New Chapter? Aren't you excited?? Well, this one's all about Kirk and Caroline, and I dedicate it to freitazal. You make me so happy!

Disclaimer: I do not...etc,...except for Caroline.

Enjoy!

4.

Three days later, I was released from Sickbay. Evidently, the entire Enterprise crew had been informed of my presence, for none of them stopped my as I made my way to the cafeteria. Dr. McCoy had given my thorough instructions on how to get there, so, naturally, I was lost. It only made sense, huh?

Walking with no direction, I continued on my way. I kept looking around, but everything looked so dag-gone similar. Geez! As if my life wasn't complicated enough already.

"See, I told you that the two of you are the same size." I turned. Coming my way, and looking rather dashing, was Captain Kirk. Stopping before me, tall and commanding, he addressed, "Good evening, Caroline."

"Hi."

"Lost?"

Though I'd been looking over his shoulder, I now looked at him. "That obvious, huh?"

He shrugged. "Not really, but why wouldn't you be? It's a big ship. C'mon; I'll take you where you're headed." So, with no other choice, I followed him. After a while, he asked, "Where are you headed?"

"To get something to eat."

"Sickbay food that bad, huh?"

"I suppose." After that, nothing more was said; we continued on with awkward silence. Though I generally didn't like walking side-by-side with someone when we weren't exchanging a conversation, I couldn't lag to far behind; this was his ship, after all, and not mine. I had no intention of being lost again. Besides, questions for him nagged the back of my mind.

Finally, after about five minutes of walking without words, I couldn't keep it in any longer. "Did Dr. McCoy talk to you about my father?"

He gave me an odd look. "Was he supposed to?"

I sighed. To myself, I grumbled, "I take that as a no. Look, you promised me immunity, but what about my father? He doesn't mean any harm to the Federation, either. It's just circumstance." At first, he didn't answer me, but my next comment helped illicit a response. "Whether or not you help me, I'm going to find him, even if that means bending a few laws."

"Caroline, we don't know where he is," he said in a manner that I would never expect from The Captain James Tiberius Kirk of the Great USS Enterprise. His voice was soft, almost as if he was breaking news to a very small, and very stubborn, child. However, it didn't deter my mission.

"Is this the Enterprise, or not? Surely, surely!, with this crew we can find him." Though I did have a bit of pride, I was totally willing to use it all up for pleading. "And if you're half the captain the world says, you can help me. I know you think about yourself only--it's one of your favorite topics, I know--but please."

For the longest time, he said nothing. Just when I thought he'd been ignoring me this entire time, the sides of his lips quirked up. "You said 'bending' a few laws."

What the hell did that have to do with anything? "So."

"Rules can be bent; never laws. I like your thinking."

"Well, thank you, but are you going to help me or not?"

"And another thing, my favorite topic is women and--"

Abruptly, I turned. "Forget it. Never mind. Forget it. I'm going back to Sickbay, grabbing what little I have, and leaving. Forget it you chauvinistic pig. I'll do it by myself." We'd arrive at the cafeteria, but I wasn't feeling too hungry anymore. Not after that comment. Instead, I took my chances on the twisting halls. If all he could think about right now was sex with women while my father was probably in danger, I didn't need him. I'd do better without him.

Stupid captain.

RaR. Don't worry; it'll get better for the two of them. For those of you who read Highly Illogical Purchase, thank you. I didn't expect it to go over so well! If you haven't yet, go read it--it's all Spock and Uhura. Bye now!

AL