Hello all-

This chapter was really annoying me but have no fear. My writer's block is coming down or it will be soon. Reviews are appreciated, even if it's criticism.

Fresh morning dew floated in the air around her. Twigs snapping under her horse's hooves assaulted her ears. Beams of light that penetrated the overhead canopy were the only means that she could guide her horse. She spurred the animal on, feeling the crisp air whipping through her hair and clothes.

Aeryn smiled to herself. Today had begun like any other day on this slumbering world. The village many miles away wouldn't rise for another few hours, leaving her with a few moments of peace before she needed to report to her duties.

Her horse emerged from the thick line of trees separating her from the waterfall. Without the trees, the sun's rays were almost blinding. Aeryn didn't mind; she loved how the warmth covered her. After tying the reins to a low tree branch, Aeryn dismounted and looked around. Sometimes she'd see a native gathering water or some animals lapping at the pure, freshwater of the lake. Today there was nothing.

"Strange," she muttered while stripping away her riding jacket. The cold air nipped at the exposed flesh on her arms. "Where could…" Her sentence was stopped short when she saw a most peculiar sight. At the top of the falls, several figures were wrangling another dangerously close to the fall's edge.

"No," she screamed, knowing full well that such an action was useless.

She ran back to the pack secured to her horse, grabbing the coil of rope stuffed inside. By the time she turned around, the group of men at the top was gone. She searched the falls twice…maybe three times before she saw a figure bob up to the surface.

"Hold on." Again she knew her words were useless but it comforted her nonetheless. She quickly tied one end of the rope around her waist and the other around the trunk of a tree. With the weight of the rope pulling at her waist, Aeryn turned toward the lake. She plunged in and gasped, taking in a large gulp of ice cold water. Her lungs were pierced by what felt like thousands of needles. She held onto what little breath her lungs held left and kicked out toward the falls.

Please don't let me be too late. Aeryn couldn't recall the number of times someone had gone over the falls, and she'd been too weak to save them. Her swimming skills were mediocre but her will was strong. She refused to watch as yet another drowned beneath the strength of the current. Soon Aeryn reached the point where she'd seen the figure breach the surface.

Meanwhile, right beneath Aeryn, McCoy was struggling to get his foot out from the rocky death trap. Of all the places he was to die, he had to be trapped in a reef. The cold water made holding his breath difficult. Already he could feel consciousness slipping from out of his grasp. Shapes and colors swam in and out of focus. Above him, small bits of sunlight reminded him of how painfully close freedom and air was. His arms were still tied behind his back, which made it damn impossible to free his foot. No matter how hard he struggled, he wasn't anywhere closer to the surface. Darkness descended upon him and soon after he felt nothing at all.

Aeryn decided to look beneath the surface in case the current had swept the figure back under. Below the surface the sunlight was severely limited and her vision wasn't exactly the greatest.

Where are you? No sooner did the thoughts enter her mind then they were answered. Floating helplessly in the reef was a figure, human and male from what Aeryn could gather. His arms were tied tightly behind his back while his foot was caught in the reef's twisted trap. Her muscles burned under the strain but Aeryn found the will to push on. In no time, his foot was free and his body was carrying him to the surface. Wrapping her legs around the man's waist, she used her arms to pull them both to shore. He was much heavier than she thought; she used every ounce of her strength just to get him out of the icy water.

Her hands went to either side of his face, traveling to his neck. She closed her eyes and searched for a pulse. Truthfully, she expected to find nothing. Many had gone over these falls and lost their lives to the dangers lurking beneath the surface. The soft beat she felt under her fingertips relieved her more than it should have. Her relief was short lived though when she realized his chest wasn't moving nor was any breath escaping his lips.

"By the stars." She pushed up the man's eyelid and saw lifeless eyes staring back at her. "No. Not this time." Without another thought, she pinched his nose shut and tilted his head back. Please. Please, let this work.

