A/N: HIiii. Only 3 weeks this time, not bad! This chapter is nice and long, ran away from me a bit. Anywho, thank you all for reading and for your kind comments and reviews! Enjoy!

"Elle?"

She barely looked up from Wesley's draft of 'Diogenes and the Class Divide of Ancient Rome'. Terrifying how closely Elle related to the themes in that paper. Well, the 21st century was when capitalistic society collapsed, after all. "Don't mind skipping that bit," Elle murmured to herself.

"Elle," the captain said again, patient and a bit amused.

She cleared her throat. "Yes, sorry, captain." She put the PADD down.

"When we get to Starbase 104, we'll be receiving Ambassador Odan from the Trill," Picard said. "He'll be handling negotiations for the Peliar Zel."

"A Trill ambassador?" Elle asked. "Awesome. Love the Trill."

Picard gave her an odd look. "Is it their air of mystery that intrigues you?" he asked.

Elle realized they still didn't know anything about the Trill. "Uh, yeah," she said, unconvincingly.

"Uh-huh," Picard said. "Well, as you seem to enjoy learning about the Trill, you'll be his point person for the ship," he said.

"Yes, sir." Elle glanced at the chronometer and drooped. "Seven hours to Starbase 104," she said.

He sat down across from her. "What's wrong?" he asked.

She sighed. "The twins and Satel are leaving at the same time," she said. "Going to Earth and Vulcan for university."

"Oh," Picard said. "I thought you still had some time?"

Elle wrinkled her nose. "Not with civilian transports."

"Ah." Picard reached out and squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry, Elle. You've made arrangements to comm still, yes?"

"Yeah. But, it's not the same." She drew her knee up and rested her chin on it. "I guess I'll have to make friends with the freshmen." She shot Picard a grin. "Or corrupt some ensigns."

He rolled his eyes. "Please, don't tell me," he said. "I need some form of plausible deniability."

"Oh well," Elle said, her grin fading.

Picard looked at her for a long moment. "Do you want to go to university?" he asked. "Or the Academy?"

Elle wrinkled her nose. "I don't think I'd last more than a day in Star Fleet," she said.

"But as a civilian student?" he asked. "Would you? I know Ambassador Spock can get you a place at any of the Vulcan institutes, too."

Elle bit her lip, thinking about it. "No," she said finally. "The important things are happening here, on this ship. I want to be where I can make a difference. And I can learn everything I need to from you, or Data, or online classes."

"All right," Picard said. "But if you change your mind, know that we'll never hold you here against your will."

"I know," Elle said simply. "Thank you."

He nodded, the matter dropped. "So Ambassador Odan?" he prompted.

She saluted lazily. "Yes, sir. I accept this mission."

"Good. Thank you."

-/\-

Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry. Elle took a deep breath and walked into the transporter room. Satel and his parents and the Harcomb family were there, ready to say goodbye. "Got everything?" Elle asked. "Toothbrushes, all your socks, all your knick-knacks?"

The twins grabbed her in a group hug, and the three clung to each other for a moment. "Got everything," Jetta agreed in a shaky voice. "You've got both our comms?"

"Got 'em," Elle confirmed.

"And Mina?" Nicole asked. "You'll watch out for her?"

"Of course," Elle said as Mina dove to hug her older sisters again. "I'll keep her out of trouble. Have her babysit Simba once in a while."

"Promise?"

"Promise," Elle said. "Did Tyler already say bye?"

"Yeah, he caught us in the corridor."

"Good."

Yeoman Harcomb pulled the twins aside to quiz them about their itinerary.

Elle turned to Satel and managed a shaky smile. "And you?" she asked. "Got all your datapads?"

"I do," he confirmed. "Thank you, Elle, for your companionship. And your instruction on Terran poetry."

She looked up at the ceiling, trying not to cry. "You're welcome. And thank you for teaching me pre-Reform Vulcan. Couldn't've done it without you."

"You could have," he assured her. "It would simply have taken longer."

She laughed. "Of course." She resisted giving him a hug. "Call me once in a while, you can tell me all the good stuff. And, Spock said to tell you, he would give you access to the House of Surak's poetry archives."

Satel's eyebrows went up. "That is a high honor," he said.

Chief O'Brien cleared his throat. "Sorry, but you guys better get going if you want enough time to get to your transport," he said.

Elle lifted her hand in the ta'al. "Live long and prosper, Satel."

