Title: Herculean Tasks - Chapter 3 - A Good Idea at the Time

Rating: T

Pairings: Eventual Davenport/Goddard. "Goddenport" if you will.

Summary: In addition to having the crew maintain a schedule that included classes and command post training aboard the Christa, T.J. and Seth had arranged periodic meetings to review the children's academic and personal progress. After the events of "Forever Young," one such discussion leads to some surprising confessions.

Disclaimer: I don't own Space Cases.

Chapter 3: A Good Idea at the Time

Over the months that passed, "later" seemed to stretch into the realm of "never." Seth was content to have it that way, if he was honest with himself. The more time he spent with T.J. and the students, the harder it seemed to be to come clean. He was keeping his secrets to protect them, after all. Light-years away from the Starcademy, he felt a sense of freedom. Away from the lies and red tape, he could finally command a crew. He was good at that. And T.J. no longer had to deal with bureaucracy and administrative work. She could focus on teaching. She was good at that.

The time since they'd left Starcademy hadn't been easy by any stretch of the imagination. Radu had been infected by an alien virus: a relic of yet another war. Seth had argued with T.J. then. Still adjusting to his role as the children's guardian, he'd defaulted to being a commander and revealed a bit of residual prejudice he didn't know he'd been harboring. T.J. had called him out on it immediately, citing the need to maintain amiable relationships between the students.

"This isn't about people's feelings, Miss Davenport. It's about survival. If Radu's turned against us, then blood is going to be a lot worse than bad," he had replied in exasperation.

Feelings vs. survival: he'd once used the same argument against James. Seth noted after the fact that neither father nor daughter had argued.

Then came the compromise with scheduling. In addition to having the crew maintain a schedule that included classes and command post training, T.J. and Seth had arranged periodic meetings to review the children's academic and personal progress. A few adventures had caused them to miss some of their discussions: an encounter with a Spung killcruiser was all the excuse T.J. needed to postpone.

Their second missed meeting occurred due to a technicality: they'd been turned into children by a crazed sentient alien probe named Ninestein, and neither 12-year-old T.J. nor 12-year-old Seth knew that such a meeting was scheduled. The preteens were aware of a different meeting that same evening: one that Harlan had scheduled after Lights Out to secretly discuss overthrowing Neinstein.

With no adults to enforce bedtime, mealtime, or any other time, young Seth found freedom in wandering around the ship at his leisure. Thelma had been easy enough to avoid, and Neinstein could do many things, but the probe couldn't control where Seth walked or what he ate. The Christa seemed to want to aid the kids, regardless of Neinstein's wishes. Seth was glad that the ship deemed chocolate cake at 0230 hours to be a reasonable request. He shuffled out of the Galley wearing an oversized robe, carrying his plate of dessert, pausing to swipe a dollop of frosting and lick it off his finger before continuing toward the bunkrooms.

The boy rounded the corner when he heard a muffled sniffle. He followed the sound through the corridors and found young T.J. still in uniform, sitting on the floor outside the girls' bunkroom, hugging her legs, and sobbing into her knees. While Seth didn't remember anything about his relationship with her when they were adults (Were they friends? Enemies?), he found that her crying upset him, and he wanted to help her.

"Hey, uh, you okay?" he wondered.

T.J. looked up at him and hastily wiped her eyes. "I will be fine, thank you very much."

Seth frowned and was unable to control his slight lisp when he asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Liar. People don't cry for no reason."

"Well maybe I do," she stubbornly fired back.

He took a seat next to her and held out his plate, offering, "Want some of my cake?"

"No thank you. And, I might add, eating a sloppy dessert with your hands is utterly barbaric."

Seth shrugged, scooped up a portion, and took a large bite. "Suit yourself," he said with his mouth full and a proud grin.

T.J. shook her head at him but had more important worries than the boy's poor etiquette. Mournfully, she confessed, "I just want to go home ."

"Homesick, eh?"

"Yes. Aren't you?"

"A little, I guess. But don't you think it's kinda cool out here?" The excitement danced in his eyes when he added, "I mean, we're STARDOGing around the universe in a real alien spaceship!"

"It is not 'cool,' it is terrifying," T.J. declared with a tiny whimper.

"Well, we're coming up with a plan to take back the ship if you want in. We're supposed to be meeting in a few minutes. We'll get Neinsteen—"

"Stein."

"Whatever . We'll get the probe off the ship, and then it'll be smooth sailing on the open space road." He elbowed her. "Then me and you can run the ship, and it'll be tons of fun!"

"I wish I could believe that. I wish Father was here. He would know what to do." She winced at the sight of chocolate frosting smeared all over Seth's chin, and she gestured vaguely to his face. "You have a little something on the corner of your mouth. Just there..." He wiped his mouth on his sleeve before she could stop him, and she made a face. "Oh, honestly!"

