December 2257

"…Decorated Starfleet Officer Winona Kirk killed herself last month at the Kirk farm in Riverside, Iowa and she left a note for the cause of her suicide. According to Riverside police, a note addressed to her younger son, James Tiberius Kirk, was found in a safe within Winona's bedroom…"

"Shut that thing off," Chris snapped as a picture of the Kirk household cordoned off by police tape and guarded by robot officers stood outside it. "Arianne, when did Jim contact you?"

"…Dear Jimmy, it's because of you and your desire to be a part of that wretched Starfleet that I can't go on living any longer. Sam told me at his wedding that you were a Starfleet cadet and I about died; do you really want to be like your father? It's bad enough you were a worthless juvenile, but an officer…"

The TV suddenly switched off and Arianne sighed, "Jim was woken up by a reporter banging on his and Leonard's dorm door at 0500," she explained in a somber voice. "According to Leonard, the reporter asked Jim what he felt like being the cause of his mother's suicide and Jim didn't know what the reporter was talking about until the reporter shared the copy of the note he had brought from Iowa."

"And now Jim is out in San Francisco somewhere," Chris replied in an aggravated voice. "At least it's the last day of finals so that Admiral Archer won't put an AWOL charge on Jim's record, but it's cold…"

Arianne nodded, "Leonard went out searching and stayed out there until he had to come back for his finals," she replied somberly. "Are you sure that Jim didn't go to the shuttleport and try to go…?"

"I contact the shuttleport every half hour and nobody has come in matching Jim's description and he doesn't have money to buy anything to use as a disguise," Chris said in a tired voice as he pressed some buttons on his computer. "Oh man, I have to go up to the Enterprise and do some inspections today…"

Arianne sighed, "I'll keep up the search for Jim," she replied, frowning as there was a sudden beep.

"Is that Jim?" Chris asked as Arianne pulled out her communicator. "Tell him people are worried…"

There was a crackle, "I'm all right," Jim's voice spoke. "I'm just at Golden Gate Park thinking…"

"Jim, can I come sit with you?" Arianne asked in a worried voice. "There are people worried…"

Jim's voice sighed, "Can we do something besides sit around the park if you come?" he asked.

"Sure," Arianne replied in a gentle voice. "I'll come out there as soon as I can get away."

The comm went silent and Arianne sighed, "I'd better get there before Jim gets bored and goes somewhere else," she said in a tired voice as she stood up. "Don't tell anyone where he is."

"I've got to get up to the Enterprise," Chris replied gently. "If you want to invite Jim over to the house for dinner, I should be back by then. It's good that it is the last day of finals because most the cadets have gone home for the holidays and Jim won't be peppered with questions by anyone. Admiral Archer put a media ban in place when he heard what happened this morning, so campus is really quiet now."

Arianne nodded and silently left the room, silently praying that Jim wouldn't do anything stupid in the time that it took her to get to the park and also trying to keep her sudden anger at Sam under control.

Chris sighed and tapped on his computer to look again at the message that he hadn't let anyone, including Arianne, see; Sam had found out about the cause of Winona's suicide first and he had not only not told Jim, he had expressed the opinion to Chris in an email that maybe Jim should quit Starfleet.

"Jim, I hope you're okay," Chris whispered as he closed the terrible email and let out a tired sigh.

Golden Gate Park

Only a light amount of snow was left on the grass and the footpaths had been shoveled clean, but Arianne's mind was too filled with worry to notice how beautiful the park looked that day.

After changing into civilian clothes so she could look for Jim without attraction attention from the press, she had caught the bus and was now walking around the park with no idea where Jim could be hiding.

As Arianne stopped at a bench, she saw a figure in jeans, boots, a rough looking jacket, and a hoodie with the hood up come out from a nearby tree, "Jim, did you raid Leonard's closet?" she asked in a quiet voice, immediately recognizing that the person was Jim. "I've been worried about you all morning."

"Bones won't care if I borrow his stuff," Jim replied in a quiet voice. "I didn't mean to worry you."

Arianne nodded and enveloped Jim in a gentle embrace, "Bones punched the reporter in the face after he heard about the note Winona left," Jim explained as they pulled apart. "The noise woke up half the people in Cochrane Hall and Security had to come get the reporter out of the dorm room. When Bones went into the bathroom to calm himself down with a shower, I stole some of his civvies and ran away."

"Oh man," Arianne replied in a gentle voice. "My dad says he wants you to come over for dinner."

Jim nodded and sighed, "I don't want to hang around the park all day, so can we go do something that will take my mind off Winona?" he asked in a tired voice. "Maybe could we go volunteer somewhere?"

"There's a soup kitchen not far from here that usually takes volunteers over the lunch period," Arianne replied in a gentle voice, keeping her arm around Jim. "I volunteered there with my dad last Christmas."

Jim smiled, "Cool," he replied tiredly as tears suddenly filled his eyes. "Oh man; just a second. Arianne, could I borrow your shoulder just for a second?"

Swallowing hard, Arianne immediately pulled Jim into a hug and let him cry quietly on her shoulder.

Community Soup Kitchen – Downtown San Francisco – 1200 H

"Felisa?" Arianne called out as she and Jim entered the food preparation area of the large soup kitchen and saw an auburn haired woman in jeans, boots, a sweater, and a full apron standing at a large pot of something that was on the stove and producing a large amount of steam. "Felisa, need some help?"

The woman turned and smiled at Arianne and Jim, "Arianne Pike, it's been a while since I've seen you," she commented in a cheerful voice as she walked over to Arianne and Jim. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Jim, Felisa," Arianne said in a cheerful voice, smiling at Jim. "He wants to help out today."

Felisa smiled at Jim, "Hi Jim, I'm Felisa Howard," she said in a cheerful voice, immediately seeing that Jim was nervous. "I'm a community outreach worker and I work alongside Mark Piper in running places where those down on their luck can come eat, sleep in a safe environment, and find things to do…"

"Is Doctor Piper here?" Jim asked, feeling slightly comforted that a familiar face was nearby.

Felisa smiled, "No, Mark is running recovery groups in Sausalito until two today," she replied in a pleasant voice. "That's why we invite people to come and serve lunch to the needy."

Jim nodded and silently removed his coat and hoodie, "Here's an apron," Felisa said, smiling at Jim as she handed him and Arianne aprons. "Jim, Arianne, I've already set out the trays so all that needs to be done is serving the individuals that come in to eat. If you want to go out there and start serving…"

"Right," Arianne replied in a cheerful voice as she put her winter gear with Jim's. "Come on, Jim."

