Q walked into their living quarters rubbing his soar neck and almost collapsing onto the bed. He had managed to get Amelia to bed and then finally finish reading Emily a story without falling asleep himself. That wasn't even half of what he had put up with today, it was absurd what one person could deal with and still function. He was almost certain he had only eaten once and even then he hadn't been able to finish his lunch before someone else needed his help. Being Kathryn Janeway wasn't so easy. Falling back on the bed Q shut his eyes for a moment, he could just fall asleep right now and not care that he was laying half off the bed or that he was still wearing his uniform. Just as he thought he finally was getting some peace and quiet he was startled by a flash of light. Q was use to doing to random appearing, having someone else doing it now...bothered him. "Hello Q, what are doing sleeping already? Lazy." He looked up at the talk, dark, and jackass that was now Janeway. he liked her much better in this body, she was more...dare he say compassionate?
"Kathy, don't even get me started."
She nearly flopped down bouncing him off the bed a little. "Ah, what's wrong Captain Q? Being a captain not as easy as you would have liked?"
Q opened his eyes feeling like he was starting to get a headache as well. He hadn't ever had one, even when he was a mortal. Was there something wrong with Kathy that she wasn't telling anyone else or was this really what happened to the human body on little food and sleep? "Easy? I had settle an argument over Seven and Torres. Torres was complaining that Seven had bypassed extra energy to the astrometrics lab so she could expand the sensor readings. Then I had to dodge the doctor who was complaining about not all the crew members reporting in for their updated inoculations, and he was hinting a lot at me, after that Emily alerted me that I had to give her riding lessons on holodeck two and then was interrupted half way by a call from the bridge to contact a passing trade ship. Just when I thought I was going to have time to eat lunch I was interrupted yet again, big surprise. Tom had to ask me if I was going to let him go on the away mission for tomorrow...which reminds me. I still have to figure out who's going on the away mission tomorrow." Q paused catching his breath, that hadn't even begun to explain his day. He still had to deal with Amelia, and Emily, and Naomi who was following him for a good twenty minutes asking him about the duties of the captain and all the while he did his best to stop from snapping at anyone. Just took a deep breath and smiled. "And where were you that whole time? Didn't I tell you to help me?"
Janeway sat back up." I was for your information learning how to control your abilities. Maybe once I do I can switch us back to normal." She smiled as Q laid there looking like he was going to pass out again. She would have found him irresistibly cute if he wasn't in her own body. "You know what would be fun?" Janeway scooted a little closer to him deciding to use another one of his most annoying traits against him. Wrapping an arm around him she put on her best Q impression which wasn't so hard since she had his voice already. "Well NOW that you have a few seconds to yourself you know what we should do?"
"Sleep?" He asked hopeful that would be her answer. It seemed like a logical normal Janeway answer.
"Nope." Janeway kissed him on the lips making him squirm uncomfortably.
He put a hand up and let out a sigh. "Kathy, I love you but not right now, I'm too tired."
"I'm not." Actually with everything she had done all day she wasn't even a little tired, she had enough energy to keep going. "I'm not even a little tired."
"That's because you are a Q, Qs don't get tired, they don't need sleep." Q let his head lull to one side and let out another sigh. "You really got the easier end of this deal, that's not entirely fair."
Janeway perked up a little more, as if she wasn't perked up enough. "You're right, I did, and I'm not certain I want to go back to the way it was."
"WHAT?" Q found himself wide awake again and sitting up looking at her. "You don't mean that, do you?"
"Of course I do, are you kidding me? I can do anything I like, I don't need to sleep, I don't feel pain, snap my fingers and the universe is at my fingertips." She had to be joking, she honestly had to be joking. "Besides I like being a Q, I have never felt so alive." Oh god, she actually enjoyed being a Q now? She had started to develop an ego and arrogance that was driving him a little mad.
"Hey, all mighty and powerful just remember one thing, that's my body."
Kathy stood up and raised her brow giving him a cocky smile, HIS cocky smile. He should slap that cocky smile right off her face. "Not anymore it isn't."
Standing up Q pointed at her. "Don't make me..."
