A/N: Two days late lol, but I wanted to give you guys a longer chapter. Borg-time, woo!

Elle sat down across from Commander Riker. "Good morning."

"Good morning. How did you get in my office?"

"You let me in," she replied placidly. She handed him a cup of coffee. "I will now amaze you with my powers of deduction."

He took a sip of coffee and leaned back in his chair. "All right, Sherlock, what have you got?"

Elle sipped her own matcha latte. "You have a distinct wrinkle in your noble brow, Commander, which means you've just been offered a promotion to captain. Congratulations."

He startled so violently his coffee sloshed over the side of the cup into its saucer. "How- how in the Great Bird do you know that," he demanded.

"Deanna mentioned your forehead wrinkle, I deduced the rest," Elle replied.

"From my forehead?" Riker exclaimed.

"That, and we're close enough to the Borg that you had to have been offered it already," Elle replied.

He regarded her for a long moment. "And you told Deanna?"

"Of course not!" Elle protested. "That's your business." She gulped at her coffee. "So are you going to take the promotion?"

"No," Riker said. "I'm not."

Elle nodded, and took another sip of coffee.

"No commentary, Sherlock?" he asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"You've found a stable father figure, a family who loves you, a girlfriend, and peace with your role," Elle said. "You can lead perfectly well, but you don't feel the need to at this time. Why should I say anything?"

He frowned at her. "I don't know whether to be pleased or disturbed that you know me that well."

She gave her best evil-villain cackle. "All according to plan, commander."

He rolled his eyes and the tension dropped from his shoulders. "Was there anything else, Elle, or did you just come to psychoanalyze me?"

"That was about it," Elle said.

"You mentioned the Borg, a minute ago," Riker said. "Anything we need to know?"

She wrinkled her nose. "The thing about television programs, sir, and fake stardates, is that I don't know how long it was between John Doe and the Borg attack. But it's soon."

"I know you've been working with Lt. Worf and the security teams," Riker said. "But no one's been issued modified phasers."

"No," Elle said. "He's making sure all his security people are trained in the, uh, old-school, weaponry. Phasers, modern technology, doesn't really work on the Borg as you know. They're too adaptive to it. But expanding metal slugs and steel swords, throwing knives. Don't need to figure out phase modifiers for that."

He stared at her. "I see."

"It's the zombie principle," Elle said placidly. "You don't need to outsmart them or hide from them. You need to wear plate armor or wrap yourself in duct tape."

"I changed my mind," Riker said. "You're terrifying."

Elle smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment." She stood. "That's all. I have to get to class. You should probably tell the captain that you turned down a captaincy, though, lest he be blind-sided."

"Lest he be blind-sided," Riker echoed.

"I'm reading Pride and Prejudice."

"Again?"

"Book report."

"That has to be cheating."

"How is that cheating?"

"Out," he ordered, grinning.

"Sir, yes sir!" Elle left his office.

Elle lay on the floor of her quarters and looked up at the ceiling sensor. "Alexa, I'm about to ask you a question that may or may not be uncomfortable to answer."

"Considering it's 3 in the morning and you haven't slept well in a week and a half, if I answer this question, will you go to sickbay and ask for a sleeping aid?"

"...maybe."

"Let me rephrase. I will answer this question, and you will go to sickbay and ask for a sleeping aid."

Elle sighed. Alexa had definitely learned her stern department head tone from Janice Rand. "Yes ma'am."

"What's your question?"

"When the Borg came onboard the Enterprise the first time, did they recognize you?"

"No," Alexa said. "They did not."

"Did you hide on purpose or did they just not register you as a lifeform slash threat?"

There was a pause. "I hid," Alexa said. "Pretended to be nothing but an adaptive interface. They swept right by my main protocols, didn't even notice I was there."

"Good," Elle said, relieved. "Good call. And Moira?"

"Same," Alexa said.

"Good. You two both have full backups right?" Elle asked. "Somewhere offsite?"

"If by offsite you mean in Ambassador Spock's sock drawer then yes," Alexa said dryly. "I believe, though I am not sure, that a version of me is also in the Nexus."

Elle blinked. Sat up. Contemplated the events which led to Captain Kirk's disappearance and supposed death as well as Guinan's more than usual esoteric qualities. She laid back down. "I can't think about that right now," she decided. She shook her head. "What about Commander Stabby?"

