation...even though
they need food, they have to begin eating small amounts of simple foods,
or else they will be ill..." Beverly continued.

Picard picked up the thread, "That would explain why the equipment was
not simply drained. The entity actually *spit out* what it could not
ingest, destroying the equipment."

"And then we arrived in our shuttle...it was attracted to our warp
engine, but it could not ingest it...so it repulsed us instead." Beverly
concluded.

"That would mean that we need to eliminate food sources for this being."
Picard jumped toward the control panel and immediately shut all of the
power down.

Suddenly, there was a loud rumble outside. It sounded like
thunder...very close to them. They ran outside. The energy cloud hung
above them, poised as if ready to strike. As they ran toward the nearby
trees, Picard looked back. The entity had not attacked the shuttle.
Apparently they had managed to turn off the power in time and the entity
could no longer sense the source of the power.

Beverly stopped as she noticed Picard was no longer beside her. She
looked up and realized what had happened.

"It can't find us..."

"No. It seems that our theory was correct." Picard answered.

Then, the cloud suddenly reversed direction. It was now headed away from
them.

"Jean-Luc....the house...we've got to stop the generator!

CHAPTER SIX

Jean-Luc and Beverly ran as fast as they could toward the house,
screaming at the children to get out.

Inside the house, the hum of the emergency generator drowned out all
noise from without. Lukas ran around the first floor, trying out
equipment, enjoying the return of power, and with it, the return to a kind
of normalcy. While the other children giggled at Lukas' antics, Kellie
suddenly realized that she had left her doll in her upstairs bedroom. She
quickly ran upstairs to retrieve her *friend.*

Jean-Luc and Beverly froze in horror as they saw the raging power descend
upon the house. In one quick burst of fiery energy, the generator was
attacked and the house burst into flames. Then, just as quickly, the
cloud of energy was gone.

"Oh no..." Beverly brought her hand over her mouth in shock. Jean-Luc
was the first to move. He grabbed Beverly by the hand and began to run
toward the inferno.

As they reached the back porch, they could see the children stumbling and
coughing their way out the back door, Lukas leading them. They headed
away from the heat, stopping by the well. Picard began to count heads as
Beverly looked them over for any obvious injuries.

"Wait!" shouted Picard. "Someone's missing!"

Beverly looked around at the children encircling her. Her stomach
dropped as she realized that Kellie was not there. She looked at Picard.

"Kellie's not here!" she cried.

Picard grabbed Lukas by the shoulders. "Lukas! Where is Kellie?"

"I....I don't know," he stammered, still in shock from the initial burst
of flames.

Christina came forward and tugged on Picard's shirt. She pointed to a
window on the southeast corner of the house. "She went upstairs. That's
her room."

Picard and Beverly left the children by the well and ran back to the
blaze. Picard was already assessing the situation. The window was
approximately three meters above the ground. Too high for him to jump.
They slowed as they neared the house. The heat took their breath away.
It was difficult to talk. Picard was frantically searching for a ladder.

Beverly saw what he was doing and stopped him.

"Jean-Luc...you can boost me up."

He shook his head emphatically.

"Look," she shouted. "We don't have time to argue! It's the only
way...and I can't lift you. You'll need to be here to catch Kellie."

Picard looked into her determined eyes. He knew that she was
right...even though it was against his better judgment. He cupped his
hands and bent over. Beverly quickly stepped into his grasp and he lifted
her with one quick thrust. He watched as she disappeared into the smoky
cauldron above.

Beverly took a quick gulp of air as Picard lifted her. In an instant,
she was scrambling through the window. Her eyes immediately began to tear
as she rolled onto the floor. The thick, acrid smoke boiled above her.
She knew she would have to find Kellie and get out fast. And, in the
back of her mind, she knew that she would never leave this place without
her.

She opened her mouth and tried to call out for the girl, but instead
choked on the smoke. She moved her face closer to the floor, where the
air was a little better, and tried again. Her voice was hoarse, but she
continued to call Kellie as she crawled across the floor, reaching out
with her hands, hoping she would somehow find her. She heard a noise and
she stopped. There it was again. A small cough...close by. She followed
the sound and soon her hand brushed against something. Kellie's hair!
She quickly gathered the girl into her arms and squeezed her tight.

Beverly turned back toward the window and could faintly see the light
from it against the smoky foreground. She crawled toward it. Her heart
was racing wildly now. The crackle and roar of burning wood filled her
ears. Her head was beginning to spin hazily. As she reached the window,
she began to smile with relief. They were almost safe.

Then she heard it. A loud groan. She knew without turning to look that
it was the sound of the bedroom door being forced inward by the pressure
from the fire beyond it. She shoved Kellie out the window and threw
herself down onto the floor.

Picard looked up to see Kellie being thrown from the window. He braced
himself to catch her, rolling to the ground as her weight hit him. He
looked at the girl in his arms. She was dazed, but conscious. He turned
back toward the window, expecting Beverly to emerge. Instead, his gaze
was filled with an explosion of flame as the fire burst into the room.

The window became a ring of fire, the tongues of flame licking at the
eaves above.

"Beverly!" He screamed.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Picard ran toward the house again. Lukas saw what was transpiring and
hurried to Kellie, shepherding her back toward the other children.

"Beverly! Get out of there! Beverly!"

Inside the house, Beverly lay face down, trying to press herself into the
floor. The flames raged above her, bouncing off of the ceiling. She held
her breath, knowing that she would sear her lungs if she inhaled any of the
superheated air around her. She could feel her skin burning. She knew she
would have to act soon or she would die on that floor.

A moment later, she heard a loud, whooshing explosion. The flames above and
around her stuttered. The fire had found the room across the hall from her
and the flames had been pulled into it as if by a vacuum.

This was her chance. Her hands were too burned to be of much use. She
pushed herself from the floor with her elbows and rolled toward the window.
In one motion, she was standing. She could feel the fire at her back, the
flames returning to finish their job. With one running step, she hurled
herself through the burning window.

Picard had not moved from his place below the window. The smoke and heat
burned in his eyes, causing them to tear. He hadn't noticed this, as the
grief he felt already covered his face. He knew that there was nothing he
could do to help Beverly, yet, he could not move from his place of vigil.
Suddenly, through the wavy lines of heated air and smoke above, Picard saw
something flying out of the window. He knew that it was Beverly. His
reflexes responded. There was no time to think. He moved to break her fall.
One second later, they were rolling across the ground. They came to a stop
and Picard gasped for the breath that had been knocked from him. He could
see the flames still attached to Beverly's clothing. He threw himself on top
of her, using his body to smother the fingers of fire.

When he was satisfied that all of the flames were extinguished, he gingerly
placed his hands on Beverly's shoulders and rolled her over to face him. She
was unconscious. Picard knew he had to move her away from the house before
it collapsed, but he was scared that he would hurt her. Finally, necessity
intervened. He carefully placed his hands under her arms and dragged her to
the well where the others were waiting.

Picard held Beverly's head in his lap. He gestured at Lukas, who had been
staring at the prostrate figure of the Doctor. Lukas immediately moved to
the well and filled a large pail with water which he gave to Picard.

Underneath the streaks of soot, Beverly's face was a bright red...as though
she had gotten a bad sunburn. Picard dipped his hand in the water and gently
ran it across her forehead. He could now take the time to examine her
injuries. Fortunately, Starfleet uniforms were composed of a fire retardant
material. The skin beneath the areas that had caught fire on her legs and
back had only suffered first and possibly second degree burns. Her hands and
lower arms were another matter. The skin looked as though it had actually
melted.

