Author: Steve711 - Steve Pantovich
E-mail Address: Steve711@concentric. net
Title: The Chronicles of Wanderer - Endworld Assault
Copyrighted : April 2001
Category: Crossover
Rating: PG-13 to R - Violence, and Foul Language
Spoilers: A few, but who cares?
Keywords: X-Files/Highlander/Buffy the Vampire Slayer Crossover with a few guest
stars.
The Following TV Series have been included in the story. Disclaimers
appear at the end with the cast list.
The Pretender
JAG
Star Trek The Next Generation/Deep Space Nine/Voyager
Gargoyles
Xena, Warrior Princess
The Following Book Series have been included in the story. Disclaimers
appear at the end with the character list
Endworld Series by David Robbins
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan
Summary: Q’s son screws up and it’s up to an assault group of Quinn’s
friends to save him from a world where no Q has any power.
All disclaimers appear at the end of the story.
Any character whose names and descriptions are used are the property of their
original owners, and no copy right infringement is intended or meant.
No money can be made from this story. It can be distributed freely so
long as it is kept in its entirety, with all notices and copyright information
intact.
The characters Wanderer/Steven St. Wolf, Frank Iverson, Brother Aaron, Robert
McCallister, The Knights of the Order of the Grail, Randi Jessup, Brian Jessup
and this story are mine. Anyone wishing to use them, please contact me at
my e-mail address: Steve711@concentric. net
The character, Robin Goodfellow is the property of Mike Weyer and used with his
permission.
Comments and Criticisms are appreciated, please post to the above
referenced E-mail.
Author's Note's: When I started to write this story I decided to
change some things concerning the characters.
X-Files Mulder and Scully are married and Immortal - So Non-Relationshippers beware.
Highlander: Richie Ryan shouldn't have died in the end of the fifth
season. So here he hasn't.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Buffy is an Immortal and this
series splits from the second season show, The Judge.
Casca, the Eternal Mercenary: Various of Casca's friends are Immortal. Including the love of his life,
Lida.
Author's Thanks:
I'd like to thank the people who helped me in writing this story. It took
the better part of a year to complete, but I think that it was worth it, but
they stuck with me, helping and encouraging me to complete it.They are:
Rebekah Sandell, Mark Safransky, Tim Knight, Mike Weyer, Timbo, Hawk, Dalton
Spence, and Jack Canyon. Thank you all for your time and input on this story.
In memory: I'd like to dedicate this story in memory of four great writers,
whose works have been a constant enjoyment and delight:
Gene Roddenberry, Don Pendelton, Mickey Spillane and Barry Sadler
I'd also like to thank all those great fan fiction writers out there, whose
stories I've enjoyed. They showed me that I could let my imagination run. (Where it went I don't want to know :>))
Thanks and here's the Story. Enjoy.
Beletar System - 2447 AD
The Q known to the Beletarians as Talek the Benevolent strains as it holds the Beletar system’s sun stable. He looks back to the world teeming with life and silently resolves to hold or die. He feels a sense of joy as thousands of Federation ships come to the rescue of the Beletarian home world. He turns back to his task and silently hopes that the Beletarians would find happiness on their new home world.
In sub space, a young Q watches as his elder struggles with holding the Beletarian sun together.< That old fool is actually trying to help those weak things. How foolish can he be?> The young Q then grins as he plots a joke. He reaches out with his mind and quickly snaps off a solar flare at the elder Q.
Talek senses the flare coming at him and using all of his reserve power, he breaks up the flare. He watches, unable to do anything, as the remnants of the flare consumes several hundred of the packed rescue ships. Talek groans silently as he senses that those ships carried mostly children and pregnant females. He silently seethes as he feels the presence of the young Q and vows to make him pay.
Captain John-Luc Picard watches in silent horror as the packed freighters are destroyed by a sudden solar flare. He rises up from his command chair and turns to Lieutenant Commander Data, demanding. "Where the hell did that solar flare come from?"
"Unknown Sir. That flare should not have occurred." Data replies without looking up from his console.
"Keep an eye on the sun and tell me if you get any more anomalous readings."
"Yes Sir." Data replies.
Talek watches as the last of the ships safely leaves the system with their precious cargoes. He smiles inwardly at the bravery of the Federation crews as they willing risked themselves and their ships to save the Beletarians.< Many should have run, but none of them did. They all stayed and helped.>He lets go of the sun and watches as it turns super nova in a matter of hours. He quickly scans the remains of the destroyed transports and back tracks the originator of the solar flare that had caused such destruction.
