From ereshkigal@earthlink.net Fri Oct 17 17:22:36 1997 Path: news3.ispnews.com!news1.ispnews.com!news1.spinne.com!atl-news-feed1.bbnplanet.com!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.bbnplanet.com!ais.net!iagnet.net!nntp.earthlink.net!usenet From: ereshkigal@earthlink.net (Ruth Gifford) Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative,alt.fan.q Subject: NEW: Hint of the Century [PG-13] (TNG, P/Q) Date: 18 Oct 1997 00:22:36 GMT Organization: GiffStein Lines: 294 Message-ID: <628vgc$auj@suriname.earthlink.net> Reply-To: ereshkgl@cyberg8t.com NNTP-Posting-Host: 207.217.151.190 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: Text/Plain; charset=US-ASCII X-Newsreader: WinVN 0.99.8 (x86 32bit) Xref: news3.ispnews.com alt.startrek.creative:7902 alt.fan.q:788 OK, this is the first in a four part series of short P/Q stories. Hit the reset button; these have nothing to do with any of the other P/Q stuff I've written. You see, it occurred to me that a lot of us P/Q fans think that Q is the one with the good "come on" lines. And yet, if anyone ever gave anybody a line, it was Picard talking to Q in "Q Who" (see the first sentence of the story). In fact, all of this story takes place in between time during the events of that episode. There is no sex in this one, but there is a discussion of sex (hence the PG-13 rating), and there will be sex in the next one. Let's all do the big Paramount disclaimer number now, shall we? OK! Places everyone! Disclaimer about how Paramount owns Star Trek and everything affiliated with it, over here on the left. No, your *other* left! Special thanks to Maurice Hurley because he wrote my first and last bits of dialog over here to the right. Please, not so close to the arc lights! And my favorite, the groveling thanks to PS and JdL for being so dang slashy in this and the other Q eps, right here in the center. Please people, work with me! Mondo thanks to the ever patient atara, for proofing in the middle of mid-term season (don't ask what my grade was). I also need to thank Varoneeka for a couple of ideas of hers that I'm using for my own purposes here, and for her beta-reading skills. And thank you JJ, for mentioning "Losing My Religion" in the "Q song" tread on afq. Not only did it give me opening lyrics, but it gave me a title as well. Feedback welcome on the ng or at ereshkgl@cyberg8t.com. OK to archive at the asc/ascem, afq, and R'rain's archives, ask before putting it anywhere else. This is for atara, as always. Learning about her has been more than just provocative. :-) The Hint of the Century by Ruth Gifford (c) 1997 "Consider this The hint of the century Consider this The slip that brought me To my knees failed What if all these fantasies Come flailing around Now I've said too much" "Losing My Religion" REM "To learn about you is frankly provocative," Jean-Luc Picard said, leaning against the bar in Ten-Forward, "but you're next of kin to chaos." He stared at Q with a steady gaze, all the while wondering why on earth he'd come up with *that* line. "Because you want me," Q replied through a flash of light. Picard looked around quickly, and was relieved to see that he was still in Ten-Forward. Riker, Worf and Guinan, however, were nowhere to be seen. "Relax, Jean-Luc," Q said, noticing Picard's concern, "they're all perfectly safe. We just popped out of time for a while." With that anxiety addressed, however, Jean-Luc realized what else Q had said. "I want you? Is that what you think? Want you how?" "Oh please Mon Capitaine, don't play coy with me. I felt it." "Felt what?" Picard asked. He had a pretty good idea, but knew he should ask anyway. "It," Q replied, an odd smile on his face. "When I leaned over you in the shuttle just now, I felt . . . something from you. Are you going to tell me I was wrong?" Picard leaned against the bar, and thought. Q smiled again, and pushing a barstool out of the way, moved in closer, until he too was leaning against the bar a few meters away from Picard. The entity snapped his fingers and there were suddenly two full wine glasses on the bar. "Beaujolais Nouveau, they won't be drinking it on Earth until tomorrow," Q said, picking up one of the glasses. Picard shook his head and resisted the urge to pick up the other glass. "It's not a pomegranate, Jean-Luc. You won't be trapped in Hades for half the year if you take a drink." "It pays to be careful with you," Picard replied, his tone serious. He ran a hand over his scalp and looked at Q. The entity merely gazed back and Picard shrugged and picked up the other wine glass. After a drink that convinced him that this was a better year than the last three, he finally felt able to try to explain himself. "What I want or don't want doesn't matter," he said quietly, wondering if he was going to be able to explain this to Q. "But you want me?" "It's true that you fascinate me; there are so many things I want to talk to you, *really* talk to you about." Q started to speak, but Picard raised a hand to silence him. "And yes, I'll admit to wondering what it would be like . . ." He shook his head, refusing to go on in that vein. "But what I said a moment ago still holds, what *I* want is not the issue here." "Then what is the issue?" "Why do you bother to ask?" Picard asked, feeling a sudden surge of irritation. "Why not just walk right in and read my mind?" "Too easy," Q replied, actually looking serious for once, "not to mention that it doesn't tell me as much as listening to what you *choose* to tell me." "Do you *really* mean that?" "Of course. Jean-Luc, I *do* know more about you than anyone, including yourself, knows, but that doesn't mean that I'm always reading your mind. By knowing you and listening to what you have to say, I learn more about you." "And is that what you're here for?" Picard asked curiously. "You'd be terribly disappointed if I said 'yes, that, and *nothing* more.'" Q's voice promised much; Picard could feel it washing over him. "How many times do I have to tell you that my personal desires are unimportant?" "Oh, please, Jean-Luc . . ." "No!" Picard snapped, his anger growing. "Listen to me. Yes, I want you; I can't help that. Knowing me as you do, you undoubtedly know my reasons better than I do. You should also know that I've gotten to the point where there has to be more than 'wanting.'" He waited but Q remained silent. "So, I may want you, but I'm *not* going to do anything about