Resistance Is Futile - pt 27

"Q."

"You said that once already, Jean-Luc. I'm not deaf." Q walked around the desk and sat in one of the chairs across from the captain, his one leg draped irreverently over the arm.

Anger boiled low in Picard. "What are you doing here?"

"What? No hello? You don't want to know how I've been doing? Jean-Luc - I'm hurt."

"Q," Picard said with warning in his tone.

"You are such a stick in the mud." Q stood and paced around the room. His tone and manner abruptly switched from irreverent to serious and brooding. "I'm here, because Virginia is going to need me. She knows this on some level, but she's not ready to accept it yet. And I'm here, to let you know that I'm watching."

"You're watching?"

"The Council will have my hide for this," Q muttered. "Watching? Oh yes. I'm watching. Events are beginning to unfold that will effect the destiny of multitudes, Picard. Unfortunately, it all revolves around Virginia. Once again, on some level she knows this, and wants to fight it, but can't. Because it's too big."

"Q, you're talking in riddles."

"Am I? Jean-Luc, the woman you slept with this morning ... is the Daughter-Heir to a throne that rules more worlds than you have in your pathetic Federation. The fate of the Gandraleayian Galaxy hinges upon the fate of this little half-breed....whose heart you have crushed." Q's eyes flashed angrily, so quickly that Picard almost didn't see it. "Her decisions over the next few days will not only determine whether that obnoxious Council will let her have the throne she was born for, but when. You and your Counselor were right ... she is being tested. Because her Grandmother is dying ... which is a closely guarded secret, so don't open your mouth. The Council is concerned because of how Virginia begged to be let off the hook all those years ago and if they don't like how she handles this mission, they're going to let her father rule until they deem her ready."

"You can't be serious."

"I am." Q sat again. "Picard ... Jean-Luc ... about this morning..."

"I know I've hurt her."

"Badly. Even now, she is crying on the shoulder of that despicable woman you have hosting Ten-Forward. But ... you need to know ... what Virginia is planning ... she's been planning all along."

"I don't understand."

"That is abundantly clear. But you will." Q stood again, regaining a measure of his normal irreverance. "Now, I must be making myself scarce. Remember ... mums the word. I suppose Guinan will be calling after Virginia's left her, and you can talk to her I suppose, and you'll have to tell your Klingon watchdog, but no one else. Do you understand that?"

"Clearly."

"I'm serious Picard...Virginia can't know that I've been here."

"She won't learn it from me."

"Good."

The powerful superbeing disappeared sans his usual flash of light. And Picard was left wondering about the true nature of the relationship between Virginia and this renegade alien ... because the look in Q's eyes when he had spoken of how Picard had hurt Virginia ... the look hadn't been "alien" ... it had been that of a jealous and angry lover.