The Q Continuum - Time and Date Unknown
The Council of Q sit in judgement as the Q known as Talek tells them of his attempt to aid the Beletarian people in their mass migration from their doomed home world and how the Federation helped. He then describes the solar flare that had caused the deaths of almost four hundred thousand intelligent beings and the callous use of power by the young Q.
The Council President looks over to the young Q and asks. " What do you have to say for yourself?"
The young Q grins. "I was only playing a joke. Q wasn’t hurt, so I did nothing wrong."
Talek clenches his hands and suppresses the urge to strike the young upstart down. He slowly grins out. "There were four hundred thousand intelligent beings on those ships. Don't their lives mean anything to you?"
The young Q gives Talek a smug look and replies. "They were not Q, so they didn’t mean anything."
Several Council members clearly look displeased at the young Q’s indifferent attitude towards mortal lives. They, in turn, stare directly at the young Q’s father, who stares back directly at them, in challenge. The Council looks at each other and the decision is made. They turn to face the young Q, their faces set in grim lines and judge him. " Because of the ‘Prank’, Q (Talek) had to use up most of his energies breaking up the solar flare that you caused and retain control of the sun. Q (Talek) could have ceased to exist doing so much by himself. The murder of four hundred thousand intelligent beings is incidental, but it is an added charge that we lay on you. We have weighed the evidence carefully and have decided to strip you of your status as a Q. You will be taken by Q (Talek) and left on a world where you will be allowed to make of yourself what you can with the limited abilities he allows you to have. Neither your parents nor any other Q will be allowed to interfere with your life on this world."
The young Q’s father immediately rushes forward and demands. "You can’t do this. He’s only a child. Please give him time to understand the error of his ways."
The Council members look at each other and silently confer a few seconds later, they amend their decision. "Q, you will still be stripped of your powers and left on a world of Q’s (Talek) choosing, but if you show that, over time, you have learned your lesson, we will re-instate you with your powers and status. Q (Talek) will be responsible for observing your growth and will decide whether you’re ready or not."
"I also demand the right to observe my son." Q angrily states.
"You have that right. But understand this. You will NOT interfere with your son’s life or death. That is Q’s (Talek) decision to make. Is this clear to you?"
Q angrily agrees to his limited role and glares at Q (Talek) for getting his son into so much trouble. Q (Talek) glares back and takes the younger Q by the hand and they disappear. Q quickly follows, observing at a distance.
Alternate Earth - 104 years after World War III
Road South of Peoria Illinois - June 8th - 3:00 PM - CST
Q (Talek) looks over the young Q’s new shape and grins.< At least he got his looks from his mother.> He quickly clothes the young body in rough, but serviceable clothing and tells him. "I’m leaving you on this planet called Earth. Here you will learn to care and feel for those who are less than you. Besides the basic survival skills that I’m giving you. I’m also leaving you with a vast knowledge on medicine and its practical applications on this world. Any questions?"
"Yes, how soon before I can leave this mud hole?"
Talek just grins and leaves. The young Q just stands there and stares at the empty spot that the elder Q had just stood in. He shakes his head, picks up his backpack and begins to walk towards the south.
Alternate Earth - 104 years after World War III
Road South of Peoria Illinois - June 8th - 4:00 PM - CST
Q calmly walks down the road and looks around himself.< I’ve been to Earth, but this isn’t the Earth of the Federation. I wonder where and when I’m at?> As he’s deep in though the suddenly hears a shot and moves towards the noise. He turns a corner and a man holding a small crying child.
"But Daddy. Its only a scratch." The crying girl tells her father.
The man looks down at the body of an animal and sadly tells his daughter. "I’m know Honey. I’ll take you home so your Momma can fix it right."
As the man picks up the young girl, another mutate, a squirrel, rushes out of the bushes towards them. Q quickly gets out his Colt45 handgun and shoots the mutate dead before it crosses ten feet. The man’s head snaps around at the sound of the shot and he watches Q with caution. Q, noticing the man watching him, slowly puts his 45 back into his cross draw holster and points to the mutated squirrel on the ground. The man stares at the carcass and nods his head in thanks. Q approaches the man and girl and quietly asks. "Is the girl all right?"
The man sadly shakes his head and quietly tells Q. "I’m taking Melissa home. You’re welcome to join us for dinner. It’s the least I can do for you since you saved my life."
