Imaginary Friend
Title: Imaginary Friend
Author: Aimee
E-Mail Address:sweater_girl_14@hotmail.com
Rating: G
Summary: No one will believe Naomi about the little boy she keeps seeing. They say he’s and Imaginary friend but is he really just that?
Time: Around Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy. Before the Borg kids.

Note: This is my first story, so please bear with me.

Disclaimer: I didn’t make Naomi or Neelix or Seven up, but I did make some Ensigns up. So Paramount own the characters also mentioned in the show, I made the ones that aren’t on the show. If you want to be technical I did create my characters based on the plot of Voyager, which makes them not entirely my creation. I’m done now.

“Hello Naomi!” Neelix happily called from the entrance to her quarters. Naomi groaned and picked herself up from her bed and left her room. She walked over to the front door over to Neelix.

Although she had never thought about it much herself, many people she knew said Neelix was an odd looking creature. Talaxians were a unique species that did have a look of their own. He had a yellowish skin tone and was fairly short. A tuft of dark blond hair ran from the top of his head down to the back of his neck. He said himself, that he was quite handsome by Talaxian standards.

No matter how hard she tried, she could not figure out why they found him so odd. It must be because she knew him since birth.

“Hi Neelix.” She replied miserably. He sounded so cheerful and she really didn’t want to ruin his mood. Was there someway out of a spending too much time with him?

“Is something the matter?” He asked her gently. She sighed and nodded.

“Can I help?” Neelix offered.

Naomi considered this, but Neelix couldn't really help. This was a problem she wanted to deal with herself. She had considered telling Neelix but he wasn’t the right person. Maybe she would tell Seven later on.

“No, you can’t.” Neelix gave her a little smile.

“Why don’t you tell me what the doctor taught you yesterday?”

“Math.” She told him simply. She didn’t feel like talking much, but she didn’t want to hurt Neelix’s feelings. She really needed an excuse.

“Neelix?” She looked up at the cook; “May I go for a walk?”

“Well,” he took the request into consideration, “ I don’t know if it’s safe.”

She knew why he said this. Lately Voyager had been having attacks from a group of traders that were angry with them. Growing up on a ship wasn’t a safe place for a little girl. She knew perfectly well that if Voyager got attacked when she was some place other than her quarters, she was in trouble.

“Please?” She asked putting on the little angel sweet face. It was still worth a try. She knew the face would work. It had every time before.

“Well, I don’t think...”

“Puhleeze??” Neelix gave up to the face.

“Okay, go along but be back in an hour.” He told her.

“Yup.” She headed out the door and to her right. Halfway down the hall she heard him call.

“And don’t get into trouble!”

“Okay.” She replied.

I think I handled that well, Naomi thought to herself. Her Mom had always told her she was extremely smart and mature for her age. Mom said it was what happened when a little girl was raised in a ship full of adults.

That was what had been worrying her lately. Although she couldn’t tell Neelix, she wasn’t sure she could figure this one out herself. She had only played with another little kid once in her life. She remembered the day quite well. The other kids were mean, rough and teased her. After that she started reading and found out most kids enjoyed other kids to play with. She discovered she was weird.

That puzzled her a lot. What was worse was she just heard that Ensign Sandreila was having a baby. What was she going to do if she didn’t know how to play with another kid? Seven would tell her to adapt, just like the Borg. Whatever’s thrown at you, adapt. Unfortunately it wasn’t as easy as Seven made it out to be.

After a few minutes of walking, she found herself bored and wishing for company. Maybe I should of asked Neelix to come she contemplated. Down the long hall, and in a corner, she saw a tall plant growing. It had lots of huge green leaves, and was about her size.

I wonder if I could hide behind it, she wondered. Maybe she could play spy, and watch people walk past. She could take notes and guess what they were doing. It was a good idea. She ran up to the thick leaved plant as fast as she could. When she got close enough she pulled back some leaves...and found the strangest thing.

