Chapter 2: Next stop, San Francisco

"Hey! Watch where you're going!"

"Sorry, I'm just-" a sudden yawn escaped Felicity's lips. "Tired." she finished with heavy exhalation.

The male cadet rubbed his wounded shoulder taking a good look at Felicity. "You look familiar…Do I know you?"

Felicity did her best to awaken herself from her sleepiness to answer the cadet's question. Despite her tired eyes and the constant sunshine, Felicity peered at the cadet who questioned her. She used her hand to further block the sun. From what she could gather, the cadet was six feet tall, Caucasian, and brown haired. She was also able to look at the hand that rubbed his wounded shoulder. The knuckles were bruised.

"No, I don't think so," said Felicity rubbing her eyelids.

"Are you sure? Cuz I think I would have been able to remember a girl like you," the cadet grinned and raised his eyebrows at her. Felicity wanted to roll her eyes at his lame pickup line, but, frankly, she was just too damn tired to even bother. As an alternative, she decided to politely brush him aside.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I think you have me confused for someone else," Felicity timidly replied. "Thank you, but I'm afraid I can't talk anymore," she then began to walk away from the cadet with the bruised knuckles. He looked on her with a confused expression. Felicity's instinct told her that the cadet was about to figure out that she was the daughter of a distinguished Starfleet officer. If someone began to recognize Felicity as Christopher Pike's daughter, she found it best to just walk away as quickly and politely as possible. It wasn't as if it was a secret identity. It was just the fact that she didn't like attracting so much attention to herself because of who her father was. Especially, when she was surrounded by Starfleet recruits. People tended to treat her differently when they found out. And, at this moment, she didn't feel like explaining her whole life story to someone who was trying to flirt with her.

At Riverside shipyard, the sky was clear, the sun was shining and the yard was busy with activity. Activity that stretched from the sights and sounds of construction tools, construction workers and Starfleet recruits. Felicity was at the shuttle at oh-eight-hundred just like she planned. It was exactly what she wanted, except she wasn't as peppy like she thought she would be.

For the most part, the phrase "bright and early" could only be halfheartedly applied to Felicity's mood. She was early, but she certainly wasn't bright. She really wanted to yell at her father again for returning home late. Unlike her, he was wide awake, lacking the bags that she had under her own eyes and the yawns that escaped her own mouth. Because of it, she glared at her father over breakfast this morning due to his unaffected state. She assumed his alertness had to do with his experience as a Starfleet Captain. A Captain who had to make due with whatever hours of sleep he could muster up on a Starship during the most chaotic of missions.

Felicity finally made her way up the steps of the rustic shuttle and into it's entryway. As she walked within, Felicity took notice of all the new recruits seated within various rows of the small ship. She was first greeted by Lieutenant Cortez of whom Felicity saluted and made a courteous nod to. Felicity made an effort to look around the ship to see James T. Kirk in the flesh. After several awkward glances into the faces of various recruits, she still hadn't seen the distinct blue eyes she saw in the mugshot from last night. A sense of disappointment washed over Felicity. She wasn't just disappointed because she wanted to see the "genius level-repeat offender" who masked his sadness behind his playful demeanor, but she was disappointed for her father as well. Felicity knew her father would be disappointed more than her. It was another person Christopher Pike was trying to save and it seemed as if James T. Kirk was on his way to let her father down.

Even though, she didn't see James T. Kirk, she saw three cadets that had obviously got themselves involved in a bar fight from the night before. The bruises on their faces said it all. She remembered what her father told her about the fight. It was four against one. And, that "one" in the fight was Kirk. Felicity had to admit, Kirk certainly did a number on them. But, where was the fourth cadet? Suddenly, the male cadet with the bruised knuckles joined them. Jim had to drool on the floor because of someone, Felicity surmised. She was suddenly very happy with herself that she walked away from that particular cadet.

It was getting closer to lift off and Felicity decided to find herself a seat in a corner near the cockpit. While she began to buckle herself in, she saw that her father was beginning to make his way towards her. She paused at working on the belt buckles and stood up to salute him, "Captain Pike," Felicity spoke with the proper dictation for military officers, but Christopher Pike was unprepared for the strange dictation.

"You know, Felicity, we're not at Starfleet yet, so you can still call me 'Dad'," he told his daughter.

If she had some way of communicating with her father nonverbally she would have told him, "I could do that, but then people would know I'm your daughter. Then they'll treat me differently because of it. Damn it, Dad! Haven't we talked about this before?"

For quite some time, Christopher and Felicity were in discussion on whether Felicity should change her last name on the enlistment roster to her mother's maiden name, Clark. If she changed her name on the roster she wouldn't have to deal with prying eyes and questions about her personal life whenever Felicity was roll called. Additionally, she wouldn't have to worry about cadets trying to be her "friend" just to win favor with her father. It was certainly something she needed to keep in mind since Starfleet cadets could be ambitious. And, after much discussion, both of them agreed that it would be best for her to change her last name to her mother's for a year at least.