He rolled his eyes and considered her a minute before wondering, "Are you close with him? Your dad, I mean."

"My father is my best friend," T.J. confessed, blushing. "I know it may seem odd, but we have fun. He's really smart, and he takes me to museums and to the theatre. No one else my age likes the same things we do, and Mum doesn't care for them either. So we do those things together."

"I don't think it's weird; I think you're lucky to have that." Seth frowned. "My dad and I fight all the time."

"That's how it is with my mum. Nothing I do is ever good enough for her. She just wants me to be someone I'm not."

"Who does she want you to be?"

"I suppose she wants me to be normal." T.J. scoffed at the word. "She wants me to spend time with kids my own age and be in ballet recitals and attend some stupid preparatory school like my sister. I would much rather spend time with Father, read, learn programming languages, and attend the Starcademy." She let out a despondent sigh. "I'm not sure how well I would do in my training. I'm clearly not ready to be a space explorer if I'm a homesick, crying mess."

"You're really smart. Like, scary-smart. In a cool way," Seth offered lamely, pausing to rub the back of his neck as his face flushed. "I mean, I think you'd make a good science officer." Puffing himself up a bit with an overly-dramatic air of authority, he added, "And as Commander, I think it's important we have all of us working together to get home." He was glad when she smiled at him, even as she rolled her eyes. "So. You want in on that meeting?"

Instead of answering, she asked a question of her own, "Do you remember being an adult, Seth?"

"No. Do you?"

She bit her lip, troubled. "No. I wish I could. I mean, I should. I mean...I'm trying to remember. Harlan and Catalina don't seem to like me much. Was I a horrible person like my mother? Will I be like her when I grow up, do you think?"

Seth shook his head again. "Nah, I don't think so. I mean, I think you're okay." He cleared his throat and added, "Y'know. For a girl, or whatever."

"You aren't so bad, yourself. For a boy or whatever," she teased him with a small smile. "But what if we're stuck like this? What if we're stuck as teenagers and forced to live out the rest of our lives under Neinstein's dictatorship? I...I'm scared." When she was met with silence, she wondered, "Are you going to tease me about it?"

"No. Why would I do that? Space hates bullies. And, besides," he shifted uncomfortably confessing, "I'm kinda scared too, Teej."

"Teej?" she repeated, wrinkling her nose in confusion. "I've never been called that before."

"Oh. Sorry."

"No, it's all right. It is just a bit odd to hear for the first time." She considered the nickname for a moment longer. "Teej. I think I like it, actually. That is to say, I don't mind if you call me by that name."

"Oh. Okay. Cool." He tended to the crumbs on his plate, dabbing them up with his fingers as he wondered, "What does T.J. stand for, anyway?"

"I hate my name."

"Why? I won't laugh. I promise."

"It stands for Theresa James," she revealed with a small pout.

"What's wrong with that?"

"My mother is called Theresa, and my father is James. I am named after both of them. Mum addresses me as Theresa even though I abhor it, but Father understands. He respects my wishes to be called T.J. He told me that names have power, and that he was proud that I wanted to be my own person."

"Your dad sounds cool. So you're sure you don't mind being called Teej?"

She gave him a genuine smile. "I don't mind in the slightest."

"Good. And I won't tell anyone about your name if they don't already know. And if they do know and call you by your first name anyway, I'll order them to lay off."

T.J. chuckled. "You'll order them?"

"Sure! Being Commander and all, they'll hafta listen to me." He paused and frowned, "But Harlan did give me a noogie earlier."

"Well, you will simply need to show them who's boss. And I will issue demerits, if needed."

"You'd stick up for me?"

"Of course. Although I've never had a friend my own age before, nor have I ever been this far from home. It will take some time for me to adjust to...everything."

"Well if you need any help, I'm here for you."

"And why is that? You are not obligated to be."

"I dunno." He gave her an overly casual shrug. "Because I wanna help, is all."

"Really? Do you promise?"

He stuck his hand out with his little finger raised. "Pinky promise."

T.J. chuckled. "How ridiculous! How is a pinky promise more significant than a regular one?"

Seth shrugged. "I dunno. It just is. So how 'bout it, eh? I help you, and you help me. Pinky promise."

T.J. cocked her head to the side in consideration before linking her pinky with his. "I accept your terms."

After T.J. and Seth had been turned back into adults and bid a much kinder Neinstein farewell, the crew gathered in the Team Room for a debriefing. The adults managed to convince the kids they didn't remember much, but T.J. gave herself away when she surprised Catalina with her aim as she tossed a pillow in her direction and it ricocheted off her head, hit the wall, and landed perfectly in her hands. The teacher smirked and excused herself from the room while Harlan, Radu, and Cat looked on in disbelief.