The darkness was oddly comforting, even more so than the horrid existence McCoy had been leading. It felt so natural and right that he hated the sensation of new life that suddenly flooded through him. Pain and cold were the first feelings he felt, washing over him like a giant tidal wave. Then there was another sensation, one of warmth and pressure on his lips and chest. What the devil was going on? A sickening feeling overtook him and his lungs went into a fit of spasms.

Aeryn pulled back just in time for the rest of the water in the man's lungs to come spewing out. His eyes flickered open, though they drooped from exhaustion. His mouth opened but he was in no way capable of forming words.

"Sshh," Aeryn pushed away some of the hair plastered to his forehead. His face was caked with bruises and dried blood. The slight breeze blowing through the area was making both of them shiver. Aeryn watched as the life drained away from the man's eyes. Without much time to work with, Aeryn drew the knife she always carried in her belt and sliced away the binds holding his wrists, pulling them to his sides before she ripped away the man's water and blood soaked shirt. There was a cut in his side that was still bleeding. She ran to her pack and pulled out bandages and a few blankets. Though they were thin, they would have to do until Aeryn could get him back to her cottage.

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For hours McCoy couldn't shake the strange images that filled his mind. One moment he remembered plunging into the dark, unknown depths at the base of the waterfall and the next waking up to a stranger's face, a woman if memory served him right. The next few moments were more like feelings; there was fear and uncertainty. Though the journey to consciousness was painful, the thought of seeing her face again made it worthwhile.

Wait, what was he thinking? He didn't know her. Hell, she could have been an enemy. Some part of him somehow refused to believe that.

He opened his eyes to a bedroom. He was tucked into a bed, buried under several layers of blankets. The sun pouring in from a nearby window made his eyes squint to see the rest of the room. It was quaint in a way, almost reminding him of home. He sat up, using his elbows for support. It was then he noticed his shirt was gone. He pulled the blankets off and saw that his waist was covered in bandages. Had he hit a rock after landing in the water? The memories were hard to recall, making him wince in pain.

There was a washstand and chair to his right. He swung his legs, still clothed and with shoes, out over the edge. McCoy stood but found his head assaulted by a dizzy spell. He was forced to concentrate on balancing while making his way over to the washstand. On the stand were his phaser and his shirt, ripped to shreds. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, cringing at the bruises on his cheek and neck.

"What the hell happened?"

McCoy knew he needed to find that woman, the one who saved him. He splashed some water in his face and pulled on his shirt before grabbing his phaser. He moved slowly because that's how fast his sore legs would allow him to go. He opened the door leading outside, which led to a garden full of flowers. The air wasn't as cold as he remembered. Phaser in hand, he moved through the garden and emerged into a clearing.

Aeryn was in the middle of collecting water when she saw the strange man standing just outside her garden. She smiled at him, but it was a small smile. He returned the favor, giving a small wave.

A sudden feeling of dread and displeasure coursed through her. The emotion was strange and confusing. Then she realized, looking into his deep blue eyes and broad shouldered frame, that she knew who this man was. Only, he wasn't supposed to be here…not for at least another week. Aeryn wasn't one to let an opportunity pass, so logically she dropped the buckets she'd been carrying and sprinted down the hill.

McCoy watched with a puzzled expression. Why was this strange woman running at him? Her actions made him hesitate, which he paid for dearly. In less than a second, McCoy hit the ground with the wind knocked clean out of him while Aeryn used her position to pin his arms to his sides.

"Am I a game to you?" Aeryn's eyes burned with anger. "Tell your boss that I am tired of waiting. Use me or not, I don't care. Just get me off this rock."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play that game with me." She dug her nails into his shoulder, making him gasp in pain. "I had half a mind to let you drown for what you did to me, Jornst."

"I have no idea what the hell you're going on about, woman. My name is Doctor Leonard McCoy." The name was familiar to Aeryn. Wasn't he looking for a Doctor McCoy?

