Summary:  Originally posted to ASC on July 14, 2005.  Old habits haunt Picard, Crusher and Chakotay with Vash an innocent victim.  (Relationship/character-centered with elements of P/Vash, P/C and Crusher/Chakotay but no actual smut.) Just think of it as a clip show.

Author's notes:  This occurs in the Reasons of the Heart timeline where there are no babies and Crusher is married to ship's anthropologist Commander Chakotay.  Feel free to archive to any pertinent site.

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.oocities.org/TimesSquare/Galaxy/7926/

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

PATTERNS OF BEHAVIOR

 "Captain's log, originally en route to an archaeology dig on Yadalla Prime, the Enterprise has been re-routed to help deal with a medical emergency on Bracas V.  The archaeology expedition will continue on to Yadalla and the Enterprise will rendezvous with them once the situation on Bracas has been resolved.  Both Archaeology Councilmember Vash and ship's anthropologist, Commander Chakotay have pointed out that the Type II shuttles are too small for the equipment and archaeology team personnel unless they take two or three.  Since the captain's yacht isn't equipped with the sensors and diagnostic arrays that they'd need at the Yadalla site, I have authorized the archaeology team's use of the "James Kirk," the Enterprise's newly delivered Delta Flyer-class shuttlecraft."

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

 In shuttlebay two, Captain Jean-Luc Picard stood next to his wife watching while final supplies and equipment for the archaeology team's mission to Yadalla Prime were loaded on to the "James Kirk" flyer.  He tugged on his uniform jacket and lamented, "I haven't even had a chance to take her out myself yet."

 Vash couldn't help but smile.  With ultra-aerodynamic contours, retractable nacelles, parametallic hull plating, a tetraburnium alloy hull, and unimatrix multiphasic shielding, the Delta Flyer class shuttle wasn't just a shuttle, it was a hot rod; the only thing missing were tail fins on the nacelles.  This was the type of ship that men like Jean-Luc loved to fly fast just to see how fast fast can be while executing maneuvers that push the envelope of sanity.  She playfully teased him with a quote that came to mind.  "There are two things a real man loves -- danger and play."

 Leaning in and speaking so only she could hear, his deep, resonating whisper took on a decidedly wolfish tone as he retorted with the rest of the quote, "The reason he likes woman is because she is the most dangerous of playthings."

 Vash patted his cheek.  "Oooh, that was sexy, but I'm still taking your new toy."

 Catching sight of Vash's security guard, approaching them, Picard straightened up tugging on his uniform jacket.  "Mr. Kennely."

 "I've finished the pre-flight check of the Kirk, all systems, including tactical and weapons systems, are online and functioning within expected parameters," Kennely reported to his captain.

 "Thank you, Lieutenant," Picard nodded.

 "Tactical and weapons systems?  Are we expecting hostility from the inanimate objects?"Vash quipped impishly.

 "I prescribe to the theory that it is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it, especially when providing for your security," Kennely paused briefly while taking her backpack from her before adding, "ma'am."

 Chakotay approached, PADD in hand.  "All equipment and personnel accounted for, sir.  We're ready to go."

 Vash looked around.  "Where's Bev?  I thought she'd be here to see you off."

 "She's got her hands full preparing for the situation on Bracas V," he explained.  "We said our goodbyes this morning."  She'd actually seen him off that morning but it wasn't in his nature to be so crass or public about his personal life.

 "You're not going to be flying the Kirk, are you?" Picard asked.

 "Co-pilot," Chakotay said.  "I've flown these things before so I thought I'd give other crew members the opportunity.  Why?"

 Picard gave a wry grin.  "According to Captain Janeway, you have a tendency to break more shuttles than you actually break in.  Given what happened to my yacht on your honeymoon . . . "

 "I wasn't piloting when that happened," Chakotay protested with a grin.

 "Just try not to scratch the finish," Picard requested in an amused tone.

 "Aye, aye, Captain Picard."

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

 Vash stood up and stretched.  The site on Yadalla Prime was an ancient village built into the side of a mountain.  It was somewhat reminiscent of the cliff dweller villages back on Earth.  The Kirk had been parked near the base of the mountain to avoid disturbing the ruins unnecessarily, but there was a good spot for a base camp closer to the ruins.  Using the Kirk's transporters had made unloading the equipment much easier, but it was still hard work unpacking everything.  Once their base camp was set up, they could start on the ruins.

