Prologue— Tea and Fog

Out past the core planets of Federation Space, past the loose outer belt of terraform mining and colonization planets, which are something like the Wild West of the Federation, at the edge of the Salt Flats (a dense belt of non-class M planets with high levels of salt crystals in their soils that give them bright sheens in their suns) lies the sector known as the Doldrums. At the edge of the Doldrums the Salt Flats bunch together even more closely to form an almost sphere a few light years across. On the other side Klingon Space bends in to touch the other side of the sphere and press up against the Salt Flats.

When the Doldrums were discovered by William "Billy" Graves and his band of settlers in the early part of the twenty-third century it was immediately clear to them that it was this ring of planets that allowed the accumulation of pentacryptalene gas that filled the Doldrums. Gravitational calculations suggested that there was some sort of super dense mass at the center but the colonists and the federation were content to remain ignorant on that point. For though the Doldrums are only approximately a light-year across, the pentacrypatlene gas meant that it was impossible to move than about warp two.

Any faster movement would create eddies in the gas would become unstable, igniting huge plumes of vivid purple flame-like reactions that could destroy a starship. It was this fact that had given the sector it's romantic name, the Doldrums, after those stretches of ocean on ancient earth where the wind died and sailors were stranded for weeks moving only on the power of rowing. The trip to the center would take roughly a month and there was no reason to believe that the end would yield anything more than a dead, icy planet.

And so Graves and the handful of other scientific vessels that had cursorily explored the Doldrums had quickly abandoned what had seemed like a common, uninteresting mystery. The Doldrums would remain forever unexplored. Or so it had been thought until ship appeared at the edge of Graves' Belt and had hailed down the next passing star ship.

The Riverii, the race of aliens who lived at the previously hypothesized planet at the center of the Doldrums, were squat, emaciated beings. They were humanoid in shape but amphibious in nature. Off their home world, which they described as being almost entirely covered in an environment much like an earth marsh (if an earth marsh had had trees the size of skyscrapers and enormous predatory birds with claws sharper than diamonds) they wore stasis suits that kept their skins hydrated. They were sightless creatures of course, since no light got through the gas to illuminate their planet; though their other senses, particularly their hearing, which was a highly-evolved echo-location system, more than made up for that. They had pale skin and soft, malleable bones that could be compressed enormously without breaking. They ears were sensitive protrusions shaped like coral and slightly pink at the tips where they were most sensitive. In almost any amount of light past the human threshold for sight Riverii skin would burn like bacon in a pan. Consequently they wore over their amphibious suits thick dark cloaks that protected them from the lights.

Culturally the Riverii are all considered monks in their religion. They drank daily an extremely potent hallucinogenic tea that they felt brought them closer to something like a pagan conception of the human God that they believed lived in their cells and made them alive. They were also all soldiers for the united Riverii government and fierce warriors to the core. Even decades after the planet had formed a united government they kept the traditional warrior class that the Riverii revered as the high priests and bastions of their culture. These high priests practiced a form of marshal arts that incorporated a vast range of weapons and was almost impossible for off-worlders to learn.

Technologically the Riverii were on par with even the most highly advanced post-warp planets. Before they had found the Federation probe they had assumed that the gas went on forever and their interest in space had been low. But they had explored their own world thoroughly and developed equivalents for phasers, replicators, even transporters.

Normally interest would have been low in the Rivas and the Riverii. There would have been a nice photo opportunity with all the Riverii from the ship and the President of the Federation, a handful of news stories and some buzz in the scientific community. But new alien life forms weren't so rare it would have been diplomatically critical. They might have been offered membership in the federation if they'd wanted it but the issue would have taken years to resolve as diplomats worked at a comfortable, glacial pace.

But it hadn't taken Star Fleet long to realize, after having a look at the Riverii ship, what Rivas was: a fully developed, post-warp society inside the neutral zone and the ideal stepping-stone for anyone who wanted to stage an invasion into the surrounding Federation Space. Admiral Pike had closed his confidential report to the Federation Council by saying, "One way or another, Rivas will change the demarcation line of the neutral zone. It might come to change everything else."