"What are you going to do? Yell at me?" Q suddenly realized what it was like to be a mere mortal trying to scold a Q of all things.
"Dammit Kathryn I was never this cruel to you." Q finally snapped and broke down a little, the proverbial wind in his sails dying down as he sat back on the bed and grabbed his head. He wasn't getting a headache, he had a full blown migraine by now. The last thing he wanted to do after today was deal with...an arrogant obnoxious Q. "Get out." He finally muttered a little under his breath. Janeway tried to calm him down, reaching a hand out to him only to be barked at again. "I said get out, now."
She took a few steps away from the bed putting a hand on her hip and snapping her fingers. In a flash of light Janeway was gone. As far as Q cared she could stay gone for the next month and he wouldn't be too concerned. How could someone be so ignorant to others feelings? Oh, maybe he shouldn't throw stones when he lived in a glass house himself.
Janeway walked down the hall with Rowley, the dog always seemed to prefer Q over her but it seemed since she was Q at the moment that the dog enjoyed her company a little more now. She felt bad not getting more of a chance to play with the dog but two kids and a ship to run she hadn't the time to spend one on one time with the dog. In fact Naomi Wildman mostly took command of Rowley now, or Emily. "I, I don't even know what to say Rowley. It's like I open my mouth and what comes out is just...infinite knowledge does not equate to infinite wisdom." Sitting down in hydroponics She considered maybe picking a few of the flowers in here. Since Kes had left Neelix still looked after the flowers, they had been good friends and once even a little more. Maybe she had to accept that she and Q would only ever be good friends. Just thinking about that made her feel like lightning had struck her right in the heart. It was almost a real physical pain, the closest she had come to since being trapped in Q's body. It seemed everything a Q experienced was almost to an alarming extreme, love, hate, it was a constant struggle trying to calm yourself down so you could better 'fit' in around other humanoids. It certainly explained her sudden jealousy and possessive nature over Q suddenly. Ordinarily she couldn't have cared about what he said and did but suddenly seeing the other Q and Chakotay looking at him, even in her body...it had gotten under her skin. It wasn't as much fun as she had said to be a Q. Boredom was almost an illness to her, she couldn't sit still and do nothing. When you already knew everything and experiences were almost a drug what could you do but sit and become bitter or...have fun. That was an idea.
Standing up Janeway considered what she might do, Q said he still had to finish putting together the list for the away mission. It wasn't as if she needed sleep, she could easily finish it for him. Snapping her fingers she made a PADD appear in her other hand and nodded her head with a little smirk. "I'll tell you this much Rowley. I could get use to these abilities."
The next morning after the briefing Q had sent off his little missions list and taken in all the departments complaints, especially noting Sevens complaints about efficiency aboard Voyager. Even if this was the first morning meeting he had sat down to he felt like he had heard the same speech over and over. Even after everyone had left Chakotay stayed behind still showing some obvious concern over her...him. To be honest it was all getting a little hazy to Q himself. "Captain, you seemed, quiet this morning."
Q sat back in his seat letting out a sigh. "Ka...Q and I had an argument last night." He was quick to catch himself, last thing he needed was for the rest of the crew to know their captain and favorite Q had been switched. "I know, I get it that he is excited to be, all powerful and everything but do you think he could consider for a second what I have to put up with every day? You would think if he really loved me as much as he said he did then he wouldn't try to add to my frustrations. It's bad enough I can't even keep Torres and Seven in a room for more than five minutes without an argument breaking out between them."
Chakotay smiled at 'her' seeming like he may have heard this speech before himself. "Well you know Q Captain, he reminds me of those younger boys who did nothing but cause trouble to get a girls attention. I think he means well but he just doesn't know what you expect from him. He may be a Q but he's still a guy, sometimes all we need is a little guidance. Other than that I know he really does care about you Captain, why else would he go out of his way?"
Q leaned over the table a little propping his chin on one of his hands. He hadn't ever expected Chakotay to stand up for him. All this time he figured the commander was secretly plotting behind his back but he had learned Chakotay was actually a pretty good guy. Kathy deserved a guy more like him. Q sat back up puffing up his chest a little. It wasn't too late to be that guy. "What do you think she...I should tell him? I mean to help 'guide' him into doing the right thing?" He just might take this to his advantage right now.
