She Was Meant For Me

A/N: First off, A big thank you to everyone that Reviewed, faved, and/or followed this story. This chapter will take place about 2 years after the first one, so Kirk is now 15 and Karl is 19. This chapter isn't dark, it actually has a bit of happy in it lol.

Chapter 2

Frank and Winona had kept in frequent contact with Pike, keeping him updated on Arianna's therapy and letting him talk to her often. She had started calling him Uncle Chris which both warmed and annoyed him…not that he'd ever tell her that. Winona was worried about Ari's near-nightly severe nightmares, even now…2 years after the events on the colony. Pike decided that he would propose an unusual solution, but it was one that just might work for the girl.

"My ship, The Farragut, is going to be heading out on a year-long scouting mission with a Vulcan mind healer onboard. I think, if you'll allow it, that I might ask the Admirals to allow Ari and Karl to come along so the healer can work with them."

"Well…I don't really want her out of my sight much anymore…but if you really think it will help her…the traditionally therapies haven't done any good…alright…I'll agree to it but only if both the Admirals AND Ari agree to it first."

Pike was fairly certain Ari wouldn't protest, judging from her enthusiastic questioning when she spent a month on his ship before. Winona was reluctant, but she knew Ari needed more help than she could currently give her. She was quite shocked when the Admirals agreed to the idea. When she told the two teenagers Ari looked both excited and nervous; excited to be in space for a whole year, but nervous to have to see yet another therapist.

Karl on the other hand was just smiling at Ari, happy to know he'd be with her, he only hoped this healer might have better luck than the others had so far. It tore at his heart every time she woke up screaming or sobbing in the early hours of the morning, and he always held her and soothed her back to sleep. All the others kept trying to make her talk about what she'd seen, what she'd been through. They didn't understand that talking about it to someone that hadn't been there was just too painful. He never asked her to talk about anything, he listened when she decided she wanted to talk but he never tried to make her.

It was only a month later that the two were settled in their joint room on the Farragut, next door to the healer and across the hall from Pike. Pike had his roomed joined by a bathroom to his First Officer's room. That man was big and scary looking, but around Ari he was like a big teddy bear and was always sneaking her extra treats. She ended up calling him Teddy, which amused the rest of the crew to no end, and he never complained though he only let her use that nickname. No one on that ship had forgotten the tiny, starved girl that had so fiercely protected the others around her, and they were all happy to see she was back to a healthy weight now.

When it was time for her first meeting with the Vulcan mind healer Karl went with her, refusing to let her face the unknown alone. Neither of them had ever seen a Vulcan before, and what they knew of the race was learned out of books. When they reached the room and entered the woman rose gracefully from her seat.

"Um…I know Vulcans don't shake hands…but the books never said how one is supposed to greet a Vulcan. Could you tell me ma'am?"

The Vulcan nodded once and made a hand motion with her fingers spread in a V, two fingers on each side. Ari copied it easily but Karl couldn't manage to get his fingers to go that way, making Ari giggle lightly and him scowl playfully back at her. The woman motioned to the chairs in front of her own and though it did not show on her face she was mildly surprised when the boy sat down and the girl planted herself in his lap.

"My name is T'Lao. Captain Pike has asked me to assist you in controlling your emotions, and hopefully ending your night terrors. To do this I will need to perform a mind meld with you Miss Kirk. The process is painless when performed by a professional mind healer like myself. I will place my hand on your face, my fingers in specific points, in order to access your memories. I give you my solemn vow that I will only access those memories and thoughts associated with the source of your night terrors. Once we do this I will be better able to guide you through meditation techniques that will work best with you. Is this acceptable to you?"

Karl blinked multiple times, looking rather confused as he tried to understand what the woman was saying, causing Ari to stifle another round of giggles. When she turned to look at T'Lao her expression was one of wary caution.

"You can promise me that it won't hurt?"

"I give you my word as a healer, you will experience no physical pain and I will do my best to minimize the emotional toll on you as well."

Ari hesitated a bit longer before finally nodding slowly. T'Lao passed her a form, previously signed by her mother and Pike, and she added her signature to the bottom. T'Lao allowed Karl to keep his hold on Ari as she placed her hand on the girl's face and entered into her chaotic and painful memories. When she had finished the girl was panting harshly but seemed less anxious than before. T'Lao on the other hand was expressing a rare frown on her face. She, like everyone else not in direct contact with the rescued children, had been told a famine killed the people on Tarsus IV…to see the truth of the events in the mind of a child was heartbreaking. She hid her emotions behind her mental wall, deciding to talk to the Vulcan Elders about the situation later that evening, she needed to help the girl start to gain control over her memories and emotions so she could sleep in peace at night.

Later that night T'Lao sat in her quarters, reflecting on what she had seen in the girl's mind and her conversation with the Elders. They too were concerned that Starfleet would cover-up something so tragic, and assured her that the rest of their people would know the true story of what happened so as to hopefully prevent a repeat in the future. Though it went unsaid she knew the Elders would be having a harsh conversation with the Admirals about the cover-up at some point.

A week later and T'Lao was quite impressed with Ari's ability to grasp the basics of meditation so quickly. After the first month she was able to meditate as deeply as a Vulcan teenager who had grown up learning it. Karl on the other hand could never sit still long enough to meditate so Ari usually went to her sessions alone now while Karl hung around the tactics officers.

After 6 months on the ship, working with T'Lao for 4 hours every day, Ari had shown vast improvement. She had more energy now that she could sleep through the night, and she was endlessly asking questions about how things worked on the ship. The crew members were only too happy to indulge her, most of them talking to her as though she were an adult instead of a teenager because of how intelligent she was and how quickly she learned.

Karl had been getting a different type of therapy from T'Lao and she had helped him to let go of his residual guilt over the events on the colony. He and Ari, though he still called her Anna and was the only one allowed to call her that, had become even closer. They saw each other as brother and sister, and she was closer to him than her actual brother Sam…mainly because he had left at 16 and never come back, and he only called once a year at Christmas. He never even called Ari on her birthday or asked how she was doing which made Karl angry, though Ari seemed to not care.

When the year was almost over and they were heading back towards Earth Karl asked Ari if she'd sneak into the Mess Hall with him for a late-night snack. She rolled her eyes as she agreed but couldn't resist teasing him a bit.

"Are you having yet another growth spurt Karl? I swear you're always hungry."

"I'm a growing man…I need food."

He pouted at her and she giggled merrily as they let the doors close behind them. The room was suddenly flooded with light and she saw all of the crew members she knew smiling at her, even Pike and T'Lao whose eyes smiled for her. Stretched across the back wall was an anourmous silver banner with gold lettering that read 'Happy 16th Birthday Arianna' and a large number of silver and gold balloons were floating around the room as well. Silver and gold were her favorite colors, something only a handful of people knew, and she beamed a bright smile at them that Karl swore could rival the sun itself. Pike grinned right back at her as she hugged him and thanked him repeatedly.

"16 is a big milestone for a teenager, especially a young lady. Besides…everyone likes an excuse to relax and celebrate something."

He gave her a playful wink and she giggled happily as she dragged Karl over to a big chocolate cake with her name on it…literally…not that he protested or resisted, he never did no matter how much she manhandled him.

When they returned to Earth Ari found herself sad and not wanting to leave the ship, or the feeling of family she'd felt in the year she spent there. It wasn't until years later that she'd find that feeling again in the midst of tragedy and turmoil.

A/N: Next chapter will cover the events of the 2009 movie. This one was meant as a link between the horrors of Tarsus and how she moved past that to become a leader again. It won't be until chapter 5 that she finally meets Khan so you'll all have to be patient. ^.^