Chapter 1— Two New Beginnings

Leonard McCoy knew how to take a punch but Jim Kirk had felt his fist connect with bone on the last upper cut. The doctor wheezed out, "fuck you Jim," as all the breath rushed out of him, then dropped to his knees to pant.

"You got to be more careful Bones. You can't let me sneak in like that." He said pedantically, as if he had meant it as a lesson for Bones and it hadn't just been a punch that had gotten away from him.

On the floor, Bones was still too out-of-breath for words, but managed to give his captain the one-fingered salute. Jim grinned and began to strip his gloves off. "Leave it there for the day Bones?"

The man on the floor shook his head. "You wish." He managed to mumble. "I'm not letting you walk away with that smirk on your face."

Jim shrugged and kept unlacing his gloves. "Well at least lets break for some water." He said.

Dr. McCoy nodded and let Jim help him to his feet. He went to the side of the ring and fished his med-scanner out of his bag and turned it on his ribs. "I really didn't mean to slip that punch in so hard Bones."

The doctor shrugged. "Ah, I was provoking you Jim. I shouldn't have said that thing about your sister."

Jim shrugged. "That's okay Bones, I don't have a sister." He chuckled slightly. "It worked strangely well as provocation though."

Bones sighed. "Well it's my medical opinion that anything would work as provocation right now for you Jim."

"What do you mean?"

The doctor rolled his eyes. "What do you mean 'what do I mean?' You're worried about our next mission and you've been stir crazy and intolerable since about a week since we got back to port."

Jim couldn't argue with that. And he was beginning to feel genuinely contrite for that punch, "Any broken bones Bones?"

Bones rolled his eyes. "As if you could get enough power in on a lucky little run-around to break a rib." He huffed. "You might be a better boxer than me, but you're hardly that good."

Jim rolled his head around his shoulders, letting the bones in his neck crack gruesomely. "Well what do you think of our next mission?"

"As the ship's doctor or as me?"

"As the ship's doctor."

"I think that this mission is going to provide some unique challenges. On earth the Doldrums used to drive sailors mad. The idea that you are trapped and not moving forward weighs heavily on the human psychology. We will need to prepare the crew psychologically, maybe shorten shifts and institute more regular psych evaluations. There's also the danger of being cut off from federation supplies. If a medical emergency arises we will need to be sure that we are prepared to deal with it on our own."

"And as you?"

"I think it's going to be a goddamn nightmare. Bunch of damn civilians and diplomats over crowding the ship? I'm going to be ready to rip someone's head off by the first week and I plan to take it out on you and the medical staff as much as I possibly can."

Bones sighed. "I suppose the Enterprise is the Federation Flagship and one of the only ships in the fleet large enough to carry the full diplomatic compliment the Federation is planning to send to Rivas."

Jim offered, "It might be fun. It's a little romantic if you think about it: hurtling blind through a dense fog towards a planet no one else has ever seen. One lone space ship stranded in the dark."

Bones rolled his eyes. "Hurtling? When did warp two become hurtling? Seems to me more like wallowing in a mud puddle because you haven't got enough sense to stand up."

Jim laughed, "You know Bones, I'm sure glad your sunny outlook hasn't been dampened by service."

"Nothing could ever dampen my sunny outlook Captain, not while you're around." Bones growled. Then he hesitated for a second. "What does Jim Kirk think about all this? I've read your official report but you don't seem quite so…what was it you said? Ah yes, you don't seem quite so 'moved that the Enterprise and her fine crew were chosen for this honor' as you claimed in the press release."

Jim shrugged. "This isn't what I'm good at, you know that. This mission is going to be a month of going to fancy parties and wearing dress uniforms and keeping my mouth shut: none of which are things I like or am particularly good at. Should be…a challenge."

The other man sighed, "I don't know if I want to keep boxing with you in that case. You might need to find yourself some holographic partners at whose ribs you can take pot-shots." He paused, considering. "By the way, what do you think of the Vulcan signing up to stay on at Starfleet?"

"I think he'll make a great first officer….you don't?"

Bones cocked his head to the side. "He shot you off the ship for mutiny, almost the whole Federation wiped out by waiting around to regroup with the fleet and then tried to strangle you in front of the entire bridge crew. Or had you forgotten about that?"

