Forwarded by the ASC-VSO Posted: 23 Apr 2004 18:03:57 -0700 In: alt.startrek.creative From: whoa_nellie40@hotmail.com (whoa nellie) Title: Here There Be Q-nicorns Author: Whoa Nellie (whoa_nellie40@hotmail.com) Series: TNG Repost 4/6 Rating: NC-17 Codes: P/Vash, Q Synopsis: On the eve of Picard and Vash's first anniversary Q shows up to bestow a gift. He changes Vash into a virgin and throws the couple into a medieval adventure complete with knights, castle and dragons. Author's Note: Feel free to archive to any pertinent site. In preparation to play in our Double Entendre universe in the coming year, we're reposting the stories from that universe as a refresher (or introduction to those who haven't read our earlier work). These stories have been polished up a bit, but they are still are earliest pieces from when we began writing nearly a decade ago. Edited-down versions of most of our stories can be found through our author page at fanfiction.net: http://www.fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=85355 As always: Paramount owns all the marbles, we just have a lot more fun playing with them. Feedback is always appreciated - posted or e-mail. Whoa Nellie's Picard/Vash Romance Fan Fiction website is at: 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 Friar Dominic led them to the monastery's small chapel. Soon after they entered the chapel, Mother Agnes and Sister Rebecca took Vash over to a far corner to show her the satchel they had prepared for her. Picard was amused to note the two nuns had not limited themselves to essentials for the trip. As Sister Rebecca handed Vash a small nosegay of pink rosebuds and white lily's of the valley, Mother Agnes arranged a matching wreath of flowers in Vash's hair. Picard marveled at the delicate beauty. Even though the gown and headpiece were not nearly as ornate as her real wedding trousseau had been, she was just as lovely a bride as she had been a year ago. "Son, you have the rest of your life to stare at her." Dominic chuckled as he clapped Picard on the shoulder. Holding up a rolled parchment, he added, "If you can possibly tear your eyes away from her for a moment, I have a map I think you really ought to take a look at." Clearing his throat, Picard squared his shoulders and straightened his tunic. He inwardly chastised himself for getting caught ogling a woman like a lovesick cadet, even if the woman in question was his own wife. He turned his attention to the old priest and nodded, "Of course." Moving to a small table in a corner, Friar Dominic unrolled the parchment for Picard to look at. The monk pointed to different locations on the map, "We'll lead you through one of the tunnels that has an opening just outside the city walls about here. As I said earlier, Baracada's forces won't leave the city, so you'll be safe once you're outside the city walls. This nearby road is fairly secluded and goes through pretty dense forest, however it will cut the journey to your kingdom down to around two days. About three hours ride up the road is an old hunting shack owned by the monastery. The two of you can find shelter there for the night. Another day's ride from there is a small village. My brother runs the village inn, you can spend the second night there. Your kingdom is another three quarters of a day's ride up the road from there." Friar Dominic rolled the map back up and handed it to Picard. As he accepted the parchment, Picard smiled, "The forest is dense but the terrain is pretty level so it shouldn't be too difficult a ride. Thank you, Father." "You're welcome, son." Dominic replied. An impish glint lit his eyes, "However, may the good Lord forgive me, I must admit I really do love to stick it to old Baracada every once in a awhile." Brother Calvin approached them. He handed Dominic a small gold ring, "One gold wedding ring, guaranteed to fit the bride." "That was fairly quick. I'm impressed." Friar Dominic replied. "This is the fifth one of these you've done this month, Dominic. I just decided to make things easier on myself and keep a supply on hand." Calvin chuckled. Picard and Vash stood, right hands joined, in front of Friar Dominic at the altar of the small chapel. As they stood there, Picard experienced a wave of deja vu. It was almost as if it was a year ago and they were standing together at the altar of the church in his home town of Labarre. Picard stared down into the bright blue eyes of his lovely bride. As he held her small hand in his grasp, he tenderly ran his thumb over her soft, smooth skin. The powerful timbre of his voice reverberated with his heartfelt vow as he repeated after the priest, "I, Jean-Luc Picard, take thee, Vash, for my lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health until death do us part." Blinking back the tears brimming in her eyes, Vash gazed up at Jean-Luc. With his sleek, muscular build and handsome, chiseled features framing those intense grey eyes, he made quite a dashing nobleman. Vash's heart pounded as if it