Path: inforamp.net!news.nstn.ca!news.dal.ca!torn!howland.reston.ans.net!news-e2a.gnn.com!newstf01.news.aol.com!newsbf02.news.aol.com!not-for-mail From: captain973@aol.com (Captain973) Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative Subject: NEW STORY: "Strong Enough..." (1/1, P/C) Date: 29 Feb 1996 00:05:44 -0500 Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) Lines: 277 Sender: root@newsbf02.news.aol.com Message-ID: <4h3c78$duv@newsbf02.news.aol.com> Reply-To: captain973@aol.com (Captain973) NNTP-Posting-Host: newsbf02.mail.aol.com Status: N Disclaimer: Paramount is God. This story is mine... etc. Also, there are song lyrics included. No infringements of any kind intended. Strong Enough... by Melissa Zander ******* "C'mon, Jean-Luc. It'll be fun." Jack Crusher grinned. "What better way to spend your shore leave than in tents on the hard, cold ground with your three utterly charming best friends?" Picard snorted. "Well, when you put it that way, how could I refuse?" Jack slapped his friend on the back. "That's the spirit. Let's go!" Two hours later found Jean-Luc Picard, Walker Keel, and Jack and Beverly Crusher setting up camp in Mt. Rainier National Park in Washington State. The foursome hadn't been on Earth together since Jack and Beverly's wedding a month ago, so they planned to make the most of their time, especially since the _Stargazer_ wasn't near Earth very often. The tents were soon set up, and a campfire was blazing warmly. "How the hell am I supposed to stay warm in this thing? It's the beginning of fall, for God's sake? Do you know how cold it gets?" Walker complained. Beverly looped an arm around her husband's waist and kissed him on the cheek. "I have a few good ideas for keeping warm," she grinned. Jack growled affectionately and wrapped her in a bear hug, nibbling her ear. "I just bet you do," he rumbled. The lecherous grin that crossed Walker's face signaled trouble. "Walker..." started Jean-Luc. Without warning, Walker grabbed Beverly and swung her into his arms. Jack's eyebrows hit his hairline as he wondered what the hell his friend was up to. He quickly found out, much to everyone's amusement. Walker put Beverly into a friendly headlock and dropped a kiss onto the top of her head. "Good idea. Beverly and I will bunk together, and you can have Jean-Luc, Jack." Jack began shaking with laughter. Jean-Luc tried his best to look like the intimidating captain, but failed. With a look of mock hurt on his face, he said, "Oh, *thank* you, Keel. I've always wanted to sleep with Jack. My dreams have come true!" Picard then approached Jack with an exaggerated look of ardor on his face, while Jack tried to fight him off. Both Jack and Jean-Luc lost it completely, however, as they heard Walker's screech of pain. Beverly went flying forward as Walker rubbed his arm crossly. He rolled up the sleeve to find two rows of delicate tooth marks turning pink along his forearm. Beverly dusted herself off and smiled serenely. "Damn it, you're supposed to bite *him*, not me!" he yelled, gesturing at Jack. A mischievous look crossed the look of one Crusher's face, while the other Crusher looked suspicious. Jack got up off the ground, where he had been rolling with laughter, and began to back up. "Now, Beverly, Walker was only kidding..." Too late. Beverly sprang and pounced on her husband, knocking him back down to the ground. She stifled a laugh at the look of mock terror on his face. "Walker says I'm supposed to bite you, honey," she said, her voice dripping with sweetness. She began to nibble at first his upper lip, then his lower lip. Finally, she claimed both with her mouth, and husband and wife shared a moment of passion... ...Which was interrupted by a glassful of ice water. Walker stood above them, looking innocent. "Sorry. I tripped." He shrugged, trying to look sheepish. The hint of an evil grin tugged at the corners of his mouth, though. Jack rolled Beverly off and took off after Walker, who had wisely decided to flee for his life. Jean-Luc and Beverly stared after them, chuckling. "I'm willing to bet that there'll only be three of us leaving here alive," Beverly joked, tucking a strand of now-icy wet auburn hair behind her ear. Picard tore his eyes off Beverly and looked towards the campfire, desperately hoping he hadn't been caught staring. "I suppose you're right," he responded, unenthusiastically. Beverly sighed inwardly. *Now what?* she thought. *I hate it when he does this.* But she knew that he would loosen up again. He always did. She supposed it was just Jean-Luc's way, but the thing she couldn't quite figure out was why did these... *spells* of his only happen around her? It was the damnedest thing. Just a few minutes ago, he had been laughing and joking with Walker and Jack, and now, suddenly alone with her, he tensed up and became sullen and moody. Or, perhaps, she didn't *want* to figure it out... because figuring it out would only stir up more trouble than leaving it alone. Trouble she didn't want, or need, right now... A loud scream of shock was heard through the trees, and Jack came tearing out of the underbrush, laughing. He jerked a thumb in the direction he had come. "Walker, um, kinda found a nice, fresh, ice cold mountain stream. He's not exactly thrilled about taking a swim, though." Beverly stood and jabbed a finger into her husband's chest. "If that man gets pneumonia because of you, Jack Crusher, *you'll* sleep with Walker, and *I'll* sleep with Jean-Luc!" And then, very un-doctor-in-training like, Beverly Crusher stuck her tongue out at Jack and plopped back down next to Jean-Luc. Jean-Luc found it quite fortunate that it was getting dark, so no one was able to see his ears turn bright red at Beverly's *suggestion*. Fortunately for him, Jack pulled out a bottle of brandy and four glasses. "Here," he said, passing around the filled glasses. "I'll just get everyone drunk and they'll forget what happened, and then maybe my wife will choose to sleep with her husband tonight." Beverly almost choked on her brandy. "Mr. Crusher, it's going to take a lot more than a glass of brandy for me to forgive you for dunking poor Walker. So there." She quickly took another swallow to hide the smile that spread across her face. Jack stepped over and poured some more brandy in her glass. "Oh, we'll see about that, Mrs. Crusher. You'll be much more agreeable after you pass out." Beverly burst out laughing. "Yeah, I can see you slinging me over your shoulder like some prehistoric caveman. 