"Tell him what you always tell me. Sometimes the little things go further than just, how did you put it? Snapping your fingers to solve a problem?" Chakotay smiled. "And while you figure that out, let me handle Torres and Seven for you."
"Thank you Chakotay, I appreciate it." Q let out a sigh, Kathy had told him that same thing over and over herself, seemed Q ignored her more than he liked to think. He was that ass Kathy had been portraying, way to make him feel bad. Unfortunately it wasn't entirely his fault. What else was he suppose to do on Voyager? He was a whale in a bathtub, metaphorically speaking. He couldn't just do and leave Voyager whenever he liked, there were two little Q's here who needed him, and Kathy. Every time he got the urge to 'play' around he couldn't just flit off to some other unsuspecting group of victims. His litter box had also become his toy box, wasn't that the saying? Standing up Q jumped a little seeing the bright flash behind him and turning on his heels to look at Kathy. "Where have you been all morning?" Q growled a little annoyed. "They found Rowley locked in hydroponics, I had to get Emily ready for school on my own and Amelia, don't even get me started on how she can be in the mornings."
Janeway put her her hands in defense before she was completely torn apart. "I have been to the continuum."
"What? Why." Q sounded more concerned.
"Nothing bad, just looking for Q...other Q, so he can turn us back. I don't want to be a Q anymore." Janeway paused looking at Q again and letting a little smirk cross her face. "By the way has anyone told you how hot you are today?" Janeway touched Q on the shoulder and acted like she had gotten burned. "Ouch."
Q rolled his eyes and glared at her. "Really? Yesterday you seemed pretty content to stay in that body."
She suddenly remembered why she was here. "I did, for a while, until this, all this started to happen. How can you stand it. This, everything. It doesn't stop, I can't even finish a thought without a million other thoughts coming to my mind." Janeway paused looking around the briefing room. "Have the walls always been this atrocious color? Bland." Janeway snapped her fingers changing the shade to a royal red, the walls decorated with fine drapery and a few historical paintings. "Better."
Q looked around the room, even though it did look nicer it wasn't what was that? Starfleet regulation. "Kathy...please change the walls back."
"Sorry, I, I can't help it." She snapped her fingers again. "That is what I am talking about. I just can't...stop."
"Frustrating isn't it. I didn't know any better until the first time I became mortal on Captain Picard's ship Enterprise. Luckily for those of us who have always been Q we can get better control of ourselves. We all have a few mental anchors in the storm that is the Q mind." Most Qs didn't even bother doing that, they preferred to live adrift in the commotion but Q liked a little order, at least more so than those 'naturalists' but less so than the council who would force perfect order and conformity on the masses.
"Not only that but...could I be any more useless?"
"Useless? What do you mean?"
"If I use my powers you yell at me, what am I suppose to do? I'm so...bored, unchallenged." Janeway complained pacing a little bit and looking like how he use to feel. Bored, unchallenged, caged. It was unpleasant for a Q.
"Well, take it from a master, if you want to calm down your mind you need to make yourself a port in the storm." He tapped his fingers on the table before standing up and walking over to Janeway who looked as though she was going to jump out of her skin or better yet his skin. "And I know you lack a 'filter' so to say and I know you feel useless...believe my Kathy. I feel useless every day. I feel like no matter what I do I'll never make you happy, me, an omnipotent being. "But, you know what, maybe snapping your fingers ins't what you need to do to make you feel challenged. Isn't that too easy? Maybe the real challenge is in doing everything the hard way, the mortal way. Who knows, it might even set a good example for the girls." Q was starting to sound just like Kathy. This had become more than just switching bodies, it was like they had swapped personalities as well.
Janeway listened and took it all into consideration before letting out a sigh. "That sounds..." Q expected her to say something like 'profound' or ' insightful'. Instead he got something he almost expect...knowing himself anyways. "Dull." Janeway raised a brow thinking it over even more. "But...possible. Not every day someone like me tries to live the simple common life of a limited bipedal species like you...no offence." She waved a hand at him almost trying to work through some sort of miniature emergency. "I just, everything all at once? All the time? How do you stand this?"
