Author's Note: Only the OC and plot is mine. I unfortunately don't own Star Trek. Also, this is my first Star Trek fanfiction so reviews of any sort would be appreciated.

Asmarina Junimer stared at the clock on her bedside table as the digital numbers changed to read 2:03. She sighed deeply as she got out of bed, pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a jacket, and left her room within the Starfleet Academy. She slowed her walking pace as she left the building, taking her time walking to the apple tree that had quickly become her regular companion for these nightly excursions. She took slow breaths as she sat down and leaned her back against the tree, willing her body and mind to relax.

She hadn't been sat down very long before she heard someone approaching her spot. The steps were as unhurried as her own had been and as the figure got closer she could make out the shape of Montgomery Scott. She gave him a small, forced smile by way of greeting when he stopped near her.

"Mind if I join ye'?" he asked quietly, unwilling to speak louder for fear of shattering the peace of the night. She shook her head, the smile becoming a little more genuine, as he sat down beside her.

They sat in silence for a time before Asmarina finally asked, using the same hushed tone he had used, "How did you know I was out here, sir?"

Scotty smiled grimly. "Ye'r not the only one that hasn't been able to sleep this week. Kirk's seen ye comin' out here the past few nights. He thought someone ought to check up on ye."

Asmarina glanced over at him before returning her gaze to the stars. "You shouldn't have gotten out of bed on my account, sir," she reprimanded softly, "I've already been to see the doctors and there is nothing they can give me to help me sleep that doesn't either make me violently sick or just doesn't have an affect on my body. I'm sorry you've disrupted your own sleep to check on me, but there really is nothing to be done for me, sir."

Scotty shifted his body so he faced her a bit more. His light brown eyes held her pale green ones, and he could see a hint of the emotions she was holding back behind her calm exterior. "Checkin' on ye has been no inconvenience to me, lass. I've been awake and sleepless most nights this week, same as you have. I can't tell ye how much readin' I've done this week, tryin' to relax enough to fall asleep and stay asleep."

She held his gaze only a moment longer before turning her attention back to the stars. Scotty exhaled slowly and leaned his head back against the tree trunk, closing his eyes and trying to find a moment of peace for his mind. Without opening his eyes he asked her, "Have ye tried talkin' to someone about it? Some people reckon it helps get some of the pressure off ye, so to speak."

"I'm handling it, sir," she told him with a note of aggravation in her tone, making Scotty turn to look at her. He'd never heard her sound angry before. She'd relinquished command in engineering when he and Captain Kirk had come aboard with no animosity whatsoever. He'd seen the hint of fear that had shown through when it looked like they might not make it out of range of the black hole, but even that had been pushed back and hidden under the façade she wore when she worked. He'd never seen her happy, never seen her laugh, Scotty realized with a small start. She was serious about her work, that much was plain even in the short time he had known her, but she acted almost like a Vulcan with the lack of emotions she showed. Scotty sighed, realizing it was going to take a lot of work and a fair bit of time before she would let anyone see her beyond the surface.

'Well lass,' he thought to himself, 'Challenge accepted.' Out-loud he said calmly as he rose from his seated position, "If ever ye'r needin' someone to talk to Junimer, me ears are all yer's." And with that he made his way slowly back the way he had come. Asmarina allowed herself to watch him until he disappeared in the dark. She shook her head slightly, taking a deep breath. She could handle this herself; she just had to.

"How did it go last night?" James T. Kirk asked, as he found Scotty in the engine room of the Enterprise, working and overseeing the repairs to the ship.

Scotty looked up from his work and offered Kirk an expression that clearly said 'Did you really just ask that?' Kirk gave a short laugh and moved to lean against a support beam. "That good huh," he said in a mildly amused tone.

Scotty shook his head. "She'll prove as hard to crack as a Vulcan," he said with weariness evident in his voice. He hadn't slept much after leaving her. "The lass is so serious. Intelligent, make no mistake, but she keeps a firm hold on 'er emotions."

