Forwarded by the ASC-VSO 
Posted: 16 Apr 2004 16:05:44 -0700  
In: alt.startrek.creative 
From: whoa_nellie40@hotmail.com (whoa nellie) 
 

Title: Beauty and the Q 
Author: Whoa Nellie (whoa_nellie40@hotmail.com) 
Series: TNG
Repost 4/4 
Rating: NC-17 
Codes:  P/Vash 
Synopsis:  This story takes place in Whoa Nellie's "Double Entendre"
time line; however the story can stand alone.  Q tries to persuade
Vash to leave Picard and travel the Universe with him.  The entity
places Picard and Vash in the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale.  Can
Picard convince Vash to stay with him?

Feedback is always appreciated - posted or e-mail. 
As always: Paramount owns all the marbles, we just have a lot more fun
playing with them.

Whoa Nellie's Picard/Vash Romance Fanfiction website: 
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Galaxy/7926/ 

Whoa Nellie's Sci-Fi Romance Fan Fiction website is at:
http://www.geocities.com/whoa_nellies2000/

CONTINUED FROM PART 3

 "If these pieces were authentic, it would be the greatest collection
of Terran art treasures ever assembled. They seem to be authentic,
but, it just doesn't add up.  They can't possibly be authentic," Vash
ranted as Riker gently set her on her feet inside the large entrance
hall of the castle.

 "Why couldn't they be?" Lefler innocently asked.  Picard and Riker
exchanged a quick glance.  Here she comes, Vash, the Professor of
Archaeology.

 "Take this piece, for example, it belongs on the Grand Staircase in
Buckingham Palace," Vash explained with the air of an instructor in
front of a classroom as she laid her hand on the bronze statue of
Perseus holding Medusa's head.  She gestured to individual art works
around the room, "this piece belongs in the Louvre, this piece in the
Smithsonian, this piece in The Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, this
piece in the Cathedral of Notre Dame, this piece . . ."

 "Professor," Picard interrupted her, "I think we get the idea." 

 "Jean-Luc, I know the reputations and abilities of all the best
thieves of rare antiquities in the galaxy and no one is this good,"
Vash told him.

 "I know," he nodded as he steered her and the rest of the group
through an archway into the castle's Victorian-style drawing room.  On
one side of the room was a Chippendale-style couch and two matching
chairs.  On the other side of the room another ornate
Chippendale-style chair was placed next to the elaborate fireplace
that had a roaring fire blazing in it.

 "Even Kivas Fajo isn't this good," Vash persisted. 

 "Kivas Fajo is currently incarcerated," Data noted with a small
smile.

 "No doubt wishing he had kept to inanimate objects," Vash returned
Data's smile. "They are far less likely to plan and execute escape
attempts."

 "No doubt," the android replied. 

 "Since we have no choice but to wait for Q.  I suppose we should make
ourselves as comfortable as possible," Picard suggested as he began to
take off his overcoat.  To his relief, he noticed that the overcoat
had protected the rest of his evening clothes from the effect of his
battle with the wolves.

 Everyone removed their cloaks and overcoats, laying them across one
of the chairs.  Vash, Beverly, Deanna and Robin were standing
together.  Lefler pulled uncomfortably at her bodice, complaining, "Is
there anyway to actually get comfortable in these corsets?"

 "Taking them off," Deanna answered dryly. "With all four of us
helping each other it should only take a few hours."

 "Of course, we'd never be able to pour ourselves back into these
absurd dresses," Beverly chimed in.

 Vash caught their reflection in one of the room's many mirrors. 
Shaking her head in mild disgust, she gestured to the mirror, "Q has
spent so much time in human male form his libido must be kicking in. 
These dresses and corsets make the group of us look like something out
of Chaucer."

 "There's a lot to be said for Chaucer," Riker noted as he regarded
the women with a smile of appreciation.  His smile faded as the four
women turned to glare at him very pointedly.

 "If you like Chaucer so well, William, just come on over here.  The
girls and I will be more than happy to use a few whale bones and some
rope to see how you like your ribcage cinched up to your eyebrows!"
Vash offered icily.

 Riker took a cautious step back to stand next to Picard and muttered,
"Uh-oh."

