. . . 2464. .

. . . Earth 2 . . .July 16th. . .

Twenty-one (but more like twenty-two) years ago Jean-Luc Picard and what remained of his crew returned to Earth. They spent the better part of the year getting back home coming across civilizations, encountering them, obeying the prime directive, and suffered some loss along the way to home. They made quite the impact on their journey to Federation Space. Some crew members decide to stay on some planets feeling they can make more of a difference there. But the crew went on. They came home. For that they were awarded with a warm welcome home.

Jean-Luc is one hundred fifty-nine.

His sons, Robert and Jack, they died last year.

Worfian had gone to Qo'nos for the better part of the decade and learned more about her Klingon heritage.

Now?

Data was currently somewhere else serving Star Fleet doing god knows what.

Jean-Luc stared at the night sky.

"Grandpa?" Came his great grandson Alexander, putting his hand on Jean-Luc's shoulder.

Alexander the first passed away in 2443 in a fight against another alien race to protect some children. He had lived for a long time. It was fitting to name his great grandson after his friends son.

Jean-Luc looked up toward the young man who seemed to have the characteristics of a Klingon-human that had slowly fading forehead ridges qualities.

"Just staring at the stars," Jean-Luc said. "Thinking back."

Alexander took his hand off his grandparent's shoulder.

Over the last few years Jean-Luc's legs had become weak and he developed a need to be wheeled around. He was wheelchair bound to say for the least. The doctors could not explain it. How he started to become weak. In the eyes of medicine Jean-Luc Picard should be healthy as a ox. But he wasn't. He just got the news hours ago that he was dying of old age, the typical way for a man in his years to go. Jean-Luc closed his eyes.

"What was it like being a captain?" Alexander asked.

"It was . . ." Jean-Luc said, opening his eyes. "Remarkable."

"Remarkable?" Alexander repeated.

"And it had challenges," Jean-Luc said. "Nothing was the same. You had to be on your toes on rather or not some temporal abnormality was going to occur, being flung out of the path we had set in course, being visited by omnipotent being, being attacked by Romulans, a accident going on, strange events going on in the Enterprise, and the unexpected popping up."

Alexander laughed.

"It sounds better than the stories you tell me about them," Alexander said. "In your position, you must have been forced to make tough calls."

"Before the Romulans had entered the Federation; there were plenty of them." Jean-Luc said.

Alexander smiled, sitting down into a chair beside Jean-Luc.

"Grandfather, when did the Enterprise first leave Earth to explore?" Alexander asked.

"April 4th, 2364." Jean-Luc said.

Alexander whistled.

"Wow," Alexander said. "Enterprise-H will be set to explore this August."

Jean-Luc turned his head toward Alexander.

"What?" Jean-Luc said, caught by surprise.

"Star Fleet wants you to be on the first voyage," Alexander said, taking out a bottle of champagne. "On August 1st, 2464!"

Jean-Luc smiled.

"Ah, they got wind," Jean-Luc said. "Bad news goes through quickly."

Alexander put on hand on Jean-Luc's shoulder.

"They are waiting on my reply," Alexander said. "I didn't jump the gun."

"My reply is yes." Jean-Luc said.

Alexander smiled.

"Guess who will be the captain of it?" Alexander said.

"Who?" Jean-Luc asked.

"The android guy!" Alexander said. "He has been making wave after waves in his career. Did you hear about the space whale he prevented from being killed by the Romulans?" He threw his arms in the air. "And my mom is his second officer!" He took the cork out of the lid then lowered it down to the glass cups. "Isn't it epic? You are gonna be aboard the one ship you talked about."

Alexander handed the cup to Jean-Luc.

"To the future." Jean-Luc said, holding the cup up.

Alexander held his cup up.

"To the Enterprise." Alexander said.

Their drinks clunk together.

From above Q2 looked sadly down toward the celebrating admiral.

"Q, why are you crying?" Came Lady Q.

Q2 wiped off a tear turning toward Lady Q.

"It is nothing, Q," Q2 said. "Really."

Lady Q looked over at the star light.

"Ah," Lady Q said. "Q's old toy. . ."

"He is dying and there is nothing more I can mess with him." Q2 said.