Picard was at loss. He had no idea what to do. He could only hope that
Beverly would awaken soon and tell him how to help her. A sickening thought
crossed his mind as he wondered what Beverly would do if her hands could not
be healed. *She's a doctor...how can a doctor work without...* He shut
those negative thoughts from his mind.

He had been relieved that her breathing appeared relatively
normal...considering how much smoke she had obviously taken in. He had been
having coughing fits and he had been outside the burning house. He was well
aware that history showed that most people in fires died from smoke
inhalation due to all of the chemical elements released from the burning
household goods. It was very easy to be overcome by the acrid smoke in a
matter of moments. He imagined all of those elements in Beverly's body...and
it made him sick.

A voice broke his concentration. It was the boy, Lukas.

"Captain? Is there anything else we can do for her?"

Picard looked up. He then surveyed their surroundings and realized they
were quite vulnerable at their present location.

"Lukas, we have to move from here in case that....thing...comes back. Do
you think you can help me carry Dr. Crusher?"

Lukas straightened, proud that the Captain considered him strong enough to
help him. "Of course, sir."

They lifted Beverly from the ground and moved toward the trees.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Ten minutes later, the group was ensconced outside of the crashed shuttle.
Picard felt that it would be safe there as there was no power for the entity
to detect. While the children circled around Beverly, hoping that she would
awaken, Picard frantically tore through the contents of the shuttle,
searching for her tricorder or anything that would help her. He found one
crate that held emergency surgical supplies. He grabbed the bag of bandages
from within it.

He grimaced. *Bandages! This was ridiculous!* Modern medical science had
progressed to a point where ancient treatments of injuries, like bandages,
were unnecessary except in extreme conditions...and here he was, thankful
that he had found these dressings.

A shout from Lukas interrupted his search.

"Captain! It's Dr. Crusher....."

Picard ran outside, his heart frozen. Kellie was kneeling beside Beverly,
stroking her singed hair.

"What's wrong?" Picard demanded, slightly out of breath.

"Nothing's wrong, Jean-Luc. I just wondered where you were..." Beverly's
opening line was interrupted by a long bout of coughing.

Picard knelt beside her and held her shoulders, trying to support her until
the spasms passed. A short time later, her coughing subsided. Beverly
looked at the children, who still surrounded her. Her gaze then fell upon
Picard.

"Well," she began hoarsely, "this is quite a welcome." She smiled, in part
for the children, in part for herself and Picard. She had already reviewed
her injuries and she realized that her appearance must be frightening.

"So, how do you feel?" Picard asked gently.

"Like a piece of toast, Jean-Luc." She smiled slightly, annoyed at her own
injuries.

Picard smiled back. He held the bandages up. "I'm afraid I can't find your
tricorder...but I did find these."

"That's okay, Captain. I don't think we can risk using the tricorder
anyway."

*Damn!* thought Picard. He had been so preoccupied with Beverly's condition
that he had overlooked the fact that the tricorder could attract the energy
being. He had to remain focused.

Beverly spent the next few minutes directing Picard in the art of bandaging.
It took some time to convince him that her hands were not as painful as they
looked, although Beverly did not go into complete detail as to why they did
not hurt. She did not think he needed to hear about how the nerves and pain
receptors had been destroyed. In fact, she really did not want to think
about it either. She just hoped that the dressings would prevent, or at
least delay, any infections from starting.

The discomfort she felt from the burns on her legs wasn't too bad, as long
as no one touched them. Picard had returned to his scavaging inside the
shuttle and found a hypospray from a medikit. Beverly directed him as to how
to make the proper adjustments and soon she had been injected with medicine
to ease the pain and to fight infection.

Picard had remained silent while helping Beverly. The children's presence
ruled out most of the words he wanted to say. Instead, he found himself
staring at her face, grateful she was alive, and then, staring at her hands,
hoping they would get help in time.

"Captain," Beverly shook off the silence between them like a blanket, "We
need to make some plans." She motioned to the children with her head.

"Agreed, Doctor. Any suggestions?"

"No. I wish I had one. Too bad we can't just blast that thing out into
space."

Picard arched his eyebrow. "What did you say?"

"I said I didn't have any suggestions..."

"No, Beverly. After that..."

"I said that it was too bad we couldn't blast the damned thing into space."

"That's it, Beverly!" Picard ran through the forest, ignoring the branches that reached out to
grab at his pant legs. His feet danced over the exposed roots that
threatened to interrupt his rapid journey. His vision was reduced to a thin
tunnel of light...a tunnel that led to the shuttle that would remove the
threat to Beverly and the children.

He pictured Beverly's face. Her determined gaze told him that her injuries
would not keep her from fulfilling her part of the plan. Before he left, he
had kissed her gently on the lips. Neither of them voiced what darkened
their faces, that this would probably be the last time...

His breathing was quick but steady. His heartbeat kept time to each
footfall. He knew that Beverly and Lukas would begin their diversion soon.
He had to be in place and ready. They were all depending upon him.

The shuttle came into view before him. A new surge of strength swept
through him as he sprinted toward it. He knew he only had a few seconds to
accomplish his task...or else Beverly and Lukas would certainly be killed.
Beverly braced herself against the side of the shuttle, two phasers cradled
loosely in her bandaged arms. The effects of the hypospray would not last
forever...and right now, her only energy came from the adrenaline that rushed
through her body. The muscles in her arms and shoulders had stiffened,
making it very difficult to move. She blew at a stray lock of hair that had
come to rest on her face. She would have to ignore her own discomfort for
Lukas' sake. Once they put their plan into action, she would have to provide
Lukas the opportunity to escape.

She glanced up the hill to where Lukas was preparing himself. He looked
down and waved at her. She could see the excitement on his young face.
Excitement that comes the first time a boy is asked to do a man's job.

Jean-Luc had shown confidence in Lukas, and the boy was determined not to
let him down. She frowned. He reminded her so of Wesley. What were they
getting themselves into? And what had they asked Lukas to do? If only she
were not injured...then maybe they could have sent Lukas to the cave with the
other children, where he would be safe.

She shook herself from these thoughts. It was time for them to begin. She
shouted to Lukas and signaled him to move.

CHAPTER NINE

Lukas moved quickly. He placed the first phaser on a nearby rock
and pressed the keypad. The phaser began to fire in short bursts at five
second intervals. He turned and ran toward the next spot that the Captain
had designated. The excitement was causing his heart to pound in his
chest. His jaw was set with fierce determination. The Captain and Doctor
were depending on him to get his part done.

His one hundred meter dash ended as he reached a clearing to the
south of Dr. Crusher's position. He planted the second phaser at the base
of a tree and it began its decoy mission of fire. As he began his race to
his third and last position, he heard a loud roar to his rear. He glanced
over his shoulder as he ran. The cloud of energy had descended upon the
site of the first phaser. It was rising again and headed toward the
clearing. He turned his attention to his last duty and urged his legs to
move faster.

From her position, Beverly could see the cloud moving rapidly,
following Lukas. The plan was working, but she could sense that the cloud
was moving much faster than they had anticipated. She held her breath.
Lukas had to plant just one more phaser and then he would be in the clear.
She watched the cloud descend upon the second position...and she began to
doubt that Lukas would be fast enough to get away safely from the third
position. She knew she would have to intervene.

