riverview | @b.crusher

[Nine years. Nine years since she stepped back through the portal, nine years since she returned to the Enterprise, nine years that inevitably faded some of the memories of this place - but not everything. The faces she knows. Even if she forgets now where that cute little corner market was or what the hell half these gifs and memes mean anymore (if she ever understood in the first place) Beverly never forgets a coworker, a patient, a friend. And she left them all in such a hurry. The portal's connection to her time and place had been tenuous, she had to go then, or risk losing her chance to go home all together.

And now... now she's back, exhausted by the weight of war and the toll of death, new lines etched into her face. When the portal specialist told her it had only been a week since she'd left, she had to laugh. Of course. It seems this place isn't ready to let go of her.

Though not typically a frequenter of the network, it is the easiest and quickest way for her to contact multiple people at once. She doesn't want anyone (else - apologies to Lucretia) to be caught unawares by her sudden reappearance, so she leaves a quick video message:]

Good Morning. This is Dr. Beverly Crusher [of the USS Enterprise no more] reporting that I have returned to Riverview.

[For god's sake, woman, this isn't a mission log. She offers a smile - it's a little sad, but a smile nonetheless.]

I wanted to apologize to those I left without proper goodbyes. I hope you got my messages, at least. I'll be at my apartment for the rest of the day if anyone wants to stop by. Thank you.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

(The mental image isn't a good one. Lucretia shivers delicately, and smooths her thumb over Beverly's knuckles.)

Are... you committed to purging the universe of them? Or is that an impossible task?

Impossible? (She lets out a big sigh before answering.) No, I don't think so. At this point in my life, there are very few things that I think are truly impossible. But I also think this particular task is something best left to the next generation.

Huh.

(It runs that deep? The statement makes sense though, especially with Beverly's intent to... come back through the portal with her. That part feels extremely unreal still. For a moment she's silent, thoughtful.)

Perhaps, some day, Wesley will bring us good news.

(Beverly wishes it were different but at the same time, peace with the Klingons wasn't achieved in just one generation either, and certainly not by one single crew. It takes time for change to happen.

She squeezes Lucretia's hand.)

One day, yes. Until then, I'm ready to put that stage of my life behind me. I'd already decided to leave the Enterprise, you know.

Did you? You didn't tell me.

(Unless she means during her time away, she'd come to that decision? She has to keep reminding herself that Beverly wasn't gone for a week, she was gone for nine years. It was simply compressed into a week... it's hard to wrap her head around it.)

(Right. Nine years and so much to tell her. It's hard to keep it all straight. And... they haven't even touched on Ronin yet.)

Yes. Just before I was brought back here. (She shakes her head.) Our last mission, it became too much. We... (She has to pause here, trying not to cry again. This grief is still too fresh.) We lost Data.

(She still knows Beverly's minute tells like the back of her hand; the little pause she takes before continuing to speak is telling. Enough to make Lucretia scoot across the couch closer to her until their shoulders gently touch. She lifts their clasped hands into her lap.)

I'm so sorry.

(Beverly closes her eyes, rests her head against Lucretia's, taking great comfort in being in her presence again.)

That wasn't how it was supposed to happen. He was the one who was going to outlive all the rest of us.

(What Lucretia really wants is to gather Beverly into her arms and hold her close to her heart, but... she isn't sure of what Beverly will be comfortable with in the wake of this nine year gap. She doesn't move, simply lets Beverly lean against her.)

It must have come as a shock to you. When did it happen?

(It's a delicate dance they're doing with one another. Things were both easier and harder before, when they thought there'd be a definite end to this, that one of them would leave the other sooner or later. Now, there headed into a more unknown future and that makes her more careful. So while she'd love nothing more than to curl up in Lucretia's arms, she doesn't, not right now.)

... only a week ago.

(That doesn't seem right. But then, none of this seems right.)

It doesn't feel quite real yet.

(continued here!)

@b.crusher | video

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