Jim sighed as he and Arianne went out into the eating area and took spots behind covered food trays that had long stemmed spoons sticking out of small holes in the sides of the lids. A few poorly dressed individuals were sitting at tables and eagerly came over to the people ready to serve them, but one individual in a heavy coat, sunglasses, and a patched hat remained hunched over at a corner table.

There was a deep sigh and then the individual got up and approached the food line, "Do you haff a bowl of sometheeing to help my stomeech?" a soft, but familiar accent asked, not looking at Jim or Arianne.

"Pavel?" Arianne asked in a soft, but worried voice. "Pavel, what are you doing in a soup kitchen?"

Pavel raised his head and Jim and Arianne were both horrified to see that dark circles were under Pavel's eyes and bruises were on his face, "Who would beat up a 16 year old?" Jim murmured.

"I am sewenteen!" Pavel snapped in an unusually angry voice. "I turned sewenteen two monzz…"

There were footsteps and Felisa came out, "Who's shouting out here?" she asked in a concerned voice, her eyes widening when she saw the badly beaten young man standing there. "What happened?"

"Nozzing," Pavel replied defensively as he picked up a bowl. "Can I please haff a leetle bit of food?"

Arianne held up the spoon that was filled with stew and Pavel suddenly turned green, "I do not vant food right now," he said in a sickly voice. "My stomeech is not going to like eet eef I try to eat."

"Would you like some tea for your stomach?" Felisa asked softly. "It might help you feel better."

Pavel was quiet for a minute and then shook his head, "I haff to find a place to sleep for tonight," he replied in a nervous voice, ignoring the looks he was getting from the other people in line for not moving so they could eat. "Ze older cadets in ze hall I live in changed my code after Heekaru left for Asia…"

"Arianne, why don't you take your friend into the back and Jim can help me take care of the crowd?" Felisha suggested, seeing that Pavel was becoming increasingly agitated. "Take all the time you need."

Arianne nodded and walked out of the food line, pleased when Pavel silently followed her into the back area, "If you're going to tell Keptin Pike, it vill not do any good," Pavel said softly. "Admeeral Archer emailed me and told me zat I am going to be posted on Earth once I am done ze next year in ze Academy because I am too young and unstable to go into space because of what happened wiz my fazzer…"

"Admiral Archer did what?" Arianne asked in a horrified voice, suddenly feeling extremely angry.

Pavel sighed, "He vas not heppy that I vas friends vith Cadet Scott," he said softly, suddenly wincing and placing one hand over his mouth and one hand over his stomach. "I feel like I vill be sick right avay."

"I think I should take you to Starfleet Medical," Arianne replied gently. "You need to see a doctor."

Pavel swallowed hard and carefully hugged himself, "Keptin Pike vill be mad because I vas too afraid to ask for help," he said in a quiet voice as he looked at the floor. "I told him zat I vas doing wery vell."

"Arianne, why don't you and your friend go get him some help?" Felisa suggested gently as she came into the back room wiping her hands on her apron. "Jim's doing a wonderful job and I can help him…"

Arianne looked to Pavel, who immediately sank to the floor, "I am too tired," he said in a faint voice.

"Pavel!" Arianne shouted as Pavel's eyes fluttered shut and his breathing slowed. "Pavel, wake up."

Felisa frowned, picked up a small jar off the counter, and walked over to where Pavel lay unconscious and barely breathing. She knelt down, opened the jar, and gently waved it under Pavel's nose.

"Vat…vat is zat smell?" Pavel slowly asked as he opened his eyes and saw Felisa hovering over him.

Arianne smiled as Felisa helped Pavel sit up, "Smelling salts," Felisa explained gently. "I think Arianne is right in saying that you need to see a doctor. Could I contact your parents to come pick you up so…?"

"I haff no parents," Pavel replied softly. "I am a kadet at ze Starfleet Academy, but I am vorthless…"

Felisa sighed, stood up, and silently went into the back area, "I want you to try a special drink that will help you be okay until you can be seen by a doctor," she said in a loud voice. "It's easy to make."

"I don't vant anymore dreenks," Pavel said in a faint voice, wavering as he slowly got to his feet. "I vill go back to campus and go straight to ze Starfleet Medeecal eef I am allowed to leaf; I do not want to be…"

Arianne frowned, "Did your father ever force you to drink things you didn't want to, Pavel?" she asked softly, silently wondering if the abuse Pavel had endured included being forced to consume alcohol.

Pavel didn't reply, however; he nodded, whimpered, and immediately began to tremble for several seconds before he turned away, "Here you are, Pavel," Felisa said in a gentle voice as she came out of the back holding a cup. "Is it all right if I call you Pavel? I heard Arianne call you that, so I assumed…"

"I am sorry for coming and askeeing for food," Pavel spoke softly. "I am hawing a wery hard time."

Felisa nodded and offered Pavel the cup, "Drink that and after lunch is done, I'll take you, Arianne, and Jim back to the Starfleet Academy campus in my station wagon," she said in a gentle voice. "Okay?"

Pavel took the cup and silently sipped the liquid as Felisa went into the front to help serve lunch.

Starfleet Medical – 1300 H

Small plastic trees with small ornaments were on every table in the foyer and on the front desk with a small wreath hanging off the counter. Red, silver, and gold garland was strewn along the walls, but Arianne didn't notice any of it; her focus was on seeing if anyone was actually on duty that afternoon.

As if someone had heard Arianne's silent hope, Dr. Harriman suddenly came out of the nearby staff lounge with a stylus in one hand and a Styrofoam cup in the other, "Doctor Harriman?" Arianne asked in a worried voice. "Doctor Harriman, are you available for a medical consult? It's a bit of an emergency."

"Yes, of course," Dr. Harriman replied worriedly, suddenly noticing Jim sitting in the waiting area with an exhausted looking Pavel leaning on him for support. "Cadet Chekov, are you feeling all right today?"

Pavel let out a weak sigh, but said nothing, "Doctor Harriman, I think Pavel needs some medical attention," Arianne spoke up in a concerned voice. "Jim and I found him downtown…"

Dr. Harriman nodded and walked over to Pavel and Jim, "Cadet Chekov, do you mind if I scan you with my medical tricorder?" she asked in a gentle voice as she sat down on the other side of Pavel.

