a la Sherlock: not dead! Surprise! In the tradition of all fanfiction authors, life interfered with fiction. Hope you enjoy this next chapter.

"Incoming transmission from the Vulcan Embassy," Alexa announced.

Elle hurried over to her desk, smoothing her hair. "Accept." She sat down. "Hi, Spock! What's... up?" Her smile faded at the expression on his face. "Oh."

He gave her a small smile. "Hello, Elle-kam. How are you? Dr. McCoy tells me that you have delivered your first baby."

"Yeah, she's really cute," Elle said, smiling briefly. She swallowed hard. "You're leaving, aren't you?"

His smile faded. "Yes. I have been invited to our, cousin's, home for a gathering. I cannot delay it any longer. I must go."

"Of course," Elle said. "This is your destiny. Your big thing."

"Is it?" he asked.

"It is. You're gonna do great. They're gonna love you." She bit her lip to keep her chin from wobbling. "Is this, are you saying goodbye?"

Spock's eyes softened. "Yes, Elle-kam. I'm afraid I am. There will be no way to communicate with the Federation until things are more resolved. It may be some years."

She nodded. "I know. I understand."

"I will miss you," he said.

She wiped at her eyes. "Are you, did you already say bye to Bones? And Scotty?"

"I did," he said gently. "And I have received the requisite lecture on safety from both of them, albeit on diametrically opposed subjects."

Elle choked back a laugh. "Yeah. Sounds right. And, Saavik?"

"She is aware," Spock said.

"She's not going with you?"

"No. She is more suited here. If you need anything, Elle, ask her. And you know that Sarek and Perrin are on Vulcan, as are the rest of our House."

"I know," Elle said. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I will be fine," he said. "As you say, this is my 'big thing'. I am prepared."

"You said you couldn't delay it much longer," Elle said, leaning forward. "Why did you delay it?"

He gave her a wistful smile. "You came back," he said simply. "I could not dismiss this second chance."

A tear slipped down her cheek, swiftly followed by another one. "Thank you," she said. "I'm really glad you were here."

"It is my honor and my pleasure to care for you," he said.

She wiped her eyes. "I love you, a'nirih."

"I love you, too, Elle-kam." He quirked a smile at her. "We will see each other again."

She nodded. "Definitely."

"This is merely au revoir," he said.

"See you later," she echoed.

He held up the ta'al. "Live long and prosper, Elle."

"Peace and long life," she said, raising her own hand. She grinned at him tearily. "And if you need anything, holler. I hear the Enterprise civilian mission consultant has an in with the Romulan empress."

Spock smiled at her and raised his eyebrow in teasing admonishment. "Be safe, Elle." He inclined his head, and he was gone.

Elle stared at the black screen for a long moment and burst into tears.

-/\-

Everyone was very nice to Elle for the next couple of days. Elle had to conclude that someone (Alexa) had snitched. "So much for security protocols," she muttered.

Beverly put an arm around her. "What protocols?" she asked.

Elle subsided into the motherly affection. "Nothing," she grumbled and let herself be hugged. It did help.

-/\-

Elle was early to the mission briefing. Geordi was the only one in the conference room, setting up the screen with planetary readings. "Hey, Elle. How's it going?"

Elle produced Simba from her hoodie pocket. "It's going. Do you think Worf will mind if I have Simba?"

Geordi pressed his lips together, fighting a smile. "I don't think he'll mind it. This time."

"Cool. I didn't want to be late." Elle sat down and frowned at the screen. "What is this?"

"What do you think it is?" Geordi asked, handing her the remote control.

"...a nuclear winter, without the nuclear war," Elle said, interpreting the various scans and projections. "Yikes. Where is this?"

"Penthara Four," Geordi said, sitting down in his usual spot. "An asteroid struck the unpopulated continent, and they've got years of ash clouds coming. Their entire ecosystem is doomed if we can't fix it."

Elle frowned at the screen. "This is an episode. I recognize this scenario."

"Is it? Oh, good. We really don't want to resettle these people if we can help it."

Everyone filed in after that, and Geordi went through the main points. "We've targeted CO2 pockets around the planet's crust that we can open up and release through the air-"

"Time traveler," Elle said abruptly, interrupting him. "What's his face, from Eureka." She cleared her throat. "Scuse me."

"A time traveler?" Picard asked.

"Yes," Elle said. "But a really, really annoying one."

"And that's different from you, how?" Riker asked, smirking.

"Hey!" Elle protested, laughing. She shook her head, sobering. "No, really, he's a conman."

