Home is Where the Heart Is

A Star Trek: TNG Fan Fiction

Disclaimer: The characters and storylines of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Picard are the property of Paramount Pictures/Skydance. This fan fiction is purely for entertainment purposes, and I do not claim ownership of any characters or elements from these series. (giving exception to the characters that I created within that universe) All rights to the characters and storylines belong to Paramount Pictures and Skydance, and this work is created under the creative rights permitted for fan fiction.

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In this Alternate Universe Fan Fiction, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Beverly Crusher-Picard have been married for years and have several children. This story sees them returning to Chateau Picard with some of their children (the older ones at Starfleet Academy or serving in Starfleet by now) after they leave the Enterprise.
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"Welcome home," Laris greeted them at the front gate as Zhaban walked through it with Jean-Luc and his family. Beverly adjusted her duffle bag on her shoulder and smiled at the Romulan woman.

"Thank you, Laris. It's good to finally be home." The crisp November air carried the scent of fallen leaves and damp earth – so different from the recycled atmosphere of a starship.

"Slow down, ma petit amour," Jean-Luc called as Lily ran ahead, nearly tripping over the front steps as she dashed into the ancient stone manor. Her footsteps echoed against the worn flagstones.

"I have to see if my room is still the same as when we were here last!" Lily called behind her, her voice already fading into the depths of the house.

Jean-Luc and Beverly shared a knowing smile, then noticed the other children looking at them with barely contained excitement, silently pleading for permission to join their sister in their own search.

"Oui, go!" Jean-Luc said, his mouth forming into a grin.

The other children were gone before he finished saying 'go', the heavy oak door left wide open, letting in the cold early November air. The sound of their thundering footsteps reverberated through the house.

"I suppose we should get used to that door being opened a lot," Beverly said as they walked towards the house, pulling her coat tighter against the chill. "Remember Wes and the girls? They never shut that door when they were younger." She smiled sadly, feeling a bit melancholy at their older children missing from the house. The manor seemed both too full and too empty at once.

"They'll be home soon, mon amour," Jean-Luc said, putting his hand on her shoulder, sensing her thoughts.

Beverly smiled at him, leaning into his touch. "I know," she followed Laris into the house, "they left the kitchen door open a lot too," she continued, nostalgic warmth in her voice.

"Hmm... perhaps we should establish some rules this time," Jean-Luc suggested as Zhaban closed the front door and Beverly sat on the bench by the entrance to unzip her boots. "Four years on a starship has given them different habits."

"Household rules might be good," Beverly agreed, pulling her feet out of the boots and placing them carefully on the rack under the bench.

"Hmm..." Jean-Luc hummed as he slipped his feet out of his boots and placed them next to hers, lining them up precisely. "Did any of them take off their shoes?"

Beverly shook her head, amusement dancing in her eyes.

"Les enfants, venez ici!!" Jean-Luc called up the stairs in his stern captain voice, the one that had made ensigns snap to attention.

Within minutes, five children appeared at the bottom of the stairs, slightly breathless and wide-eyed at the command tone.

"Your shoes get taken off at the door and placed under the bench on the racks, remember?" Jean-Luc's voice was gentler now, but firm.

"Oh yeah!" Jack sat on the floor and pulled his trainers off, red-faced. "I forgot," he added as he got up and put his shoes under the bench while the other children worked to take their shoes off as well.

Jean-Luc nodded approvingly. "It's quite alright. Let's make it a habit again." He observed each child in turn, noting how much they'd grown during their years away. "This is home now, not the Enterprise. Different place, different customs."

Jack nodded earnestly. "Can I rearrange my room? I want Robert to move in with me."

"Hmm... let your mother and I think about that for a bit."

"I wanna share with Lily... my room is too big. I miss our room on the Enterprise!" Aimee said as she stood up from putting her shoes in their designated spot, her small face serious.

Jean-Luc looked at René, who shook his head vigorously, red curls bouncing.

"No way am I unhappy. I love my room, it's huge and I can do a lot with the space I have!" René said, his eyes bright with plans.

Jean-Luc cocked his head to the side, trying to figure out what his son was talking about. "Like what, son?"

"I thought I'd grow some plants, do some horticulture studies... you know, botany stuff," René said with enthusiasm.

"Ah, botany stuff," Jean-Luc repeated, exchanging an amused glance with Beverly.

"Would you like me to take your bags up?" Zhaban asked Jean-Luc and Beverly, gesturing to the pile of luggage by the door.

"Oh yes, thank you, Zhaban," Jean-Luc said, handing him his bags and Beverly's. "We appreciate all you've done to prepare for our arrival."

"Can we go back upstairs?" Aimee asked as Zhaban went up the stairs to the master bedroom, her brothers and sister hovering nearby, clearly wondering the same thing.

