A/N: Sorry that I'm not updating quickly enough for you. I have several stories on the go and a busy life. I shall make this story more of a priority. Thanks for your e-mails.

Chapter Seven.

Theich propped his chin up with one hand and peered across the room to watch his partner struggling into his uniform. Data had managed to redesign his uniform so that it hid the detail of his changing form, but as Jean-luc got bigger all clothes had become awkward.

"Jean-luc, come back to bed. Your shift doesn't start for three hours."

"The engines have stopped. I can't feel the warp core."

"Perhaps it's just your perceptions changing."

"I'm not as sensitive to changes as I was on the Stargazer. This ship is streamlined to cut down vibrations more effectively than any other ship in the fleet, but I can still tell whether the ship is actually working or not. Something is wrong."

"Riker to Picard."

"Picard here. What has happened to the engines Number One?"

"We don't know yet Sir. We just stopped moving. Geordi cannot find anything wrong with the engines, they should be running. It isn't merely a problem with the engines though Sir. We didn't slow down and come to a stop when they cut out; they just stopped dead and so did we at the same time. We are scanning the area for anomalies."

"I'm on my way to the bridge. Picard out."

Theich was up and getting dressed.

"I'm going to see if I can help in engineering."

He grabbed hold of Jean-luc before he could leave their quarters.

"Theich I am needed on the bridge now. There is no time for this."

"There is always time for a kiss."

-------------------------TNG----------------------

"Report Number One."

Commander Riker looked up from the display that he was reading on the Ops station over Data's shoulder. The Captain, thankfully took the command seat. It was easier to ignore his waistline when he wasn't pacing and right now the last thing Riker needed was to be concentrating on the Captain's condition. It made them all feel over-protective and the consideration needed to be more general under current circumstances.

"We still have no idea what happened Sir. It is possible that it is an outside force. Commander La Forge will report to the bridge when he has completed his inspection Sir."

Jean-luc looked over all of the reports which had been diverted to his station, nothing seemed to make sense. There was no tangible reason for them to have stopped. Commander La Forge and Lieutenant Commander Dal Meritan said pretty much the same thing as they arrived on the bridge to report. They began to bat around ideas about anomalies that could have caused the seemingly inexplicable problem and then began to test ways of kick starting the engines. Whatever was happening appeared to have simply frozen the ship in place. A sharp thwop sounded to the left of the bridge, signalling the most irritating form of intrusion.

"You were about to fly straight into a bear trap. I did you a favour if you think about it rationally."

"Q!"

Jean-luc didn't have the energy for this. He didn't rise from his seat nor to the challenge that the creature's mere presence presented.

"What do you want Q?"

"Ooh, Jean-luc. I am disappointed in you. What no hug? It's been such a long time."

"Not long enough."

"I missed you too. My my, it's just as well I did stop you, all that extra bulk would have dragged you down into the space-well even faster. What have they been feeding you mon Capitaine?"

Jean-luc bristled visibly and adjusted his clothing.

"My personal matters are none of your concern Q. I don't for one second believe that you are acting in our best interests but in the meantime, what is a space-well?"

Q bounced himself into the first officer's chair and leaned close to the Captain, a wide grin making his appearance even more unnerving. With a very deliberate turn of his head, he appraised other man's physical condition before impertinently running a hand over the round curve of his belly.

"That is an awful lot of croissants."

The sharp kick to his palm explained the situation more clearly than words could. Q had long thought that little could surprise him, but every time that opinion was confounded, it was this man that did the confounding and surprising. He was too stunned for a moment to respond with his usual annoying jibes. Before he had time to formulate a response, Jean-luc took his hand and virtually threw it off him.

"If you have QUITE finished. What is a space-well?"

"Um, it's an area of temporarily warped space that creates a funnel from the fabric of space-time. It's a spatial cul-de-sac and the negative space existing at the endpoint of the funnel sucks at positive space and draws in anything in the surrounding area. A bear trap!"

"Data, scan the surrounding area, attempt to confirm or disprove this theory."

"I save your lives and you don't even believe me. I am hurt Mon Capitaine, or perhaps I should say Mom Capitaine."

Jean-luc decided to ignore the dig, he would not give Q the satisfaction, nor would he be embarrassed about this. Rising to Q's bait never stood them in good stead, he must concentrate on the situation at hand.

"We have no reason to believe you Q."

"Fine. I release you, drive on Jeeves, aim for the pit, it's straight ahead."

The engines immediately came back to life.

"All stop. Data, continue your investigation. Q, it is not that we will not pay attention to what you have said, it is simply that we do not trust you enough to accept your words without corroboration. You cause us nothing but grief. We will investigate and if we find this to be true then we will by all means offer you our thanks. In the meantime, there really is no reason for you to be here."

"Oh but there is a marvellous reason for me to be here. I have to meet the man that has wooed you Jean-luc. I cannot imagine what kind of man could have chipped through that icy reserve and managed to get you to spread your legs for him."

The bridge crew fidgeted uncomfortably, unhappy with the entity's personal attack on their Captain. His sexuality and pregnancy were now clear for all to see but that was not an excuse to be rude and personal, they respected his privacy and reacted badly to those who did not. Not that any of them ever reacted well to Q anyway. One crewmember found it impossible to remain silent in the wake of such offensive personal commentary however.

"For an omnipotent being, you really aren't that omnipotent are you?"

"And who might you be Ensign?"

"Lieutenant Commander! I am Theich Dal Meritan. I'm the ice wooer, which you wouldn't need to be told if you really were omnipotent. All powerful usually includes all seeing, unless you have a new definition that no-one else shares. Now, I would appreciate it if you would take a step away from my mate, I find your behaviour threatening."

Jean-luc shot his a warning glance, unsure of how much Theich knew about Q. Q was unfazed, in fact he looked delighted.

"A Nashiran? Jean-luc! You dark horse you. Who would have thought you'd have such a complex and heightened sexuality? No wonder he got your bun cooking. Well, as interesting as this is, there are more interesting places to be right now. By the way, don't pass within twenty parsecs of that anomaly, it'll get you. I'll see you after the happy event Jean-luc. Let's hope the little one gets its Daddy's hair."

The bridge was suddenly quiet of all but the general running sounds of the ship. Jean-luc rubbed his eyes, took a deep sigh and looked around the bridge.

"Continue to investigate Q's claims. I suppose it's too much to ask that that is it. Put the ship on Yellow Alert for the next 12 hours, I want to know immediately if he is spotted back on board."

The Enterprise crew slipped easily into what they were best at, unexpected situations and Jean-luc moved through to his ready room and lay down on the couch with his eyes closed, praying that this would just unhappen. Q was one the things that he least wanted to deal with whilst pregnant. He was up there with Romulans and Borg. With a shock, Jean-luc realised that this was how it would be for the rest of his life, not simply his pregnancy. He could never view danger in quite the same way again, he would always have someone that he cared about more than any higher concerns.

TBC