 "Vash," Chakotay found the archaeologist among the chaos.  "The composition of the rocks is causing a slight distortion in our sensors and communications.  Once the base camp is set up, we're going to have to re-calibrate every piece of equipment right down to communicators.  The Kirk's sensors and diagnostic array has already been taken care of."

 "Damn," she sighed.  "I was hoping to get the quadrants marked off tonight so we could start right in first thing in the morning."

 Chakotay handed her a PADD with the calibration calculations and shrugged.  "Your readings won't mean anything until these adjustments are made."

 "I know, I know, digs are never as simple as textbooks make them seem," she commented.  "No X's marking hidden treasure and dust, bugs and freaky rocks delaying work."

 "Fun, fun, fun," he chuckled.  "You love every minute of it."

 The next morning, with all of the re-calibrations made, Vash and her team began marking off search quadrants while the science personnel began a more thorough geological analysis of the area and Chakotay used the sensors on the Kirk to map out the ruins.  Even with all of their technology, archaeology was still slow, tedious work--not that Chakotay minded.  After his time on Voyager, he had developed quite an appreciation for simple, uncomplicated tasks such as cataloguing items found by the diggers.  Comparing items found reasonably close together helped him formulate theories about the culture that had lived in these ruins more than two centuries before, according to his analysis.  It was an infinitely more preferable way to learn about a civilization than having a synaptic transmitter send graphic, violent images through neurogenic pulses directly to his brain.

 "We found something you should see," Vash mentioned to Chakotay over lunch the next day.  "An entire room that had been blocked by fallen rocks, but the interior was virtually untouched."

 "Given the similarities we've seen to Anasazi and Pueblo cliff dwellers in the architecture and artifacts, could it be a kiva?" he asked.

 Vash shook her head no.  "I don't think so; wrong shape and it's on one of the upper levels.  My guess would be living quarters."

 "Still, sounds interesting," Chakotay said.  "Can we take a look after lunch or are you in the middle of something else?"

 She smiled sheepishly.  "I'm in the middle of analyzing the room and was hoping to get an anthropological perspective before we remove any of the items in there.

 Chuckling, he finished his lunch and got to his feet.  He extended a hand to help her up before retrieving a tricorder and holoimager.  He followed Vash up several levels on the face of the mountain to a ledge in front of a large, cavernous opening.  From his vantage point three-fourths of the way up the mountain, he could see for several kilometers.  The opening was partially blocked, but rocks and debris had been removed to clear an opening into the mountain.

 "We thought that these were passageways connecting some of the different areas of the city because the openings are so close together," she was saying as she led him down the corridor.  "Most of these openings are completely collapsed and then we found this."

 Chakotay added the light from his wristlight to hers and saw a cavern that opened directly onto the passage.  When Vash stepped inside and turned on a field light, he realized that it was one large room with several smaller alcoves.

 "Any cloth decor like curtains or bedding has either disintegrated or was taken," Vash filled him in on what they'd established so far.  She pointed out something in particular.  "This discovery is what made us think that these were living quarters."

 "Tool marks," he noted, studying the stone ledge in one of the alcoves.

 Vash nodded.  "I'm thinking bed, the basic structure suggests two bedrooms, a bathroom and a main room."

 "Cooking area was probably communal," he said.  Suddenly the ground started rocking violently and he was slammed hard into the stone shelf he'd been studying.  He tried to get to Vash, but the downpour of rubble triggered by the earthquake made it impossible.  He went down, rocks pelting him hard and all he could do was try to shield his head and wait for the quake to pass.  The ground finally stopped shaking but the debris continued to fall for several minutes.  He called out to Vash, but either she couldn't respond or he couldn't hear her over the noise.

 "Chakotay to James Kirk," he slapped his communicator.  "Emergency transport, lock onto Councilmember Vash and my signal--energize."

 No response, no acknowledgement from the ship and no transport.  Whether the problem was his communicator or a blocked signal didn't really matter at that point.  As soon as the chaos subsided, Chakotay shifted to dislodge some of the rocks on top of him.  Fortunately, no excessively large rocks had landed on him; however, some decent-sized rocks had slammed into him with fairly substantial force.  The field light had gone out, most likely smashed, but his wristlight was still on and he started searching the room for Vash.  Her wristlight was still lit as well, which alerted him to her location.  He started toward the pinpoint of light when the chirp of his communicator interrupted him.

 "It's Kennely, sir," the security guard advised.  "Are you all right?"

 "I am," Chakotay said, "but Vash isn't.  She's buried under rocks, I'm working on getting to her right now.  I can't raise the Kirk on my communicator; I need you to get down there and transport Vash and me out of here.  Get everyone away from the ruins and have Barbara do a head count."

