By Erin_Cale
Disclaimer: See first part.
�I really don�t see why you bother,� came a voice from just behind Trance�s left shoulder.
�I explained before Q. Mortals are extraordinary. I can�t help but feel fascinated by them.�
The younger Q shook his head. �And now that fascination has gotten you attached to this mortal. If he dies, you will grieve for him. That�s not right.�
�It�s not considered right for a Q to grieve, but I no longer associate myself with the Q continuum. All beings except the Q grieve, so therefore is it right or is it wrong?� She spun on her heel and stared the young boy in the eye. A little frightened of the vast amount of knowledge he saw locked away in those dark eyes, Q looked away. When he finally gathered up the necessary courage to face her again, she had a satisfied, almost cruel, smile on her face. �If you�re not going to help, you can leave.�
�What if I don�t want to?� he asked, regretting the words even before they had finished leaving his mouth.
�Let me rephrase this.� Trance cleared her throat as if she were about to launch into a long speech. �If you�re not going to help, you will leave.�
Q took a deep breath, not used to feeling inferior to another being. �I wish you luck with your project. When you get bored of this, you know how to find us.� He snapped his fingers and disappeared. Trance shook her head, remembering when she had had that same ability to disappear at a moment�s notice. For the shortest possible increment of time, she wished that she could have it back but when she looked at Harper, she knew that she would be content just to stay here with her friends. Shaking her head, she returned to her work.