"I do not mind," Pavel replied softly, forcing himself to look at Dr. Harriman. "Vill you be gentle?"

Dr. Harriman smiled as she reached into the pocket of her uniform and pulled out her medical tricorder, "I will be," she replied, sighing as she opened the medical tricorder and carefully scanned Pavel. "Ensign Kirk, do you want to help Pavel to an exam room, please? Pavel, I want to make sure you're okay."

"Yeah," Jim replied, quickly getting to his feet and offering Pavel a hand. "Need a hand up, Pavel?"

Pavel nodded and allowed Jim to help him up, "Ensign Kirk, I want you to help get Pavel into pajamas and get him comfortable, all right?" Dr. Harriman asked gently. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

"I promise to stay calm," Pavel whispered softly as he walked off down the hallway with Jim's help.

Dr. Harriman sighed and patted the seat where Pavel had been sitting, "I want to talk to you for a few minutes before I go help Pavel just in case I don't get another chance," she said in a gentle voice as Arianne came over to the chairs. "The primary fleet of Starfleet is being dispatched to the Laurentian system in approximately one month to engage in exploration, colonization, and other efforts to establish new alliances between the Federation and any species that might exist in that system; I need you to…"

"Doctor Harriman, I don't understand why I need to know this," Arianne replied in a confused voice.

Dr. Harriman smiled sadly, "If it weren't what you did for my husband and I back when I didn't know if I could ever be helped, this opportunity would have never come about," she explained gently, not at all bothered by Arianne interrupting. "John's been promoted to the rank of Captain and is being given command of a ship called the U.S.S. Sea of Tranquility that has been assigned to lead the fleet into the Laurentian system at the beginning of January. I need you to look after my counseling patients when I'm gone."

Tears filled Arianne's eyes and she sighed sadly, "I'm going to miss you, Lara," she said in a saddened voice even though she knew that Lara would someday be able to resume her life to the fullest. "I…"

"Arianne, you helped me recover from the Kelvin incident and brought me back to life," Dr. Harriman replied in a gentle voice. "You have an amazing gift to help people come out of their shells…"

Arianne shrugged and sighed, "You have a wonderful future ahead of you, Arianne," Dr. Harriman said in a reassuring voice as she stood up. "I was wondering if you could contact Captain Pike and tell him that Pavel is here. Pavel's only 17, so he is still a minor and needs a place to stay while he recovers."

"My father's up on the Enterprise doing inspections," Arianne replied worriedly. "Also, Pavel's not going to want to talk to anyone from Starfleet or Academy Command because of what Admiral Archer told him in an email message; in short, Archer is going to ground Pavel after Pavel graduates next year."

Dr. Harriman scoffed and shook her head, "I should get in there and help Pavel," she said in a slightly irritated voice. "I promise not to repeat what you told me, Arianne. You have a good holiday, okay?"

Arianne nodded and was quiet as Dr. Harriman walked off to Pavel's room. She sighed wearily, pulled out her personal PADD, and almost screamed when it suddenly vibrated and a new message appeared.

Arianne,

I'm done my semester finals and I was wondering if you wanted to go for a little walk with me?

Leonard

Smiling, Arianne got up and walked out of Starfleet Medical to go meet Leonard at his dorm and was surprised to see that Leonard was on the steps, "Hi Len," she commented softly. "How are you?"

"Tired," Leonard replied in a tired voice as he gently wrapped his arms around her. "You?"

Arianne sighed and leaned against him, "Ready for a walk with you," she replied pleasantly.

"My mama emailed me this morning and asked if I wanted to come out to Georgia for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day," Leonard said in a concerned voice. "I was wondering if you wanted to come with me."

Arianne was quiet for a moment and then frowned, "Aren't you still looking for Jim?" she asked.

"I was just getting out of my exam when I got an email from Jim and he said that he's gonna be busy all day," Leonard replied in a semi-relieved voice. "I just need to change into civvies before we go…"

Arianne nodded and sighed, "Where are we going, Len?" she asked in a curious voice.

"Meet me at the bus stop in about half an hour," Leonard replied pleasantly. "All right, darlin'?"

Knowing that Leonard was having fun being secretive, Arianne sighed, "All right," she replied softly.

Leonard smiled and took off down the stairs before Arianne had the chance to say anything else.

Ocean Beach - San Francisco, California – 1400 H

"Ocean Beach," an automated voice spoke out of the hoverbus intercom. "Please disembark safely."

Arianne sighed as Leonard helped her off the crowded bus and on to the sand that was peppered with light snow, "How have you been feeling lately?" he asked in a concerned voice. "You doing okay?"

"Tired from school, but I'm doing fine," Arianne replied softly. "How are you doing, Len?"

Leonard sighed, "Christmas is in a few days and I'm hating it," he replied somberly. "Is that wrong?"

"No," Arianne said as she led him closer to the water. "Not considering what you've been through."

Leonard nodded and gazed out at the water, "Ever since the accident, Christmas and anything that reminds me of family has always been hard to think about," he explained in a somber voice as he gazed solemnly out at the gentle waves. "I still have the occasional nightmare about the accident if I sleep too long and that's why I've been doing as many shifts at Starfleet Medical as I can; so I don't have to."

"Is that why you mixed substances the night before you got on the recruit shuttle?" Arianne asked softly, silently praying that Leonard wasn't going to get angry with her for bringing up the past.

Leonard was quiet for a min and then Arianne felt her hand being gently squeezed, "Yeah," he replied in an unusually somber voice as he looked at her. "I've learned from AA, though, that it's not good to be afraid to feel and work through grieving processes. I learned from you that there are things I can control and things that I can't control; one of the things I can control is the fact that I am in love with you."

Arianne smiled, "I'm in love with you too, Len," she replied softly. "This is such a lovely spot."

"I've stopped here sometimes on my way back to campus from AA and it's a good place for me to think," Leonard explained in a more upbeat voice. "Jim usually entertains himself by taking off his socks and shoes and going as deep as he can into the water without getting his uniform wet; it's a bit funny…"

Arianne gently leaned against Leonard, "Len, it wouldn't be right to go off to Georgia by ourselves and not offer Jim the chance to see his brother," she said, feeling as if Jim would not be very understanding if they didn't offer him the chance to go visit Sam at Christmas. "I know their last meeting didn't go…"

"I'm not sure if he will," Leonard replied in a worried voice. "Not after the whole suicide note."

