Timeline notes: Takes place during the events of "Saints of Imperfection", which, as best I can figure out, is the same day as "An Obol for Charon". Everything that happens in the episode happens, even if I don't specifically address it.

She's no slouch at running, but Burnham outpaces her easily, and she gives up on keeping up, sticking to striding quickly through the corridors. By the time she gets to engineering, Burnham is already there, staring in horror at the mass of organic matter on the floor.

Stamets looks up as she comes in. "Ambassador, we've got a problem."

She raises an eyebrow at the cocoon. "I guessed that. All right, fill me in."

"The parasite that Ensign Tilly was hosting - you know about it?"

She nods, gesturing for him to continue.

"It seems that it's a member of a species that...lives...in the mycelial network. Maybe it is the network. I don't know. But it spoke to us."

Just like Pike had told her. First contact. Lovely.

"What did it say? What does it want?" She looks around. "And where's Ensign Tilly?"

"That's the problem. She's gone."

"I'm sorry - gone?"

"Gone." Stamets looks down at the cocoon. "The parasite consumed her."

She inhales sharply. "Commander...I'm so sorry. What can I do?"

Stamets drops a fist onto the nearest table, pounding it once or twice. "I hoped you could review the recordings of what happened earlier. It said that it had plans for Tilly. I can't believe that those plans would just involve…" He trails off. "I'm not going to give up."

Burnham turns, departing engineering. Leah watches her go and then turns back to Stamets, nodding. "Of course I can."

He pulls up the recordings, and she watches the interaction, jotting notes on a PADD as Stamets continues to work, directing other personnel in analyzing what exactly the cocoon is and what it might have done to Tilly.

He comes back to her as she finishes watching it for the third time. "Anything?"

She sighs. "My official diplomatic assessment is that this is an immature entity with poor emotional control and one or two singular points of focus."

"Great. We're dealing with a child."

"In essence, yes. The speech patterns and expressions indicate that the entity has only a rudimentary understanding of how humans interact. It's communicating on a very basic level."

"So how does that help us?"

"I don't know yet." She taps her stylus on the desk. "But I think...I think that you're right. The entity is attached to Tilly. Its sole motivation is protecting the network, from what I see. Having a method of communication is the best way for it to do that, and I think it's aware of that. Otherwise, why would it have sought communication in the first place?"

"You're the diplomat, you tell me."

"I don't think it's sophisticated enough for any complicated subterfuge. It said it had plans for Tilly. I think we can take that at face value."

"Which means Tilly's alive." He dives for one of the stations, at the same moment that Burnham returns.

"Tell me you have good news."

Stamets nods, continuing to work furiously. "The universe never lets anything go to waste. Mass is never created or destroyed. There are no human remains in the cocoon...which means that all of Tilly's atoms were transported."

Burnham's face, previously grief-stricken, lightens. "You mean May took Tilly into the network."

"Which means...we can get her out."

"We think that the cocoon is an organic transporter. Just like ours, it breaks down matter in one place and assembles it in another."

Stamets stands in front of the viewscreen, seemingly oblivious to the confused stares being directed his way by the rest of the bridge crew, including Pike from the command chair.

"There's a chance Ensign Tilly is still alive?"

"There is, sir. She was taken into the mycelial network against her will."

Stamets is about to continue, when Burnham arrives on the bridge, accompanied by another officer all in black. Leah doesn't recognize him...but it's clear that the rest of the crew does.

And Stamets stops, looking like he's seen a ghost.

Leah picks up the thread of the briefing. She has no idea what's going on, but it's clear that whoever the new arrival is has affected Stamets, and he needs a second to recover.

"I've assessed the recordings we have from earlier today. I don't believe the entity intends to harm her."

Pike looks at her. "Then how do we get her back?"

Stamets shakes his head, resuming his thought. "Every time we jump, Discovery passes through the mycelial network for a few milliseconds. During that window of time, we're inside it. I'm proposing that we do a partial jump. Half in, half out of the network. Discovery will hold position long enough for me to leave the cube and find Tilly."

"For us." Burnham speaks up from her station. "You aren't going alone."

Pike rubs the bridge of his nose, his brow furrowing. "Okay. Let's say I let you use this ship as a doorstop. Can we survive prolonged exposure to the network?"

