Title:
Roles, Limits and Priorities
Author:
Whoa Nellie ([email protected])
Rating: G
Author's
Notes: The vignettes of Jack Crusher's
life were inspired by a series of monthly challenges on the trekbbs board. The theme for this challenge was 'Boundary'
and was originally posted to the fanfiction forum at Trekbbs on February 15,
2006.
As always:
Paramount owns all the marbles, we just have a lot more fun playing with them.
Feedback
is always appreciated.
Whoa
Nellie's Romance Star Trek Fan Fiction Stories
http://whoanellie.fortunecity.com
Lieutenant Jack Crusher sat in his
quarters aboard the U.S.S. Stargazer and gazed fondly at the monitor in front
of him. "How are you
feeling?"
"Done," Beverly sighed from
their apartment on Earth. "I am
done being pregnant."
"What?" he sat bolt upright in
his chair.
Her hands swiftly moved up in a placating
gesture as she smiled. "Relax, I
said that I was done being pregnant; your son isn't quite done gestating
yet."
"Well tell him to wait a little
longer," Jack said.
Beverly arched an eyebrow at the
screen. "I'm the size of a shuttle
and about as maneuverable. There are
limits to the expansion capabilities of the female body, you know."
"You're the most beautiful shuttle
I've ever seen," he grinned and winked at her. "I'm sorry you're so uncomfortable, honey; but I really want
to be there for the birth so just hang in there a little while longer. I love you," he caressed the screen with
his fingers as if he were touching her face through sub-space.
"I love you, too; I'll see you
soon."
He closed the channel with a soft sigh and
sat back, a tender smile playing across his lips. The door chime brought him out of his contemplation of impending
fatherhood. "Come."
The door slid open to admit Captain
Jean-Luc Picard. "Jack, I hope I'm
not interrupting anything."
"No," he stood and motioned for
his friend and captain to have a seat.
"I just got off a sub-space call to my very pregnant wife. She says 'hi' by the way."
"How is Beverly?" Picard asked.
"Uncomfortable but otherwise
fine," Jack said. "Is this a
social call or business?"
Picard held out a PADD. "A bit of both; I have your leave
request here and I wanted to talk to you
about it before I entered it into the official log."
"Is there a problem?" Jack
asked. He had been looking forward to
being at the birth since Beverly had told him that she was pregnant. This close to the big event was not a good
time for last minute duty calls.
"Officially no, but as your friend I
have some concerns," Picard replied.
"Jack, you're a good officer and I know you want your own ship one
day."
Jack regarded his captain curiously. "We've known each other a number of
years and one of the reasons I wanted this posting was because I felt that
there was a lot I could learn from you.
If you have a problem with me, I'd prefer if you just said it."
"For the sake of your career, I'm
advising you to reconsider taking this leave," Picard told him bluntly.
"Wait a minute," Jack said,
confusion and frustration evident in both his expression and tone. "I'm entitled to that leave; we're not
in the middle of anything but routine mapping which I don't have to be here for
and there's no crisis looming. My wife
is due to give birth to my first child--my son--any time now and that is just
as important to me as my career. You know
how much I want to be there, it's all I've been talking about for months."
Picard shifted uncomfortably and sat
back. "Of course you're entitled
to this leave, but think about your future, Jack. Starship captains are devoted to their ship and their crew, they
rarely take personal leave and officers who want to be captains take even
less. I know how much Beverly means to
you, but if you want to be a captain, your career has to mean more."
"Not all of us can be the
reincarnation of the great James T. Kirk," he retorted, barely keeping the
bitterness out of his voice. The
euphoria of his impending fatherhood had been obliterated and captain or not,
Jean-Luc Picard was the cause.
"Meaning?"
Jack stood and snapped to attention. "Excuse me, sir. Permission to speak freely, sir."
"Jack, sit down," Picard said,
trying not to make it sound like an order.
"I'm trying to be your friend, here."
