"It's wrong to spy on other people." I called out and hoped there actually were a person and not a hallstand.

"I didn't intend to. I was on my way to catch up on some sleep." The doctor walked out of the shadow and came out in the light. He had dark circles under his eyes. I could smell his alcohol-breath from across the room.

"What did you hear?" Spock was going to kick me off the ship if anybody found out.

"Oh, nothing really: I heard you send love and kisses to the hobgoblin, but that's really all." His accent sounded Southern.

Wait whaat?

"What did you just call him?" No, he did not just say-

"Hobgoblin. Green-blooded hobgoblin." he had the nerve to look me straight in my eyes as he said so.

"How dare you! Take it back!" I threw my blanket off and stood up in front of him. Damm, he was tall.

"Get back to bed! Your drop is going to come off!" I must have gone crazy, but I pinched his leg. It maybe takes a while to work, but soon he would be limping around because of the neuropressure I had learned from Spock and T'Laina.

He grabbed my arms and leaned forward, causing me to fall back on the bed.

"Cool down, or I'll sedate you again! God dammit woman, I'm apologize for insulting your boyfriend!"

I froze to the spot.

"What? He's not my boyfriend! Eww, that would be soo gross! He's my cousin!"

Dammit! Why did I tell him that?

"You're his cousin?" He looked quite skeptical. Damm, he was heavy.. and warm…

"On his mother's side. Our mothers were sisters. You know, the woman I asked for yesterday? She i- was my aunt." He squinted his eyes. I realized his eyes weren't completely brown. There was something green over them. I wished he wasn't that close to me, maybe he could hear my heartbeat quicken. Dammit, why was he close! I wanted to kiss him… No shake it off! No more Johnny!

He suddenly let go of me and turned around to go for the door.

"Hey! Please don't tell it to anyone!" I called out to his retreating back. He lifted a hand over his shoulder and waved at me. He wouldn't tell.

I could hear him mumbling something about "pointy-eared bastard" as he left me lying in my bed. I defiantly wouldn't help him when he starts limping. That quark. Making me getting abstinences again. After such a long time…

I fell asleep again. I woke up with nurses running around, helping other patients getting up. A blond nurse made her way over to me.

"Good morning. The shuttles to Earth will be ready in half an hour; we will transport every patient to the Starfleet Hospital for further treatment." She looked on the biobed's PADD.

"Ensign Saga Melander, USS Knight? It seems your injuries have healed, a last checkup and you'll be good to go." It seemed Sarek or Spock had filled in the papers while I was asleep.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Please, no ma'am, just nurse Chapel. I'm not that old yet."

"Yes, nurse Chapel." She gave me a smirk and when helped me change clothes behind a pair of curtains. I would soon leave Starfleet Hospital anyway, so why not get out of that awful sick-clothes.

I got in a red uniform. I didn't say it was the wrong color; my computer field is actually more under the scientific area than mechanics (even if I create my research in hand), so it should have been blue, but I didn't want to risk getting the white outfit back.

But they had a pair of glasses with the correct lenses. Yay, know I look like the geek I am… I don't really need glasses; I only need them for reading. I just read so much I basically end up using them all the time

Chapel helped me do my hair. She told me they had thought my hair was just red from the blood, and they were surprised when they realized the red didn't disappear in water. She tied it up in a bun on my head: a couple of curls refused to stay there and so I let them be. 2 hours and the bun would declare defeat anyway, the hairpins never hold.

And so I could go on the shuttles with the rest of the sickbay. I got a seat for myself: well until Doc. Quack came limping in and sat beside me.

"Jesus Christ, what did you do to my leg? I've been hobbling around like some pirate the whole day."

"Oh, just a Vulcan trick I learned awhile back. Nothing an amputation can't cure."

He looked a bit scared until he saw that I smirked at him.

"What do you want in exchange?" he growled

"Keep your mouth shut, or I'll take your arm the next time." I hissed back at him

He leaned back in the seat. "Fine, I was going to anyway. Just.. Do that bloody Vulcan thing to make it go away." He actually closed his eyes as if he expected me to stab him or something.

I looked around if anybody was watching. Nobody was, so I laid a hand on his leg. He flinched, but for the rest of the time he sat as if he was a statue. I began to find the spot where I had pinched him. I used all my fingers to draw a pattern around it, and occasionally add pressure to my touch. 2 mins after I was done and clapped him on his shoulder

"Done! Was it okay, or did you need anesthesia?" I smirked at him. He looked a little pale as he grumbled something and turned his back to me, to look out of the window.

I looked over his shoulder and saw Earth. I hadn't been back for 2 years. I wondered how dad was doing. He would be devastated that Vulcan had been destroyed. He used to be Earths ambassador to Vulcan: well, until he retired when mom died. I can't remember her when I'm awake, only in dreams.