Alternatively, Felicity carried on with her appropriate role as a cadet directing a Starfleet officer. "Yes, Captain Pike," she said again in an almost robotic tone, "but as we are technically on a Starfleet vessel and in the presence of military personnel, I feel that it is most appropriate I speak to you in this fashion." As she spoke she managed to hold back another yawn.

"Now, you sound like a Vulcan," said Christopher somewhat annoyed. "Would you prefer it if we spoke in private…Cadet Clark?" Now, it seemed like he was able to remember their past conversations on the use of her mother's maiden name.

Felicity looked around the shuttle again before speaking, she was making sure she wasn't attracting too much attention to herself, "Yes, I feel that would be most appropriate…Captain."

He rolled his eyes, "Follow me." Christopher led Felicity into the cockpit of the shuttle. Upon entering, Christopher politely asked the two pilots seated to excuse him and Felicity for the moment. As expected, they respected Christopher's wishes and allowed him and Felicity privacy.

Felicity spoke, ridding herself of her cadet dialect, "What is it, Dad? Any sign of Kirk?"

"No, I haven't seen Kirk, but I'm sure he'll turn up. "

Felicity wanted to shake her father out of his optimism, but, knew it was better for her to keep her thoughts to herself, "Then, what is it?"

"Well, since you were a bit cranky this morning over breakfast," said Christopher, slipping his hand into his uniform pocket. "I was unable to give you this, " Christopher retrieved a white envelope and handed it to Felicity.

"What's this?" she asked, examining the envelope.

"Open it and you'll see," he said holding back a smile.

Felicity tore her fingers into the parchment emptying it's contents into her hands. To her surprise, the envelope revealed a silver chain with a small heart-shaped ornamental case attached. Felicity noticed that a large flower was engraved on the silver. She remembered the jewelry from her childhood. She knew that the flower represented a daisy, her mother's favorite flower. As a toddler, she used to play with the necklace as it dangled from her mother's neck. She immediately turned the case on its side opening it with her fingers. It revealed a message engraved on either side of the locket's interior:

To: Flora

Distance is just a test to see how far Love can Travel.

Love: Chris

"Its…its…"Felicity stuttered as she gazed at the beautiful silver trinket.

"You're Mother's." Christopher finished proudly.

Christopher had given the locket to his late wife as a wedding present. Prior to leaving for Iowa, he had come across the locket as he was packing his belongings. For years, the locket had been collecting dust in a drawer in his San Francisco home. Christopher remembered fondly that as a child, Felicity adored the necklace her mother wore. She couldn't keep her little fingers off of it. Upon seeing the necklace in its ancient state, he had finally decided it was about time the locket be worn by a member of the Pike family once again. The locket was practically Felicity's anyway. He reached for the gift he gave his daughter and bestowed it on her neck. "Think of it as an Orientation Day present," he smiled and the corners of his eyes wrinkled.

Felicity clasped the necklace to her chest, showing a radiant smile. "Thank you, Dad, really thank you!" she embraced her father planting a kiss on his cheek. "I love it."

"Now, hurry up and get back to your seat Cadet Clark," Christopher winked at his daughter. "Captain's orders."

Felicity retained her radiant smile, "I will, Sir."

Christopher then returned back to his post at the entryway of the shuttle while Felicity returned to her seat situated near the cockpit. As Felicity sat, she cherished the ornamental case within her hands tracing the engraved daisy with her fingertips. It was like she had a piece of her mother with her.

It was getting closer to departure and the shuttle was filled with cadets. As the shuttle remained dormant, Felicity felt herself begin to drift off to sleep. She couldn't keep herself awake any longer. As she drifted off, she began to hear some loud bickering erupt between what sounded like Lieutenant Cortez and an unknown male cadet on the ship. From the sound of the male's voice, Felicity diagnosed that he was very emotional.

"I told you people, damn it. I don't need a doctor. I am a doctor, "said the male insistently. Felicity chuckled sleepily, A 'Doctor' huh? No wonder.

"You need to get back to your seat." repeated Lieutenant Cortez more than once over the cadet. From what Felicity could hear, Cortez was getting more and more frustrated. The last thing Felicity would ever want to do is get Cortez mad. The unnamed male cadet didn't know what he was up against.

"I had one! In the bathroom! With no windows-"

"Please, Sir. Sit down-" Cortez said over him. However, the 'Doctor' didn't seem to back down. And, hence the two continued to argue.

Felicity was too sleepy to see what was going on and she was too sleepy to care. If any person could handle a disgruntled cadet it was Cortez. The voices began to grow fainter as she found herself drifting off further into the sleep she was deprived of.

Next stop, San Francisco.