This man…his eyes…the way he held himself. She would have swore on her life that he was…but obviously he wasn't. Still, he had the same effect on her. He repulsed her but there was something else that Jornst had never made her feel…as if some hidden desire was now awakening within her body. Aeryn didn't like this primal urge, nor this Doctor McCoy, one little bit.

"Sorry," she said. "Thought you were…someone else." Aeryn quickly pushed herself up and went to retrieve the buckets. They'd been knocked over. She bent down to pick one up but found that McCoy had beat her to them.

"Now, wait just one minute. Who…are you?" He was already out of breath?

Aeryn hesitated for a moment. "Siri."

"Siri?" Aeryn hoped he could not sense the hesitancy in her voice. "What are you doing here?"

Aeryn looked dead into his eyes, masking any emotion that might betray her. "There is no benefit to me for giving you that knowledge."

McCoy looked this woman over, not noticing until now the way the sunlight brought out the red undertones in her full light brown hair. Her eyes met his point for point. McCoy was not used to being challenged by a woman, most of the women aboard the ship followed orders to a T.

"I can get you out of here."

McCoy saw something flash in her eyes…fear maybe? Whatever it was, it was gone before McCoy could see what it was.

"I must decline."

Siri began to turn away; McCoy wouldn't let her go that easily. He reached out, catching her shoulder. Her shoulders tensed under his hand. "I can help you if you let me."

"I'd rather not." Aeryn pushed McCoy's hand off her shoulder. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need more water." She held out open hands but McCoy refused to hand over the buckets.

"Not until you tell me what's going on."

Aeryn curled her lips into a half-smirk. "You never give up, do you?"

McCoy was suddenly reminded of Kirk. "Something I learned from an old friend."

Aeryn didn't care to listen to tales of friendship. "My situation is not your concern." Without another word, Aeryn turned and began to walk back to the cottage.

McCoy turned to follow her when a sharp pain shot through his side. It paralyzed his legs, sending him cursing fervently to the ground.

All the blood drained from Aeryn's face. She ran back to McCoy's side only to see new blood emerging from his left side. For the second time today, Aeryn ripped open McCoy's shirt.

"Ah, hell. It reopened. Come on." Aeryn pulled his arm around her shoulders. She tried to pull him up but struggled under his weight. "I need your help."

Minutes later, McCoy was back in the bed with new bandages wrapped around his side. Aeryn dipped a washrag into the bowl of water on the washstand. McCoy watched the careful tender way she redressed his wounds. If he didn't know any better, he would have commended her on her gentle bedside matter. He chuckled softly to himself; many on the Enterprise would love more bedside manner from him. However, when choosing between bedside manner and saving lives, he chose saving lives. It was a choice that cost him a whole lot of unnecessary heartache.

"What are you thinking?"

Siri's voice brought McCoy out of the privacy of his thoughts. Her eyes were twin orbs the color of fresh earth. They were curious but respectful.

"I was wondering where it is you brought me to."

"You're in my home."

McCoy felt a cool cloth being placed on his forehead. He tried not to show it but the cloth brought him great relief. It was as if every inch of his skin was on fire.

"How long have you been here?"

Aeryn bit a corner of her lip. "For many years."

McCoy was at a loss for words. According to Starfleet records, and their own scans, no one had lived here for hundreds, maybe thousands of years. New sources had indicated that this planet was sometimes used for a hideaway due to the planet's unique atmospheric properties, which often messed with a ship's equipment.

"Are you alone?"

Aeryn considered the question for a moment. Technically the answer was yes but she was never left alone. She was watched constantly, more than a high-priority prisoner in a Federation prison.

"No one lives with me."

McCoy closed his eyes, leaning back into the pillow. Aeryn leaned forward, placing a hand at the side of his face. Her touch stirred something inside McCoy, though he wasn't sure exactly what it was. He didn't know what she did or how she did it, but all the pain pulsing through his body was gone. Fatigue quickly filled the empty space.

He yawned. "What are…"

"Sshh," Aeryn cooed while pushing a hand through his floppy dark hair. His eyes, though hindered, searched the fuzzy figure leaning over him. Aeryn watched the man with curiosity and then recognition. "Who are you?"