I never really understood why dad spends 3 months every winter there anyway. When he would go off to visit old friends and colleagues and leave me with Sarek, Amanda and Spock half of the time.

Doctor McCoy (I asked Chapel what his name was) was looking awful pale the whole trip down. His fingers bolted him to his chair; I thought if the seatbelt didn't work, when his death grip would.

We soon landed and were escorted to the Hospital. McCoy disappeared in the crowd, and I was out of the Hospital after a checkup by a busy intern. My rib was healing fine, my head injury was all gone.

I was a bit lost when I stepped out of the hospital, until I found a tall man in blue waiting for me.

"Spock! You're here!" I was a bit oblivious, Sarek had told me he was on the Enterprise: of course would he when leave Enterprise with the rest of the crew. I reached my arm out to him, but I stopped when he stood even straighter. Dammit! Why is it so hard to stop greeting him with a hug? It has already been 6 years since he told you not to!

"Ensign Melander, you have been summoned by Starfleet Command to debrief about your escape from USS Knight with the three Vulcan survivors, and your sudden appearance on USS Enterprise after your reported death. Have you been cleared from sickbay?" He had his stoneface on. It kind of scared me; I thought he as half a Vulcan would be just as emotional, if not more, as Sarek had been. Holding hands and everything; I could barely get a hug from him on my birthday. But it was understandable. Even Vulcans could slip in their control in such extreme cases.

"Ehh, yes, I am ready." I mocked a salute to him, he nodded to me and turned around on his heels and walked away. I could barely keep up with his speed; I even had to call out for him when my rib protested about the exercise. He waited till I had caught up to him, and when continued with the same speed, that jackass. I was breathing heavily when we arrived at the building housing the Command. We entered, and waited 2 awkward moments till the Admiral was ready. Spock nodded at me and left like a whirlwind.

The debriefing went well. Well, I couldn't really explain anything about our escape from the iceplanet. The admiral kindly informed me that the blond man that left with Scotty was the hero who had saved Earth from destruction. Both had survived. The kids were with the Vulcan refugees. They had asked about me, but I would not be able to see them anytime soon. All Vulcans had required personal space to meditate. They would when proceed to discuss what to do.

I wondered why he had told me about it, but I got the answer when I stepped out. A weird scene met my eyes when I came out. My dad may be a big man in Starfleet, but in reality he was as small as me. He had blond hair and deep blue eyes; he used to joke about how I really was a mini-me of my mom. I had only inherited his height.

His hair was beginning to get grey stains and he had gotten tiny eye wrinkles.

His eyes were empty as I saw him talk to a man I thought looked familiar. Spock was standing in between them; Sarek looked like his usual self as he stood beside dad. The four men hadn't realized that I had come out of the office, till Spock raised his voice. "Captain Kirk, this is Simon Melander's daughter, Saga Melander. She is-" Spocks introduction of me was cut short by my dad when he stepped over to me and pulled me into a hug. I would have been embarrassed if it wasn't because I really needed that hug. What the heck, let's just eat the whole cake, now we already had a taste. I clung to him and enjoyed his familiar scent that reminded me of childhood memories: hiding for T'Laina in his closet. Being tugged in. Trying to stay awake till he got home, just to fall asleep on the couch, and wake up in my bed. And even the smell of moms perfume…

I had really missed him all these years.

He gave me a kiss on the forehead and held me out to inspect me.

His eyes narrowed. "You look awful."

"Gee, thanks dad, always the gentleman. You look dead yourself." He never really learned that Vulcan attitude with semi-formal greetings. So much for having been an ambassador on Vulcan.

He clucked. "Captain Kirk, this is my only daughter, Saga. She is an ensign at Starfleet, and was stationed at the USS Knight. Saga, this is Jim Kirk, the soon-to-be captain of the Enterprise, which he has conquered from our dear Spock." The man grinned at Spock.

"Yes, I just heard the whole story from the Admiral. Thank you for-" I was cut short when dad announced.

"Oh, the Admiral! I forgot! Excuse us, Ambassador Sarek and I have business to attend. Saga, I will talk with you tomorrow. We have things to discuss." He gave me a look and nodded to Kirk and Spock, before he disappeared with Sarek.

As I saw Spock and Kirk stand beside each other I remembered him from the iceplanet! He had beamed away with Scotty!

"I will depart now, to attend a meeting. Ensign Melander, captain Kirk." Spock nodded goodbye and left quickly, leaving me with Kirk.

"Soo, what now?" Kirk looked down at me with his eyebrows raised by my question.

"How about a drink? I could really use a drink after this hell."

"Good idea, captain Kirk."

"It's Jim." He held out his hand and I shook it.

"Saga."