"He was also completely invaluable to the final mission." The Captain countered. "He performed above and beyond the call of duty. Given the emotional and psychological strain he was under at the time he performed a near miracle."

"I don't like him Jim. I don't trust him."

"Well you trust me Bones and I trust him completely."

"Who said I trust you? You just slipped in a fast one on me."

Jim scratched a hand through his sweaty hand. "It's strange that they've picked us for this mission isn't it? A green captain leading a fresh crew on their first mission where, hopefully, command won't shift twice during the middle of one of the biggest emergencies in Federation history: I wouldn't have pick us for a huge diplomatic mission right out of the gate if I were Star Fleet Headquarters. Not given our history, anyway."

Bones shrugged. "Don't be naive Jim, Star Fleet is a huge machine of an organization. The Enterprise was picked by either committee or regulation, not because anyone thought we were particularly suited for the task. Either that or someone smart figured out they want you as far away from trouble and combat as they can get you."

"I wonder."

"Well wonder in the ring. Let's finish this up before you get any cockier. Don't worry; I won't try any face shots. You've got to look pretty for Star Fleet today."

"I look prettiest with a split lip. Come on…swing for one."

"You get any cockier and I might."

Bones fought well in the next bout but lost in the end. As the other man had said before, Jim was just a better boxer and that showed in the end. Still, Bones seemed satisfied with the result. He'd gotten in two brutal jabs that had almost leveled the younger man and had wiped the smirk from his Captains face somewhat. That was the important part after all.

In the locker room they showered and put on their dress uniforms and left the gym aboard the Star Base Omega together. They passed into the section of the station that was something like a port, where the star ships were moored in space like great birds of prey floating on the inky blackness. It was Jim's favorite place on the station.

And there she was: Jim's lady. He never saw her without feeling his heart thump a little faster with pride. He wondered if they were still in the puppy-love phase because he was still unable to look at her with a critical eye. It was true that objectively the Enterprise was the biggest ship in the fleet and one of the newest… but it was more than that wasn't it? To Jim she seemed to glow in a way none of the other ships did. Her lines were smarter, sharper and fearless than any of the others. She looked to him like she stuck out her chin and didn't apologize to anyone.

After the last mission it had taken two months to repair her but now she was back to mint condition with a fresh coat of paint. She looked spoiling for a fight to him and he was sorry they'd both been consigned to this diplomatic mission. He was ready to take her back out into the fray.

But that wouldn't be today.

They didn't go down onto the docks but up a flight of stairs to an observation deck. They were two of the last to arrive and the room was already full of people. Most of the people in the room were politicians and admirals or higher in Star Fleet but the whole bridge crew of the Enterprise had been invited. Spock and Uhura were at a small table to the far left of the room and he pointed them out to Bones.

"I'm going to go see what's on the buffet table first." Bones said. "There's usually some pretty good grub when there are this many diplomats around."

Uhura greeted him with a smile and Spock with a cool nod.

Despite appearances it was Kirks relationship with Uhura that was most uncertain. Whatever Bones thought, whatever they had started out as, Kirk and Spock had become almost strangely close since the first mission. After what had happened, to them and between them, he supposed they never could have had a normal Captain and Second-in-Command style relationship. He liked Spock a lot and more than that he knew Spock was the best possible person to be on the bridge of the Enterprise. He was beginning to think of Spock as one of his closest friends.

Uhura on the other hand…well she'd warmed to Jim considerably in the past two months on the space station but there was still a chilliness in her demeanor towards him. For the first week she'd been so angry with him she wouldn't speak to him except when he spoke to her as the Captain and even then when he'd tried to order her to let him try to explain. But then Spock had talked to her about that moment when he'd provoked Spock into attacking him on the bridge and he must have smoothed things over a little bit. She hadn't said that Spock had talked to her but she didn't need to. She'd found Jim in the star ship's bar and said that she understood that he'd only done what he'd done to save the ship and earth. Then she'd pointed one long, elegant finger directly in his face and said, "If you ever do it again Jim I will find a way to punish you."

