Forwarded by the ASC-VSO Posted: 20 Jan 2004 19:20:09 -0800 In: alt.startrek.creative From: louiseell@aol.com (louise ellis) Title: "Still There" Author: Louise Ellis Series: TNG Rating: PG Code: P/C Part: 25/? Archive: yes Summary: An alternate universe story that picks up ten years after Disclaimer: no infringement meant, and comments welcomed (thanks for all the comments so far!). "Still There" (25/?) By: Louise Ellis "No." Felisa stated sharply. "Some of us aren't aware of everything that happens everywhere, you know." "Sorry." Naomi drew back slightly, surprised at the girl's tone. Gazing at her, she frowned again. "You aren't in school now?" "Neither are you." Felisa shot back levelly, one eyebrow rising. "I am, I have study hour right now, then lunch, and I go to classes in the Starfleet Prep School here." Naomi matched the eyebrow raising movement. "You don't." "So I don't go to school. Big deal." Felisa's hand moved to her hips. "I just got here on the Enterprise. I'll be going to school soon enough. Once they finally get tired of talking to me and asking me questions." Naomi stared at her. "The admirals are asking you questions? What did you do?" "Nothing." Felisa sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm just tired. They ask the same stupid questions over and over, Aunt Deanna and Papa let me answer only the ones I want to, but you'd think they would know enough by now. They were talking to my mom for three days, and this is my second day, and…" She sighed again. Naomi blinked, the pieces finally coming together. "Your mom is Beverly Crusher?" "I didn't say that." Felisa's eyes narrowed. "And she's not Beverly Crusher." This technically was correct, since Beverly had now taken Jean-Luc's name, it wasn't her fault that no public announcement had been made. And protecting each other's secrets came as naturally as breathing to both of them after what was for Felisa, a lifetime of practice. Naomi took a step forward. "Hey, I didn't mean anything by it. I know what you mean. After Voyager got back we all were debriefed and debriefed, it was so boring." Felisa's lips twitched. "Did they ask you the same thing over and over?" "Always. And I kept thinking they didn't believe me because I was just a kid." She grinned. "But, I was the Captain's assistant, so after Captain Janeway told them I was reliable, they finally listened." "You were the Captain's assistant?" Felisa blinked. "But you're not that much older than me." "I'm twelve. And it was kind of a, I was the only kid for so long, that everyone kind of raised me. Even Seven, she was a Borg." Naomi stopped at Felisa's expression. "She wasn't in the collective any more." "I don't like the Borg." Felisa stated firmly. "You'd like Seven." Naomi took a step forward. "Really." "Perhaps." With a shrug, Felisa glanced at the padd Naomi held. "What homework were you working on?" "Oh, I had a question about some astrophysics homework." Naomi sighed. "I'll find someone else." "My father might be able to help, he was a captain too." Felisa offered shyly. Even though she had a Borg as a friend, Naomi was the only person close to her age she'd met since returning to Earth, and she seemed nice. And if she was close enough to Admiral Janeway, her father might accept her as someone Felisa could be friends with. "He and Aunt Deanna should be out in a minute. They're back in talking to the other admirals." "Do you want to have lunch with me in the cafeteria?" Naomi offered. "If they let you?" Felisa's eyes lit up. "Do you think they would?" "We can ask." Naomi lifted a shoulder. "If you want." "Are there a lot of people there?" Felisa glanced down the hall as a door opened. "Cadets, students," Naomi shrugged. "It's open to anyone here at Starfleet, but it's the closest one to the Prep School and the Academy, so it's mostly students." "Felisa?" Deanna looked up and down the hall until she caught sight of the two girls. "There you are." "Sorry." Felisa glanced at Naomi, then led her toward Deanna. "Aunt Deanna, this is Naomi, we were talking." "Having fun?" Deanna smiled. "Hello Naomi." "Felisa?" At the male voice from behind her, Naomi turned surprised. "Miss Wildman?" "Admiral Picard?" She blinked, then looked at Felisa, who looked slightly sheepish. Leaning toward her, she whispered. "The Admiral is your dad?" "Naomi was looking for Admiral Janeway because she had a question about her homework, I told her you might be able to help her since the Admiral isn't here today." Her eyes pled with Jean-Luc. "And she asked if we would have lunch with her in the cafeteria." Jean-Luc exchanged a look with Deanna, then