Q nods his head and quietly follows the man and girl. As they walk, the man introduces himself. "My name’s Tom Basset. This is my daughter Melissa. What’s your name?"
"My name?" Q asks.< Damn, humans always use names. What name can I use?> The man carefully watches as Q tells him. "Most people just call me Q."
"Q? What sort of name is that?" Melissa asks with a giggle.
"A nick name honey." Her father tells her, but he continues to watch Q, waiting for an answer.
Q gives him a quick grin.< Aunt Kathy, forgive me.>"My name is Quentin Janeway. But like I said, most people just call me Q."
Tom gives him a grin. "Why? Quentin’s a good strong name, son. Don’t be ashamed of it."
"You didn’t have to live with it." Quentin replies with a smile. "Is your daughter alright?"
"She was bit by a mutate." Tom replies softly, the grief barely hidden.
"She’s not going to die from it, is she?"
Tom realizes that the young man doesn’t understand the situation. "Don’t you have mutates where you come from Quentin?"
"No. We don’t. That was the first one that I ever saw."
"Your people are lucky then. Those critters are pure poison. Even the smallest scratch will lead to a long and slow death. The only thing that we could do for Melissa now is to make her as comfortable as possible and watch her die. Not even old Doc Stewart can save her."
Q looks off into space, not understanding the impact that this girl’s death would have for these people.
June 8th - 5:30 pm - CST
Earth - 104 Years After World War III - Basset Farm
Quentin sits with a worried Tom as his wife tends to their daughter. Tom quietly murmurs and looks up to the sky as though he was waiting for a reply. Tom finally finishes and crosses himself as Quentin asks. "What were you doing Tom?"
Tom starts at Quentin’s voice and looks back at him. "I was praying. Don’t your people pray?"
"No we don’t. What’s praying?"
Tom sighs. "Praying is what you do when you ask God for help."
"Does God ever reply?" Quentin asks.
"Sometimes I don’t think so, but a man’s got to have faith." Tom replies as his son hurries back to the house, closely followed by a young woman with flowing red hair. Quentin watches her as she keeps up with the younger Robert and easily jumps up onto the front porch.
She gives Quentin a quick once over < Very Cute > and asks Tom. "Where’s Melissa?"
"In the bedroom with Marge. Can you help her?" Tom replies, his voice tinged with hope.
"We’ll see." The young woman snaps back as she rushes into the house, leaving a thoroughly confused Q standing on the porch.
Tom sees Quentin’s look of awe and chuckles. "She does that to every man she meets for the first time."
"Who is she?" Quentin croaks out.
"That’s Rebecca Stewart. Old Doc Stewart’s daughter and assistant." Tom replies with a grin.
< What is happening to me? Why does that female affect me so?> Quentin wonders to himself as he continues to smell her perfume in the air. Quentin turns to Tom to ask more questions about the young woman, but finds him frozen instead. He looks around and sees a bird, frozen in mid flight.< Only one person could do this.> Quentin thinks to himself as he yells. "Q. I know you’re out there. Stand before me."
"You mean like this?" Q (Talek) replies with a trace of humor in his voice.
"What are you doing to me? Why am I starting to have these feelings? What does that woman have to do with all of this?"
"It’s all quite simple youngster. You’re human now. Get used to the feelings, because all humans have them."
"I don’t want them!!" Quentin shouts at Q (Talek).
"Feelings are what being a human being is all about." Q (Talek) replies evenly. "Now get off your lazy ass and go and help that little girl."
"Why? That Rebecca person is there now. She’ll help the child."
Q (Talek) sadly shakes his head. "You don’t understand. That little girl is dying. Rebecca can’t help her. You can."
"Why should I?" Quentin angrily snaps back.
Q (Talek) angrily gestures and shows Quentin why. They stand phased out of time at a funeral for the little girl. Quentin feels the raw despair rise from the crowd. He watches as the red haired woman walks up to the family to offer some comfort.
Quentin watches as Tom, in a fit of drunken rage, strikes Rebecca on the face and screams. "You stupid bitch, you should have saved her. Why couldn’t you?" Madge quickly grabs Tom and takes him away. Quentin watches as Rebecca silently looks down on the small grave and openly cries. As the crowd leaves, a mutated wolf rushes out of the woods and attacks Rebecca, savaging her mercilessly. Several of the men and women quickly shot down the mutated wolf, but it’s too late for Rebecca as she dies of mutate poisoning. Quentin looks on in shock and asks. "Where am I while this is happening?"
