"Love; it will not betray you dismay you or enslave you, it will set you free, be more like the man, you were made to be..." - Sigh No More, Mumford and Sons

Chapter Four

The damp, morning air was enough to overwhelm her senses as she found herself standing before a structure that made her gawk for what felt like hours. Her mind was already spinning with all the new information Captain Pike had entrusted her with. This was a huge culture shock for sure. Between waking up in what was a new universe to her, and finding out that aliens and humans got along well enough with each other, she was surprised she hadn't freaked out yet. Then again, Nurse Hallie had administrated another sedative the night before so that she actually got some sleep.

After realizing that she had been suffering from major anxiety upon waking up in this world, the nurse had been kind enough to offer a sedative so that she would get some proper sleep. She had been reluctant at first, but eventually, she relented to the fact that she needed the sleep more than anything to recover. Between the nightmares and everything else, she wasn't sure at the time whether or not she would get proper sleep.

As Emily did nothing more than stand there and gape, she could only imagine what would happen in the near future. The structure was like nothing she had ever seen before. Construction workers were running to and from their locations off in the distance. What really caught her attention was something that hovered several feet above the ground was what looked like a massive circular disk-like structure. Even for someone who never saw the movies, Emily knew what it was.

She never once thought she would see a Starship in person. That thought alone was enough to leave her mind spinning. The thought of what would happen left her listing through the worst-case scenarios. For a moment, she thought of turning back. After all, she didn't necessarily have to go through with this. Emily could just as easily turn her back on the offer Captain Pike made, and move on in life. But, she had nowhere else to go. She already felt lost enough.

The first thought that ran through her mind was that she'd be leaving everyone behind. From her parents who couldn't give a damn what happened to her, to Julia. She hated knowing that Julia wouldn't know what had happened to her. Especially after everything they'd been through. They had been the best of friends, despite the constant arguments they would go through on a daily basis. Leaving her behind felt worse than she would ever admit out loud.

I'm sorry, Julia, she thought, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment. Julia would learn to move on, eventually. It was the fact that Emily had been torn away from everything she knew that things would be anything but easy. The least those bastards could have done was taken someone with some knowledge of this world. This was all entirely new for someone like her, and she wasn't looking forward to what would happen in the near future.

The first night after waking up in the hospital had been difficult enough for her. Captain Pike had explained to her what the enlistment process would be like. He'd spent a good hour just going over the process and how she would find the shuttle yard. After that, she had been nearly overwhelmed with the realization that she wasn't returning to her own world. Every emotion she'd tried burying while the Captain was there had all but overwhelmed her.

Now, she was struggling to fight back the same emotions that threatened to sweep through her. She tried keeping on a brave face throughout the ordeal. When she finally left the hospital and made her way towards the shipyard, she kept trying to tell herself that she wouldn't break down into tears again.

Finally, she took the chance and wandered towards the sight of the shuttle that was launching in a few minutes. The hospital had handed her a small duffel bag with what clothing they were able to find. Since she had arrived with literally nothing to her name, they were forced to scavenge and give her hand-me-downs. She was thankful they had offered her that small amount. Their generosity took her by surprise, especially since they could have easily told her to go and find her own way in this new world.

Captain Pike was still waiting for any last minute recruits who hadn't shown up yet, and she was relieved to see at least one familiar face waiting outside the intimidating looking shuttle.

"I was afraid you'd be no-show after all that," he remarked after observing the duffel bag slung over her shoulder.

"It isn't as if I have nowhere else to go," she replied with a small shrug. "Thanks for the offer."

The Captain merely offered a reassuring nod and gestured for her to join the others who were already strapped inside. Emily threw him one last look, still unsure of the fate that she was sealing herself into. She had little to no idea what to expect out of enlisting in the Academy, but she also knew that it was the only place that would offer free housing for the time being.

