"I Think I'll Keep You"(PLEASE ADD ON)

PicardsTrueLove · **Wed Jan 01, 2003 11:19 pm "I Think I'll Keep You"(PLEASE ADD ON)**

Ok, here's the deal. I'm going to set some parameters for this fic (i.e., the end result, the series, etc.), write the beginning, and then let anyone add on their own additions. Please try to keep mostly to the story that I'm trying to tell, but beyond that, let your imagination run away with you! Happy reading/writing!

THIS IS A POST-NEMESIS FIC. DO NOT READ THIS UNLESS YOU WANT TO SEE SPOILERS OR HAVE ALREADY SEEN THE FILM.

Parameters:

1) I changed it: You can use any series! Yay! But please try to stick with ONE general story line: it would be cool to have some other shipper sub-plots running though. (Voyager: J/C for example? ::eyebrows arch:

2) Picard and Crusher should end up together, and while you can make them have affairs with other people their love should be a large part of the fic. Also, I want to end with Beverly pregnant, but NOT in a nice happy way (not sexual abuse, but under "strange circumstances"). Maybe Picard gone or something?
3) Please find some way to use the phrase "I think I'll keep you" in the body of what you add to the fic.
4) Please DO NOT add "one-liners." Try to post at least a good sized paragraph, but no more than ten paragraphs in a turn.
5) Try to fit eveyrthing you want to write into ONE POST: don't post small fragments one right after another.
6) Please include your name/pen name with your writing: everyone should get proper credit!
7) This takes place after Nemesis: I'm going to make the assumption that another Enterprise will be built. This will be the NCC-1701-F

You can write from the standpoint of any character: I'm sorry I haven't demonstrated that well here.

OK I think that about covers it. Here's the intro, by Dana Katherine Scully:

Jean-Luc Picard walked onto the bridge of the new Enterprise F. Since he had taken command of the Enterprise D those many years ago, it had felt like a merry-go-round of Enterprises: one right after another. He could swear that sometimes he flet dizzy! However, the one constant had been his crew. His senior officers especially had been a pillar of his life for 15 years, and when the Enterprise D had been destroyed, they all had moved with him to the Enterprise E. But now? He had lost his First Officer, his best friend, to the winds of change. And to make matters worse, he had lost a dear friend and trusted companion in the same gust: poof! The great Jean-Luc Picard stood slightly more stopped than before, his proud silouhette just a bit less distinct. "A man is no more than the people he surrounds himself with," he noted in his personal log.

Amid all of the turmoil caused by the departure of his friends, Jean-Luc found comfort in the strength of his strongest pillar: that of his dear friend Beverly. She had remained with him for many years, and he felt honoured to serve with such a fine officer and top-notch doctor. Although he'd never admit it, he also felt a bit more than honoured. "To be perfectly honest," he noted in his log, "I'm downright giddy that she's chosen to remain with me."

Standing in her new sickbay, Beverly Crusher was overwhelmed by the newness of it all. The technology was advancing so quickly she swore that some day it would trip over itself and they'd be pack to the days of the automobile and the "desktop computer" (if you could call it that). She quite imagined herself that way sometimes: moving from place to place so quickly that eventually she'd trip and fall flat on her face, and realize that she had no one left to pick her up. Wesley was following his own path, and Jack had left long ago. Jean-Luc was sweet, but he was so afraid of offending her or pushing her that he would only pick her up with her express consent! His tendency to repress his emotions made her both amused and angry, because she could ask him point-blank if he was feeling something she KNEW he was feeling, and he would blow her off. But there were those rare moments, moments when time seemed to stop short and all other creatures disappear, leaving them alone in the universe. Moment when he would make an off-hand remark that he thought revealed nothing, but told Beverly everything.

Occassionally, she would have dreams about him. She wondered with a sigh what Deanna would think about that. Would she laugh and say, "Beverly, it's an infatuation!" Or look her in the eye and ask her, "And did you two...you know...well...so?" (to which Beverly would have to nod). Beverly though, however, that the most likely reaction she would get from her friend would be, "Beverly, why haven't you told him how much you're in love with him?" She would spin some tail about how she felt it was inappropriate. But in her heart, she was afraid. Afraid that his feelings were not as strong as hers, or that he was secretly in love with someone else, or that he was simply not attracted to her, or...or... Or what, Beverly? she would then ask herself. The personal log entries that she had made regarding the subject were confused rantings, showing Beverly "The Ice Queen" Crusher going through emotions like a newborn through baby clothes, sometimes blushing, sometimes smiling, somtimes tearing up a bit. One time she'd even gone to the holodeck and told the computer to program him up. She put them together in a small suite in a hotel in Paris, and spent nearly three hours dancing with his hologram. When she was called to the bridge, Beverly paused the program and stared hard at the hologram of Jean-Luc, trying to decide whether to save the program and admit her weakness for him, or to let it pass into oblivion and to save it only in her memory. After a long moment, she whispered, "I think I'll keep you." The paused hologram gave no reply, simply stared back into her eyes blankly.