"In what way?" Picard asked.

"He's from the 22nd century, but he stole a 26th-century actual time traveler's ship and is using it to go back and forth to get technology so he can "make it" in the 22nd century. He's an inventor or something. A terrible one because he has to resort to stealing." Elle wrinkled her nose. "So he shows up while you're dealing with this colony, and he hovers around, making all these cryptic declarations, and doesn't do anything useful. Butthead. Obviously, Deanna was right and didn't trust him right off the bat, and you ended up arresting him."

"And the ship?"

"Went back to the 22nd century. Which feels illegal." Elle shook her head. "Anyways, on a personal note, this episode was key for me, Captain, because I knew you weren't going to kick me out when I first appeared."

"Why?" Picard asked.

Elle smiled. "Because you asked him to use his knowledge to help you choose the right course. Because you argued with him that the future isn't written yet, and we have a moral obligation to help everyone we can."

Picard gave her a slow smile. "And that was all it took?" he asked.

"No," she admitted. "There was also the fact you violated the Prime Directive twice as much as Captain Kirk did. So..." She trailed off as everyone broke down into smothered laughter.

Picard cleared his throat and tugged at his jacket. "Yes, well, be that as it may, we still have to save the colony and deal with this, time traveler."

Elle grinned. "I have an idea."

"No," Worf reflexively.

"What's your plan?" Riker asked instead.

"He's going to arrive at some point and start spinning his tale. Let me poke holes in his story. He'll get caught faster, and we can have time to stop the ship from going back to the past. Whatever DTI agents show up will deal with us instead."

"Do you think it's wise to draw any attention to yourself?" Picard asked.

Elle cleared her throat. "Q might have implied that the DTI won't bother with me. And besides, they won't come until after we've resolved Penthara IV. They won't interfere."

"Yes, speaking of which, our actual dilemma. How do we resolve Penthara IV's new nuclear winter?" Picard asked, redirecting the conversation.

"Burn the atmosphere," Elle said brightly.

"No," Worf said again.

"It's not even my idea," Elle protested. "It was Geordi's! And even Doctor Who had an episode about burning off the hazardous particles, and it worked then, too."

"Oh, well, if it's Geordi burning the atmosphere off a planet," Riker said dryly.

-/\-

"Got it," Elle said, tagging the distortion on the screen. "We just passed it."

Worf hovered over her shoulder. "We passed within three hundred kilometers of it, captain."

"Bring us around," Picard said.

"Reading an object," Worf continued. "Sensors do not penetrate the hull."

"Hail them," Picard said.

Worf frowned. "We've received a response. They want you to move over."

Elle went over to Captain Picard before he could say anything. "He means you," she said, towing him away from the center of the bridge.

A moment later, a tall, thin figure was transported onto the bridge. "Oops. Excuse me, Captain, but you were standing right where I needed to be."

"Because your transporter system is so unspecific," Elle said dryly. "Funny, that."

"Who are you?" Picard asked.

The conman smiled charmingly. "Rasmussen's the name, sir. Professor Berlinghoff Rasmussen." He clapped his hands in seeming delight as he looked around the bridge. "Ah, this is wonderful. Actually, quite a bit larger than I thought."

"Really?" Picard asked.

"Lie," Elle said. "There's a museum."

'Museum?' Riker mouthed as Rasmussen faced the other way.

Elle rolled her eyes at him.

"Where I come from, every historian knows the bridge of old 1701-D," Rasmussen said, ignoring Elle.

"Where exactly do you come from?" Picard asked.

Rasmussen smiled. "Why, Earth. Late twenty-sixth century Earth, to be exact. I've traveled back nearly three hundred years just to find you."

"Liar," Elle said. "You just figured the Enterprise wouldn't bat an eye at time travelers."

Rasmussen finally turned to look at her. "Ah, the civilian component of the Enterprise crew," he said. "Of course, the Galaxy-class starships were famous for their civilian crews. Hello, young lady."

"Hi," Elle said, unimpressed. "Civilian crews started seventy years ago."

Rasmussen had the audacity to pat her on the head and move past her to peer at Worf.

Elle bristled.

Picard reached out and pulled her behind him. "My ready room, Mr. Rasmussen."

"Ohh, the great captain's ready room," Rasmussen said, following the captain.

Elle followed them. It was grating to see Rasmussen poking around the ready room, tapping at the lionfish and rifling through the pages of Picard's physical copy of Shakespeare.

"Exactly what kind of historian are you?" Picard asked, shooting Elle a look that meant 'pipe down.'

