Chapter Fourteen
"In my bed I'm rolling over I'm tangling up in the chains on the swings on the set, on the night that we met, And all the beads of water move up the glass You speak your mind, you cannot take it back..." - Tightrope, Walk The Moon
When she had signed on to become a Liaison, she was bracing herself for the classes to get more difficult. She had to take numerous classes at once and keep up with whatever social life she had left outside of those classes. That social life revolved mostly around Leonard and Jim, as the two of them had become more than just friends to her. Kayla had become more of the overprotective parent than a friend. It got to the point where they would argue almost every other day about it, and of course, Emily would usually brush it off.
In a way, Kayla was a lot like Julia. They both seemed to look out for her in ways that she didn't expect. Now, she was beginning to wish that a hole would open up and swallow her. She and Leonard had reached a mutual agreement to continue seeing each other, and to continue sleeping together. There hadn't been any arguments on either side, and Emily was beginning to find the idea of sleeping with him more and more appealing.
"I just don't get how you can think this is a good idea," she had muttered with a shake of her head, referring to the nightly visits between Emily and Leonard. She hadn't missed the fact that Emily's behavior had changed dramatically since they began seeing each other. "I mean, what happens if you're caught? You'll not only get kicked out of the Academy, but it goes on your records for the rest of your lives."
"Kayla, I think we're already aware of the risks," Emily rolled her eyes in annoyance.
They had had this conversation multiple times already. It had already been two weeks since they decided to keep it under wraps, and Kayla had become increasingly aware that something more was going on behind those closed doors. Though she never said it out loud, it was blindingly obvious that Kayla had a conclusion that most people would if they knew what was going on. Emily had to bite her tongue to keep herself from making a nasty retort.
Though they had agreed to share a room together, and a bed at that, it never went beyond that. A small part of her wanted nothing more than to make the next move. But she was fully aware that things could go horribly wrong if they moved too quickly.
"But, Em, there's more than just the risk of getting kicked out of the Academy," Kayla pointed out, and Emily had tossed a pillow in her direction at that.
"Dammit Kayla, he's a freaking Doctor!" she snapped.
Kayla frowned in annoyance after she dodged the pillow and threw it back.
It wasn't until Emily had said that that she realized just how much she was beginning to sound just like Leonard. And, she wasn't the only one to notice.
"All the more reason why he should know better," Kayla retorted. "Not only that, but he's also been through one bad divorce. You'd think he'd have learned by now."
Emily breathed in sharply through her nose, and Kayla stiffened as she realized what she had said. She had only been looking out for her roommate up until now. But, she knew what these nightly visits would eventually turn into. It never ended well, for anyone.
"Look, I get that you're worried," Emily sighed, trying to keep her temper under control by pinching the bridge of her nose as Kayla ducked for whatever cover she could find. She wasn't above throwing things if her temper got the better of her, but she managed to restrain herself this time. "But, this decision was made by the both of us. Whatever choices we make, whatever mistakes we make, is our fault. And if things don't work out, then that's our fault."
"Emily, if you don't stop this, I might have to myself," Kayla snapped, the anger in her voice making Emily turn to see her glaring at her. "And, I know exactly who to tell."
"You wouldn't," Emily practically growled.
Kayla of all people knew just how much she had tried avoiding Spock, the Vulcan Science Officer who had been a Starfleet Officer for nearly four years now. She had done everything in her power to avoid him up until now. Unfortunately, he was the one who lectured some of her classes, which meant that meeting him now was inevitable.
"Try me." The determination in Kayla's voice told her that she was deadly serious. She felt her heart race with unease as she realized what Kayla was implying. "I know how men think. I care about you, Em. I just don't want him to hurt you."
He wouldn't, Emily reminded her silently. But, at this point, she understood the severity of Kayla's threat. If she reported whatever was going on between them to Spock, he would file a report and get them both kicked out of the Academy. She wouldn't have anywhere to go, and she couldn't let that happen to Leonard. Not after all the hell he's already been through.
"Alright, I'll take your word for it," she relented, fuming over the fact that no matter what, this couldn't continue.
That was how Emily had been avoiding any contact for the next couple of weeks. She still kept in touch with Jim, having reminded Kayla that no matter what she said about him, Jim was still her best friend and brother-not-by-blood. Aside from that, she had refused to eat in the mess hall, opting to skip out on meals or bring them to the dorm instead.