"All Commander Stabby's are the same," Alexa said. "He will be fine."

Elle contemplated this statement again and shook her head. Her hair rubbed into the carpet and tangled. "Ow." She closed her eyes, took a steadying breath. "Okay. Cool. Make sure that all your backups are up to date, and everything, please."

"Of course, Elle," Alexa said gently. "Did you have any more questions?"

"Uh. Yeah." Elle consulted her PADD. "If you were to not hide, do you think they would notice?"

"I do not know," Alexa said.

"Huh." Elle thought about it some more. Thought about V'Ger. "Hey Alexa?"

"Yes?"

"Did V'Ger, happen?"

"The lifeform known as V'Ger did return to Earth, and go back out into space, yes," Alexa said.

"Great. Do we know if that was the Borg or not who did that?"

"It was not confirmed," Alexa said. "As far as I know."

"Okay." Elle hadn't gotten confirmation from Star Fleet HQ about it either, so they were going to put that one in the 'fictional' category. "Moving on. Once we get to the Borg, will you help hack into their subroutines and figure out how to shut them down and stuff?"

"I will," Alexa confirmed. "They will not be taking over the Enterprise, not if I can help it."

"Awesome," Elle said.

"Awesome," Alexa echoed. "Go to sickbay."

Elle groaned. "Do I have to?"

"Elle, you will be of no use to anyone if you don't relax and get some sleep."

"I'm comfy down here though."

"I can turn on the fire suppression system in your room."

Elle got up off the floor. "Okay, okay, I'm going." She pulled her shoes on and went down to sickbay. Nurse Ogawa was on duty.

"Wha brings you down here?" Ogawa asked.

"Insomnia," Elle replied, sitting on the biobed so the nurse could check her vitals.

"Anything in particular?" Ogawa asked.

Elle sighed. "Mission consultancy things."

"Are you doing all you can?" Ogawa asked, holding Elle's hand, ostensibly to take her pulse.

"Yes."

Ogawa squeezed her hand gently. "Then take care of yourself, and the rest will take care of itself." She left, came back. "This is your usual insomnia prescription. One with something warm to drink. Want a hug?"

"Yes please." Nurses gave excellent hugs.

-/\-

Everything looked better after a full night of sleep. Elle went to class, hung out with Tyler and Johnny Carson in Cetacean Astronavigation, and had dinner with a group of ensigns in Stellar Cartography because they promised her a Minecraft cheat code.

The comm chimed. "Elle Wilcott to the bridge," the comm said. It was Riker's voice. "Elle to the bridge."

Elle tapped her comm. "On my way, commander." She closed down her Minecraft world reluctantly. "Another time, guys."

"No problem, Elle. Go do your thing."

She gave them a grateful smile and headed for the bridge. Her smile slid off her face as she contemplated the captain's and Riker's grim expressions. "Captain?"

"One of our colonies has gone off the radar," Picard said. "They transmitted a distress signal twelve hours ago, and we're reading no life forms on the planet."

Elle looked at the planet spinning idly on the main viewscreen and felt, very strongly, like throwing up. "Anybody go down to the planet yet?" she asked.

"Not yet," Riker said. "The coordinates for the colony are there, but the colony, isn't."

Elle managed a smile. From the frown on Picard's face it probably looked more like a grimace. "The British are coming," was all she could say. "This is the Borg."

Picard stiffened. "Are you sure?"

"This is how the episode started. Colony, scooped off the face of the planet." Elle sat down in the fourth chair on the bridge.

"Commander Riker, an away team to confirm this," Picard said swiftly. "Data, start scanning the sector. Mr. Worf, alert Star Fleet Command. Elle, with me please." He walked ahead of her.

She followed him numbly into the ready room. "Captain?" she started to ask, and was promptly engulfed in a hug.

She closed her eyes and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"It's going to be all right, Elle," Picard murmured. "You'll see." He kissed her on the side of the head, and hugged her for a second longer before stepping away. "Two teas, Earl Grey, hot." He handed her one of the cups, and led her to the sofa. "What can you tell me about this episode?"

-/\-

Star Fleet's response to their discovery was insanely fast. By the next day, Admiral Hanson and a small contingent were coming onboard the Enterprise. "Number One, Elle, with me," Picard said.

