Star Trek Enterprise Bk. 04 - Family Ch. 01

Those first few days on the Enterprise-D quickly became a very difficult adjustment period for both Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his new found daughter Danaë. He had a very specific and methodical routine that had served him well for years and having a four-year-old around had a way of undermining that. As for the child, she was used to life with her mother on Regula-16 and this was nothing like it. That first night she had cried so hard for her mother that the captain was unable to comfort her until he agreed to stay by her side and hold her hand for the entire night while she slept.

The next few days were not much better. Captain Picard tried to assuage her fears, but nothing he said worked. She was certain that the man who killed her mother, Brand Emilek, was coming after her next. He was a Chameloid, a shape-shifter and had sworn revenge against Cmdr. Solenne Bennet and Captain Jean-Luc Picard after they had testified against him at his trial for spying and selling classified documents. That had been before she was born and Danaë had seen his hate filled amber colored eyes staring at her shortly before her mother's death and now she saw them in her dreams.

Over and over Captain Picard promised she was safe on the Enterprise, but she remained unconvinced. He understood why she was so afraid and being her only family she naturally clung to him, but he had a ship to run and he could not spend all his time holding her hand. He was already considering whether or not she would be better off with his brother Robert and his wife or even Solenne's sister Lotte and her husband, and moments like this only made him feel more certain that she should. That was something he wanted to think long and hard over, right now there were more immediate things to be done. First and foremost on his mind was the loading of Solenne's body onto the Enterprise so she could be taken back to Earth for burial.

Six security officers were chosen to respectfully accompany Solenne's casket from the space station onto the shuttle then bring it aboard the Enterprise. One officer, Ensign Gacheru, wore a visor similar to that of Geordi Laforge. He walked in perfect step with the others watching everything that was happening. The catafalque was already covered in flowers from those on the Space station who wished to say their farewells and show their respects. Some of the bouquets were also from a few on the Enterprise that either had known her or wanted to show their respects for the captain's loss. Picard watched as they set the casket in its place then each man stepped away and silently left the hold. Once outside in the corridor Ensign Gacheru removed his visor, his tell-tale amber eyes taking in every detail. Now all he needed to do was find the captain's quarters and the little brat inside.

While the captain was unaware that anything was amiss, other eyes were. Powerful and Omniscient, Q could never resist the chance to look in on one of his favorite pets, Jean-Luc Picard. Often, his visits included a test or lesson for his favorite subject that often left the captain humbled and wiser. There were moments, however, when all he wanted to do was silently observe and make certain that things were going well with him. How surprised he was to discover that his favorite 'pet' had a puppy.

For two days Q had watched the girl and had come to two conclusions so far. The first was that she had a mind that was lively and quick, not unlike Picard and he was glad to see it. The other thing he learned was that humans must develop slowly. As awkward, clumsy, inferior and short sighted as the adult versions were, the children seemed even more so. This gave him no hope at all for their intellectual growth. Still, despite all of this, he found her quite fascinating and since she was Picard's and the captain was a favorite of his, he would keep an eye on her.

It was because of this that Q noticed the visor clad Ensign Gacheru stop one or two crewmen to ask for directions to the captain's quarters, citing he had a few items of a personal nature to deliver from the regula station. Politely they answered his question and gave precise directions before going on their way. Already knowing this ensign was not a member of Starfleet, not human and in fact a Chemeloid, he could have easily destroyed the creature with a snap of his fingers. Why not, he had killed Solenne Bennett and was intent upon doing the same to Picard and his daughter. However, first and foremost, Q was a pragmatist and wanted to see just what the human puppy would do when threatened. He would make sure no harm came to her, but he could not resist a test.

As the ensign approached the captain's quarters he removed the visor then shaped-shifted into Picard, fooling the sensors and gaining entry. Once inside he morphed back into his previous form and once again donned the visor to hide his eyes. He quickly scanned the room looking for the child and soon found her sitting on her father's bed quietly playing with her doll. She looked like a perfect Victorian princess dressed in a soft blue eyelet dress that had a satin ribbon around the empire waist and a pretty soft white petticoat and puffed sleeves. Her long golden curls were held out of her cherub-like face by a silver and blue flowered barrett. In many ways she was a princess, the Picard princess and the ensign was determined to make sure her reign ended.

"I have a message from your father," the imposter said, getting her attention. She walked over, her doll in her arms eager to hear what her father had to say. As soon as she was within reach he grabbed hold of her arm and slipped a knife out of his pocket. Realizing the danger she screamed and began to fight and kick, dropping her doll. When he tried to restrain her further she managed to bite his hand causing him to shout curses in his own language and free her. In the struggle Danaë accidentally bumped into the coffee table knocking two of the captain's treasured artifacts onto the floor, chipping one. It also caused the visor to fall from his face and she saw the familiar amber eyes of Brand Emilek. Hate burned in their depths and she was instantly afraid. Immediately she ran from the quarters into the corridor screaming.