would burst through her chest. Her voice trembled slightly as she repeated after the priest, "I, Vash, take thee, Jean-Luc Picard, for my lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health until death do us part." Friar Dominic's voice seemed to fill the small chapel, "Ego conjungo vos in matrimonium, in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen." After the priest blessed the ring, he handed it to Picard. As he reverently slipped the ring on the third finger of Vash's left hand, Picard pledged, "With this ring, I thee wed and I plight unto thee my troth." Making the sign of the cross, Friar Dominic chanted, " In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen." With a smile he finished, "What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. You may now kiss the bride." With those words, Vash turned to face her new husband. His eyes held the heated promise of a passionate wedding night. The images his gaze evoked sent a soft flush stealing over her face. Smiling down at his literally blushing bride, he mused that she hadn't blushed that adorably at their first wedding. Wishing he had a picture of this moment, he leaned down to brush a reverent kiss across her lips. .................................................................... Friar Dominic came to a halt near the entrance of the tunnel opening. Raising a cautionary hand, he advised in a low voice, "Stay here, I will check to make sure it is safe." Nodding, Picard turned to quiet the horse. Vash inched her way toward the tunnel entrance, trying to peer out. Picard unceremoniously hauled her back against him and whispered softly, "Curiosity killed the cat." "That's why cats have nine lives." she replied mischievously. "Well, you don't," he replied as Friar Dominic reappeared at the entrance. "All is well," the Friar told them, motioning them out of the tunnel. As they emerged into the night, Picard lifted Vash gently onto the horse's back. Turning to the Friar, he thanked him for all the assistance. "Godspeed," the Friar replied as Picard mounted up behind his wife and started slowly down the faint trail heading to the woods. Vash leaned back into Picard's chest and inquired softly, "Are you planning to engage the warp drive any time in the near future, Captain?" "Not until we have a clear course laid in, Ensign Picard." Soon they were riding hard for the nearby forest. Picard slowed slightly as they entered the cover of the forest. The ride was uneventful until the wind started to pick up. Pulling her cloak tighter around her, Vash raised her voice slightly to be heard over the wind, "It's starting to get colder. Are we going to make it to the cabin before the storm hits?" "According to the map, we should almost be there." Picard replied, bringing the horse to a halt. He pulled Vash snugly against him, wrapping his cloak securely around both of them. Gripping the reins firmly, he urged the horse to his fastest pace in an effort to outrun the storm. Just as they sighted the hunting shack, the sky opened, releasing a torrential downpour. In a matter of seconds, they were both soaked to the skin. Reining the horse in at the front of the shack, he swung Vash down under the small roof overhanging the door. "See if you can't get a fire going while I stable this animal," he called as he rode toward the barn just beyond the cabin. Vash pushed the door closed behind her, muttering to no one in particular, "See if you can get a fire started. I'm only a field archaeologist, a cold, wet and tired one. What does he think I do in the field? Unlike Starfleet, I can't just whip out a phaser and light up a fire, or heat a pile of rocks or whatever it is they do to keep from freezing when they're not in their precious little starships." Carefully arranging the kindling in the fireplace, she continued to rant as she rummaged on the mantle for the tinder and flint. "I just bet that someone's flagship-size ego would be a little punctured if he waltzed in here and I had a beautiful roaring fire blazing and was sitting here basking in the warmth. Serve him right. See if you can get a fire going, my ass! I'm not the helpless heroine type, thank you very much. Q! If I ever get my hands on you, you're going to be really sorry. Q! Do you hear me? Next time I get to be an Amazon warrior and rescue him from cannibals. How long does it take to stable a horse, anyway?" Warming her hands at the now blazing fire, she had not noticed Jean-Luc enter the shack. Hearing a soft chuckle behind her, she turned to see Jean-Luc in the doorway, removing his cloak. "I am fully aware of your survival skills, but tell me one thing. Do all field archaeologists talk to no one while they build their fires?" "Only when their intelligence has been insulted by someone who should know better. See if you can get a fire started, indeed." "You were right. I was wrong. I'm sorry." Picard looked around the cabin, taking in their surroundings for the first time as he set the saddlebags and her satchel