Chapter 2:
Later that day, Captain Picard, true to his word, came back to ensure that Lenore had indeed gone to bed. He was not too pleased to find, that she had broken their agreement once again. When he had entered her quarters, he had found her dancing around to the music she had blaring.
"Computer! Music, off!" Captain Picard ordered. He waited until the music had stopped, then turned his gaze back upon the child that was now staring at him.
"I was listening to that!" Lenore said rudely. "You got no right comin' in here an' turnin' it off on me!"
"I have every right to come in here and order the music to be off!" Captain Picard argued. "I had told you to be in bed before now, and once more, you have disobeyed my orders!"
"So what? It's not that late!" Lenore snapped. "An' you never said I couldn't listen to music!"
"You will not back talk me, Ensign!"
"Well, quit bossing me around!"
"You are a child who needs to have limits set! Otherwise, you will act like an uncivilized hooligan!"
"I am an uncivilized hooligan! Even if I don't know what that means!" Lenore retorted.
"You are not an uncivilized hooligan! Even if that is what you are considered to be, back down on Earth! On my ship, you will be a well- behaved child, who knows well enough to obey my commands!"
"I'm not an Officer! I don't need to obey your commands!" Lenore shrieked.
"You want to be an Officer on this ship, do you not?" Captain Picard challenged.
"I - " Lenore paused, knowing he was right. She did want to be an Officer on the ship – very much so. "I'm too lil'!"
"You are not too little! Not if you start behaving properly and doing as told!" Captain Picard told her. "Officers of this ship – no matter how old they be – obey their Captain at all times! No questions asked! And if you would like to be an Officer, then I would suggest that you shape up and do as told, or ship out, and go back to Earth and stay there! Permanently!"
Lenore's eyes were wide as she stared up at the Captain she had grown to love, almost as much as Geordi and Commander Riker. She bit her lip nervously. "I want to be an Officer," she said finally, though it had been said rather quietly.
"Very well," Captain Picard replied. "Now, I suggest you prepare for bed, Ensign."
"Yes, Sir," Lenore answered, then headed off to get changed into her pajamas. She knew the Captain wouldn't leave until she was in bed, and he was sure she would stay there for the rest of the night – unless nature should call her back to the bathroom to pee.
Captain Picard looked about her quarters, as she prepared for bed, amazed at what few toys she actually had. He noted, the thing she had most of, were the gadgets Lieutenant LaForge had been able to scrounge up for her to play with. He looked over at her, when she returned from the bathroom. "Ensign, do you not have toys to keep you occupied?"
Lenore glanced up at him, then looked back down at her feet, as she shook her head no.
"None at all?"
"I got a couple...." Lenore admitted. "But I can't play with 'em all day. I just – can't."
"And why is that?"
"One's stuffed, another is a slinky, and the third is stuffed too!" Lenore cried. "Stevie an' Jonathan have all the toys I like to play with! An' Hobie, an' Stephanie, an' Lauren, 'an Carter, an' everybody! I only got three that are mine! Hobie has al lthe rest! Mitch got me a ball – a bouncing one – but Hobie took that from me and said if I told Mitch, he'd tell on me for 'borrowing' money from a wallet without askin' first! An' if Mitch finds out, I'll get spanked an' I don't want that!"
"All right. There is no need to get so upset," Captain Picard told her. "Relax Ensign. I will see to it that some toys are found to keep you occupied throughout the hours you are here, and not in school."
Lenore calmed herself, then looked up at him questioningly. "Geordi's not coming tonight, is he?"
"I am afraid he is still busy with work," Captain Picard replied. "Commander Riker, and Chief O'Brien are as well."
Lenore eyed his communicator, then asked him something, only she would dare to ask. "Captain?"
"Yes, Ensign?"
"Can I use your communicator to say g'night to Geordi an' Commander Riker, an' Chief O'Brien?"
"These aren't toys, Ensign. They're used to communicate so that everything on this ship runs smoothly."
"I know Captain," Lenore said softly. "Chief O'Brien explained 'em to me the first time I was ever here."
"But – I suppose – just this once – they can be used to say goodnight," the Captain smiled.
"Really?" Lenore asked, skeptically. She gave a whoop of joy when she saw him nod his head yes.
