The Chaser, chapter 13. All this time I thought it was the cute guy, but NOOO, it's Jeremy, the Scary Guy!

I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in MONTHS!!! School is evil, but now that I have MY OWN COMPUTER (laptop) I should be able to updatea LOT more than I have. This is the last chapter for this particular story, so enjoy!!!

Repairs to the most infamous ship in Starfleet were going well. It would still be some time before more help would arrive from Starfleet, but under the circumstances things were running very well. Impulse had been restored, and most of the gaping wounds on both the ship and her crew had been repaired.

Picard sat in his office, working on a burnt-out panel. Finally having been able to get rid of the burnt plastic smell, he now focused on rewiring the stupid thing. He wiped the sweat off of his brow, inwardly cursing that engineering hadn't completely fixed the climate control yet. Had Data been here, he would have fixed it already…

But he's not here…for all I know he might be dead…BROKEN. Not dead. Androids don't die. Neither have those kids. I should really stop calling them kids, considering they're WAY older than I am…I wonder if they're ok?

He glanced over to the window. Almost in an afterthought, he wondered what it would be like to be sucked out into space, to wander it's limitless galaxies for all eternity. Picard suppressed the act to sigh. 'This is no time to show weakness. This is DEFINATLY not the time.'

He turned back to his work, only to do a double take back at the window. 'What the fuck?' Getting up from his desk, Picard walked up to the window and stared out into space. 'I could have sworn I saw 2 people waving at me…nah. I must be seeing things. Maybe I should go see Beverly…'

He walked back to his desk, sat down, and gave one last glance at the window and almost fell out of his seat.

There, standing on the other side of the window (well, more like floating) were those two kids! AND IN NO SPACESUITS! AND THEY WERE WAVING AT HIM! They had their faces pressed up against window, waiving very energetically, and mouthing a big HI!

Picard stood in his office, completely transfixed by the spectacle that he was witnessing. His mind, which had been wiped of all thought upon first setting his eyes on the elderly teenagers, finally came up with a single thought:

Whoa…

You don't see THAT too often…

Suddenly, there was a flash of light and the two had gone. Milliseconds later, they appeared in Picard's office.

Still disoriented from the shock of seeing them in space, it took him a few seconds to realize that they were speaking to him.

"Blah blah wondering if you would be kind enough to get the shuttlebay doors opened for the angry man and the white one." Demitri paused. "Oh yeah, is sickbay open now?"

"Um…it should be…"

"Good," Anja picked up. "We need some rest."

Captain's personal log:

It has been three days since the return of Worf, Data, and the two kids. The mission went well, and the strange ship that attacked us has been destroyed. Commander Data had been able to gather invaluable information during the mission, which is still being deciphered by Starfleet.

Demitri and Anja have been resting ever since they got back. It took the good doctor all of her know-how to fix those two up. Had it not been for the fact that they are completely refusing to join Starfleet, those two would make great captains. Their loyalty to each other is amazing.

The aging captain paused.

Had he but one fragment of that crystal, then he too would live forever. His own mortality has always been his greatest fear, and knowing that he is the last of the Picards does nothing but fuel his grief. Truly he understood the Romulan's insatiable need for this wonderful rock.

Understood, but did not share.

"I wonder," he mused out loud, "what all they have seen…"

"I'm glad to see that you two are in one piece," the soft voice of Guinan mused. "I heard it was quite an adventure."

A frown appeared on Demitri's face. Anja just smiled.

"Yeah, it was quite and adventure," she answered.

"How many more pieces are left?" Demitri questioned.

A sad smile appeared on Guinan's face. "Do not worry. Your quest will soon come to an end."

All three heard the laughter in the background, the clinking of glasses, and could feel the warmth of their happiness drifting over to the trios sad little corner. Yet, despite it all, none felt happy.

"…what will become of us…"

"…I don't know…"

"…I'm afraid…"

"Afraid of what?"

"…afraid to die."

"Well Captain, I'm sorry that we couldn't stay longer."

"Understandable."

"Sigma Octus IV calls."

Picard nodded his head. He would admit to no one, but he was beginning to like them. Had he any children, he wished that they would be like those two.

"But don't worry," Anja said.

"We'll come back."