And so her life continued, an endless cycle of unfulfilled longings and half wishes: dream-world fantasies and real life miseries. Does he even know?

[Moderator- Unstickied as nothing added for a year - Seven of Nine]

PicardsTrueLove · **Thu Jan 02, 2003 10:38 pm Next Installment by Dana Katherine Scully**

Ok no one's adding on so I will!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! ::goes off into shipper dream world.....::

Dana Katherine Scully (again)
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Captain's personal log, Stardate [something or other]. The Enterprise F is still in space dock and we are preparing for her new crew members to board before heading to the Neutral Zone to assist in concluding the Romulan peace talks. Meanwhile, my personal life has taken a turn for the worse. Dr. Crusher seems to have insinuated herself into my mind, and I can't seem to shake her image from my dreams. I've tried everything I can think of to make it stop, and my last resort may have to be a visit to sickbay. I cannot imagine what Beverly would think of me then.

"Today, she brought a tabby cat into my ready room, one that she's apparently adopted from the Starbase's museum. She plunked her down on my desk and said that she was the newest candidate for Ship's Conselour. I was shocked and a bit angry that she'd bring an animal into my ready room, but as I looked into that little cat's eyes I could swear she was reading my soul. By her silence she was almost pushing me to reveal everything to Beverly: to tell her everything about my feelings for her. I am still a bit shaky from the encounter, as it revealed so much about the inner workings of both of our minds. A little too much about me, I fear.

"There are times that I desperately wish that I knew her thoughts again. The feeling of truly connecting with her in such a way was incredible. To know the mind of another human being so well is to become a part of something greater than yourself. It is to become a part of a true "us." Unfortunately, the last conversation I had with Beverly about the matter clearly showed that she did not wish to start that kind of relationship between us. At the time I thought, well I've waited 20 years. What's another few? But I've become restless: obsessive even. I see her everywhere, everything reminds me of her. I suppose I've always been a bit obsessive about things: I become extremely single-minded when I want something. I fear that is what is happening now. Good Lord I hope I can wait for her. End log entry."

"Chief Medical Officer Beverly Crusher, personal log. Startdate [same something or other as above]. I am in the midst of "acclimating" several new medical staff members to the Enterprise F and my expectations. They are an attentive group, and though they are young and inexperienced I'm sure they will learn very quickly.

"This past few days has been tiring for me, but I have a new family member to help relieve the strain. Her name is Miss Deanna (after my dear friend), and she is a tabby cat. She wandered into my quarters one day after apparently having escaped the "exotice Terrean animals" display at the Space Dock's museaum. I contacted the museaum officials when I found her and they told me she had been nothing but a pain since the day they'd found her. I told them that I would be happy to remove their pain from their hands. The communication ended right after they told me they were more than happy to give me the cat. I looked her right in her inquisitive green eyes and said, "I think I'll keep you, Miss Deanna." She c*cked [the compter beeps it out] her head at me, and at that moment I swore she could read my soul. Incredible how you can find a human personality in an animal.

"I was so struck by Miss Deanna's little foray into empahtic perception that I decided to formally introduce her to Jean-Luc. I marched onto the bridge holding the cat one day, and was told by a very flustered Liutenant that the Captain was in his ready room. I "rang the bell" and heard his familiar "Come." The doors slid open, and I held the cat in front of me.

"The look on Jean-Luc's face was priceless. He went from shock to anger to amusement in the space of a few seconds. "Beverly, what the devil are you doing with an animal in my ready room!?" he boomed, attempting to sound imposing. I laughed. "Jean-Luc, I think you should consider this little tabby cat a candidate for ship's conselour." Jean-Luc looked extremely confused. I put the cat down on his desk and let her look him right in the eye for a few moments. At first he was shocked that I would be so presumptuous as to place a tabby cat on his desk! But after a moment, he took notice of Miss Deanna's penetrating stare and was fascinated by the power she had over him. I picked her back up after a few moments, and stroked her until she purred. "Isn't she just perfect for the spot Jean-Luc? Incapable of any form of speech, and yet with a stare she can look into your soul and help you to do the same." I wish I could see into his soul as I fear he does into mine.

"Our subsequent discussion was fascinating, an intellectual feast of ideas about centience, psychology, and a myriad of little remarks that made me shiver with delight. I hope I did not reveal too much of my feelings for him: I fear he does not reciprocate them.