Jean-Luc simply nodded, and the children were gone again, rushing up the stairs with giggles and animated conversations about their rooms and toys they'd found in the few minutes they had been upstairs.

"I'm making eggplant lasagna for supper," Laris said to Beverly and Jean-Luc as they walked towards the kitchen. "With garlic breadsticks and a garden salad. I thought you might appreciate a home-cooked meal after all that replicated food."

The kitchen was warm and inviting, with copper pots hanging from the ceiling and the rich scent of tomato sauce already simmering on the ancient gas stove. Through the large windows, they could see the vineyard stretching toward the horizon, dormant now for winter but still beautiful.

"Laris," Jean-Luc began, "I want to thank you and Zhaban for keeping an eye on the place while we finished out our mission rotation."

"It was no problem, Jean-Luc," Zhaban said, returning downstairs and entering the kitchen. "We've come to think of this place as home too."

Suddenly, a loud scraping noise echoed from upstairs, followed by the unmistakable sound of something heavy being dragged across the floor.

Beverly raised an eyebrow. "What on earth?"

Another scrape, louder this time, followed by a thud and a chorus of hushed children's voices.

"I'll go," Jean-Luc said with a sigh, already heading for the stairs. "Our first day home and they're already rearranging furniture."

He climbed the stairs two at a time, following the sounds to Jack's room. The door was partially open, and inside he found all five children attempting to move Jack's massive antique bed across the room. René and Robert were pushing while Jack pulled. Lily and Aimee were directing operations with great enthusiasm but little practical advice.

"Just a little more to the left!" Aimee was saying. "No, my left!"

"Ahem," Jean-Luc cleared his throat from the doorway.

Five heads swiveled toward him simultaneously, expressions ranging from guilty to defiant.

"And what, may I ask, is going on here?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"We're making room for Robert's bed," Jack explained, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"I see. And did someone authorize this redecorating project?"

The children exchanged glances.

"You said you would think about it," Jack said cautiously.

"Precisely. Think about it. Not give permission," Jean-Luc replied, trying to maintain a stern expression despite his amusement. "This furniture is very old and very valuable. Some of these pieces belonged to my family for generations."

"But Papa—" Robert began.

Jean-Luc held up a hand. "No furniture moving without adult supervision. That's going to be rule number one in this house. We can discuss room arrangements over supper, but for now, please leave everything where it is."

Five disappointed faces looked back at him.

"Laris has made eggplant lasagna," he added, watching their expressions brighten immediately. "With garlic breadsticks."

"Real garlic breadsticks? Not replicated?" Lily asked, eyes wide.

"Real ones," Jean-Luc confirmed. "Now wash up and come downstairs. After supper, your mother and I will help you plan your rooms properly. Deal?"

"Deal!" came the unanimous response.

As the children rushed to wash their hands, Jean-Luc took a moment to look around the room. Despite the chaos they'd been creating, there was something right about having children in this house again. The ancient stones had seen generations of Picards grow up within these walls, and now they were witnessing yet another.

With a contented smile, he headed back downstairs, where the smell of eggplant lasagna was already filling the air, making the manor feel truly like home again.

Jean-Luc descended the staircase, his hand trailing along the smooth banister worn by generations of Picards before him. The rich aroma of Laris's cooking grew stronger with each step, and he could hear Beverly's laughter mingling with Zhaban's deep voice from the kitchen.

"Crisis averted?" Beverly asked as he entered, looking up from where she was arranging silverware on the antique oak table.

"For now," Jean-Luc replied with a wry smile. "They were attempting to rearrange Jack's entire room to accommodate Robert's bed. I've imposed a moratorium on furniture moving until after supper."

Laris chuckled, "That didn't take long. They're certainly making themselves at home."

"That's what I want," Jean-Luc said softly, moving to the window where he could see the dormant vines stretching across the property.

Beverly approached him from behind, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her chin on his shoulder. "Even with the noise and chaos?"

"Especially with the noise and chaos," he said, covering her hands with his own. "A house needs life to be a home."

The thundering of footsteps on the stairs announced the children's arrival before they burst into the kitchen, faces freshly washed and eyes wide with anticipation.

"Can I help?" Lily asked, bouncing on her toes as she watched Laris get a knife to start cutting the salad vegetables.

"You can set the table," Beverly suggested. "René, you and Robert can fill the water glasses."

"I want to help too!" Aimee insisted, not wanting to be left out.

"You can fold the napkins," Jean-Luc told her.

Aimee smiled, “Okay!”

Jack sidled up to Jean-Luc as the others busied themselves with their assignments. "Papa, about the rooms..."