She'd been so serious he hadn't even dared crack that she was welcome to 'punish' him anytime she liked and she knew where he slept.

As if reading his mind she'd said, "oh yeah, and don't hit on me in front of Spock. Neither of us thinks it's cute anymore."

"Uhura I should apologize…" He'd begun.

She'd held up a hand. "I think you're going to be a great Captain Jim and Spock likes you. That's enough for me."

He didn't like apologizing anyway. "Okay." He'd said simply.

And she'd been true to her word to try to be his friend. She was nice to him like she never had been before and he didn't hit on her in return and they'd fallen into first a truce and now the beginnings of a friendship. But still…she was a very beautiful woman and she knew it. More importantly, they both still knew that he knew it. He was careful around her and maybe a little bit too careful. She seemed to know that he had to bite his tongue hard to keep it civil around her. But they were both doing their best and they were making progress. They'd just started to tease each other again (this time more good naturedly than before).

But for now she said simply, "Hi Jim."

"Hey Uhura. Hello Spock."

"Hello Captain."

"Who is here?" Kirk asked.

"The guest list is quite extensive. There are several Ambassadors and…" Spock began.

"No, I mean who is here from the Enterprise?" Kirk interrupted.

"I believe Mr. Sulu and Mr. Chekov arrived about half an hour ago though I have not seen them since. Mr. Scott I believe is over there talking with Doctor McCoy." Spock said.

"Ambassador Rogers is here too," Uhura offered, "The Ambassador we'll be taking to Rivas."

"You met him?"

She nodded.

"What was he like?" Kirk asked.

"He seemed okay." Uhura said. "He seemed like any other diplomat I guess: a firm handshake, a nice smile and no clues as to what's underneath that. He mentioned…"

"Who is that?" Kirk said suddenly, pointing to a gorgeous blond woman who was standing across the room. She had to be at least seven feet tall but she was wearing precariously high-heels and a fashionable dress that was bright red and covered in sequins. She didn't look like either a diplomat or Star Fleet general.

Uhura smirked and cocked an eyebrow. Since they'd made their relationship public Kirk had begun to wonder how he hadn't guessed she and Spock were dating. When she raised an eyebrow it now seemed crystal clear exactly who she'd learned the gesture from.

Spock said, "I believe Captain that her name is Xana Viwiko. She is earth's entrance into the Miss Galaxy competition this year and she's here to christen the Enterprise."

"Oh…I mean I should probably go introduce myself then right. I mean, if she's going to christen my ship we should at least meet." He said.

"Yeah Jim," Uhura was smiling so hard she looked like she might break her face, "why don't you go over there and tell her how much you want her to uh…christen you ship?"

He ignored Uhura, "yeah…it only seems polite." He started across the floor but stopped himself abruptly. He turned back. "What did you Ambassador Rogers mention?" He asked.

Uhura seemed taken aback. "What? Oh…he mentioned that he'd like to meet you."

That seemed like it could wait until after he talked to Xana Viwiko, Jim decided.

He started for her again but only made it halfway across the floor before he was intercepted by Admiral Pike. "Hello Captain."

"Hello Sir." He returned.

"Enjoying the party?"

"I just got here actually but it looks nice." He said honestly.

"It's a big day for you. Your first command is about to be christened the Federation flagship, making you the youngest Captain ever to have that distinction. How do you feel?"

Kirk considered for a moment. "Proud." He said.

"Any nerves for your next mission?"

He didn't want to complain to Pike but he didn't want to lie either. He said, "It should be very different from our last mission."

Pike smiled, seeming to know what he was trying to say. Then his brows came down slightly. "You ever met a woman who was as simple as she first seemed to be Jim?"

Kirk hesitated for a moment. "No… I guess not sir."

Pike nodded. "Missions are a lot like that."

Jim smiled. "I will keep that in mind sir."

"Also keep in mind that whatever mission your on is always the exact right mission for you and your crew."

What did he mean by that? Jim wondered. "Yes sir."

Pike smiled warmly. "Your father would be proud of you too."

"Thank you sir."

"Let's go christen your ship James."