in one corner. He grimaced, "Not exactly the Ritz, is it?" "You've definitely got a flair for the obvious." The small cabin had nothing more than a crude table with an equally crude bench on each side. Two pans and a battered pair of mugs sat forlornly in the center. On the opposite wall, the bed was little more than a narrow shelf covered with several rough woolen blankets. Vash was kneeling on the stone hearth of the large fireplace that offered the only source of heat and light, her still dripping cloak beginning to steam from the fire. In two steps, he was beside her, gently raising her to stand and removing her cloak. "You'll get warm much quicker without this on." His eyes hardened with desire as his heated gaze slid slowly down her wet dress clinging to every contour of her lithe body. Her skin was covered with gooseflesh and her taut nipples strained against the thin, wet material of her gown. His throat ached with longing as he watched a droplet of water fall from her hair, running down her slender throat into the hollow of her cleavage to finally disappear beneath her gown. He wanted to warm the cold trail of the droplet with his mouth. Swallowing hard, he sternly banished that particular train of thought and, out of concern for her, pushed his own needs aside. After all, these were not exactly ideal conditions. The cabin was more accurately described as a one room shack, a very uncomfortable one at that. He and Vash were both cold, wet, and tired. Given this unique opportunity, he was determined to do this right. Needing to put some physical space between them, he walked over to hang up her cloak on a row of coat hooks on the wall next to the door. Stripping off his own cloak, he hung it up next to hers. Vash glanced over at the bed, "The bed looks too narrow for one person, let alone two. I was thinking we might be better off setting up a makeshift bed down on the floor in front of the fire." "Agreed. It would probably be much warmer also. The wind is pretty strong and I'm sure this place isn't well insulated." Picard said as he checked the saddlebags for supplies. Retrieving her satchel and the wool blankets, Vash set about making up a bed for them in front of the fireplace. Reaching into the satchel, she pulled out a hairbrush. Standing up, she brushed out her wet hair as she appraised the makeshift bed, "Not exactly a bed of roses, but I think it will serve our purpose." "It's fine." Picard assured her as he took off his doublet and hung it up. Turning back to face her, he fought to ignore the way the soaked material of her dress molded itself like a second skin to her feminine curves. There only so much a man could stand and she was just too tempting. "Ma chere, you might be more comfortable in some dry clothes." "The nuns packed a dressing gown for me, but I figured I wouldn't be using it." She flushed, but squared her shoulders and continued, "After all, you said the whole point of Q's little game is for you . . . for you to make love to me as a virgin. Once we get that over with . . ." "I don't give a damn what Q's intention is! I have never . . . nor will I ever . . . make love to you just to get it over with." Picard exploded, crossing the room to stand in front of her. Reining in his own frustration, he gentled his tone, "Vash, these are less than ideal circumstances. You are tired, uncomfortable, more than a little tense and these accommodations are not what I had in mind." "We have a nice fire and a roof over our heads. What more do you want?" Vash asked, taking in how the corded muscles of his upper arms flexed under the silk material of his wet shirt as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "For starters, a decent bed." Picard stated flatly. "I'm not about to make love to you on this dirt floor." "Why not? You said the first place we ever made love was a cave floor on Risa. What's the difference?" She demanded. "First, I hadn't intended on making love to you that night on Risa. If I had, be assured we would have spent that night in my room at the resort. Secondly, you weren't a virgin when we made love on Risa." He answered a little more sharply than he had meant to. Their lovemaking on Risa was definitely not where he wanted his imagination to go just now. "I'm not really a virgin. This is just one of Q's little jokes." She snapped. "Nonetheless, Q's meddling has left you as untried as any virgin. And I simply refuse to take the situation lightly or to proceed with any undo haste. I intend to do this properly, which means having the patience to wait until I'm sure you're comfortable, relaxed and prepared for it." Picard told her. His tone became somewhat self-depreciating, "Not that I've ever made a hobby out of this sort of thing." "Untried, patience, preparing for it." Vash muttered to herself and rolled her eyes. "Sounds like you're planning to break a horse." "The analogy has been made before." Picard began. "Don't go there!" Vash warned, cutting him off abruptly. Picard took a deep breath, "I really think it would behoove us both to wait until we get to the inn tomorrow." "Behooves who? It's been my experience that around here being a virgin only gets you fed to dragons. Which seems like a pretty good reason to lose one's virginity, if you ask me." Vash shot back. As far as she was concerned, this little game had gone on long enough. Picard's breath caught in his throat at the fire that flashed in Vash's blue eyes as she argued with him. She was so beautiful and her challenges always affected him like a powerful aphrodisiac. His body ached to start her lessons in earnest. 