McCoy knew he shouldn't tell her, yet there was something in her voice and body that brought comfort even to his cynical nature.

"Why should I answer your questions when you haven't answered mine?"

Aeryn stared deep into his eyes, knowing full well he was right. Of course, she wasn't about to let him know that.

McCoy chuckled softly. Aeryn caught herself actually liking the way his laughter filled the empty places in her heart. It reminded her of days long buried in her past, days when she accepted emotions…days when happiness actually existed in her life.

"Here," Aeryn said while handing him a cup with a steaming liquid. McCoy looked at it apprehensively. "Don't worry. There's no poison in this. Drink…it will help you sleep."

Yeah, right. McCoy believed that almost as much as he believed in the longevity of marriage and look how that venture turned out. The ex took the whole damn planet in the divorce, leaving nothing but the bones in his body.

Aeryn rolled her eyes, a gesture that fascinated and amused McCoy. She placed the tea on a bedside table and placed the back of her hand to his forehead. With an approving look, she rose and exited the bedroom.

Weird, McCoy thought wearily, Definitely Weird. Must keep an eye on her.

McCoy gathered his thoughts but sleep proved to win out and soon he found himself drifting off into unconsciousness.

Meanwhile, Aeryn was leaning against her bedroom door while a burning chill claimed every part of her. Her skin crawled with an itch that no amount of scratching could satisfy.

"What is it about him?" Aeryn clenched her fists in her shoulder length hair, pulling at it to relieve the pounding in her skull. Even when she was away from him, Aeryn could still smell him…still feel the way his heartbeat brought shivers to her skin. When she'd pulled off his shirt to dress his wounds, the way his muscles were arranged beneath his lightly tanned skin made her hands shake like a freshman in med school. These sensations were so new to her. Never in the countless times she'd…not one had made her feel like this. He was danger, both to her and the men she worked for.

To be truthful to herself, it had only taken one look into his dark blue eyes and partially ruffled dark hair to convince Aeryn of his identity. A strange sadness fell upon her shoulders; she so desperately wished this man wasn't the same Leonard McCoy she'd been briefed on. She had pleaded with herself, please don't let it be him.

Aeryn closed her eyes tight. She knew deep in her heart that he was the right one. A surge of emotion rose from the back of her mind. With all she could muster at the moment, Aeryn swallowed the feelings whole, leaving her breathing hitched in her throat. A moment later her feelings were under control and the same look of mechanical curiosity returned to her face. This was the look most saw from her; Aeryn rarely let emotions get a hold of her. Her very human father had taught her many times that emotions were something to be admired and accepted. She lived under that philosophy once, but that was a long time ago.

Now calm and collected, Aeryn ran from the cottage and into the woods. Sunlight poured in through the trees. She kept her senses on alert as she came closer to her destination. She moved some foliage away and entered into the cave's hidden entrance. Inside was her shuttle that the bastards had stuffed her in when they stranded her here.

Aeryn crawled inside the craft and inserted the chip she had strung on a chain around her neck. Placing it in the energy slot, the cockpit suddenly fired into life. A soft orange and red glow filled the confined space. She turned a few knobs and flicked a few switches. Her hand hovered for a second over the final button. Then Aeryn saw

Tara's face within her mind and all the hesitancy disappeared. A few seconds of silence and then the video screen in front of her flickered to life.

"Aeryn to Renolt…Aeryn to Renolt…Captain, come in."

Ah, Aeryn. It's good to hear your voice. His voice practically dripped with disdain.

"Cut the crap, Jornst. Where's my sister?"

A different voice, one filled with arrogance and known for delivering its owner's bullshit, slithered out of her receiver. She's safe as long as you follow directions. Tell me, what have you to report?

Again Aeryn paused, almost wishing she had something else to tell him. She sighed, lowering her voice. "I have him…I have Doctor McCoy."

Most excellent.