The moment Emily stepped inside the shuttle was when her eyes widened once again. It was bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside. Seats were set from back to back, with only a few windows to look out of. Emily glanced at one of the seats that was already taken, with blond hair and blue eyes. He didn't seem to notice her, at first, until she recognized who he was. Not the guy, actually, but the actor who portrayed him in the movie.

She stood there for a few more seconds, noticing the guy looked as if he'd recovered from a recent brawl. She recalled hearing one of the doctors complaining about having to patch up a couple of Cadets who had initiated the fight the night before. Rolling her eyes, she had no doubt this guy was the one responsible for said fight. Unfortunately, there were only two seats left. She took a seat close to the guy who could easily pass for Chris Pines' twin, and she took a deep breath after making sure the harness was strapped over her.

This is real, she reminded herself, This is real and I could just as easily have turned out with similar injuries. I should be thankful those bastards didn't turn me inside out, or do anything worse than leave a few scars.

She remembered hearing from Julia the actor Chris Pines had portrayed a rather infamous character, though she couldn't quite remember his name. She suddenly wished she could have taken the time to watch the movies. Or to have at least listened to Julia's rants when she would talk about the movies. She would often try comparing the older movies with the newer ones to see which were better, though Emily never bothered paying much attention.

The man was eyeing her curiously though once she took her seat. She tried to avoid his questioning gaze when he looked her up and down. It was bad enough seeing so many unfamiliar faces watching her every move. But to have someone who could pass for a movie character look at her that way was unnerving.

"Sir? Sir, you need to take a seat."

Emily peered through one of the seats to see a rather gruff looking man desperately trying pass one of the security guards. It took her a few seconds to recognize him as the same doctor who had complained about those Cadets who were caught in the brawl the other night. She had seen him multiple times in the hospital before she was finally given the all-clear by Nurse Hallie. Though they never once made contact with each other, she had seen him catch a glimpse of her every now and then during his rounds.

"We're taking off… sir, you need a doctor!"

She rose an eyebrow when she noticed how terrified the poor guy looked. Though, between the gruff appearance and outfit, it was hard to really tell. She was surprised he hadn't cleaned up much after parting ways with the hospital. It was clear that he didn't want anything to do with the situation he was in. And that left her wondering how he ended up on the shuttle in the first place. If he wanted nothing to do with Starfleet, then why was he here?

"I don't need a doctor! Dammit, I am a doctor!" he shouted back, flailing his arms frantically as if to prove a point.

"You need to take a seat," the woman fired back, clearly unmoved by his pleads.

"I had one!" he protested, "in the bathroom with no windows!"

The woman, who Emily assumed was one of the pilots or a security guard, didn't look impressed. She crossed her arms over her chest and stood in front of the man with an imposing expression that dared him to argue any further. Emily had to admit, she was impressed that a woman who was tiny compared to the man threatening her stood up to him.

"You need to get back to your seat, now."

If it wasn't for the fact that the guy had probably enlisted in Starfleet, Emily would have felt sorry for him as he looked around desperately for some kind of escape. Though, she couldn't really blame him for that fear. She had never flown in a shuttle before, and she was feeling terrified herself.

"I have aviaphobia. It means fear of dying in something that flies."

"Sir, for your own safety, sit down, or else I'll make you sit down!" The woman wasn't backing down, even though he was clearly taller and could probably bulldoze her down for the door if he wanted to. Emily rose an eyebrow at the sight as he finally gave in, taking a seat next between her and Chris Pines' twin. "Thank you," the woman sighed in exasperation.

Emily held back a sigh of her own as Aviaphobia guy tried working his harness. His shaky movements and stiff appearance told her that he really was terrified of being strapped down to his fate. She would have almost felt sorry for him if it wasn't for the fact that he was also probably suffering from a hangover. He looked more like a deer caught in the headlights with his eyes darting around frantically for signs of attacks.

"Here," she offered, keeping own voice calm and her hands steady as her fingers brushed against his in an attempt to calm his shakiness. Really, it was for her own good. She may have flown in plenty of planes within her lifetime, but she had never flown in a shuttle like this. In that sense, she understood why Aviaphobia was so terrified. His eyes wandered to hers as she snapped the harness together. "Better?"