"Peace and long life," he replied formally. His lips quirked up in a tiny smile. "But not too much peace."

She laughed. "Deal."

The twins, Satel, and Satel's dad got on the transporter dais. The four of them would travel to Vulcan together, and from there, the twins would go on to their destination, and Satel's dad would return to the Enterprise. "Energize," Satel's dad said.

"Love you, bye!" Elle and Mina called, as the four were transported away. Mina immediately burst into tears and buried her face in Elle's shoulder. Elle hugged her tightly and looked at the Harcombs in panic.

"I gotta go back to work," Yeoman Harcomb said, kissing the top of Mina's head and then Elle. She left, as did Satel's mom.

The twins' dad handed Elle a credit stick and two tickets to the starbase aquarium. He winked and left.

Elle blinked back her own tears and rolled her eyes. "Okay," she said, taking a deep breath. "Mina, you wanna run away to the space station and go look at cool stuff?"

"What?" Mina lifted her head and sniffed.

Elle held up the tickets.

Mina nodded, wiping her eyes. "Yeah."

"Awesome. Let's detour by my quarters to get my bag, and then we'll go on our own adventure," Elle said.

"And a security officer," Miles said. "Or Commander Riker."

Elle scowled at him. "Miles..."

"The captain will kill me if I let you leave without an officer," Miles said and added dramatically, "Chief Petty Officer Miles O'Brien, thrown out an airlock. What an obituary. Think of Keiko."

"Ugh." Elle wrinkled her nose at Mina, who giggled. "All right, let's go see who's not busy."

Commander Riker was amenable to being kidnapped for an aquarium adventure, so he came along with them. The aquarium on Starbase 104 was a rehabilitation center for rare fish species in the sector, so it was more of an educational center than for viewing pleasure, but they did have a tide pool to pet the local creatures.

"Ahh, space whales," Elle said pleasantly as they stood and looked at the graceful creatures. "Almost makes me forget one of these almost ate me."

Mina didn't hear her, too absorbed in watching the bioluminescent jellyfish, but Riker shot her a look. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Do we need to go to another exhibit?"

Elle shook her head. "I'm okay. I made my peace with it. And besides, I love whales. They're beautiful, they're intelligent, they're patient." She rested her hand lightly on the glass. "They're telepathic," she added, remembering Spock's run-in with George and Gracie. She started laughing. "Oh, I wish I'd been there for that, seen Kirk's face."

"Ookay," Riker said. "Hey, Mina, want ice cream?"

"Yes!"

They wandered around for a little bit, then went shopping. As they were returning to the Enterprise's docking ring, Elle noticed someone heading toward them. "Isn't that Ambassador Odan?" she asked.

Riker turned to look. "Oh, he's here early. His ship must have made good time."

"Shall we go say hi?"

"Might as well escort him on board," Riker said.

Elle went up to the Ambassador. "Ambassador Odan?" she asked. "Elle Wilcott, civilian mission consultant. Captain Picard asked me to assist you during your time on the Enterprise."

Ambassador Odan shook her hand, looking bemused. "Thank you, Miss Wilcott. You've gone above and beyond, we haven't even gotten to the Enterprise yet."

Elle smiled. "Well, almost. And we were on a sightseeing trip, just a coincidence that we found you. This is Commander Riker, first officer. And Mina, my friend."

"Sir," Riker said, shaking his hand.

"Commander Riker." Odan was about to say hi to Mina, but the girl hid behind Elle. He stifled a chuckle. "And your young crewmember, hello."

"We were just about to beam back to the Enterprise," Riker said. "Would you join us?"

"I am particularly averse to the transporter," Odan said, wrinkling his nose. "I'd prefer to take a shuttle."

"Easily done," Riker agreed. "We can borrow one of the station shuttles if that suits your needs?"

"That would be excellent, Commander, I thank you."

Elle gripped Mina's hand. "C'mon, squirt, you ever been in the Enterprise shuttle bay?"

"Nope!"

They took a small shuttle to the Enterprise and Elle escorted the ambassador to his quarters. Elle took Mina back to her quarters and went to find Tyler.

Tyler was in the mall plaza, slurping at a milkshake. "Hey," he said. "They go okay?"

"Yeah." She ordered a milkshake from the replicator and slumped next to him. "Today just started, and it's already been like three days long."