Captain Picard sat down in the chair, so that she could climb into his lap, to use his communicator. He hit it, and decided to call upon the Chief first.
"Captain Picard, to Chief O'Brien."
"Yes, Captain?"
"Someone would like to say goodnight," Captain Picard told him. He then let Lenore speak.
"Night Chief O'Brien!"
"Goodnight, my Little-Ball-of-Energy."
"Captain Picard, to Lieutenant LaForge."
"I'm here Captain."
"Someone insisted they speak to you, LaForge."
"Hiya Geordi! I'm gonna see yah before school, right?"
"Right. I'll be there for breakfast, if I don't have to work."
"You are granted time off, to keep her entertained before her schooling, Lieutenant."
"Thank-you Captain."
"Night Geordi!"
"Night, Kiddo."
Captain Picard, to Commander Riker."
"Riker here. What is it Captain?"
"Someone would like to say hello, and goodnight."
"Night Commander!"
"Goodnight Ensign...and Ensign?"
"Yeah, Commander?"
"Ensign..."
"I mean, 'Yes, Commander'?"
"Behave tomorrow."
"Yes, Commander."
"And have some good dreams tonight."
"I'll try my best, Commander."
"Goodnight then, Ensign."
"Night Commander!"
Once Lenore had finished saying goodnight to her three favourite people – other than the Captain – she was whisked off to bed. She tried not to giggle, as the Captain awkwardly tucked her in.
"Goodnight Ensign."
"Night Captain!"
"And Ensign..."
"Yes, Captain?"
"I hope you follow Commander Riker's order to behave tomorrow. I would not like to have to come in here again, to deal with you accordingly."
"Yes, Captain."
"You will try and behave in school?"
"Yes, Sir! I'll try."
"Very well. Goodnight Ensign."
"Night Captain!" Lenore called after him, as he left the room, then her quarters, altogether.
Once the Captain had left her room, Lenore snuggled up under her covers, hugging her stuffed Chipmunk ever so tightly. She would never admit to anyone – except Stevie – that she was terrified of the dark. Which, when you thought about it, didn't really make any sense – seeing as the Enterprise traveled through space – the darkest place of all – yet, she loved being on the Enterprise.
Later that day, Captain Picard, true to his word, came back to ensure that Lenore had indeed gone to bed. He was not too pleased to find, that she had broken their agreement once again. When he had entered her quarters, he had found her dancing around to the music she had blaring.
"Computer! Music, off!" Captain Picard ordered. He waited until the music had stopped, then turned his gaze back upon the child that was now staring at him.
"I was listening to that!" Lenore said rudely. "You got no right comin' in here an' turnin' it off on me!"
"I have every right to come in here and order the music to be off!" Captain Picard argued. "I had told you to be in bed before now, and once more, you have disobeyed my orders!"
"So what? It's not that late!" Lenore snapped. "An' you never said I couldn't listen to music!"
"You will not back talk me, Ensign!"
"Well, quit bossing me around!"
"You are a child who needs to have limits set! Otherwise, you will act like an uncivilized hooligan!"
"I am an uncivilized hooligan! Even if I don't know what that means!" Lenore retorted.
"You are not an uncivilized hooligan! Even if that is what you are considered to be, back down on Earth! On my ship, you will be a well- behaved child, who knows well enough to obey my commands!"
"I'm not an Officer! I don't need to obey your commands!" Lenore shrieked.
"You want to be an Officer on this ship, do you not?" Captain Picard challenged.
"I - " Lenore paused, knowing he was right. She did want to be an Officer on the ship – very much so. "I'm too lil'!"
"You are not too little! Not if you start behaving properly and doing as told!" Captain Picard told her. "Officers of this ship – no matter how old they be – obey their Captain at all times! No questions asked! And if you would like to be an Officer, then I would suggest that you shape up and do as told, or ship out, and go back to Earth and stay there! Permanently!"
Lenore's eyes were wide as she stared up at the Captain she had grown to love, almost as much as Geordi and Commander Riker. She bit her lip nervously. "I want to be an Officer," she said finally, though it had been said rather quietly.
"Very well," Captain Picard replied. "Now, I suggest you prepare for bed, Ensign."
"Yes, Sir," Lenore answered, then headed off to get changed into her pajamas. She knew the Captain wouldn't leave until she was in bed, and he was sure she would stay there for the rest of the night – unless nature should call her back to the bathroom to pee.