"Sounds like nothing you can't handle, Scotty," Kirk told him with a clap on the shoulder. "I want her on my crew when the Enterprise is ready to set off again. Your recommendation of her is in line with everyone I've talked to at the Academy who's taught her. And besides," he added as he started to walk away, "She'll be good for you."

Scotty just shook his head as he went back to his work. Kirk got some strange ideas into his head sometimes. He made a mental note to ask Dr. McCoy if he was always like this and continued his work on the Enterprise.

Asmarina was in the middle of a large bite of food when Kirk sat down across from her in the Starfleet mess hall. He grinned at her as he watched her almost choke from trying to swallow too quickly. "Take your time Junimer," he told, amused, "I'm not in a hurry to go anywhere."

She had to take a swallow of water before responding, "Captain, what can I do for you?"

Kirk rested one arm on the table and leaned forward. She could see him inspecting her face, searching for something, though she couldn't fathom what. "Are you always so formal?" he asked her, seeming genuinely curious.

She met his eyes and held them as she responded, "It is the proper etiquette to show to a superior officer. It would not be a wise idea for me to drop said etiquette, especially where it could be easily observed."

"You really do sound almost like a Vulcan," he told her quietly. When she looked at him curiously, he flashed her a smile. "Never mind that now. If the repairs to the Enterprise continue on schedule, she'll be ready to fly again in a week. And since my crew has been working so diligently despite everything that's happened recently, I would like to personally invite you to come out with myself and the rest of the Enterprise crew for a bit of fun and relaxation this Friday night." Kirk was unsure how this entire venture was going to turn out and he knew not everyone would come out, but he was hoping, that by asking some people personally, it would tip the balance in his favor.

Asmarina could only hide so much of the surprise she felt at what Kirk was saying. He saw it clearly through her eyes that she was almost shocked by what he had told her. 'It's like she's never gone out before,' he thought to himself, adding as he thought about it more that maybe she hadn't. Regardless, he would order her to come out if he had to. The girl was keeping all of her feelings locked away behind iron bars in a steel cage, and he knew it couldn't be healthy for her. "Captain," she said once she found her voice again, "I greatly appreciate the offer and the fact that you took the time to deliver the invitation to me personally." Here she hesitated, wondering if she could refuse without seeming rude. Looking at him, she recognized the determined look in his face and decided she would have to accept. "I suppose since I have no other plans, I will be attending this outing," she said with a note of finality. Kirk smiled and nodded his head in farewell as he left her to finish eating. 'Now all I have to do is tell everyone else,' he thought, smiling to himself. Sometimes his good ideas surprised even him. 'Everyone could use the break anyway,' he thought, telling himself that his plan to get Scotty and this pretty red-haired vixen together was starting off rather well.

How she had let Kirk convince her to come to this outing she would never know, Asmarina thought to herself as she stood at the bar, watching her fellow crew members drink themselves into such a drunken state it was a wonder they could even still walk. Kirk had sent Uhura to her room with a cocktail dress in hand for her to wear for the night. She had to admit though, the dress did suit her well. The neckline was high on the sleeveless dress but the back was essentially nonexistent which she could live with, as it didn't cut down too close to her butt. The length hit the middle of her thigh so it really wasn't much different from wearing her uniform. It was the color that Asmarina liked the best though, the deep emerald color suited her hair and skin color perfectly and made her pale green eyes stand out all the more.

"Are ye havin' fun yet?" she heard someone say behind her. She knew it was Scotty as she turned to face him, giving him that same small smile by way of greeting. He looked incredibly handsome in his dress shirt and nice slacks, Asmarina couldn't help but think to herself. The grey shirt and black pants kept the look classic while Scotty still managed to exude a sense of sexiness. Asmarina almost had to shake herself to stop herself from staring at him. This was her commander! She wasn't supposed to have these thoughts about him or anyone else aboard the Enterprise for that matter! He looked at her expectantly and she realized with a start that she still hadn't responded to him.

