"The Sisko must-"
"Don't do all that cryptic non sense with me!!!" Q growled.
The Prophets merely stared, without eyes. They took no form, that mortals could comprehend... as there were no mortals here.
Q dismissed. "Whatever fuss you have with the pah wraiths, It's over, done with. This is more important. Both our ancestors are accelerating faster then anticipated. This dimension clearly deserves its place."
"The child isn't ready." The prophets insisted. "The Pah Wraiths will seek to corrupt him."
"It's the kid's choice if he'll let himself, BE, corrupted. But the Pah wraiths must have their voice. These treaties have been around for longer then you've been gods. Listen to you. Your race is so young, you still speak in riddles." Q chuckled in amusement. "Old enough to forget how to relate to mortals, but too young too truly comprehend them."
Q snorted in amusement, "Listen children, I am telling you what is going to happen. And you will obey, or I'll give you a spanking."
The Prophets just stared, incomprehensively, no longer having a concept of jokes.
Q rolled his eyes, "Move the worm hole and release the Pah Wraiths. The Q will keep them in line. If they try to destroy your 'precious Bajor'," He spoke the last two words in baby talk. Then returned to his confident sneer, "I'll snap my fingers, and erase them from this reality.
"You're no longer fighting over your mortal pets. We're raising a child... and it takes a village. You're Champion will lead the child through the Gamma Quadrant. While mine will assist. we need to focus our resources on teaching the child."
"We don't understand, Why is one proto-god child, so important?"
"You truly don't? You really are so young." Q sighed. "All species value their children. Even the ones that eat them. This is no demigod half-breed, nor lower cosmic being. But a naturally born god. The first of his species. and he is guiding his race, to be worthy of the honor, of joining our ranks. We need to guide the next generation. It is our responsibility."
"Hello Wesley,"
"Traveller!" Wesley pounced off the couch, and jumped into the man's arms. Hugging him tight.
The god chuckled affectionately, looking down at the waist high boy. "I hear you've been inventing."
The boy blushed, but still smiled. "Yeah, just wish my mom was as impressed as star fleet."
"Starfleet cares about your accomplishments. Where your mother cares about your safety and happiness. You must admit, experimenting on yourself was quite dangerous."
"All the simulations said it be fine! Plus I had my instructor with me, in case something went wrong."
"Agreed, it was clearly the adult's fault for allowing it." The traveller gave serious nods... knowing the Pah Wraiths would have words with that particular over-eager professor. "But you should have known better." The traveller scolded.
Wesley lost his smile, and fidgeted in pure embarrassment.
"Good to see someone agrees with me," Beverly commented, as she entered the room.
The Traveller smiled at the boy's mother, before shooing the child to his room. "For the adults too talk privately."
Wesley scowled at the phrasing, but stumbled to his room. His shorter limbs still hard to judge when he got frustrated.
"The boy is advancing quicker then projected," The Traveller said the second the boy was in his room.
"You realize he can still hear us," Beverly teased.
"No... he can't," the traveller assured. "Time is no longer passing, outside this room. It will be awhile before Wesley learns to counter that."
Beverly tensed, picking up the meaning, "You want to teach him?"
"No my lady," The Traveller shook his head. "I, WILL, teach him. It be better with your consent. But if that's not given, I will merely take the boy with me. He may resent being 'kidnapped', but that won't last more then a few centuries. The passage of time is meaningless to beings like us. Eventually he'll come to rely on me, as his caregiver."
Beverly scowled, "So either accept you or you'll cut me out of my own son's life? Wesley thinks so highly of you. But you're no different then Q."
The Traveller could only nod, "Unfortunately, that is a justified comparison. We 'higher beings' can appear quite cruel too mortals. But you need to understand, this is not without purpose. Normally, we wouldn't think of training someone like Wesley, until he was well into adulthood... but your son is truly exceptional, even by our high standards... too leave him untrained, would leave him a threat too everyone around him.
"He's figuring out how to tap into his power. And with a child's temperament, he could very well destroy your entire galaxy in a temper. I need to teach him control now... or the Q will put him down as a threat."
Beverly somehow tensed even more.
"I want to protect your child," The traveller insisted. "If that means removing him from your care, I will. Though I'd prefer you allow me too train the boy, here. As he still needs a mother's touch."