 "Yes, sir."

 While he waited, he did a quick check of the rocks to make sure that moving them wouldn't make the situation any worse for Vash.  As soon as he was reasonably sure it was safe, he started moving the rocks away from her.  Getting to the bottom of the pile, he breathed a sigh of relief when he found her unconscious but still alive.  It was a stroke of luck that his tricorder was still hooked to his uniform and functional; he scanned Vash to determine the extent of her injuries.  No sooner than he'd finished scanning her than he was swearing under his breath.  She had a scalp laceration and probably a concussion, a broken rib with two more cracked around it, indications on the tricorder of internal bleeding, a broken femur and her right hand had been completely smashed by the falling rocks.  The situation went from bad to worse when Kennely contacted him.

 "Commander Chakotay, a rock slide buried the Kirk," the security officer advised.  "There's no response from any of the systems and scans show minimal power readings fluctuating wildly."

 Chakotay scanned the ceiling and entry of the chamber they were in.  "This is the only chamber in this area we found that wasn't completely caved in; if you start trying to dig us out, you may end up doing more harm than good," he advised.  "Concentrate your efforts on getting to the Kirk and getting a distress signal out to the Enterprise.  I'll do what I can here."

 "Understood, Kennely out."

 Moving the last rock away, he took off his jacket and shirt and ripped the shirt into strips.  Without anything to use as a splint, he could only set her leg and use his uniform jacket to secure it as best he could.  She started to regain consciousness when he turned his attention to binding her ribs.  He continued to stabilize her while he filled her in on their situation not really sure if she was hearing or understanding him.  By the time he finished with her ribs and did what he could for her smashed hand, which consisted of draping it over her tricorder to support it and then binding it in place, he had one strip of fabric left to bandage her head.

 "Easy, Vash," he soothed.  "I'm almost done, I know it hurts but I don't have anything to give you for it.  It's a good thing for me that you don't have any more injuries," he commented, trying to assess her mental state.  "Otherwise I'd have to take my pants off."  A slight grin from Vash allayed some of his concerns; she was somewhat coherent at least, if not completely conscious.  He heated up some rocks nearby for warmth.  "At least we have this phaser," he said.  "The only way I know of to start a fire  involves using hair.  Captain Janeway was not too happy with me on that occasion.  On the up side, I've been in worse situations; I mean, there's no live ammunition to contend with, unlike that moon the Kazon had rigged as a training camp.  Of course, the best place I've been stranded so far was a beautiful, unspoiled jungle where these native people called the Ventu lived.  I was the one with the hurt leg there, though."  Chakotay continued talking until he noticed that Vash had drifted off, whether she had fallen asleep or lost consciousness he couldn't be sure.  Watching her, he was struck once again by how much Vash reminded him of his baby sister and he wondered if his little sister had been alone when the Cardassians massacred his people.  He should have been there to take care of her then, but all he could do was take care of Vash now.  He pulled up the sensor readings that he'd downloaded onto the tricorder from his earlier survey on the Kirk and started looking for a way out.

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

 Picard strode onto the bridge and settled into his chair.  "Mr. Lar, send a message to the archaeology team that we should be joining them some time tomorrow.  With the unexpected help from the Lexington, the situation should be completely under control by the end of the day."

 "Yes sir," Lieutenant Commander Geoff Lar acknowledged, his fingers dancing across the control panel.  "No response from the Kirk, sir.  I can't get confirmation of message receipt."

 Riker jumped over the rail to peer over Lar's shoulder at the display.  "We're not out of their communications range, are we?"

 "No, sir, they should be receiving us," Lar said.

 Picard looked over to Data.  "Are there any spatial anomalies between here and Yadalla that could be blocking the signal?"

 "What about the planetary conditions and atmosphere on Yadalla Prime?" Riker added.

 Data consulted the computer.  "No, sirs; no spatial anomalies in this region and, while there are some mineralogical anomalies present on Yadalla Prime, it should not interfere with communication on the surface of the planet."

 "Perhaps they're all at the dig site," Troi suggested, feeling the captain's twinge of concern.  "If there were a problem, they'd send a distress signal."

 Lar spoke up.  "We did get a signal from Commander Chakotay two days ago advising that they'd arrived and were beginning the excavation."

 "Very well," Picard said, unconvinced.  "Keep trying to contact them, though; we'll break orbit as soon as Dr. Crusher completes her work here."

