It was 0200 hours when Scotty was roused from a dream by the computer.

"Unauthorized Personnel Entering Engineering."

"It's just the new lass entering her shift probably…" he groaned, whacking the console beside his head.

"Negative." The computer responded. "Ensign Riley is not relieved until 0500." Scotty groaned, rolled out of bed and tried to rub the sleep from his eyes. He grabbed his boots and shirt, quickly pulling them on. Hitting the wall panel, he unlocked the doors and headed for engineering. Whoever relieved Riley three hours ahead of time was gonna catch such a doing they wouldn't know what way was up.

When he arrived at Engineering, he was surprised to see Riley still sitting at the console he'd left the ensign at six hours earlier.

"Sir? Is something wrong?" Scotty was now utterly confused

"The computer sent an alert, someone came in without authorization."

"Oh, that'll be Lieutenant Gaila. She comes here sometimes at night to do odd jobs. I guess she forgot to punch in." he said, tending to his station.

"What do you mean she's here sometimes? In the middle of the night?"

"Sure…we thought you knew…" Riley said. Scotty stuck his chin out, angry that things were going on behind his back.

"Where is she?"

"Uhm…section eight, was working in Jefferies tube 12. Loose wiring it looks like." He said.

By the time he got up there, Gaila was sliding out of the tube; she jumped, seeing Scotty waiting just outside of her workspace.

"Uh, Mr. Scott! What are you doing here?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing." He said, arms folded. "So this is why you're so tired during the day."

"Look, it's not every night, just when-" she fiddled with the tool in her hands, bowing her head.

"Well? Out with it then. I don't care if ye wanna do odd jobs on yer time off, but doing it at 2 A.M. and jeopardizing your day shift is gonna get ye in serious trouble, not just from me either." He saw her worry, that it went beyond simply having to switch shifts, that it was something deeper. "Come on then, we'll have a cuppo tea and talk it over." She nodded, he picked up her tool kit and she followed him back down.

Scotty's Quarters, Main Room

She sat on the couch, her long legs tucked under her. He gave her a steaming mug; she held it for a while, tracing the rim.

"So?" he said. "Any particular reason you like sneaking out of your room at 2 in the morning to fix loose wiring, and waking me up?"

"Look, I just forgot to punch in this time." She said

"Oh aye, this time." He said. "How many other times have you been going out this late? And how long have you been staying out?"
"What are you my father?" she smirked,

"Right now, I'm your superior officer," she looked ashamed and angry then, "And a concerned friend." He said, a little more gently "I'm worried about you lass. You're not eating regular, Uhura tells me you haven't been about lately, and it's been brought to me that you're doubling up your shifts. Darlin' you're fixing to over-work yourself, and it'll end badly, believe me, I know." He said "I like working on the Enterprise as much as the next person but you've got to know when to call it-"

"It's got nothing to do with the Enterprise!" she snapped, then rubbed her forehead, sighing heavily. He leaned forward, steepling his index fingers against his mouth.

"Would ye mind tellin' me what it is about then?" she looked around the room, anywhere but at him. "Gaila," he said softly. "If you have a problem, please tell me, I want you to be able to trust me."

"You wouldn't understand. None of your species understands." She spat out that word as if it held a bad taste in her mouth.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, "Has someone hurt you? I won't have it. Not on this ship, not in my engine room." He was standing now, pacing back and forth. "Gaila if someone's hurt you, or even tried to, you tell me." She was fingering the hem of her dress with her damaged hand, thumb and index finger plucked at a loose thread.

"Was a few months ago." She said finally, "One of the security guards, Rick, I think his name is."

"Aye, I know him, has his little posse."

"Well…I was working under a console in the Brig, when he started making comments. I did what I usually do, ignored them and went on with my work. He kept persisting, asking me-" she paused now, shaking her head.

"What?" Scotty almost didn't want to ask, but he would have to know, in order to present the case to the Captain.

"He asked me how much a girl like me cost back on Orion." She began to cry then.

"Gaila." She didn't look at him; she was trying to wipe her eyes. "Gaila did he try to hurt you?" she nodded a little but she wouldn't say what the security guard had tried to do.

"I thought I was better than that." She was still pulling at the loose thread. "Stupid. Stupid to think that anyone would see me for anything other than my skin." He couldn't bear it anymore; he sat down beside her, pulling her close. As his mother used to do when he was little, he stroked her hair, soothing her quietly.

"Only fat galoots like him will ever see that. But your friends will always see you for who you truly are," he said, holding her streaked face now, "a smart, talented successful engineer, who's more than held her own on this and any ship. You saved a quarter of the Farragut's crew, you've proved yourself time and time again. If people can't see you for what you really are, then you don't need them, and you needn't care what they think." He said, and he wiped away her tears with his thumbs. She embraced him again, settling her head in the crook of his neck. "To Hell with them." He snapped.

"What are you going to do?" she asked,

"I'll go to the Captain." He said. "I'm sorry I didn't know about this sooner Gaila. But we'll see he get's what's comin' and all." He pulled the linen kerchief his mother had always made him carry from his pocket and gave it to her. "Dry your eyes now and I'll see ye back to yer quarters." She looked up at him, her eyes red-rimmed.

"I-I don't want to go yet." He stared back at her.

"I- gee, I don't think- well I guess." He said. "You can have my bed." He said "I'll get another blanket." He said and showed her into his bedroom. He reached up into the closet for another quilt. She was already in bed, her boots kicked off at the end of it. She suddenly patted the empty space beside her.

"Come on." She said. "I couldn't make you sleep on the couch, not after all you went through tonight."

"Well…I- see I don't-"

"Don't worry Mr. Scott, I won't seduce you." She said jokingly; somehow, she felt relieved knowing that her situation was now safely in the hands of Scotty. She suddenly felt the exhaustion she'd been ignoring for so long come all at once, and she yawned hugely. Feeling the mattress dip slightly, she saw now that he'd climbed in beside her, pulling the quilt up over them. Before he could suggest he sleep on top of the blankets so that she'd have more room, she had curled herself right up against him, her head in the crook of his neck again. "Thank you." She said softly, and he felt her warm lips against his collarbone. "And relax." She said, giggling. He let out a short laugh,

"Tryin'. Ain't had company with me for a while."

"I'm sorry I can't be any fun tonight." She said sleepily.

"I'd rather cuddle." He said and she cracked an eye open, he glanced down at her, smiling warmly.

"Sometimes, I think it's nicer." She said after a moment. "Sometimes." She snuggled closer and let out a sigh, letting him know she was soon to be fast off. Her slow steady breathing, combined with her added warmth to the bed would quickly put him to sleep faster than a glass of warm milk. As he drifted off, a strange thought occurred to him.

"Gaila?"

"Go 'sleep Scotty. Talk 'bout it in the morning." He smoothed her thick curls.
"Aye lass." And he obediently shut his eyes, letting her steady breathing put him to sleep.