Seth grinned and followed T.J. into the corridor. "You've got good aim," he commented with a chuckle. "Cat didn't know what hit her."

T.J. smiled. "Thank you. I can give as good as I get, you know."

"Noted. So. You do remember some things from our time as children."

She nodded. "Some is a bit hazy, like I said. And you remember some things as well, then?"

"Yeah, I seem to remember the important stuff. You okay?"

"I'm still a little perplexed, but I will be fine, thank you."

"Because you know you can talk to me about anything, right? I'm here for you. Promise." He extended his pinky, and T.J.'s breath caught in her throat. "I said I remembered the important stuff."

"Goodness." She blushed. It seemed like they'd made that promise a lifetime ago. And even without having been aware of it, they had essentially been looking out for one another since they'd met at the Starcademy.

"How 'bout it, eh, Teej? I help you, and you help me. Pinky promise."

She wrapped her pinky around his and smiled at him. "I accept your terms."

A week passed, and this time T.J. and Seth kept their scheduled meeting. He entered the classroom to find her sitting primly on the bleacher seats, working on her compupad. He claimed the spot next to her and slouched as he booted up his own portable computer to review some of his notes.

"I've been keeping a journal, but I don't know how much help it will be." He shrugged. "It's been a weird few weeks."

"That it has," she agreed. "What would you like to tackle first? The incident with the Ferna Herna? Elmira? Ninestein?"

Seth quirked a smile. "Actually, I thought we could discuss the fact that you've got a hell of a throwing arm."

T.J. blushed and rolled her eyes. "Very funny."

"So what else do you remember from our time together as kids?"

Her focus remained on her computer screen. "I have my secrets and you have yours," she replied cheekily.

Seth's blood ran cold. "W-what?"

T.J. didn't seem to notice Seth's alarm as she continued staring down at the small screen, though her typing had slowed as she seemed to become distracted. She finally stopped and looked up at him, admitting, "I lied to you and the children. I lied when I said those memories were a blur. Those moments do feel like they occurred years prior, but they are still very clear for me." She bit her lip. "Oh, how do I explain properly? The incident with Ninestein is like...a moment taken out of time and then slotted back into the proper place. I know it was only days ago, but it feels like years: like it happened when I was twelve years old. Do you remember more?"

"Just bits and pieces of the important stuff, like I said. Really blurry bits and pieces."

Something about T.J. softened then. She stared into the distance for a moment and smiled serenely. "Do you remember finding me in the hallway the night we made the plan to dissolve Ninestein's hold on the Christa?"

Seth shook his head. "No. I'm sorry."

"I was scared. Crying in the corridor, in fact. You were carrying a rather large piece of chocolate cake and offered me some. You ate it with your hands, and had frosting all over your face."

Seth chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "That sounds about right."

"And I told you how atrocious your manners were."

"Also sounds right," he conceded.

"I confided in you, and you promised you wouldn't make fun of me because, and I quote, 'Space hates bullies.' It would seem you and I had a bit of a breakthrough, and I thought it was," she paused, settling on, "nice."

"Teej," he said simply as he narrowed his eyes in concentration.

Her breath hitched. "Pardon?"

"That's when I first called you Teej." Seth struggled to remember properly, asking, "You didn't mind, right? You said you didn't mind?"

"That's right." She ducked her head and smiled coyly. "In fact, I thought it was rather sweet."

He suppressed a smug grin as he wondered, "I don't get it though: why lie?"

"I suppose there's no point in keeping such secrets from you if we are to work closely together for the foreseeable future. I lied because at the time...I did not want you knowing that it is normal for me to remember things in great detail. I have an eidetic memory, you see. Though it is more of a curse than a blessing, if I am honest."

Seth's eyes went wide as any trace of his smile faded. "You've got a photographic memory?"

Deciding how much she wanted to reveal, she continued, "I can recall volumes of texts as if the pages are in front of me, yes." She bit her lip and admitted, "But in my case, that ability extends to other sensory information, beyond the visual. I can also recall verbal conversations with great clarity: auditory memories."

He was dumbfounded. "So you essentially remember…everything?"

"It may sound impressive, but I wouldn't wish it on anyone. The same rules apply to both the good and the bad. I am able to close my eyes and essentially relive moments of my life," T.J. explained. She paused to do exactly that, and Seth watched as a nostalgic smile crept across her face. "Even if you said you remembered the incident with Ninestein, I knew you would not remember it in the same way I did, to the extent that I do, and to the extent I always will. It is odd though: during that time, I couldn't remember anything about my adult life. I had been a twelve-year-old on Mars and then I'd wound up on the other side of the galaxy, being told I was an adult that had been age-regressed. It sounded positively absurd, and I had no memory of any of it. It was terrifying. I'd always remembered everything , and then suddenly…"

"You were in a moment taken out of time," Seth finished in understanding. He allowed himself to ask, "Our conversation in the hallway: you shared that with me because…?"