Tyler bumped her shoulder sympathetically. "Now it's just the two of us."

Elle bumped his shoulder in retort. "And you're leaving in six months, anyway."

"Is it listen to sad Taylor Swift time?" he asked. "Maybe go to the holodeck where it can rain dramatically?"

She side-eyed him. "Are you being serious or sarcastic?"

"Why?" he asked.

"I'm trying to decide if I wanna smack you."

He hid behind his milkshake cup. "Serious, definitely," he said, trying to hide his smirk.

She smacked his arm. "Jerk. Those were my first real agemates, you know."

"And what am I, chopped liver?"

"Yeah."

One small slap fight later, which Elle totally won, they got refills on their milkshakes and walked down to the main rec dec. "You gonna come to class tomorrow?" Tyler asked.

"No, the captain put me to assist the ambassador. I'll do my homework on my padd. I don't have much this week anyway."

"Cool."

-/\-

Elle, as part of the 'welcoming committee spiel,' offered Ambassador Odan a tour of the Enterprise. He agreed, and off they went. "You have an excellent working knowledge of the ship," Odan said after they'd gone through Engineering.

"I've been on an Enterprise since I was thirteen, I've crawled through a lot of Jefferies Tubes," Elle said dryly.

"Your parents are in Engineering, then?" Odan asked.

She winced. "No, uh, my parents are gone. I'm actually under Commander Riker's guardianship at the moment."

"Ah. My apologies."

"No worries," Elle said, "it's unusual, but it works."

Odan smiled slightly. "Commander Riker doesn't strike me as the most parental person."

Elle grinned at him. "He's not really. I get my parenting from other sources. We have a deal, though. I behave myself, they don't give me stupid rules."

Odan shrugged. "Never mind, that's exactly what parenting a teenager is like."

Elle laughed again. "You have children, Ambassador?"

"I do, yes. They're on our homeworld."

Elle looked at him. Odan looked like a regular guy in his midlife, but of course, the Trill could be a hundred and something years old and the host body only thirty-five. "Are you old for a Trill?" she asked curiously.

He squinted at her. "Rather an impertinent question, Miss Wilcott."

"Sorry. It's just, we don't know much about Trill, I was hoping to learn more this trip."

"Curiosity is only natural. And I'll tell you, I am rather old for a Trill."

"Yes, sir," Elle replied. "And here's the coolest part of the ship, the Cetacean Astronavigation Lab..."

They ended their tour in Ten-Forward, and Elle showed Ambassador Odan to a table. "What would you like to drink?" she asked.

"Just sparkling water," he said.

She went up to the bar where Guinan was making a bowl of matcha. "Hi, Guinan. Can I get an angry water for the ambassador and an iced green tea for me?"

Guinan snorted. "Sparkling water and green tea, coming up. Is that the Trill ambassador?"

"Yup." Elle rested her chin on her hand. "Do you know the Trill?"

"I've met a few over the years," Guinan said. "Do you know the Trill?"

Elle thought about Worf and Jadzia and grinned. "Sort of."

"Hm. Here's your drinks."

"Thanks, Guinan, love you." Elle walked back to their table and sat down across from Odan. "Ambassador, have you traveled to Earth a lot?" she asked.

"I have, yes. Earth is a fascinating planet. Such diversity."

"Have you ever seen an old entertainment show called Stargate?" she asked.

He paused mid-sip and looked at her. "Yes, I have seen some of it," he said slowly. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Elle said, mentally cheering. "I'm just thinking somebody on that show must have known about extraterrestrial life." At his narrow-eyed look, she added, "I mean, imagine, they predicted the Preservers taking samples of different cultures and seeding them throughout the galaxy."

"Yes, they did," Odan said slowly, his shoulders relaxing minutely in relief. "It is odd, the ancient race's obsession with humanoid life."

"Well, you know, humanoids are very adaptable. The only thing that beats us out is, uh, cockroaches. That radiation resistance is ridiculous. And crabs. Very efficient."

Odan laughed. "You are a very strange girl," he said.

"Thank you, sir." Elle sipped at her tea and tried not to smile. "Oh, at 0600, Captain Picard formally invites you to dinner with his senior officers."

"Thank you, Miss Wilcott."

"Call me Elle," she offered.

"Elle, then." He glanced at the chronometer. "I'll take some time, unpack, get some rest."

"Yes, sir. I can walk you up to the captain's mess when it's time, the Enterprise is like a maze."