Lukas gasped for breath as he dropped to the ground to place the
last phaser. The cloud was moving quickly...it had already destroyed the
second phaser. He was not sure he could move beyond its reach after
activating the last phaser, but he knew everyone was counting on him. He
pressed the keypad and jumped to his feet. The cloud was already headed
toward him. The power of the first two phasers sent the predator into a
feeding frenzy, its senses heightened as it closed in for the kill. Lukas
knew he was not going to escape its grasp. He threw himself on the
ground, his arms covering his head, awaiting his fate.

He waited....and waited. Nothing happened. After a few seconds,
which seemed an eternity, he looked up from beneath his arms. He fully
expected to see the energy cloud above him...but, it wasn't there. He sat
up and scanned the skies. The cloud was hovering between him and the
shuttle crash site. *What is going on...* He quickly decided that it was
probably not the best time to sit there and ponder the actions of the
cloud.

He rolled to his feet and ran. Whatever had happened, it had
bought him the time he needed to escape. He ran toward the caves. His
thoughts lingered, however, with Dr. Crusher. He hoped that she would be
able to get away from the shuttle. The explosion behind him told him that
the cloud had recovered from its moment of hesitation.

He knew where the cloud was headed.

Beverly slid into the shuttle immediately after the explosion from
the second phaser. She had to divert the cloud's attention from Lukas or
he would be killed. She moved her fingers across the control pad that
Picard had managed to rig to the shuttle's power cells. A few moments
later, energy was flowing through most of the damaged vessel. She limped
outside...her legs had stiffened to the point where it was extremely
difficult for her to walk. As she searched for the cloud she prayed
silently, hoping that the new power source would distract the entity and
allow Lukas enough time to escape. She spotted it to the southwest. *It
worked!* The cloud was frozen in the sky.

She stood, mesmerized, as she awaited its next move. The bright
sky caused her to blink, and, in that moment, the cloud descended upon the
third phaser. The explosion coursed through the air. Then the cloud
rose and began its race to her location. She quickly realized that she
would never be able to traverse the hills that lay to three sides of the
shuttle. The only flat escape route was to the southwest. This meant
that she would have to cross paths with the entity. There was no other
choice. She knew she would die if she stayed there or if she tried any
other direction. She might as well try it. She staggered forward on a
collision course with the cloud that sped across the sky.

As the darkening cloud began to pass above her, her hair stood on
end and her skin tingled. The electric charge it emitted was transmitted
through her in tiny jolts. She held her breath as she tried to continue.
She knew she still had to travel at least another thirty yards to be clear
of the explosion that was imminent. Her knees buckled beneath her. She
moaned as the stiffened muscles were forced to stretch as gravity pulled
her joints into ninety degree angles. A blanket of darkness threatened to
cover her eyes.

Suddenly, she felt two hands under her arms, lifting her to her
feet.

"Come on, Doctor. Move!"

"Lukas? What are you doing..." Beverly stammered.

"No time for that now. Come on! I'll help you." Lukas yelled.

Beverly silently measured their distance from the shuttle as Lukas
led her away. She looked up and saw that Lukas was leading her to a large
boulder about twenty feet ahead. "Smart kid," she thought.

Lukas heard the noise first. The loud crack split through the air
as the energy crashed into the shuttle. He threw Beverly to the ground
and fell on top of her, covering her face with his arms.

The sky was filled with a blinding flash as the shuttle's power
cells overloaded. A loud roar filled the air and the ground trembled
beneath the two figures. Then a rush of debris-filled wind covered them.

Picard ran into the shuttle as he heard the explosion from the first
phaser. *Well done, Lukas!* he thought and smiled. The boy would make a
good Starfleet officer someday.

Picard dove into his work. He was able to install the relay from
the crashed shuttle into the power grid within a few seconds. The second
explosion spurred him on as he replaced the panels over the grid. It was
almost time.

He jumped into the pilot's chair, his hand poised over the control
panel before him. The third explosion sounded and he pushed the keys on
the panel. He held his breath, praying that his repairs had been
sufficient.

The lights fluttered for a moment...then the shuttle came to life.
Picard jumped back into action. Within moments, the shuttle had taken
flight. He made a beeline for space. As he crossed over Beverly's
position, the craft was rocked by a large explosion. Picard had a sinking
feeling that Beverly had not gotten away. He desperately wanted to circle
the site...to make sure she was okay, but he knew that would be a mistake
with fatal consequences for everyone on the planet.

He sped on.

He knew that he had to clear the planet's atmosphere before he could
enact the final phase of their plan.

CHAPTER TEN

Picard held his breath as the shuttle began to breach the planet's
atmosphere. "Just a few seconds more," he murmured. He was trying to
will the shuttle to move faster.

A rage had gripped him. He knew that there was no way that Beverly
could have escaped from the blast. The fire in his chest consumed him.
No matter what happened to him, he would protect the children...and the
entity would be destroyed.

The alarms almost made him jump. He checked the shuttle's sensors
and could see that the entity was following him...and it was closing in.
The shuttle lurched free of the planet's grasp and Picard quickly
began the next stage of his plan. Seconds were precious now. He pushed
the last element on the control panel. The computer's voice echoed about
him.

"Warning, warp engine breach will occur in twenty seconds..."

Picard nodded to himself. His job was done. Whatever happened, his
revenge would be exacted. He ran to the rear of the shuttle.

"Ten, nine...."

The cloud encircled the shuttle, ready to ingest all of its power.

"Six, five, four...."

Its fingers reached out to sample the delicacy before it. The
entity now had enough tolerance to slowly drain the shuttle's power...and
then, it would be have enough reserves to leave this planet. It could
move on and conquer sources of energy elsewhere in the galaxy.

"Two, one..."

The light filled the sky like a new sun. Then, it was quietly
snuffed out by the silence and vacuum of space.

Lukas slowly lowered his hand from his eyes. He jumped to his feet.

"Dr. Crusher! It worked! The Captain's plan worked!"
Beverly slowly rolled onto her back. Lukas' eyes were gleaming.

"Wha...What happened?" She groaned at the stiffness in her muscles
as she tried to reorient herself.

Lukas kneeled down beside her, suddenly realizing that Dr. Crusher's
injuries were taking their toll on her.

"Captain Picard's plan worked. The warp engine exploded with the
monster." He spoke gently.

Beverly squeezed her eyes, hoping to clear her foggy vision. She
looked around her.

"Lukas...where is the Captain? He should be here by now."

Lukas glanced around hopefully.

"Maybe he's over by the crash site..." he began.

"Lukas, go see if you can find him. He may need your help."

Lukas stared at her, not sure of what he should do. Dr. Crusher was
hurt and he didn't want to leave her.

"I don't know...."

"Lukas, there's nothing you can do for me here...go find the Captain.
Then you can both go to the other children." She motioned for him to
leave.

"Okay," Lukas began, doubtfully, "but please let me help you into
the shade first."

Beverly could see the remains of a tree nearby. It would offer her
some shelter from the hot sun. She nodded at Lukas.

Lukas slowly lifted Beverly to her feet. She gasped and nearly
collapsed against him. Beverly strained to focus on one thing. She had
to get to the shade so Lukas could leave and search for Jean-Luc. Lukas
gently lowered her to the ground, the last remnants of her resolve fading.
Lukas looked at her again, the doubt slowly creeping over his face once
more.

With the strongest voice she could muster, she ordered him to leave.
Lukas reluctantly agreed. He began his new mission, looking over his
shoulder one last time.

*Hang on, Doctor. I'll be back soon...with Captain Picard,* he
thought.