"The mycelia will attack the ship, decomposing it as soon as we enter. But tritanium is not their favorite food...so we should have about an hour before they eat through the hull."

"You'll have an hour to find Ensign Tilly. So far I hate this plan."

"Captain…" Leah speaks up. "There's one more thing. This...could be considered a first contact. Or a hostage situation. Either way...I should go with Commander Stamets and Commander Burnham."

He already hated this plan. It's half-formed at best, and it's dangerous for his ship and his crew. And...now it's dangerous for his ambassador.

He hates it even more.

He opens his mouth, but Stamets is beating him to it.

"Ambassador, with all due respect, this is a rescue and a scientific mission. Not diplomatic."

"With the added dimension of first contact with an entirely new species. We've never encountered anything like this before..."

Pike stands. "Ambassador, I agree with Mr Stamets. This is a rescue. We've got an hour to work with - there's no time for prolonged negotiations. But…" He swallows. His duty is to the ship and the crew. Leah is correct in her assessment, and he needs to acknowledge that. "You're both right. Suit up and put on your running shoes. You'll be on deck. If they need you, we'll send you in."

She nods. "Understood, Captain." She offers Stamets a smile. "I'll admit that I'm no scientist. You're the expert in the network. But I'll be ready if you need me."

She hears the shipwide page begin as she finishes changing, zipping up her tactical vest and shoving a phaser into her leg holster. Normally she hates being armed - guns have never made negotiations go more smoothly - but she knows it's a good idea in this case. If she has to go, she won't have time to grab anything.

She arrives on the bridge just as Pike finishes his announcement, directing the crew to take positions and move to the safe half of the ship. He turns and looks at her as he releases the comm. "Ambassador, are you ready?"

"I am, Captain."

He inhales. "All right then. Mr Stamets? Are you ready to execute this very bold, deeply insane plan of yours?"

Stamets' voice comes back over the comms. "Execute might not have been my choice of words, but...that I am, sir."

"Black alert." Pike rises from his chair. "Let's jump."

The only way to describe what they experience is that the ship slams into space as if it were a solid mass. There's a sense of pushing and wedging; they are indeed the doorstop that Pike had described. It feels hard to breathe for a moment, and then the air clears. The bridge crew look around at each other, uncertain.

"Burnham to Commander Saru. Do you read me?"

The ship shudders and bucks as Saru answers. "I am here, Burnham. The sensors show the mycelia have already begun to attack the hull. Move quickly."

Pike is a rocklike presence at the center of the bridge, as he always is, and his confidence pulls everyone else along with him. "Steady, everyone. Eyes up. Continuous reports from all stations. Ambassador, be ready to go."

She nods, moving over next to Saru to be closer to the doors. "Aye, Captain. Running shoes on."

He smiles, briefly, before his face grows serious again, watching the bridge anxiously. She wraps her hands around the side of Saru's station; the ship is vibrating continuously, with occasional larger shakes. "Just tell me if I'm in the way."

"You are never in the way, Ambassador." Saru's voice is quiet, even as he scans his station. "On the contrary. I admire your bravery and willingness to enter the network on behalf of our crew, when you have been aboard for so short a time."

"Thank you." She grips harder, riding out one of the bigger rumbles. "I hope I'll get the chance to follow up on this. Imagine...an entire species in the mycelial network…"

"I am only shocked that we did not learn of it sooner." His voice almost sounds ashamed. "We exploited the network without considering the consequences...as we have found to our cost repeatedly."

"Commander…" She pauses, lowering her voice even more. "Who is that man? The one that came in with Commander Burnham."

"That…is Ash Tyler. Former security chief of the Discovery. Now, apparently, our liaison to Section 31."

She nods. "I take it that there is some history with Mr Tyler? Commander Stamets…"

"Yes." Saru pauses. "I do not believe I can disclose much of Mr Tyler's story, Ambassador. My apologies. But yes. There is history."

"I see." She nods again. "Thank you, Commander."

In her defense, there's been a lot going on since she came on board...but this highlights that she really needs to do a little digging into the background on the Discovery . Her diplomatic clearance should be ample for anything classified, and she adds it to her mental to-do list.

Just as soon as this latest crisis resolves.

There is quiet for a few minutes, tension humming in the air, as everyone just waits, hunched over stations, the ship shaking every so often.