 "Major tactical error, Number One," Picard chuckled quietly at the
sight of his large first officer cowering under the intense stare of
four, very formidable women.

 Feeling they had sufficiently frightened Riker, the women returned to
their conversation.  Beverly gestured to Vash and offered teasingly,
"I noticed your dress is fit for a queen, while the rest of us look
like serving wenches."

 "Could it be that our omnipotent friend is sweet on you?" Deanna
chimed in.

 "Will both of you cut it out," Vash huffed with mock frustration. 

 "What's that?" Lefler asked, "Is that an academy ring?" 

 "This?" Vash held the ring out away from her so the rest of them
could get a better look.

 Lefler peered at the ring, "It's definitely an academy ring, class of
2327, class valedictorian, initials JLP."  Realizing who the ring
belonged to, her eyes went wide as she sighed, "Oh my."

 "It seems Q isn't the only one sweet on you," Beverly said with a
glint in her eye.  She added playfully,  "Does this mean the two of
you are going steady?"

 "That's the traditionally accepted interpretation," Vash answered
with a coy smile.

 Noticing the sidelong glances the women were casting at Picard, Riker
noted with admiration, "The ring was a nice touch, sir, very smooth."

 "Glad you approve, Number One." 

 "So basically, Professor Vash, all this is because a very powerful
entity and the captain are fighting over you?" Lefler offered as she
rolled her eyes. "I should be so lucky as to have your problems."

 "No Robin," Vash shook her head, "Q and Jean-Luc are not fighting
over me."

 "Actually, we are," Picard admitted as he walked up behind them. 
Deanna and Beverly exchanged a quick glance and moved off taking
Lefler with them.

 The two of them standing alone, Vash admonished, "You and Q fighting
over me.  Jean-Luc, you can't be serious."

 "I'm very serious, ma chere," Picard asserted quietly. "And one look
at me tells you that Q is also quite serious.  That, and the fact that
he doesn't play fair."

 "And Q playing dirty is different how?" 

 Ignoring her sarcasm, Picard theorized aloud, "I quess there is only
one way to end this.  You're going to have to choose."

 "Haven't I already made that choice, before all this started?" Vash
quipped.

 "Would you make that same choice with me in my current form?" he
asked quietly.

 Vash reached out to stroke Jean-Luc's fur-covered cheek.  On impulse,
she moved her hand to scratch under his chin as she responded, "Of
course I would.  When else could I get such enjoyment from saying
'Here, pussy, pussy, pussy'?"  With that she started to flounce over
to sit in front of the fire, the queen of her domain.

 Taking care to keep his claws retracted, Picard swatted Vash's behind
with one massive paw as he growled softly, "Impudent wench."

 Reaching the chair in front of the fire,Vash turned to lock her gaze
with Jean-Luc's.  Defiantly, she swished her skirts before regally
seating herself.

 "Comfortable, mademoiselle?" Q inquired lightly from his perch on the
arm of her chair.

 Vash sighed in disgust as she casually shoved Q off the arm of her
chair.  "No, I'm not comfortable.  Couldn't you find a more
accommodating period in fashion history to do this charade in?"

 "But you're so enchanting in this attire," Q protested from his
rather undignified position on the floor.

 Vash stood and turned to glare down at him.  "Q, you'd better hope
that you are truly immortal if you are insinuating that I need a
corset!"

 "Perhaps antagonizing Q is not the wisest course of action here,
Vash," Data interjected, stepping closer to her.

 "Advice noted, Mr. Data.  Jean-Luc, get me a knife, preferably a big
one."

 Slightly alarmed at her tone, Q quickly scrambled up off the floor
and began trying to placate her.  "Of course not, my sweet.  You are
more beautiful than a thousand supernovas, more enchanting than the
birth of a million galaxies, ...."

 "Q, muzzle it!" Vash interrupted, hands on her hips. "Unless you
really want to test your so-called immortality, I would strongly
suggest that you listen up!"

 "You have my undivided attention," the entity assured her. 

 "First, and foremost, change Jean-Luc back," Vash's tone was coldly
commanding.