Beverly laid her head back on the ground. There was nothing to do
now except wait. Her thoughts raced against the hazy shroud that now
enveloped her. *Jean-Luc should have been here by now. What happened?
What if he didn't get off of the shuttle....* She closed her eyes. A
weight descended upon her heart.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Jean-Luc Picard walked wearily to the top of the ridge. He had already
been walking for an hour, and he knew he had several more to go. The
shuttle's transporter had returned him to the surface of Kalan II, but he
had not had time to confirm its coordinates. It had apparently set him
down at the point Byers and his group had last set down. From the terrain
and various other landmarks, Picard estimated he was approximately 12
kilometers from the cave where Lukas and the other children had set up
their refuge.

He sat down on a large rock at the crest of the ridge. The adrenalin
that had surged through his body an hour earlier was gone. It was
replaced by a hollow sense of duty.

Something had gone horribly wrong at the shuttle crash site. His plan
had called for Lukas to plant three phasers to lure the entity away from
Picard long enough for him to get Chilton's craft into the air. Beverly
was the safety valve in the plan. She would plant the other two phasers,
if necessary, to buy more time.

Something had happened. Something that had caused the explosion of the
crashed shuttle from the Enterprise. Given Beverly's injuries, there was
no way that she could have gotten away from the shuttle before it exploded
with such tremendous force.

The emptiness he felt was suffocating. He bent over and buried his head
in his hands. He remembered a conversation he had with Beverly only a few
months before. She believed that a scientist had died because of her
actions. He had told her that he knew that she was the loneliest person
alive right then. But, he told her that it would get better. Now, the
ghostly echo of those words only intensified his pain. He had lost crew
members before...but this was different.

Beverly was different.

The ache in his heart had moved to his stomach and now it swelled within
his throat.

His cry echoed across the hills, slowly fading with each turn.

His cry released all of the images and moments that had been held at bay.
He saw her rushing through Sickbay, her coat flying behind her as she
ministered to each patient. He felt her warm, soft hands as they brushed
across his cheek. He envisioned each of her *looks* of wicked humor. He
heard each of her baiting remarks, designed to snag him into an argument.
He sensed her anger and determination borne through her love for the
children.

"The children..." he thought aloud.

He stood and straightened his uniform out of habit. There were five
children who needed him right now. And because of the tenderness and love
that Beverly had shown them, a piece of her still rested with them.

He started out, his pace quickening, determined to reach them before
nightfall. Lukas headed toward the cave. For two hours he had searched for Captain
Picard to no avail. The elation he had felt over the defeat of the
"monster" had vanished and was replaced by the numbness of loss. He had
spent the last week too busy to contemplate the death of his grandparents.
Now, with the apparent loss of the Captain and the removal of the danger
that had threatened them, he had time to feel.

He did not know what he would tell Dr. Crusher. It was obvious to him
that she cared for Captain Picard a great deal. He had spied their long
kiss before the Captain left. He knew that she was weak and that the news
could kill her. She would leave them like all of the other adults had.

The weight of responsibility pushed down on his shoulders again, making
his feet heavy as he continued his journey. As he crossed through the
last stand of trees he could see the cave before him. He stopped for a
moment to collect his thoughts. There was no time to mourn or cry now.
He would complete his duties. With a small sigh, he continued on.
Christina was the first to spot him.

"Lukas!" she screamed, erupting from the mouth of the cave. She was
followed by Sara and Brian. Kellie stood at the entrance of the cave.
Her eyes searched the trees for some sign of Dr. Crusher.

Lukas walked over to Kellie, still encircled by the other children. He
gathered them together.

"Are you all okay?" He asked.

"We're fine!" Brian chirped.

"Did you get the monster?" Christina was tugging on his arm.

"Yes," replied Lukas. "The monster is dead."

All of the children cheered and began to jump up and down, clapping their
hands. All of them, except Kellie.

She turned her blue eyes up to Lukas. "Where is Dr. Crusher?" Her voice
was hushed and shaking.

Lukas gently took her hand. "She's back near the crash site, Kellie.
She was too tired to come with me. But, she's okay."

"I wanna go..." she sniffled.

This was what Lukas had dreaded. It was better for them to stay put.
They didn't need to see Dr. Crusher in such a weak condition. Lukas
needed to take some supplies back to her, but even he was scared that when
he returned he would find her dead.

"No, honey. Dr. Crusher wants you to stay here for awhile. It's safer
here and it's almost bedtime. Maybe you can go in the morning." Lukas
hated to lie, but he knew it was the only way she would go to bed. He
turned to Sara and Brian.

"Okay, you two. Let's get you all some dinner. Then I'll take some
stuff down to Dr. Crusher after you get to bed. Sara, you'll be in charge
until I get back. And Brian, I expect you to help her with Christina and
Kellie."

Both children nodded. They went back into the cave and set to work.
Fifteen minutes later, Lukas was on his way back to Dr. Crusher. The
pack slung on his shoulder was filled with food and rudimentary medical
supplies. It felt like a lead weight.

"Please, Dr. Crusher....please be alive."

CHAPTER TWELVE

The last reflections of daylight bounced off of the hills of Kalan II as
the veil of night enclosed the land in shadows. Picard lifted his head as
he walked on. He could now see the cliffs where the cave lay. He
quickened his step. He had covered his grief for Beverly with his concern
for the children.

At last, he reached the mouth of the cave. He looked in and could see
the sleeping forms on the ground. He breathed a sigh of relief. They
were safe. His smile slowly faded though as he counted the forms before
him. There were only four. Where was Lukas?

He kneeled beside Christina and gently touched her shoulder. The girl
rolled over and slowly opened her eyes. At first, she thought that she
was dreaming. Then she sat upright, her eyes wide. She grabbed Picard
and hugged him. She drank in the comfort of his embrace.

Picard gently stroked her hair. For an instant he was transported back
to Kataan. He could still remember the tender moments he had spent with
Meribor, his...Kamin's...daughter. There was something about the implicit
trust of a small child. It stirred every protective instinct within him.

He wished that he could restore all of the innocence that had been stolen
from these children during this past week.

Slowly, and reluctantly, he pulled back from the little girl's embrace.
He lifted her chin with his finger.

"Christina, I'm so happy to see you. But, where is Lukas?"

The little girl blinked. She thought the Captain had been with Dr.
Crusher.

"He went down to the crash place..." she began.

"Why would he go there?" Picard interrupted.

"He said he needed to take some things to Dr. Crusher and then he would
come back here."

Picard was stunned. He let her words echo in his ears for a few more
moments. *Dr. Crusher* She was alive!

He gently lifted Christina off of his lap and tucked her under her
blanket.

"Christina, I must go down to help Dr. Crusher."

"OK, Captain. But, please come back soon." She answered.

Picard smiled and placed his hand on her head. "I will...I promise."

Lukas sat back and looked at his handiwork. The fire before him glowed
and crackled as it grew in intensity. He had neatly stacked pieces of
wood nearby where Dr. Crusher could easily reach them. He turned as he
heard her moan. Her eyes fluttered open. The bouncing light from the
fire revealed the face before her...it was Lukas.

"Dr. Crusher! You're awake!" He was obviously relieved. She had been
unconscious when he returned to the site. For two hours he had been
standing watch over her, his concern growing. Her forehead was hot.
Lukas was frustrated because he did not know what to do. *If Captain
Picard were here he would know...*

She squeezed her eyes, hoping to clear the spider webs from her mind.
Slowly, the events of the long day came back to her. "Lukas? What
happened? Where is Jean...Captain Picard?"

