Gratefully the Counselor nodded. "Aye Captain."

========

Going back to his empty quarters with all the thoughts that were running through his mind didn't seem very appealing and so he directed the lift to Ten Forward. He could do with a drink.

    The large area was crowded as it always was after a tense mission, which was why he avoided coming there until most of the officers where either a sleep or on duty. Right now he didn't mind the humming of voices around him.

    He found a free spot at the bar and watched the staff hurrying to keep up with the costumers, noting to his regret that Guinan was no where in sight. Just then the dark-skinned El-Aurian, dressed in a dress so blue it nearly hurt his eyes, walked out of the room adherent to the bar. "Captain." She greated him, and walked away from him.

    A little surprised he watched and waited, feeling silly by just sitting there without having something to drink or someone to talk to. Just when his discomfort was growing to a point where he decided to leave, Guinan came back and gave him a drink as blue as her dress.

   She watched him as he tasted the liquid and he tried hard not to show that he really didn't like the drink. Guinan smiled benignly and dove back under the counter. He heard bottles being pushed around. "Ah ha! There you are." She stood back up, took a few moments to smooth the crinkles out of her dress and then put a small pink bottle --no taller than five centimeters-- next ot his glass. With slow and deliberate movements she unscrewed the cork and sniffed the content. "I forgot." She said and tipped the bottle. One drop escaped from its slender neck and mixed with the blue in his glass. He expected a grand color change to happen, or perhaps an explosion. Guinan always had a, curios way of brewing drinks, but nothing happened this time. "Surprised?"

   "Yes." Jean-Luc admitted slowly.

   "Not all changes are visible, taste it." He did so, trusting that the taste would be much more agreeable to him now, but still experiencing the lingering taste of last time. And indeed, the liquid was less sweet now and had a distinct fruity-taste. "Of course, now that it has changed, it can't go back to the way it was. You cannot see that one pink drop amongst all the others, but it is there and it does influence the blue."

   Picard stared at his mysterious friend. He understood what she was saying, that he couldn't expect everything to be as it had been after any change, yet he didn't see why she would remind him. He had learned that particular lesson long ago.

   Guinan reached back under the counter and pulled up a large bottle that held green liquid. "I could add a drop of this." She told him, putting the new bottle next to the small pink one. "And the taste of the drink would change again. I don't think you would like it though, but there's no way you could revert the drink back."

   "I can get a new drink."

   "Can you get a new Ship's Counselor?"

   Startled he watched his friend. He couldn't recall her being this straightforward before. "I don't expect her to be the same!" He exclaimed before he could catch himself.

   Guinan smiled again. "Did I say that?" Picard shook his head, not in agreement but in acknowledgement of the situation, too aware of the laughter in her brown eyes. "Take this drink. It's really a combination of two different drinks and each is a collection of many different chemicals, but the differences complement each other. If I would've added green instead of pink the combination would have been different. Perhaps less enjoyable to you, but more enjoyable to the next person."