'Me Jack, King of Forest. Punish evil woman.'" Walker and Jean-Luc completely lost it over on the other side of the campfire. "Hey, Jack, that's you to a tee! C'mon, give us a good grunt!" Walker howled. Jack turned from his wife, who was now on her back completely overcome by laughter, to Walker. "That's it, Keel. You're history." Jack charged towards Walker, who took off once again into the forest. Beverly and Jean- Luc could hear Jack yell after him, "Me, Jack carry big club! Beat best friend over head like drum! Boom, boom!" And Walker's answering cry, "Oh, damn, where's Starfleet security when you need them?!" Their footfalls grew faint, then disappeared. Beverly say up finally, and poured herself another glass from the bottle Jack had set down before going after Walker. "Jean-Luc, you want some more?" His head snapped up, his eyes meeting hers. He swallowed hard. "Um, yeah. Please." She inwardly shook her head again. He was doing it again. She refilled his glass and then surprised both of them by sitting down next to him. "Jean- Luc, tell me something." His eyes darted back to hers, slightly fearful. He cleared his throat. "What?" She studied her glass thoughtfully, watching the firelight through the amber liquid. "Do you like me?" Now here was a subject he would have preferred not to touch. He took a very large swallow of brandy, and stared at his glass. "Well, yes. Why do you ask?" She regarded him for a moment. "I ask because whenever we're alone together, you act like you can't stand being anywhere near me. Why is that?" *Oh God, oh God, oh God...* his mind repeated like a mantra. *I promised myself I would never tell her how I felt. What the hell am I supposed to say? 'To be frank, I'm in love with you." No way on God's green earth would I ever tell her that.* She was watching him carefully, gauging his reaction. Suddenly, he rose and slammed his glass into the fire. The brandy caused a brief fireball, and glass shattered amongst the wood and coals. Beverly, albeit startled, continued to watch him. For some reason, she knew he wouldn't hurt her. He seemed to be more angry with himself than with her. Finally, he turned anguished eyes on her. "I'm sorry," he choked out. "I'm sorry." He sank down and sat on the ground next to the fire. She slid off the log and sat next to him. Her mouth opened to say something, but that something was quickly forgotten as his mouth unexpectedly covered hers. *What the hell are you doing?!?* his mind screamed. *What the hell is he doing?!?* her mind screamed. Both their minds shut up, however, as his mouth continued it's passionate plundering of hers. Then, she shocked them both when she responded, her tongue clashing against his in a fevered frenzy. *Stop... Jack and Walker...* they thought. Jack, Walker, and everyone and everything else disappeared. There was only Jean-Luc and Beverly. Nothing else mattered... A sudden crunching sound coming towards them caused a frantic untangling of bodies. Walker and Jack emerged from the woods, chuckling. "You really had me going for a minute there, Crusher. I thought you'd leave me tied to that tree all night!" They looked around the camp, but didn't find Jean-Luc or Beverly anywhere. Jack and Walker checked the tents, and found them sound asleep in their respective tents. Jack and Walker looked at each other and shrugged. Jean-Luc and Beverly tried to forget about what happened that night. They went on with their lives, but never forgot the passion that was almost unleashed between them that night. They also knew that, someday, that passion would find the right time and place to appear again. They could only pray that it wouldn't happen for a long, long time, and they would do their best to see that it didn't. "I'm Not Strong Enough To Say No" Blackhawk from the Arista album "Blackhawk 2: Strong Enough" The sign says "Do Not Touch" - you're out of bounds You're forbidden fruit, don't come around It says don't make plans 'cause on your hand Is a promise made to another man 'Cause when you're around my defenses go down Feelings get stronger, looks get longer The closer you come, the weaker I get If it ain't happened now, just ain't happened yet Chorus: So please, please, please go I'm not strong enough to say no Please, please don't stay I'm not man enough to walk away Please, please pass by I can't resist you even though I try So please go, I'm not strong enough to say no The sign says "Slow Down-Slippery Ice" You've got dangerous curves, don't think twice It says, "Not For Sale," you're spoken for Just take your heart and walk out the door 'Cause when you're around my defenses go down Feelings get stronger, looks get longer The closer you come, the weaker I get If it ain't happened now, just ain't happened yet Chorus Don't say I didn't warn you, don't say you didn't know Don't wait 'til it's too late and then try to go The closer you come, the weaker I get If it ain't happened now, just ain't happened yet I'm beggin' you Chorus ****^****^****^****^****^****^**** "All of us have violent instincts. We have evolved from predators. ....Well, not me, of course. I've just been programmed by you predators." ---The Holographic Doctor, ST: Voyager ****^****^****^****^****^****^****