Lukas looked at the ground. Beverly became more insistent.

"Lukas. Where is Captain Picard?"

"I couldn't find him," he began slowly. "He must have been on the
shuttle when it..." his voice trailed off before he could finish.

"When it exploded," Beverly finished quietly.

Beverly closed her eyes. She was very tempted to give in the despair she
felt, to give up and let the fever take hold of her; but, Lukas' presence
ruled that out. For now, she had to shove those emotions out of the way
and deal with the present.

"Lukas, how are the children?"

He looked up again, surprised by the strength of her voice. "They're
okay. I told them to stay in the cave and to go to sleep."

"Good job, Lukas. Tomorrow I'll figure out a way to get myself up there
too. In the meantime, I need some help in getting this fever down. My
arms are probably infected...I need you to get some water. That should
help me cool down."

Lukas nodded. "What about the hypospray, Doctor?"

She shook her head. "No...I forgot to grab it when I left the shuttle.
At the time, I really didn't think I would be needing it again."

"Oh...well I'll go get some more water for you..." He stood and started
to leave. Beverly interrupted him.

"Lukas...There's something I haven't told you yet." He stopped and
turned toward her.

"Thank you...I wouldn't be here if you hadn't come back for me. You're a
very brave young man."

Lukas smiled and returned to his task.

A few minutes later he was returning with the water when he heard
footsteps approaching. "It's probably Christina," he thought. "I'm gonna
kill her!" As the steps got closer, however, he realized that they were
much too heavy to be one of the children. He stepped back into the
shadows to take cover.

His eyes almost popped out of his head when the figure emerged from the
darkness a few moments later. It was Captain Picard! Lukas burst into a
run and came to a halt only after he had grabbed Picard in a vice-like
hug.

"Captain...I...we thought you were dead!" Lukas shouted.

Lukas suddenly felt self-conscious of his outburst. He stepped back from
Picard, embarrassed.

"As you can see, Lukas, I'm alive and well....thanks to you and Dr.
Crusher." Picard responded warmly. He extended his right hand to the
boy.

Lukas was speechless for a moment. He was stunned that a Starfleet
captain had thanked him for saving his life. He then noticed Picard's
gesture. Lukas quickly grasped Picard's hand and shook it.

"Now, I understand that Dr. Crusher is here?" Picard stated in his best
command voice.

"Yes, sir. I was just taking some water to her. She isn't feeling well,
sir."

Picard gestured toward the pail in Lukas hand. "Why don't I take that to
the Doctor. You should go back to the cave and look after the children.
I'll join you in the morning."

Lukas nodded and handed the water to Picard. He practically stood at
attention as he waited for the Captain to leave first. Picard realized
that the boy felt that he was somehow under his command...which actually
was not far from the truth.

"Lukas, you have done an admirable job. And thank you for taking care of
Dr. Crusher. Now, get going..."

"Thank you, sir." Lukas turned to leave and then stopped to face Picard
once more. "And, sir? I know that Dr. Crusher will be very happy to see
you!" The boy then took off running, leaving Picard behind, smiling at
his last words.

Jean-Luc Picard quietly approached the fire that illuminated the outline
of the sleeping Beverly Crusher. He wanted to just stand there and listen
to her soft breathing...the most beautiful sound that had ever caressed
his ears...but another part of him urged him to run to her and take her
into his arms.

The silence ended as his foot settled on a small twig, snapping it
loudly. Beverly stirred.

"Lukas, is that you?" She called drowsily.

"No, Beverly. Lukas had other chores to tend to." Picard replied
softly.

"Jean-Luc?" Beverly called. She turned over slowly to face him. The
pain in her muscles faded as she saw him, the shadows from the flames
bouncing across his face.

He moved to her side and knelt down. Immediately he saw the weakness in
her eyes. He put a concerned hand on her forehead. She sighed at the
sensation of him touching her skin...a feeling she had thought she would
never have again. He slowly drew his fingers across her face. He was
surprised by her high fever. He reluctantly pulled his hand back as he
proceeded to dip a cloth into the water to place on her skin.

Beverly longed to hold his hands in hers...something she could not...and
might not ever do again. She stared at his eyes, puzzled by his silence.

"Jean-Luc, where have you been? I thought that you were dead..." She
pleaded with him to speak.

He carefully dabbed the cool cloth across her face. Somehow it was
easier to do this in silence. If he spoke, he knew his voice would betray
his feelings...a torrent of relief, joy...and fear. But, Beverly's eyes
were insistent.

"I'm sorry it took me so long," his low voice cracked as he tried to
smile. "The transporter on the shuttle worked, but the coordinates were,
shall we say, a little off."

She smiled and her eyes softened. "Next time, check those damn things
before you take off, okay?"

He closed his eyes as dipped the cloth in the water again.

"Jean-Luc, what's wrong?" He could feel the concern in her voice. He
shook his head.

"Jean-Luc, tell me!"

He turned to her and placed the cloth on her face. His fingers brushed
the locks of hair from her cheeks.

"Beverly...well, I thought...that you were dead." She looked at him,
puzzled. He continued. "I saw the shuttle explode on the ground...I
didn't think you made it away in time."

Beverly's heart ached with the need to take him in her arms. She yearned
to reassure him that everything would be all right. She sighed. For
now, her voice and her eyes would have to do.

"Jean-Luc. It's okay...we're both here...and in one piece, more or
less."

The darkness still covered his face. He stared into the pleading eyes of
his best friend. The need to tell her everything in his heart was too
great to be spoken. He leaned forward slowly and touched his lips to
hers. She responded softly as all of his pain and relief was communicated
to her.

He leaned back reluctantly. No more words were necessary. Beverly
slowly closed her eyes, blanketed in the comfort of his presence.
Jean-Luc Picard returned to his duties. He dipped the cloth in the cool
water and continued to stroke her face. No, he would not lose her now.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The next day, the Enterprise was still in orbit above Kalan II.
Commander Riker and Lt. Commander Data had been assigned to the recovery
of any research data and equipment left by Dr. Byers. Lukas' and
Christina's parents had been notified of the situation and would
rendezvous with the Enterprise at Starbase 281 in eight days. The other
children had no living relatives. They would also disembark at the
Starbase where Starfleet would arrange transport for them back to Earth.
In the meantime, all of the children were placed with families on the
Enterprise. He had given them the grand tour last night, helping them
adjust to their new environs. It had also helped distract him from the
frustration he felt.

Now, Captain Picard sat alone in his quarters, trying to get some much
needed rest. Unfortunately, his mind was much too preoccupied to allow
him to sleep. Dr. Selar and the rest of the medical staff had been
working almost non-stop since Beverly had arrived in Sickbay. She had
been placed in an isolation area, which meant that no visitors were
allowed. Dr. Selar had informed him that Beverly would remain there for
her own protection until her infections had been eradicated and they had
been able to regenerate enough skin to cover her hands, protecting her
from any more airborne infections.

He had tried to contact Beverly several times via communicator, but each
conversation ended abruptly as more tests had to be conducted. He was
seriously considering storming Sickbay and refusing to leave until he saw
her...but he realized that a scene like that would definitely cause

Beverly to become angry with him...not to mention that it would be highly
unprofessional on his part. No, he would have to wait this out in his
quarters.

"Lt. Ogawa to Captain Picard," his communicator came to life.

"Go ahead, Lieutenant."