it. " "*You* don't have to do anything about it," Q said. He leaned toward Picard. Picard looked at him, telling himself that what Q had said could be read many ways. "Q . . . I said 'no.' Would you really . . .?" "Don't think I haven't been tempted Jean-Luc. Don't think I'm not tempted right now." The entity's voice was somewhat menacing, and Picard began to be a little afraid. "Apparently my wishes really don't matter to you," he said, trying to sound calm. He couldn't keep all of the fear out of his voice however, and Q drew back. "No," the entity said softly. "I won't . . . I can't. It would be meaningless." He frowned at Picard. "I don't want you to be afraid." He turned away, and Picard wondered what was making *Q* so uncomfortable. "Just like I don't want you to . . . be with me out of some sense of obligation. Pathetic really." "What is?" Picard couldn't help asking. "Me. I say I won't force you, but I could have you and you'd be willing, if not very eager." "What is that supposed to mean?" "There are any number of pressures I could bring to bear on you." Picard drew a deep breath. "Yes there are. And you would destroy me in the process." "How so?" Q asked. Picard sighed again. "If you force me to prostitute myself for the sake of my ship or my crew's well-being or whatever pressures you bring to bear, I would live with that memory. You tell me what it would do to me if you pushed me like that." "I know," Q replied almost disgustedly, "and yet, I . . . you almost drive me to it." "Well," Picard snapped, anger and fear pushing him, "go ahead then! If all you want is your own gratification, feel free. How do you want me?" "I want you wanting me, and saying so, and willing to follow through." "If you want me and not something 'meaningless,' you'll have to settle for two out of three." "I'm a Q! We don't 'settle' for things." "Oh of course you don't!" Picard replied. "You just go in and take. And I'm easy for you, aren't I? Just a snap of your fingers and there I am, however you want me, with no thought to how *I* feel about it." He was literally shaking right now, his tension, fear, anger, and wanting so tangled up that he couldn't sort them out. "I told you, I won't do that." Q turned and seemed to be trying to control his anger. When he turned and smashed a fist against the bar, leaving a gaping, smoking hole, Picard couldn't help jumping a little. "For one thing, it would make things awfully easy for *you*." "What the hell do you mean by that?" "If I forced you, you could blame me for it," Q replied, his voice biting. "You get what you want and I take the responsibility." "If you think I want to be raped . . ." No, I don't, but you *do* want me. You might be up for a little persuading." Q's inflection made the sentence a question and Picard shook his head. "No, I'm not." A silence fell, and then Q sighed and snapped his fingers, repairing the bar. "So what do I do now? I'm *supposed* to be getting a couple of things done here, but now that you know this about me . . ." "Trust me; I didn't want to know this about you." Honesty forced Picard to add, "or know it about myself, for that matter." There was another long pause where neither of them said anything. Finally, Picard felt compelled to break the silence. "So what now?" "If you give me your permission, I'll erase this whole conversation from your memory. As far as you're concerned, it will never have happened." "And you?" "Worried about *me* Jean-Luc?" Q mocked. "You *do* care." He waited, but this time Picard was willing to wait him out. "I got myself into this; I'll get myself out." He raised his hand. "Memory or no memory, Jean-Luc? I've made a big enough fool of myself this time, and I'd rather not stick around any longer." "Why do you have to have my permission?" "For the same reason that I," and now the entity was suddenly behind Picard, whispering in his ear as he had in the shuttle, "haven't grabbed you, thrown you over a table and done what we both want me to do." The entity chuckled. "You seem to be having a little trouble breathing, Mon Capitaine, and that uniform seems to be a little tight in a certain place. Are you so sure you don't want me? Just one word and you can leave the rest up to me." "No, Q," Picard replied, his throat tight. Q was right; his body was thrumming like a harp string, he was harder than he could ever remember being, and the idea of being thrown over a table was incredibly appealing. With more control than he knew he had, he got the rest of his sentence out. "Not now. Not . . . yet." "Does that mean . . .? "It means exactly what I said. Not yet. Now, please Q, can you get back to whatever it was that you were originally here for?" "And your memory? Do you want to go through my next test knowing what I'd rather be doing to you?" *I may well regret this,* Picard thought. And yet the thought of trying to pretend that he didn't know what Q wanted . . . "Please, I'd rather forget it." For half a second Picard was as frozen in time as the rest of his ship. Q looked at him for a moment, and, tempted beyond his own control, reached out and brushed his hand across Picard's cheek. Then he sighed, and removed the conversation (and the physical effects of that conversation) from Jean-Luc's mind. He gave into one more temptation, however, rewinding things just a little to hear Picard say those words again. "To learn about you is frankly provocative," Jean-Luc Picard said, leaning against the bar in Ten-Forward, "but you're next of kin to chaos." He stared at Q with a steady gaze, all the while wondering why on earth he'd come up with *that* line. He shoved the concern from his mind and tried to concentrate on Q. What was the maddening entity up to now? The End -- *************************************************** * Ruth | Visit GiffStein Productions * * Gifford | http://www.cyberg8t.com/ereshkgl/ * *-------------------------------------------------* * alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated * * Your One Stop Spot For Spam Free TrekSmut * *-------------------------------------------------* * Better living thru TrekSmut--See for Yourself! * * http://www.capital.net/users/rjs1/asce * *************************************************** "Every time we look into the [Marlin's] dugout, Jim Leyland [Marlin's manager] looks about as whimsical as a mortician." Bob "Sig Quote" Costas during the final game of the National League playoffs.