Chapter 1

Caroline walked around the back of the bar shaking her head.

"Starfleet cadets" Tina, the fellow waitress sighed. "Why do they all end up here before they go off to the academy."

Caroline smiled, wiping down the counter seeing one of the regulars making his way towards the bar.

"It's the closest place to make the departure tomorrow morning and get drunk off their face tonight so it does make sense T." Caroline said looking at the sea of red uniforms in the bar. "I mean I'm working here tonight and making that shuttle tomorrow morning, leaving you to the eye candy." Caroline smiled nodding at the regular now at the bar, the one all the female workers and a few of the males had a massive crush on.

Tina smiled, moving slightly further forward so she could get a better look at the regular. "I still don't know why you want to go to the Starfleet Academy anyway. It will be full of people like this." Tina gestured to the red uniforms. "And none of them are that nice. So what are you trying to live up to?" Tina asked leaning forward to serve a customer.

Caroline waited until Tina had finished serving the customer before answering.

"Have you never wanted to see the stars, visit new places and see what is actually out there?"Caroline asked, aware that tension was starting to build between the regular and the red uniforms.

Tina shook her head, still serving other customers.

"Well I have, and joining Starfleet is the perfect way to do so." Caroline said. She was about to continue with a more personal reason when a punch flew between the cadets and the regular.

"Cut it out" Tina shouted, lost in all the noise. Tina shouted again but the noise had increased as more cadets joined in against the one guy. Caroline raised a hand to her mouth and sent out a whistle loud enough to pierce through all the noise in the room, a trick her dad had taught her.

"Outside all of you...NOW" A man standing next to the doorway of the bar, ordered all of the cadets following the command.

The regular laid out on the ground, dazed looking at the man.

"Y'alright son?" The standing man asked.

The regular nodded. "You can... whistle really loud, y'know that?" Before passing out on the bar floor, covered in blood. Tina shook her head. "Who is that guy?" "He is a Starfleet commander." Caroline answered keeping her head down, glancing up every few seconds. "Does he have the right to shut down the bar? And how do you know?" Tina asked turning to face Caroline who was still facing the ground. "No but he didn't shut the bar, he just told everyone to clear out. And you can tell by looking at the uniform." Caroline moved over to the ice bucket, grabbing ice and putting it into a clean towel. The Starfleet commander went and sat at a table waiting on the man waking up. "Well I'm not dealing with all that blood so, I'm going to go talk to Starfleet." Tina walked over and started to talk to the commander, leaving Caroline to tend to the passed out man. Caroline knelt down next to the passed out regular. She placed the ice gently onto the man's cheek, trying to wipe away some of the blood with a napkin. The napkin was quickly covered in blood; Caroline shook her head and placed it on the closest table. Before she could grab another napkin a hand grabbed her other wrist which was still holding the makeshift ice pack. "What happened?" The man spoke quietly, slowly opening his blue eyes. Caroline looked over her shoulder, seeing the commander talking with Tina. "You got beat up." Caroline smiled looking into his dazzling blue eyes. "I was only trying to stop the swelling." Caroline whispered looking at the hand that still had a grip on her wrist. The hand dropped from her wrist but the eyes didn't move from her face. "Why? You don't know me. Why would you help?" The man questioned. "You looked like you could use it. I just thought I could help. I.." Caroline moved her head to avoid the gazing blue eyes, her hair falling in her face. A hand reached up and pushed the chocolate brown hair away from her face. "Well thank you, although I'm pretty sure I was winning. My name's James." He smiled, blood still covering his face but his eyes sparkling. "I'm pretty sure I have seen you here before." Caroline nodded before standing offering her hand to James, who was still on the floor. "I work here, or at least I did. I just worked my last shift. I'm Caroline." The man accepted the offered hand and pushed up off the floor.

The commander looked up from his conversation to find the young man awake and standing.

"Good, son can we talk?" Tina walked away from the commander as James took a step forward, before turning back to Caroline.

"Can we talk after this?" James asked his hand on Caroline's wrist again.

Caroline nodded, walking back to the bar where Tina waited.

Tina smirked slightly at Caroline. "We all tried to talk to him and he was so disinterested, what did you do to him?" Tina asked.

Caroline shook her head "Nothing just tried to clean him up." Caroline glanced at her watch. "No time to go home now. Do you want to head home and I'll lock up?"

Tina nodded "You sure?" Caroline hugged Tina, their usual goodbye.

"Of course I am. I'll just wait until Frank gets here at 5 and head straight for the shuttle." Caroline stepped back. "Take good care of yourself T."

Tina nodded as she pulled her jacket on. "Enjoy the stars Caroline and remember to have fun while you are at it." Tina looked back at the regular. "Although I'm sure you will."

Caroline smiled as Tina walked out the bar the Starfleet Commander leaving a few minutes later.

"So could I get a drink or are you closed?" James said walking back over to the bar where Caroline was cleaning.

"We are closed but here." Caroline placed a beer on the bar.

"So tell me about yourself?" James asked, bringing the beer to his lips.

"Well..." Caroline started.