Arianne nodded, but before she could reply, her private PADD suddenly buzzed. She sighed and quickly pulled it out of her pocket, expecting a message for an appointment. As she read it, she frowned.

"Len, read this," Arianne said in a worried voice as she held out the PADD to him. "It's from Jim."

Arianne,

I'm back in my dorm in Cochrane Hall and Pavel's spending time talking to Dr. Harriman. I was gonna stay with Pavel, but I got a message from Sam and that moron held the funeral without me! He bypassed all of Starfleet's regulations, got Winona's body released to him, and had a private funeral with Aurelan and a few others at the Kirk farm because he thought I'd make a scene. I already forwarded the message to Captain Pike and now I'm going out to be by myself; I'll contact you when I want to be social again.

Jim

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Leonard said in a shocked, disgusted voice. "Sam's such a jerk."

Arianne sighed, "Len, I need to do some Christmas shopping," she said, needing to have a distraction before her anger at Sam caused her to act inappropriately. "Do you need to do any shopping for your Mom or any friends you might want to get Christmas presents for? Christmas Eve is tomorrow and…"

"I might see if I can get something for my mom," Leonard replied softly. "Can we avoid the mall?"

Realizing that malls would have Santa Claus setups that would remind Leonard of Joanna, Arianne nodded and patted his hand as she pocketed her personal PADD, "I'm sure we can find some small stores somewhere downtown," she said in a reassuring voice. "Maybe we can go out to dinner too?"

"I'd like that," Leonard replied in a relieved voice. "Why don't we walk on the beach for a bit first?"

Arianne nodded, sighed, and smiled as she allowed Leonard to lead her down the quiet beach.

Downtown San Francisco – 1800 H

"…A snowstorm is expected to hit San Francisco by seven tonight," a voice said through a radio-com.

Arianne chuckled as she gazed up at the puke-colored sky that was already spewing heavy flakes of white snow and was relieved that she had worn her winter coat that day, "Do you think we should just get something to go and head back to campus?" she asked as she heard the door to the shop open.

"I don't know," Leonard replied in a concerned voice as he checked his PADD. "Should we…?"

Arianne sighed and she looked at Leonard, only to see that he looked worried, "I haven't heard from Jim yet, either," she replied in a concerned voice. "I hope he doesn't end up sick like he did in Georgia."

There was suddenly a loud crash from down the street and Leonard and Arianne turned their attention to the noise just in time to see a man get tossed out of a building and into a snowbank at the curb.

"Oh!" Arianne cried anxiously as she hurried down the street to where the man was laying face down in the snow with his arms hanging limply by his side, "Sir, are you okay?" she asked in a worried voice.

The man didn't respond and Arianne carefully rolled the man over in case the snow was making it difficult for him to breathe, "Oh!" she cried, suddenly realizing that she was staring at an unconscious Jim and that he had a bad gash on his forehead. "Len, it's Jim! It looks like he got beat up or something."

"Oh man," Leonard said in a heavy voice as he knelt down in the snow. "Jim, can you hear me?"

A faint cough escaped from Jim's lips, "C-Cupcake was in there," he said in a faint voice.

Arianne's eyes narrowed and she entered the building that Jim had been thrown out of. Her gaze moved around the lounge until it rested on Hendorff, Finnegan, and two senior cadets all sitting at the bar.

"You think it's funny to toss Jim out in the snow, huh?" Arianne asked sharply as she approached them.

Hendorff scoffed indignantly as he picked up a drink from the counter, "I heard about the reporter at his and McCoy's dorm this morning," he replied as he took a swing. "Little punk always wants attention."

"Hey Pike, why don't you forget about your little shadow and join us for a drink?" one of the senior cadets who Arianne knew as Anthony Marcus, asked in a slurred voice as he moved close to Arianne and put his arm around her. "You're a cute cadet and I've been wanting to ask you out for a while…"

Disgusted, Arianne immediately pulled away and was horrified when Anthony grabbed her arm, "LET GO OF ME!" she yelled in an angry voice. "I don't know how they did things on Alpha Centauri, but here…"

Anthony pulled Arianne close and she promptly punched him so hard that he slammed against the bar counter, "HEY!" the bartender yelled anxiously as he hurried to a vid-phone to call the police.

Scowling, Anthony stumbled back over to Arianne, "Finnegan, Hendorff, help me cool this feisty babe off!" he shouted as he grabbed Arianne around the waist. "Come on, babe; show me what you can…"

The door suddenly banged open and Arianne suddenly felt Anthony being forced away from her, "I do NOT want you touching my girlfriend like that EVER AGAIN," she heard Leonard say in a tone that dared anyone to mess with him right before there was a loud crashing sound. "Bartender, call the cops…"

Swallowing hard, Arianne looked around and was shocked to see Jim sitting next to a heater holding a bloody rag to his head, "Jim, are you okay?" she asked anxiously as she walked over to him.

"What happened?" Jim asked, his eyes widening as he heard sirens outside. "Aw, crap."

Arianne scoffed as she saw flashing red and blue lights outside; could this night get any worse for them?

Police Precinct – 2000 H

"Miss, would you like a drink of water?" Arianne heard a gruff voice ask. "Are you feeling all right?"

Letting out a tired sigh, Arianne opened her eyes and saw a uniformed officer standing beside the bench where she was sitting until the mess could be sorted out. They had all been brought to the station and Hendorff, Anthony, and Finnegan had all been put in holding cells while Leonard and Jim had been sequestered in an interview room that was being guarded. Paramedics had been called by the precinct and Arianne had been given the unpleasant task of phoning her father and explaining what happened.

It was fortunate; her father had just gotten back to campus from spending the entire day on the Enterprise and he had been relatively calm when he had been told what happened downtown.

Of course, Arianne knew that her father always kept calm on the phone and saved his primary reactionary emotions, namely concern and frustration, for when he could be on hand at a situation in person. She had seen this multiple times when he had come to her defense when she was younger.

"Miss?" Arianne heard the officer ask again. "Do you want some water or to make a phone call?"

Arianne sighed, "No, thank you," she replied in a tired voice. "I just want this day to be over with."

The officer nodded and the precinct doors suddenly slid open as Arianne looked at the floor, "I'm Captain Christopher Pike of Starfleet," she heard her father say. "I was called about an incident…"

There were footsteps and Arianne opened her eyes again just in time to see Spock and Amanda come over to her, "Spock, Lady Amanda, what are you doing here?" she asked in a confused voice.