Jean-Luc held up a hand. "After supper, Jack. Let's enjoy our first meal home together first."

The boy nodded, but Jean-Luc could see his mind was still working on room arrangements. So much like Beverly—always planning three steps ahead.

As they settled around the table, Jean-Luc took a moment to observe his family. How different they all looked from when they'd left Earth four years ago. René and Jack had shot up in height, gangling limbs and broadening shoulders hinting at the men they would become. Aimee’s baby fat had given way to a graceful young girl's features, so like Beverly's it sometimes startled him. Lily was still small for her age but carried herself with a quiet determination that reminded him of himself at that age. And Robert had been such a small little boy when they left for the Enterprise, and now was surprisingly almost as tall as Jack.

"Shall we?" Beverly asked, interrupting his thoughts as Laris placed the steaming lasagna in the center of the table.

The garlic breadsticks were arranged in a basket lined with a checkered cloth, and the salad bowl overflowed with greens, sprinkled with jewel-like cherry tomatoes and slivers of cucumber.

"It looks magnificent, Laris," Jean-Luc said appreciatively.

"I thought you might be tired of replicated food," she replied, taking her seat next to Zhaban.

"You have no idea," Beverly groaned. "The replicators on the Enterprise are top of the line, but nothing beats real food."

The lasagna was everything Laris had promised—layers of tender eggplant, rich tomato sauce infused with herbs and creamy béchamel sauce binding it all together. The children, even the usually picky Rene, ate with enthusiasm, tearing off pieces of garlic bread to sop up the sauce.

"So," Jean-Luc said after the initial hunger had been sated, "tell us about these room arrangements you're all so eager to implement."

The children exchanged glances, silently deciding who would speak. Finally, Jack took the lead.

"Well, Robert and I thought we could share my room since it's the biggest besides yours and Mamans. We'd move his bed in and maybe get a desk we could both use for schoolwork."

"And Lily and I want to share too," Aimee added quickly. "Her room gets more morning sun.”

"And what about you, René?" Beverly asked, turning to their middle child. "Are you sure you want to be alone?"

René nodded, his mouth full of salad. He swallowed and said, "I like having my own space. And I really do want to start growing things. I've been reading about hydroponics systems that could fit in the corner by the window."

"Hydroponics?" Jean-Luc couldn't keep the surprise from his voice. "When did this interest develop?"

"Mrs. O’Brien let me help with the greenhouse module on Deck 12," René explained. "She said I have 'good hands' for delicate work."

"Did she now?" Jean-Luc exchanged a look with Beverly. They'd been so busy with their own duties they hadn't fully appreciated how their children were forming relationships and interests of their own on the ship.

"I think the room arrangements sound reasonable," Beverly said thoughtfully. "But there are practical considerations. Moving beds is just the beginning. We'll need to reorganize closet space, personal items..."

"And we need to be certain the floor can support two beds in one room," Jean-Luc added. "This house is very old, and while it's structurally sound, we need to distribute weight properly."

"So... is that a yes?" Robert asked hopefully.

Jean-Luc smiled at his youngest son. "It's a qualified yes. We'll need to plan it carefully, and the actual moving will happen tomorrow, with adult supervision."

The table erupted in cheers, causing Zhaban to wince slightly at the volume.

"I propose," Jean-Luc continued once the noise had died down, "that after supper, we tour each room together and make a proper plan. With paper and pencil, like architects."

"Can we use PADDs instead?" Jack asked. "I can create 3D models of the furniture."

"That's actually a very good idea," Jean-Luc conceded. "Technology does have its advantages."

As they finished their meal with generous helpings of the apple tart Zhaban had prepared for dessert, the conversation turned to other plans.

"When do me and Aimee start ballet lessons?" Lily asked, addressing her question to Beverly.

“Aimee and I,” Jean-Luc corrected.

Beverly smiled at Jean-Luc’s correction. "I've already contacted the ballet school in LaBarre," Beverly assured her. "They’re delighted to have you."

"And school?" Jack asked.

"You'll all be attending your old school starting next week," Jean-Luc informed them.

"Will they like us?" Aimee asked in a small voice. She and Lily were very little the last time they went to the school in LaBarre.

"What's not to like?" Zhaban said warmly. "They'll be lucky to have you."

"Now," Jean-Luc said, pushing back from the table, "who's ready to begin Operation Room Rearrangement Planning?"

Five hands shot into the air immediately, and Jean-Luc couldn't help but smile.

As they climbed the stairs, the children chattering excitedly about their ideas for their rooms, Jean-Luc felt Beverly's hand slip into his.

"Welcome home, Jean-Luc," she whispered, and he knew she understood exactly what he was feeling.

"It's good to be home," he replied, and meant it with all his heart.