 "But, my dear, weren't you the one who referred to him as a jungle
cat in a human domicile," Q paused for effect.    "Yes, I believe it
was a tiger in the . . ."

 "Q!"  Grabbing a poker from the hearth, she prodded him in the chest
none to gently, "Now, Q!"

 "Very well," Q sighed waving his hand.  With a bright flash of light,
Picard was restored of his true form, but he was still clad in the
nineteenth century evening clothes. With a exaggerated bow, Q
announced, "And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the other way to skin a
cat."

 "Not so fast, I'm not finished yet," Vash pushed the entity back with
the poker as he started to step forward.  Not knowing whether to be
concerned or amused, Picard realized that Vash wasn't the least bit
intimidated by Q.  Tapping Q's chest with the poker, she continued,
"These damsels-in-distress roles are becoming a bit tiresome.  Do you
really see me as that helpless?"

 "Far from it," Q replied, glancing down at the poker.  Looking up,
his tone turned conspiratorial, "If you must know, casting you in the
fair maiden role is simply a way to bait Jean-Luc. His panic attacks
over your safety are so entertaining that I just can't seem to help
myself."

 Ignoring his last comment, Vash suggested, "Next time, couldn't you
find something interesting for me to do?  After all, there are plenty
of important women in Earth's history to choose from."

 "Next time?" Picard sighed wearily. 

 "Why limit yourself to Earth history?" Q asked, as the poker
vanished.  He took her hand in his and lifted it to his lips for a
courtly kiss. "Come with me, I'll show you things beyond your wildest
imagination."

 "I'm not going anywhere with you, Q," Vash rolled her eyes as she
jerked her hand away.  Dropping back down into the chair, she acted
supremely uninterested in Q and surveyed the rest of the room. 
Beverly, Deanna and Robin were standing together toward the far side
of the room with Geordi and Worf just behind them.  Will and Data
stood together just in front of the others.  Her gaze fell on
Jean-Luc, standing alone near the center of the room.  He had taken
off the black evening jacket, but still wore the grey waistcoat, white
shirt and linen cravat.  With his sleek, muscular build and handsome,
chiseled features framing those intense grey eyes, he made quite a
dashing Victorian aristocrat.  When his eyes locked with hers, she
blushed slightly under the intensity of his gaze.  Demurely lowering
her eyes, she gave him a shy smile.

 "Ugh," Q groaned with disgust. 

 "What now, Q?" Vash forced herself to drag her eyes from Picard. 

 "Is Picard actually what human females find sexually attractive?" the
entity asked, sounding repelled.

 "Oh yeah!" Lefler blurted out emphatically. 

 Startled by the enthusiasm of the response, Picard blinked in
surprise and turned just in time to catch all three women nodding in
agreement.  Riker had managed to suppress a grin, but his eyes
sparkled with sheer glee.  The first officer tilted his head slightly
in a salute of admiration to his captain.

 "Sorry, sir," Lefler offered. 

 "But he did ask," Beverly chimed in, not sounding the least bit
remorseful.

 "I will simply take it as a compliment," Picard responded in amused
exasperation.  He turned his attention back to Q, "I think this has
gone on long enough."

 "Afraid you'll lose her to me, Mon Capitaine?" Q asked mockingly. 

 "It's not a matter of winning or losing to you, Q.  It's a matter of
choice.  Vash's choice," Picard contended.

 "A choice I've already made," Vash reminded them both from where she
sat in front of the fire.

 Reaching down to cup her chin in his hand, Q raised her gaze up to
his. "Don't be so hasty, my dear.  Hear me out before you decide." 
Letting go of her chin, he gestured to the archway.  "Look out that
way and tell me what you see."

 "The entrance hall and the staircase," Vash answered wryly. 
Suddenly, the view began to change.

 Q narrated as each scene appeared, "We could go to D'Arsay, the Tkon
Empire, Iconia, Iccobar, Dewan, Dinasian, or Kurlan.  And I'm not
talking about going the ruins of these ancient civilizations.  I could
take you to see them in their own golden ages."

 Vash gasped as she glanced down to see a carpet of priceless
treasures appear at one side of her chair.  There were rare gemstones,
metals, silks, satins, and pieces of artwork from all over the galaxy.
 As she looked up at Q, he added, "I can take you to anywhere, to any
time, give you anything."