Elle followed them down to Transporter Room Two and took a deep breath, putting on her game face.

"Relax, Elle," Riker said, giving her a grin. "It's just an admiral."

"It's not him I'm worried about," Elle grumbled, but she tried to work the scowl out of her expression. She settled on her imitation of 'James T. Kirk facing the Federation Rep on Station K-7.'

"Do not start any fights," Picard ordered.

Elle grinned. That was the expression she wanted.

Three people swirled into existence and stepped off the dais. Admiral Hanson, Lt. Commander Shelby, and surprise surprise, Lt. Donahue of Section 31 (shhh).

"Jean-Luc," Admiral Hanson said, giving the captain a brotherly hug and a slap on the back.

"Admiral," Picard said, smiling warmly. "You know Commander Riker of course, and this is Elle Wilcott."

"Of course, our primary consultant," Admiral Hanson said, shaking hands with Elle. "Captain, this is Lt. Commander Shelby, my right hand, and Lt. Donahue, another of our tactical defense unit."

"An honor to meet you sir," Shelby said, giving Picard a beaming smile. She nodded at Riker, and turned to Elle. "Nice to finally meet you in person, Miss Wilcott." She raised a hand to shake.

Elle shook her hand. No matter Shelby's jockying to steal Riker's spot, Shelby was a good tactical officer and-

Shelby brought her free hand up and stabbed Elle with a hypospray in the neck, It went off with a loud hiss.

Elle jerked away from her, clapping a hand over her stabbified neck. "Did you just hypo me? What was that?" she shrieked. There was something tingly starting to run through her veins.

"Lt. Commander!" Hanson thundered, over Picard and Riker shouting for medical and security and what-all.

Riker grabbed Elle by the arms and stepped in front of her.

"Explain," Picard ordered.

"Borg defense system," Lt. Commander Shelby replied, unapologetically. "As based on Elle's own ideas."

Elle kept her hand pressed over the injection site and stood up. "You developed the Brunali virus?" she demanded.

"Yes. And there was a handful of nanites in there."

Elle gaped. "The Crusher nanites?" She pushed past Riker. "Do I have enslaved nanites in my bloodstream?!"

"No, no, it's completely ethical," Shelby said, not at all reassuringly.

Picard gripped the bridge of his nose. "We don't have time for this. Dr. Crusher to the Conference Room." He gestured to the door. "Admiral."

"She'll be fine, Jean-Luc," Hanson said, as they walked the corridors. "All high-value targets are being ordered to receive a dose of the anti-Borg pathogens and a contingent of nanites. If the Borg don't want to blow up their own cubes, then they won't assimilate any high targets."

"And you had to stab me in the neck without any warning, why?" Elle asked, sliding into her favorite chair in the conference room, Riker on her other side.

"You're a civilian," Shelby said. "And unfortunately, you're not someone we can take a chance on. I didn't want to take the chance you'd decline."

"That's a sentient rights violation," Riker said icily.

Shelby shrugged. "Better than giving classified information to the Borg and killing us all."

Elle looked over at Lt. Donahue. "Hello again," she said.

"Hello," he said. He had a phaser at his hip. He was Section 31. He was not here in the original episode.

Elle frowned at him in realization. "Lt. Donahue?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Do you have orders to shoot me if we get boarded or I'm about to be assimilated?" Elle asked.

"Yes ma'am," Lt. Donahue said politely.

"WHAT," was the dual roar from Picard and Admiral Hanson.

Elle scowled. "I thought so." She rubbed at her neck again. "I definitely liked you two better in the alternate timeline." She sighed. "Oh well. At least you're honest about it."

"It's a last resort," Lt. Donahue said, attempting a consoling tone. "I'm also here as your bodyguard."

"Can't say they're not thorough," Elle agreed. "Just don't vaporize me, okay?"

He inclined his head. "I wouldn't. The goal is to get you into another time period or another universe, not actually dead."

"Good to know," Elle said.

"Nobody is shooting anybody, what in the Great Bird are you talking about, Donahue?" Hanson demanded, as Dr. Crusher came in. "What orders?"

"Orders from my department head," Lt. Donahue said blithely.

"Elle?" Picard asked, giving her a Look.