"My mother has come to Earth to celebrate the Terran holiday of Christmas with me and we were preparing to go into the Terran section of San Francisco with Captain Pike for a meal when he received your call," Spock explained in a toneless voice. "We decided to accompany Captain Pike here to assist him."

Arianne nodded and bit her lip as her father walked over to her with a parental expression on his tired face, "Mind telling me what happened?" Chris asked in a fatherly voice. "This is the last place I expected to ever have to come for you. When I got your call, I wondered if you were pranking me at first, but…"

"Leonard and I were hanging out downtown and we found Jim unconscious in a snow bank outside of a lounge," Arianne explained in a tired voice. "I went inside and found that Cadet Marcus, Cadet Hendorff, Cadet Finnegan, and Cadet Rogers had roughed Jim up and threw him in the snow because of the reporter that showed up at Leonard and Jim's dorm this morning. Cadet Marcus was drunk and he started getting really inappropriate; it was coming to a head when Leonard came in and defended me."

Chris looked almost horrified at hearing that, but he merely nodded, "Stay out here with Commander Spock and Lady Amanda," he said in a gentle, but very firm voice. "I need to go talk to everyone else."

"…First Responder to Interview Room One," an automated voice spoke over the intercom. "Emergency."

The officer swore, "That's the room I stashed the dark haired fellow and the blonde fellow in," he said in an anxious voice as he grabbed a kit off the wall and hurried towards the interview room area.

"Dad, can I please go provide help?" Arianne asked softly. "If Jim's not doing well, he'll want me there."

Chris sighed and nodded, "Do what the officer tells you," he replied. "We're not done talking."

Nodding, Arianne got up and hurried after the officer, silently hoping that everything was all right.

To Arianne's shock, she saw Jim standing in the corner of the interview room in the sweats and white shirt that he had been given to wear while his clothes dried. The gash hadn't been touched yet and Jim's gaze was on Leonard, who was sitting crouched in the corner of the room with a hand on his chest.

The officer was kneeling beside the battered Leonard with the kit open on the floor and a small cuff on Leonard's arm that was connected to a small machine in the kit, "Bones and I were talking and he just started saying his chest was hurting," Jim whispered as he looked at Arianne. "I dunno what's wrong."

"Officer, I'm Lieutenant Pike of Starfleet," Arianne said in a concerned voice as she approached the officer and Leonard. "Is there anything I can do to help? I've had some medical training…"

For a moment, the officer was quiet as Leonard took a deep breath and winced, "Cadet Marcus forced my arms behind my back and slammed me into the bar just as the cops came in to break it up," Leonard explained as he rested his head against the wall. "I think I might have hurt a few ribs cause of that…"

"Lieutenant Pike, can you help Mister McCoy take off his shirt so I can have a look at his chest, please?" the officer asked in an official voice. "I'll radio for an ambulance if the injury looks serious."

Arianne nodded, knelt down next to Leonard, "Raise your arms," she said in a gentle voice, sighing patiently as Leonard slowly raised his arms and she gently removed his shirt, revealing bad bruising all over Leonard's chest. "Len, your chest is all bruised up. How hard did Marcus slam you into the bar?"

"I wasn't going to let him get away with being inappropriate towards you," Leonard replied in a tired voice that emphasized his Southern accent. "I guess this rules out going out to Georgia tomorrow."

Jim frowned, "You wanted to go to Georgia?" he asked in a groggy voice. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was going to ask you later if you wanted to come with me and visit Sam," Leonard replied in a pain-filled voice, closing his eyes to try and block out some of the pain. "All I want to do now is go to bed."

The officer stood up just as the door opened and two paramedics came into the room, "Take Jim first and come back for me," Leonard said in a commanding tone. "He was unconscious for at least three minutes and he was thrown into a snow bank that was right against a cement curb. I can wait."

"I'm not wearing one of those stupid collars, Bones!" Jim whined. "I just have a cut on my head!"

Silently cursing under his breath, Leonard slowly got up and took his shirt from Arianne, "Well then, Jim, you can sit in here and be a stubborn brat for all I care," he snapped, wincing as he put his shirt back on and slowly walked to the door. "I'm going back to the dorm, getting some tea, and going to bed."

"Bones!" Jim called out as Leonard left the room slamming the door behind him. "What just…?"

Arianne frowned and hurried out of the interview room just in time to see the front doors of the precinct slide shut. Amanda was looking rather alarmed and Spock almost looked concerned.

"Who was that dark haired man that stormed out of here?" Amanda asked in a worried voice.

Arianne sighed, "Where's my father at?" she asked, seeing that her father was not there.

"Captain Pike is conversing with Cadet Marcus, Cadet Hendorff, Cadet Finnegan, and Cadet Rogers in the cellblock area," Spock replied tonelessly. "All but Cadet Marcus are from the San Francisco area and although they did not plan to encounter Cadet Kirk this evening, they acted illogically when they…"

Arianne nodded, "Cadet Marcus is an exchange student from Alpha Centauri, isn't he?" she asked softly.

"Arianne dear, why don't we go for a little walk around the block and let Spock help Captain Pike figure this situation out?" Amanda suggested in a motherly tone. "Have you had anything for dinner yet?"

Arianne shook her head, "Well, I noticed a diner down the street from the precinct when we were coming here," Amanda said in an eager voice. "Why don't we go there and have a little food?"

"Arianne, I believe it would be in your best interest to take care of yourself," Spock stated. "In…"

The flurry of emotions that Arianne had been struggling with since the incident at the bar suddenly came crashing down and she sunk to her knees while hugging herself protectively, "Spock, can you please just back off for a minute?" she asked in an anxious voice as she felt tears in her tired eyes.

Instead of backing off, however, Spock knelt beside Arianne, gently placed his left hand on her face, and silently closed his eyes. Arianne immediately felt Spock's presence in her mind and she slowly relaxed.

"May I share this information with Captain Pike?" Spock asked as he opened his eyes and moved his hand off of Arianne's face. "It would help him to be able to deal with this incident appropriately."

Arianne nodded and slowly stood up, "Thank you," she replied softly. "Amanda, can we go eat?"

"Of course we can," Amanda replied gently, putting her arm around Arianne. "Spock, please be careful."

Spock gave a brisk nod and silently walked off towards the cell block, "Come on," Amanda said in a gentle voice as she gently steered Arianne towards the door. "Let's get out of this awful place."