"That would be appreciated." He nodded and left.

Guinan came up to Elle's table and served her some more iced tea out of a glass jug. "Stargate, really, Elle?" she asked. "That could be taken as quite a rude insult."

"I just wanted to know if he had ever seen the show," Elle protested innocently.

Guinan tapped her on the head. "Brat."

Elle laughed.

-/\-

Elle knocked on the Ambassador's door. It was a long moment before he opened the door. "You all right, ambassador?" she asked.

"Headache," he said.

She frowned. "Do you want to detour by sickbay?"

"No, I'll be fine. I probably just need some dinner." He gestured to the door. "Ladies first."

She led him up to the Captain's Mess, where most of the officers were already congregated and making a start on the little hot dogs. She clocked the exact moment Ambassador Odan saw Dr. Crusher and fell in love, and then she clocked the exact moment that Dr. Crusher and Captain Picard shared a little smooch over the veggie tray. Ambassador Odan deflated like a popped balloon.

Don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh, Elle chanted silently as they moved further into the room.

Captain Picard took over introductions and showed Ambassador Odan to his seat.

Elle was suddenly struck by a hilarious thought. Odan hadn't given Troi a second glance, which meant, who was attracted to redheads? The symbiote or the host? Her sudden burst of suppressed hilarity made Troi glance over, suspicious. Elle grinned at her.

Troi shook her head, smiling.

Dinner went well, and as they were mingling afterward, Elle asked quietly, "Ambassador, how's your headache?"

"Still there," he admitted.

Dr. Crusher had ears like a bat for medical issues. She sidled over. "Your head hurts, Ambassador?"

"Probably from all the traveling," Odan said. "If you could give me a light analgesic, I'd be grateful."

"Of course."

Elle, for the life of her, couldn't remember if the headaches had anything to do with the trouble later on with Peliar Zel. "I'll have to meditate tonight, figure it out," she muttered into her tiramisu.

"Figure what out?" Data asked.

"Episode stuff," Elle said.

"Something of which we should be aware?" Data pressed.

"Not yet."

Data nodded and left it alone.

Elle waited until she and Ambassador Odan were almost back to his quarters when she asked, "Is your reluctance to take the transporter related to your headaches?"

He frowned at her. "In part. Underlying medical condition."

"Something to do with your host?"

He stopped walking entirely. "How did you know?" he asked.

She gave him a grin. "Dr. McCoy, one of my guardians, was close friends with Emony Dax."

"Ah." Odan shoved his hands in his pockets with a sigh. "You would be correct. This body is more sensitive to changes in our symbiotic relationship. I can't take the transporter very well, and stress makes it worse."

"Stress, like negotiating a peace treaty between warring factions on Peliar Zel?" Elle asked dryly.

"Exactly like that," he agreed, gesturing her into his quarters. He poured himself a drink from the bottle of synthehol on the side table. "You know, I was here thirty years ago to negotiate the first treaty, but in a different body."

"You can do it," Elle assured him. "Is there anything I can do to help? Can Dr. Crusher help in some way?"

He gave her a smile. "Please don't tell anyone, I don't need any fussing over. Just keep doing what it is you do, Miss Wilcott." He sipped at his drink. "Was that jab about Stargate trying to be subtle?"

"Not really," she said, grinning at him. "I wanted to see if you'd seen it."

"I have seen it," he said solemnly. "We don't talk about that part of our history."

She gaped at him in disbelief. "Wha-"

He laughed. "No, no, I'm kidding. I'm kidding."

Elle exhaled forcefully, putting a hand over her heart. "That was good, you really got me. Almost gave me a heart attack."

Odan grinned at her. "Not everything's a television show, Elle."

Oh, the irony. Elle almost choked on it, but she controlled herself. "So what are shows like on your homeworld?" she asked.

"Oh, dramas about changing hosts and learning new things about yourself, finding new loves, new families. The usual." He stifled a yawn. "I'll send you one of the good ones about this Trill scientist who suddenly inherits three children. It's quite entertaining."

"I'll leave you to rest," Elle said, "good night."

"Good night, Elle."

She walked back to her quarters and got ready for bed. She lay down, had herself a little cry, and went to sleep.

-/\-

"Ambassador, the different factions are stepping up their assaults," Elle said, offering him the latest update on the PADD. "I think just this once you'd better take the transporter."