"Walking south. In several weeks you’ll be dead as well."
"Will a mutate also kill me?"
"No. The androids of Andoria will kill you for trespassing in their territory." Q (Talek) replies simply.
"You won’t save me?"
"No."
"What if I move West?"
"A mutant will kill and eat you. If you go east, some bandits will kill you for your pack. If you head north, the Technics in Chicago will harvest you for body parts."
Quentin glares at the elder Q, realizing that he had no choice in the matter, he grates out. "Take me back. I’ll help." Before the last words are out of his mouth, Quentin looks around and sees Tom staring at him.
"How will you help Quentin?" Tom asks. Quentin just glares at him and walks into the house, Tom quickly follows and watches as Quentin walks into his bedroom and begins to order Rebecca and his wife around.
Quentin enters the well lit bedroom and sees Melissa lying on the bed. Gone was the laughing smile from an hour ago, now there lay a fever wracked body, quickly dying from the poison in its system. He quickly moves to her side and feels her head and gives her a small smile. Melissa smiles back and Quentin moves over to Rebecca’s kit and begins to rummage through it.
Rebecca watches on in horror as the stranger goes through her kit. "Stop that!! Those supplies are irreplaceable!" She demands.
"Do you have any anti-biotics? And what type?"
"Penicillin, but they won’t help." Rebecca replies.
"How have you been giving them?"
"Orally. Why?"
Quentin nods his head and reaches for a pair of surgical gloves. "Wash the area of the wound with alcohol. Then give me a scalpel. Are the anti-biotics in tablet or capsule form?"
"Tablet form, 200 milligrams." Rebecca replies as she hands him a scalpel.
"Tom, you and Madge hold Melissa down and keep the arm steady." Tom and Madge quickly do as Quentin says. "Rebecca, crush six of the tablets into a powder, quickly."
Rebecca complies and takes out a mortar and pedestal and quickly crushes the tablets. She then hands over the mortar to Quentin, who cuts open Melissa’s arm and gently puts the powder into her arm. Melissa thrashes around, but her parents hold her steady. Quentin loads in the penicillin and then starts to wrap her arm in gauze bandages from the kit. Rebecca and the Bassets watch in fascination as Quentin expertly puts on the bandage. After he finishes, he looks up at them. "We’ll have to change the dressing and clean the wound every hour for the next six hours, but I think she’ll be all right."
"How?" Rebecca asks.
"The mutate bacteria forms a bridge head in the wound. From there it starts to grow and overwhelm the body’s circulatory system. Either the person or animal is strong enough to survive and become a mutate or they die. The pain caused by the overloaded circulatory system drives the victims insane." Quentin explains.
Rebecca just nods, not knowing what to say. Tom looks up from his daughter and asks. "What are Melissa’s chances?"
"Better than even. But the telling factor will be her will to live." Quentin replies as he strips off the gloves and sits down in a chair.
Rebecca looks over the stranger and wonders. "Are you a doctor?"
Quentin gives her a rueful grin. "I was training to become one, but I had to leave my people."
"Why did you have to leave?" Rebecca asks.
Quentin looks down on the ground and then back into Rebecca’s eyes. "I played a practical joke on someone and it went wrong and some people died because of it."< Why am I telling her this?>
"So they kicked you out?" Tom asks.
"Either that or kill me." Quentin replies evenly. "My Father argued against killing me. The council listened to him and then banished me instead."
Rebecca and the Bassets nod in understanding and they watch as Quentin leaves the room.
Quentin walks outside and he notices that several birds were frozen in mid flight again. He looks around and finds Q (Talek) leaning against the porch railing. Quentin walks over to him. "I hope that makes you happy."
Q (Talek) looks up from his study of the ground in front of the house. "It does." Q (Talek) replies with a grin. "Does it make you happy?"
Quentin stares off into the distance and softly replies. "For some strange reason, it gives me a sense of accomplishment."
"Good, then you’ve just taken the first step in a long road." Q (Talek) replies as he disappears.
Quentin continues to stare off into the distance until he hears a throat clearing behind him. He turns around and sees Rebecca standing there. "The Bassets have a meal ready. Do you want to eat?" Quentin’s stomach growls in response and Rebecca gives him a dazzling smile as she takes his arm, leading him back into the house. "I’ll take that as a yes."
Q looks down at his son and quietly thanks Q (Talek) for helping his son so early in his journey. Q looks across at his mate and asks. "Should we take turns keeping an eye on our son?"