It was a little boy! She screamed as loud as she could, not just out of surprise but this was her living nightmare! The little boy screamed with her. He wasn’t supposed to be here! He was an intruder.

She heard someone come up behind her and suddenly there was a bright flash of light. She put her arm across her eyes to protect them from the brilliant display.

“Naomi! Naomi, are you ok?” She heard Ensign Delaney say as she put her hand on Naomi’s shoulders. She turned to look at the ensign.

“There’s-rather there was a boy,” she told the ensign turning to face him again “and-”

She stopped short. He was gone. Where was he? No little boy can run that fast. He must have disappeared in the light.

“There was no little boy.” Ensign Delaney told her.

“He’s gone now...but he disappeared in the big light.” She tried explained. She knew it was useless and she was making a complete fool out of herself.

“You saw the light when you came, right?” Naomi asked the ensign. She must have seen that. It had been really bright. Ensign Delaney shook her head to indicate no.

Naomi bit her lip. Now she probably thought she was crazy. But the little boy was defiantly there.

“Maybe it was your imagination.” The ensign suggested.

“Yeah, I suppose.” Naomi lied.

Ensign Delaney smiled. “Why don’t we head back to your quarters?”

***

Alert klaxons blared and red lights indicating red alert flashed everywhere. Naomi sat on her bed, alone. Neelix was in the main room, trying to do some work or something. She could join him but she didn’t quite feel like it. That bright light and little boy had scared her a lot, but Ensign Delaney had seen nothing. She was afraid to tell anyone else in fear they would think she was crazy.

I wonder if he’ll come back? Naomi asked herself. Hopefully if he did, someone else would see him.

Just as she thought that thought, the ship lurched forward violently and she was thrown off her bed. She let out a little scream and fell to the floor. When she lifted her head up again, the room had darkened and she assumed they had gone to emergency power.

“Are you all right?” Neelix asked urgently as he ran into the room.

“Yeah.” Naomi assured him as she pushed her long hair out of her face. She hoped that Voyager stopped being attacked soon. She was getting tired of this.

“I’ll stay in here if you like.” Neelix suggested, referring to her room. Naomi nodded and looked away. She realised tears were starting to fill her eyes.

“Are you sure you’re all right? Neelix asked her again.

This time she shook her head no. Neelix knelt down on the floor and gave her a hug.

“Is it your mom?” Neelix suggested. Her mom had been gone quite a bit lately with all the attacks and it was true Naomi missed her, but that wasn’t the problem.

“Do you want to tell me?” He tried again. Naomi was torn on whether or not to tell her Talaxian friend. She let a tear run down her face. Finally she turned to him.

“It’s two things;” she began to tell him “Ensign Sandreila’s baby. I don’t know what to do when he or she comes. I don’t know how to play with other kids.”

Neelix nodded. Her mother, Samantha Wildman was worried this was going to happen.

“The other thing,” she interrupted his thoughts “is I saw something. It was when I went for a walk this morning.”

“What did you see?” Neelix’s curiosity was perked.

“Well, I saw a little boy.” She explained the entire thing to him, including why Ensign Delaney had brought her home.

There was a silence as Neelix reviewed what she just told him. For a while all she could hear was the wailing of klaxons.

“Do you believe me?” She asked, breaking the silence.

Neelix smiled at her and then got up. Perhaps she was worse then they thought. He was sure to tell Sam Wildman about this. This sounded like an imaginary friend to him though.

The ship shuttered a bit and a small toy fell off of Naomi’s desk.

“Do you?” Naomi pressed on, her eyes looked big and as far as he could tell she wasn't making it up.

“To tell you the truth,” Neelix confessed “I don’t know.”

***

“It’s all right. You can tell me anything; I’ll keep it a secret.” The bald man in front of her tried to assure her. Naomi had defiantly regretted telling Neelix. He told her mother, who in turn, though she was having some problems. Her mother brought her to the Doctor, who had recently taught himself to be a counsellor.