"Hm? Oh, my focus is on the twenty-second through the twenty-fourth centuries. Early interstellar history. You know, it was always believed this was on your desk, not here. Fascinating." He laughed. "Don't move it on my account."

Picard frowned. "You can't expect me to believe that the layout of my ready room can possibly be of interest to future historians."

"No less so than your legendary modesty, Captain. If I could describe to you what a thrill it is to be here." He pointed at the painting on the wall. "This is the original!"

"You flatter me, Professor, but I can't help but wonder what could possibly have caused you to select me as the subject of your study. Even in this decade, there are far wiser and more experienced humans in and out of Starfleet," Picard said.

Elle smiled. "Just a few. But there's a reason Q's obsessed with you guys."

Rasmussen waved a hand. "I'd love to tell you, Picard. I really would, but try to imagine what a young Caesar might have done differently had someone had given him a hint of what lay ahead, or if Lincoln had been coerced into changing his theatre plans. I truly wish I could be more specific on why you were selected, but I'm afraid the exchange of information will have to flow in one direction only."

"I thought time was rather flexible," Picard said mildly.

"It can be," Rasmussen said. "Circumstances, you know. Anyways, as to my purpose here, captain."

"Yes, what is your purpose here?" Picard asked.

"Research, purely research," Rasmussen said. "Could I speak to your senior officers, captain? I believe you have this, conference room?" He exited the ready room.

Elle and Picard shared a glance. "I changed my mind," Elle said. "We should arrest him right away."

Picard laughed. "You set up this plan, and you can deal with it." He put an arm around her shoulders. "Come along. You can be your wonderfully irritating self during this briefing."

"You're enjoying this," Elle accused, poking him in the ribs.

"Of course I am. This is the best acting opportunity I've had outside of Beverly's plays," Picard said.

They were the last ones in the briefing room. Worf was already questioning the time traveler. "If you've came back to study us, to study the captain, why would you pick today? Why not a year ago or a year from now?"

"Oh, I picked the right day, all right. Just wait, you'll see. Do you always sit there, on that side of the table?"

Worf glared at him with deep suspicion. "Usually. Why?"

"It's not important."

"It's really not," Elle said dryly, sitting down.

Riker cleared his throat. "Professor, at what point does time travel become a tool for historians?"

Rasmussen smiled. "Now, now, Commander, you know better than that. I've studied a great deal about your century, including the fact that you're all quite aware of the dangers of anyone altering the past, and that's exactly what I'd be doing if I were to divulge information like that."

"You can't do any worse than creating your own self-fulfilling prophecy banishing outworlders from planets," Elle said.

Rasmussen blinked at her. "Gotta hate those self-fulfilling prophecies," he said weakly.

Picard smothered a grin. "Go on, Professor."

"Ah, yes. I'll be preparing questionnaires for each of you. Please complete them at your convenience. If you're concerned about a possible breach of security, I'm sure your Captain can make a determination. And thank you in advance for curbing your curiosity." Rasmussen handed them each a datapad full of questions. Except for Elle, of course.

Geordi looked his over and wrinkled his nose. "If I hand my assignment in on time, can I get a glimpse into next week's poker game?" he joked.

Picard shook his head. "Mister Data, would you escort the Professor to his quarters."

"This way, sir," Data said courteously.

They left, and everyone turned to look at Elle. "Better fill out your questionnaires," she said, laughing into her sleeve.

"This better be worth it," Worf grumbled.

"Oh, definitely," Elle said.

-/\-

"Elle, report to deck 12 for civilian tour support," said Riker's very long-suffering voice.

Elle smothered a laugh. "On my way." She tied her hair up in a bouncy ponytail and checked her outfit. Perfect for irritating time travelers and meeting DTI operatives at the same time. She took the decks at a jog and ended up outside Rasmussen's guest quarters, where Picard and Worf were going to give the erstwhile professor a tour of the Enterprise's secondary hull.

Rasmussen's face on seeing Elle with the captain was priceless. "I'm sure your young civilian has things to do," he said, clearing his throat.

"Not at all," Elle said. "I finished all my classes and all of my homework.

"Wonderful," Picard said. "Professor, this way."

They started the tour. Elle stayed quiet for the most part, letting Picard and Worf share the details they thought appropriate during the tour.

"Ah yes, the infamous basketball court. You know, pretty soon that's going to become functionally obsolete."

"Wrong," Elle said loudly, and gave an innocent face when they turned to look at her. "Baseball."

"What's baseball?" Picard asked.

Elle squinted at him. "You know, I think that's the real reason Sisko doesn't like you."