It wasn't until the third week that Kayla had begun to notice her change in behavior. She had become more irritable, snapping at anyone who dared approach her other than Jim. True, she kept up with her classes and passed with flying colors. But, it was obvious she had not been sleeping. The nightmares had started returning at full-force, and Kayla had refused to do anything about it.
By the time the fourth week came around, Kayla had snapped. She realized that whatever had kept Emily's sanity was gone. Kayla chewed the bottom of her lip as she sat at the corner of the library, studying a particularly hard language. She didn't go anywhere near the dorm for the very reason that Emily had lost her temper far more often than she used to. It was clear that something needed to be done, but Kayla had also learned that something involved a certain doctor.
Speaking of which, she caught sight of him sitting at one of the tables, scowling at whatever notes he was going through at the moment. She rolled her eyes at the sight, wondering if that scowl was permanent. Though, there was a time when he had actually almost smirked. Kayla sucked in a breath as she realized that was when he was with Emily.
"You've gotta do something about Hayes." Kayla narrowed her eyes at the sound of Kirk's voice as he joined McCoy, the doctor's scowl deepening at the mention of Emily, or the fact that he'd been trying to study. Whatever the case, Kirk always seemed to find a way to get under anyone's skin. "Woman was nearly at my throat for just talking to her, and she's never acted that way… well, except for when we first met."
"Not much I can do about it when she's avoidin' me," McCoy grumbled.
The bitterness in his voice caught Kayla by surprise. Even Kirk rose an eyebrow at his complaint. If he knew what was going on between them, then he shouldn't be so surprised. Then again, Kayla had no doubt that they had been keeping whatever was happening between them a secret.
"Why would Em of all people avoid you?" Kirk demanded, sounding frustrated and confused. "I mean, I know why everyone else would, but Hayes is different from most people. In a good way."
Kayla almost snorted in agreement with that. People did avoid McCoy for a reason. He had a terrible bedside manner that could explain their avoidance. But, that gruff exterior had never scared Emily. In fact, she seemed almost drawn to people like McCoy and Kirk, whose reputations would normally keep anyone away.
"Yeah, well, I'm done with women," McCoy snapped and was getting ready to leave. "All they ever do is bring trouble with them."
For a moment, Kayla just looked in their direction, her eyes wide with shock at that. Once McCoy had left, Kirk was left alone. Kayla's mind was already working a mile a minute to try and figure out what the hell just happened. She realized that maybe McCoy had seen Emily as more than just a friend himself. It was at that point she realized something needed to be done.
"This is all my fault," she sighed with a shake of her head as Kirk looked in her direction. "I'm the one who threatened to report it."
"Report what?"
Kirk rose an eyebrow, and Kayla wondered if she had any right to tell him what had been going on between them. Considering the three of them had been the best of friends at one time, she wondered how well he would take the news.
"That they were… sleeping together," she admitted, her voice dropping to a whisper. "It wasn't anything serious, but I was worried."
"They were what?" Kirk only gaped at her in disbelief, his mouth literally hanging open for a moment before he closed it. "And they didn't have the nerve to let me in on it?"
"Well, something tells me they had a reason to keep it secret," she explained with a shrug, suddenly wishing a hole would open up and swallow her. She knew that Emily wouldn't likely forgive her for keeping them apart. But at least she had to try and fix the problem that she started. "Em hasn't been the same, and I'm guessing McCoy hasn't either."
"Yeah," Kirk admitted resentfully, "Guy's been losing his temper more often, just like Em."
Kayla let out a sigh of frustration as she realized just how far she had gone this time. She had only been looking out for her. But, she realized by now that it was too late.
"I think we need to do something to get back our friends," she muttered, hating the fact that they would need to work together. "It's not healthy for either of them to be so grumpy all the time. Emily in particular, because she snaps at just about anyone who tries to talk with her, and has a temper worse than a wolverine."
Kirk only nodded in agreement at that, having been on the receiving end of her temper multiple times. The question was, how exactly did they get them back together without making it obvious? Kayla wasn't exactly the best when it came to forming plans. Luckily, Kirk was a master at that. It had only taken them a good hour to come up with the perfect plan, and by the time they were finished, Kayla knew that whatever happened after this would work.