"Sir, Dr. Crusher has been released from the isolation area. Dr. Selar
is about to let her return to her quarters."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. I'll be there in a moment. Picard out."
He jumped to his feet. Lt. Ogawa had been very conscientious about
giving him updates on Beverly's condition. He made a mental note to tell
Beverly about her assistance.

He tugged on his jersey and flew out the door.

A short time later he found himself approaching the doors to Sickbay. He
slowed and steadied his breath...and his pulse. He stepped forward and
doors slid open. He looked across the room to Beverly, who was sitting on
a biobed, surrounded by various medical staff. Dr. Selar appeared to be
giving her a final once over with her tricorder. His eyes moved over the
bandages that still covered her hands.

All of the warm bodies around her prevented Beverly from seeing his
approach. She only became aware of him when the group around her parted
like the Red Sea to allow him near. Suddenly, the staff found other
things to occupy themselves with. Only Dr. Selar and Lt. Ogawa remained.
Dr. Selar closed the tricorder.

"Well, Doctor," she began, "there are no more signs of infection. You
are clear to leave. Just don't forget about your appointment with Dr.
Shoralt in physical therapy later."

Beverly couldn't help but notice Selar's timing...giving her clearance to
leave just as Picard entered; but, she was too tired to bring it up.

"Thank you, Dr. Selar...Alyssa." She slowly slid off the end of the bed
to stand. Picard's reflexes forced him to grab hold of her upper arm to
assist her. He was still a little concerned by the paleness of her face.

He arched his eyebrow when Beverly looked to him and did not protest. He
started to speak to Dr. Selar but Beverly beat him to it.

"Dr. Selar, I'll brief the Captain."

"Yes, if you insist, Dr. Crusher." Selar turned and left the area to see
to other patients. Lt. Ogawa joined her, after glancing over her shoulder
one last time to make sure that her boss was okay.

Beverly turned to look at Picard. His eyes were just short of demanding
an explanation of what was going on. She spoke to him softly, in the
voice she knew he could not argue with.

"Please, Jean-Luc, can we just get out of here first?"

He nodded sympathetically. "I know just the place. Besides, it time for
some lunch." He led her through the doors, still holding her arm.

A few minutes later they entered his quarters. He helped her over the
sofa where she literally fell back into its familiar, comfortable embrace.
She closed her eyes. Picard stood over her...fighting the overwhelming
urge to take her into his arms. It was such a relief to have her in his
quarters again.

He cautiously sat on the opposite end of the sofa and waited for her to
speak.

"Thank you, Jean-Luc," she began quietly. "I just needed to get out of
there."

"You're welcome...as always."

"How are the children doing?"

"They're doing fine, Beverly. Considering how much they've been through,
their adjustment is going very well. Counselor Troi is spending time with
them today."

"That's good. Deanna will help them."

"And I should tell you, Beverly, that one certain young lady was
demanding to see you last night."

Beverly smiled. "Is Kellie all right?"

"Yes...but I know she'll want to see you today when she finds out you
were released from Sickbay."

"And I want to see her..." Beverly replied.

Silence enveloped them again. Finally, Picard leaned forward to ask the
one question that had been foremost in his mind.

"So, what did Dr. Selar say?"

Beverly gave a tired sigh. "Well, as you heard, the infection is gone.
They were able to regenerate the skin on both hands. The nerves were
pretty much destroyed though." She unconsciously began to stare at her
hands, turning them over as if examining them. "They were able to
stimulate the remaining nerve ends...and we hope that they will continue
to grow back..." She stopped.

Picard moved closer to her and touched her arm. His signal urged her to
continue.

"But, there is so much scar tissue and muscle damage that they could not
repair...they're not sure the nerves will be able to grow normally."

"Will the physical therapy improve the chances?" He asked hopefully.

"Possibly. It should help break up any remaining scar tissue. And it
will, of course, strengthen the muscles. We won't know anything for at
least a few days."

Picard's eyes narrowed with determination. "Well, then. You'll do
everything the doctors tell you...and you will get better!"

"Yes, Sir!" Beverly responded. It was hard not to glean some hope from
this man.

"And now, Doctor, it's time for some lunch." He stood and motioned for
her to sit still. "I'll just be a minute."

Beverly did not protest. She closed her eyes again and laid her head
back on the sofa. It would be nice to have something to eat. *To eat...*
she thought. Suddenly she realized that there were many simple things she
could not do for herself. In Sickbay they had given her nutritional
supplements and fluids by injecting them directly into her bloodstream.
She hadn't needed her hands to do anything. Now, everything was
different.

Eating, drinking, getting dressed...all of the things she took for
granted...were going to be extremely difficult, and humiliating. And the
last thing she wanted now was an audience. She opened her eyes abruptly.
She had to get out of there and get back to the privacy of her own
quarters.

Picard was crossing the room with a sandwich and a glass of water and she
stood up to leave. He looked at her, puzzled.

"Beverly, what's wrong? I've got your lunch here..."

"It's nothing, Jean-Luc. I'm just very tired. I think I should go back
to my own quarters and get some sleep." She headed for the door.

"Okay, if you're certain you're not hungry. But at least let me see you
back."

She continued out the door. "No, thank you. I'll manage." She never
looked back.

Picard stood in the middle of the room, food still in hand. *What was
going on?*

He looked down at his hands and realized his horrible mistake.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

By the time Beverly Crusher reached her quarters, she was almost running.
The doors quickly closed behind her as she entered and leaned against the
wall. She was angry at herself for her moment of panic. And
Jean-Luc...she had treated him badly, leaving him standing there...lying
to him. She was determined to shake herself free from this wave of
self-pity.

She stood straight and brushed the hair back from her face with her
forearm. She walked over to the replicator and ordered a glass of water.
She was going to try this. The glass appeared before her, just waiting
for her to reach out and take it. She moved both bandaged hands to cup
the glass between them. Carefully, she pressed in on the glass and picked
it up. As she carried it over to the table and set it down, some of the
water splashed over the rim. The drops were slowly absorbed by the
bandages.

She sat down and stared at the glass as if it were an immovable obstacle.
She briefly considered going back over to the replicator and requesting a
straw, but then she decided that she wanted to try to accomplish this with
some dignity.

Her hands encircled the glass once again and she began to lift it from
the table. It had almost reached its destination, when she released some
of the pressure from her grip. The glass began to slip through her hands.
She tried to catch it before it could fall, but ended up knocking it
across the table. She watched in frustration as the the water splashed
across her, the table and the floor. The glass continued its roll on the
tabletop, voicing a hollow ring. She jumped up to stop the glass before
it rolled onto the floor. As she touched it, however, her anger flared
again. With one swing of her arm she sent the glass flying into the
bulkhead where it shattered into small pieces.

She sat down, disgusted with herself...and with her situation. But, this
wasn't getting her anywhere. She needed something else to focus her
attentions on. She checked the time...1330 hours. She still had two more
hours before her physical therapy appointment. Two hours to either spend
here alone, letting her mind race through every negative possibility...or
two hours she could fill with something that would allow her not to think
at all.

She reached across the table and slid a cloth napkin toward her. After
clumsily dabbing the spilled water from her lap, she stood. Once again
she brushed the hair from her face with her arm. Her decision was made.
She headed out the door.

Counselor Deanna Troi stood in the corner of the art room and watched the
children as they played. The older children were combining their
artistic skills in an attempt to make a clay model of the Enterprise.
Lukas was doing a good job of watching out for the others as he tried to
keep them busy. Deanna could sense his sadness...and at the same time she
felt his sense of duty to the younger children.