The Admiral made his way onto a small stage that had been set up in front of the viewer that looked out over the Enterprise. He tapped the microphone twice. "If the bridge crew of the Enterprise would please make it's way to the front." He said quietly.

Jim and the others filed forward and mounted the stage with Pike. It felt strange, being the focus of attention of all his superiors and these diplomats. But it felt solemn too. He was glad to be here for this moment and he was full of pride for his ship and his crew.

He liked Pike's speech too. The admiral talked about the youth of the crew and how they were a good representation of Star Fleet and the Federation. He talked a little bit about the first mission, glossing over the uncomfortable details that had been left out of most of the official reports and how he had lost use of his legs, and making the whole ordeal seem like it had been, if not totally under control, at least sane.

"It seems to me that a ship who has seen so much even before her christening is destined for great things. I know her Captain and her crew are some of the best and brightest in this galaxy. So it without further ado, I invite Miss Viwiko to christen the USS Enterprise the newest Federation Flagship."

Miss Viwiko stepped up and pressed a button, which flung a bottle of champagne into the hull of the Enterprise. It flew out into the vacuum of space, tumbling end over end, and smashed on the bow. The Enterprise was officially thetwenty-seventh flagship of the Federation.

Maddie Sparrow had to push her legs hard against the thick black fabric of her pencil skirt to keep up with her guide as he navigated the halls of the Star Base Omega in synchronous orbit above San Francisco. With each step the laminate around her neck, which read VISITOR in bright, bold, red letters, banged against her chest.

The woman at the reception desk in San Francisco had said briskly, "visitors are permitted to remove their badges under no circumstances Miss Sparrow. Please keep it visible at all times as you move around the space station."

Maddie hadn't realized how out of place it would make her in the halls of the building. She was one of the only a handful of civilians on a base of thousands she began to realize and people took notice of that. The sea of people in uniforms parted around her and shot her curious and not-entirely flattering looks. They looked at her as if she were a child or some strange, pitiable creature and she found it more and more difficult to meet their eyes. She told herself she was being ridiculous but she found herself looking at her shoes and keeping closer to her guide than she normally would to a stranger.

She was thinking about this and the butterflies in her stomach when they moved from the administrative part of the building to the hangar bay without warning. They stepped through a small door and the world seemed to open up and drop away into the infinity of space. Her head turned to face the expansive room they were in and her jaw almost dropped open. She stopped walking abruptly to marvel at the sight of the Enterprise, like a great silver bird resting careful at one of the docks visible in the huge view panel and was almost knocked to the ground by the person just behind her.

Her guide came back, smiling a little smugly. "I forgot how she looks to you civies the first time."

Like an idiot she murmured, "Are all Star Ships like this?"

Her guide, a young Ensign who couldn't have been older than twenty, smiled wisely. "No, she's special. She's the flagship of the Federation, the biggest and the fastest in the fleet. It is an honor to serve aboard her."

She tore her eyes away from the ship and said, "Sorry, it's just, I've never seen a ship in real life."

He grinned. "That's a good thing Miss Sparrow. Loving the idea of a ship helps you put up with actually living on one."

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I was still a little rattled from the shuttle voyage when we met and my manners must have suffered. I didn't get your name, Ensign…" She stuck out her hand for him to shake.

"Ensign Carrow Miss." He said, giving her hand a firm shake. "Michael Carrow. I'm one of the ensigns assigned to your kitchen during the trip."

She smiled. "Very pleased to meet you Ensign Carrow." She bit her lips and then forced herself to ask, "We must be in a forceful field right now? I mean, I can't see anything between us and space."

Carrow nodded. "Yes Miss Sparrow. When the Enterprise last docked here they extended the field in the bay here around the enterprise so the hull could be checked over before we put out to sea again."

She shuddered involuntarily, imagining what would happen to them if the power went off in the base. She wasn't sure if the science was exactly right in her imagination, but she was sure it would be on the same level of gruesome. "How big is the Enterprise?" She asked.

He seemed to know what she was looking to hear, "It's fourteen decks. The total area is about the size of three or four big city blocks but it's built like a maze and takes a while before you stop getting lost. The normal crew is about four hundred but with the full diplomatic compliment we're talking on we'll be about five hundred in total and that's going to feel like a lot of people. Some of the lower decks have had to be refitted as housing to accommodate the overflow."