"Just uh, one more thing, Emily's gonna kill me enough for this," she went on before they parted ways. "So, under no circumstances, can either of them know that you know. I get the feeling they wouldn't appreciate it."
"Yeah, I had that feeling since Bones didn't say a thing about it until you brought it up," Kirk rolled his eyes, and Kayla found herself smirking at the nickname. "Alright, Richards, I'll see you bright and early tomorrow."
Kayla smirked in amusement at that before heading back to her dorm for the night. Maybe Kirk wasn't as bad as she first thought, and Emily had a point about him.
…
Morning had arrived all too quickly for Emily. Her eyes snapped open to find herself back in the dorm. After not getting decent sleep for nearly four weeks, she was beginning to wonder if these nightmares would ever leave her alone. They had only gotten worse over the weeks since she'd avoided Leonard. The familiar pang in her chest as she sat up kept returning every morning, as if there was an emptiness where he should be.
It was enough to make her realize just how dependent she had been on him. Her throat tightened at the thought. She had never needed to rely on anyone before, but the moment she woke up in this world was when that all changed.
"Alright, Em, we're going to the mess hall, whether you want to or not," Kayla suddenly announced, snapping her out of her thoughts. "And before you say no, I've already decided that I will drag you there if I have to. You haven't been eating or sleeping properly, and it's becoming obvious. Do not make me send you to the hospital."
That was enough to catch her attention. Emily grimaced at the thought of going back to the hospital, especially after not getting nearly enough sleep or anything to eat. She had been avoiding the mess hall at all costs, mostly because she was afraid of what she would say to Leonard if she ran into him. Kayla must have noticed the unusual change in her behavior. She admitted that she wasn't the same since their conversation four weeks ago. But, between losing sleep and everything else, her behavior was understandable. At least, that was how it felt.
She shook her head at the thought as she followed Kayla to the mess hall after making sure she didn't look like a mess herself. Emily blinked in confusion as she realized Kayla wasn't leading her to the mess hall. It didn't take long for her to figure out what was happening, but Kayla had already grabbed her hand as they reached a rather large utility closet that Kirk had been waiting by.
"Oh, what fresh hell is this?" she groaned after hearing the shouting from inside the closet that Kirk had been leaning against.
He looked far too smug for this to be anything good, and she recognized who was shouting and cursing away within seconds. It only took her a few seconds to register what the pair were planning. Jim just kept that same cocky grin as his arms crossed over his chest.
"How'd you manage to get him to listen?" Kayla asked with an equally amused expression.
"Eh, he was still half-asleep when I dragged him out," Kirk shrugged it off. "Plus, he hasn't had his coffee yet, so… you're in for a treat."
It didn't take long for Emily to realize what they were planning. Before she could struggle free of Kayla's surprisingly firm grip, Kirk moved to open the door, and she was practically shoved into the closet, nearly knocking Leonard over in the process.
"Now, we've both had it dealing with whatever the hell is going on here," Kayla rolled her eyes as she and Kirk guarded the entrance, both looking too damn smug for their own good.
"Which is why we've decided to lock you in here until you work it out," Kirk put in. "Oh, and please try not to kill each other, I prefer keeping my friends in one piece."
Neither Emily or Leonard were given a chance to protest as the door was closed on them.
"Piss-ass," Emily cursed under her breath, slamming a fist against the door in a feeble attempt to avoid any confrontation. Unfortunately, life never seemed to work out in her favor. "This was not how I wanted the morning to start off," she added, ignoring the murderous look Leonard was giving her.
"Dammit woman, you've been avoidin' me like I'm the devil!" he snapped, and it was enough for her to roll her eyes.
"Well, excuse me for needing to focus on my damn classes!" she shouted back with equal force, catching him by surprise, for a change.
"Do you expect me to believe that load of bullcrap?" he demanded.
"No, I expect you to keep your damn mouth shut so that we can get out of this shit-hole!"
"You're the reason we're in this damn mess in the first place!"
"Kiss my ass, Leonard. You and I both know the reason why we're stuck in this damned closet!"
If either of them had kept their voices any lower, they would have heard the laughter from the other side of the door. Emily was fuming as she glared back.
"Don't you think I would've if I could?"