"Just because he is old does not mean there is no more fun," Lady Q said. "How about you bring the Voyager around on his final days and let him . . have a strange kind of reality changing, his farewell party so to speak."

Q2 glared at Lady Q.

"Q, that isn't right to do it on him," Q2 said. "I have been planning this day for centuries and I cannot seem to place it. . I wanted it to be something that he cannot stop. . Converging realities on Picard can get dull, boring, and stale." He was very animated about it. "Throwing around temporal abnormalities is childs play and you know that well as I do about little Q's!"

"Jean-Luc Picard runs into them a lot in the multiverse," Lady Q said. "He thinks he is too old for the chair. Why don't you prove to him that he is not?"

"Q,HE CAN'T WALK." Q2 reminded her.

"There is nothing that means being a captain means you have to walk." Lady Q said.

"If I wanted to make him fall into a temporal abnormality I would consult Trelane," Q2 said. "It can get tiresome seeing yourself multiple times."

"Okay, what about the Voyager?" Lady Q asked. "And only the Voyager."

"You are talking about not making a temporal abnormality but send the ship 100 plus years into the past," Q2 said. "With hefty damage. . . That could work . . ." He grinned. "OH, OH, OH, The Voyager and the other Enterprise where Kirk's dad died on the USS Kelvin!" Q2 clapped his hands grinning. "This is going to be hilarious." His shoulders rolled as he laughed. "Two Enterprises. . . One Voyager. . . One old Picard."

. . . Enterprise-H . . .

. . 2464. . . August 1st. . .

Beep,beep,beep.

"Enter." Jean-Luc said.

In walked a familiar but visibly upgraded Data who appeared to have human like skin. His eyes were brown not yellow like his previous model.

"Admiral Picard?" Data said.

Jean-Luc was looking down at a photograph of the original USS Enterprise-D crew n his hands.

"Hello,Data," Jean-Luc said, lifting his head up.

Data came forwards with a smile.

"It is nice to see you again, Admiral," Data said. "I received a emotional chip shortly after our return."

"Did you come across the second Q in your later service?" Jean-Luc asked.

"Many times," Data said. "He allowed me to meet my brother and take the emotional chip back from him intact." His voice lowered. "I had to disassemble him."

Data sounded sad.

"Data . . ." Jean-Luc said.

Data raised his head back up.

"How was your retirement, Admiral?" Data asked.

"Uneventful, but enjoyable." Jean-Luc said.

"I have lost count how many times I nearly called my second captain your name." Data said.

"You did not lose count, you just deleted it from your processor," Jean-Luc said. "How has your career been in Star Fleet?"

"Eventful," Data said. "And memorable. I have successfully made my first stabilized child. His name is Max, Max Soong."

"Hm, you adopted a last name." Jean-Luc noted.

"I decided 'Data Soong' would make me blend in after my upgrade," Data said. "I have enjoyed the new body."

Jean-Luc smiled.

"Congratulations Mr Soong, you are even closer to the human experience." Jean-Luc said.

"I am glad to have you aboard my ship, Admiral," Data said. "Where are you intending to go?"

"Any place where a old man like me can sit back and relax," Jean-Luc said. "Which is anywhere of course."

"I just came to tell you that we are heading into the Delta Quadrant . . ." Data said. "And I believe you find this eventful and enjoyable."

"Knowing the namesakes of the starships bearing the name 'Enterprise',it will be quite the voyage." Jean-Luc said.

Data smiled.

"It is nice to see you still have that fighting spirit,Admiral." Data said.

"Clewis to Soong," Clewis said. "We are ready to depart Earth."

"I will be there, Soong out." Data tapped on the combadge.

"Go, Data," Jean-Luc said. "Captain your ship."

"Capt-admiral," Data corrected himself mid-way, then he nodded as though he ignored his mistake. "Enjoy the voyage."

Data went to the door.

"You too . . ." Picard said.

The android left the room.

Jean-Luc looked down toward the photograph.

"Oh Geordi . . .I wish you could see how Data is so close to humanity. . ." Jean-Luc brought the picture close to his chest.

In 2449, Riker had passed away.