The Doctor was really neat even though he loved to hear himself talk. He truthfully did think he was the most interesting guy on Voyager. He was a hologram, something she didn’t quite understand yet. Basically, he was a projection of light held together by force fields.

He had been activated for 5 and a half years as far as Naomi knew and still had never chosen a name for himself. Maybe the name “Doctor” had stuck.

The most interesting thing about him was he could be programmed, and turned on or off. Only he and sometimes B’Elanna had access to that though. She heard some people say at times it was a shame.

“Naomi? Are you listening?” The Doctor demanded.

“No.” She answered bluntly.

“Well,” the Doctor did not look impressed “I was saying...”

He continued on and after a while Naomi stopped keeping track of time. She heard him once tell her something about “loneliness” and “it’s okay to be like this” but mainly she just stared at her shoes.

The rest was a blur.

***

“How was it with the Doctor?” Sam Wildman inquired cheerfully.

“Fine.” Naomi told her mother. She couldn't believe they thought she was crazy.

“Learn anything?” The senior Wildman asked.

“No. Not really.”

A silence fell between them and finally Naomi gathered up enough courage to ask her mother.

“What did the Doctor tell you mom?”

“He said this was normal and expected.”

Naomi looked upward at her mother with a look of doubt and disbelief. He must have said more. After all, they thought she was imagining other little kids.

“Okay.” Naomi reluctantly accepted what she said.

***

Later on that evening, the traders attacked Voyager again. Lights were dim and the existing ones were flashing. Alarms seemed to go off every second. Naomi was trying to do her homework, but in vane. Her computer on her desk was offline for now, as were the replicators.

Finally giving up on her homework, she headed for her closet to look for her Flotter dolls. The ship shook and she nearly lost her balance. Grabbing onto the side of her desk she regained her balance and continued towards the closet.

Neelix was busy doing his ambassador work so Ensign Sandreila had come over to watch her during the attack. She had asked to be alone but Ensign Sandreila would probably come into her room if the attacks got worse.

Right now she wouldn't mind that much. She was getting scared; that maybe the deck she was on would breach, and begin to depressurize. Or even worse, the entire ship would blow up.

She arrived at the closet and opened it, looking for her dolls. Then she remembered, she left them in Neelix’s quarters. Darn!

Just as Naomi was planning to turn around, she heard a small laugh. She whipped her head around to see the little boy. She gasped but caught herself before she screamed. He was sitting on her bed, in a miniature Starfleet Uniform, mocking her.

She noticed her was a bit younger than her, and several inches shorter. He had wavy brown hair and brown eyes that struck Naomi as vaguely familiar. She attributed that with deja vu.

“Who are you?” She demanded. She was fairly sure she sounded much braver than she felt.

“Why do you care?” The boy sneered. He was a brat, Naomi realised.

“I care, because you’re in my quarters, and you got me into trouble.” She replied just as defiantly as he had.

Naomi turned her head towards the door and wondered if she should yell for Sandreila. Maybe she would see him and-

“I wouldn't do that.” The boy interrupted her thoughts.

Wouldn't do what? How did he know she was planning something? Was he a telepathic boy?

“What?” She asked more cautiously.

“Call for Ensign Sandreila.” He responded simply.

He was scaring her and she had the sudden urge to run. She looked at the door again and made her decision.

“Ensign Sandreila!” She cried as loud as she could. A bright light surrounded the entire room and blinded her for a split second.

The young lady came running in as quick as she could on the shuddering ship. She ran towards Naomi in the corner of the room and knelt down to her eye level.

“What?” The concerned Ensign asked her.

“The boy was here and he was laughing at me!” A wide-eyed Naomi told her in a rush.

“Your imaginary friend?” Ensign Sandriela tried to confirm.

Naomi looked at her strangely when a realisation dawned upon her. They thought he was made up, in her imagination. Well, she would have to convince them otherwise.