She quietly nods her head and looks down on him as he enjoys the company of the human female.< It’s good that he has someone.>
Quentin wakes up from his sleep as someone moves near him. He jerks suddenly awake and sees that it was only Rebecca shifting in her sleep next to him. He looks across at the small bundle sleeping easily in the middle of the bed and smiles.< Why do I feel like this?>He shakes the sleep from his head and moves away from Rebecca’s warm body and goes to check on his patient. Quentin removes the bandage from he arm and sees only raw skin under it. He smiles as Melissa sleepily asks. "Quentin, am I going to be all right?"
"Yes, the fungi is gone. You should be fine." Quentin tells her.
Rebecca watches as Quentin gently cleans and re-bandages Melissa’s arm.< He’s got talent. I wonder if Dad and I can convince him to stay on and help at the clinic? Dad’s not getting any younger and no one is interested in becoming the town doctor.> Rebecca’s musing are interrupted as Madge and Tom enter the room.
They respectfully wait for Quentin to finish dressing the little girl’s arm before Madge asks. "Will she be all right?"
Quentin looks up from putting on the final touches to his work and smiles. The Bassets return his smile and Tom scoops up his little girl in a fatherly hug. Melissa squeals in surprise and begins to giggle at how silly her father was being. Madge quickly hugs Quentin and she thanks both him and Rebecca.
"Thank you both for saving her."
Quentin quietly accepts the praise and begins to gather up his things. As he bends down to pick up his bag, his stomach begins to rumble. Madge, hearing it shoos him away from his duffle and leads him and Rebecca to the kitchen. "Wash up you two. I’ll prepare you both a good breakfast before you leave." Madge tells them as she points to the sink. Both of them quickly roll up their sleeves and wash up as Madge prepares them breakfast.
As Quentin and Rebecca sit down, Rebecca asks. "Where are you going?"
Quentin looks up from across the table. "I don’t have any set destination."
< He’s got no place to go.> Rebecca realizes. "Would you like to meet my father?"
"Why?"
"I think that he would like to meet you."
"I’m nobody Rebecca. He doesn’t need to meet me."
Rebecca watches the emotions play across Quentin’s face.< His people must have really hurt him emotionally. I wonder if he’d be interested in a job?> "Quentin, my father is the doctor for everyone within a day’s travel. He could use some help and I think you’re exactly what he needs."
"I’m not a trained doctor."
Rebecca gives him a dazzling smile. "Quentin, out here in the Outlaw zone, you’re a doctor. If saving Melissa is just a small example of your skills, no one here will ask twice."
Rebecca breaks off as Madge delivers two plates filled with a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon and potatoes. The two tear into the food, hungry after their long vigil over Melissa.
An hour later the pair walk away from the Basset homestead and walk south along a road marked County Route 721. They cross a bridge over a small river called Horatio Harris Creek. Quentin looks down the road and asks. "How long before we reach your father’s place?"
"Only four miles. He has a house in Bradford town on North High Street."
"People still live in the town?"
"Yeah. Most of us live in the north part of Bradford, though a few people have moved in to the South side of town."
"Why are people living here?"
"Bradford sits on a trade route and several of the merchants who work the Zone have set up shops and warehouses here. They also moved in their families and they like a nice quiet town."
"Sounds like a good place. What about outlaws? Wouldn’t they try to attack?"
"It’s been tried, but we’re too important to too many people, so we’ve always been able to beat them back with help from several other towns."
As they enter the town proper, an older man with a Ruger Mini-14 rifle calmly walks over and asks. "My apologizes, Miss Stewart, but I don’t recognize the young man with you."
Rebecca gives the guard a grin. "Sorry, Zeke. This is Quentin Janeway. He was staying at the Bassets and I asked him to come to town with me. Is my Dad at the clinic?"
"Nope." Zeke replies as he looks Quentin up and down. "He’s by the Marshal’s house. His wife, Josie is giving birth to their fifth kid."
"C’mon Q, let’s get over there and see if my Dad needs any help." Rebecca pulls him away and leads him further south.
Zeke watches the pair run and grins to himself.< Looks like Rebecca caught herself a man. Let’s hope this one survives meeting old Doc Stewart. >
Rebecca leads Quentin to the Jones house. As they draw near, one of the children, a blonde, nine year old girl, on the front porch rushes over to her and gives Rebecca a big hug. Rebecca picks up the giggling child and asks. "How’s your mommy doing?"