As had most of the original crew members of the Enterprise-D.

Only Jean-Luc and Data were the only people who remained.

If Jean-Luc left, that would make Data the last crew-member still alive.

. . . 2371. . .

. . . USS Voyager. . .

"Tuvok to Janeway." Tuvok said.

"Janeway here." Janeway said.

"Captain, we have reason to believe we are in the middle of a ion storm," Tuvok said. "Slight warning for the power going out."

"Understood," Janeway said. "Janeway out."

Janeway was in a bath tub with bubbles, Chakotay is playing tennis with the Doctor, Tom Paris and Ensign Kim are busy trying to ask out two girls out, so here is Neelix offering some lunch to the bridge crew. Tuvok saw a white flash appear. He stood up from the chair startled. In a white flash appeared what seemed to be a upgraded version of the well known Enterprise 1701 captained by James T Kirk and his first officer Spock. No one on both ships suspect this. It had suddenly appeared in thin air. There is only one kind of being capable of making such a feat happen in a white flash: Q. Tuvok expected the long talked about entity to appear any second.

Tuvok stood up from the chair and started the communications.

"This is Senior Officer Tuvok of Vulcan aboard the USS Voyager," Tuvok said. "Who are you?"

He knew the answer.

But this?

This was too far.

On the screen appeared a young man with bright blue eyes, slunked in the captain's seat, blonde hair, a youthful look about him, and the background seemed to be white.

"This is Captain James T Kirk of the Enterprise," Kirk said. "Tuvok, of Vulcan, I thought males names started with a 's'."

Tuvok looked around then back to the screen.

"You . . ." Tuvok said. "Look nothing like our version of Captain Kirk."

Kirk raised a brow.

"Version?" Kirk said.

"Yes," Tuvok said. "Are you familiar to Time Travel?"

Kirk looked over to Spock's direction, assumingly, then back to Tuvok.

"Why yes," Kirk said. "Very familiar. Three years ago we fixed a mess by Prime Spock."

Tuvok blinked.

"The events leading to your quantum universe has yet to happen," Tuvok said. "You are in the Prime Timeline." Tuvok tapped on his communicator. "Captain Janeway, we seem to have a problem. We have a Alternate Universe version of Kirk and his crew right across from the Voyager."

Kirk had lowered his brow.

"Did Q just send us here?" Kirk asked.

"And I believe Q is the culprit." Tuvok said.

"The . . . what?" Janeway asked, stunned.

"Enterprise, Captain." Tuvok repeated.

There was silence.

"I am on my way," Janeway said. "Janeway out."

Kirk put his hands in a ball under his chin.

Kirk had a 'bitter enemy' relationship with Q. Well, more so with Spock but being thrown into their future one hundred some years was quite annoying and risked some of his crew members. Q had done enough for the crew of the Enterprise. Enough. Tuvok left the view screen going to the other side of the room. Fifteen minutes after staring at a well organized bridge, there appeared a woman with bun hair and a man with dark hair along with a unique tattoo that reminded Kirk of some Native American drawing. Her eyes seemed to be widened in disbelief at first staring right at time and the man appeared skeptical at best.

"Hello," Kirk said. "Where are we? Well. . . when are we?"

"You are in 2371 in the Delta Quadrant," Janeway said. "I am Captain Kathryn Janeway of the USS Voyager."

Kirk lowered his hands.

"Have you encountered a entity known as Q?" Kirk asked.

"No, but I have heard of him from Picard." Janeway said.

"You never actually met him." Kirk said.

"No, I have not." Janeway said, slowly shaking her head.

Q2 appeared on the bridge of the Voyager in a white flash.

"Hello, both crews," Q2 said, drawing Janeway's attention. "I am not the Q you are thinking of. He died," he shook his hand. "At least the timeline where I am from."

"You are not Q!" Kirk said. "I know you. You are the guy who sent us right back into the mess Q sent us and then he saved our asses by getting us out of there! He told me we were put in a timelock." Kirk stood up. "I formally request that you return us to where we belong. This isn't our time and I will not, ever, believe you are here for any good."

Q2 smiled.

"Captain, I highly recommend we do not anger this entity." Spock said.