"It was a fond memory," she confirmed. "A slight rewrite of our personal history that I found to be significant. I thought you should know about it. Even though you and I..." She took a breath and shook her head, feigning nonchalance. "I don't expect you to remember. It's alright that you don't."

"No, it's not. It's really not. I wish I could remember. Thank you for sharing that with me: the memory and your secret."

"Please don't tell anyone about—"

"I won't," Seth promised. "I will take your secret to the grave." He stared down at T.J.'s compupad as he continued processing her confession. It troubled him, and he tried to be as casual as possible when he asked, "Who all knows? About your eidetic memory?"

"Five people," she answered confidently. "Myself, Father, my mother, my sister, and now you."

While he was honored to be one of the people T.J. trusted with her secret, he had to wonder, "You're sure no one else knows?"

"Father respects my wishes to keep it quiet. Mum always resented me for it—I would win arguments by using her own words against her—and my sister rather thinks she's superior to me in many respects, so I do not expect her to brag about something I can do that she cannot."

Seth gained some bit of solace from the fact that no one in T.J.'s family was likely to mention her ability to anyone. If anyone back at the Starcademy found out… If anyone in the corrupt faction of the UPP found out...

"My memory makes it easy to learn most things," T.J. continued. She seemed uncomfortable talking about it as she hefted her portaputer in her hands, "I like to think of my compupad as a backup hard drive of sorts. Encrypted, of course."

"Teej, you're not a machine."

"No, but I am able to retain information in such a way that the analogy seems appropriate." She smiled, recalling "Mother threw a fit when I once accidentally hacked into my primary school's database to check my grades."

"You did what?" Seth chuckled. "Accidentally, eh?"

"I did not know what I was doing was hacking at the time. I simply had to make sure I was at the top of my class, and accessing the student records was the most efficient solution." T.J. laughed along.

"Wait. Primary school? How old were you?"

T.J. looked away, embarrassed. "Eight."

"Eight?!"

"Of course, I see now I made an error in judgment. Just because I can do something does not mean I should. But it seemed like a good idea at the time."

"A good idea at the time, eh?" Seth seemed distant when he offered, "That's the way with most things, isn't it?"

"Pardon?"

"People make decisions and things don't work out. Or they try to put some good into the universe and it backfires, or…" He trailed off. "Sorry. I'm rambling."

T.J. cleared her throat. "Should you ever wish to discuss some of the finer points of your ramblings, I'm willing to listen and help however I can. 'I help you, and you help me.' " She blushed and held out her pinky. " 'Pinky promise.' "

Seth's response was immediate as he hooked his finger with hers, but he was still processing T.J.'s confession and trying to put the pieces together. She'd said it seemed like their conversation as children had happened years ago. Even without knowing about it—and before it had happened in a linear timeline or a rewritten one—Seth had been keeping that promise by way of protecting T.J., even (and especially) if it didn't seem like he was helping at all.

"I'll do better," he resolved. "I want to help, and I try to help. I do. And I know it may not seem that way sometimes, especially when we're not seeing eye-to-eye. I might slip up every now and then, but I will actively try to do better. Pinky promise."

She could do little more than nod, suddenly overcome with emotion as the sincerity of his tone registered with her. It seemed like a promise and apology dealing with something far greater than their disagreements or his irresponsible behavior back home. To distract herself and calm her nerves, she recalled the banter they'd shared before Ninestein had returned them to normal and fought back a smile.

"What? What's so funny?"

"It's just the phrase you chose: eye-to-eye," she explained. "When we were twelve, we both figuratively saw eye-to-eye, but not literally. I was taller than you by a good measure, and you were not happy about it." Off his look, she apologized. "I'm sorry. I will try to meet you halfway more often. I am aware I can be a," she took a breath, "strong personality at times. I will also try to do better. We need to establish trust and put petty things aside and get these kids home safely. That is our tip-top priority."

Seth nodded. "Agreed."

"And if my memory can be used as an asset to the lot of us, I will not hesitate to use it as such," T.J. added. "Pinky promise."

Seth was about to curl his finger more tightly around hers, but she pulled away to boot her compupad back to life. The screen lit up and she seemed to reset herself as she sat up straight and cleared her throat, preparing to return to their top priority: the kids.

"We have a lot of ground to cover. Where would you like to begin?" she inquired.