Picard graciously ignored her and moved on to the next part of the tour.

"Series 24 conduits," Worf rumbled sometime later in engineering when Rasmussen asked him about the Jefferies Tubes.

"Ah, the good old series 24," Rasmussen said. "You know, there's a famous starship in the future that could be completely controlled by the living Series 24 conduits."

"Lie," Elle announced and inspected her nails when Rasmussen whipped around to glare at her. "What?"

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm not doing anything," she said, batting her eyelashes.

He squinted at her. "As I was saying, living Series 24 conduits when they interfaced with a Borg-"

"Lie," Elle said again.

"Stop that!" he said, exasperated.

"Can't," she said, raising an eyebrow at him, reminiscent of Spock-at-his-most-annoyed. "I was cursed."

"You were not," he retorted.

"Oh, that didn't make the history books?" she asked mildly.

"There's absolutely no mention of a significant civilian in the history of the Enterprise-D," Rasmussen said.

"Blatantly untrue," she stated. "Have you never heard of Q? He holds zero rank."

"Captain, please remove her," Rasmussen said.

Picard was doing his absolute best not to smile. "I'm sorry," he said. "She comes with the tour."

"You're skewing my results," he said.

"Wrong," Elle said. "You're the one giving oblique spoilers about Voyager. That's my shtick."

"If you go away, I'll give you a piece of future technology," he finally bargained, taking something out of his pocket.

Elle consulted her watch, specifically replicated for this moment. "Forty minutes," she said. "You held out longer than I thought you would."

"Mr. Worf, arrest him," Picard said.

"Gladly," Worf growled and grabbed him.

"Hey!" Rasmussen said.

"You're from the 22nd century," Elle said, snatching the gizmo from his hand. "You shouldn't even have this tech in the first place."

He stopped struggling. "How'd you know?"

"I also happen to be a time traveler," Elle said. "Authorized, though."

"Ugh." He subsided into Worf's hold.

"Take him to the brig," Picard ordered. "And search his quarters for any unauthorized items."

Worf quite cheerfully dragged him away. "Yes, sir."

Picard and Elle shared a glance. "Well," Picard said. "You were right." He gestured. "Now how long do we wait for the DTI?"

Elle held up the gizmo to the security camera and said, in a loud, dramatic tone, "Oh no! I, a 21st-century person stranded in the 24th century, have gotten hold of a 26th-century timeship and associated technology!" She cleared her throat. "Alexa, make sure that never gets deleted from the log."

The comm whistled. "Captain Picard, we're being hailed by a Star Fleet courier ship approaching our position."

"Put them through," Picard said, after a startled moment.

"Enterprise, this is Agent Lucsly from the Department of Temporal Investigations. We're looking for any temporal incidents from your location."

"Perfect timing," Picard said slowly. "We happen to have one."

"Permission to come aboard."

"Granted."

The channel cut out.

Elle smirked at the captain. "See? Nothing to worry about. You just have to leverage cause and effect."

Riker met them at the transporter room. "What's this about an inspection?" he asked.

"The DTI is here," Elle said, tugging her shirt down at the same time as Picard. She laughed at the disgruntled face he made.

"How'd they get here so fast?" Riker asked.

"I bookmarked this moment in the future for them."

"Huh?" Riker looked at his captain.

"The DTI was already on their way," Picard said. "Elle saved this moment in the log. In the future, presumably, they saw the recording of her statement, and sent people in this present moment to go investigate. We're so far out; they must have started their journey weeks ago."

"But it barely happened," Riker said.

"Come on, commander," Elle said. "It's season five already. You should be used to paradoxes. Just cuz it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it hasn't already happened."

Riker sighed. "You concern and confuse me, gremlin."

"You're welcome."

"Sir?" the transporter technician said. "They're ready to beam over."

"Energize."

Two beams of light heralded Lucsly and Dulmer, the same people who would wrap up the details of Deep Space 9's future exploding tribble problem. They looked exactly the same as they would in a few years. "Captain Picard," one said. "I'm Agent Lucsly, this is Dulmer. We're Dulmer and Lucsly of the Department of Temporal Investigations."

"Mulder, Scully," Elle realized. "Ooohhhhhh. That's why my dad would always laugh."

Both of the DTI agents whipped around to glare at her. "You," Dulmer said.

"Me?" Elle asked, raising her hands. "I did nothing. Actually, I captured the illegal time traveler and his ship. But I haven't done anything illegal."

"You," Dulmer said, bristling with rage, "are responsible for four hundred and thirty-two separate temporal incidents."