"Too late," Q2 said, snapping his fingers. Tom Paris and Ensign Kim were on the bridge at their stations. "You'll thank me later."

"Uh, Captain?" Paris asked, confused.

Ensign Kim saw Q2 in a old uniform that wasn't a jumpsuit.

"For what?" Chakotay asked.

"This." Q2 said, with a grin.

With a snap of his fingers the Enterprise vanished in a white flash behold the viewer screen.

"Where did you send them!" Janeway asked.

Q2 shrugged.

"Where ever they are best needed," Q2 said. "Would you like to join them?"

Janeway glared at Q2.

"What do you mean by the timeline you come from?" Janeway calmly asked.

Tuvok had his eyes on the entity.

"Your Q is still alive," Q2 said. "Though if you like to skip the next seven years and get home early, then I can send you right back or let you join the fight that is on-going." Q2 walked around a frozen Janeway unable to move. Come to think of it, nobody in the room can move. "Skipping every single intervention heralded by Q in this timeline. You are not in the prime timeline so I can dismiss you to the Alpha Quadrant." He rubbed his hands together coming to a stop one foot away from Janeway but in her line of vision. He had a look about his eye. "Would you like that, dear Janeway?"

With her entire crew on her shoulders and their yearning to go home.

All eyes were on Janeway.

"I would." Janeway said.

Q2 smiled.

"Ah, finally getting through that thick stubborn skull," Q2 said, holding his hand up. "The Enterprise will need all the help she can get."

Q2 snapped his fingers making a white flash engulf the entire Voyager.

. . . 2464. . .

. . . Enterprise H. . . September 17th . . .

"Wake up,wake up, wake up, WAKE UP!" It was a male panicked voice.

A voice Jean-Luc hadn't heard in twenty-two years.

Not since the day he was dead for ten minutes.

Q.

It was unusual to hear the voice sounding panicked.

Then a loud KABOOM made his bed shake.

Thump.

Jean-Luc fell out of bed.

"How many times have I told you not to awake a old man like that,Q?"

"A hundred."

"A thousand times. I swear you are more arrogant dead than alive."

"Oh, why, that is flattering, Number Two."

The only person Q called 'Number Two' discreetly was William Riker.

"Look, look, loook he's waking up!"

"I told you you didn't need to shake him."

Jean-Luc heard a irritated sigh.

"You are the most softest man on the eldery, Mr Riker."

Jean-Luc's eyes jolted open.

The room was empty but there was plenty of firing going on by the outside. Alexander came into the room appearing to be scared. He was afraid. The young Klingon usually full of pride, courage, and admiring qualities was afraid. He had fear in his eyes. He had not been in this situation before. He only came along because Worfian requested him to watch over her grandfather.

"Grandpa, who was in here with you?" Alexander asked.

"The dead." Jean-Luc said.

The Enterprise shook from side to side.

And that is when one of the blasts struck his room. Alexander leaped in the way of the falling wall material acting as a shield. It struck his back, but did he fall? No! Not at all. He kept standing up keeping it up from his grandfather while the electricity was sent everywhere erupting out of the machinery. Alexander tossed the wall material off then helped Jean-Luc to his wheelchair.

The first question out of Alexander's mouth was, "Are you okay?"

"Fine, fine," Jean-Luc said. "Picard to Soong."

No reply.

"PICARD TO DATA!" Jean-Luc shouted.

No reply.

"Commander Clewis to Picard!" Clewis came over. "We are being attacked by the Horseceons! Captain is out of commission."

"Out of commission?" Jean-Luc asked, horrorfied.

"He has been compromised," Clewis explained. "He caught a computer virus before the attack started! He isn't responding."

Jean-Luc sighed with relief.

"I will be right there, Commander," Jean-Luc said. "And attack them with all you got. Picard out."

"I can't contact mother," Alexander said, scared. "I am . . ."

"It is all right to be afraid," Jean-Luc said. "It gives us courage. Get my admiral uniform!"

. . . 2464. . .

. . .Bridge. . . 15 minutes later . .

