*My ship! My ship! Never thinks of anything else!*

Omnipotent being Q petulantly bounced a ball against the shuttlecraft bulkhead, concentrating on appearing nonchalant but seething inside. Plans threatened to go awry as Picard's fingers flew over the console trying every way he knew to raise the Enterprise. Q feigned complete interest in his mindless game of catch and tried not to think about how close he'd been to the captain just moments before; close enough to lick that enticing ear.

*Rip his clothes off in a minute,* Q thought crossly. *Snapping my fingers would be faster but not nearly as satisfying.

*The things I do!* he almost sighed *Undeniably laughable if this whole situation wasn't so pathetic!*

"Very well, Q," came that authoritative and beloved voice. "We'll talk if you take me back to Enterprise."

"Excellent!" Q wanted to shout. Yet his not inconsiderable pride, and the pique he was in, held his tongue.

Zapping his ball out of existence, Q stared at Picard.

And thought he saw a ghost of something, a flicker of the emotional cocktail he himself currently felt. But it would be so easy to be sure. Couldn't he just risk a little peek into Picard's mind? Dare to uncover what Picard kept even from himself? Even if it meant the game would be up, that the game would cease to exist? For all his protestations to the contrary, the game meant everything to Q and now, he hesitated to do anything that might threaten its continuation.

Gumption was something Picard did not lack and it only seemed to grow exponentially where the Enterprise was concerned. How much easier it would be if his rival was mere humanoid flesh and blood --- or so Q would like to believe.

*I'd like to make you forget about that damn ship for a moment. Just one moment, out of time, for what is time to me?*

Keeping his face carefully neutral, Q got to his feet.

*Let's see just what you and your precious Enterprise can do,* he thought, decided to surrender to his temper and snapped his fingers.
****

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