“He knew what I was thinking, and he might be telepathic.” She told the lady, much calmer this time. “He was wearing a miniature Starfeet uniform and he disappeared in a big flash of light. I don’t know if he’ll come back.”

Ensign Sandreila nodded knowingly, as if she knew what she was trying to say and then suggested she get ready for bed. Naomi agreed and went towards her dresser for her Pyjamas.

So they thought he was imaginary. Well he was very, very real. No one could convince her otherwise.

***

Everything was fuzzy, and there was talking.

“I’m just concerned.” She heard a voice. It was a familiar voice.

“I was told it’s perfectly healthy and expected for child in this situation.” That was her mother’s voice.

“This is no normal situation, so this is no normal development.” That was Neelix, he was the one talking before.

As things became clearer she realised the shaking had stopped. They were no longer being attacked.

“We were expecting this. She’ll get over it.” She? Were they talking about her?

“She is afraid of her imaginary friend. That can’t be right!” Neelix was talking about her.

Maybe she was weirder than she thought. She pulled her blankets closer, missing the next piece of the conversation.

“...Afraid.... Other children too....” Naomi let her attention drift off and away from her Mother and Godfather’s conversation, and back to the deep sleep she was in before.

***

The next morning Naomi had completely forgotten about what she had heard during the night. Lessons on many various things had been planned for today, and there would be no time for Kadis-Kot or The Enchanted Forest. There would also be no time to think about the boy.

“Quickly Naomi!” Her mother called from the living room. Naomi sat at the kitchen table trying to eat her replicated toast as fast as she could. There was a sense of urgency that morning. Both Naomi and her mother had slept in. Naomi would be lucky if she even got the last 10 minutes of her piano lesson.

“Done!” Naomi exclaimed triumphantly. She ran to the door, nearly barrelling into her mother. She looked up and smiled.

“Sorry, I hope I didn’t step on your feet mom.”

Sam smiled and pulled Naomi close to her.

“Do you have your bag?” Her mom inquired. Naomi double checked to see if her bag full of padds and projects was on her shoulder.

“Yes Mom.” She confirmed.

“Then lets go.” The two hurried out of their quarters to their destinations.

On the way to Naomi’s piano lesson, she saw repair crews every where, fixing broken bulkheads and computer panels.

“Wow, I didn’t realise everything was damaged so much last night.” Naomi told her mom.

“Yes.” Sam agreed. “We were very lucky no one was hurt.”

Naomi nodded her head in agreement. Not one person got more than a bruise last night. Most of her teachers could still give her lessons, since they were in good condition and all the repairs were almost done and under control.

After a bit of silence, Naomi and her mother came to Ensign Banks’ quarters. Naomi rang the bell and then waited for an answer. Sara Banks greeted them and motioned for Naomi to come in. Both Naomi and Sara waved to Sam goodbye and then turned their attention to the lesson.

“Do you remember what I taught you last week Naomi?”

“I think so.” Naomi answered uncertainly. She hadn’t practiced at all, and hadn’t even thought about it until now. She looked at her feet, hoping Sara wouldn’t see her guilt.

Sara headed for the piano and Naomi followed, not looking up until she got to the bench. When she arrived, of all the things to see, she saw the boy. He was sitting on the bench, in his little starfleet uniform, a mocking grin on his face.

She held her breath, a look of disgust and surprise on her face. What right had he to come and bother her again?

“You can sit down.” Sara told her. “Do you remember C position?”

Naomi looked questioningly at Sara Banks. She must see him, he was right in front of her, were she was supposed to sit. She couldn’t sit there!

Sara looked back; her smile was beginning to dissolve. “Common, we already missed the first half of your lesson.”

“I-I can’t sit there,” Naomi protested, her voice shaking a bit.

“Why not?” Sara asked, puzzled by this turn of events.