"I can't," Odan said. "The shuttle will be safe enough."

She grimaced. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

Elle nodded. "I'll inform Commander Riker, then."

The whole time the shuttle was going to the surface, Elle was pacing the upper deck, hoping the Peliar Zel wouldn't attack.

"Can you stop?" Worf asked, irritated.

"Worf, I'm trying to stop the shuttle from being attacked through sheer willpower," Elle said.

They all turned to stare at her.

"What?" she asked defensively. "This universe is based on mindality, it should work."

"You are no longer allowed to talk to Q," Picard decided.

"Try telling that to him," Elle said, amused.

Picard made a face.

"Sir," Worf said, "there's an unidentified ship coming from the Beta moon, claiming to be an escort."

"There was no mention of an escort," Picard said, frowning. "Request a security clearance code."

"Bring them back," Elle said urgently.

Picard nodded. "Commander Riker, return to the shuttle bay."

"Captain, they're arming phasers," Worf said, frowning.

Elle chewed her lip nervously, but it was too late. The shuttle was hit by the enemy ship, and both engines went down.

"Prepare to transport aboard," Riker said. "The ambassador is injured."

"You can't," Elle said, "he'll die."

"Warm Sickbay we're coming in with a medical emergency," Riker said, gritting his teeth.

"Elle, you know more about the Trill, get down there," Picard said.

"Sir." She booked it down to sickbay.

"I don't even know what these readings are," Dr. Crusher was saying by the time Elle got there. "He's in shock, he's lost a lot of blood, but that still doesn't explain these readings. Eosinophilia in the cerebrospinal fluid at forty-six percent."

"Sedimentation rate is twenty-nine, but his lymphocytes are still intact," Ogawa stressed.

"It's as though there's a parasite at work," Dr. Crusher said, bewildered. She tapped at the ambassador. "Odan, Odan. I need to do exploratory surgery. You may have a parasitic infection."

"No," he said, "No, don't."

"He doesn't have an infection," Elle said, coming up to squeeze his shoulder. "The Trill are a joined species, with a symbiont and host. This body is just a host."

Odan nodded. "She's right."

Dr. Crusher took a deep breath. "But you're dying. What can I do?"

"The host body is dying," Odan corrected. "You must contact the Trill quickly. Tell them I need another host. They will send a replacement. I beg you, Doctor Beverly, help me. This mission must be completed."

"We've got it," Elle assured him, gripping his hand. "It's gonna be okay. I promise."

Odan nodded and closed his eyes, slipping into unconsciousness.

"You knew this the whole time?" Dr. Crusher asked quietly.

"I knew," Elle said, "I didn't think it would come to this. I thought-" She took a deep breath. "Usually they're more sturdy, but this body and this symbiote weren't a super good match."

"All right." Dr. Crusher nodded. "Let's do some scans and figure out how to separate them."

They did some scans, and Captain Picard sent an urgent message to the Trill for a new host. Odan's host body died within the hour. Elle watched in horrified fascination as Dr. Crusher and Dr. Kim managed to lift the symbiote out of his body and put it into stasis. "Odan really does look like a Tok'ra," Elle said. "That's crazy. I wonder who in Earth's past met a Trill."

"Elle, not the time," Dr. Crusher said. "Come on, we need to report to the captain."

Elle hesitated. "Is Odan going to be okay in stasis?"

"They'll be fine," Dr. Crusher said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Come on."

They went up to the conference room, and Elle slumped into a seat between Data and Picard, putting her face in her hands.

"You all right?" Picard asked.

"I don't like watching people die," she whispered. "Even if it's just a body."

Data patted her on the back in comfort.

"Odan's host body died of the injuries just over an hour ago. But the symbiont being, Odan, is still alive," Dr. Crusher said.

"Trill are a symbiont species," Elle said, pulling herself together. "Odan is the one who negotiated the last treaty, but the man everyone thought was his father was just another host body."

"And the reason Odan refused the transporter?" Riker asked.

"It would have damaged the symbiont," Elle said. "Their match wasn't good for them, and the host body was dying anyway. Odan asked me not to say anything because he wanted to be focused on the negotiations."

Picard nodded slowly. "We've contacted the Trill. Another host will be here in forty hours."

"I've placed Odan in stasis. He can survive another hour, maybe two, but not beyond that."

Data frowned. "Would it be possible for me to serve as a temporary carrier?"