"Burnham to the bridge. We've found Tilly."

Pike holds onto the helm through a larger rumble. "How soon can you get back?"

"There's been a complication."

"We won't survive complications, Commander."

"I know. But something resembling Dr Culber is here."

Pike freezes, returning to the command chair to activate comms. "Repeat that, Commander."

"Dr Culber. Remember? Before you came on board, he…"

"I know who he was, I need you to make it make sense."

"I can't. Commander Stamets went...running…"

There's another shake, and the comms die. Pike calls out once, twice, with no response from Burnham. "Mr Saru?"

"I am working on it, Captain…"

It takes Saru a few minutes, but he's able to reestablish communications. "Burnham, can you hear me?"

"Yes Commander Saru."

"I hate to rush you, but the mycelia have penetrated seventy-eight percent of the exposed hull and that number is rising quickly."

"We're trying to locate Commander Stamets and Dr Culber…"

Burnham's voice is cut off, as the ship shakes yet again, bucking hard enough that Pike is thrown from the command chair, tumbling across the floor and sliding into a console. Leah keeps her feet only by holding on to Saru's station; there's another explosion, the ship rocking, and this time she does lose her footing, falling towards the port side, as the mycelia advance to cover nearly half the bridge.

"Kennedy!"

She hears the shout, and is already turning at the same time that she feels hands slide around her waist, hauling her away from the mycelia, pulling her back against a firm male body.

She catches her breath as she turns, looking up. She has no idea how he made it to her so fast. Pike's brow is furrowed, his hair mussed in front, and his hands are like iron where they are wrapped around her elbows.

"Are you all right?"

She nods. He isn't letting go of her, keeping a grip on one of her arms and moving both of them farther to the starboard side, others of the crew following as he looks at the expanded curtain of mycelia.

"Red alert. Transfer helm control to Airiam's station."

"The hull of the port nacelle is too compromised, Captain."

He takes a deep breath. "I need you to hold her together under thrust..."

There's a chirp, and they turn to see Tyler tapping his badge. "This is Agent Tyler transmitting on secure emergency channel. Control, do you read?"

His arms slowly drop as he regards Tyler in confusion. "What the hell kind of communicator is that?!"

"Copy, Agent Tyler. Status?"

"Discovery could use an assist, sir."

"Say no more."

She braces herself against Saru's station, between the commander and Pike, looking at the viewscreen as the ship appears out of what had previously looked like an asteroid. As a diplomat, she's been aware of most of the capabilities of Section 31 and is probably the least-surprised person on the bridge, other than Tyler...but actually seeing it happen is astounding even to her.

Pike's face changes, and he's plainly furious, even as the ship buckles again.

"Explain that to me! Is that Leland?!"

"Not his call, Chris." The viewscreen opens, displaying Captain Leland. She recognizes him, vaguely, and Pike clearly knows him. "We're standing by to assist."

"I don't know what the hell took you so long but we'll talk about that later. At length. Can you stabilize us with your tractor beam?"

"Firing in three...two...one." Leland pauses. "Five minutes. If this goes south, I'm pulling Discovery out."

"That's not your call."

"You have one of my agents."

Tyler pipes up. "Captain Leland, please don't risk the Discovery crew for -"

Pike cuts him off. "On my bridge you will speak only when addressed, Tyler. And Leland? My ship. My call. You will hold until I give the order, are we clear?"

It's an incredibly inappropriate time, but the human brain does what it does, and as Pike goes into full-on captain mode and she braces her feet against more shudders from the ship, all she can think is good lord, that's hot. She can tell, even from the short time that they've worked together, that he doesn't have to do it very often; his leadership style relies on teamwork, camaraderie, and shared purpose. Everyone working together in agreement towards a mutual goal.

But seeing him assume authority, protecting his ship and his crew, as easily as putting on a shirt...yeah, okay. That's really hot.

"My engines are about to overload. We won't be able to hold for long, Chris."

Pike looks like he's about to say more, but the viewscreen winks out, and he takes a breath. "All right everyone. Keep her steady. Airiam, Detmer, see what you can do with the helm."

"Aye Captain."

The comm channel opens back up. "We've bought you some more time. But not much."

