"Happy valentines day!" Came a male deep voice.
Jim looked up from the rows of flowers holding a water can to see a familiar man. At first he didn't recognize the man. The man was middle aged (well, preferably old because his hair was gray and he had a small beard) leaning against the doorway with his arms folded. The man was in a command red uniform. Jim stood up raising an eyebrow at the man. He hadn't heard anyone coming in through the back door let alone flying right in. That would have been amusing to see that happen. Life was weird for the former captain of the USS Enterprise. This did not phase him.
"Have we met?" Jim asked.
The man appeared to be insulted.
"Oh," The man said. "You don't recognize me!"
"No, I don't," Jim stepped forward. "Get out of my yard before I call the police."
The man unfolded his arms.
"Oh well, it has been decades after all since we last met," The man reappeared alongside Jim, floating in mid air, close to the younger man's ear. "Does the planet Gothos ring a bell?"
Trelane!
Jim turned around reaching for his communicator but it vanished.
"Now,now,now!" The man shook his hand. "There is no need to be afraid of me, Kirk. I am reformed. I call myself Q these days."
"Trelane, why are you here?" Jim asked.
Q reappeared across from Jim with a grin on his face.
"To wish you a happy valentines day." Q said.
"You don't just come to wish me a happy valentines day." Jim said.
"Party pooper." Q stuck out his tongue.
"Why do you look so old?" Jim asked.
"I am not old." Q said.
"Yes, you are." Jim said.
"Your perception of me reflects on your view of yourself." Q said.
"If that were true, everyone around me would be old." Jim said.
"Now we're on the same page!" Q took the watering can and flew over the flowers letting loose water onto the plants humming.
"Trelane!" Jim shouted.
"I am busy," Q called back. "Can't hear you!"
"Give back my watering can!" Jim demanded.
"Oh stop stressing yourself out," Q chided him. "That is not good for your heart." Q made a chair appear below Jim and made himself sit down. "Sit down and relax!" The entity appeared floating in mid air, legs folded, and his arms folded looking down toward the younger man. "It is my treat."
Q snapped his fingers making a book appear in Jim's hands in a white flash and a pair of reading glasses. The communicator reappeared on the counter beside the couch inside the house. The dust in every corner of the house vanished as well. A banner appeared in the living room entitled "HAPPY VALENTINES DAY, SPOCK!" in the colors of space contrasting against the white background. The watering can appeared beside the glass door on the porch.
"Trelane,what is this?" Jim asked.
"A book about holographic people. My gift to you. It is interesting. Just been published by The Doctor. I believe you might like it. Has everything that you love about books! This one is about a holoprogram commanding a starship!" Q rubbed his hands with a glint. "It is very entertaining to bother a holoprogram commanding a starship." Jim's eyes widened. "No, we did not sword fight." Jim's eyes returned to their usual size. "Sadly. I wonder why Spock hasn't told you about the time I saved humanity from the asteroid."
"You have been bothering a holoprogram for half a century?" Jim asked, in disbelief.
"No," Q said. "Other species. Even a few starship captains."
Jim's eyebrows furrowed together.
"I have not heard of you for over ninety years and you pop in on Valentines day." Jim said.
"Yes." Q said.
"To pamper me!" Jim added. "You are apologetic for your actions."
Q's face grew dark.
"Why would I be apologetic about my own actions that were legitimately sound?"
"You were a spoiled brat back then."
"Ow, I was not!"
"Was too. You threatened to kill me!"
"Hanging you would have been a terrible way to go out. Shooting you in the back was terrible. Making you die by a weak bridge? Now that,I am afraid, would have been awful." Q shook his head. "I decided to pay you a visit. Perhaps the chocolate will not make Spock drunk this time. It is a type of chocolate that does not make Vulcan's drunk."
The book appeared on the glass table and in Jim's hand appeared a heart shaped box.
"Trelane. . . that is way too far." Jim said.
"Being nice scares you, doesn't it?" Q asked.
"It does." Jim said.
"Believe me when I say this 'There is nothing to worry about'." Q said.
Jim eyed the entity, thinking back of someone he knew, contemplating.
"Do you know of the missing Captain Picard?" Jim finally asked.
"Yes, I do-" Q stopped. "Wait a minute." Q appeared right in front of Jim then grabbed him by the shirt collar. "Missing! MISSING? WHAT DO YOU MEAN JEAN-LUC IS MISSING?"