"This isn't something I would normally do, but Captain Kirk was rather insistent I attend," she told him, having to lean closer to him to keep from having to shout. She caught a bit of his smell as she did so and had to stop herself from taking a deeper breath. He smelled vaguely of metal, she assumed from all the time he spent working. There was also a stronger hint of spices, some mixture of which she couldn't break down. The smell was both enticing and almost seductive to Asmarina. As she pulled back, he leaned towards her and she caught another whiff of him. The lure was proving to be harder to resist than she was expecting.

"Can I get ye somethin' to drink?" he asked her. When she shook her head slightly he gave a wry smile. "Come on lass, even Commander Spock shared a drink with Uhura earlier." He could feel her tense slightly from surprise because he was so close to her.

After forcing herself to relax her posture again she turned her head slightly to speak again. "I wouldn't even know what to have." After seeing him raise his eyebrows, she continued, slightly defensive, "I already told you I don't normally do this sort of thing." She turned slightly away from him and busied herself with watching the people dancing. She didn't know Scotty had even ordered drinks until he held one out to her. "What is it?" she asked, accepting the drink from him with some hesitancy.

"It's a mixture of Romulan fruit juices and vodka," he told with a small grin. "It tastes like fruit punch."

She smelled it cautiously and took a small sip. Scotty was right; it did taste just like fruit punch. "What is it you're drinking?" she asked, indicating his glass, which was distinctly different from the bright red drink she held.

His grin widened at her question. "Scotch whiskey," he told her, once again having to lean in as the volume of the music increased. "Did ye want to try some?"

Asmarina shook her head no. "Maybe some other time," she said as she took a larger sip of her drink. She noticed Spock and Uhura leaving and figured she had been here long enough to satisfy Kirk. Never one to waste, she downed the rest of her drink and turned to Scotty. "I'm going to go ahead and leave," she told him as she set her glass down on the counter.

Scotty took the last swallow from his own drink and leaned in towards her. "I'll walk ye back. If ye've never had a drink before it's good for someone to keep an eye on ye for a bit."

The look he was giving her told her she wasn't going to be able to argue with him, so she just nodded her head and began making her way to the exit with Scotty following her so closely she could feel the heat from him at her back. They walked in silence for most of the way. About halfway there, Asmarina started to feel the effects of the alcohol on her system. She had a light buzz, which she blamed for the inappropriate thoughts she kept having about Scotty as they walked. By the time they made it back to her room she was having thoughts of him staying the night with her, of allowing herself to be happy for the first time in a long time. They stopped and faced each other in front of her door.

Scotty could see she was struggling with herself over something. "Goodnight," he told her softly before turning and walking away, hoping that maybe the alcohol would help her get to sleep tonight. He hadn't gotten very far before he heard her call his name softly. It stopped him in his tracks and he turned back to face her with a surprised look plain on his face. She had called him Scotty. Not commander or sir, but Scotty. He walked back to her, willing her to look up from the ground.

She couldn't face him though, not with what she was about to say. "Don't go," she so quietly she wasn't sure he would be able to hear her. She had been struck as he had started walking away, by a deep sense of loneliness that had caused her to call after him. It was embarrassing, letting her emotions overpower her like they had. The drink seemed to be affecting her more than she thought it would.