"Doc Stewart says she’s doing fine, Auntie Becca." The little girl replies as Rebecca walks up the front porch.
A man in his thirties approaches her. "How’s Tom’s daughter doing?"
Rebecca gives him a smile. "Melissa’ll be fine, Marshal Jones. We were able to stop the mutate poisoning."
"How was that possible?" A shocked Marshal Jones asks.
Rebecca points to Quentin. "Quentin knew how to stop it."
The Marshal looks Quentin over and asks. "Are you a doctor?"
"I was training to be one." Quentin replies.
"Where are you from?"
"North of Milwaukee. My people have a community up there." Quentin replies. "May I ask why are asking all of these questions?"
"I’m the town Marshal. It’s my business to know these things." Marshal Jones explains as the sound of a small child crying out is heard.
The Marshal turns back to his house, Quentin forgotten for the moment, as Doc Stewart walks out and yells. "Pat, you have a fine, healthy son. Congratulations."
"How’s Josie?"
"She’s fine. A little sore, but that’s because your son’s a big one. Keep her in bed for the next three days and everything should be fine."
"Thanks, Doc. Can I go in and see her?"
"Give Maggie a couple of minutes to clean her up, then go and see her and your son." Doc Stewart tells the happy father.
"You got it Doc." Marshal Jones replies. "While we wait, your daughter has a new friend with her. Maybe he can answer some more questions?"
"What new friend?" Doc Stewart asks as he spots Quentin, waiting next to his daughter.< Who is he?> Doc Stewart finishes wiping his hands and calmly walks over to Rebecca and asks. "Who is this young man?"
"Dad, meet Quentin Janeway. Quentin, meet my Father, Dr. Robert Stewart. Everybody calls him Doc."
Quentin automatically raises his hand and offers to shake the old man’s hand, but Doc Stewart continues to wipe his hands, glaring at Quentin with suspicion. "Rebecca, where did you meet this young man?"
"He was with the Bassets when I got there to see Melissa." Rebecca explains.
"What was he doing at the Basset’s?"
"Mr. Basset asked him to stay with them. He had saved Mr. Basset’s life from a mutate earlier yesterday."
Doc Stewart nods his head and quietly asks. "How bad was it with Melissa? Were you able to make her passing easier?"
"Melissa’s fine, Dad. Quentin was able to save her."
Doc Stewart’s head snaps up and he glares at the young man in front of him. "That’s not possible. I’ve never been able to save anyone from a mutate’s bite. How did you?"
"My people had a plague of mutates about forty years ago and most of them were hurt to one degree or another. Finally, a doctor, discovered that if he layered in antibiotics directly into the area where the bite or scratch happened, the bacteria would be arrested and destroyed. He was able to save about seventy percent of his patients that way." Quentin explains.
"Why does it work?"
"The mutate venom is really a mutant form of bacteria. It starts to grow at the point where it enters the body and spreads out to the rest of the body. Using antibiotics any other way will only stop the fungi temporarily. The only way to kill it is to layer down antibiotic paste on the area where it all started."
"So then the bacteria isn’t allowed spread out from the area that it originally infected and it begins to die at its strongest point." Doc Stewart mutters in awe. "My God, that’s incredible."
"Can I ask where you got your penicillin from?"
"We make it ourselves. For other things, one of the traders here does some trading with the Technics in Chicago. They sell it to him. Can I ask how much training you had to be a doctor?"
"I was two weeks away from taking my last test, before I had to leave." Quentin bitterly replies.
Doc Stewart and Marshal Jones carefully watch him as Doc asks. "Why did you have to leave?"
"I played a practical joke on someone and it backfired. Some people died because of it. The council decided to banish me from our community."
"Are you sorry that they died?"
Quentin shakes his head. "Truth be told, no." Doc, Rebecca and Marshal Jones stare at him. "The people that died weren’t part of my community, so I didn’t think much of it and when the Council asked, I told them that they didn’t matter since I didn’t hurt anyone from the community. They banished me then. I can’t return, unless I can prove that I’ve become more responsible for those around me."
Doc shakes his head in wonder. "So they sent you out to learn about other people?"
"That’s about the gist of it." Quentin quietly replies.
"I’ll not lie to you son. I need help. Are you willing to work with me and Rebecca?"
Quentin looks at Rebecca’s smiling face and then looks into Doc’s eyes. As he’s about to answer, time freezes around him. He looks around and sees Q (Talek) standing there looking at him. "What do you want?"
Q (Talek) grins. "I’m here to give you some more advice. Do you want it?"