"He never came to realize he was in The Nexus," Jim said. "Stuck in a world where he never made certain mistakes."
Q let go stepping back.
"I made sure. . ." Q's voice lowered. "That he had no regrets."
"I came back with an echo of him," Jim said. "It vanished after he died."
"I am sorry." Q apologized, visibly shaken.
"For what?" Jim asked.
"Making the Nexus. It is my fault." Q said, his head low.
"Trelane, I got to live longer and be with my soulmate coming toward the end of his life. I don't think it is a bad mistake. I think it is a good mistake. I got to see Scotty again, and Bones!" He waved a hand. "I got to meet the grandchildren of my crew. I wouldn't have been able to if I never went in and died of natural age sixty years ago. I was there for my friend Bones on his death bed as was Spock and Scotty, with his family. Some mistakes are meant to be made."
"Being stuck in The Nexus is not one of them." Q said.
"That wasn't a mistake." Jim said.
"How are you so certain?" Q asked.
"Certain events are meant to happen, Trelane. It is what makes us who we are." Jim said.
Q looked back at the direction of Jim.
"I am going to bring him back and change history," Q said. "But . . . What ship were you on after getting off the planet?"
"The Farragut." Jim said.
Q smiled, decently.
"Thank you." Q said.
Q snapped his fingers, vanishing in a white flash.
"Jim?" Came Spock's voice. "Why is there decorations in the house?"
Jim smiled then entered the house.
"Happy valentines day, Spock!" Jim said. "I have some chocolate that won't make you drunk!" Spock raised a gray arched eyebrow. "A gift from Trelane, though, he calls himself Q."
Spock had recently returned from a successful mission saving the planet Romulus.
Picard was sitting down in his room reading a novel when a certain white flash drew his attention. There was a certain old, gray man leaning against the doorway with a familiar grin on his face. He hadn't seen that face in what felt like two decades. Picard lowered the book down with a easily contrasting frown on his face then he stood up.
"Q, get off my bridge!" Picard said.
Q took a rose from behind his back and held it out toward Picard then knelt down.
"Will you be my valentine?" Q said. "And also, we are on Vulcan, not your little silver lady."
"I will not be your valentine, Q." Picard said.
The rose vanished in a white flash appearing in a vase with water in it on a nearby table.
"Temper, temper," Q said, shaking his index finger as he stood up. "How is the Ambassadorship going for you?"
"Quite fine." Picard said, eying at the entity cautiously.
Q smirked.
"And what about your little old friends?" Q said, appearing beside Picard in a white flash. "How are they fairing out?"
"You know," Picard said. "You know everything."
Q grew a grim look.
"Is this appearance too unbelievable for you, Mon capitaine?" Q asked, referring to himself. "Making you feel old and senile? Believe it or not, but I don't know everything about your recent history. Been quite busy for a eternity making sure my latest son q became matured. He gave me a lot of gray hair."
"q Junior." Picard said.
"Ah," Q said, his mood brightening. "You heard of him!"
"Janeway told me what you tried to do with her." Picard said.
"What do you mean by tried?" The entity's eyebrow twitched. "I succeeded!" Q said, now sitting down in a chair appearing to be in his fifties, legs crossed, dark curly hair that appeared to be black. "Hmm. . ." Q rubbed his chin. "It seems The Nexus has been catching captains logs in their transmissions and screwing them up."
"No, I heard you mated with one of your own." Picard said.
"She was my ex-mate," Q said. "We went our separate ways after our marriage was dissolved." Q leaned his arm on the arm rest staring at the captain. "What about Data?"
"He died saving my life." Picard said.
"Wroooong!" Q said, leaning back into the chair. "He is very alive serving under Captain William Thomas Riker of the USS Enterprise E as first officer. Deanna and Will married two years after you helped save a entire system, sort of. Worf became interested in a woman named Jadzia Dax, had twins with her, and has recently became a captain of his starship named The USS Warf. Geordi La Forge is designing starships. Janeway is a admiral. Tuvok is a rear admiral. Chakotay is still serving Star Fleet. Neelix is a ambassador, still. Tom Paris has become a official doctor as of recently. The Doctor has got a patent for holo-emitters for sapient holoprograms. Wesley is being annoying as usual," Q made a coffee cup with the words 'BEST DAD EVER' in blue print. "Along with the traveler." He lowered the cup down. "Spock is enjoying his time with James T. Kirk on Vulcan. Romulus is safe. Romulans are still attempting to rage war between Klingons and The federation. B-4 and Beta, both Soong type Androids, are advocates for Androids."