That was enough to stun Emily into silence. Even Leonard had clamped a hand over his mouth as he realized what he'd said. It took a few seconds for Emily to register that the laughter outside had died down. Either Kirk and Kayla had heard or, they'd just given up. Whatever the case, she couldn't hide the look of disbelief that followed as she realized what Leonard was implying. Seeing the look written across his face told her that he hadn't meant for those words to slip out.
"You'd really rather kiss my ass?" she finally found the courage to ask, blinking innocently as he rolled his eyes.
"Actually, I'd rather kiss you," he admitted, looking slightly sheepish at his confession.
Emily merely blinked at that. She wasn't sure what to say to that, especially given the unusual situation they found themselves in. Had they been in their dorm, maybe she would have said something about that remark. But, as it was, they were currently locked in a closet with Kirk and Kayla standing guard. She had a feeling they wouldn't care one way or another if they said nothing for the next two hours.
"Well, you're gonna have to wait," she replied, keeping her voice steady under the glare that followed. "Look, for whatever reason, Kirk and Kayla aren't going to let us out of this damned closet unless we… make up. So, we might as well get it done and over with."
Leonard sucked in a breath before nodding in agreement. She rolled her eyes after realizing that maybe Kayla had a point when it came to men being men. Though, she admitted that the feelings were mutual. The only reason she had been avoiding him in the first place was because Kayla had threatened to report them. Now, there was a very high possibility that Kirk knew the truth, and that could only lead to disaster if he found out.
"Damn, that was an epic shouting match," Jim smirked the moment they had opened the door, nearly blinding them with that harsh San Francisco sunlight. "Gotta give you credit for putting Bones in his place, Hayes."
"Kirk, I'd run if I were you," Kayla whispered after noticing the murderous glares they were both giving him. Jim didn't need to be told twice as he realized that both of them were glaring at him. He made a beeline for whatever hiding place he could find. "So, are we good?" she asked hesitantly, knowing she'd likely get an ear-full once they were alone.
"I'd run, if I were you," Leonard drawled, the tense curtness in his tone enough for Kayla to understand she was in serious trouble herself.
She ran the moment she had a chance, leaving the two of them behind. The moment they were gone was when Emily let out a sigh of relief. She'd give Kayla hell for this later on, and she was sure that Leonard would wring out Jim's neck once they had a moment alone.
"How exactly do we move on from here?" she asked once they'd reached the mess hall, relieved to find neither Jim or Kayla had thought of going there.
"That depends on whether or not you plan on avoidin' me after this," Leonard rolled his eyes after grabbing a much needed cup of coffee, and Emily had grabbed a bowl of much-needed oatmeal.
She'd already grabbed her own cup of coffee after deciding that caffeine was desperately needed. After that rude awakening, she wanted nothing more than to crawl back into bed and forget the whole incident happened in the first place.
"Leonard, the only reason I've been avoiding you in the first place is because Kayla threatened to report us," she rolled her eyes. The look he threw her was priceless. "She found out on her own."
Well, it was technically true. Kayla had jumped to one wild conclusion, and Emily had known that the longer she made her roommate wait, the more wild guesses she would make.
She didn't want either of them getting kicked out of the Academy because of those stupid regulations. For a moment, even Leonard didn't know what to say to that. They'd become good friends over the last couple of months, and neither were willing to admit that maybe this relationship was turning into something bigger. At any rate, both Kirk and Kayla had learned the hard way what it was like to keep them separated for any amount of time.
"Screw the regulations," Leonard muttered under his breath, and Emily couldn't hide the smirk that followed, but it quickly faded as her rational thinking took over.
"As much as I love your enthusiasm, Leonard, I don't think we should keep this up," she sighed, letting her hands fall around the bowl of oatmeal. "What if someone like Spock found out? You know he would file a report without even thinking. We'll find a way around this, but for now, I think it's best to keep it to a minimum."
As much as Leonard hated to admit it, he knew she was right. Last thing he needed was some greenblooded hog-goblin reporting either of them. Especially if what Emily had said about her past was true. Neither of them could afford to lose their places in the Academy.
"So, what exactly do you have in mind?" he asked after giving it some thought.
It was clear that avoiding each other wasn't working out for either of them. So, something had to be done. Emily looked into her bowl of oatmeal thoughtfully, until an idea came to mind.
"I've got an idea," she replied with a coy smile.