Disclaimer- well if you're interested in this part, I'm afraid the best was quite a while ago…
A/N-well this is the actual end. So of course I had total inspiration for this and got it written quickly…go figure. A big THANK-YOU to all those who have been following from the start, it feels like a life time ago. Another big thanks to my Mandy 'cos she's been a constant support for me, and she can't truly know how much it has meant for me.
Anyone who recently started following; thanks for taking an interest. Reviews will always be welcomed so if you could be so inclined I would love to hear from you! And now let the end begin…
"Molly and me, and the baby is three. We're so happy in my blue heaven" My Blue Heaven- Frank Sinatra
The Best Is Yet To Come
"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride," the Admiral said as the couple in front of him warmly embraced.
There was a cry of excitement and tears of joy from the guests as they were presented as husband and wife for the first time. The soft cries of the amazingly subdued mother of the bride were barely heard over the noise. The father of the groom beamed at the choice his son had, finally, made. They started down the isle to be congratulated by their friends. While the couple themselves seemed giddy, in love and just happy to have finally reached this point. They were happily entering the reception when they spotted some new friends.
"Sean, Felica you made it!" the groom exclaimed joyfully.
"Like I could let us miss this," Sean boldly started. "I'd have too man angry redheads to face."
All four of them laughed as he received an elbow in the stomach.
"But honestly we're just surprised to even be invited. We've only known each other personally for what," he looked to his wife for confirmation, "6 months?" Felica nodded to him.
"Well you were like an extension to the family from day one," the groom firmly stated.
"We couldn't not invite you, it just wouldn't feel right," the bride consolidated.
"Well thank-you either way," Sean said smiling, "Mr. and Mrs. Riker."
"Or should it be Mr. and Mrs. Troi?" Felica asked cheekily.
"Commander William T. Troi," Deanna said trying it out. "It has a bit of a nice ring to it," she added looking serious at him.
If Will wasn't looking at her so closely he would've missed the glimmer of humour that was in her eyes.
"Right, when we start serving under Captain Jean-Luc Howard," Will laughed.
"Don't you dare let Beverly hear you say that. It will give her ideas!" Jean-Luc joked joining the group.
"Where is the lovely Beverly?" Will asked looking behind Jean-Luc to see if he could spot the second redhead.
"She had to stop off into Sickbay for a quick check up," Jean-Luc explained. "She'll come down to the reception as soon as it's done. She cry throughout the entire ceremony, and refused to let me go with her to the appointment insisting I be polite and head straight to the reception."
"How is she going? The baby's not giving her too much trouble is it?" Felica asked.
"No not at all. But the hormones are definitely kicking in with quite some force," Jean-Luc added cheekily.
"Have you come up with any names yet?" Sean asked.
"Yeah, we have actually managed to agree on two names; Jacqueline Yvette for a girl, and Isaac Walker for a boy."
"So you don't know what she's having then?"
"No. We decided to wait and have a surprise at the birth," Jean-Luc dutifully explained in Beverly's absence. Or so he thought.
"I think we may need to change that plan," Beverly said coming up and joining the group.
"Why?" Felica asked concerned.
"I'm afraid it's as we feared Jean-Luc," Beverly said very seriously.
Jean-Luc studied her intently for a few silent moments. He took a few steps closer to her.
"You're certain?"
"110%," Beverly softly replied.
Jean-Luc reverently placed his hands on her enlarged stomach. He leaned forward and devotedly placed a kiss on her lips. Standing straight he whispered, "I love you."
"I love you too," she responded smiling.
"Raise your hand if you're confused," Wesley said jokingly suddenly joining the group, almost from nowhere.
The four other people in the group raised their hands, including Will who was shooting questioning glances at Wesley.
"I think you need to clarify that last part mamma, papa," he said to Beverly and Jean-Luc.
Stepping apart for a moment, Beverly faced the rest of them.
"Sorry, but I just got confirmed what Jean-Luc and I suspected since half way through our holiday. Unfortunately we had to wait till today to find out," Beverly explained.
"That's what you get for leaving so late to arrive home," Wesley chided.
Jean-Luc just smiled, "We suspected that one name might not be enough."
"As in twins?" Felica asked excited.
Beverly just nodded. She was soon wrapped in the arms of Deanna and Felica as they excitedly squealed their delight.
"That's wonderful news," Will exclaimed as he shook Jean-Luc's hand warmly.
"Ain't it just?" Wesley joined smiling. He wrapped his arms around Felica and directed his question at Sean, "So when you going to make me an uncle?"