"B-4. . ." Picard said.
"Yes." Q nodded.
"I saw Jim die years ago," Picard said. "I was with him when he died."
Q briefly closed his eyes.
"You were righting a mistake that you had done wrong," Q said. "You never went with him."
"Q, why are you telling me this?" Picard asked.
Q stood up.
"Because you have regrets," Q said. "You are still in the Nexus. You make a terrible role model for those echoes inside with you. You should be the best captain/admiral/ambassador out there by acknowledging that this isn't real!" Q threw his coffee cup at the wall where it smacked into pieces spilling what contents were on the floor. "But this?" His hands clenched into a fist. "That makes me so. . so. . . so angry." Q stood up, his eyes ablazed, his glare drilling a hole in Picard's forehead. "It hurts me so that I care about you." Q tapped on Picard's chest. "Stop living in your regrets."
"I don't need your pity." Picard said.
"So you admit that this isn't real?" Q said, his eyes glowing in hope.
"It is real, Q!" Picard replied.
"You are better than this, Jean-Luc!" Q walked away shaking his head. "I know you are." The last part came out bitter. "You are hardly the man I knew anymore. The terran I know would immediately know he is stuck somewhere he should not be." Q laid his hand down on the arm rest of the couch making it start to turn into ash. The rug beneath his shoes began to dissolve. "If you discover where you are. I'll be there." Q then had the looks of a older man in a white flash. "Data misses you."
Q vanished in a white flash leaving Picard to a empty room.
The couch turned into a pile of ash and the rug was gone.
"You are still in the Nexus."
"You are hardly the man I knew, anymore."
"Data misses you."
Q's words hung in the air.
This side of Q that actually came to his house and gave him, basically, a dressing down was far odd. Q never did that. Never. It was too real to be fake. If this were fake, then wouldn't his current status as Ambassador be one too? How did Q know he was a Ambassador? Was it his Ambassador robes that was a dead give away? Picard looked over to see the mess made by Q was gone. The vase, however, was in pieces and the rose was drenched caught in a mess of red petals on the floor. Picard recalled burying the body of the former admiral on a mountain. He recalled telling the Vulcan that the man had died. There was silence on Spock's end as the Vulcan's perfect calm demeanor stared back at the captain.
The scenery changed before Picard's eyes to Vash, clothed in a red dress, laid on the bed with a grin with one hand cupping the side of her face and her lips a rosy red. She had one hand on the side of her thigh. The bed was a queen sized bed draped in purple blankets with gray pillows and white sheets underneath decorated in what seemed to be cellular DNA design. The room was pink. There were two pairs of cabinets beside the queensized bed with alarm clocks on the left hand side of the room. There were a collection of books alongside the bed.
"Miss me, Picard?" Vash asked.
Picard's eyes widened.
"This is not real," Picard said. "None of this is real."
"What is wrong, Picard?" Vash asked, sitting up right concerned.
"What is wrong?" Picard said, stepping back. The scene had shifted before his eyes. He had been a fool. "None of this is real!"
Vash vanished before his eyes.
A white glowing doorway appeared across from Picard. Picard saw the scene change to the house of his brothers ablazed. His eyes widened. Rene!, Picard thought, at first. He stormed through the portal landing into the scenery of the house. Picard kicked open the door making it fall straight down to the floor. Picard used his uniform to cover his nose then he went up the staircase. He could smell the smoke in the building. He went to Rene's room first. Rene was fast sleep in his bed, undisturbed, unknown of what was going on around him.
Picard uncovered his nose then went over to the boy. Smoke was drifting off the flames engulfing most of the exploration related posters and merchendise about the room. He pulled the blanket back then picked the little boy into his arms. He stepped back in the nick of time when the wall above gave out making a cackle. Rene stirred in his sleep.
Picard moved through the hall making it to the door of Robert and Marie.
"Nephew?" Rene asked.
Picard used his free boot to kick down the door.
"Robert!" Picard shouted,over the flames. "The house is on fire!"
"Go to bed, brother." Came a grumble.
"Father said you made a terrible planter!" Picard retorted.
