A/N: The first chapter has a lot of stuff taken from the 'The Best of Both Worlds'. However, I have changed it into a more PC story. Completely altering what takes place. In fact, the Borg Queen might become a little out of character. (I've watched First Contact and feel I can take this liberty after watching her interact with Data.) Again, the only thing that remains true to the original episode is this first chapter. After that, it's all me. But please, feel free to correct me on anything I have screwed up. Or just a comment or suggestion. Trust me, I appreciate them. Thank you.

Now without further ado, Songbook presents: Best of One World

Dr. Beverly Crusher gasped as her eyes finally found the familiar face in the mists of the commotion aboard the Borg ship.

"Jean-Luc," was all she could manage and she stared at what she assumed was still her best friend. Before she could react, Worf sprang into action behind her.

"Captain!" He tried to reach Captain Jean-Luc Picard, but a force field of some kind kept him at a distance. It was then Beverly realized that Data was holding her back and Commander Shelby was calling for them to be beamed away. Away from him. Without him.

The walk from the transporter room to the bridge was longer than she remembered. Everyone was so quiet. Even Data had nothing to add to the situation. Nor did Shelby, when usually that woman could not keep her mouth shut. There was nothing to distract her. Nothing. And it got worse when they finally arrived on the bridge. Beverly nearly collapsed at the sight of his empty seat.

"The Captain?" Will Riker's voice pulled her attention back to the matter at hand. They had a report to give. She avoided Shelby's eyes as Data spoke up. At least he sounded neutral.

"We were unable to retrieve him, sir. The Captain has been altered by the Borg-"

"Altered?" No, not altered. Destroyed. Tainted. Were the Borg even human? Was he even human anymore?

"He is a Borg." Beverly almost snapped at Worf. Jean-Luc Picard could never be a Borg. He was the Captain of this ship. Not a life-sucking, destruction seeking, over-supreme life form. He was still a man; still the only man she would ever need.

"We'll go back." Thank you, Shelby. Finally someone was speaking with some sense. "I need more people. We need to retune the phasers again. We will get him out of there."

Geordie LeForge was talking about something technical. About the deflector. The doctor in Beverly gathered all of her knowledge together. She knew what Commander Riker's decision would have to be. One man for taking down the Borg? It seemed like a no-brainer. But this was different. Will had to see reason.

"Will, he's alive." It was Dr. Crusher speaking. She was masking the breakdown of Beverly over a man who was the world to her. "If we could get him back to the ship I might be able to restore-"

"This is our only chance to destroy them. If they get back into warp, our weapon is useless."

Shelby was arguing with Riker again, Beverly could hear the desperation in the poor woman's voice. However, she also heard the pain in Will's voice as he made the most difficult decision of his life. One that Jean-Luc Picard had once made. And that had ended in Jack Crusher's death. Damn Starfleet and it's regulations. Damn the Borg. Damn death. Damn life.

"Sir, we are being hailed by the Borg," Worf's voice was constant. He knew his job. As did the rest of them.

"On screen." And there he was. The great Captain of the Flagship of the Federation of Planets. The formidable Jean-Luc Picard. Now, he was nothing more than a machine. A Borg. Oh, Jean-Luc. They had to save him.

"I am Locutus of Borg. Resistance is futile. Your life as it has been is over. From this time forward , you will service us." It was his voice. The deep baritone Beverly knew so well. But who was Locutus? Who was us? She was so caught up in mentally diagnosing everything the Borg could have possibly done to him to make him act like this, she almost missed Commander Riker's order.

"Mr. Worf. Fire." Her heart literally stopped. There is was. The order everyone knew had to come. But he had really said it. Will was willing to kill him. Starfleet was willing to kill the man who had devoted the entirety of his magnificent life to its cause. Jean-Luc. Her Jean-Luc. And he would never know. The man would never know how she really felt.

It didn't work. Beverly did not know whether to jump for joy that she still had the chance to save Jean-Luc or allow the thought that they might not be able to defeat the Borg to enter her mind. But why had it not worked? Why was there no damage? Then she heard his voice again.

"The knowledge and experience of the human, Picard, is part of us now. It has prepared us for all possible courses of action. Your resistance is hopeless." Beverly steeled herself at his words. Nothing was hopeless for Captain Picard. "Number One." She could not bring herself to look at Will. She knew that as much as she was hurting, he was right there with her. They all were.

A casualty. That's what he was to Starfleet now. A casualty. That was it, he was dead to them. How could it be over, just like that? Captain Riker was not exactly pleased with the notion either. But they had a job to do. The Borg were going after Earth and it was their job to assist in stopping them. Dr. Crusher was preparing her sickbay. There was nothing to do now but wait. Wait for Jean-Luc Picard, no Locutus, to make his move against humanity.

Beverly had to admit, William T. Riker certainly knew what he was doing. Much to her surprise so did Commander Shelby. The new Captain executed his plan flawlessly. Not only did he come up with an entirely new battle plan, he saved the Enterprise from further damage and managed to get Data and Worf aboard the Borg ship to rescue Captain Picard.

Her heart leapt to her throat as she waited in the transporter room for their return. What if there was nothing she could do? What if he was already too far gone? What if all of this was for nothing? All of her 'what if's faded when Data and Worf appeared on the transport pad with the man between them. All of Beverly's fears faded into the background. She was a doctor and a damn good one; if anyone could save him, it was her.

She took a deep breath as she looked at the man, not the machine, on her table. The Borg had done some serious damage. They were literally rewriting his DNA. Everything that made him human was slowly fading away. Dr. Crusher glanced once more at Will before she administered the hypospray. So much could go wrong when he woke up. Nevertheless she bent down close to his face, speaking evenly into his ear.

"Jean-Luc. It's Beverly. Can you hear me?"