"Alright, Alex is in charge tonight because I have to interview someone to replace Dr. Crusher."

"But how can he be in charge if he has an interview?" Ana playfully asked, making direct eye contact while widening her eyes.

"We've been over this."

"But Daaad…"

"We just want him to live with us like normal siblings do." Max joined in.

I am trying my best not to laugh but this is kind of hilarious.

"Beverly is pursuing a professorial position at The Academy and the twins have been petitioning for me to give you her job since they found out." My Dad explained.

"Aww, that's so nice of you two!"

"We just want our family together…" Ana said in that guilt tripping tone, looking at him. And I sensed a wave of guilt in him. A big wave.

"I'll think about it." He replies steadily. "I have to get going." He said standing up. "You have the bridge, Alex." He jokingly said, nodding.

"Aye, Sir." I smiled back. The twins were weirdly quiet until he was out the door.

"You're welcome." Ana said, deadpan.

"Wait, what?"

"You heard her." Max said. "Us. You're welcome."

"Are you guys my career counselors?"

"We're gonna to get you the job, and you're gonna thank us." Ana replied.

"You guys are too cute."

"Can we go race go-karts in the Holodeck?" Max asked.

"It's a school night." I reply. "And if you don't get your work done it would look bad on me and I wouldn't be considered for any position."

They both scoff at me and go to their rooms. It was then I realized I had no idea what to do with myself. Anything fun involved leaving. And it's not like any of my old friends are here. Not that I'm stuck in the past, or anything. This feels like being grounded.

So I fetch my old handheld video game device and play through a bunch of old favorites while drinking wine. It takes away from that "grounded" feeling from before.

Ana pops out about 45 minutes later with a data pad.

"I looked up the person Dad's interviewing and you're just as qualified." She says with a tone of authority beyond her years. The way she said it and subsequently the way she sat down next to me on the couch made her seem like a Bridge Officer trapped in a 12 year old's body.

"Are you done with your homework?"

"Almost. I have barely any left. And this is my break. Anyway, 2 ships, graduated with honors, did the 5 year medical program, you're the same."

"Is this person 28?"

"31. Close enough. I don't see why being 28 would keep you out of it anyway. It's just a number."

"It'd be on the young side."

"So?"

I love her confidence.

"Maybe he needs to hear it from you." She says with eyes lit up.

"Maybe he needs to hear what from you?" Our Dad was standing in the doorway. We didn't notice him walk in.

"That he's just as qualified as any of your candidates." Ana went back to that 12-year-old officer tone.

"Look, Ana." He said gently. He walked over and sat next to her on the couch, putting an arm around her shoulders. "I know you and your brother miss him. But I can't just snap my fingers and grant him this position. It's more complicated than that."

"Then snap both fingers!"

"Ana…"

"He's the one that stayed up all night with me holding my hair when I got food poisoning!" She said in the same tone, referring to when we were visiting our grandmother and were forced to choke down some disgusting Betazoid dish.

"That's…"

"And whenever he was over and Max or I skimmed our knees or stubbed ourselves on the furniture?"

"It's more complicated!" I could tell by his tone he wanted her to stop talking. But I sensed a mixture of guilt and regret from him.

"Don't be a hypocrite." She replied while standing up and walking back to her room.

"Sometimes she has these moments where I swear she's Tasha's reincarnation." He smirked, looking down the hallway where the bedrooms are. "She would've loved her."

"How was the interview?"

"Ok, I guess. Something was off. Superficially qualified, but lacking that…. spirit that gets you through the high pressure moments. You know what I mean?"

"That spirit that makes you come up with creative ways to solve problems?"

"Exactly! It's just that they… were good at repeating the textbook but couldn't come up with their own ideas."

"Mere prattle without practice is all their scholarship?" I smirk.

"When did you read Othello?" He relies, impressed.

"I had to write lines from it as punishment when I was 14. Picard caught me doing… something… and he gave me the choice of that or telling you and Mom." I say, laughing.