 Picard observed Q's attempts to win Vash's favor and a small seed of
doubt began to germinate.  Any dream she had ever had, Q could
instantly make a reality.  Picard couldn't imagine his life without
Vash and he didn't want to.  He wondered what could he possibly offer
her.  Noticing Vash's tight clutch on his academy ring, he suddenly
realized exactly what he could offer that Q couldn't.  He and Vash had
discussed the idea as a possibility for the future.  He would have
preferred to do this in private, without his entire senior staff as an
audience.  C`est la vie.  Although he had to admit, Q had unwittingly
provided him with the perfect fairy-tale setting.  Feeling blissfully
content, Picard stood there knowing he had the proverbial ace in the
hole.  His commanding voice resonated as he announced, "Q, I am
prepared to counter your offer with one of my own."

 "You, a mere mortal," Q hissed. "Don't be absurd, Picard." 

 Unable to quite keep the smugness out of his tone,  the captain
replied, "If you are so all-powerful, what do you have to fear?"

 "Nothing, humanoid," Q gestured to Picard and sneered
condescendingly. "By all means, make your offer."

 "Vash," Picard gently beckoned. 

 Hearing Jean-Luc's voice sensuously caress her name, Vash lifted her
eyes to meet his.  Appearing completely at ease, he graced her with
one of his just-barely-there smiles.  As he held her in his gaze, his
expression was filled with love, both passionate and tender.  The
naked emotions emanating from his steel grey eyes caused Vash's breath
to catch in her throat and her heart to skip a beat.

 "Q is right.  He could take you anywhere, to any time and bestow on
you all the treasures in the universe," Picard paused for a moment,
staring directly into her vivid blue eyes.  In a rich baritone, he
continued, "All I have to offer you is my love . . . and my name."

 Vash could barely breathe and her heart pounded as if it would burst
through her chest.  Her entire body trembled as she heard the words
'and my name.' over and over in her mind.  His eyes never left hers as
he slowly walked across the room toward her.

 "Oh my God!" Geordi gasped jubilantly under his breath. "The
captain's proposing to her."

 "This will certainly put Q in his place," Worf rumbled, sounding
impressed.  Deanna and Beverly exchanged a delighted smile as did
Riker and Data.

  To no one in particular, Riker whispered, "I'll bet dinner the
captain forgets to go down on one knee."

 "Oh please, Commander," Lefler whispered back. "You're on!" 

 "Picard, you can't be serious," Q sounded panic stricken as he
realized what was happening.  How dare Picard upstage him like this.

 Stopping to stand in front of Vash, Picard took a long moment to
marvel at the raving beauty.  The opulent ballgown skimmed her
feminine silhouette to fan out into generous folds of blue satin and
white lace as she sat gracefully in her chair.  He could see the
astonishment on the delicate features of Vash's face as her full, rose
petal lips quivered slightly.  She blinked back the tears brimming in
her blue eyes.  Reaching down, he took her hands in his.  Picard could
feel her small hands trembling in his grasp as he slowly lowered
himself down onto one knee in front of her.

 "Councilmember Vash, you are my love, my life.  I can't remember what
my life was like before you entered it and I can't imagine a life
without you.  Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" As Picard
spoke, the powerful timbre of his voice highlighted the formal
proposal of marriage.  Tightening his grasp on her hands, he lowered
his voice to a deep resonating whisper and urged her, "Please Vash,
marry me!"

 Overwhelmed with emotion, Vash stared down at the heroic Starfleet
officer now on bended knee in front of her.  She loved this man with
all her heart and soul.  Completely devoted to him, Vash had no doubts
in her mind about her answer.  She had known the answer to that
question ever since that first sunny afternoon on Risa.  With tears
streaming down her cheeks, Vash nodded and managed to whisper, "yes!"

 Having felt so calm proposing, Picard was caught off guard by his own
strong emotional reaction to hearing her answer.  Suddenly, he
couldn't seem to catch his breath.  His heart pounded as he prayed
that he had heard her right.  He stood up, his strong hands trembling
as they held on to hers.  Had she really said yes?  Looking down, he
searched her lovely face for reassurance.  His voice was barely
audible as he gasped, "Yes?"