'No! Not here.' he told himself firmly. His voice was rough with desire as he reminded her, "It's unnecessary, the dragon is gone. You're safe, Vash. You're my wife and I would willingly give my life to protect you from any danger." For a brief moment, Picard thought that he had won as Vash glanced downward with a sigh and nodded. Looking up at him through her lashes, she wet her lips. She reached up to splay a small hand across his chest. He realized she had not capitulated, only switched tactics. Vash's voice was as soft as her caress, "Take what is rightfully yours, Jean-Luc. Make love to me." 'Merde, she is real close to breaking my resolve.' Picard thought as he briefly closed his eyes. He covered her hand with his own, pressing it against his chest. Opening his eyes, he brought her hand up to brush a kiss across the back of it. Letting go of her hand, it took all of his self-control to shake his head slightly and murmur, "No." "You don't want me." Vash, hurt by the rejection, began to turn away from him. She let out a startled gasp when Jean-Luc reached out and quickly caught her. His powerful arms encircled her waist, his large hands finding the roundness of her derriere. Cupping the supple flesh in his hands, he yanked her roughly against him. As she stared up into his face, she saw an expression of fierce, carnal heat that started her heart pounding in her chest. "Make no mistake, Vash . . . I want you." Picard's voice was a deep, resonating growl. His mouth descended on hers in a savage kiss. His tongue plunged past her parted lips, decisively staking claim to everything in its path. As his mouth took command of hers, he forced her supple curves even tighter against him in a futile attempt to ease his desperate need for her. Dropping the hair brush, she wound her arms around to splay her hands against the back of his head to pull him closer. He deepened the kiss as her soft moan of surrender drove his urgency up another notch. His tongue plundered the depths of her mouth searching for her tongue to coax it out of hiding. Vash's head swam with each new sensation from the passionate onslaught, the heat of his hands through the wet material of her skirt, her entire body crushed against the hard length of his, and his mouth and tongue possessing her. His tongue, dear God, the things his tongue was doing to her. Shyly at first, but then steadily getting bolder, her tongue began to answer the demands of his. Her entire body felt as if it were made of liquid flames and her small hands moved down to clutch his shoulders tightly. Just when she thought she could stand no more, he broke the kiss. Pulling back slightly, Picard looked down at her. Gasping for breath, Vash's amazement showed in her eyes. Her lips were passion-swollen and a heated flush had swept up her ivory skin from underneath the neckline of her gown. He muttered, more to himself than her, "This is playing with fire." Vash was dazed, Jean-Luc's presence was playing havoc with her senses. His strong hands still held her backend tightly, pulling her hips against his. Every breath she took forced the stiff peaks of her breasts up against the muscular wall of his chest. Held captive by his gaze, her voice quavered slightly, "Jean-Luc." "Never doubt how much I love you and desire you." Picard rasped, his own breathing as ragged as hers. Pulling himself out of the blue of her eyes, he forced himself to let go of her and stepped back. After taking several deep breaths, he continued, "Why don't you go ahead, put on some dry clothes and get settled in for the night." Turning , he headed over to the door. As she watched him start to put his cloak on, she asked, "Where are you going?" "I'll be just outside the door." He assured her. Right now, he required a distraction, a very uncomfortable one. "I saw a pile of logs on the porch. I'm going to split some more firewood for tonight." "But, it's cold out there and pouring rain." Vash emphasized as she straightened her dress. "An age-old solution for an age-old problem." Picard quipped with a wry smile before walking out the door. As the door shut behind him, Vash sighed with exasperation and pulled the dressing gown out of her satchel. Unlacing the satin ribbon that held her bodice closed, she gazed down at the fire. End Part 4 -- 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 ???@??? 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