"Junior, is everything alright?" Kathryn laid her hand on the teenaged boy tentatively.

Everything had been fine this entire week he'd been to visit, today was no exception. Junior had seemed as impish and cunning as always. Icheb and the son of Q had caused all sorts of problems in engineering when they decided to 'make the warp core go faster'

B'Elanna had nearly skinned the pair alive, had it not been for Chakotay passing by to hear her screaming for their deaths.

But that had been hours ago, both boys were reprimanded by having to clean the kitchens after dinner and were to each write a personal apology to B'Elanna.

Icheb had retired with his own makeshift mother and siblings, and she had accompanied Junior to his own room adjacent to hers. Partly to make sure he understood why he had been reprimanded today, but mostly so she could find out how the two boys had actually made the core go faster.

Junior had been animatedly talking about anything and everything moments before but now he was silent. He shook his head pathetically at her enquiry and she saw through the lie

"Would you like to talk in my quarters before going to bed?"

He gave a moments pause followed by a single quick nod. She smiled and held out her arm for him to lead the way. He walked into the room and sat himself in one of her armchairs with a huff.

She turned to the replicator and contemplated some coffee right about now. She wasn't tired but this boy seemed to have a lot to say.

With her back turned Junior built up his courage and practically shouted, "Am I a burden to you, Aunt Kathy?"

Her step was redirected immediately and she placed herself opposite her godson on the couch, coffee forgotten.

"Of course not, Junior, why would you think that?"

The relief that filled his young eyes put her on edge. Who had told him such a lie? What purpose was there to hurt a child, no matter what species he was.

Junior looked towards his hands and tried to think up an excuse, he couldn't tell her the truth now. His godmother was practically fuming.

"Was it B'Elanna? I know she can have a temper at times but that doesn't mean she can say hurtful things like th-"

Junior grabbed Kathryn's hand and she halted her rant

"No, Aunt Kathy, it wasn't Lieutenant Torres." After beginning his apology note already in his mind, it seemed wrong to try to shift the blame onto the half Klingon. Perhaps it's best to cut the drama and just tell his godmother what he was feeling. His father would be ashamed, his own son cutting the drama.

"I just, sometimes feel like, like I'm causing more problems than I'm worth." He rushed the last bit out and stood before she could soothe his hurt. He needed to say it all, get it all out, and it was now or never.

"In the continuum I feel needed, they all want to know what Humans are capable of but sometimes it's only because they fear the day humans will become more."

This surprised Kathryn, she'd heard tell of Captain Jean-Luc's dealings with the Q but never had she been told the Q were afraid of mankind.

"And here, here I try to help because I am more powerful than you, but it just makes a big mess in the end. Even if the results are good, the process causes so much disaster."

His words were becoming quicker now, Kathryn could hear an edge of panic. She stood and lifted a hand to try and help him but he was pacing in and out of her reach.

"And then there's my dad. How can I ever live up to him? He's made all the same mistakes I'm making now but in my head I feel like I can do better and that I can rectify the damages he's done. Repair the bridges he's burnt with star fleet. But then I come here again and cause you all pain."

His face was turning red; she walked forward and grabbed his face, holding him until he was forced to meet her eyes.

"I want you to breathe with me. That's an order "

Junior nodded and she dropped his face. She kept one of his hands in her own and together they made 10 exaggerated breaths.

Q may not necessarily need to breathe, but he certainly felt a lot less like crying.

"You, Junior, are not your father. You are not the continuum, and you are not the Q."

Her words made no sense, how could he not be? They all had such giant ideals and he was born to fulfill them all

"You are you, and whoever you may become, is up to you."

"I was born to be the savior of the Q."

She looked at his face, he was a worried wreck. His hair was fluffed up as he'd ran his hands through it while pacing. He wasn't crying but his nose was running. His face had been red as a tomato now only his cheeks were rosy.

He'd made progress in calming down, but it was clear to her that these thoughts had been causing him a great deal of stress for a long time now.

"You're a young man." The words may be wrong, he'd been born all of 5 years ago, but his body was no more than 15 years old. Q held power over time and space. For all she knew Junior's conscious could be eons old by now.

"You have the right to grow and become whoever you choose. You may have been born for a reason, but you do not owe anything to anyone."

He visibly stilled at her words and she thought he'd changed himself into stone.

"Do you really mean it? Could I really have a say?"

She felt angry now, she had hoped becoming a teacher would have spared him the ridiculous destiny the Q wanted of him. Besides, if she remembered correctly, and every bath she ever took still reminded her, the Q wanted a half human-half Q savior.

She pulled her godson into her arms and held him. He jumped at her touch but soon responded in kind. He returned the hug tightly and burrowed his head into her shoulder. She could hear the soft sniffles and feel his shoulders trembling.

"As long as you're my godson, I'll make sure you always have a say."

She knew he was there. She wondered if his son could feel him as well. She looked through her peripheral vision and saw him. He was hesitating with his arms slightly outstretched and she knew he wanted to help Junior.

She turned her head so as to make Junior believe she was only resting her head against his. She made direct eye contact with Q and waited, it was his turn to make a move.

He stared at them for a long moment before his voice suddenly came to her mind.

"Is he alright?" She patted Junior's back and lifted an eyebrow

"What do you think?"

Q's shoulders dropped and he held his head in his hand. His eyes were moving quickly. She was suddenly struck with the realization that he didn't know what to do.

She wanted to scoff, wanted to laugh, but didn't want to disturb her boy.

So, even the Q were lost when it comes to children.

She rolled her eyes as she realized how pitiful he looked. It could all be a ruse, everything leading up to this could be one giant prank that father and son were playing.

But it felt like some very real tears were hitting her neck and Q certainly looked the part of an upset father. His hand clenching and unclenching.

"Q" she called out in her mind, hoping he'd left whatever link this was open.

His eyes met hers and she patted the couch seat behind her. He stumbled forward at first but by the end he had his typical confident stride.

He sat softly to not disturb Junior, and together he and Kathryn discussed what Junior had stated this far.