A guest reviewer kindly reminded me to add translations, these are for chapter 2 and will show up again probably :)

Mene sakkhet ur-seveh: live long and prosper, as defined by the Marketa Vulcan language and not the movie-translations created later.

Sochya eh dif: peace and long life, as defined by movie translations.

I'll try and remember to add translations for any further use of alien languages. Thank you guest!

"Ahem."

Elle looked up to see Riker. "Commander!" She stood.

He waved her back down. "May I?" At her nod, he sat down across from her and put his iced tea on the table. "What are you reading?"

"The press release from Dr. McCoy's hundredth birthday." Elle couldn't quite manage a smile. "It sounded like the biggest bash this side of the Barrier."

His expression changed to one of sympathy. "I'm sorry."

She dragged her finger down the scroll button on the PADD so she wouldn't have to look up at him. "Yeah."

"We talked to the nanites," Riker said. "They're finishing repairs to the computer core as we speak, and they've agreed to be transported to Kavis Alpha Four."

"Nice. And no casualties on either side, double nice."

Riker sobered. "But how do you know you haven't changed the future by altering events?" he asked.

"Are you asking because you didn't read Spock's analysis in my file or are you asking me to defend our thesis?"

He grinned and folded his arms. "I want to hear you explain it."

"Okay." Elle leaned forward in her chair. "Because of specific knowledge, I do actually understand how changes in the timeline work, overall. Add to this my unstable quantum signature which lets me switch universes and time frames and who knows what else. And they tested me for high levels of ESP in a human, high empathy, high potential for precognition. Certain things are still fixed points. I've tested it in the past and I've seen the results in the future." She held up the PADD. "I've also just finished looking at the headlines for the time I missed. Several things have changed but in the grand scheme of things you're all still here exactly where I knew you'd be, and Wesley's nanites just want to live in peace, just like in the episodes." She crossed her arms.

"So we can shake you like an old Earth 8-ball for answers," Riker quipped.

Elle snorted. "Uh, no. You have twenty-four episodes in a year, the rest of the time you're on your own if it's not in a novel that I've read."

"You didn't read all of them?" he teased.

"There's over a hundred of them and I was only 13," she replied. "I had to sleep sometime."

"Ah. I'm assuming we survived in your TV show," Riker said. "Why do we need you at all?"

"You don't," Elle said plainly, even though it hurt to admit. "But." She scrolled back through the articles she'd read until she found her favorite. She read the headline. "Famed Enterprise crew under Captain James T. Kirk takes on the third five-year-mission." The picture included showed Dr. Carol Marcus and a young David, as well as the full Sulu family and a small pointy-eared girl named Saavik standing half-behind Spock's leg.

"They didn't have this," Elle said wistfully, "not all together, not like this. Somehow, my interference softened the rough edges in their lives, or something. It wasn't like this in the movies. Maybe it wasn't even due to my presence. Maybe this is how it was always supposed to be but the series just wanted more drama, more at stake, more broken characters because it's good television. Maybe I have nothing to do with any of it because I'm just telling you what you're already inclined to do. But with all the things you, we, are going to encounter, don't you want all the advantages you can get?"

He studied her face for a long moment and then nodded. "You're a very articulate young woman," he said.

Elle smiled. "Studying linguistics with Lt. Uhura and literature with Captain Kirk will do that."

Riker shook his head in disbelief. "Explain to me how your education worked."

Elle described her school schedule and the hierarchal system of Elle-sitting.

Riker looked both amused and appalled. "I think you've gathered it won't be like that here," he said.

"I figured," Elle said, resigned to her fate. "I'll have to talk to people my age. Ugh."

"You seemed to be doing all right with Wesley," Riker commented.

Elle sighed. "Yeah, but he's an ensign. And that was mission-related. All the other kids I've talked to, younger than me, all of them were like, possessed by aliens."

"Uh-huh." He dropped it. "Once your original transcripts arrive with your identification papers we can get you started on placement tests and class schedules," Riker said, "and Counselor Troi wants to meet with you regularly to help you acclimate to this time."

Elle nodded slowly, her gut sinking to her toes as she realized she was back at square one. "Street cred" with Star Fleet or not, she was starting all over again, alone and friendless, her family lost to time and distance.

"Hey," Riker said gently, catching her attention. He squeezed her arm. "I know this is a complete change and I know it all seems like too much paperwork, but that's just to keep the bureaucrats happy. We, all of us, we really do want you here and we want you to be happy and safe, okay? You're gonna be okay, kiddo."

"I know," Elle said. "Really, I do. I trust you, but I'm also, like, freaking out. What if something happens and I end up somewhere there aren't people that I trust?"

"Then we will give you the skills you need to survive," Riker said simply.

Elle bit her lip. "You're not thinking of dropping me in the Alaskan tundra, right?"

He cracked a grin. "You know about that?"

"Yup."

He laughed. "We'll call that Plan C. First things first, if you're going to be allowed to leave the civilian parts of the ship without an escort, you need to go through general orientation and a security orientation."

Elle nodded. "Sounds good."

"I'll have Lt. Worf handle those then," Riker decided, and paused. "Oh. Erm." He stroked his beard. "Hm."

"Sir?"

He cleared his throat, suddenly looking awkward. "Uh, how do you feel about Klingons, Elle?"

She wrinkled her nose. "Huh?"

"Coming from the past," he said, giving a vague hand wave, "and considering the general state of politics back then..."

Elle got his meaning and started to laugh. "Oh! You mean, the whole war with the Klingons thing, no, no way. I am not prejudiced, Commander Riker, I promise. I don't hate Klingons or anyone else. And Worf is like one of my favorite characters."

"Oh. Good." He let out a sigh of relief. "Shall we, then?"

-/\-

"In the event of a red alert, all non-essential personnel must stay-"

"Sir."

"-in their quarters until the red alert is over. In case of-"

Elle raised her hand. "Lt. Worf?"

"You have a question?" he rumbled.

"Are these protocols based on the ones created by Cmdr. Sam Giotto?"

Worf clicked to the publisher's page. "Yes. He was Chief of Security for ten years at Star Fleet HQ."

Elle smiled. "Good for him. Also, he made these protocols for me. Well, some of them. The one that says 'Civilian consultants must present detailed and finalized schematics before modifying maintenance equipment' is definitely mine."

Worf blinked at her. "What did you do?"

"I strapped a prop knife to a cleaning robot."

He sighed. "Perhaps you should tell me what protocols you know and I will tell you if anything has changed."

"Okay." Elle cleared her throat, clasped her hands behind her back, and began to recite the Rules and Regulations as Pertain to The Only Civilian on the Enterprise.

Worf was impressed. "And did you actually follow these rules?" he asked, once she was done.

"Most of them," she admitted. "That's why Spock taught me how to incapacitate a person larger than me."

Worf frowned at her. "I am adding you to my mok'bara classes," he decided. "And if you ever receive clearance to go off-planet during a mission, you will follow my instructions, understood?"

"Yes sir."

"Good."

There were some modifications to the rules, considering this ship was bigger and had more specialized labs run by civilians, but other than that, Worf decided she was good to go. "If you misuse your privileges they will be revoked," he warned her.

"I understand."

"Good." He held out a hand. "Welcome to the Enterprise."

"Thank you, Lt."