At the door to the Enterprise another crewmember was waiting for them. "Ensign Michael Carrow returning from duty aboard the star base Sir. And this is Miss Madeline Sparrow, requesting permission to come aboard."

"Is that animal cleared to come aboard?" The crewmember pointed to the carrying case that Maddie was holding. Most of Maddie's things had been moved onto the ship by Star Fleet personnel in the last week and April, her cat, was the only thing she was bringing herself.

"Yeah…I've got the paperwork here somewhere." Maddie set down the case and searched through her purse with both hands. She'd been given a lot of paper this morning at reception and it took her almost a minute to find it in the enormous folder.

The crewmember looked slightly annoyed but he said, "Welcome aboard the Enterprise Miss Sparrow" when she'd finally found it.

Carrow took her to her quarters and Maddie felt he hadn't been exaggerating about the complexity of the Enterprise. She was sure she wouldn't be able to find her way back out if she needed to. "Is there anything else you need Miss Sparrow?" Carrow asked.

She felt like she didn't even have enough information to ask the right questions. "No I guess not."

There was a sound like a bell being struck and Maddie jumped. "What was that?"

Carrow smiled condescendingly, "Someone just rang your doorbell Miss Sparrow."

"Oh… okay then… how do I open my door?"

"Computer, open door." Carrow said.

Tom Shelley stood in the frame of the door, smirking into her room. "Oh good." He said as he glanced around her quarters. "Your room is just as pathetic as mine. I would have been pissed if you got special treatment. Not that it looks like even special treatment would be acceptable on this dump."

Carrow straightened up. "The Enterprise is a galaxy class starship Mr. Shelley and the best ship in the fleet." He said forcefully. "While you are aboard you will be thanked to show her the respect she deserves."

"My quarters look lovely." Maddie said quickly. At Tom she shot a quick glare that she hoped said, 'shut up Shelley.'

Carrow still looked like he had something he wanted to say to Shelley but seemed to think better of it. He said shortly, "If that is all I will leave you to get settled Miss Sparrow" and left.

"Yeah…see you later." Tom said sarcastically after the door had closed behind him.

Maddie looked at him reprovingly, and a little pleadingly. "Seriously Tom?"

"What? This place is a fucking stalag. If these people like it here they're mentally unbalanced and that's not my fault." He said defensively. He came in and threw himself over the bare bed in the center of the room. He rolled onto one hip with one hand cocked under his head so he was looking at her.

She sighed, "Your mother raised you to show more respect than that when you're a guest in someone's house."

Tom glanced around sourly. "I don't think she ever imagined I would end up some place like this."

"Well there are limited resources aboard a star ship." She said. "And they're taking on a lot of extra people for this mission. Ensign Carrow said that some of the rooms had been refitted to be living quarters."

It was true that her room was less comfortable than she was used to but Tom was exaggerating. There was only really one room with two little nooks—one for her bed and the other for a little kitchen area. To her it seemed charmingly well designed to conserve space. It certainly wasn't worth getting melodramatic over.

"Oh great. We're in refitted rooms. We should complain."

"We're not going to complain Tom. If you don't like it, just keep reminding yourself that it's only for two months okay?"

"Why did you even sign up for this?" Tom asked.

Maddie frowned. "A better question would be why did you?" She said. "Since you're the one with a problem with the ship."

Tom shrugged. "I came because you came." He said flatly.

Maddie looked at him sharply. "We aren't getting back together Tom."

Tom shrugged. "I never said we were." He said coolly. "Michael asked me to go." He paused, then smirked at her. "Though if you get a little cabin fever…I'm the second door on your left and I know how to scratch you itch."

"Tell my brother that I don't need you too look after me. Besides, this is a diplomatic mission, what could possibly happen?" She said.

"Well it's a little late for me to back out but I'll be sure to mention that it was a total waste of two months of my life next time I'm over at your house." Tom said coolly. "And what do you mean what could happen? Have you gotten a load of those Riverii bastards? Bunch of fucking savages like that are probably capable of anything."

