"Well, where are we off to now? We have the whole universe, after all." Q gestured at all the stars around them.
"Q..." Vash paused.
"What?"
"You're in love with him, aren't you?"
"What? In love with who?"
"Jean-Luc. Jean-Luc Picard. You're in love with him, aren't you?" She folded her arms. She knew she was right, damn her.
"I can't believe you would even suggest that! Me, in love with Jean-Luc!"
There was a pause.
"Fine. Yes, I'm in love with him." He sighed.
"Ha!"
"Don't gloat, that just makes it worse!"
"I knew it!"
"I told you to stop gloating."
"Well, I've decided to ignore you." Vash was grinning. "How long?"
"What do you mean, how long?"
"How long have you been in love with him?"
Q sighed again. "In a way, ever since I met him."
"How sweet."
"I know." He glared. "It's positively sickening."
"Don't look so angry." She paused. "You've never told anyone, have you?"
"Of course I've never told anyone! Who would I tell? The Continuum?"
"Well, I don't know much about this Continuum of yours, but they probably wouldn't take you being in love with a human very well."
"Exactly." At least she was seeing reason about that.
"I meant... you've told Jean-Luc, right?"
"What? Of course I haven't told him!" Q was astonished. "Are you insane? What would I even say?"
"Oh, I don't know... something like, Hello, Jean-Luc, did I ever tell you that I'm in love with you?"
"That's horrible." He paused. "I don't know if I'll ever tell him."
"Why not?"
"He doesn't need to know."
"Are you scared of what he'll say back?"
"Of course I'm scared!"
"What's the worst that could happen?" She had that look in her eyes, the one where she knew she was right.
"Oh, I don't know... he could be completely disgusted and never want to see me again! He could hate me!"
"I think you should try."
"Are you crazy?" She just wasn't seeing sense! "I can't do that!"
"Think about it, Q. He's a mortal, right?"
"Insufferably so."
"Mortals die."
"That's in the name." What was she getting at? Q wondered.
"Right, and, since mortals die, Jean-Luc could die any day now."
"He's not that old."
"You know what I mean. You never know, with us mortals. We could die anytime."
"Well, that's just morbid."
"Isn't it?"
"Is that why you do all the things you do? Because you could die any moment?"
"You're trying to get me off-topic." She was right. Damn her.
"Well, if you don't tell him, I will."
Q gasped. "No!"
Vash nodded. "Oh, yes."
There was a pause.
"Fine. I'll tell him."
"Yes!"
"Don't look so happy."
There was another pause.
"Now, where should we go now?"