"Well, Miss Deanna seems to be a bit hungry. We've transfered the Enterprise D's replicator memory files from ship to ship, so I can still request some of Data's concoctions for Spot. Poor Spot. After we lost Data, he seemed to waste away to nothing. He died two weeks ago, and we all got together one last time to bid both of them goodbye. It was one of the saddest moments of my life. Data's death hit us all veyr hard. But that is a story for another day. End log entry."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

There: number two. Now somebody post something new!

PicardsTrueLove · **Sat Jan 04, 2003 1:55 pm**

Why is no one adding on! Ack!

Voy_Girl · **Mon Jan 06, 2003 2:29 pm**

Your chaps are great, but sadly I don't know more than ten things about TNG...

PicardsTrueLove · **Mon Jan 06, 2003 3:03 pm**

I'm going to cahnge it to include all series and all characters so everybody can post. K?

Voy_Girl · **Thu Jan 09, 2003 1:42 pm**

Oh, okay... You do as you want

janewaykat · **Sat Jan 11, 2003 3:16 pm**

your doing a great job that's why no one is adding on

Voy_Girl · **Sat Jan 11, 2003 3:22 pm**

^Exactly

PicardsTrueLove · **Tue Jan 14, 2003 12:27 pm**

Ok fine, I'll add on again. I can't do anything from Voyager characters' prespectives yet though b/c I haven't seen enough of the series, so someone who knows Voyager and how it ends please add something about it! I don't want to write the whole thing: I don't really have the time. k? k.

*ST*ST*ST*ST*ST*ST*ST*ST*ST*ST*ST*ST*ST*ST*ST*ST*ST*ST*ST*

Beverly Crusher had a mission. She was going to whip these new cadets into shape if it killed her. She was a hard worker and expected the same of her staff, and it irked her to see the young Starfleet cadets that had been put under her command hanging around in Ten Forward until the second before they were due to go on duty in sickbay. What if there was an emergency? What if the ship suddenly came under attack? These were dangerous times: the Federation and the Romulan Empire were involved in peace talks but there were more than a few citizens of each group who would never be used to the idea. Both organizations faced a constant threat of rebellion, and despite all of her efforts to keep politics out of sickbay, the Enterprise's crew was distracted, and it showed.

In her office in sickbay, Beverly had set up a little corner for Miss Deanna, whose presence she found to be a soothing reminder of her old friend. The Enterprise would never be the same without all of them: Data, Will, Deanna. She knew the other senior officers were feeling it too: Geordi kept coming into sickbay, complaining of a headache, and then would spend as much time as he could talking about Data and the "good old days." Beverly would have to kick him out when a crew member in real need of medical attention came in, but the truth was that she really wanted to talk just as much as he did. The senior staff's morale was beyond low; it didn't take an empath to see that. The new conselour was a lovely woman, but she didn't have Deanna's abilities and she was often at a loss to help people who missed her.

As she was thinking about absent friends, Jean-Luc himself walked purposefully into sickbay. "Beverly, I need to speak with you," he said, all business. Jean-Luc was fairing much worse than she expected with all of the changes in the crew. He would never tell her the extent of it, but she knew that he was distracted and upset. Beverly followed him into her office and shut the door behind them.

"What is it Jean-Luc," she asked gently.

The captain seemed to catch his breath. "I need your advice," he said finally. "It's a personal matter."

"Anything Jean-Luc you know that," Beverly replied, inviting him to sit. She herself took the seat behind her desk, putting a bit of space between them.

Jean-Luc seemed to be searching for something. Finally he stuttered, "Beverly I have a..a problem...of a...um...a personal nature."

Beverly was intrigued, to say the least. He never ceases to surprise me, she thought. "Yes?"

"Ever since...since my nephew died, I've been thinking about the sum of my life: what I'll leave behind. When I met Shinzon I was appalled at how I could become: how I could have become had my circumstances been different. I want to find a way to repair the damage that I myself have done."

"Captain," Beverly gasped. "Shinzon was not you! He may have had your DNA but he was most certainly not you, and you should not be held responsible for his actions."

"Shouldn't I?" Jean-Luc replied. "I wonder. I was the one who tried to teach him about humanity, instead of destroying him when I could have. I made the wrong choice, and someone of my same family line (because Beverly he was of my family line) caused irreperable harm and even death." He paused for a few moments. "If I were to...to have a child, Beverly. If I were to raise a child with...with someone whom I loved..and...and trusted. Could I not repair the mistakes that Shinzon made?"

Beverly was stunned. "I...Jean-Luc I simply...I simply don't know what to say. I wish I knew your thoughts," she said. "If you're thinking what I think you're thinking..."

