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Written
15th December 2015

Everything she had heard about this place was true. Earth was beautiful. Vast blue oceans, interesting mountains of various different sizes, shapes and colours. The many lights sparkling in the dark, some of which formed patterns in her mind's eye. It looked peaceful, she thought.

Oblivious to what danger it is in, another thought intruded on her own while her consciousness floated within the atmosphere.

He hadn't visited her in so long, there had to be a reason for this one. Her other incarnations had dealt with him far more, something she was always sorry for and didn't understand.

"I've been here for a good minute and I'm already bored. I don't see the big fuss, to be honest," she heard his voice float above her.

"Surely you still don't need to put on your act. We're alone," she told him.

A chuckle within the clouds ruffled them a little. "A confident little girl, aren't you Three? You think the Continuum can't see through your little bubble?"

If they could, they would have dealt with her a long time ago. Her soul grimaced. A few lifetimes ago in her perspective. He knew it, he was teasing. There was no reason to go along with it, it would only encourage further. She couldn't let his nickname for her go however.

"My name is not Three. I refuse to be simplified like your kind," she said.

Of course he laughed at her, as she expected. It was affectionate though, she recognised that even after so much time. "I'm not your enemy, you know."

She knew that. There was already some doubt to his motives before she had freed one of the Quinn's from his eternal prison. He had told her of Q's obsession with Humanity, his secret admiration for them. If he wasn't aware she had done this, he would be now.

"I hope it wasn't the one who tried to hide in the first season. I'm still trying to clean up that mess," he said with some amusement mixed in with a little exhaustion.

"Why are you here?" she asked quickly before her thoughts betrayed her.

"Five may have a headache for a while. Tell her not to worry, it'll fade in a year or so," he said sympathetically.

She knew that as well, and the nickname made her sigh, pushing parts of a cloud away from its parent. "You didn't answer me."

The lighthearted feeling she got from his presence faded, replaced with a serious aura. It worried her greatly. "Same reason you are I imagine."

"I don't know what you're talking about. We succeeded, there's little more we can do," she said.

"Oh?" his voice said humourlessly, which didn't suit him one bit. "You don't strike me as the self centered, narrow minded type. Your friends were saved, for the most part. The Continuum were momentarily appeased. However the cycle still continues, you sense it too."

There was no way for her to argue against him, he'd see right through her. Her whole being radiated the anxiety she was feeling over it. Her mind had been focusing on the issue for so long she had lost track. "Will the Continuum be supporting you this time?"

Before he answered, she felt a negative vibe float over to her in a wave. "They consider the matter settled. At least..." he hesitated as if he was paranoid someone was listening. Once he was convinced he continued, "at least where the Humans are concerned."

If she understood him correctly her opinion of the Continuum dropped a few thousand light years once more. They weren't like Q, they only cared about the grand scale. Needs of the many outweigh the few. Unfortunately in the Continuum's perspective, one species of billions would be considered few. They'd brush Humanity under the cosmos' carpet if it solved the problem. It looked like to her they were on their own again. The questions were would Q be helping her under their nose once more, and would he consider a different tactic?

"I hope you're not already there with a finger on the button," she said.

"I don't know about you," he said in a serious tone. She sensed his mischievous side bubbling underneath. "But I don't fancy doing this all over again. It's took us too long to get this far."

If she still had her physical form she would have smiled, instead her soul glowed a warm yellow. She felt a bit mischievous herself. "Since we're throwing caution to the wind, hopefully not too literally, you mind if...?"

Q already knew what she was going to ask, he laughed a little. "By all means. This is a team effort after all. It would be rude not to."

They all needed to be here, to find out what had caused the ripple she had been feeling the last few years. One of them may have an idea already. She had to call them back, time was a factor. Her voice reached out to as far as the Delta Quadrant where one of her incarnations had decided to return home and rest.

"Do you really think One would help? We don't want her flying off the handle again," Q teased.

She ignored the nickname jokes this one last time. The next time he called her other selves by a simple number she'd return the favour. No doubt Quinn would be interested in hearing a few tales from her successors dealings with him. Her thoughts returned to the matter at hand. There was no way they were going to fail this time. She was sure.

Kes had all the confidence in the universe that whatever plan Q and herself would come up with, it would not be necessary. Her friends had proven themselves time and time again. She hoped so, for their sake.

TO BE CONTINUED

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