Quentin looks up at the heavens and sighs. "Of course I do. What is it?"
"Simply this, you’re about to make another major decision. The choices that you make here will impact on the life that you build here."
"What happens if I leave?"
"You may die or survive or find someone to share your life. You may even regain your powers as a Q."
"What happens if I stay here?"
"You may die or survive or find someone to share you life. You may even regain your powers as a Q."
"Can you be anymore precise?" An exasperated Quentin asks.
Q (Talek) grins openly. "No." And with that he disappears. Quentin looks around him and time has resumed. He listens as Doc Stewart asks.
"Do you want the job son?" Doc Stewart asks. Rebecca watches Quentin and smiles shyly.
Quentin sighs.< That bastard has set me up.> "I’ll take it."
Doc beams. "Good, now we’ll find you a place to stay and we’ll help you fix it up."
Rebecca takes Quentin to a house on West Keller and points Quentin to an empty house near the corner of North High Street. Ashe enters the split level, he looks around. After inspecting the first floor he turns around and asks. "So, how much for the place?"
Rebecca grins and takes his arm, showing him the top floor. "This is a great place Quentin. The roof is not damaged at all and there’s no water damage. I’m sure Dad will let me help you fix it up."
Quentin looks across the fields as they stretch behind the house and wonders.< Why am I here? What does Q (Talek) want with me and these people?>
"Quentin? Are you all right?" Rebecca asks in a concerned voice.
Quentin sighs and looks down into Rebecca’s green eyes and suddenly feels lost in them. He suddenly feels an urge and leans down and kisses her. Instead of melting in his arms as Quentin thought she would, Rebecca breaks free of his embrace and cracks his jaw with a right cross. As Quentin falls down to the floor, stunned, Rebecca turns on her heel and stalks from the house, slamming the front door behind her.
As she stalks past her father and Marshall Jones, Doc asks. "Rebecca is everything all right?"
Rebecca glares at her father and the town Marshall and snarls out a single word. "MEN!" And she stalks off to the house that she shared with her father and mother. Doc Stewart watches as his daughter walks up the steps and slams the screen door behind her.
"Damn, but she’s pissed." Marshal Jones replies in a hushed voice.
Several of the men look towards the house that she had just left and one of them mutters. "Why don’t we go and see what set her off?" Doc Stewart nods his head in agreement and walks to the house. He opens the front door and finds Quentin sitting on the floor, rubbing his jaw, where a large bruise was forming on it. Doc walks in and crouches down in front of Quentin and takes his jaw in his hands and not too gently, checks it for any fractures. Quentin takes the abuse in mute silence and glares at Doc until he finally stops.
"So what did you do to deserve this?" Doc asks, looking at the bruised jaw.
"I kissed her." Quentin replies with ragged voice.
Doc just shakes his head and glares at the young man. He gets up and cracks a grin. "She must really like you son. She didn’t do any serious damage." The rest of the men chuckle and laugh.
"What’s so funny?"
Marshal Jones chuckles at Quentin’s confusion. "Let’s just say that most men who have attempted to take something from young Rebecca had to have the services of her father in short order."
"What the hell does that mean?" A thoroughly confused Quentin asks.
Doc grins. "Son, don’t worry about it. Rebecca is a little angry at you right now, but she’ll get over it."
"Do I have to leave?"
"No Quentin, just the opposite. You have to stay." Doc tells him with a small grin as he gets up. As he walks to the door, Doc turns around. "I’ll see you in the morning Quentin. Have a good night." And with that, Doc and the rest of the men leave the house.
Quentin stares dumbly at their retreating backs and wonders.< What the hell is going on?> He just shakes his head and pulls out his sleeping bag and sets it up next to the fireplace and goes to sleep.
Doc looks over to his old friend and grins. "Looks like Becca likes the boy."
Pat laughs. "Kinda reminds you of how you and Maggie got together?"
Doc’s mind travels back to his first meeting with his future wife and grins. "She almost killed me."
"But you survived it." Pat adds with a grin.
"That I did Pat. But doesn’t it make you wonder about the Stewart women?"
"Yeah it does. How is that they always manage to drag in their husbands from nowhere?"
"Don’t know, but it works." Doc mumbles as he walks up the stairs to his house. "Want to come in and visit?"
"Nope. Got to get home to Josie and the children. We’re still talking about what to name him."