"As I said, you need to make yourself a port in the storm, organize your thoughts around it." Q smiled to himself. "Mine was always Amelia, Emily, You." His smile grew, he hadn't noticed Kathy staring at him intently. "My family, I'm the only Q alive who has one. Maybe that is your next greatest experience, adventure, challenge. Being a family man." Even Q caught himself by surprise and started faking a cough. "Oh that was weird."
"I can see why I like you so much, when I'm myself anyways. Right now I just have to get something off my chest." He figured she was going to say something like call him corny or sappy. Instead he got, "I want to kind of bend you over the briefing table." It almost was physically painful for her to say that but Q couldn't hold it in himself. He doubled over laughing. Never ever would he think Kathy would say something like that to him, even with his personality.
"I'm...I'm flattered?" Q finally managed to spit it out. "But not right now." He paused again trying to run it through his mind. "Although, would be interesting to see what it's like, you know for scientific purposes to be on the other end of that..."
Another flash of light caught their attention as the other Q showed up, his blue eyes darting between them. "Well this is awkward." He sat down on the table crossing his legs and putting a little smirk on his face. "Look at you two getting along, maybe a little too well. Kathy, really that is how you get into the beds of little primitive beings? You need to work on your material my man or you will never be a successful Q." The Q shrugged. "I'm so proud of you two."
"So you are going to change us back now?" Q asked with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
"Oh no, I just came to check up on the two of you. Make sure you haven't killed each other yet. I already told you I can't change you back to the way you were before. Only you can do that for yourselves." He leaned back snapping his fingers and holding an apple in his hand. Taking a bite from it he started talking with his mouth full of apple, muffling his words as he spoke. "Yes, I set it up so you would only change back to normal once you two made up and seen the world through each others eyes."
"We have." Kathy argued.
"No." The Q interrupted pointing at her. "You have an idea, you are at a good start. Besides you two get to this point all the time, a quick fix, you get each other for a minute and then it's back to the way it use to be." He chewed up the apple in his mouth and threw it up in the air before catching it again and taking another bite from it. "Also Q...I think you sprang a leak."
Q looked at him and furrowed his brow before looking over himself and noticing his shirt was a little wet. "Well, this is embarrassing." The other Q started having a mild giggle fit as Janeway looked over at him for once happy she wasn't in her own body. Being a Q had several advantages.
"You forgot to feed Amelia this morning."
"Y...Yeah." Q spoke up a little nervously.
"Welcome to motherhood."
Q shifted his gaze uncomfortably between them and crossed his arms over his chest. That whole switching back to their own bodies thing would have been very helpful by now. "Eh Q, you make a nice girl. I think it works for you better. Actually I prefer you like this." The other Q commented still having that mocking tone to his voice. "Kathy if you ever get back to your own body and you decide to leave that one I'm always available you know." He leaned a little closer to his Q companion's body now. It wasn't unusual for the other Q to flirt with males or to have flirted with Q when he was normal so the thought of flirting with Kathy in Q's body didn't even phase him a little.
"I'll...keep that in mind?" She shrugged feeling a little more awkward than the more open Q, her attention turning back to poor Q as he stood there rather upset by the situation. "I promise I'll put it in my never going to happen box where all the rest of your failed pickup lines have gone."
The Q looked back at Q again. "I like her, have I told you that already?" He took another bite of his apple. "Well it was fun hanging with you two but I have to dash. There is a group of stranded Betazoid beauties who need my help so if you don't mind." He vanished in a flash of light as Q huffed.
"Ha, can you believe that hack use to run around pretending he was a god."
"Really?" Janeway was surprised, she thought it was against the rules for the Q to pretend they were gods.
"Yes, they called him Cupid." Q paused. "Amature. Got us both in trouble for that."
"Did you pretend to be a god as well?" She was a little curious now, after all Q was still full of secrets.
Glancing back at her he shifted his gaze a little. "No...not really...maybe a little..." He paused again. "Forget I mentioned it."