Robert got upright, eyes wide, and his glare was very 'How-dare-you-say-that' then his attitude changed upon seeing the fierce flames. Robert saw Rene in Picard's arms. His eyes full of shock at the sight of Picard's unexpected return. Robert shared a nod with Picard. Picard went down the stairs carefully standing out of the way of the firesome blaze. One half of the blaze brought down the rails to the staircase. There was array of flames around the doorway. Picard went through the doorway acting as a shield for Rene.
Picard went out of the threshold out into the street getting five feet away from the blazed house. Picard lowered Rene down to the ground on his feet.
"Nephew," Rene said. "'Why are you here? How did you get here?"
Picard placed one hand on Rene's shoulder.
"I was granted shore leave and so I decided to come," Picard said. "Soon as I saw the house on fire. . . I had to act."
Picard took his hand off Rene's shoulder.
Robert and Marie came out of the blazing Picard family house.
"Dad!" Rene ran over to his father.
Picard could sense that Q was near.
"All right Q," Picard said. "I will be your valentine."
Picard's scenery changed into a white flash.
Riker was looking down toward the planet at the observation deck of the Farragut. They hadn't found Picard's body. Not at all. Jim had been insistent that Picard had been with him though lamented at the loss of a good man. Data came into the room holding Spot in his arms stroking the cat with his left hand.
"I theorize the captain is not dead," Data said. "There is a good chance he is still alive."
Riker looked over toward the Android.
"Maybe he is." Riker said.
"I received a message from Rene ten minutes ago that was supposed to be sent to the captain," Data said. "He was asking why Nephew left so suddenly after rescuing them from a fire. I am confused as to why he referred to the captain as Nephew as he is his Uncle."
Riker raised an eyebrow.
"But Rene is dead." Riker said.
"That is illogical," Data said. "The time stamp indicated the message was sent an hour ago. A ghost can not send a message all the way from Earth to space."
"That is odd," Riker said. "Doctor Crusher told me why the captain left so suddenly from the holodeck. It does not make sense."
Data vanished in a white flash to be replaced by Picard who had a smile on his face.
"Captain?" Riker said, stunned.
"Riker, how are you?" Picard said, his voice made him sound older. He didn't look much older than the last time Riker had seen the older man.
"I am fine," Riker said. "And you?"
"I have had the time of my life." Picard said.
"Captain, where have you been?" Riker asked. "Where is Data?"
"He is suspended," Picard said, casually. "He is fine." He shook his hand. "Riker, I want you to relay a message to Beverly."
Riker raised his eyebrows.
"What is it?" Riker asked.
In a white flash by Picard's side appeared Q who had one hand on Picard's shoulder. His dark curly hair to the side had started to grow gray. Q was in a command red uniform like Picard. Picard seemed to be relaxed and did not seem to be bothered by it. There was something different about the two. In a white flash in Riker's arms appeared a collection of flowers with a red ribbon.
"Tell her I am happy," Picard said. "And that for the Picard family to live, someone has to stay dead to the world."
"Happy valentines day." Q said.
"I don't understand." Riker said, his eyebrows lowering.
"It is like having good luck," Q said. "In order for someone to have a lucky day, something bad must happen."
"That is how the universe works,Riker," Picard said. "Consider me. . . retired for the time being." He looked over toward Q then back toward Riker. "But I make sure that we obey the Prime Directive." Q took his hand off Picard's shoulder. "And Q is not as bad as he has made himself out to be."
"I wish you a very warm and naked wedding, Mr Troi." Q said.
"Q!" Picard said, glaring over toward Q.
"What?" Riker asked, dumbfounded.
"I am so glad that humans don't get married naked." Q said.
"Q, enough of the commentary on the Beastaziod culture with Riker!" Picard said. "He has to learn a majority of it on his own. If you keep making comments about their marriage ways then I will make sure we have our marriage, NAKED, on a planet that have four feet tall alien beings with pointy ears and ensure you have the worst time while at it."
Riker's jaw dropped at the mention of marriage between the two.
"Oh seriously," Q said, folding his arms. "The Vulcan's freaky counterparts?"
"Not my fault you made them short." Picard said.
"They were meant to be short in the beginning." Q said.
Picard frowned.
"That does not excuse doing that to them." Picard said.
Q was taller than Picard in comparison.