Scotty put his fingers under her chin, forcing her to look at him. He saw the terrible loneliness and hints of every other emotion she had been holding back before she tore her eyes away. Keeping his voice at a whisper he said, "Asmarina Junimer, I'll not go anywhere ye don't want me to tonight." She didn't even look at him she threw herself at him and, to her shame, began to cry. Scotty held her to him as he felt her fall apart. They stayed like that until Scotty felt her try to gather herself together long enough to open the door to her room. He led her to the bed and laid down with her, holding her tightly and giving her a sense of security that was unfamiliar to her. He felt her relax in his arms and eventually fall asleep. He gently sat up so as not to disturb her and removed both of their shoes and his belt so she wouldn't accidently scratch herself on it during the night. He then lay back down and pulled her closer to him. She shifted slightly to get more comfortable and Scotty smiled before gently kissing her forehead and settling himself in for the night. This would probably be the best night's sleep he'd get since all of the mess aboard the Enterprise. His last thought as he fell asleep was being grateful to Kirk for telling everyone to take tomorrow morning off.

Asmarina glanced her bedside clock. It was almost 10:00 she noted, smiling to herself. She had actually slept through the night and she felt better than she had in weeks. She shifted slightly, remembering vaguely that she didn't have to go in to work until after lunch. She froze then, the reason for the work change coming back to her along with the rest of the night. Asmarina noticed the unusual amount of heat at her back and the arm around her waist. She relaxed a little when she realized they were both still in their clothes from last night, but was immediately mortified as she remembered breaking down in front of Scotty. He was still asleep but she could feel him beginning to stir from her movements. She almost panicked at the thought of him waking up beside her, in her bed. What could he possibly think of her now after seeing her so weak and needy. She dreaded him waking up, but before she could even think about what she would say when he did, she felt his arm leave and she turned slightly to see him stretch his body as he woke up the rest of the way. She was frozen in place as he rubbed his eyes and looked over at her.

He gave her a sheepish look and a small smile. "Sleep well?" he asked as he sat up in her bed.

Asmarina could only stare for a moment before her mind took control again. "Sir, I am incredibly sorry about my conduct last night and I will take full responsibility for my actions and receive whatever consequences are deemed appropriate."

Scotty raised an eyebrow at her in a very good imitation of Spock. "What are ye talkin' about? Who do ye think's gonna punish ye for not spendin' the night alone? Even if ye told the captain, he'd probably congratulate ye on a good night's sleep and finally lettin' someone see yer feelings instead of keepin' 'em bottled up like ye normally do."

"Sir?" was all she could say. She stared at him as if he had taken ill or some other such thing. Scotty resisted the urge to roll his eyes and settled for letting out a deep sigh.

"Ye really don't get it do ye?" he asked her, searching her face for some hint of comprehension. When she only continued to stare at him he gave a smaller sigh. "The captain's been worried about ye keepin' yer feelin's to yerself instead of openin' up, and he's not the only one. Even commander Spock has been makin' inquiries about ye. People care about ye Asmarina. They want to see ye be happy and smile or have someone ye feel comfortable talkin' to so ye can open up. Kirk has some other notions I'll not mention, but do ye see what I'm sayin'?"

She sat back against the wall to think about it. There was a lot to consider from what Scotty had said. Initially waking up this morning, she had felt great in body and mind. Even while she was panicking she had still felt all right. It wasn't until she had tried to suppress her emotions in front of Scotty that she had lost that rested feeling. According to Scotty, there were important people who were concerned about her health because she wasn't sleeping. But they also want to see you happy, a voice whispered at the back of her mind. When was the last time she had let herself go and have a little fun. Not since mum died, that same small voice whispered to her. She'd had to become self-sufficient so she had focused on her career. Maybe she had focused a little too much. Scotty said Kirk would congratulate her on spending the night with someone and showing some emotion. She trusted Scotty with her life, but she wanted to see this for herself before she'd be able to fully believe it. She turned to Scotty and could see the concern he had for her. 'So Kirk and Spock aren't the only big names concerned about me,' she thought, feeling happy for the first time that morning that Scotty had stayed with her last night. "I'm going to talk to Captain Kirk later today to see if what you've said is really true," she told him. She could see his relief as he let his shoulders relax. 'Very nice shoulders,' she couldn't help but think, 'Broad and strong." She tried to clear that line of thought from her head but found it increasingly difficult as he moved over top of her in order to get off of her bed. She could swear her face was turning red from his body heat even after he removed himself from the bed. She watched him stretch his back once more before turning to face her.