"Pa-pa... Pa-pa! Someone help me!" She didn't know where to go, but she knew she had to get away. Brand replaced the visor and quickly followed her determined to finish what he had started.

Rounding a corner two arms suddenly grabbed Danaë and pulled her into a side area. Immediately she started fighting to get loose, but then she heard her father's voice in her ear instruct her to stop moving and stay still and the bad man would never see her. She did as she was told and sure enough he ran past without ever noticing. She turned around to hug the captain only to find that it wasn't him at all. This man had short dark hair and a somewhat arrogant look to his face, but his eyes were normal so he could not be the bad man. He wore a Starfleet uniform, yet something about him told her that he was not a crew member.

"Who are you?" she asked timidly. "You're not Pa-pa."

"Thank goodness for that. I am Q."

"There is a bad man trying to hurt me. I have to find Pa-pa," she pleaded as tears started to form in her eyes.

"Yes I know," he said. "I'm going to take you someplace safe where the bad man can never find you."

"Where is that?" she asked. He didn't answer but instead covered her eyes with his hand for a few seconds then pulled it away. Instantly she was in a beautiful room decorated at every corner with Christmas decorations. She had never seen a room with so much fancy carved woodwork or intricate furnishings. She wandered over a table that was laid out with elegant place settings and the most wonderful smelling food. She crawled up onto a chair and looked over the spread. There were sugarplums, candy canes, a big juicy turkey, rolls, marzipan sweets, coffee, tea and more. She started to reach for a marzipan candy, but stopped afraid that she might get into trouble.

"Don't be so timid," Q reprimanded. "All of this is for you." Turning to look at her savior and found he was no longer dressed in a starfleet uniform, but in a dark old fashioned suit with a black cloak. His hair had changed from dark and short cropped to white and completely wild. Over one eye he wore a patch and in his hands was an intricately carved gentleman's walking stick. There was a strange familiarity with his disguise yet she couldn't place it. He took her hand and showed her around. She was in awe at everything she saw, from the large cast iron and tile fireplace with its crackling flames, the breathtaking Christmas tree glittering with candles and fanciful ornaments to the view of sparkling untouched snow that covered hills and were bright against the night sky just outside the windows.

"But why..." she asked looking back up at Q.

"Because I declare myself to be your godfather just like Herr Drosselmeyer in 'The Nutcracker'," he explained.

"Oh, Ma-ma read that to me," she said with excitement.

"You will be safe here while the bad man is dealt with," he assured her.

"Alone?"

"Hardly." At this the parlor doors flew open and a half a dozen children came running in. There were presents beneath the tree for all and they wasted no time in finding them. Q handed one box to Danaë. She opened it and to her delight found a nutcracker. She was enchanted with him, but he didn't look the way she had expected. Although he had the typical nutcracker head with large gaping green eyes and brown unruly hair, there was no hat or beard. His painted uniform looked nothing like the traditional red and gold outfit she was familiar with. This nutcracker was painted so that he appeared to be wearing a royal blue jumpsuit covered in pockets over a dark buttoned down shirt. Whoever it was that crafted it, paid attention to every painstaking detail from many painted pockets, the yellow stripe along the shoulder to the four small rectangles that reminded her of the pips her father wore on his collar as a sign of rank. Her small cherub fingers moved long every detail, noticing how there was a phaser on the nutcrackers belt, although it didn't look much like the ones she had seen security with on Regula-16. Held in the toy's arms was a small carved dog with painted fur of white, brown and black.

Delighted with the toy Danaë turned around to thank her new friend, but Q was nowhere to be found. She checked the rooms and even peered through the windows to see if he had left any tracks in the snow, but there was nothing. For a moment she was sad and wished he would reappear, but the laughter of the other children and the smell of the feast soon drew her away to other diversions.

Back on the Enterprise Captain Picard was returned to his quarters expecting to sit down to supper with his daughter and Beverly. A small part of him hoped the two ladies would hit it off, but so far there had only been an undercurrent of tension he could not quite understand. The doctor walked along with him in the corridor listening to him vent his frustrations about the last few days with Danaë, something she had been hearing a lot of lately. As a mother herself, she gave him the one piece of advice that had served her well with Wesley... patience. The captain would have to learn to be patient and in time things would come together.

Entering the quarters, his eyes immediately fell on the misaligned coffee table and the artifacts on the ground. His heart stopped. He adjusted the table back to its normal position and carefully set the statuettes back on the coffee table. He called out for Danaë but she didn't appear. His eyes looked about the space as a cold chill ran through him. Something was terribly wrong.

"Jean-Luc, she's probably just hiding in your closet afraid she's in trouble for handling your artifacts," Beverly suggested in an attempt to allay his fears.

"No," he said, picking something up from the floor just behind the table. "She would have taken her doll with her." He showed it to the doctor and she immediately recognized the wooden toy that Danaë had clutched tightly as she checked her DNA back on the station. "Computer, locate Danaë Picard."

"Danaë Picard is not on board." The ship answered.