Mission Memorial Diner – 2030 H

Christmas music filtered out of a stereo speaker that was in the corner while a middle-aged woman in a green sweater, black slacks, and an apron worked behind the counter where a half-filled coffee pot sat in a machine that was right next to a closed-in kitchen.

Arianne and Amanda entered the diner and the woman looked up, eager to see that two more customers had come in spite of the terrible weather.

"If you're here to actually buy something, welcome," the woman said in a brisk voice as Arianne and Amanda approached the counter. "If you're here just to get sick in the restroom, go somewhere else."

Arianne frowned, "There's a sick person here?" she asked in a concerned voice. "Have you called…?"

"I offered and he just asked for a place to get sick in peace before he walked the rest of the way back to where he was living," the woman explained in a cross voice. "I'm kicking him out in five minutes."

Before Arianne or Amanda could reply, a door opened and a pale, badly trembling Leonard came out into the eating area gripping to the wall for dear life, "I need to go to a hospital right now," he said in a faint voice as he saw Arianne and Amanda standing there. "I can barely breathe and I'm feeling so sick."

"Okay," Arianne replied in a gentle voice. "I just need to find a phone and call a cab to take us there."

Leonard sighed, "I called one before I went to the bathroom," he replied in a faint voice. "It should…"

Suddenly, a hovercab pulled up outside the diner, "Can you help me walk outside?" Leonard asked.

"I'll come with you and call Captain Pike from the hospital," Amanda said in a worried voice as she helped Arianne help Leonard walk across the diner and outside to the waiting hovercar.

San Francisco General Hospital – 2200 H

"Doctor McCoy, you are the last person I expected to see in the emergency room tonight," Dr. Piper said in a cheerful voice as he entered the exam room where Leonard was laying on a gurney with a blanket covering his chest and an IV in his hand while Arianne lingered nearby. "Hello there, Lieutenant Pike."

Arianne nodded, but didn't say anything, "I've got your x-ray," Dr. Piper commented as he reached into his pocket, pulled out a data chip, and plugged it into a screen that was mounted to the wall. "As you can probably tell, Leonard, you broke four of your true ribs and bruised your sternum really badly."

"Yup," Leonard replied tiredly as he blinked to be able to stay focused on the screen. "Ugh."

Dr. Piper quickly removed the data chip and pocketed it, "It's pretty late, so why don't I take care of your ribs and you can just rest here for the night?" he suggested in a gentle voice. "The weather's bad."

"With all due respect, no thanks," Leonard replied tiredly. "I just want to sleep in my bed in my dorm."

Arianne sighed, but was prevented from speaking by Dr. Piper's scowl, "You're going to need supervision and assistance walking for at least a week," Dr. Piper replied in a sharp voice. "Don't punish yourself by forcing your injured body out of here alone and then isolating yourself from the kindness of others."

"Len, maybe you should just let yourself rest," Arianne commented softly, feeling extremely bad that Leonard was now too injured to go to Georgia for Christmas because he had come to her rescue yet again. "It's been a long night and you still need some fluids anyway, so just take a breather, all right?"

Too exhausted and sore to argue, Leonard sighed and sat up, "I'll stick around long enough to get my ribs wrapped and finish off this IV," he replied tiredly. "I just want to be in my bed in my quiet dorm."

"I'll set and wrap your ribs now," Dr. Piper commented as he suddenly saw movement out in the hall out of the corner of his eye. "Ah, it's Captain Pike with Ensign Kirk! Kirk must have got scuffed up too."

Leonard scoffed and closed his eyes to relax and Arianne used the opportunity to quietly slip out into a back corridor and over to a comm terminal that was usually used by medical staff. She silently punched in Mrs. McCoy's number and was relieved when Eleanora's face immediately appeared on the screen.

"Mrs. McCoy, I don't know if you remember me," Arianne said in a worried voice. "I'm calling for Len…"

Eleanora suddenly looked worried, "Has something happened to my baby boy?" she asked worriedly.

"Leonard got in a fight defending me from some cadets who were being inappropriate towards me," Arianne explained in a worried voice, mentally preparing herself for Eleanora's angry reaction. "He ended up getting some broken ribs after the cadets beat him up and he's in a lot of pain right now."

Eleanora gasped, but nodded, "Where are you calling from?" she asked. "Starfleet Medical?"

"San Francisco General Hospital, actually," Arianne replied nervously. "We were out on a date when…"

Eleanora's eyes widened, "Please take care of my Len, won't you?" she asked in a concerned voice.

Arianne cringed, "It's my fault he's injured," she replied anxiously. "I don't think he wants me to."

"Arianne Christine Pike, it is not your fault that Doctor McCoy was injured tonight," a sharp voice suddenly spoke from behind here. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to speak to Mrs. McCoy alone."

Arianne turned and saw her father standing there looking as close to angry as she had ever seen him because she was bashing herself, "Ensign Kirk is getting patched up in the exam room next to Doctor McCoy's," Chris stated firmly. "If you don't want to sit with Doctor McCoy, go sit with Ensign Kirk."

"Are Commander Spock and Lady Amanda here?" Arianne asked softly, hoping that they were.

Chris shook his head, "Lady Amanda was getting tired and Commander Spock took her back to the Vulcan Embassy to rest," he explained in a slightly softer tone. "She's hoping you'll visit her in the next couple of days so you two can catch up properly since she's going back to Vulcan after Christmas."

"I'll comm Amanda tomorrow," Arianne said in a tired voice. "See you later, Mrs. McCoy."

Before her father or Eleanora could reply, Arianne walked off towards the room where Jim's cut forehead was being treated, but she lingered in the hallway instead of intruding on Jim's space.

Jim quickly noticed her, however, and waved her in, "I didn't think you wanted me around since I was the cause of the fight," Arianne commented as she entered the room. "How are you feeling, Jim?"

"Pike's forcing me to be his houseguest for the next week because I lost consciousness for less than five minutes," Jim replied in a groggy voice as he tugged at the hospital gown he was wearing. "They took my clothes to prevent hypothermia and stuck me in a spotted dress. Pike said he'd get me some scrubs…"

Arianne sighed tiredly, "Consider free food, access to reading materials, and a roof over your head with a man you consider a father an early Christmas present," she commented in a tired voice as the doctor put a bandage over Jim's stitched forehead. "Jim, can you tell my father that I walked back to campus?"

"No way are you walking back to campus tonight," Jim replied worriedly. "It's terrible outside."