"Right," he said with a smile, "I best be gettin' to my own rooms so I can change before lunch and what not." Asmarina only nodded dumbly. When she didn't say anything Scotty moved in front of her and put his hand gently on her shoulder, when she didn't shy from his touch he rubbed his thumb gently over the bare skin of her arm. He knew he was probably pushing her limits but he couldn't resist. "I'll see ye later then?" he asked her gently. She offered him a smile, small but genuine, as she nodded yes. Scotty gave her another bright smile before nodding his head and heading for the door.

"Scotty," she said quietly, before he opened the door. He turned his head back toward her. "Thank you." She didn't look at him as she said it but she knew he was smiling wider at her if that was even possible. When the door closed behind him, Asmarina flopped herself down face first on her bed. She had roughly an hour and a half before lunch and then an hour for lunch before she needed to head to work. That gave her roughly two and a half hours to figure out what she was going to say to Kirk, if he didn't drop by to see her during lunch again. She gave a small sigh as she got out to bed to get dressed. It was certainly going to be an interesting day, and with that thought she smiled and began to hum to herself for the first time in many, many years.

She was still humming softly while she was working later that day. She was so focused on her work that she didn't even notice anyone was behind her until she heard someone clear their throat. She almost jumped out of her skin while her body tensed to be ready for anything. She immediately relaxed when she turned to see Kirk leaning against the wall and smiling at her. She gave him a teasing glare. "Captain, it wasn't very nice of you to sneak up on me like that," she told him with mock seriousness.

Kirk chuckled at her, glad to see she was finally loosening up. He had come to see her after he had asked Scotty how last night went. He had been cryptic with his answer and had asked if he had spoken to Asmarina yet. After getting Scotty's engineering report he had gone to find Asmarina who, to his surprise, had been humming to herself. "So how did your night go?" he asked, still smiling. "I saw Scotty leave with you so I'm guessing he walked you back?" She nodded the affirmative and Kirk's smile widened a little bit. "He's a good guy, Scotty. Works wonders just when we need them most."

Asmarina took a deep breath, trying to steel her nerves. 'This is your captain,' she thought to herself, 'Just say it like you're giving a report.' She took another deep breath to calm herself and said very quickly, "Yes sir, he is. And he didn't just walk me back to my room last night sir. He stayed the night with me." She was staring at the floor in front of her captain, trying to keep her face from turning red or pink or any other embarrassing shade of color. She looked up when she heard him laugh, fighting to keep control and not show she was mortified.

"Congratulations Junimer," Kirk told her, still smiling widely. "I knew he'd be good for you."

Asmarina stared at him for a moment in open surprise. "But sir, aren't you going to report me or something?" A corner of her mind noted that all her eloquence seemed to have fled her in this moment, but she couldn't bring herself to care right then.

Kirk gave her a bemused look. "Report you for what? If I reported everyone on my crew that spent their nights in someone else's room, I'd never stop talking to Star Command." He barely contained his laughter as he watched her eyes get wider in surprise and then again in comprehension. "I'm glad you had a good night, Junimer. Hopefully you'll have plenty more in the future," he said with a wink before leaving her work area.

The wink did her in. She had to sit down in her chair with her head in her lap for almost ten minutes before she felt her face cool down enough that she was comfortable to start working again. It was good for her that she was quickly focused on her work again or she would have noticed the curious looks people were giving her, and her face was already pink enough as it was.

Scotty caught up with her as they were leaving work for the night. "Did ye talk to Kirk today?" he asked her after they exchanged smiles.

She nodded her head. "He congratulated me, just like you said he would. Can I talk to you someplace more private?" she asked, dropping her voice to little more than a whisper.