She rolled her eyes. "That's racist."

"That doesn't make it untrue."

"It does make it wrong."

Tom smiled benevolently. "You're too cute for words little Mad-Maddie Sparrow. Why did we ever break up?"

"Don't call me Mad-Maddie."

Tom sat up and scooted to the head of her bed. He patted the space he'd cleared on the body of the bed to indicate she should join him. "Come on up here Mad-Madeline. I know what you like."

She hesitated for a moment and said, "get your shoes off my bed!" but grinned and climbed in anyway. She lay down, facing away from him and with her hair spread out behind her. Tom kicked off his shoes and then turned his attention to her. He picked out a section of her hair and slowly, gently braided it and then unbraided it. When he was done braiding it he would flip it over her face and move to the next section beneath it.

Tom had grown up two houses down from Maddie and their parents were friends and business partners. He'd been two years older and really, he'd been her brother Michael's friend but he'd always had a soft spot for Maddie. Even before it was cool to like girls Tom had always been sweet to her. In high school they'd learned to cook together (despite the fact that Michael and all Tom's other friends had given him a lot of shit about it) and then they'd gone off to the culinary institute the same year (Maddie having worked very hard to skip two grades of high school). The hair braiding they'd invented during those rough three years in the culinary institute, which is also where they'd started sleeping together. After a rough, day when the head chefs had yelled a lot, Maddie would crawl into Tom's bed and let him braid and unbraid her hair until they both felt better.

"You never answered my question." Tom murmured softly.

"What question?" She asked.

"Why did you sign up for this mission?" He asked.

"It's a good opportunity for me." She said.

Maddie was only two years out of culinary school and she was already a rising star on earth in the culinary field. She was twenty-one years old and already the head chef three nights a week at Plato, the most popular five-star restaurant in San Francisco, but she was still establishing herself. If she wanted to open her own restaurant, as most Chefs do, she wasn't there yet. This was a good opportunity because normally she wouldn't be a big enough name to be picked to cook for big diplomatic dinners. But a more established chef wouldn't have been willing to be shot into space for two months to do it, so Maddie had gotten the job.

"Is that really it?" Tom asked. "If you want to establish yourself there are a million ways to do it that don't involve being shut up in this hell hole for two months."

"This was too good to pass up."

Tom glanced around her quarters skeptically. "If you say so."

She was quiet for a moment. She'd almost forgotten how well Tom braided and how he gently pulled on the hair just enough so she could feel it but never so much it hurt. Sometimes he would caress her hair for a few seconds in between braids to smooth it down and that felt good too. She didn't have much left in the way of sexual feelings for Tom but she would always have tender ones.

"You think I made a mistake?" She asked finally.

He nodded. "Yeah, probably."

That made her nervous. Not because she thought Tom was right about the mission. Coming aboard had been the best decision for her career, she was sure of that, but she was nervous about Tom being aboard as well.

Tom was once of the nicest people in the world— sweet and generous beyond belief—but only if he already liked you. He was also a hideous snob and if you weren't in his good graces, as about ninety percent of the world wasn't, he could be quite a bastard. For him it was a class thing. He'd grown up rich, popular and handsome didn't have a lot of patience with people who hadn't. He'd clearly decided that the Enterprise and her whole crew were beneath him and Maddie had never known him to keep something like that to himself. She had the sneaking suspicion that, whatever he claimed about coming along to help her out, he was going to cause her a lot more problems than he was going to solve.

She swallowed. "Well it's too late now."

"You'll be just fine." He said, smoothing her hair.

"Thanks for braiding my hair."

"You know I like to."

Maddie brought her knees to her chest and pressed her back against Tom's leg. With her ear against the bed she could hear something powerful humming low and steady in the bowels of the ship. Over the next two weeks that sound would keep Maddie up late into the night almost every night until she learned to tune it out.

Author's Note: Please review. It means a crazy amount to authors when you do. Even if you don't like it, I prefer your feedback to your silence. I'm also looking for a beta reader if there's anyone interested. This is the first thing I've ever written and it is important to me that the cannon characters stay true to their own natures, that the new characters stay likable and believable and that the story flows together well.