"Copy that." Pike holds onto ops to keep his footing. "Owo. Prepare to disengage tractor rigs. Mr Saru, they need to get a move on."

The mycelia advance again, and the crew retreats further, sheltering as far on the starboard side as possible. Pike hustles everyone behind him and stands in the gap between stations, his instincts always to protect. She's standing right next to him, and they exchange a look.

"I'm really glad you aren't out there right now," he mutters.

She smiles at his terrible timing, about to reply, but Pike raises his voice as he hits a key on Saru's station. "Burnham! We are out of time!"

"Understood."

There's a pause - too long, the seconds ticking away as the ship's shudders grow more intense and the larger shakes grow closer and closer together.

"Mr Saru."

Saru hits the comms. "Commander?"

"On our way." Another, much shorter pause. "Burnham to the bridge. Black alert."

Pike braces himself. "Leland. Now!"

As the spore drive kicks in, the ship kicks back; Saru manages to hold on to his station, but Pike and Leah are both thrown backwards into the rear stations. They get back up, slowly, wincing; he looks around at the crew, reaching out for each other both for stability and for comfort.

And he feels a slim hand slip into his, squeezing. He looks down, into grey eyes, and squeezes back.

"We've really gotta talk," he murmurs, with a half-smile.

"I know."

As she speaks, the ship begins to straighten, the mycelia retreating backwards. The noise of everyone on the bridge taking a deep breath is almost audible.

With a quick glance, he lets go of her hand, moving back to the center of the bridge as Saru calls out through the comms. "Commander Burnham?"

There is silence, for a moment.

"We made it."

Pike exhales. "Stand down red alert. Mr Saru, have Dr Pollard meet the team in engineering."

He strides for the doors, ready to head over to the Section 31 ship and give Leland a piece of his mind, and Tyler begins following him. He turns back. "Mr Tyler. You'll stay on the bridge. Liaison protocol." He can't entirely keep the satisfaction from his voice. "Ambassador? With me, please."

In the lift, they both take a moment to catch their breath, and she looks at him curiously. "What did you need me for?"

He turns, facing her. "Nothing. I just really liked being able to piss off Agent Tyler."

She chuckles, and he joins her, sharing a laugh that's partially about his joke and partially relieving the stress of the last hour. She stretches out her hand, lightly brushing his where it rests against his leg, and he immediately takes hers, interlacing their fingers.

His voice goes a little softer. "And...to be honest...we've almost died twice today now. I kind of didn't want to let you out of my sight."

Her stomach does a somersault, and she offers him a small smile, as they just stand there hand-in-hand. "You know...I don't remember ever having this much excitement on the Republic. Pretty standard first contacts, second contacts, a few preliminary treaty agreements here and there…"

"The Enterprise can get pretty lively. But yeah...this is exceptional even for me. You tired of it yet?"

"Are you kidding? I'm having a blast. On the other hand though, the reports are getting a little complicated to write…"

"I have to do mine too. Actually...I don't think I've eaten anything today. I'm going over to the other ship, but it shouldn't take me long. Want to make a working dinner out of it when I get back? Knock today's report out together?"

She's getting used to this. The invitation doesn't seem strange...as it would have, just a handful of days ago. It's another one of those of course moments. Of course she eats dinner with him.

"Can we go old-school and do takeout-style Chinese food?"

"Now you're speaking my language. Meet me in my ready room in an hour?"

An hour is too much time, and not enough.

She dives through the shower and re-braids her hair, and throws on a clean uniform, changing out of the tactical gear. She looks in the mirror and applies the lightest touch of makeup: a hint of shadow around her eyes, a sweep of blush on her cheeks.

It's just dinner and writing reports. She shouldn't be nervous.

But it feels bigger. It feels like she's standing on the top of a hill that she's been walking up for a week, and she can either wait at the top, or start falling down the other side. A week? Has it even been a week? She counts the days on her fingers...yes, a week. Barely.

She looks at the clock for about the eighth time, and then turns back to the mirror, adjusting her jacket collar. He was absolutely right, earlier on the bridge; they need to talk. But, this might not be the time to do it - it's been a very long day already, and it might be better to just relax, eat something, and knock out their reports.

Her fingers touch her lips, and she thinks about a kiss she didn't get eighteen years ago.

On the other hand...maybe tonight's the night I can have it.