"No," Elle said. "They need a biological being."

Picard looked like he had a headache. "We are at a desperate impasse in the Peliar system. The attack on the shuttlecraft has inflamed the dispute."

"Who was responsible?" Troi asked.

"No one will admit anything. Each side accuses the other, and the threats are mounting. We need Odan."

"Doctor, could a human host carry him?" Riker asked.

"I believe so," Dr. Crusher said. "Elle?"

Elle nodded. "A human can host temporarily, but it's rarely done. You're gonna have the mother of all headaches."

"The risk is too great, Commander," Picard said, concern in his eyes.

"Weigh it against the prospect of war?" Riker asked, meeting his gaze calmly.

Picard huffed out a breath and conceded. "It's your choice, Will."

Riker nodded. "Let's get to it." He pulled Elle out of her seat. "Come on. The ambassador's gonna need a friendly face."

"Okay, but I'm going to close my eyes because I don't want to see your guts."

"Fair enough."

"This is the last time I trust an adult when they say they can handle it," Elle grumbled as they headed to the lift with Dr. Crusher. "They're lying, every time. I don't care if that makes me a snitch, I'mma tell."

Riker and Dr. Crusher shared an amused glance. "You get kind of Southern when you're irritated, Elle, it's cute."

Elle laughed. "Blame it on Bones."

They arrived in Sickbay and Riker changed into a pair of scrubs. Elle went over to Odan's stasis unit. "It's gonna be okay," she said. "You're gonna be fine."

Elle did in fact keep her eyes closed through the whole procedure, and didn't open her eyes until "Blood pressure leveling off."

"That's better. Signs are returning to normal. Will, it's Beverly. Can you hear me?"

Riker opened his eyes, and it was a different person staring out of them. "Hello, Dr. Crusher."

"You're going to be all right. How do you feel?"

Odan lifted his head and looked around. "Elle. I'm glad you're here. How's the situation with the Peliar Zel?"

"He's fine," Elle said, amused. She helped Odan sit up. "You know, if you'd told someone about your medical history before you went into an active civil war-"

"I'm sorry," he said. "I honestly didn't think it was going to be a problem."

They got Odan dressed in ambassadorial robes, and Elle escorted him to the bridge. "Give me some warning if you're going to fall over, Ambassador, I can only catch your head, make sure you don't concuss yourself."

He smothered a grin. "Understood."

It was weird, standing next to a Riker who didn't rest his elbow on Elle's shoulder or tell her some bit of gossip. It's an Edgar-suit. The quote came randomly into her head and she wrinkled her nose. Cockroaches. Ugh. Though it would be incredible if Men In Black were real because an intergalactic immigration system would be hilarious... No. Focus.

Everyone on the bridge was weirded out by Odan's new appearance, but they were consummate professionals and only stared a little bit. Odan convinced Governor Leka that he was Odan and the talks could go ahead. As soon as the transmission cut off, though, he put a hand to his head and swayed alarmingly.

"Ambassador," Elle said sharply, supporting him under his arm. "You said you were gonna give me some warning."

"I'm just a little dizzy. I'll be fine. I just need to lie down."

"Uh-huh."

Picard called Medical to his quarters, and between Elle and Worf, they got the Ambassador back to his quarters. Beverly was there with a whole shuttle worth of medical equipment. "Well, no sign of rejection so far," she decided. "I'll give you a metabolic booster and an anti-emetic. Feeling nauseated, Ambassador?"

"A bit." He looked relieved as the hypospray hissed against his neck. "Thank you, Doctor."

She took his temperature again. "Hm. I'll come check on you in six hours. Get some sleep."

"Yes, doctor."

"Come on, Elle. Let the ambassador get some rest." Dr. Crusher gently ushered Elle out. "He's got some time. Don't worry."

"I'm not worried," Elle lied. "Much."

-/\-

Somehow, Ambassador Odan pulled himself together enough to speak to the two representatives of Peliar Zel, of Alpha and Beta moons. Watching him calmly reason with the two factions in spite of his building rejection syndrome, Elle decided he was possibly her fourth-favorite negotiator.

"Who's your top three?" Troi asked.

Elle blinked. "Did I say that aloud?"

"Yes, you did." Troi gave her a smile. "Well?"

"Spock, obviously, is number one," Elle said, "Captain Kirk number two, Captain Picard number three, Sarek four, okay. Odan's five, then."

