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[scholiast]

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Hi, Lucretia speaking. I'm busy at the moment, but if you'd like to leave a message, I'll get back to you ASAP.
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[dancingmd]

(She lifts her tear stained face to look up at Lucretia. This is the most heartbreaking thing of all, the knowledge that she will one day choose to leave this remarkable woman behind and yet here Lucretia is, offering to help that day come sooner.)

You're amazing, do you know that?

[scholiast]

(She attempts a smile, but it falters when Beverly looks at her.)

I'm really not, (she hedges, hesitant,) I've done barely anything to help you. I'm sorry.

[dancingmd]

(She shakes her head.)

Don't be. You help me more than you realize, every day. And... the fact that you respect my choice to go home, even if it hurts us, hurts you... it means a lot to me.

[scholiast]

(Lucretia can't quite shake her remorse just yet, but she trusts Beverly, trusts that she wouldn't lie about something like this, ever. So she nods.)

... Okay.

[dancingmd]

(Beverly straightens up to give her a light kiss, then rests her forehead against Lucretia's.)

I wish... I wish we didn't have to make this choice.

[scholiast]

(She exhales slowly, drawing strength from the warmth of Beverly's skin, the familiar smell of her hair. Her hands rest lightly on her shoulders.)

Me too. (But they will have to, eventually. Lucretia tries not to think about it.)

But I don't regret it. Any of it.

[dancingmd]

(She sniffs.)

Me either. Even now.

[scholiast]

(Lucretia smiles despite herself, squeezing Beverly's shoulders gently.)

The pair of us, huh.

[dancingmd]

(She hums in agreement before settling back into Lucretia's arms again. Clearly, she is in the mood for cuddling.)

A pair of sad old ladies.

(At least her sense of humor about things is making a reappearance.)

[scholiast]

(It certainly feels like that sometimes. Lucretia shifts a little in place until she's comfortable, cheek against Beverly's hair.)

At least we can be sad and old together.

(She won't be alone so long as she has Beverly.)

[dancingmd]

(She hums in agreement. Together is definitely better than alone - which makes her think of a story.)

Did I ever tell you about the time I got trapped in a collapsing universe of my own making?

(.... Beverly why do you say these things so casually?)

[scholiast]

(Lucretia laughs, startled out of her reverie. Gods, she's never felt so fond of Beverly.)

Uh, no, I don't believe you did.

Care to expound?

[dancingmd]

(She lets out an amused huff - it does seem out of nowhere, doesn't it? But there is a logic to her thought process and she tries to explain it.)

It has to do with Wesley too. And Jean-Luc. And well... everything we've been talking about.

[scholiast]

Gotcha.

(She gets all comfortable again, settling in for the story.) Continue.

[dancingmd]

It started as a normal enough day - the only unusual thing was that an old friend of mine, my mentor from my first internship, someone I hadn't seen in years, was going to be on board for a few days. Naturally, I wanted to be the one to greet him when he arrived and get him settled in.

(She sighs sadly.)

He'd just lost his wife. Couldn't stand to stay on the starbase where they'd worked together for years, so he retired from Starfleet and was moving away.

[scholiast]

(Oh, it's a sad story. Hearing of the loss of loved ones will never fail to ignite a pang of sympathy in Lucretia.)

I'm sorry to hear that. Had he come to say good bye to you?

[dancingmd]

(She shakes her head and seeks to reassure Lucretia.)

No, no we still stay in touch. He just needed a ride and the Enterprise was going that way so I asked Jean-Luc to let us pick him up.

[scholiast]

Oh, good.

(She's not quite seeing the connection between this story and Beverly's situation, but there's probably a bit more to it, so after a beat, she's prompts:)

What happened next?

[dancingmd]

I walked him to his quarters, and he was talking about how tired he was, how getting old is so difficult because you only live to see more and more of the people you once knew pass away.

"I didn't take the time to appreciate them while I could." Those words stuck with me, even after I left him to get settled in. My first thought was that I ought to see what Wesley was up to.

[scholiast]

(Lucretia nods, suddenly contemplative.)

That's really good advice.

(Of sorts. Clearly it hadn't meant to strike a tone with Beverly at the time, but Lucretia's glad that it did, as it appears to bring a bit of comfort to her.)

[dancingmd]

(Beverly hums her agreement. It's something that comes back to her often, here, especially with Lucretia.)

Dr. Quaice is a wise man. I owe a lot to him.

[scholiast]

Have you been thinking of it in regards to your time spent here?

(To enjoy it while she can? That's certainly... forcing a silver lining around the situation.)

[dancingmd]

I have... just some days are easier than others.

(Today is clearly not one of those days.)

[scholiast]

Of course.

(Lucretia gives her back a comforting rub.) I'm... glad, that you don't mind coming to me when you're having not so good ones.

[dancingmd]

Why wouldn't I?

(Besides anything else they might be to one another, it's undeniable that Lucretia is Beverly's best friend here.)