“He is there, in my spot...can’t you see him?” Not this again, they would send her to the Doctor for more “counselling”. She seriously would deny it if he weren’t where she had to sit. She couldn’t sit on him. Otherwise she would try to ignore him.

“Your imaginary friend?” Sara tried.

“He’s real.” Naomi replied, absolutely sure of it.

Sara sighed, beginning to be quite annoyed. She never was that great with kids, the only reason she taught Naomi was because she was the only one who knew piano well enough.

“Well, I’ll sit on him then.” Sara reasoned. That should show Naomi there was no boy there. She moved over the bench and sat down, right on the bench. She did not sit on a boy, or nothing else for the matter.

“See?” She proved to Naomi.

“He moved.” She told Sara. She looked over to the couch, which was right next to the piano. He was standing by it, obviously pleased with his success in embarrassing Naomi.

Naomi figured that Sara would want an explanation.

“I think he might be telepathic, he knows what your going to do before you do. He moved before you got there.”

Sara held her short temper and considered her options. She didn’t want to deal with the child and her problems, so she would...she didn’t know. Maybe send her to her history class early. The Doctor probably wouldn’t mind that much. She could come up with a sufficient excuse.

“Let’s just skip piano for now.” Sara suggested. “Let’s head for history with the doctor.”

***

Naomi did go for history with the Doctor early and he was thrilled since he was fairly bored. Most of the time Naomi loved history, but today was different. That boy had followed her and Ensign Banks to sickbay were she had her lesson with the doctor.

There was a short test and every time Naomi got an answer wrong, the boy snickered and laughed at her. She would shot evil glares at him, to try and shut him up but several times the doctor caught her.

“Who are you looking at?” He would ask her.

She would look away and lie saying “No one.”

That was the downside to having only her in her classes. She had every teachers undivided attention and they saw everything.

Once the boy went behind the Doctor while he was giving her a lecture on how it was in the late 21st century. The boy made obnoxious faces impersonating the Doctor and would put his hands behind the doctor’s head and wave them around.

It was mean but Naomi couldn’t resist laughing. His hands looked so funny, waving around over his bald head. She got a stern look and was asked for an explanation. She fibbed, saying she had none.

During science, the situation was no different and Naomi kept getting reprimanded for not keeping her attention on the lessons. She and the Doctor were setting up an experiment for seeing the difference between hot air and cold air when he got a call. He was needed to fix up Lt. Carey who was in a minor accident in engineering. He left, telling her to touch nothing.

When he returned he saw Naomi standing over the experiment, completely ruined. It had been knocked over and apparently stepped on.

“What is this?” He demanded an answer.

“The boy did it.” Naomi replied quietly. She looked with big frightened eyes. She seriously believed it. The Doctor sighed.

“Let’s go for lunch.” He suggested.

***

Heading for lunch Naomi was pleasantly surprised to see the boy did not follow. He also did not come to any of her other classes that day. She apologized several times to the Doctor about the experiment even though it wasn’t her fault. He still was going to tell her mother.

Time passed quickly and before Naomi knew it, she and her mother were in the mess hall with their dinner.

“Naomi, I want to talk to you about something.” Sam started, her voice full of concern.

Naomi looked up from her Tekarinn noodle casserole. She knew what this was about. It was about him, that darn boy.

“What happened with the doctor this morning-”

“It wasn’t my fault!” Naomi interrupted her mother to protest.

“I think you should go back to the Doctor, so he can talk to you about this.” Her mother suggested.

If only she could figure out who this boy was. Maybe then everyone would believe her. Well, he was able to disappear in big flashes of light, he knew what you were thinking and could appear to just one person in a room full of people. Who and what could he be?

“What is it Naomi?” Her mother asked her.

She looked up wondering if there was any possible way she could convince her mother.

“He’s real Mom.” She tried. Her mom looked at her skeptically. “I’m not making it up as an excuse to get out of trouble. He likes to get me into trouble.”