Scotty was mildly surprised but nodded his head and she led the way back to her room. She led him inside sat down on the edge of her bed, motioning for him to sit beside her. She was nervous about this talk so she took deep breaths to steady his nerves. Scotty, for his part, was immensely curious as to what she wanted to talk about, but could tell she was nervous so he sat quietly and waited for her to start.

"I don't know how to do this," she told him quietly. At his curious look she continued, "I don't know how to express all of my emotions. I don't know how to talk about it. And I'm just really, confused." She stared down at the floor, feeling all of the doubt of the last few hours surface. She had had so many conflicting emotions after talking with Kirk and it was all too much for her to face.

Scotty put a reassuring hand on her knee. "Ye have to build a spaceship before she'll fly Asmarina. It's a process but it's worth it in the end. And ye've got support. What are ye feelin' now?"

She looked at his hand on her knee, gently rubbing circles, and allowed it to sooth her. She felt her doubt about asking him here fade away as well as all of her stress from the day. From there she could sort out and identify the rest of her feelings. Almost unconsciously, she began to list them off in a whisper. "Stressed, but it's almost gone now. Relaxed. Peaceful. Almost content. Happy. Slightly aroused. Grateful. Cared for." She stopped there when she noticed Scotty's hand had stopped rubbing circles. She looked at him, curious as to why he stopped and saw he was looking at her with a similar confusion and slightly stunned look on his face. "Did I say something wrong?" she asked him quietly, unsure if she had said too much.

"No lass, not at all," he said, shaking his head. "Did ye mean all of those?" he asked her, his voice going quieter, as he tried to anticipate her answer. He cared greatly for her, and he had begun to think before last night that maybe he cared for her too much. Last night made him hope that maybe she felt something similar for him in return. He was most certainly attracted to her physically, and he knew he wasn't the only one that thought so. He had seen many a man admire her in passing. With her gently curling dark red hair, pale green eyes, and amazing figure, she was a natural beauty. But it wasn't just her looks. She was a force to be reckoned with when it came down to it. He admired her for her ability to handle any situation and for her intelligence. She always treated her superior officers with the utmost respect, and commanded respect from those below her with an effortless grace. She was all of that and so much more, and Scotty was beginning to fear that he was in over his head with her. Feared that if he kept spending time with her, he would completely lose himself to her. All of this ran through his mind in a matter of seconds while he waited for her answer.

She tensed, suddenly afraid she had overstepped a line as she thought about what she had said. She briefly considered lying to him, but she knew even before she finished the thought that she couldn't lie to Scotty. He was her biggest supporter and he deserved nothing but the truth from her. She steeled herself and gave a small nod in response. She felt his hand tighten briefly on her knee and she risked glancing at his face. She saw so many emotions flitting through his eyes, and for the first time since she had accepted her emotions, she knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was not alone. That knowledge gave her the courage to say, in a very small voice, "I don't know how I'm supposed to respond to my emotions though. How do I know when to act on one emotion over another?"

Scotty smiled at her. "Ye have to use yer head for things like that. Ye have to see what the situation calls for. In an instance like this, ye can act on whatever feels right at the time." He started rubbing circles on her knee again as she looked absently at his hand while she thought. Scotty could barely suppress his happiness after hearing her admit her emotions to him. It felt wonderful to know that he was the one she trusted to talk to about all of this. He smiled gently when she looked back up at him. He noted the slightly calculating look she gave him right before she leaned in and put her lips on his. The kiss was very timid and unsure, and it took Scotty a moment to get over his surprise at which point she had begun to pull away, once again thinking she had overstepped a boundary. Before she could completely pull away, Scotty leaned in further to give the kiss more substance. Asmarina could feel him smile a bit against her lips, causing her to smile in return. They pulled away, resting their foreheads against each other, both of them still smiling.

"Does this feel right?" she asked in a very breathy whisper.

Scotty's smile widened, and he brushed his lips against hers by way of answer.