This was a Galaxy model, surely, it was. The bridge was a mess. The ceiling collapsed revealing the wall panels above. Clewis, a unusual Telillian halfbreed who still has four arms, a unusual forehead ridge, and scales along his neck almost startled Jean-Luc. Telillian's were well known for giving massages that were quite remarkable. Very remarkable. So remarkable that if one with two arms tried it they would most certainly fail. Alexander brought Jean-Luc over to Clewis. This bridge was different; it had a light purple paint job, soft blue rug, a transparent glass ceiling in the shape of a dome right above that had cracks in it. It was very strong enough that not a phaser blast can shatter it.

"Admiral," Clewis said, as the Enterprise trembled from side to side. "Where do we shoot?"

Jean-Luc looked at the unforgettable sight of the Horseceon.

He remembered being in this situation on the run from them.

Data had reported they hit the rear end part of the ship which as it turned out was the tail section that was scarred badly and severely enough they made quite the damage.

"Hit the section that looks like a ducks bill," Jean-Luc said.

Clewis nodded straight to the Romulan at tactile/security.

Torpedoes fired at the firing Horseceon impacting the tail section. The first horseceon starship drifted back spinning in circles.

"Again." Jean-Luc said.

The Horsceons have not ended on good terms with the Federation. The phaser struck the middle half of the Horseceon starship, once then twice and then a third time until it had struck the bridge section. The space ship began to devour itself burning inside out. Three more Horseceon starships appeared firing at the Enterprise-H.

"I say this is the end." Clewis said.

"This is NOT the end," Jean-Luc said. "This is only the beginning,Mr Clewis!"

"They really want it," The Romulan said. "They want war."

Alexander gasped, then over to the slumped body of a aged Klingon woman.

"Mother!" Alexander cried, picking her up into his arms.

She had no pulse.

"Then the Federation will give them war!" Jean-Luc said.

He felt his heart skip a beat.

Jean-Luc's world started to grow dizzy.

"No,not now,Mon amiral," He heard Q. "No, you stubborn old man, you are staying RIGHT where you are!"

Jean-Luc felt as though someone was preventing him from leaving.

"Admiral?" Clewis asked, noticing the sudden change in Jean-Luc's attitude.

"Captain, listen to Q for once!" Riker plead. "You are not ready."

Where were the voices coming from?

Was his old age getting to him?

He could not be sure if this was part of Irumodic syndrome.

Were they even real?

"I am fine. . ." Jean-Luc lied.

The voices that belonged to the dead had long faded. The Enterprise was struck right at the saucer section making the entire bridge tremble. But the cry of Alexander was greater than the sound of energy striking against the metal section to the Enterprise. Jean-Luc made the call right there. They had to evacuate the saucer section and send the civilian life out of harms way. It was the only way. But it would take time. They would be shot down. Slapped down like a fly in mid-flight by a rolled up magazine then squashed down on the table.

"We need to fire at them with what we got," Jean-Luc said. "We can't stop fighting."

The bridge section was struck.

"Ahhh!" Clewis shouted, flying out of the apparently-not-so-indestructible-glass-dome-that-now-has-a-god-damn-huge-hole.

Clewis vanished out of Jean-Luc's eyesight shortly after his scream became voiceless and his skin became covered in ice.

The Romulan put up a barrier.

"As you were saying?" The Romulan asked.

"I will never let this ship go down with myself on board," Jean-Luc said. "Never!"

In a white flash on the view screen appeared the original Enterprise that was upgraded and it sent numerous rays of phasers after the Horseceons. Jean-Luc gasped at the screen stunned to see what should be in the dreams of a engineer. It was impossible. It was a fantasy that only Star Fleet members would play around with in their head as would Picard. Jean-Luc saw the resemblance that was very there on the Enterprise. Strongly there,so much he could see the design of the old on top a sleeker version.

On the screen appeared James T Kirk.

"And when are we?" Kirk asked.

Jean-Luc noticed this was a fairly young Kirk

"2464," Jean-Luc said. "I am Admiral Jean-Luc Picard."

Kirk's eyes widened, as though thinking: Oh, that guy. Oh. That guy. THAT GUY.

"Sulu, fire torpedoes on the firing star ships," Kirk said.

"Aye aye, captain," Sulu said.