"What did you do?" He asks, laughing.

"I'm not telling! I didn't write those lines for nothing!"

"Well alright then!"

"So you need someone with more… sticky situation skills?" I bring the conversation back.

"Yes! And nobody has them! They're all too sheltered! We need more people who… I dunno, got out of a death sentence at 14 and learned early how to outsmart people!"

"Those people are pretty hard to come by." I say jokingly. Those references were about me. Not that he'd give me the job.

"The Cassiopeia's lucky." He says. I really sense the guilt building up in him now, like pressure building up inside a container.

…..

The Next Morning

It was around 10:30. I got hit with a wave of pain and distress. I could tell it was Max's.

My senses indicated an intense physical pain beyond just a scrape. It was probably a broken bone or a sprain. It would be mid morning break time for him. I grab my med kit and head towards the school area.

I find him in the rec gym near the classrooms, where many go for their mid morning break to play pick up sports. He was on the ground at the sideline, holding his right ankle, with a clenched jaw and closed eyes.

"Hey, bud." I say soothingly, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Can I take a look?"
He nods. I take out my scanner.

"Looks like you sprained your ankle dude."

He nods. His facial expression hasn't changed. I gently work his shoe and sock off and give him a local painkilling gel. All the tension in his face went away. By this time the last of the other kids had gone back to class.

"I hurt myself playing basketball." He said quietly.

"That's OK. Let's tape this up."

"Why do I suck?"

"You don't suck."

"I suck! I'll never be one of the athletic kids no matter how hard I try!"

"But you're good at drawing and telling jokes and playing the cello!"

"But I wanna be athletic!"

"I bet the athletic kids wish they could do things that you can do!"

He pouts.

"I think you're awesome just the way you are." I say as I finish taping. I carefully kneel so that he can get his hands on my shoulders to piggy back him back to our quarters to rest. As I do this I see my Dad and Dr. Crusher near the door. Quietly observing.

"How long were…"

"Since the gel." My Dad cuts me off, smiling. He walks over to rustle Max's curly mop of hair. "How did you beat me here? The teacher called me."

"I sensed his pain right when it happened."

"Well call it a hunch but I bet you get that from your mother."

He and Beverly exchange a glance.

"Well, as you were!" He says before he and Beverly turn to walk back to The Bridge. "Heal up, Max!"

5 hours later

"That… was… genius!" I hear Ana from down the hall. I'm back playing old video games in the living room.

"What was?" I hear Max.

"Injuring yourself so that Dad and Crusher could walk in on Alex… Alexing. So they could see why he needs the job."

"I mean… it was genius. But I didn't do it on purpose."

"Then fate did it on purpose!"

I don't deserve this level of being looked up to.

One Week Later

Mom came home early. She didn't have to stay as long as she thought. It's mid afternoon and she's venting to me and my dad about her mother over tea.

Ana and Max come through the door.

"Mom… you're back early." Max says, unevenly. I can sense they're happy to be back, but there's also this element of sadness in both of them.

"I didn't have to stay as long as I thought." She replies with a perplexed tone. "Are you two alright?"

"Well… It's just that… now that you're back it means Alex has to go back. And we won't see him for a long time." Max stutters.

"I'm not going back before the day I said I'd go back." I say reassuringly.

"It's just that, this was the first time you were just here, you know? Without it feeling like you were visiting. It was so nice having you just living with us like a normal sibling would." Ana says.

"Exactly!" Max piggy backs on her statement. "It's not fair that we never get to see you!"

I really don't know how to reply.

My dad makes eye contact with me and gestures that we step outside.

"You're really good to them. And good for them." He begins in the corridor. "And at your job… and at sticky situations." He pauses. "And I know it might look like nepotism, and I know I might regret putting you in a position where you can give me orders." He pauses and chuckles. "But Beverly and I were talking after what we saw in the rec gym, and I'm going to offer you the job."

"Really?" I can't believe it.

"Really." He puts a hand on my shoulder.

"I'll take it."