“You have to take responsibility for your own actions, whether it is a good one or a bad one.” Naomi knew her mom was referring to the broken science experiment.

Naomi looked across the room, for something to look at rather than her mother’s unbelieving eyes. What she saw was the last thing she wanted to. The little boy was over by the doors, watching people as they came in and left.

“He’s here again.” She said to herself quietly.

“The boy?” Her mother asked, overhearing Naomi’s comment.

Naomi nodded, knowing she was the only one who saw him. He wasn’t causing any trouble that she could see; he was just watching the crew go for dinner.

“I can ignore him.” She informed her Mom. She stole one quick glance at the boy and returned her attention to her casserole.

***

Later that evening Naomi found herself wandering by herself thru the ship. She came to a large window facing the starry sky of space. She felt very much alone, even on a ship full of people who cared. Was she really making this up by herself? If so, why? He could also break things, like science experiments, so he couldn’t be made up, she decided.

Just a little while ago, Captain Janeway made a truce with the trading group that had been attacking. She knew this because Harry Kim told her when she saw him just getting off duty. Now she could see half of one of their huge ships through the large picutre window.

Neelix had told her this group was nomadic. She didn’t know what this meant but it sounded really neat. Nomadic.

“It means someone who never stays in one place. They take their home with them were ever they go.”

She whipped her head around to see the little boy, standing close by her. She turned around to face him.

“Stop reading my mind.” She demanded him. She did not take kindly to someone invading her private thoughts.

“You can’t make me.” He replied, more as a fact than a retort. He folded his arms with a smug look all over his face.

“I bet I could!” She raised her voice. Why couldn’t he go away, he bothered her!

“Nobody makes me do anything.” He informed Naomi.

Whatever, Naomi thought to herself. Everyone had someone who had more control and power than him or her self.

“I think I’m going to leave soon.” He said, breaking the silence.

Good, Naomi snapped at him in her mind.

“It’s getting boring here.” He kept going, as though he had her full attention.

Naomi kept a non-expression on her face and made no intention of replying. Finally after a prolonged lapse of silence he simply disappeared.

***

After being tucked in by her mother and a special Talaxian story from Neelix, Naomi lay in bed, unable to sleep. The boy occupied her thoughts, and how strange the entire thing was.

Finally, Naomi was able to drift off, unaware of the events only a few decks above her. Those few decks above her were in fact, the hull, right on top of deck one.

In the middle of the harsh vacuum of space sat to figures, father and son. They wore no environmental suits, and yet experienced no freezing and burning. They were miraculously not pulled apart and pushed together in the space.

They would be talking, except for the lack of matter. That absence led vibrations of sound to be unable to travel. The lights from the windows of Voyager lit their position, leaving eerie shadows across their faces.

Fortunately for these two, these supposedly basic needs were irrelevant to them. They sat on the ships hull, even though there was no gravity to keep them down.

Son, when you are omnipotent, you have no need for such frivolous forms of recreation. The elder one thought to the younger.

The younger brown eyed, brown haired nodded in comprehension. It was tempting to see how such basic and low forms of life react, he explained.

Of course, The elder agreed. I too have enjoyed watching this type squirm.

The younger knew of his father’s experiences with these people.

They are frightened of us. The boy told his father.

Yes, the father answered. They are. That’s what makes them so amusing. He smirked, as though remembering something.

His son also smiled at the thought. Another thought came to him, that with all his unlimited knowledge, he could not answer.

Why do they call us Q? He asked his father.

That, Q answered in his higher way of laughing, is a long, long story. Perhaps we could travel back in time to see it.

The younger “Q” took to the idea. Yes, that sounds good.

There was a pause and then a brilliant flash of light. The elder Q manipulated time and space without so much as a thought. Then, they were gone, visiting a time long before this story ever was.

The End! Please mail me and tell me what you thought! I’m at sweater_girl_14@hotmail.com. I would say that if you don’t send feed back, I would stop writing - but you probably think that would be a good thing...