Q laid back on the grass and stared up at the sky. After a few minutes, he said, "I really do think I'm quite bored." Sitting up, he yelled, "You've had more than enough time to dress. Come Kathy, the cosmos awaits us!"
Hearing no response, he snapped his fingers and stood over Kathryn's still form lying underneath a pine tree. A light wind rustled her hair as she lay curled on her side, fully dressed once more, sleeping.
Q knelt down. "Being a Q is hard work. I wonder if you're up for the challenge." Rising, he said, "Sleep tight, my dear. It's past time I checked on the other woman anyway."
Q snapped his fingers and flashed inside an asteroid. He was greeted by a very dirty Lady Q. Her clothes were in rags and she was chained to the wall by one ankle and one wrist. Taking a run at him within the length of her chains, she screamed and clawed at his face. They tumbled to the ground and fought until Q crawled away from her reach.
"What the…?" he said. Fondling his cheek, he said, "You've gone mad!"
"I should be mad! I listened to you! And now you've gone back to that woman and pledged to be by her side for all of eternity." Lady Q pointed a finger. "That, Q, will never happen."
"You're absolutely right," Q said. "I'm sure she'll tire of me and that will be the end of her."
Lady Q put her hand down. "You'd kill her? For me?"
"Maybe. You were going to do the same for me, remember?"
Lady Q snarled. "Not as a gift. As a way to make you suffer!"
Q smiled. "And now you're the one who is suffering. It's nice the Continuum has given you time to think about what you did. Interesting how that happens, isn't it? I believe the humans call it karma. How much time did they give you anyway?"
Lady Q shrank back. "They're barbarians." She lifted her hand and foot and shook them to rattle the chains. "The Continuum has put me here, like this, until further notice."
"Further notice? Then they're still debating your fate. Interesting." Q paced a bit. "I wonder what they're up to."
Lady Q laughed. "You know perfectly well they're trying to figure out what you're up to."
Q placed his foot on a nearby rock. "Of course, yes, but they never do get it quite right, do they?"
Lady Q leaned against the wall and crossed her arms. "So what are you up to?"
Q wagged a finger at her. "Uh, uh. You think I don't recognize a trap when I see one. You're no more chained to that wall than a Ferengi is honest with his finances."
Lady Q snapped her fingers. Nothing happened.
Q took his foot back and walked just outside her area. "Okay, so what are they offering you?"
"Immunity from prosecution."
"What do they want from me?" Q asked.
"They want Janeway."
"Why?" Q said.
Lady Q shrugged. "Because no one else wants to play the scarecrow and the Continuum thinks it's her turn."
Q grinned. "So, they're still not sold on the whole 'new species' thing. I think it's a brilliant idea. Think of it, Q. A whole new race of semi-omnipotent beings raised in the image of Q. Why, it's so spectacular I could cry!"
Lady Q arched a brow. "And just where do you plan on getting a 'race' of these semi-omnipotent beings? Janeway is but one being."
"Yes," Q said. "But she can become more. The idea came to me while I was touching her."
Lady Q straightened up. "Excuse me?"
Q waved. "I had to correct her physicality. She doesn't quite have that down yet." He paced again with a finger to his chin. "I did offer to mate with her once before but that was when she was human. She told me she wanted a child then. Now, if she wants one, she has no choice but to create one with me."
"Over my dead finger," Lady Q snapped.
Q stopped and turned. "Think of it, Q. We would no longer be custodians of the universe. We would be participants in it. Our Qness sprinkled among the primordial gene pools! We've already been the parents of peace with astounding success. Think of what we could do when we become the parents of existence itself!"
Lady Q sniffed. "It's vulgar."
Q put a finger in the air and said, "It's inspired! And you could have your pick of any species you'd like."
"Ugh! Mate with a common lower level life form. It's more than vulgar. It's obscene!"
"And it's not happening." A flash of light illuminated the asteroid as q appeared with a bag of popcorn in his hand. He sat on a boulder between his parents and grinned.
"Junior!" Q said. "Where have you been? You, young man, are about a decade past your curfew. Do my rules mean nothing to you?"
q glanced at his father and then at his mother, slowly shaking his head. He picked a few kernels out of the bag. "I've been away. Do you know how embarrassing it is to have you two for parents? You, an outcast and you, a criminal. And now you want to contaminate the cosmos with billions of my half brothers and sisters? Forget it! I forbid it!"
Q walked over to his son. "You forbid it? Watch who you're talking to, Junior. You forbid nothing. I forbid you!"
q shrugged. "When you actually lay down a law you haven't broken yet, go right ahead. In the meantime, you two are busted."
"Busted?" Lady Q peered at her son. "Where did you pick up this offensive language? On travels with your father, no doubt."
q grinned. "No doubt."
"Don't you dare blame me!" Q said. "The boy hasn't been home in years. I will not be held responsible for him." Q placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Why this sudden return to the hearth, Junior? You wouldn't be here on behalf of the Continuum, would you?"
q tossed a kernel into his mouth. "Yeah, I am." Snapping his fingers, Lady Q's shackles fell away.
She rubbed her wrist and snapped her fingers to reclaim her normal appearance. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Ah, it always feels good to have powers back even if they are borrowed. Thank you, son."
q returned her sweet smile. "Do you want to do the honors or should I?"
Q stepped back and held out his hands. "What did you do, Junior? You gave her my powers, didn't you?"
Lady Q walked towards him and forced him back into the asteroid's wall. "Yes, he did. You're so predictable, Q. I think it's time for you to have some time to think about what you've done. Consider this your cosmic time out!" Lady Q snapped her fingers. Q's clothes shredded to rags and his hair became disheveled. Large streaks of dust and grime covered his face, arms, and legs. A long chain shackled one wrist and one ankle to the wall.
Q looked himself over and said, "Are you insane? You can't do this! I know how you like to spice up our romance but, in front of the child? I think this is a bit much, don't you think? Q, we can talk about this. "
"Humph," she said as she walked back to her son. "I would appreciate it if you would stop questioning my sanity. You did pick me to mate with you. What does that say about your own mental health?"
q shook his head and said, "You two deserve each other. It's amazing I turned out as well as I did."
Q yanked his chains. "Q, you can't do this to me! It's un-Q! You can't do this! Kathy needs me! She'll die without me!" he screamed. Looking up, he said to the heavens, "Q, I demand a hearing! Now!"
Lady Q kicked a few rocks towards him. "I'll be sure to deliver your requests and protests to the Continuum."
"Son," Q said. "You can't do this to me. It's not right. When she abandoned you, I was the one who stood by you. I was your parent!"
q popped another kernel into his mouth. "Yeah, Dad, you were. And, like I said, look how well I turned out." He took one more look at his mother and stood up beside her.
Tossing her head, she glanced back at Q and said, "Oh and don't worry about Janeway. I'll be sure to take care of her." With one final glance, she snapped her fingers and they were gone.