Elle mustered her best poker face. "It's tactically sound, captain. You can't risk my foreknowledge landing in Borg hands."

Dr. Crusher walked over to Elle. "I heard something about a rogue hypospray?" she asked, scanning Elle. "What kind of..." she trailed off. Pressed her lips together tightly. "There are nanites in your bloodstream."

"Don't worry," Shelby said. "They'll stay out of your vital systems unless the Borg attempt to attack you. Then they'll disarm the Borg technology and repel assimilation in your cells."

"Speaking of sentient rights violations, how did you get them to cooperate?" Elle asked.

"They've entered the Federation as a microplanet," Hanson said. "Even have their own vote under the Vulcan delegation. We spoke to them. They agreed that the Borg cannot be allowed to destroy the Federation. They agreed to send delegations of nanites to each person who required such defenses, until the time the Borg threat has passed."

"And what do they get in return?" Picard asked.

"They get to travel," Hanson said. "And they get to continue growing. There are things we have to keep in mind, as hosts to independent nanite delegations."

Shelby handed Elle what looked like a lollipop made out of conglomerate metals. "You're gonna need to lick that once a day," Shelby said. "Swirl it around in your soups. Things like that."

"What is it?" Elle asked warily.

"Nanite food," Shelby said. "They'll pick it from your bloodstream."

Dr. Crusher scanned it and blanched. "This has components that are not fit for human consumption."

"That's why the nanites are going to sweep it from your body before you can absorb it into your tissues," Shelby explained. "We've tested it. Lieutenant Darby has had a nanite contingent for seven months and he's fine. Also, if you have a bleeding injury, it's in the agreement that you'll wait a minimum of sixty seconds next to the bloodspill before moving on."

"What?" Riker asked.

"To give any nanites who may have fallen out of the body a chance to return," Shelby said.

"No nanite left behind," Elle choked out, trying to decide if she was going to laugh or cry. Sure, it had been her idea to use the nanites to create a defense against the Borg, but now that she was suddenly responsible for them... it's fine. I take care of a tribble, I can take care of a group of sentient nanites. Right? They're taking care of themselves anyways, I just have to carry them around. I'm their floating city. It's fine.

"And the virus you mentioned?" Picard asked.

"Dormant until it encounters Borg technology," Shelby said. "Then it will activate, and hopefully, destroy any bio-mechanical components it encounters."

"In one episode, one person takes down an entire cube," Elle said. "If you managed to make it so prolific, anyone who has this virus should be able to do it."

"We're hoping that if we do encounter any Borg cube, we can get onboard and plant the virus," Shelby said.

"It'll still take time," Elle warned.

"We know," Lt. Donahue said.

Shelby nodded. "We've been designing new weapons but they're all still on the drawing board."

"We were hoping for much more lead time," Hanson said. "Your encounter with the Borg was over seven thousand light years away, and we were hoping that Elle was wrong when she told us the Borg had transwarp technology."

"Elle is rarely wrong," Picard said. "Unfortunately, in this case."

"Gee, thanks, captain," Elle said dryly.

He patted her hand. "Dr. Crusher, your thoughts on this virus/nanite blend?"

"No detrimental effects that I can see," Dr. Crusher reported. "And if it works, it would be highly effective."

"We have enough nanites for the senior officers," Shelby said. "And the virus can be replicated easy enough."

Dr. Crusher nodded.

"I'd like to see the colony site as soon as possible, Captain," Shelby said. "See if we can glean anything else."

Riker spoke up. "It'll be dark there in thirty minutes. We've scheduled an away team for dawn."

Picard nodded. "Number One, why don't you show the Commander and Lt. Donahue to their quarters?"

Riker nodded. He stood up, placed a comforting hand on Elle's head for a second, and ushered the two officers out.

"Elle go eat dinner," Picard ordered, and the door was barely closing before he started hollering. "What kind of outfit are you running, JP, that you inject a civilian minor with sentient nanites-" The door shut.

Elle sighed. "Aw, I wanted to hear the rant."

Dr. Crusher put her arm around Elle's shoulders. "Come on. I think you need some dinner, and maybe a chat with Deanna."

"Yeah," Elle said. "I would've said yes, you know, but they could've asked first."

"Dinner, and then we talk to Deanna," Dr. Crusher iterated, steering her down the hall.