"Anything but, darlin'," he groaned with a stiff nod.

She almost smirked in amusement when he nodded his thanks, even though his body language said the complete opposite.

"This is Captain Pike; we're clear for takeoff."

Aviaphobia's face turned pale as a ghost at that announcement.

"I may throw up on ya," he warned.

Emily nearly rolled her eyes when she caught the heavy southern accent in his voice. It added to the charm of his vile comment. Well, at least he had the courtesy to warn everyone. Admittedly, Emily felt her own stomach lurch as the shuttle began to take off, her own heart racing with dread the moment it lifted off the ground.

"Don't worry," Chris Pines' twin remarked, glancing at him curiously, "These shuttles are incredibly safe."

"Oh, don't pander me, kid," Aviaphobia rolled his eyes, "One tiny crack in the hull and our blood boils in thirty seconds. A solar flare might pop up and cook us in our seats. And wait 'til you're sitting pretty with a case of Andorian Shingles. See if you're still so relaxed when your eyeballs are bleeding. Space is a danger after darkness and silence."

The more he went on, the more she guessed he was listing every worst-case scenario he could think of, and it was obvious he was only making himself feel worse. She was almost tempted to reach over and give his hand a reassuring squeeze to calm him down when she stopped herself. She barely knew the man, and something told her that he wouldn't thank her anytime soon for pulling off that stunt.

"Well, aren't you just an optimistic ray of sunshine?" Emily asked with a smirk of amusement. "Are you always this enjoyable during a shuttle ride?"

If it wasn't for the terror that currently gripped him at the moment, he would have laughed at that comment. As it was, the scowl that followed was enough for her smirk to widen. Chris Pine's twin decided to cut through the building tension after he noticed that she actually was willing to talk.

"I hate to break it to you, but Starfleet operates in space," he explained knowingly.

Aviaphobia snorted loudly, then pulled out a flask from his jacket, "Yeah, well, I've got nowhere else to go." His hands were trembling as he struggled to open the top, "The ex-wife took over the whole Goddamn planet in a divorce. All I've got left are my bones."

He was still fidgeting even as the shuttle began to even out on the flight, before finally offering the flask to Chris Pines' twin. It was clear that drinking alcohol was the only way to soothe the man's nerves, even if it was probably against whatever rules were in place.

"Jim Kirk," the younger Cadet introduced himself, giving a mock salute with the flask before taking a sip.

"McCoy. Leonard McCoy."

He was about to put the flask away when he remembered the woman kind enough to strap him to his fate. The doctor glanced at her curiously, noticing that her eyes were half-closed while her own hands clung to the seat for dear life. But, that wasn't what had caught his attention. He might have been terrified at that moment, and suffering from the worst hangover in the history of hangovers, but he could clearly see the scars along her hands and arms.

One nudge was all it took for her eyes to snap open.

"What about you, sunshine?" he asked, offering her the flask.

She accepted with the faintest of smiles, "Which do you prefer, my name, or the reason I'm here?" she asked, sniffing the neck of the flash cautiously, recognizing the scent of whiskey immediately.

Nice, she thought after taking a sip. A drink, especially during a time like this, was greatly appreciated. At least the alcohol was the same in this world. She had been hoping to recognize at least something from her world.

"I need the distraction, so both," he replied, his voice slightly strained.

"Well, my name's Emily Hayes," she explained, keeping her voice steady and calm as she returned the flask to the doctor, "And as for why I'm here, well… it's kind of a long story, and complicated." McCoy eyed her curiously, and she held back a sigh as she thought of how she would explain why she was on the shuttle in the first place. "I woke up in the hospital. The nurse told me that I'd been in comatose for a good three weeks before finally waking up. After that, Captain Pike suggested I enlist in Starfleet."