 "Yes," Vash repeated in her normal impish tone as she began to
recover her composure.  She smiled up at him serenely, secretly
delighted that 'Captain calm, cool and collected' wasn't at the
moment.  She simply adored him.  Slowly, she stood to face Jean-Luc. 
Taking her hands from his grasp, she leisurely slid them up the
muscular wall of his chest as she gazed into his steel grey eyes.
"Yes, Captain of my heart, I will marry you."

 Before Picard could respond, Vash took a hold of the cravat and
gently pulled his face to hers.  His lips were firm but pliant as she
sealed her answer with a passionately heated kiss.  Moving to deepen
the kiss, Picard wrapped his arms around her tiny waist and pulled her
tightly against him.

 "YES!" Data crowed, leading the entire senior staff in a jubilant
round of cheering, applause and whistles.

 Hearing the thunderous ovation coming from senior staff, Vash broke
the kiss.  Resting her hands on the broad, masculine slope of his
shoulders, Vash smiled up at Picard and quipped, "I think the kiddies
are happy."

 "It certainly sounds like it," Picard chuckled, just before his lips
captured hers in a brief kiss.  Suddenly, he gave her a huge
Cheshire-cat grin.

 With a surprised squeal, Vash's arms encircled Picard's neck as he
effortlessly swept her up into his powerful arms.  The full skirt of
her gown spilled over his arms as he quickly spun around.  Casually,
he flopped himself down to sit in the chair by the fire, placing Vash
on his lap.  Giggling with delight, she covered his face with tiny
kisses.  He finally calmed her giggles by capturing her lips with his
in a fiercely demanding kiss.  Breaking the kiss, he glanced down at
his academy ring and then back up at her.  Quietly, he admitted,
"That's not exactly what I had intended to give you as an engagement
ring."

 "It's perfect," Vash insisted, as she clutched the ring protectively.
"I love you.  Je t`aime, Jean-Luc."

 "Je t`aime, Vash," as he tenderly wiped the tears from her cheeks,
Picard vowed softly. "I do love you and I promise that I will make
sure you never regret your decision to stay with me."

 "Jean-Luc." 

 "Yes, dear." 

 Taking his face in both of her hands, Vash teased gently, "Oh my
brave Lord of the jungle, I was never going with Q.  I never had the
slightest intention of leaving your side.  We're going to have so much
fun together.  Grrrrr."  She leaned in and gave him another passionate
kiss.  When he broke the kiss and glanced over at his officers, Vash
smiled knowingly, "I was wondering when this would start to push the
limits of your PDA tolerances."

 "Up you go," Picard chuckled as he placed Vash on her feet.  Standing
up, he turned to his officers.

 "Congratulations, sir," Riker smiled broadly at his commanding
officer.

 "Thank you, Will," Picard replied as he straightened his waistcoat. 
Almost as an afterthought, he added, "Oh, Number One."

 "Yes, sir," Riker responded, waiting for his captain's order. 

 "You are to take Lieutenant Lefler to dinner at the Cirrus Chime,
which I believe is the most expensive restaurant in this part of the
quadrant."  Picard threw his first officer a look of  mock disdain,
"Forget to go down on one knee, indeed."

 "It will be my pleasure, sir," Riker answered, giving Lefler his most
charming smile.

 "Umph!" Q huffed from his spot where he leaned against the fireplace
mantel.

 Vash turned to him, "Q, how long have you been standing there
pouting?"

 "Ever since you said 'yes' to Jean-Luc," Beverly chimed in gleefully.

 Moving to stand next to Vash, Picard addressed the entity, "It's
over, Q."

 Q peered at Vash, "You're really going to marry him?" 

 "Yes, I am," Vash told the entity.  She threw Picard a quick
flirtatious smile as she felt his arm slip protectively around her
waist and his hand come to rest on the small of her back.  Looking
back at Q, she added impishly, "So fast, it will knock him on his
brass."

 Ignoring the stifled chuckles of the Enterprise crew, Q fumed at her,
"You're turning down my offer, so you can become Picard's trophy
wife!"