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

 Chakotay carefully cradled the bowl fragment he'd found and used to retrieve water from the 'bathroom' alcove.  There was some sort of water flow through the mountain and the living area that they were in had access to it through a stone sink.  The tricorder registered it as drinkable, so he forced his thoughts away from the ingenuity of channeling nature and scooped up some water to take to Vash.  She was conscious and he wanted to get some fluid into her before she passed out again.  He slid his hand under her head and gently lifted her up enough for her to sip the water from the pottery shard.

 "Commander Chakotay," Kennely contacted him with an update.

 He eased Vash back down before responding.  "Go ahead."

 "It doesn't look good, sir.  We're still trying to reach the shuttle, but it looks like there's some significant damage based on tricorder readings.  There's a boulder nearly half the size of the Kirk sitting on top of it.  I've activated a distress beacon, but it won't penetrate sub-space and I don't have the equipment to re-configure it here . . . it's on the Kirk."

 "And if you could get to the Kirk, you wouldn't need to be able to modify the beacon," Chakotay stated the obvious with a disgusted sigh.

 "Yes, sir," Kennely acknowledged.  "We're not going to be able to summon help any time soon, should we focus on getting to Mrs. Picard and you?"

 "No," Chakotay replied.  "I've plotted a route that should take us to a side exit.  There's no way to know how the passageways have been changed by the earthquake, but it's worth a try.  We'll have to go deeper into the mountain and that will probably block our communication, so I want you to concentrate on getting to the Kirk.  If nothing else, we'll need the medical supplies for Vash when I get us out of here."

 "Understood, good luck, sir."

 Chakotay got to work clearing an opening back into the passageway.  "Don't worry, Vash, things aren't that bad.  There aren't any Vidiians looking to pick up replacement parts, no Hirogen looking to pick up trophies, no noxious fumes or radioactivity; if it weren't for your injuries, we could just be spelunking here.  Don't try to move," he cautioned her.  "You're hurt pretty bad, but it'll be days before your condition is beyond Beverly's medical capabilities."  A day, at least, he thought to himself, but there was no point in worrying her--or stating what they both already knew at any rate.

 Finally finished, he went into the bathroom to splash some water on his face and take a long drink.  Back in the main room, he started gathering everything and securing the devices to his utility belt.  "From the stories I've heard, my Fireball has saved the life of nearly every member of the senior staff at one point or another, not to mention the many guests and various Federation members who've benefited from her talents.  She's almost as good at removing Borg implants as Voyager's EMH; of course, the one time I made the mistake of phrasing it like that she threw a PADD at me."

 Seeing the corners of Vash's mouth twitch, he winked back at her before kneeling down and sliding his arms under her as tenderly as he could.  "Just relax, sweetheart, I'm going to lift you up, now."  He might as well have saved his breath because by the time he'd gotten up, she'd passed out again.  Gingerly adjusting the wristlights while trying to avoid jostling her too much, he started off.

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

 Picard emerged from his ready room.  "Mr. Lar, report."

 "Still no response from the Kirk or any of the away team," the security chief reported.  "Sensors have not detected an emergency transponder signal from the Kirk, either.  If there's a malfunction in the shuttle's sub-space array, we won't be able to make contact through their personal communicators until we enter orbit due to the mineralogical composition of the planet."

 Data spun around in his chair, anticipating the captain's next question.  "We will be in orbit of Yadalla Prime in four minutes and thirty-two seconds."

 Picard tugged on his uniform and sat down.  "Continue trying to raise the away team, Mr. Lar."

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

 When the passageway he was navigating hit a solid wall of rock, Chakotay realized that he was going to have to backtrack almost half a kilometer to get back to another passage.  He laid Vash down as gently as he could before collapsing to the ground beside her.  "We may not be being chased by a giant eel, but I certainly feel like we are and this place is as difficult to navigate as chaotic space.  Let's just rest here for a bit."

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

 Four minutes and thirty-five seconds later, Lar had established contact with the surface.  "I have Lieutenant Kennely, sir."

 "Enterprise to Kennely, where is Commander Chakotay?" Picard barked.

 Kennely paused to wipe sweat out of his eyes.  "Earthquake triggered a massive rock slide, sir.  A cave-in trapped Commander Chakotay and Mrs. Picard in the mountain."

 Picard looked at Commander Lar, an unspoken command.

 Lar shook his head.  "Unable to get a clean transporter lock, sir."

 Kennely continued his report.  "Commander Chakotay was going to attempt to locate another way out.  They had to go deeper into the mountain, which cut off communications nearly twelve hours ago.  He . . . sir, Commander Chakotay indicated that Vash was injured in the cave-in."