McCoy rose an eyebrow in surprise at that. He did recall hearing about the patient that was found in some cornfield, but he'd scoffed at the idea. Apparently, she had suffered from numerous injuries, looking close to death when she was brought in. The fact that she survived at all was what had really amazed the other nurses and doctors who were working on her case.

"Sounds like one hell of a story," Kirk snorted, sounding as if he didn't quite believe it.

"Well, at least my face doesn't look like I've hit a brick wall a few times just for the fun it," she rolled her eyes.

"For your information, I was defending myself," Kirk retorted, earning a laugh from the female Cadet sitting behind them.

"Is that what that was?" she shook her head. "You could at least tell them the truth."

"Heard it was a bar fight," Emily shrugged and smirked at Jim in amusement as he scowled.

"Something along those lines," Kirk grumbled with a roll of his eyes. If he wasn't stuck in some tin trap, McCoy would have laughed at the way they were at each other's throats. Despite that, though, Kirk seemed more amused than annoyed while Emily merely shrugged it off. "By the way, where are you from? That accent sounds familiar," he added.

"Brooklyn, New York," Emily replied. "Grew up in the city, but we moved to Manhattan when I was six, on account of my father's line of work."

"A city gal, huh?" Kirk rose an eyebrow in surprise. Then, he looked at McCoy. "And what about you… somewhere down south?"

"Georgia, actually," McCoy replied. "Grew up in Atlanta for most of my life."

Emily glanced at McCoy in surprise. She'd been to Atlanta before. Her father used to practice his studies there at the hospital before moving back to Manhattan to open his own practice. Manhattan was also the same city where her mother worked, and they worked not too far from each other.

Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she noticed McCoy had relaxed a little during their banter. Obviously, not enough for him to forget the predicament he was in, but at least it was enough to calm him down just a little bit.

The ride hadn't lasted much longer after that. Kirk kept babbling on about how he was determined to get the first name of the Cadet sitting behind them, and their banter had distracted Emily for a short time. Once the shuttle landed, Emily breathed out a sigh of relief she hadn't realized she was holding.

Though she wasn't in any hurry to step outside and see the world before her, she didn't enjoy being stuck inside the shuttle any longer than she already was.

"It was nice meeting you two," she flashed them a smile, "Oh, and Doctor McCoy, thanks for the drink."

…

"Is it just me, or is she kind of cute?" Kirk asked with a charming grin, earning an eye-roll from McCoy.

As the two of them stepped out of the shuttle, they were greeted by the heavy San Francisco air by full force. Kirk only smirked when he caught McCoy staring after Emily, who was greeted by Captain Pike once she'd grabbed a duffel bag. So, she hadn't been lying when she mentioned Pike having a talk with her.

It was clear from the way she had stiffened upon leaving the shuttle that she was overwhelmed with all the buildings surrounding her. McCoy had been trying to get a better view of the woman when he caught Kirk watching him curiously.

"Something tells me she has a thing for you," Kirk smirked while jabbing McCoy in the ribs after noticing the matter. He had to admit, the woman was easy on the eye. "I'm willing to bet there's more to her than meets the eye, too."

"Please," McCoy scoffed with a roll of his eyes, "A girl like her wouldn't want anything to do with me. Besides, I've already done the whole relationship thing, and look where that's landed me." He paused and glared at the kid as Jim merely brushed it off with a shrug. At that point, he was already feeling as if he was about to throw up when he added another question, "Anyways, do you really think I came here willingly?"

"Well, they don't force people to recruit," Kirk pointed out. "From what it sounded like, she didn't have too many options either. I bet you'd find a lot in common with her. Besides, this isn't so bad, when you think about it."

He added the last part with a wink.

"Right, I'll believe that shit when I see it," McCoy grumbled as he pushed his way past.

The tightness in his chest suddenly came rushing back as he swallowed back the vile threatening to return. Though, as he was able to spot Emily's silhouette disappearing into the crowd, he realized that maybe Kirk was right after all.