Lt. Ilia shifted nervously from one foot to the next in the turbolift.
The transporter technician had not recognized her, which had been a relief, but it was only a matter of time before someone did.
It wasn't that she wasn't thrilled to be on Enterprise, it was the most desirable posting in Starfleet right now, but with the history she had it somehow seemed wrong.
It was nice to know that Dr. Chapel was on board. They had made their peace months ago on their little journey to Vulcan, but that didn't mean everyone else would welcome her.
She bit the inside of her mouth absently, her stomach fluttering with nervousness.
What if someone said something on the bridge?
She really wished there had not been such a sense of urgency about getting underway.
She had planned it all out, how she would come aboard early in the morning. She knew what she would have worn, had even chosen what she was going to eat at breakfast.
She would allow hours and hours to just sit in the mess and let them all come and talk to her.
She had rehearsed what she would say. Yes, she was the one from the ball. Yes, she remembered that night. Yes, she was a Deltan. No. she never did see the President again after that night. No, it was nothing like that. No, she didn't want to talk anymore about it. Yes, she really was in Starfleet and she was a damn good navigator.
She felt the panic knot her stomach so hard she couldn't take a deep breath.
With the barest of efforts she relaxed her control and released a small amount of endorphinapheramone. The warmth spread through her limbs. It was such a small thing she couldn't believe anyone would notice or even care.
The door to the bridge opened.
All eyes turned to see her enter.
She could see that no one could believe it was her.
Uhura pronounced her name carefully as if in disbelief. "Lt. Ilia. She's Deltan."
Sulu's eyes widened in surprise, the memory coming with the name. He had been in charge of security that night. He knew the name very well.
Checkov turned with a smile, a reaction Ilia was much more accustomed to in Starfleet.
Deltans were rare in the service. Their legendary sexual power was notorious.
She drew herself up with great dignity, "Lt. Ilia reporting for duty, sir."
The captain rose from his chair. "Welcome aboard lieutenant."
Checkov and Sulu exchanged surprised glances. Sulu caught a whiff of heavenly perfume and was suddenly distracted from his thought a moment earlier.
Cmdr. Decker stepped forward into Ilia's view. He too could feel his body relax and recognized the scent of her. "Hello Ilia."
"Decker?" Ilia was momentarily taken aback. Decker should have been in the center chair. He had been the one who signed her orders.
Decker quickly explained to the captain, "I was stationed on the lieutenant's home planet some years ago."
"Commander Decker?"
The captain's eyes darkened at her question. Clearly it was outright insubordination to question her captain in the first few moments on the bridge. "Yes our exec and science officer." It was an attempt at a compliment.
"Captain Kirk has the utmost confidence in me."
"And in you, Lieutenant." He said rather pointedly already questioning her competency to serve Starfleet. It was almost a relief to revert to the same old response. Her gaze met his with hard confidence. "My oath of celibacy is on record sir. May I assume my duties?"
"By all means." Kirk gestured to her position.
As she moved toward the command center she relaxed slightly. The captain had greeted her with professional courtesy. Perhaps he didn't recognize her.
Uhura turned from her position, oblivious to the tension in the air. "Captain, Starfleet reports that our last six crew members are ready to beam up but one of them is refusing to step into the transporter." She made an attempt to cover a smile making her own assumption as to the unknown crewmember's identity quite plain.
Kirk nodded ever so slightly as he too stifled a grin, "Oh? I'll see to it that he beams up." And without another word he stepped into the turbo lift effectively leaving Decker in command.
She knew she looked different than she had 2 and a half years earlier. Of course the fact that she was wearing a uniform now and not a ball gown made a big difference. But they all recognized her, everyone who had been there.
She could feel their questions shooting like phasers from their eyes. She drew in a breath and let the relaxing chemical ease from her once again.