 Picard started for the turbolift.  "You have the Bridge, Number One.  Mr. Data, Mr. Lar, you're with me.  Contact Dr. Crusher and have her meet us in Transporter Room One."

 Riker nodded, not even bothering with a protest.  "Any other injuries, Kennely?"

 "Some minor injuries here and the Kirk was buried under debris; there have been a couple of injuries sustained in attempts to dig our way to the shuttle."

 "Stand by," Riker began.

 "Commander Riker," Kennely said.  "I'd prefer to remain on the surface to show Captain Picard where Vash and the Commander were last known to be."

 Nodding approvingly, he gestured toward the ensign manning the security station.  "Understood, Lieutenant, move away from the Kirk and the rest of the team."

 A mere minute after the shuttle and the others disappeared, Captain Picard and his away team materialized near Kennely's position.  While Dr. Crusher scanned him with her tricorder, he handed Data a PADD.  "Here are the readings and calculations we used to re-calibrate our equipment to account for the planet's interference, sir."

 "Where was Vash?" Picard asked.

 "Showing Commander Chakotay a section of the site inside the mountain," Kennely motioned toward the dig site.  "This way, sir."

 "You've talked to Chakotay since the earthquake?" Beverly asked, falling into line just behind Picard who was following Kennely.

 Kennely nodded.  "Yes, ma'am.  He said that he was all right but that Mrs. Picard wasn't.  He ordered me to concentrate on getting to the Kirk because he'd need medical supplies for her as soon as he got her out."

 Halfway up the mountainside, Data paused and tapped his communicator.  "Data to LaForge."

 "Go ahead, Data."

 "Geordi, I am sending some calculations.  I believe that the Enterprise's communications array can be calibrated to penetrate the interference."

 "I see it," LaForge acknowledged.  "I can make that signal stronger if I re-route it through the deflector dish.  We should be able to make contact with Commander Chakotay no matter where he is.  It'll take about twenty minutes to make the necessary changes."

 "Make it so," Picard ordered, anxious to hear Vash's voice just to know that she was alive.  Images of his own experience injured and trapped by a rock slide on that desert planet that they'd crashed on en route to Pentarus V haunted his every step up the mountainside.  Picturing Vash hurt the way he was twisted his stomach into knots.  He resumed their trek up to the cave mouth at a brisk pace.  Finally standing in front of the rocks blocking their way into the mountain, he immediately reached for a rock near the top of the entrance and began trying to clear the way.

 Lar stepped forward to assist the captain, but Kennely looked over to Data hesitantly.  "Commander Chakotay thought that trying to move the rocks might make things worse."

 Data scanned the rocks with his tricorder.  "He was correct.  Captain, I do not believe this is a wise course of action."

 Before Picard could respond, the pile shifted and rocks tumbled down, burying Lar and himself.  Data and Kennely quickly and carefully cleared the rocks away and moved aside to let Crusher check them.

 Beverly hit her commbadge.  "Crusher to Enterprise, medical--"

 "No," Picard protested.  "Vash is down here, I'm not going back to the Enterprise without her."

 "Jean-Luc," she appealed to him softly.  "Lar is unconscious and my tricorder is reading a mild concussion and cracked rib in you.  Let me--"

 "No."  His communicator chirped and he struggled to a sitting position before answering it.  "Picard."

 "Riker here, sir; I'm in Engineering.  LaForge has finished the adjustments and made contact with Commander Chakotay.  We're routing the signal to your communicator now."

 "First, beam Commander Lar to Sickbay," Picard interrupted.  A brief glance at Beverly told him that she didn't want to go back to the ship any more than he did at that moment.  Lar's body shimmered and disappeared just as his anthropologist's voice came through the commbadge.

 Inside the mountain, Chakotay had just picked Vash up to begin backtracking when his communicator chirped.  He'd set her back down on the ground before responding, relieved to hear Riker's voice over the commbadge telling him to stand by for the Captain.  He sat back down and pulled out his tricorder to scan her again, knowing that Beverly would need the most recent information on her condition.  Vash was going into shock; all of her vital signs were dropping.  "Commander Chakotay to Captain Picard."

 "Good to hear your voice, Commander," Picard said, gritting his teeth against the pain in his throbbing head and chest.  "How's Vash?  Mr. Kennely said she was hurt."

 "She needs medical attention as soon as possible," Chakotay reported.  "She's going into shock.  I've been trying to get to another exit in the mountainside, but I keep coming up against blocks.  I take it the Enterprise can't get a transporter lock."