Deanna turned her gaze on the little girl who sat alone at another table.
Kellie had rejected all of Lukas' attempts at involving her in the the
clay project. She quietly sat and concentrated on finishing the picture
she was drawing. She covered the drawing up whenever anyone approached.
She did not want anyone else to see it. Kellie was feeling deserted...and
she didn't want to trust anyone. Deanna decided that she would give the
girl a few more minutes of solitude before she approached her.

Suddenly, Kellie jumped up and was running for the door. Deanna turned
to see what had caused her to be so excited.

Beverly Crusher stood in the doorway, her face pale and drawn. A spark
lit in her eyes, however, as she saw Kellie running toward her, calling
her name. Deanna slid out the door without a sound. Beverly needed time
alone with the children.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Beverly Crusher watched the clouds as they silently rolled by above her.
At this moment, all of her plans and years of hard work seemed to float
away with them. For six days she had undergone the painful rigors of
physical therapy, sat still while Dr. Selar repeatedly attempted to
stimulate the nerves in her hands. There was no progress being made.

Unconsciously she pounded her well-wrapped hands against her legs. She
had never even contemplated that her own body would ever betray her in
such a cruel way. The quote, "Physician, heal thyself," had crossed her
thoughts many times over the past few days. Each time, it had reminded
her of how helpless she was.

She sat down beneath a tree as tears of frustration began to flow, making
their tracks down her face. This made her even more frustrated. She
hated to cry. It was out of synch with her cool, professional demeanor.
Of course, she reasoned, since her profession seemed to be falling by the
wayside, that meant she could develop a new demeanor.

She was startled as the holodeck arch suddenly appeared behind her. She
angrily wiped at the evidence of the pain that still clung to her face
with her upper arm. She wasn't ready to share this with
anyone...especially the figure who walked through the arch.

Jean-Luc Picard entered the tranquil scene and the arch quietly vanished
behind him. He was dressed purposely in civilian clothes. He wanted
Beverly to know that he was there as her friend, not her captain. She had
been successfully avoiding him for days. When he saw the angry look that
crossed the lines around her eyes, he thought that he had perhaps made a
mistake in coming here. But, then he saw the dampened trails down her
cheeks, and he knew that would not leave.

"Jean-Luc? What are you doing here? I had the security locks
engaged..." She tried to sound calm and cool, but the tremor in her voice
betrayed her. He stepped toward her.

"I was looking for you."

She stepped back, away from his approach. "Well, you found me...so you
can leave now."

His eyes held hers, refusing to move. "Not likely, Beverly. I'm
concerned about you."

She turned away from his gaze, hoping to escape his scrutiny. "That's
not necessary. I just needed some time to sort things out."

"I know. That's why I'm here. To help."

"No, Jean-Luc. I don't need your help."

"Yes, I think you do." He was at her side. He gently put his hand on
her shoulder. "Need I remind you of how many times you've been there to
help me 'sort things out'?"

Beverly lifted her bowed head to look into his eyes. No, he wasn't going
to leave. And through all of her pain and anger and determination to be
alone, she knew that she was glad he was here. She really did need to
talk to him about it.

She slowly sat down, gesturing for him to join her. They sat, shoulder
to shoulder for a few long minutes. She, not knowing where to begin. He,
patiently waiting for her to find the words. Slowly, she leaned into him,
placing her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her.
Then, the barrier broke.

"Jean-Luc, it's just that...that I don't know who I am anymore. I feel
like my identity has been stripped away and discarded."

His grip on her tightened. No words were necessary. He was there to
listen.

"Ever since I was a little girl, I knew exactly what I was going to
do..what I was going to be. That's all I ever worked for. I mean, I'm a
doctor. It's who I am...it's even my name. The crew...they don't call me
'Beverly,' they call me 'Doctor' or 'Doc,'...what am I without that title?
Nothing.
Every instinct I have, every breath I take, every room I enter, every
person I see...every thought I have is molded by my life as a doctor.
What do I do now? I don't have the power to act on any of those impulses.
I've lost my place. I've lost my purpose...and I don't have anything to
replace it with... I've let down everyone on this ship."

He turned her face toward his own. "Beverly, do you have any idea how
many friends you have on the Enterprise? Do you know how much they
respect you?"

"Sure...as a doctor...."

"Is that what you think? That they only like you because you're a
doctor?" He grabbed her by both of her shoulders. "Now you listen to me!
They don't care about you because you're a good doctor...they care about
you because of all of the wonderful qualities that you just happen to use
in your role as a doctor! Your kindness and genuine concern, your sense
of humor, the willingness to always put others before yourself, your
grace. A room lights up when you enter. Don't you know that? Don't you
know how much you mean to them...to me?" His voice was incredulous.
Could she really have underestimated her own worth by that much?
She looked into his eyes and they gave him a silent thank you. She
pressed the side of her face into his chest, hoping to cling to this
anchor...her best friend.

"Thank you for staying, Jean-Luc," she whispered.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her, feeling each ripple as her sobs
began in soft waves. He began to gently rock with her.

Jean-Luc watched the clouds as they silently rolled by above them. He
tenderly stroked Beverly's red hair as she slept in his lap. She was
exhausted. A single tear loosed itself and ran its course...and it
quietly fell onto her slumbering figure. He was determined to find a way
to help her.

The next morning, as the Enterprise arrived at Starbase 281, Beverly sat
alone in her quarters, biding her time until her next physical therapy
session. She was definitely not looking forward to it. The agonizing
pain from previous sessions filled her dreams at night. She couldn't help
but feel that all of it was for nothing. She was not making any real
progress, and Dr. Selar had more or less voiced her opinion that a full
recovery was unlikely.

Her depression was only made worse by the fact that the children would be
leaving this morning.

The door chimed, forcing Beverly from her game of "what else can go
wrong?"

"Come in," she called half-heartedly. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of
her visitor.

Jean-Luc Picard entered, a carry-all slung over his shoulder.

"Going somewhere, Jean-Luc?" This was just what she needed. He was
leaving her too.

"Well, good morning to you too, Doctor!" His smile puzzled her.

"I'm sorry, Jean-Luc. Good morning. Now, where are you going?" She
spoke perfunctorily.

"I think that the better question would be 'where are we going'?" He
replied.

Now Beverly was completely confused. She certainly was not in the mood
for any R&R on Starbase 281.

Picard plodded on through her silence. "Get your bag packed. We're
going to Earth. The shuttle leaves in one hour."

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Their farewells to Lukas and Christina were all too brief. Their parents
awaited them on the Starbase and they were whisked away from the others.
One moment later, Picard, Dr. Crusher and the Hayes children were marched
aboard the shuttle, along with some equipment that was being delivered to
the ship that would be their transport. Beverly did not realize it, but
the equipment was one element of many deals that Picard had struck to get
them back to Earth so quickly.

The shuttle delivered their small party to the U.S.S. Argo, which was
headed back to Earth after an extended absence. The Argo was a small ship
whose primary missions involved the collection of scientific data. Her
captain and crew welcomed the visitors aboard as they began their week
long trip back to Earth.

Beverly spent most of her time with the children, knowing that she would
be separated from them once they arrived on Earth. Picard joined them
whenever he had the chance. Unfortunately, he also had to spend many
hours with the Argo's captain, Joseph Reed; however, Picard realized that
he had called in a lot of favors to get Beverly back to Earth and he would
have to make small talk as part of the deal.