Will stepped forward attempting to ease the tension. "Mr. Sulu?" For his part Cmdr. Sulu tried to focus on the present moment, but images of that day swirled before him. He turned to speak to Ilia and found himself lost somewhere between the memory of farewell ball and the heartwarming blue of her eyes.
"Mr. Sulu, take Lt. Ilia in hand."
Then suddenly there was the scent of lilacs everywhere and he smiled broadly, "Sir? Oh, yes sir. Your preprogramming is already set on the computer, you'll have no problem." He fumbled at the controls, silently cursing himself for his juvenile behavior.
"I've taken an oath of celibacy Mr. Sulu that makes me as safe as any human female." Lt. Ilia smiled kindly and consciously slowed her metabolism effectively stopping the pheromones that she was secreting.
It was a juvenile nervous habit formed over the years of interactions she'd had with humans.
"I'm sure the captain didn't mean anything by it." Decker chuckled with amusement at Sulu's response. Not that he was immune, but it was something he remembered with fondness of her.
Her stomach did another flip, but she smiled at Will. "I would never take advantage of a sexually immature species. You can assure him of that."
Her eyes came to rest on him and he was suddenly quiet.
There was much to discuss, but neither of them wanted to do it here.
With a significant look and a slight nod he moved back to his position at the science station.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Jim's stomach ached with tension and apprehension.
'You may need a friend someday' isn't that what the doctor had told him? Well it was someday and he needed a friend.
What would he say?
What words could possibly pull their friendship out of the fire?
He walked confidently to the transporter tech. Rand. It was Janice Rand. He thought about making conversation, but all he could think of was Bones.
It had to be him. He'd made the request to Nogura himself.
It had to be him.
He queried a crewman exiting the transporter pad about him. It was McCoy. No doubt about it.
The image of him swirled on the transporter pad and for an instant his heart dropped. The man appearing on the pad couldn't be him. He was too thin, too old and sporting a full grandfatherly beard.
Then he turned to face the transporter controls and Jim could see that it was Leonard H. McCoy.
And he was pissed.
Jim couldn't contain his joy at the sight of him. He didn't resist the temptation for a smart ass comment. "Well, for a man who said he'd never return to Starfleet-"
"Just a minute, Admiral, sir." McCoy's eyes blazed as he spat out the military title, "Your Admiral Nogura instituted a little known reserve activation clause. In other words, I was drafted!"
Jim chuckled slightly at his old friend's feistiness. Then without putting much thought into it, "He didn't." It was said so evenly that McCoy didn't seem to understand. Then, he raised an accusing finger and pointed it at Kirk, "You did this!"
He looked as if he could have turned and left at that moment. Jim flinched at his friend's fury. He offered the simple truth "Bones, there's a thing out there." As if it could absolve him of the crime of pulling Leonard from his peaceful life. "It's headed this way." He added hastily, when the doctor's face remained angry.
"Why is everything we don't understand called a 'thing'!?" Leonard shouted, unwilling to just yield to Jim's will.
"Damnit Bones, we need you!" he shouted back. How could the doctor not see it? How could he not understand? "I need you!" he thrust out his hand, demanding the doctor accept the situation. Demanding that he accept the only apology that he could give. It wasn't easy for him to admit to anyone. Especially when that person had warned him of precisely that fact. 'Someday you might need a friend' - today was that day.
Leonard McCoy just stared at him for a long moment. As if he wanted Jim to know he was not quite willing to give up his anger. Not yet.
Then, as Jim was just about ready to break down and outright beg, McCoy extended a hand to meet Kirk's. He gripped it briefly and Jim clung tightly for as long as he dared then released his hand.
McCoy's eyes searched Kirk's face and with a dismissive shrug he turned to the door heading for Sickbay. "I hear Chapel's an MD now. I don't need someone second-guessing my work. I bet Sickbay's completely different. I know engineers they love to change things!" and the doors shut behind him.
Kirk breathed a sigh of relief that was heavy enough for Rand to look at him in surprise.
He just smiled as if it was nothing at all and quickly left before she could question him.