Captain Picard looked about her quarters, as she prepared for bed, amazed at what few toys she actually had. He noted, the thing she had most of, were the gadgets Lieutenant LaForge had been able to scrounge up for her to play with. He looked over at her, when she returned from the bathroom. "Ensign, do you not have toys to keep you occupied?"
Lenore glanced up at him, then looked back down at her feet, as she shook her head no.
"None at all?"
"I got a couple...." Lenore admitted. "But I can't play with 'em all day. I just – can't."
"And why is that?"
"One's stuffed, another is a slinky, and the third is stuffed too!" Lenore cried. "Stevie an' Jonathan have all the toys I like to play with! An' Hobie, an' Stephanie, an' Lauren, 'an Carter, an' everybody! I only got three that are mine! Hobie has al lthe rest! Mitch got me a ball – a bouncing one – but Hobie took that from me and said if I told Mitch, he'd tell on me for 'borrowing' money from a wallet without askin' first! An' if Mitch finds out, I'll get spanked an' I don't want that!"
"All right. There is no need to get so upset," Captain Picard told her. "Relax Ensign. I will see to it that some toys are found to keep you occupied throughout the hours you are here, and not in school."
Lenore calmed herself, then looked up at him questioningly. "Geordi's not coming tonight, is he?"
"I am afraid he is still busy with work," Captain Picard replied. "Commander Riker, and Chief O'Brien are as well."
Lenore eyed his communicator, then asked him something, only she would dare to ask. "Captain?"
"Yes, Ensign?"
"Can I use your communicator to say g'night to Geordi an' Commander Riker, an' Chief O'Brien?"
"These aren't toys, Ensign. They're used to communicate so that everything on this ship runs smoothly."
"I know Captain," Lenore said softly. "Chief O'Brien explained 'em to me the first time I was ever here."
"But – I suppose – just this once – they can be used to say goodnight," the Captain smiled.
"Really?" Lenore asked, skeptically. She gave a whoop of joy when she saw him nod his head yes.
Captain Picard sat down in the chair, so that she could climb into his lap, to use his communicator. He hit it, and decided to call upon the Chief first.
"Captain Picard, to Chief O'Brien."
"Yes, Captain?"
"Someone would like to say goodnight," Captain Picard told him. He then let Lenore speak.
"Night Chief O'Brien!"
"Goodnight, my Little-Ball-of-Energy."
"Captain Picard, to Lieutenant LaForge."
"I'm here Captain."
"Someone insisted they speak to you, LaForge."
"Hiya Geordi! I'm gonna see yah before school, right?"
"Right. I'll be there for breakfast, if I don't have to work."
"You are granted time off, to keep her entertained before her schooling, Lieutenant."
"Thank-you Captain."
"Night Geordi!"
"Night, Kiddo."
Captain Picard, to Commander Riker."
"Riker here. What is it Captain?"
"Someone would like to say hello, and goodnight."
"Night Commander!"
"Goodnight Ensign...and Ensign?"
"Yeah, Commander?"
"Ensign..."
"I mean, 'Yes, Commander'?"
"Behave tomorrow."
"Yes, Commander."
"And have some good dreams tonight."
"I'll try my best, Commander."
"Goodnight then, Ensign."
"Night Commander!"
Once Lenore had finished saying goodnight to her three favourite people – other than the Captain – she was whisked off to bed. She tried not to giggle, as the Captain awkwardly tucked her in.
"Goodnight Ensign."
"Night Captain!"
"And Ensign..."
"Yes, Captain?"
"I hope you follow Commander Riker's order to behave tomorrow. I would not like to have to come in here again, to deal with you accordingly."
"Yes, Captain."
"You will try and behave in school?"
"Yes, Sir! I'll try."
"Very well. Goodnight Ensign."
"Night Captain!" Lenore called after him, as he left the room, then her quarters, altogether.
Once the Captain had left her room, Lenore snuggled up under her covers, hugging her stuffed Chipmunk ever so tightly. She would never admit to anyone – except Stevie – that she was terrified of the dark. Which, when you thought about it, didn't really make any sense – seeing as the Enterprise traveled through space – the darkest place of all – yet, she loved being on the Enterprise.