Arianne's eyes narrowed as she glared at Jim, "You're tired and you're taking it out on me," Jim gently chided, seeing nothing but exhaustion and guilt in Arianne's eyes. "Maybe you need to have a rest."

"I commed Leonard's mother and told her it was my fault that Leonard got hurt," Arianne said in a tired voice as the doctor left the room. "My father heard me and I just feel like it's my fault since Leonard can't go to Georgia to be with his mother over Christmas now; he was looking forward to it."

Jim sighed, "Okay, you've got to stop this self-hating thing," he replied in a blunt tone. "Please?"

"Okay," Arianne replied softly as the door opened and Dr. Piper came in. "Doctor Piper, what…?"

Dr. Piper sighed, "Doctor McCoy's ribs are taken care of and he's asking to be released, but he's in no shape to be going anywhere on his own," he explained. "He's asking to see you and Ensign Kirk."

Jim quickly hopped off the exam bed and kept surprisingly quiet as he followed Dr. Piper and Arianne into the next exam room. Leonard was sitting up on the exam bed with bandages around his bruised chest and a scowl on his face, "Can I get a shirt that I don't have to pull over my head?" Leonard asked.

"Bones, just put your jacket on," Jim replied tiredly. "I'll be back after I get some scrubs."

As Jim sauntered out of the room, Dr. Piper removed his white lab coat, "Take this since you can't get a shirt on right now," he said in a gentle voice as he helped Leonard to put the lab coat on. "Leave it at Starfleet Medical when you're feeling better and I'll pick it up next time I volunteer out there, okay?"

"Yeah," Leonard replied in a tired voice as Arianne buttoned the coat up. "Thank you."

Arianne nodded and was surprised when her father came into the exam room, "Is Cadet McCoy ready to be released, Doctor Piper?" Chris asked in a commanding tone. "Did you give him everything he needs?"

Dr. Piper nodded and handed Leonard a small white bag, "Here's some pain meds and the instructions are on the bottle," he said in a calm voice. "I really advise you, however, to seek out supervision…"

"Cadet McCoy will be recovering at my on-campus house," Chris replied in a no-nonsense tone. "After I got off the comm with his mother, I called the Academy and they're sending a private hovercar here."

Leonard opened his mouth to protest, but Chris put up a hand to silence him, "I already told your mother that you'd be recovering at my house and that you weren't stupid enough to seclude yourself in your dorm with four broken ribs," he said in a no-nonsense voice. "She'll call my house tomorrow."

"Let me get this IV out of your hand and then get an orderly to bring you a wheelchair," Dr. Piper said in a calming voice. "I'll also send a note to Doctor Puri to schedule you for a follow-up in the new year."

Leonard nodded and cringed as Dr. Piper removed the IV from his hand and put a band-aid over it, "I don't want a wheelchair," Leonard said in a pain-filled voice as he slowly got up off the bed and immediately grabbed to the bed for support. "It hurts to walk, yes, but I'll just take it really slow."

"Arianne, you and Kirk go wait in the foyer and comm me when the private car gets here," Chris said in a no-nonsense tone. "I want to have a private word with Doctor McCoy and Doctor Piper, all right?"

Arianne nodded and silently dragged Jim out of the exam room so that her father could talk to Leonard.

Captain Pike's Residence – 2100 H

Arianne sighed as she came down the stairs in a pair of Academy-issue pajamas after getting a blanket and pillow from her room and helping Jim into bed in the spare room. Leonard was laying on the couch sound asleep and oblivious to the small, sparsely decorated tree in the corner or the Christmas music that was streaming out of a small CD player that her father kept on top of the portable fireplace.

The kitchen light was on and Arianne wandered in there to see her father sitting at the table in his own Starfleet-issue pajamas with a mug of steaming liquid and a PADD in front of him, "I brought a pillow and blanket down for Leonard, but he's already asleep," she commented softly. "Did he take any pain meds?"

"No," Chris replied calmly. "I replicated him some tea and slipped a dissolvable sleeping pill into it. Of course Doctor McCoy tried to fight going to sleep, but I reassured him that the pill would help him and he decided to let it."

Arianne nodded and yawned, "I should probably go to bed soon," she replied. "It's been a long day."

"Yeah," Chris replied calmly. "Just so you know, Cadet Hendorff and Cadet Finnegan were released and immediately reported back to their dorms to spend the rest of the holidays on house arrest. Cadet Rogers was sent to his family's residence in Sausalito for the remainder of the month and Cadet Marcus is going to be released in the morning and transferred to Mental Health wing of Starfleet Medical for the rest of the holiday."

Arianne sighed tiredly, "Didn't Cadet Marcus come from Alpha Centauri on an exchange program?" she asked softly, having heard rumors on campus about him. "Admiral Marcus is in charge of things there."

"Admiral Marcus felt that his son could possibly benefit from the discipline that Starfleet had to offer and asked me to let Anthony spend the year here in the Command Track," Chris replied, not at all surprised that rumors about Anthony's conduct had spread. "I have sent Admiral Marcus and the other Academy officials information about what happened tonight and we will meet in January about it."

Another yawn escaped Arianne's lips as she nodded, "Go to bed, kiddo," Chris commented in a gentle voice as he smiled at his tired daughter. "We can talk about this another time. I love you, goodnight."

"Good night, Daddy," Arianne replied sleepily as she hugged Chris. "I love you too. Get some rest."

Chris nodded and sighed as Arianne silently left the room and went upstairs to her own room.

Vulcan Embassy Canteen – 1200 H

The sun was out and only a light layer of snow covered the ground, but Arianne was nonetheless relieved to be indoors after her experience the night before, "Arianne?" a voice suddenly asked.

Arianne looked away from the window and was slightly embarrassed to see Amanda standing there in a long Vulcan dress with a concerned expression on her face, "The food we asked for became ready and when I turned to the table, you weren't there," Amanda said in a worried voice. "Are you all right?"

"I had trouble sleeping last night," Arianne admitted softly as she hugged herself. "Bad dreams…"

Amanda nodded and sat on the window seat next to Arianne, "Before I met Sarek and even before we were dating, I wasn't treated well by certain people because I was very different than everyone else wanted me to be," she explained in a gentle voice. "It doesn't matter what others think of you or how they treat you; what matters is what you think of yourself and how you treat yourself, you know?"

"Yeah," Arianne replied softly, suddenly feeling ashamed of herself. "Amanda, I'm so weak."

Amanda looked surprised at that comment, "No, you're not," she replied in a firm, yet very determined voice as she studied Arianne's expression and found it full of doubt and fear. "You're very strong."