"Have a goodnight, Pat." Doc replies as he opens his door and enters his house. He grins as he hears his wife and daughter talking.< Should I feel sorry for Quentin or angry at him for taking my daughter away from me?>
Rebecca storms into the house and heads straight for the kitchen and her mother. Maggie Stewart looks up at her daughter’s face and asks. "So what happened?"
"He kissed me." Rebecca grinds out.
Maggie grins.< Gotcha.> "So, how was it?"
Rebecca stares at the wall and a grin spreads across her face. "Quite good actually. Think the spell worked?"
"Of course it did. You needed a husband and the Powers were more than happy to help. Our Coven has existed for close to one thousand years and they know that we’ve made quite a few sacrifices in helping maintain the balance and protecting mankind from the darkness. Finding you a husband was a small repayment. Just be happy that he’s a cute one." Maggie replies with a grin.
"Uncle Pat is not ugly." Rebecca retorts.
"Your Aunt Josie loves him honey. That’s all that matters." Maggie replies softly as Doc walks in and sits down at the table. Maggie looks at her husband of twenty five years and grins.
Doc doesn’t grin back. "So, when’s the wedding?"
Both women glare back at him. "What are you talking about, Robert?" Maggie asks.
Robert sighs. "Maggie, we’ve been married for the last twenty five years and I’ve seen you and the women of this town do some strange things. Up till now, I’ve never minded or cared, but I’ve got to know. Is Quentin being forced in any way?"
Rebecca and her mother glance at each other and both nod their heads in agreement. Maggie turns back to Doc and explains. "No, he’ll not be forced in any way to marry Rebecca. The spell that we cast only brought him here. When Rebecca punched him, it broke the spell. If he wants to leave, he can."
"Is that what brought me here? A spell?" Doc asks in a calm voice.
"Yes it was." Maggie replies in a hushed voice.
"Why did you almost kill me?"
"The spell was warped somehow. We tried to break it, but you were somehow immune to the counter spells, so we had to restrain you and perform a ritual to save your life and sanity."
"How many of the men know?"
"Most do. The few that don’t, don’t seem to care."
Doc shakes his head and he turns to his daughter. "Do you like him?"
Rebecca, eyes downcast, blushes and murmurs a low "Yes."
Her father glares at her and she looks up. "Even knowing what he did to get banished from his people?"
"It was an accident." Rebecca replies, stoically.
Doc just shakes his head. "I don’t know or understand what you see in him."
"I see a man who has a potential to be great." Doc stares at his daughter, Rebecca continues. "Dad, I have this ability to see what a man is capable of and Quentin’s got a lot of potential."
"What is this ability? A mutation?"
"No." Maggie explains. "It’s called ‘the Sight’. People who have it can see what kind of person they truly are, what abilities they have and whether they’re speaking the truth or not." Doc just stares at his wife, but continues to listen. "People who have had the Sight have been around for thousands of years. Most of the people who’ve had it have lead good lives and they’ve helped many people. My grandmother had the Sight and she helped to form this community as a safe haven for those displaced because of the war. We’ve used the sight to guard this town. Both Zeke and Pat have the ability and we trained them to use it. They can tell if someone is going to try anything and prevent them from doing anything."
Doc stares at the two most important people in his life. He sighs and quietly gets up and goes to the cupboard and retrieves a bottle of the local whiskey and takes a big shot of it. He quietly puts the stopper back on the bottle and sits back down and tells his wife and daughter. "Very well then. I can accept it." Both women relax. "But I will not allow that boy to be abused by anyone here." Rebecca and Maggie nod their agreement. "If he wants to leave tomorrow, he can. No one will stop him. Not you two, not any of the other women. Is that clear?"
Both Rebecca and her Mother silently nod their heads in agreement. Doc gets up and gets his coat and walks to the front door. "Where are you going Robert?" Maggie asks.
"To the clinic. I need to be alone, to think." Doc replies as he walks out.
Maggie looks to Rebecca, tears in her eyes. "Did I lose him?"
Rebecca shakes her head. "No Mom, you didn’t. He just needs some time to think. He’s not leaving us."
Doc Stewart looks up at the stars and silently wonders.< Is that why I’ve always been happy here?> He silently walks down the block to the building that had served as his clinic for the past twenty three years and he opens the door and goes into his office and lays down on the couch. He stares up at the ceiling and goes to sleep as the whiskey relaxes him.
Q (Talek) watches everything unfold and grins.< Good. He’ll learn his lesson here.> Q (Talek takes a few minutes to spread some beacons around the area and leaves.