Jean-Luc became agitated, interrupting with, "Beverly, if you had the chance to have another child would you?"

"Jean-Luc what are you asking me?"

"Simply if you would take the chance to have another child if you could."

"Well, I honestly can't say."

Jean-Luc sighed heavily. "I'm sorry Doctor: I shouldn't have interupted your work. I'll be on the bridge." The captain suddenly looked ten years older. He pushed himself out of his chair and walked slowly out of sickbay, Beverly calling after him.

When he did not come back, Beverly left sickbay in the care of Nurse Ogawa and went to Holodeck 4. "Computer run program Crusher 10."

She entered the holodeck and saw her virtual Jean-Luc standing solemnly where she left him. "Hello Jean-Luc," she whispered. "Run program."

The hologram turned to look at her. Eyebrows arched in typical Jean-Luc fashion, he said to her, "I think I'll keep you."

There you go!

Voy_Girl · **Tue Jan 14, 2003 12:59 pm**

If you just give me some time, I can do a Voyager one

(the only serie I can watch)

PicardsTrueLove · **Tue Jan 14, 2003 7:55 pm**

Great! See if you can relate the two storylines somehow: I'm just starting to watch Voyager and you've probably only seen a couple eps of TNG, so we can fudge some facts

I got the feeling from Nemesis that Picard really likes Janeway but in a professional sense: she's an admiral and he's a captain. Maybe she and Chakotay are on board the new Enterprise together.....

That would make me haaaappy. he he

Voy_Girl · **Wed Jan 15, 2003 2:56 pm**

PicardsTrueLove · **Wed Jan 15, 2003 5:31 pm**

Voy_Girl · **Thu Jan 16, 2003 3:05 pm**

PicardsTrueLove · **Thu Jan 16, 2003 9:28 pm**

Yeah, but I want to weave the different crews together: we could but Janeway and Chakotay together on the Enterprise F, etc. I still want to go with the ending I said (Picard/Crusher), but there's no time limit on this fic: you can add on as much as you want as long as it's still something like the same story.

Voy_Girl · **Fri Jan 17, 2003 4:11 pm**

Hmm... okay.

I just warmed up to the tast, and wrote a short Naomi (from Voy) story... So I guess I'll start with the 'big one'

PicardsTrueLove · **Fri Jan 17, 2003 4:58 pm**

Great! Yippee!!! We'll have to recruit other ppl too: it'll be more fun to have an infusion of fresh ideas after a while

. I'm so excited: this might actually work!

Voy_Girl · **Sat Jan 18, 2003 3:07 pm**

Well, it better work... It's such a good idea.

PicardsTrueLove · **Sat Jan 18, 2003 3:59 pm**

he he

"Calling all fanfic writers!!!"

Voy_Girl · **Mon Jan 20, 2003 3:12 pm**

You can out a link in your sig or something...

PicardsTrueLove · **Mon Jan 20, 2003 6:02 pm**

Great Idea!

harry_kim · Captain Joined: 10 Dec 2002 Posts: 665 Location: Voyager

So...what's going to happen? I'm confused - do you mean you can start a story about another series and eventually the crews will meet up or something?

PicardsTrueLove · **Tue Jan 21, 2003 10:04 am**

Not quite: I'd like to have Admiral Janeway and the rest of the Voyager crew onboard the Enterprise F for its maiden voyage. (And just because of a personal tic of mine, J/C will DEFINITELY be the pairing I want to focus on: even if it requires time travel to back before the time that Chakotay falls in lust with 7!! (Can you tell I have a strong opinion on the subject?)) he he. But I got the impression from Nemesis that Janeway and Picard have a lot of mutual respect for each other, so I figured she would be a logical choice to be on the Enterprise F's maiden voyage, and of course she'd bring the family along!

Something like that: Beverly would see them b/c they'd be getting physicals as soon as they came onboard (as Starfleet obsevrers maybe?), and The Doctor could work in Sickbay w/Beverly maybe? Tom and B'Elanna would be there, all the senior officers (including Tuvok: he's now officially been cured! Wahoo!! And THAT'S the power of fanfic!), and Harry of course....he he. And of course J.P. (Jean-Luc Picard

) and Chakotay could spend some time together discussing archeology, and then J.P. would casually mention Chakotay to Janeway, and she woudl realize how she doesn't want to lose him to 7, so something happens....I'm getting carried away. Anyway...so yeah. Thta's my idea. Now someone just has to write it for me!.

Voy_Girl · **Tue Jan 21, 2003 3:46 pm**

I'll try to summon the lose threads of ideas in my head up and make something out of it...

PicardsTrueLove · **Tue Jan 21, 2003 7:32 pm**

Ooo goody goody!