Tears filled Arianne's eyes, "I'm supposed to be this great counselor who's overcome incredible odds and is helping others at Starfleet, but I can't even keep myself under control when something happens to me," she explained in an anxious voice. "Sometimes I hate myself for being so different, Amanda."

"You shouldn't," Amanda replied calmly. "Being different isn't a bad thing, Arianne; you're special."

Arianne sighed and suddenly looked nervous as Spock came down the corridor in his Starfleet instructor uniform with a stylus under one arm, "Mother, Lieutenant Pike, I was under the impression that you two were going to have lunch with one another." he stated, his voice betraying a slightly confused tone.

"We were just talking before we went to eat, Spock," Amanda replied calmly. "What are you doing?"

Spock raised an eyebrow, but said nothing and Arianne had the distinct impression that he didn't want to talk about it in front of her, "Amanda, I think I'm going to go and get something to eat," she said as she stood up and walked away from Spock and Amanda. "Please excuse me, both of you."

"Lieutenant Pike!" Arianne heard Spock call as she walked away. "Mother, I do not understand…"

Arianne swallowed hard as she walked over to the food trays that were filled with various vegetarian dishes that had spoons in the trays. She picked up a plate, bowl, and cutlery before moving along the line and taking time to look carefully at each item to decide whether or not she wanted to eat it.

"Lieutenant Pike, may I have a word?" Arianne heard Spock ask softly. "I must apologize to you."

Arianne sighed and scooped some pleomeek soup into her bowl, but said nothing, "I am assisting Captain Pike at the assault hearing in January and I am preparing a detailed account on what happened based on the information gathered from you and from the others involved," Spock explained in a quiet voice as they moved down the food line. "I hesitated to mention it to you because I did not wish to cause you further distress during what is supposed to be an enjoyable time. I see that I was in error."

"Admiral Archer is going to put me on probation or worse because he'll say that I let Leonard get into trouble when I could have stopped it," Arianne stated softly. "He warned me a long time ago that if Leonard got into trouble again, I would be the one who paid the price. It's now happened and…"

Spock raised an eyebrow and Arianne carried her food over to a table near the wall where Amanda was already sitting, "Amanda, aren't you going to get some food?" Arianne asked in a worried voice.

"I will in a moment," Amanda replied calmly. "Spock, did you talk to your father this morning?"

Spock offered a nod, but said nothing as Arianne ate a few bites of her pleomeek soup, "I'll be returning to Vulcan after Christmas because Sarek doesn't like me being away for so long," Amanda explained, silently relieved to see Arianne eating. "I'm planning to come back in April, though, for graduation."

"Graduation?" Arianne asked in a soft voice of confusion. "Hasn't Spock already graduated?"

Amanda chuckled and looked amused at that question, "Arianne, I'm coming back in April to see you graduate," she replied in an amused voice. "That is, if you want me to come and see you graduate."

"I hope I'll be graduating after Admiral Archer finds out what happened during break," Arianne replied in an anxious voice as she finished the rest of her soup. "He'll blame me for everything going wrong."

Amanda smiled, "I'm looking forward to your graduation," she replied gently. "Don't worry so much."

Arianne nodded and picked up her cup, "Let's just enjoy Christmas Eve, shall we?" she suggested.

Amanda nodded and looked to Spock, "I am only slightly familiar with this Terran holiday, but I will attempt to enjoy it for the sake of my mother and sister," he said in a toneless voice.

"Oh, Spock," Amanda replied in an amused voice. "There's nothing to do but simply enjoy yourself."

Spock nodded and Arianne sighed as she sipped her beverage; things would turn out all right.

Copernicus Village – Luna

Admiral Archer fought to keep himself from cursing loudly as he read the message that Chris had sent him concerning yet another incident involving Arianne Pike, Jim Kirk, Leonard McCoy, and a few other cadets at a civilian lounge. He had warned Arianne to keep tabs on McCoy's behavior and she hadn't.

Letting out an aggravated sigh, Admiral Archer slouched on the couch in the rental he was staying in over the holidays so he could do the investigation into the medical facility per Starfleet's orders; it wouldn't be right to punish McCoy when he had come so far since attempting suicide in 2255, but he also had to make a point of reminding Arianne of what she had agreed to do at McCoy's last hearing.

"Admiral Archer, you have an incoming call," an automated voice suddenly spoke over the intercom.

Swearing under his breath, Admiral Archer scooted across the couch and tapped the video screen that was on a small console next to a small lamp. Almost immediately, T'Pol's face appeared on the screen.

"T'Pol, what can I do for you?" Admiral Archer asked in a concerned voice. "Is something wrong?"

T'Pol was quiet for a moment, "A pressing issue has developed," she finally replied in a worried voice.

"What's wrong?" Admiral Archer asked in a concerned voice, seeing that T'Pol was very unsettled.

As T'Pol explained the situation and how those involved would begin to display uncharacteristic behavior even in simple situations, Admiral Archer's eyes widened in shock; could it really be true?

Captain Pike's Residence – 0030 H – Christmas Day

Merry Christmas. Arianne silently thought to herself as she sat at the table in her Academy pajamas with a cup of cocoa in her hands.

It had been a wonderful day with Spock and Amanda and now she was alone while her father, Jim, and Leonard were all asleep in their rooms. The peace was comforting and was a nice break before the worries of the next semester haunted her.

Footsteps suddenly made their way across the floor and Leonard entered the kitchen in the pajamas that Jim and her father had forced him to change into earlier that day, "What are you still doing up?" Leonard asked in a pain filled voice as he shuffled over to the table and sat down next to her. "I didn't think that you still had sleeping problems? Do you need a hypospray?"

"I'm enjoying the peace and quiet," Arianne replied softly as she looked at Leonard. "Have you eaten anything today?"

Leonard sighed, "I had a cup of vegetable soup at seven when I was last awake," he replied tiredly. "Soup's all I can eat."

Arianne nodded, set the cup down on the table, and gently caressed his hand, "You'll get better with rest, time, and medicine," she said in a reassuring voice as she scooted her chair closer to his. "I hope the next year brings nothing but happiness for all of us, especially you and I."

Too tired to speak, Leonard nodded and cuddled against Arianne and she gently put an arm around him since it hurt him to move much. Little did either of them know that the next year would bring events to pass that neither of them ever thought possible. All that they knew now would soon be changed drastically.

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