"High praise, regardless," Troi said.

"Well yeah. All the other ambassadors we've met are really irritating," Elle said.

The talks were spaced out over the course of a day, letting Odan have a rest and letting the other two reps rest their tempers. Elle ushered him to sickbay after the third break. "You really don't look good."

Dr. Crusher administered immunosuppressants, but "White count is back up, temperature is elevated. The effects of the medication are wearing off faster every time. I'll administer one now and hope that it will hold for an hour or two."

"No," Odan said. "No more. I need to think."

"Ambassador, it's clear you're in pain. You can't get through the next hours without help."

"No. These injections are going to start damaging Riker's body. I won't damage my host."

"But how can you function?"

"I'll manage," Odan said, meeting their eyes with calm certainty.

Picard inclined his head. "We'll respect your wishes."

"One more thing. I will conduct the mediations today, but at the end of today, regardless of the outcome, I must be removed from Riker's body. Even if the new host has not arrived."

"But you wouldn't survive," Crusher reminded him.

Odan shook his head. "Riker will not survive if I am not removed. He has done enough. Please, give me your word."

"Very well."

"Thank you."

Elle bit her lip, unsure. "If your new host doesn't come in time..."

"No," Odan said gently, reaching out to squeeze her hand. "No. Thank you, Elle. But you cannot offer. You are too young, and you are too important to risk."

Elle bowed her head.

The comm chimed. "Sir, the Governor and the two representatives are ready to begin again," Worf reported.

Odan braced himself and stood up. "Time to finish this. Elle, with me, please. I might need you to finish my sentences."

"Me? Not the captain?"

"You. The Peliar Zel are more open to suggestions from a young civilian than an officer. You'll be seen as unbiased. Besides, this is good practice."

Elle shot Captain Picard a worried look.

The captain gave her an encouraging smile.

She followed Odan out of sickbay, and he gave her the rundown on the different representatives and their goals and what they'd accomplished so far. She spent the last forty seconds in the hallway taking deep breaths, placing her emotions to the side for later processing.

"This is my acting assistant, Elle Wilcott," Odan said, introducing her. "She'll be helping us as my health is failing."

The Peliar Zel reps were pleased to see she was not a Star Fleet officer and accepted her presence there with only a little bit of grumbling.

Elle found herself finishing Odan's trains of thought when he had to stop speaking once in a while. "Are you sure you're okay?" she murmured under her breath as the two moon reps argued about water resources.

"I will be fine," Odan replied. "We just need to finish this."

It was an agonizing six hours, Odan patiently mediating each issue as it came up, Elle catching his sentences when they fell through. She even managed to point out a solution to one of their public transport issues, and Odan managed to give her a grin that was very Riker-ish.

They finished signing the treaty, and Elle escorted the Peliar Zel representatives to the transporter room. "Thank you for your assistance," Governor Leka said to Elle.

Elle bowed in Zel style. "It was our honor to serve," she said. "I hope the treaty we've made today stands for a long time to come." She looked at Chief O'Brien. "Energize."

The Peliar Zel disappeared in a whirl of transporter technology, and Elle slumped dramatically on the console for a second.

"Gonna call you Miss Ambassador, now," Miles said, grinning at her. "That was very good, very Picard of you."

"Thanks." She straightened, remembering. "The ambassador! Gotta go, bye!" She raced for the bridge, figured Odan would have already collapsed, and turned on her heel to race for sickbay, almost knocking over Lt. Emerson. "Sorry, Lou!" she called, dodging around a corner.

When she skidded to a halt inside Sickbay, Riker's body was already on a biobed, and Odan was being lifted into a stasis unit. Elle clapped a hand over her eyes, not wanting to see Riker's internal organs. "Are they alive?"

"They're both alive," Nurse Ogawa said. "Odan is weak, but he's now in stasis." A beep emphasized her words.

Dr. Crusher sounded amused. "Elle, if you're going to insist on interrupting medical procedures, you can come and hold Will's hand."

"Okay, I can do that." Elle stood by his head and held his hand, safely out of the way of the regenerators as they closed up layers of muscle and skin. "Is he going to be okay?"

"His vital signs are already stabilizing," Dr. Crusher said. "He's got the immune system of a goat, he's gonna be just fine."

"Good. And Odan?"

Dr. Crusher shook her head. "He grew stronger in another host body, but no more than ten hours tops."