 "Negative," Picard acknowledged.

 Data spoke up.  "Captain, I may be able to assist the Commander in finding a safe route out.  I will need to return to the ship."

 "Make it so," Picard ordered.

 Beverly gestured to Kennely.  "You beam up with him and report to Sickbay."

 "But, Dr. Crusher--"

 Picard struggled to his feet clutching his chest.  "Go, Lieutenant, that's an order."

 "Chakotay," Beverly turned her attention back to the situation at hand.  "Are you all right?"

 "Hi there, Fireball," he replied.  "I should have known that you'd come rushing to rescue me."

 "You didn't answer my question."

 Chakotay sighed.  "I still have all of my bioneural energy safely tucked away in my brain, there's no aliens aging me prematurely for their experiments, and no Borg hardware protruding from my body.  So far, the cave has been happily free of giant eels, macroviruses and nucleogenic life forms.  All in all, I've been worse; it's Vash I'm worried about.  She's got a concussion, broken and cracked ribs, a broken leg, a smashed hand and she's bleeding internally.  I've done what I can, but I need to get her out of here.

 For some reason, Beverly couldn't get the image of the time Jean-Luc had been stabbed by Jono out of her mind.  There was just something in Chakotay's voice that struck a dread but familiar chord.

 Picard heard some mumbling through the comm link.  "Is Vash conscious, Commander?"

 "Yes, sir," Chakotay replied.  Inside the mountain, he leaned closer to her.  "The Enterprise is here, Vash.  I'm talking to Captain Picard now."

 "Vash," Picard's voice came through Chakotay's commbadge.

 "Jean-Luc," she muttered softly.  "Tox Uthat, Stone of Gol, Iconian gateway . . ."

 Beverly put a steadying hand on Picard's shoulder.  "She sounds like she's delirious."

 Picard gave a snort and immediately regretted it, grabbing his chest in pain.  "She's reciting my litany of archaeological sins."

 "Captain," Data's voice broke into the conversation.  "I have re-calibrated the sensors and, using the communications link, I have pinpointed Commander Chakotay's location.  I can direct him out through the most stable and direct passageways from here."

 Chakotay sat back and closed his eyes.  "How far is it, Commander Data?"

 "Two point six kilometers," Data replied.

 "Well," Chakotay sighed.  "I guess this is as good a time as any to tell you something, Captain."

 "Yes, Commander?"

 "The Kirk might have a few scratches on her."

 Picard couldn't help but grin.  "Well, we'll just hope that the Enterprise crew is as good at repairing your shuttles as the Voyager crew was."

 "Captain Picard," Data said.  "I believe that a team carrying modified pattern enhancers could  enter the mountain where the Commander will be coming out and meet him sooner.  The modified pattern enhancers might allow transport even from inside the mountain."

 "At the very least it might get medical help to Vash more quickly," Picard said.

 "Yes, sir."

 "Make it so, transmit the coordinates to my tricorder.  Doctor Crusher and I will meet a security team at the exit as soon as the modifications to the pattern enhancers are complete."

 Chakotay was about to pick Vash back up when Data addressed him through the comm link.

 "Commander, do you have a phaser?"

 "Yes, Data.  Why?"

 "There is a passageway with a more clear route just on the other side of the wall directly in front of you.  If you adjust the output of the phaser, it should be possible to create an opening without causing a cave-in."

 Chakotay took out his phaser, positioning a wristlight so that he could see it.  "And you're going to tell me how to make that helpful adjustment, aren't you?"

 Outside the mountain, Beverly was trying to fix Picard's injuries before they started off.  She'd looked away from him only long enough to prepare a hypospray for his pain and, when she looked up, he was heading down the path.  "Captain, we've got a few minutes, let me take care of your injuries."

 "We need to get moving," he replied.  "We can start into the mountain and security can catch up after they beam down."

 "Jean-Luc," Beverly grabbed his arm.  "You won't be any good to her if that cracked rib breaks and punctures a lung.  Sit down and let me--"

 "No!" he barked angrily, wrenching his arm away from her.  "Enough, Doctor, if you're not coming with me, go back to the ship and prepare for wounded; just leave me alone."

 "And wait for you to bring me the dead body of my husband yet again?" she hurled at him.  When Picard stopped short, she realized what she'd said.  "I'm sorry, Jean-Luc, I know you're worried about Vash; I just can't shake this awful feeling about Chakotay."