"Is that a record?" Elle asked curiously. "Did I beat Captain Janeway?"

Picard stepped smoothly in between them. "As Miss Wilcott is a minor and a civilian," He started.

"Oh, no," Lucsly said, wagging a finger at her, "half of those incidents were from your adult self!"

"Then I've only been responsible for two hundred and sixteen incidents," Elle said. "That's a lot. I'm so sorry. But I was informed that I'm not your division."

Dulmer was about two seconds away from frothing at the mouth. "Just take us to the ship," he bit out.

"Cargo bay 2," Elle said. "This way, gentlemen."

"And the time traveler?" Dulmer asked, as they walked.

"In the brig," Picard replied. "Rasmussen, an inventor from the 22nd-"

"That guy?" Lucsly said. "We were wondering where he'd disappeared to."

"So you are active in the past," Elle said. "How come-"

Lucsly put a hand over her mouth. "You can't ask those questions in public, you heathen. Do you want the 29th century to sweep us all?"

"More like the 31st," Elle grumbled.

"Elle, please," Riker said. "Do not start a war with the future while we are trying to save a planet."

"Yes, sir."

"It's amazing, the control you have over her," Lucsly said, shaking his head.

"Trust me," Riker said dryly. "I know that it's on sufferance."

Elle smiled politely when Dulmer glared at her. "I know my lines," she said. "Do you?"

"In here," Picard said, and waved them through to the cargo bay.

The two DTI agents circled the ship. "Standard 26th century time pod," Dulmer muttered. "Lost its pilot. Reconfigured to Rasmussen." He turned around to look at Elle. "Where's the artifact?"

Elle held up the gizmo. "You mean the Tamagotchi?"

"You know what it is?" Lucsly asked. "We don't have any record of you in the 26th century."

"It's a silver-colored replica of an early 2000's kids' toy," Elle said, dangling it from her finger. "One of your time pod travelers must have found one and re-released it. I bet they're a hit with the kids. Can I keep it?"

"No," Lucsly said, predictably, and held his hand out.

Elle dropped the toy into his hands. "Fine."

Dulmer did something to the ship on his wristband. The ship shimmered and burst into light before disappearing. "I sent it home," he said. "Confirmation received."

"ET, go home," Elle whispered inaudibly.

"What are you going to do with Rasmussen?" Picard asked.

"We're going to process him and send him to Earth," Lucsly said.

"You can't send him back?" Riker asked.

"No," Lucsly said flatly. "The record shows he went missing. He must stay here."

"Poor Rasmussen," Elle said dryly. "He'll get to be surrounded by future tech the rest of his days."

Rasmussen was not happy to be bundled away to the DTI's courier ship. He disappeared in a shouting mess of particles.

Luclsy and Dulmer turned to Elle. "As for you," Lucsly said.

Elle lifted her chin.

"The DTI thanks you for your assistance," Lucsly grit out, looking like he was going to choke on his words.

"You're welcome," Elle said. "I really do try and keep the timeline moving forward, you know?"

They heaved identical sighs. "Yes, we know," Dulmer said. "Your destiny waits for no man. Incredible nuisance though. Ruins our days." He and his partner got on the transporter dais, and he looked at Picard. "Captain." And they beamed away.

"Well, that was exciting," Riker said after a moment.

"Wait till they start getting time-traveling powers," Elle said. "It'll make your head spin." She frowned. "What did he mean, my destiny waits for no man?" She frowned some more. "Never mind. Don't answer that. I don't want to know."

"You probably grow up to become Federation president," Riker suggested.

"William Riker, you take that back," Elle gasped.

"You'd be good at it," Riker said.

"Captain!" Elle protested.

Picard just laughed. "Don't encourage her, Will."

-/\-

Compared to dealing with rogue time travelers and shady government agencies, fixing Penthara IV's atmosphere was a cakewalk. Geordi, Data, and Barclay figured out a way to vaporize the dust clouds without burning off the atmosphere, and the Enterprise fired the shot.

Penthara IV's atmosphere lit up with an unearthly glow and then faded. The thick clouds of ash were gone, leaving a healthy blue and green planetary surface. "It worked," Geordi said, sighing in relief.

"Nice!" Elle said, clapping him on the back. She smiled as the viewscreen changed to the Pentharan colony's science center, the colonists cheering and celebrating. "Look at that. An atmospheric burn-off. History was made today."

"History is always made today," Data said, shooting her a knowing glance. "There is only the present moment."

Elle shook her head, laughing. "Whatever, Data."