The first year came to a close much faster than Annie had expected. She figured it had to do with the fact that she had friends to spend her free time with.

She had always had Sarah but now they often went out with a xenolinguist named Uhura and her roommate Gaila to the bars to go dancing. Annie had never expected to enjoy dancing in public, but surrounded by her friends, she didn't mind being in a room with so many strangers.

Uhura had also proven a close friend in their class time. They both shared a love of the galaxy and exploring and often conversed in different alien languages to keep people from listening in on their conversations. Uhura relished in the fact that she had someone other than her instructors to practice her dialects with.

Annie found she had an knack for xenolinguistics herself. Sometimes she felt as if she already knew many of the languages and was only just remembering them. She knew it was absurd but it was the only thing that accounted for her ability to pick up new languages in weeks.

Then there were the Jim and Leonard. Annie often admitted to Uhura and Sarah that she had never met two people she felt so comfortable around as Jim Kirk and Leonard McCoy.

Annie found Jim's ambition and determination thrilling. He would often accompany her on walks around campus and he would talk for hours about his adventures and his plans. Annie was grateful for these hours when no one expected her to talk and keep up a conversation. She could simply listen to him and nod when appropriate.

Sometimes when Jim was dealing with a student or a class that he didn't particularly like, he would rant for hours and Annie would simply listen. Jim was amazed at how attentive she was. She never seemed to zone him out or stop listening. She simply walked along or sat with him and listened to every word. And when he was finished, her reassuring smile always made him feel better.

Her time with the gruff, southern doctor was often very different. Sometimes they sat in the library together and studied separately. No one spoke and again it was an aspect for which Annie was extremely grateful. Other times she would sit with him while he was on shift in the medical building. She would ask about his childhood and what led him to Starfleet and for once, he didn't despise the questions.

He told her all about his family and even about his previous marriage. He had been so bitter about it when it happened but talking about it with Annie, he realized it wasn't all terrible. He didn't understand how her quiet questions and silent listening could make him feel more positive but he didn't mind it.

Sometimes they would even talk about his aviaphobia and her fear of new people and uncomfortable situations. No matter the topic that would come up, Leonard was always glad to see Annie come walking into the hospital or meeting him in the library.

Annie also found herself become far more talkative in her time spent with Doctor McCoy. Where she was the listener with Jim, she was the talker with Leonard. She would tell him about the few memories she had and her adoptive parents. She told him about her disastrous first days every time she started somewhere new and when he would chuckle at her stories, she would find that she wasn't self-conscious about them anymore.

She began to open up more with all of her friends in time. She went out even more and found that the next year no longer scared her. So when Sarah told her that everyone was headed to the bar to celebrate the end of the year, Annie was far more inclined to agree. It only took Sarah a bit of convincing.

"Okay fine, I was going to wait until later but you are giving me no choice, we are going out to celebrate," Sarah explained as Annie turned her down for the third time.

"Yes, the end of the year, I know," Annie said. "Which means there's going to be lots of people there. I'd rather stay here." Sarah shook her head.

"No! I'm leaving Starfleet! I got a call from the ballet company I sent that tape to. They want me to join their company! I leave tomorrow to start rehearsals!" Sarah exclaimed. Annie took a moment before breaking into a wide smile.

"Oh my god, that's fantastic!" She squealed.

"I was going to reveal it to everyone all at once but you've never made anything easy have you?" Sarah joked.

"No," Annie admitted as she rushed to embrace her friend. "Well, then let's go!" Annie was about to leave when Sarah stopped her.

"You can't wear that!" She exclaimed, indicating Annie's red cadet uniform.

"Oh, who cares? We've gone out in our reds before," Annie objected. Sarah laughed.

"But the year is over! Street clothes are a must!" She cheered and Annie laughed herself.

"And what would you suggest I wear?" She asked. Sarah stopped laughing and narrowed her eyes. Annie had a point. Her collection of t-shirts and sweaters simply wouldn't do, not for an occasion this special. Then she had an idea. She ran over and pulled out Annie's tightest pair of jeans.

"Where is the long scarf I gave you for your birthday last year?" She asked. Annie looked confused but dug it out and handed it to her friend. Sarah quickly folded it and tied the ends together as Annie pulled on the jeans.

Sarah held out the now folded and tied scarf and handed it to her roommate.

"Put your head in there and your arm here," she instructed. Once Annie had it in place, it hung off her like a shawl and cut off just before her midriff.

"How the heck?" Annie asked. Sarah shook her head.

"A magician never reveals," she said. Annie laughed as she shook her head and the girls headed out.

Jim was bugging Uhura about not knowing her name when they arrived. Uhura looked like she was glad for the distraction.

"Annie! Sarah! It's good to see you!" She greeted. Annie noticed that Jim was eyeing her with an amused look.

"What?" She asked. Jim smiled and shook his head.

"Nothing, you look good," he replied and Annie smiled.

"Thanks," she said as she turned to the bartender to order a drink. She turned around and almost spilled her drink on Bones.

"I'm sorry," she started before she saw who it was. He chuckled and she felt herself blush.

"Why do we keep doing this?" He asked and she shook her head.

"At least this time it's my fault," she replied. He reached up and touched her cheek briefly before he leaned past her. He put down some money to pay for Annie as he ordered his own drink. "You didn't have to do that."

"A southern gentleman always pays for the ladies," he chuckled. She playfully nudged him and made her way back over to Uhura, Gaila and Sarah.

"What was that about?" Sarah cooed and Annie blushed.

"Nothing," she whispered.

"Oh sweetheart that did not look like nothing!" Uhura interjected. "That looked like something!"

"Len and I are just friends!" she insisted.

"Sure like Jim and I aren't sleeping together!" Gaila hiccuped a bit too loudly. The girls looked over at Jim and proceeded to start laughing hysterically.

"Seriously?" Sarah asked. Gaila nodded turning a shade of red they hadn't thought possible on her green skin. "Well then I gotta ask on behalf of girls everywhere, how is he?" Gaila blushed even more.

"Really damn good!" She shouted and they all laughed again. They didn't notice that Jim and Leonard had started to make their way over to them.

"What are you girls laughing about?" Jim asked in curiosity. The girls started into another fit of laughter. Annie took a sip of her fruity drink.

"Whether or not you're good in bed," Sarah said seductively trying to get a rise out of him. She was leaning heavily into him before she suddenly backed away. "Annie wanted to know," she joked and Annie spit out her drink.

"I didn't. Not that I didn't want to know, but, I mean, I didn't, it just came up and, sure, I was curious, but, I mean, we all were and..." She trailed off blushed harder than Gaila had been.

"I'm just kidding," Sarah said squeezing her arm. She turned to Jim. "Gaila spilled the beans." Jim finally nodded.

"Oh," he replied. He looked a little disappointed and Annie wasn't sure why. Gaila was very pretty. The girl in question just stood there giggling like a fool.

"Oops," she hiccuped as she continued to laugh. Uhura sighed and shook her head.

"Anyway," Uhura said. "We are here to celebrate Sarah's getting out of here."

"You knew?" Annie gasped. Uhura laughed.

"Girl, I planned this whole thing!" She exclaimed raising her arms to gesture to all their friends there.

"Knew what?" Jim asked looking from Annie to Uhura and back again.

"I'm leaving Starfleet! I got an offer to join a ballet company!" Sarah squealed.

"Well congratulations!" He said raising a glass. Sarah beamed and hugged each of her friends in turn. Uhura then set her drink down on the bar.

"Come on," she said. "We came here to dance didn't we?" Sarah nodded in excitement and dragged Annie along with her.