"Wesley!" cried both redheads.
"What? It's a legitimate question! When is she going to start a family of her own and turn you into a granny?"
Felica turned around in Wesley's arms and smiled sickly sweetly at him. "Wesley?"
"Yes?"
"Just a word of sisterly advice…"
"Yes?"
"Think fast." With that she took swing at him. But Wesley was ahead of her was already out of her range.
"Why thank-you for the warning this time," Wesley sincerely replied.
"Get here now Crusher!"
"You gotta catch me first," Wesley retorted before headed straight for the door of the reception place.
Felica let out a cry of annoyance before following him out the doors.
"I could've sworn that I saw that exact scene 6 months ago," Jean-Luc said. "Will those two ever change?"
"They haven't yet, so I don't suspect they will," Beverly admitted.
"Well when will it be the two of you walking down the isle?" Sean asked coming to accept that he wasn't going to be seeing his wife for a little while.
Beverly just laughed. "I'm not waddling down any isle too soon."
"That's her polite way of saying she doesn't know if she wants to keep me," Jean-Luc chuckled.
"I expected it to be you tying the knot before we did actually," Deanna admitted, Will nodding along with her.
"We'll see," Beverly compromised. "I want to get these little ones settled before I have to think about any big celebrations."
"Understandable," Will said his eye drifting off to the rest of the room.
"I think we've monopolised your time enough," Jean-Luc started. "I'm sure there are many more people who want to wish the happy couple all the best."
Will and Deanna recognised this as their subtle order to mingle at their own party. And they promptly did. They moved on to the next group that was waiting to wish them all the best.
--
Somewhere out in the gardens of the reception Felica had actually managed to catch Wesley.
"What the heck?" she asked panting.
"Why so surprised you caught me? You always do in the end."
"But I caught you so much faster," she gasped.
"Maybe you just got faster," Wesley offered.
Having caught her breath Felica just stood up straight and raised an eyebrow to unnerve him.
"Okay, okay. I didn't want to tire you out," he admitted.
"Why?"
"I have to think of the both of you now."
Felica just looked at him confused for a while. Wesley waited patiently. Then Felica's eyes widened in realisation.
"Are you saying…?"
She couldn't quite bring herself to ask. Wesley just smiled and pulled a tricorder out of seemingly nowhere.
"You tell me," he smirked handing her the tricorder.
Hands shaking she took the tricorder from him, and scanned herself. As she red the readout she let out a laugh and tears started pouring down her face.
--
Jean-Luc was off getting more drinks when Felica and Wesley made their return. As soon as he saw her Sean knew that Felica had been crying. Rushing over to her his concern was written all over his face.
"Lica, are you okay? What's the matter is everything alright? Did something happen?" he asked each question in rapid succession.
Felica just smiled and nodded. "These are happy tears Sean. Happy tears for happy news," she softly explained pulling him aside to talk to him privately.
Wesley continued on his way into the room before he was grabbed by his mother.
"Wesley, what did you do to her?" she accused.
"Nothing!" Wesley replied in a high whine tone. "Nothing harmful anyways," he added frivolously.
Beverly was about to question him further when the Montgomerys returned to the party both with enormous smiles, and Sean's eye were slightly misted over. The two of them looked like they were headed to where the guests of honour were so they could make an early exit. Instead Beverly cast an inquiring glance at Wesley.
"I have that annoying knack of just knowing everything," Wesley smirked.
"Knowing what?' Jean-Luc asked returning with their drinks.
"How beautiful your children are going to be," Wesley said flippantly.
"Of course," Jean-Luc agreed knowing a change of topic when he heard one.
"How long before those two have one of their own?" Beverly asked indicating Will and Deanna.
"In the very foreseeable future," Wesley commented.
"Care to be a bit more specific? It could prove to be very profitable for your dear mother here," Beverly tried to coerce him.
Wesley just let out a hearty laugh.
"Mother! Are you suggesting that I use my gift to cheat in a bet?" he asked faking mortification.
"Don't sound so surprised," Beverly replied. "And tell me why you shouldn't?"
"It's against the ethics."
"There are no real ethics in bets."
Wesley opened his mouth to argue, but changed his mind. "Well, I'd be going against an agreement I have with someone else." Wesley settled with the truth.
"What? Who is it?"
"I can't tell you that. You could rat them out and nullify my cut of the winnings… and theirs too."
"Wesley Robert Crusher, are you telling me you made a deal with someone else instead of your own mother?"