 She watched him slowly turn around and walk back to her.  Not resisting when drew her into his arms, she rested her head on his shoulder and thought about all of the years that they'd known each other.  Her friendship with Jean-Luc had been the one constant in her life, through love and loss his shoulder had always been there to lean on.  There had been a time when something might have happened between them and she was glad that it hadn't.  This situation would have been completely unbearable if there were any awkwardness between them.

 Picard pulled back and tilted her chin up to meet his gaze.  "Commander Chakotay is a good officer and he's been in plenty of dangerous situations.  He survived the Delta Quadrant, albeit with the help of a good crew and a captain who refused to give up.  I am confident that the crew of the Enterprise can match Janeway and Voyager on both counts, even if my CMO isn't a hologram.  I have a CMO who once disobeyed a direct order because she refused to give up and leave any of her crew behind while she was in command."

 "He's right," they were both startled when Chakotay's voice came over the still-active comm link.  "You know, there was this time that my shuttle was shot down and I was conscripted by this race called the Vori.  By the time Tuvok found me they had me so confused that, according to our EMH, they could have convinced me that my mother was a turnip.  I've been in worse situations, Fireball.  You won't be able to kiss me and make it better if you end up in the brig for insubordination.  Of course, Captain Picard won't be any more help than you if he passes out because of his injuries."

 Beverly and Picard exchanged rueful grins, their years of friendship negating the need for even a telepathic link to know what each other was thinking.  Picard spoke into his commbadge.  "Mr. Data?"

 "There is no other crew in the vicinity of this station, sir; nobody else heard this conversation," Data replied.

 Chakotay spoke up.  "Captain, if you ever tell your wife I said this, I'll deny it; but, she gets a little heavy to carry after a while.  This will be easier on me if I don't have to do any talking for the time being.  Data can monitor my progress and contact me if he needs to adjust my course."

 Picard was already sitting on a nearby boulder while Beverly repaired his cracked rib.  "Understood, Commander, we'll get to you as soon as possible.  Mr. Data, check in with Commander Chakotay every fifteen minutes at a minimum unless circumstances require more frequent contact."

 "Yes, sir," Data replied.

 "I love you, Chakotay," Beverly said softly, just before Picard closed their end of the link.

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

 Stumbling in the blackness of the passage, Chakotay dropped to his knees to avoid falling with Vash in his arms.  The impact jarred his entire body and he decided to rest for a while before he actually fell or worse, dropped Vash.  He laid her down gently and stretched out on the ground beside her.  He had almost drifted to sleep when his communicator chirped, startling him awake.

 "Commander Chakotay," Data said.  "Sensors indicate that you have not moved from your current position in seven minutes.  Is there a problem?"

 "No, Data," he replied.  "I just need to rest for a while.  It's not like this mountain is some huge bioplasmic organism creating a neurogenic field to trap us.  I also don't think there are any dreamscape aliens waiting to trap me in a dream state to control me, I'm just tired."

 Data transmitted their current location to the rescue party.  "Very well, would you prefer to forego communications checks for a brief time?"

 "Give me an hour," Chakotay requested.  "Vash needs medical attention, her condition is pretty bad, but I can't carry her any further without some rest.  Wake me up in sixty minutes."

 "Understood."

 Slowing his breathing, Chakotay tried to doze but Vash began stirring beside him.  She was murmuring incoherently and reaching out with her hands.  He pulled out the tricorder to run a scan.

 "Jean-Luc," she mumbled.  Her left hand came into contact with a muscled length of thigh.  Purring softly, she slid her hand higher, " . . . caves."

 Before he realized where her delirious mind had gone, her hand was stroking him intimately.  Quickly, he caught her hand and moved it away from his body.  "Shhh, just sleep now," he whispered to her.  He put the tricorder back on his belt and shifted a little further away from Vash.  Closing his eyes, his beautiful red-haired wife danced through his mind as he drifted off to sleep.

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

 "Data to Captain Picard."

 Picard didn't even pause, he continued down the dimly-lit passage as he slapped his communicator.  "Go ahead, Data."

 "Sir, I have been unable to contact Commander Chakotay.  He requested one hour of rest; however, he is not responding to my attempts to wake him."

 Beverly put a hand on the cold, stone wall beside her for support against the wave of nausea that washed over her.  Jack's body in the morgue, Odan's body in her Sickbay and the expression on Ronin's face when she destroyed him, the images flooded through her mind.  Her hands shaking, she opened her tricorder, attempting to locate life-signs in the corridor ahead.

 "How far away are we?" Picard asked.

 "Three hundred meters," Data replied.  "There is a thirty-degree angle in the tunnel approximately two hundred meters ahead that would prevent your tricorders from detecting them."