"When is the new Trill host arriving?"

"We're on our way to catch up with them, but it could be cutting it close."

Elle nodded slowly. "We'll make it. We have to."

"Is that episode knowledge or optimism?" Dr. Crusher teased gently.

"Both," Elle said.

Dr. Crusher gave Riker an immune booster and a healthy dose of vitamins, and moved back to lean against the other biobed. "All right. We're done. He's just sleeping now."

"I'll sit with him," Elle offered.

"Are you sure? It's been a long day."

"I'm sure." Elle checked the clock. "Deanna's got clients till 1800. I can wait."

"All right. Thank you. Come on, Alyssa, we can make our reports while they're still fresh."

Ogawa shook her head. "Always the reports."

"Well, I know the boss," Dr. Crusher said teasingly, "I guess she'll let us get away with it if we wait till later."

Elle grinned. She pulled up a chair and flipped it around to slump forward on it, pressing her face into the back of Riker's hand. "Next time, let someone else volunteer," she told him. "I'm not having you die on Deanna, you hear me? You're only allowed to die of old age."

He snored.

"Exactly," she agreed and closed her eyes, mentally and emotionally exhausted from the day.

A gentle pat on the back a while later roused her from her doze. "Elle?" Deanna said, rubbing her back.

Elle sat up straight. "Whuh? Hi." She cleared her throat and glanced at the biobed readouts. Everything was in the green. "Sorry, I'm in your spot." She stood up. "Are the Trill here?"

"Not yet. ETA forty minutes," Troi said, giving Elle a warm hug. "Thank you for sitting with him."

"Of course." Elle watched her take his hand and felt suddenly superfluous. "I'll, uh, go over here." She went to sit with Odan, who was in stasis.

Forty minutes later, Dr. Crusher and another woman entered Sickbay. "Elle," Crusher said, "this is Kareel, Odan's new host."

Elle stood up and shook hands. "Ma'am. Good to meet you."

"You as well."

Elle excused herself into Dr. Crusher's office. This was Trill business now. She amused herself by looking through the wedding-planning PADD and choosing canapes that both Picard and Beverly enjoyed. "I wonder if he's going to invite the family," she said. "Rene would be thrilled."

"Elle."

She looked up to see Kareel standing there. "That was fast," she said, standing up. "You, okay?"

"I am well," Kareel/Odan said. "Thank you for everything you've done."

Elle smiled. "You're welcome. Are you leaving now?"

"Yes. We've just averted a war and switched hosts twice in as many days, I think I need a long vacation."

"Lots of TV, some Korean dramas," she agreed. "I think you would enjoy those. Safe travels."

Odan gave her a hug. "Thank you. Stay safe. You are always welcome among the Trill."

She grinned. "I appreciate that."

Odan left, and Dr. Crusher came in. "Computer, open today's log. Record as follows, the operation to implant Odan into the new host was completed at nineteen hundred hours and appears to have been successful. There were no difficulties in assimilation. End log."

Elle moved to sit on the desk so Dr. Crusher could collapse into her own desk chair. "You did it," Elle said. "Three different surgeries in two days. High-five."

Beverly gave her a high-five and sighed. "A symbiotic species. What a way to find out about it."

"Yes. Sorry."

"It wasn't your fault, Elle." Beverly eyed her with concern. "How are you doing?"

"Tired," Elle said. She grinned. "My name is on the treaty, though. I'm over seventeen, I can sign that kind of stuff now."

"Congratulations," Beverly said and gave her a hug. "You're taking after your a'nirih."

"I know, right? I should call him." Elle stifled a yawn.

"Maybe tomorrow," Beverly said, patting her knee. "Go on. Get some rest."

Elle slid off the desk and yawned again. "Good idea. Always listen to your doctor."

She went to bed and dreamed of the Trill crawling around in bodies. She woke up in the middle of the night. "My nanites!" She rubbed at her eyes. "Alexa, would the nanites eat a parasite if it entered my body?"

"Yeah, probably," was Alexa's laconic reply. "Don't volunteer for it. Also, since you've remembered you have a colony, you need to eat more Omega-3 fatty acids. Eat fish tomorrow."

"Noted." She flopped back on the bed, imagining all the things that would go wrong if a parasite tried to take over her body. It was a comfort to know she couldn't be body-snatched, but still. "Yikes." She went back to sleep.