Now, the Argo was orbit above their destination. A shuttle was standing
by, waiting to deliver Dr. Crusher and Captain Picard to the Starfleet
Medical facilities below. The duo from the Enterprise, however, had one
thing to attend to first.

Beverly kneeled on the floor, Kellie's arms wrapped around her neck.
"I'm sorry, honey. Where I'm going you can't come along." Beverly spoke
softly.

Sara looked up at Picard. "Will they make her hands better there?"

Jean-Luc placed his hand on her head. "That's what we hope."

Brian stepped forward and tried to remove Kellie from Beverly's embrace.

"Kellie, we have to let them go now....Dr. Crusher needs to get better.
That's what you want isn't it?"

"Yes, but I want to go with her!" Kellie's voice trembled.

Now Sara moved to help Brian. "Come on, Kellie. We'll even watch their
shuttle take off."

Kellie just clung tighter to Beverly.

Brian took a more forceful approach. "Kellie, you don't want Dr. Crusher
to think that you're a baby do you?" Kellie shook her head. "Then come
on with us." He continued.

Kellie reluctantly let go of Beverly. Sara took the little girl by the
hand. Beverly gazed at the children one last time, her eyes glistening
with tears that threatened to slip down her face.

Picard was once again surprised by the strength of these small children.
He was very confident that they would be all right wherever they might go.
He put his hand under Beverly's elbow and helped her to stand.

With his most dignified voice, Picard addressed them. "Children, I want
you to know how proud I am to have been able to have served with you. You
will always be welcome on my ship. I only hope that we will see each
other again very soon."

Sara ran forward and hugged him. He brushed her hair lightly and smiled
at her. Sara released her hold on him. Then, Beverly and Jean-Luc
quietly turned and walked out the door.

Beverly made it inside the shuttle before the dam of her emotions burst.
Too many changes were happening too quickly. Jean-Luc held her to his
shoulder. His glance at the shuttle pilot ensured their privacy for the
flight to Earth.

Ten minutes later, the pilot hesitantly called out, "We'll be landing in
five minutes, Captain."

Beverly took the warning as a cue. She began to wipe the tears from her
face, ignoring the dampness that now covered the bandages on her hands.
Her eyes were red and her face streaked from the trails of sadness, but
Jean-Luc still knew that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever
seen.

The shuttle arrived at Starfleet Medical and they disembarked. Admiral
Katherine Coleman was there to greet them. Beverly saw her friend and
smiled. The years had been kind to her. The touch of white in her hair
and the faint lines around her eyes were the only indication of her age.

"Beverly, Captain Picard..." Admiral Coleman started toward them.
Beverly hugged her friend and Picard quickly shook her hand.

"I'm just sorry that you had to come back under these circumstances."

The Admiral then looked at Beverly's hands as if she expected to see
through the bandages.

"It's good to see you under any circumstances, Kate. Thank you for
coming out to meet us." Beverly graciously responded.

"Well, you two are probably tired after your long journey. I've arranged
quarters for you next to the main facility. Let's get you settled first,
then we can catch up."

"Thank you, Admiral." Picard answered.

"Anything for an old friend like Dr. Crusher." She turned to Beverly.
"And you're first appointment will be tomorrow at 0800 hours."

"Who is it with?" Beverly asked.

"Well, let me put it this way, when we got the word that you were on your
way, there were quite a few doctors at Admiral Chavez' door asking to
assist you. I'm not sure who he chose to be on the team. I guess we'll
find out tomorrow."

Their conversation returned to more mundane matters as they continued to
the guest quarters. They arrived at Beverly's room first. She was
exhausted and glad to see a bed that was attached to solid ground. Picard
and the Admiral left her after procuring her promise that she would join
them for dinner after she got some rest.

Picard and Admiral Coleman continued their walk. After a few moments of
silence, the Admiral stopped and turned to Picard.

"Captain Picard, I know that you are a good friend of Beverly's...tell
me, how is she really doing?"

"She's been very brave about the whole thing...but, I know that she is
concerned about her future as a doctor. This has all been very
frustrating for her."

"I'm sure it has. Beverly has always been very hands on. Something she
picked up from her grandmother, I believe."

"Yes, Admiral." Picard responded as they continued walking. "Tell me,
what are the chances for her recovery...will this new treatment help her?"

"We won't know for a while. As I told you on subspace, this treatment is
still experimental. It looks promising, but Beverly would be the first
patient to receive treatment on both hands. We'll just have to wait and
see." Admiral Coleman stopped and motioned to a door. "Here are your
quarters. I'll see you and Beverly for dinner at 1900 hours."

"Thank you, Admiral." Picard replied and he entered his room. He sat on
the sofa and sighed. Tomorrow would be a long day of waiting...and he
hated waiting. The next morning finally arrived. It was fairly obvious that neither
Beverly or Picard had gotten any sleep. They walked slowly across the
grounds toward the main medical building. The bright sun above was
oblivious to the tension in the air surrounding them.

They entered the building and Beverly shivered slightly. *Why do medical
buildings always seem so cold?* she thought. Picard placed his hand on
her back. No words were necessary. They walked to the reception desk
where a young cadet instructed them on where they were to go.

As they continued down the long corridors, Beverly subconsciously moved
closer to Jean-Luc, her arm touching his. He gingerly wrapped his right
hand around her left. As they reached the room, they stopped. Jean-Luc
turned toward her.

"Are you ready?" He asked quietly.

She nodded slightly and then looked up and down the corridor. It was
empty. She leaned forward and kissed Jean-Luc's cheek.

"Thank you for tagging along." She smiled.

"Anytime." He replied.

The door opened and they entered the room. Beverly looked across the
large table before her. There were at least eight doctors present. Most
of them were familiar faces. And then, she saw her.

Beverly froze in disbelief.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Picard followed Beverly's stunned gaze across the room to its cause.
There, standing by the viewscreen, was a blonde woman who was strikingly
familiar. It was Dr. Toby Russell. Picard's stomach dropped. This was
the woman who had come aboard the Enterprise and used her experimental
surgery on Lt. Worf after he was paralyzed in an accident. Her
experiments had also cost another person's life. He was very aware that
Beverly despised everything Dr. Russell represented. *This could be a
very short meeting,* he thought.

Admiral Chavez stood and moved toward Beverly, breaking the silence in
the room.

"Dr. Crusher, Captain Picard. I'm glad you made it back to Earth safely.
I've called this meeting so that you could meet the members of the team
that will be working with you, Doctor. I believe that you know most of
them already."

He proceeded to introduce each member. As the introductions were
concluded, he led Beverly and Picard to their seats. Beverly remained
tight-lipped, but Picard could actually feel the tension emanating from
her. He silently prayed that Dr. Russell would keep her mouth shut.
Admiral Chavez continued the briefing. He outlined the day's schedule.
The other doctors would begin their exams and tests shortly after the
briefing. Afterwards, they would meet and assess the results. They would
then be able to determine the feasiblity of using the new procedure to
treat Dr. Crusher. The Admiral briefly explained the procedure. Since
scar tissue had made the use of neural implants useless, this procedure
would destroy the remaining tissue and nerves and use genetic replication
to replace them. By destroying all of the tissue in the hands, there
would be no scarred areas to block growth and inhibit flexibility.

Hopefully, the new tissue and nerves would then be able to grow and full
use of Beverly's hands would be restored.

At the conclusion of the Admiral's summary, Beverly merely nodded.
Picard could sense the eruption that she was holding back. Her eyes were