"I wasn't the top of my class in
anything," he told his captain, re-taking his seat. "I'm solidly average and I'm happy with
that. The words most commonly used to
describe me at the Academy were 'dependable', 'competent' and 'grounded.' I know I have the ability to be a captain
one day, but I'm not in a hurry to get there.
I have a lot to learn about command before I'm ready for that
responsibility and I don't have a problem admitting that. I love Starfleet--mostly I love how this
uniform makes me feel and it is [b]one[/b] of the most important things in my
life. Having someone who understands
that feeling to share my life with is just as important. If having a family slows down my
advancement, fine; but being a husband and father are things I wouldn't trade
even for the flagship of the Federation.
This isn't a race, Captain, it's my life and I'll live it at my own
pace--not yours."
Picard closed his eyes and shook his head
wearily. "This isn't going the way
I'd hoped. I just wanted you to
consider your future and make sure that your priorities were right. As your captain--"
"You're out of line," Jack broke
in. "As my captain, you have no
right to tell me what my priorities should be; how I perform my duties is your
only concern. As my friend, you should
understand that, while this uniform means a lot to me and my career is
important to me, it's also going to keep me away from my wife and son for most
of his life so I'd like to be there when I can, for what little time I can
spend with them. I've never used our
friendship for special favors and I don't expect you to 'overlook' the use of
my personal leave time in my evaluation--"
"We wouldn't have become friends if
you were that kind of person," Picard noted evenly. "Beverly is in her final year of
medical school, she's a healthy, young woman; she can deliver your son with or
without you there. I know you want to
be there even if I can't understand it, but I do understand the desire for
command and what it takes to get there.
If you don't want to hear this from me, contact Walker and ask for his
advice--he'll tell you the same thing I am, for the sake of your career,
reconsider this leave request."
Jack stood and stalked angrily to the
closet, yanking it open to retrieve a suitcase. "I've considered it and reconsidered it. Are you going to approve my leave or not,
because I need to get going before I miss one of the most incredible events of
my life--the birth of my son."
Picard entered a notation on the PADD and
tossed it onto the chair that Jack had vacated. "Very well, Lieutenant Crusher, your request is
approved. You may leave when
ready."
"Thank you, sir."
Standing, Picard straightened his uniform
jacket and crossed the room to where his friend was packing. "Jack, I'm sorry if I overstepped any
boundaries here. Your friendship means
a lot to me--"
"Then be my friend," Jack
interrupted. "Be happy for me, be
the man who took me out on a wild bachelor party night through every
disreputable establishment on Wrigley's Pleasure Planet to celebrate my
wedding."
Picard chuckled. "I'm still surprised that Walker didn't get us all arrested
that night."
"He certainly gave it the old Academy
try," Jack laughed at the memory.
"Captain--Jean-Luc, I'm about to become a dad and, as far as you're
concerned, that's nothing more than an impediment to my career advancement;
it's so much more than that to me. Why
can't you try to understand that?"
"I was out of line in more ways than
one," Picard acknowledged ruefully.
"My officers should decide
the course of their own careers. If you
ever want advice on that matter, you know where my ready room is; otherwise,
give my best to Beverly and your son when you meet him."
.......................................
Jack sat on the edge of the bed watching
Wesley Crusher sleep peacefully in his mother's arms. The doctor had just finished repairing the fingers that Beverly
had broken on their way to the hospital and they were alone for the first
time. Beverly was drifting off to
sleep, so he gently took Wesley from her and cradled him in his arms. Everything felt different now, fatherhood
wasn't an abstract concept anymore. He
was still a man, a Starfleet officer, a Lieutenant, a son and a husband; but
now he was also a dad--a whole new role with responsibilities and demands.
The door opened and a nurse entered
carrying a large basket. "This was
just delivered for you, Lieutenant Crusher."
"Thank you." Without putting Wesley down, he opened the
wrapping to find a gift basket full of baby items and a teddy bear. He opened the card and smiled at the
content.
'Congratulations and best wishes from your
friend, Jean-Luc Picard.'