"Well I couldn't very well get you to place any bets on your own pool. That would've been highly suspicious, and cut off a large amount of my income!"
"What?"
"I shouldn't have told you that," Wesley exclaimed nervously his eye widening as he realised what he'd said.
"Please explain."
Wesley could see this wasn't going to be ending nicely, especially with Jean-Luc looking on as amused as he was.
"I'm sorry, but I believe that Geordie is trying to get my attention from the other side of the room," he quickly stammered and rushed across the room to where Geordie was.
Beverly was just moving to follow him when Jean-Luc grabbed her arm and stopped her movement.
"Let it go Beverly," he soothed.
"Jean, did you not hear what he said? Do you understand what that means?" she fumed.
"Yes, I heard it all," Jean-Luc knew which part she most mad about; her not getting told dates. "But I know that he would only pass on the information to a highly reliable source. Wesley's not a foolish boy."
"I guess so." Beverly lowered her head. She looked up at Jean-Luc from under her eyelashes, "It was you he told wasn't it?"
Jean-Luc looked at her surprised. He opened his mouth to defend himself, but then he could the malicious look in her eye and decided he wanted to live to see the birth of his children.
"Yes."
Beverly let out a big sigh. "I suppose I'll have to be content with that. I mean you are practically family…"
"Why thank-you for such a kind assessment," Jean-Luc laughed. "Speaking of family, do you know what the babies are?"
"No, I thought I would check myself later tonight and we can find out together."
Jean-Luc wrapped his arms around her from behind and rested his head on her shoulder.
"Thank-you," he whispered.
Beverly just smiled and kissed his cheek.
--
That night when they were settling down for bed, Beverly collected a tricorder and came to rest on the bed waiting for Jean-Luc to finish in the bathroom.
"Did you find out why Felica and Sean left early?" Jean-Luc called.
"I did, Lica left me a message letting me know that they will expecting a little one of their own in eight months."
"That's wonderful news!" Jean-Luc exclaimed, still in the bathroom. He couldn't resist a little bit of teasing, "Congratulations Nana."
If he had been in the bedroom Jean-Luc would've been on the receiving end of a deathly glare.
"You too Pa Picard," she called. Jean-Luc dropped something in his surprise at her words. "If I get Nana you get Pa if only by mere association," she called back.
Jean-Luc just laughed.
As soon as he entered the bedroom he lay down on the bed beside her and softly asked, "Are you sure you want to do this now?" his eyes on the tricorder. "Not wait until the morning?"
Beverly just gave him a look that told she wasn't waiting any longer.
"You should count yourself lucky I didn't find out this afternoon!"
Jean-Luc chuckled and sat up pulling her closer to him. Beverly settled herself into his embrace, and sat between his legs in front of him. She waved the extension over her enlarged stomach. All too soon she was reading the results out to Jean-Luc.
"They are both developing as expected and healthy and…" she turned to face him, "We can expect a little boy and a little girl."
"One of each?" Jean-Luc asked his grin threatening to split his face in two.
Beverly nodded. His hands started rubbing loving circles over where their children resided. They shared a loving kiss.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"Marry me?" Jean-Luc suddenly asked.
"What?" Beverly laughed.
"Marry me?" he repeated just as seriously.
"Jean-Luc I wasn't joking earlier today when I said I wasn't waddling down the isle."
"I know," he replied. "But I really want for us to be together in the formal sense."
"It's the 24th centaury, we don't need a form. We've been living together for around a year, you've had five months to get used to the fact that I'm carrying your child, and now you decided you want to get married?"
"I know, I know. And I know I don't need a certificate to say that I will love you for the rest of my life, but I don't want us to be separated by any by the book Admiral who could throw this technicality in our face. I can't stand the thought of being separated from either you or them," he placed his hands over her stomach again. "And haven't even met these two yet. Please, just say that when things have settled, after we've welcomed these two into our world that you will marry me."
Beverly just looked at him bemused.
"Of course I'll marry you," she smiled.
Jean-Luc's smiled couldn't have been any wider without it actually splitting his face. As he leaned forward to capture the lips of his fiancé, he felt like he was the luckiest man in the entire universe. And the best was still yet to come…
…end log
A/N- that's it. I will probably be on a break from writing for a while. I have a story I'm working on, but it's not ST: TNG and I'm still ages away from posting… sorry. But I might take a break from that and work on an idea I've got, but we'll see. Please send me a word!! And thanks for reading, I really hope you enjoyed it.