Beverly glared, "You just threatened too kill my son. And expect me too let you anywhere near him?"
The Traveller sighed, "I made no such threat. I'm trying to prevent others from acting. I swear to you. No harm will come to the boy, for as long as he's in my tutelage. I'm even telling you I'd prefer too keep you involved. But if you try to resist, I'll take the boy with me. Rather then leave him too forces far less merciful then I."
Q sought out his own pet. With Jean Luc outwardly groaning, as the god appeared in a flash of white light.
"Can't you leave me be," Jean Luc demanded. "I don't see what amusement I could provide you, in my present position. Go harass Riker."
"Now-Now Jean Luc," Q smiled at his favorite human... maybe one of his favorite Sapients in the multiverse. he was right up there with Fluttershy. Obviously for very different reasons... but not as different as one might imagine. Both these mortals spoke to a god as an equal... but it's how Jean Luc normally came to appreciate Q, in his old age, that Q valued. At his current stage Jean Luc was still... resentful of Q's interest.
"I hope you don't feel neglected," Q smiled. then frowned. "Somethings different." admittedly Q wasn't in this particular Timeline often. but. "weren't you taller?" True Jean Luc was a tad on the short side, but surely-
"I'm 12 Q," Jean Luc growled.
Q blinked, trying to decipher that. then realized that was a child's age, "Did I get the time zone wrong." No, that couldn't be it. How would Jean Luc even be aware of him if-
"There was a transporter accident," Jean Luc blushed. "I was physically regressed in age."
Q blinked, then chuckled. "Well everything happens somewhere. Suppose it makes sense, at least one of your timelines, couldn't figure out how to fix that."
Jean Luc looked startled, "You mean we could in other realities?"
"All other realities," Q loved this. Too think, Wesley would advance so quickly, in a reality where the Federation itself was clearly lacking. Oh and the look on Jean Luc's face. The boy quickly shook his head, choosing not to believe Q.
"Regardless," Jean Luc moved on. "As you can see, I'm in no position too 'play' with you."
"Actually," Q smiled. "I'd think you'd be more open too games." oh how Jean Luc scowled. "You might wanna see if your apprentice can spare a game."
"Apprentice?" Jean Luc frowned.
Q frown back. Then sighed. "Right, wrong terminology. You creatures do live far too quickly." It was a genuine frustration, and fascination, Q had for mortals. they changed so quickly between centuries. Even their words changed. "I'm not sure what you call it in this century. That boy you took under your mentorship."
Jean Luc's eyes clicked, "Wesley? What interest is he towards you?"
Q smiled, "I merely thought he'd make a good playmate for you."
Jean Luc continued to frown. "For a self proclaimed 'god' you aren't much of a liar."
"Lying doesn't come easily for those in my position," Q easily admitted. "When all your equals can literally feel your intent, without need of speaking, it makes conversation skills rusty. Particularly the ability to hide your intentions, too the lifeforms that don't just sense it."
Too Q's delight, Jean Luc appeared too actually absorb that slight lesson about a god's perspective. Taking it in and filing it away in his mind as "important information". Q should really give this version of Jean Luc more attention. He seemed more open too being educated and molded... probably a direct result of being regressed too a child.
This Jean Luc possessed the intelligence of a man, and the adaptability of a child. Q might actually be able to instill his lessons early.
Looking around Q studied the room, for inspiration on how to reach this complicated version, of his favorite human. Then spotted a board game. "Interesting accessory," he studied the odd chess set. Before disappearing and reappearing next to it... he did despise walking. Some gods enjoyed the novelty of it, but Q was not one of them. "Mind teaching me to play?"
Jean Luc froze, then actually rolled his eyes, "Surely board games are beneath an entity."
Q waved off, "nonsense, mortal games are a good way too keep the mind sharp. And my mind is really all there is too me." Q smiled in delight, as Jean Luc absorbed that as well.
The boy hesitantly walked over to his 3-D chess set. It, WAS, one of his favorite games. Even as an adult he played it... and few were interested in playing with him now. Sighing Jean Luc realized he was so desperate for a challenge, he was actually about to teach Q how to play his "mortal board game".