Riker lifted his jaw back up as a small smile started to grow on his face picturing the most unlikely wedding. It was strange to picture it. No one had ever thought of it, except for Troi. Troi confided to Riker that she could feel strong feelings from Q towards the captain. It wasn't the kind that would usually come from a entity toying with a human. It was different. A sense of care, amusement, and fondness all put into one entity. It would usually come from someone who was dating another person or had a certain crush on them.
"They said they were taller than me," Q said. "Now I am taller than them."
"I don't understand how the Q continuum can stand you doing that." Picard said.
"They are blissfully unaware of what I do outside my humanity studies." Q beamed.
". . . You are going to crash terribly and I am not going to be there when you do. Make the worst mistake of your life and it will result in your death." Picard said.
"I am omnipotent." Q said.
"From what I understand: they can take it away from you." Picard said.
"Who do I get married naked to?" Riker asked.
"No one!" Q said, cheerfully in unison with Picard's reply that was "No one!". "My advice, however, is to give that to your dear imzadi before the flowers die."
"Q." Picard repeated.
Q looked over toward Picard.
"You want me to send you to Hawaii?" Q asked. "The one from a planet outside of the milk way galaxy. I'll join you shortly."
"You are pampering me." Picard said.
"That I am," Q said. "Today is February 14th, in Q time. That's why I agreed to bring you here." He looked over toward the commander then back to Picard. "Just to make your farewells with your intended friends." Q's voice had become lowered as though he knew something was coming near. A time Q was feeling mixed emotions about. "Don't be afraid for what will happen to me after you go. You have gave me the best time of my own lifetime."
Picard turned toward Riker.
It struck Riker that Picard was at the end of his rope.
"Goodbye,Riker," Picard said. "I have arranged my own farewell to Mr Data. I know you will captain the Enterprise-E well as you served me."
"Goodbye." Riker said.
In a white flash a smiling Picard left.
"Let him die," Riker said, his eyes darting to Q. "Don't pull any tricks on him."
Q grinned.
"I know what exactly I am doing after he dies," Q said. "He is going to be with me for a eternity!" Then Q sighed and nodded his head holding his right hand up stopping the commander from making a comment. "I will let him die. You have my word. Jean-Luc will not have his vessel. We'll be on the same level."
"Are you ever going to pop up on the next Enterprise?" Riker asked.
Q raised an eyebrow.
"Why would I do that?" Q asked. "Humanity is so close to non-corporeal hood. I shouldn't serve as stagnation."
"You were never a hinder in our evolution." Riker said.
"Sometimes I feel like I am," Q said. "And for once? I am more happier than I had been before I met Jean-Luc."
"Take care of him." Riker said.
"I will." Q said.
"As of now, he is missing to the federation," Riker said. "So don't try to screw up his last years."
"I wouldn't dream of it," Q said. "Goodbye,Number two-oh wait, that is a incorrect given this circumstance." Q held his hand toward the bearded man. "Goodbye, Captain Riker."
Riker shook Q's hand.
"Goodbye, Q." Riker said.
In a white flash, with Q's last well known smile, Q was gone replaced by Data holding Spot standing next to Riker. Riker lowered his free hand down to his side. Data had risen an eyebrow. Riker's hand was trembling.
"Commander?" Data asked. "Is there something wrong?"
Riker turned away shaking his head.
"None at all, Data." Riker said, as Spot had a soft meow.
H-Hiccup.
"Bless you." Jim said, his hand rubbing the backside of the older Vulcan while in bed.
"I nevuuur been moar drunk than I evuuur been in my entuuuree lifetime." Spock said, acknowledging the supposed 'not so drunk inducing' sweets.
Jim laughed.
"This was the best valentines day, ever." Jim said, his hand tracing alongside the Vulcan's thin hips.
Hi-cup.
"We may need moar of those sweets Q gave you for next yeuuur." Spock said, his words slurred.
"Oh?" Jim said.
"I know a couple Vulcans who need to . . . have fun." Spock said.
"Oh Spock, you are drunk. You are in no condition to make decisions like that." Jim said.
"Nonsense, Vulcans are capable of doin' anythin' while drunk." Spock said.
"Like the time you went into the water to speak with those whales." Jim said.
"I was not drunk," Spock said. "I was slightly intoxicated."
Jim had a laugh.
Hic-cup.
"Bones would say otherwise, and so do I," Jim reminded Spock. "Happy valentines day, you old fart."
"I did not most certainly fart." Spock said.
Jim had a comfortable amused laugh.
Happy valentines day.
The End.