returned his attention to the girls, both of whom were looking up at him, one in surprise, and the other with hope. "If I'm able to help, I'd be glad to, and…" he hesitated again. "Yes, we can have lunch in the cafeteria." "Really?" Felisa practically quivered with excitement. "Really." He smiled, then glanced at Naomi. "However…" "She can just be the daughter of a friend of mine, and Naomi is showing her around as a favor to Admiral Janeway." Deanna suggested with a smile. Naomi looked between them, then nodded, understanding what Deanna was implying. "Okay." "Felisa, stay with Naomi or one of us." Jean-Luc gestured down the hall. "Shall we, ladies?" As Naomi and Felisa led the way, he fell in step with Deanna. "It's what she needed." Deanna murmured out of the side of her mouth. "Kathryn had suggested we introduce them, at some point. Naomi has been through these sort of debriefings as well, she can be a friend to Felisa." "Beverly will feel better knowing she has a new friend, close to her age." He replied softly. "She's been concerned about the lack of companionship for Felisa." "I know." Deanna smiled, then raised her voice as the girls glanced back at them. "We're right behind you." Naomi nodded and looked back at Felisa. "So, Counselor Riker is your Aunt?" "Not really, but that's what I call her." Felisa shrugged. "She and Uncle Will are staying with us while we're here. I think I'm staying with them while Maman and Papa go somewhere next week." "Do you live here or on a ship?" Naomi asked curiously as they went through a doorway. "We're not really anywhere right now. We're staying with…someone." Felisa answered evasively, looking around the plaza area they were going through. "I'm staying here, my mom's on a ship as science officer, she's a xenobiologist, and had a temporary assignment where she couldn't take me, so she got permission for me to live here." Naomi shrugged. "It's okay, and I get to talk to her almost every day. She'll be back in five weeks." "I've always lived with my mother." Felisa smiled slightly. "So you just moved here to be with your dad." Naomi nodded thoughtfully. "My dad died before we came back. He was Ktarian, and was on a deep space station." "I've never met a Ktarian before." Felisa gazed at Naomi. "Is your mother human?" "Yes." Naomi pulled a door open and entered the cafeteria, taking a few steps inside before realizing Felisa was no longer beside her. Turning, she watched the younger girl look around the room in wonder as Counselor Riker and Admiral Picard moved to join her. When Deanna caught her eye, Naomi nodded and returned to Felisa, touching her arm. "Come on, we just have to get in line to get what we want to eat." "There's so many different people." Felisa blinked and unconsciously moved closer to her father. "Are you all right?" He bent toward her as she continued to look around. "We can go back to the office and eat, like yesterday." "No," she blinked up at him, "it's all right." She looked back at Naomi. "We get in line?" "Over here." Naomi glanced at Counselor Riker, who smiled warmly. "Stay with me, I can show you what's good to eat." "All right." Practically attached to Naomi's side, Felisa followed her, Jean-Luc and Deanna following close behind as they moved through the crowded room. While there was a slight drop in the noise level as Picard passed, no one approached them as they selected their food, then moved to a table in a corner. While they ate, Jean-Luc and Deanna watched the girls talk to each other, Felisa asking hushed questions about different people and Naomi patiently answering. "I wish Beverly could see this." Deanna leaned toward Jean-Luc, her voice pitched so only he could hear. "Or even some of the Admirals. That would convince them she's nothing more that a young, inquisitive, intelligent girl." "I don't look forward to telling Beverly about their latest line of questioning." He winced slightly. "One of us should call her to let her know how everything is going, don't you think?" (end part 25) -- Stephen Ratliff ASC Stories Only Forwarding In the Pattern Buffer at: http//trekiverse.crosswinds.net/feed/ Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ASCL/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:ASCL-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. From ???@??? Sat Jan 24 18:48:22 2004 Status: U Return-Path: Received: from n2.grp.scd.yahoo.com ([66.218.66.75]) by merlin (EarthLink SMTP Server) with SMTP id 1aKxwt7CA3NZFlq0 for ; Sat, 24 Jan 2004 15:49:04 -0800 (PST) X-eGroups-Return: sentto-1977044-12981-1074988122-stephenbratliff=earthlink.net@returns.groups.yahoo.