 "Q," Picard ground out dangerously through clenched teeth.  He felt
Vash turn into his embrace and lean against him.  As she reached up
and gently laid a hand on his chest, he could almost hear her very
wifely, unspoken 'Calm down, darling.' comment.

 "A trophy wife, huh?  A successful man marrying and pampering a sexy,
younger woman as a symbol of his status and power.  Boys, I really
don't see the problem here," Vash baited as she grinned mischievously
at both of them.  Giving Picard a reassuring hug, she stepped out of
his embrace and walked over to face Q.  Standing on tiptoe, she gave Q
a quick peck on the cheek, "Au revoir, Q."

 As she started to turn away, The entity caught her hand and placed a
courtly kiss on the back of it.  "Until next time," Q looked pointedly
over at Picard before gazing back down at Vash, "Madame Picard."

................................................................ 

 After a flash of blinding white light, Picard found himself back on
the bridge of the Enterprise.  From his command chair, he looked to
his left where Deanna was seated at her usual bridge station.  In
front of Picard, Lieutenant Lefler was at the conn.  Data was seated
at ops with Vash and Beverly standing next to him.  Everyone was back
in uniform with the exception of Vash, who was once again dressed in
the softly flowing, blue velvet dress.

 "Is everyone here?"  Riker called out from where he stood next to
Worf at tactical.

 "Looks like we're all here, no worse for wear," Geordi answered from
the bridge's engineering station.  "The question is where is Q?  He
usually likes to finish things off with one last twist of the knife."

 "I'm sure being cast aside for a mere mortal, as Q would put it, was
not part of his plan," Vash chuckled as she played with the academy
ring that still hung on its long gold chain around her neck.  "And
when things don't go his way, Q usually takes all of his toys and goes
home."

 "Agreed," Picard nodded. "Still, Mr. Data, run a level three internal
sensor sweep, just to make sure everything is the way it should be."

 "Aye, sir," Data paused and glanced back over his shoulder at the
captain. "Sir, this will take several minutes to complete."

 "Understood," Picard replied, then added, "Lieutenant Lefler, please
check our current position to make sure the Enterprise herself is
where she is supposed to be."

 "Aye, sir."  The young woman briefly worked  the helm control in
front of her. "Current location, course, and speed all check out as
agreeing with your last order, sir."

 "Thank you, Lieutenant," Picard tugged at his jacket as he settled
back into his chair.

 Vash watched as Jean-Luc adjusted his uniform and situated himself in
the command chair, his command chair.  He looked every inch the
legendary starship captain he was reputed to be.  No matter how many
times Vash saw it, the sight of him on the bridge always seemed to
make her go weak in the knees.  Startled, she realized Beverly had
said something to her.  She turned to her, "I'm sorry, Bev.  What?"

 Beverly smiled, knowing she had caught Vash staring at Jean-Luc. 
Gesturing to the diamond and sapphire jewelry, she teased, "Looks like
Q left you with a parting gift."

 "Not at all," Vash smiled back.  "These were a birthday present from
Jean-Luc."

 Beverly's eyes went wide as she gasped, "They look like they're from
Tiffany's."

 "Cartier," Vash corrected, with an excited giggle. 

 "Cartier.  The captain buys her jewelry from Cartier," Deanna
lamented, then she turned in her seat to stare pointedly at Worf and
Riker.  "Are we learning anything, gentlemen?"

 "I'm sorry," Picard chuckled, "have I inadvertently set a dangerous
precedent?"

 "No, sir.  Just a very expensive one," Riker replied good-naturedly. 
"Of course, it will also effect you, sir.  Vash will now probably want
the Hope diamond in her wedding band."

 "Oh William, don't be ridiculous," Vash scolded him.  She gave
Beverly a conspiratorial glance before turning to Picard and adding,
"The Hope diamond is cursed, but the Tiffany diamond . . ."

 "Uh, no," Picard deadpanned. 

 "It was worth a shot." Beverly patted Vash on the shoulder. "The two
of you do need to pick a date so we can start on the wedding plans."

 Picard looked hopefully at his bride-to-be, "Are you thinking of
something small and simple?"