 Picard sped up, difficult in the treacherous terrain, but he was determined to find Vash.  "Understood, Mr. Data; tell Geordi to be ready to transport four directly to Sickbay on my order.  The security team will follow."

 For Beverly, an eternity passed before the light from Jean-Luc's wristlight showed the dim outline of two bodies ahead.  She rushed past Picard, kneeling beside Chakotay to run a quick scan on both of them.  She sighed in relief when she realized that he was in a deep state of sleep, most likely due to extreme exhaustion.  "Get those pattern enhancers online now!" she snapped.  She got Picard's attention from where he was kneeling on the other side of Vash.  "She's just unconscious, Jean-Luc.  She needs emergency surgery, but her chances of survival are good."

 Hearing voices, Chakotay stirred.  A hand on his shoulder kept him from sitting up.

 "It's all right, Chakotay," Beverly said, her hand moving to caress his cheek tenderly.  "We're here, everything is under control."

 "Vash," he mumbled as he gestured toward her.

 "Will be taken in for surgery as soon as those pattern enhancers are set up.  We're going to beam you up from here."  She turned his face to look at her.  "You lied to me; you said you were all right."

 Chakotay reached for her hand and kissed her palm.  "I said I've been worse, which is true.  You should have seen the condition I was in the time I got trapped in a graviton ellipse; not to mention the time that the spatial anomaly zapped the warp core and I ended up in Sickbay with plasma burns and my whole body in temporal flux."

 "You have a hairline fracture of your hip bone, a bruised kidney and stress fractures on your left scapula; yet, you've been carrying Vash through the mountain for nearly a day," she admonished him.  "That is not being fine and you should have said something when I asked, but no, you were also apparently suffering from testosterone poisoning.  What am I going to do with you?"

 "Spank me?" Chakotay suggested, a dimple peeking out of his cheek at her.

 Beverly tapped his nose.  "Don't tempt me."  Making adjustments to a hypospray, she pressed it against his neck.  "This will help with the pain."

 The instant that the pattern enhancers were all active, Picard barked into his communicator, "Mr. LaForge, energize!"

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

 Vash slowly became aware of her surroundings.  There were noises and people; when she opened her eyes, she winced and shut them against the brightness.  Her body felt like latinum, it took inordinate effort just to raise her hand up to shield her eyes.  As she brought her right hand up though, it collided with something.

 "Vash," Picard was instantly jolted awake by a blow to his forehead.  That discomfort was instantly forgotten when he realized that she was waking up.  He stood and gestured for Beverly.

 "Jean-Luc," she murmured.  "Chakotay . . ."

 "He's fine," Picard assured her.  "You were the one who gave us a scare."

 Vash looked around, her eyes adjusting to the lights in Sickbay.  Her mind started to clear.  "He said something about taking off his pants."

 Beverly overheard the last part of their exchange and chuckled.  "Well, we did find the two of you sleeping together; however, he did have his pants on."

 "Chakotay used most of his uniform to bandage your injuries," Picard explained.  "Then he carried you out of the mountain in spite of his own injuries."

 Vash smiled.  "What a nice man.  Thank him properly for me, would you Bev?"

 "As soon as he's up to it," Beverly promised with a wink.  For the first time she noticed a small cut over Jean-Luc's eye.

 Picard caught her questioning look and felt his brow.  "My head got in the way of her stasis unit."

 "Alyssa," Beverly called out.  "Could you bring a dermal regenerator over here, please?  Mrs. Picard just assaulted the captain."

 Vash, meanwhile, was eying the contraption covering her right hand and wrist.

 "It's just a stasis cylinder," Beverly told her while she checked the bio-bed readings.  "We had a hard enough time stabilizing your condition as it was, we haven't had a chance to repair the damage to your hand yet.  You'll be here at least a week, no matter how much rank your husband tried to pull, but you're going to be as good as new."

 "Earthquake . . . cave-in," everything was starting to come together.  "Yet another archaeological marvel destroyed by the Picard Touch."

 Picard grinned at her weakened effort to bait him.  Carefully cradling the stasis cylinder protecting her smashed hand, he sat down on the bed beside her.  "Now wait a minute ma chere, I wasn't even there.  How could it be my fault?"

 "You're a man, therefore it was your fault.  Logic is irrelevant."

 "Does that mean you're responsible for the Flyer?" Picard shot back good-naturedly.

 Vash winked at Beverly.  "No, that was the Chakotay Effect."

**FINIS**