 "Uh, no, "Vash quipped, repeating his earlier response.  Crossing her
arms, she regarded him playfully, "I just netted the man the
Federation News Network once called Starfleet's most eligible
bachelor.  I'm thinking of something large and lavish."

 Looking up from the conn, Lefler chimed in with, "princess for a
day."

 "Wrong, Lieutenant," Riker gave his most gallant smile as he gestured
toward Vash.  "She's going to be queen."

 "Captain, I have the results of the sensor sweep," Data interrupted. 

 "Thank you, Data," Picard sighed gratefully, "Report." 

 "Sensors show no one missing and nothing unusual has been detected,
sir," Data looked up at Vash and grinned. "Long live the queen."

 Picard glanced over just in time to see Vash wink at Data.  Picard
found his full attention riveted on Vash.  His eyes slowly traveled
over her, the delicate features of her face, her vivid blue eyes, and
the way the soft velvet of her dress skimmed the perfect curves of her
feminine silhouette.

 Vash's gaze returned to Picard.  As her eyes locked with his, she
noted the telltale hue of his smoldering eyes.  The intense steel-grey
color always told her when she was in his thoughts.  Preoccupied, she
reached up to toy with his academy ring.

 Picard pulled himself out of the blue of her eyes, seeing that
mischievous glint there that always slightly unnerved him.  Pulling at
his uniform jacket, he stood up to better brace himself for what the
little minx was planning.

 "I was just thinking about the first time I was ever on the bridge of
a starship.  It was the end of the tour Will gave me on the Enterprise
D," Vash smiled, this was a golden opportunity. "Jean-Luc, when you
walked on the bridge a thought occurred to me and it's something I've
fantasized about doing ever since."

 As he watched her slowly saunter across the bridge toward him, Picard
suppressed the urge to call for red alert.  His wariness grew as Vash
stopped to stand just in front of him.  His breath caught in his
throat as her small hands glided up the front of his uniform jacket to
encircle his neck.  He was dimly aware of his bridge crew watching.

 Vash stared brazenly into his eyes, her voice a low seductive
whisper, "mon Capitaine."

 Before Picard could react, her mouth claimed his in a passionately
heated kiss.  Blood roared in his ears as he felt the lush, fullness
of her lips crushed against his own. Forgetting where he was, his lips
answered the demands of hers.  Instinctively, he wrapped his arms
around Vash and pulled her lithe form tighter to him.  He could smell
the provocative scent of her favorite perfume.  Picard deepened the
kiss, bringing one hand up to cup the back of her head.  He delighted
in the feel of her body pressed into his at every point, from the soft
roundness of her chest against his to the intertwining of their legs. 
When Vash finally broke the kiss, both of them were breathless.  He
suddenly realized they were on the bridge.  Fighting down a blush, he
gently started to scold her, "Vash."

 Vash placed a finger against his lips to silence him.  Turning
around, she leaned back against the muscular expanse of his chest and
looked out over the bridge.  "And that, Ladies and Gentlemen," she
announced in a very perky tone, "is a public display of affection on
the bridge and, therefore, totally against Starfleet regs."

 Vash turned back to Picard and unapologetically reached up to wipe
her lipstick from his lips, "and I probably speak for every woman
onboard when I say it just needed to be done."

**FINIS**

--
Stephen Ratliff
ASC Awards Tech Support

http://www.trekiverse.us/ASCAwards/commenting/

No Tribbles were harmed in the running of these Awards

ASCL is a stories-only list, no discussion.  Comments and feedback should be directed to alt.startrek
.creative or directly to the author. 

Yahoo! Groups Links

 To visit your group on the web, go to:
     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ASCL/

 To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
     ASCL-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

 Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
     http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
 


From ???@??? Tue Apr 20 00:04:08 2004
X-Persona: 
Status:  U
Return-Path: 
Received: from n30.grp.scd.yahoo.com ([66.218.66.87])
	by killdeer (EarthLink SMTP Server) with SMTP id 1bfMrj6Er3NZFlr0
	for ; Mon, 19 Apr 2004 21:00:52 -0700 (PDT)
X-eGroups-Return: sentto-1977044-13450-1082433652-stephenbratliffasc=earthlink.net@returns.groups.yah