Two Years Earlier (Stardate 2256)


Fuck.

Adea stared hard at the page, as if staring would somehow make the little black letters reorganize themselves. There were 14 dialects of Brunali. She frowned, pressing her chin into knee. She'd written twelve on the exam. She'd begun reaching for her study guide when the book in front of her snapped shut, a bottle clunking heavily onto her desk.

"Jesus-" she glanced from the unopened champagne bottle on her desk, her heart slowing as she looked up to her beaming roommate, "What the hell was that for?"

"You're reading a study guide for an exam you took two weeks ago," Carol scolded, "This is sad call for help, Cadet Ele."

"Car-"

"I'm confiscating these. You need to get a life," Carol continued, a smile spreading across her face as she snatched Adea's notes from her desk, "And right now, we need to drink."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Adea huffed.

"Absolutely not, A," Carol teased, tossing her purse onto her own bed as she removed her heels, "You're going to get what, a 99 out of 100?"

"97," Adea sighed tiredly, rubbing her temples. She'd need to check one more response to be sure.

"Exactly," Carol replied, stacking Adea's notes on the kitchen counter.

"Give it back Carol," Adea called out, frowning, "I'm serious. I need to finish this now. I have a meeting later this afternoon."

"You always have meetings of late," Carol sighed, making her way towards the kitchenette, "But today you will have to make an exception. We need celebrate."

Adea rotated in her chair to face Carol, raising an eyebrow as she took in the knowing smirk plastered across Carol's face.

"Carol, what are you up to?" Adea questioned, standing slowly.

"Me?" she cooed innocently, "I'm just get some water. You, however, should start packing your bags. Guess who I just heard will be receiving for the Aldair Fellowship."

"What?" Adea blinked, her breath catching in her throat.

Since she joined the academy, she'd been counting down the days until she could apply. A diplomacy relations masters programme in deep space, working closely with the Aldair system. It was her ticket off this world and the start to building her own distinguished career at StarFleet. She'd spend weeks meeting with her professors and advisors, looking for anyone who knew the committee well enough to get the completed Bachelor's programme requirement lifted. Adea had even resorted to asking her sister, in a brief call that lasted no longer than the previous four times they contacted each other whilst living and working on the same campus.

"Holy shit," Adea swore, nearly tripping over her chair as she stood, "What? When? I applied almost a year ago."

"Tonight at the senior class banquet," Carol cooed, fiddling with the foil of the champagne bottle, "I overheard my father's secretary this afternoon."

"I-when- I mean," Adea faltered, the cork popping, "I wasn't even planning on going to the banquet. I-what do I even wear?"

"You," Carol laughed, pushing the foaming bottle in to Adea's hands, "Need to drink before it ruins your precious textbooks. Let me worry about that."

Adea sighed, glancing at the clock.

"Fine," Adea relinquished, glancing at the champagne bottle, "One drink."

"Can't guarantee that," Carol smirked.

"I mean it, Car," Adea sighed, "I have a meeting later."

"Blah, blah, blah, excuses, excuses, excuses," Carol huffed.

"Car, I'm serious," Adea pressed.

"Fine," Carol agreed, "I'll try my best to keep you on schedule. Now will you drink?"

Adea sighed, giving in as she took a swig from the bottle. One wouldn't hurt right?


Present


"Ensign Becker, do you have-"

"Right here, Lieutenant Ele," the blond cadet offered, holding his PADD up to the screen, "The native species profile for Temeres."

Adea swiped her finger across the PADD, watching the text integrate itself into the blank section of the report on the holographic screen. Two down. One more profile to go. She smirked to herself, returning the PADD to Becker.

"We still need the-"

"The defense systems report," he concluded smiling,"I already asked. Dr. Wallace said it would be finished by tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow morning is too late," Adea sighed, crossing her arms, "We need it tonight,"

"Tonight?" he faltered, fumbling nervously as he scanned the notes on his PADD.

"Lab documents are submitted on Wednesdays," Adea stated.

"Oh," he stuttered, blushing fiercely, "I-I could have sworn it was Thursday. I mean, I can ask again, Lieutenant Ele. Should I do that?"

Adea raised an eyebrow.

"You asked already?" Adea repeated slowly.

"I asked when I was getting authorization to the lab archives like you told me too," Becker replied sheepishly, "Dr. McCoy said the submission date was Thursdays."

Of course he'd fucking change the date.

"I didn't catch that, Lieutenant, I'm sorry," Becker excused nervously, "Should I ask again?"

"No," Adea huffed decidedly, "I'll handle it. Please get the report from Carol for tomorrow then. You're dismissed."

Becker nodded, sharply exiting the lab as Adea stared after him. She turned slowly, her heart pounding in her ears as she turned her glare towards the blue uniform at the end of the medical bay. She tried to calm her breathing to no avail as she came to a stop behind him, inhaling sharply as she let her PADD clatter loudly onto his desk.

"Lab reports are submitted Thursdays?" Adea mused sternly.

McCoy's shoulders heaved slowly as he exhaled, closing the x-ray displayed on the screen in front of him as he turned towards Adea.

"Nurse Hayes, you can break now for lunch," he called out.

"I'll be back at 1400," she nodded, flashing a quick smile as she exited the room.

"You were saying?" McCoy continued, taking a step towards Adea.

"Wednesdays," Adea stated sternly, "You told me Wednesdays. So why is my Ensign telling me Thursdays?"

"The policy changed," McCoy shrugged, crossing his arms.

"That's the excuse you're going for?" Adea questioned.

"Seems like a communication problem between you and your Ensign," McCoy sighed,"Maybe if he stopped drooling over you for half a minute he'd manage to get a message to you."

"Drooling over me?" Adea repeated, stepping towards him, "What the hell is your problem?"

"My problem?" Lee mused, "Since when is your hearing my problem?"

"Damn it, Lee," Adea snapped, "I'm not messing with you right now."

"Language, Lieutenant Uhura," McCoy drawled, stepping closer to her.

"This isn't joke, Lee," Adea stated, her scowl deepening as she caught his smirk, "Whether he communicated or not, you know I have submitted the past three reports a day early. Changes in lab protocol should be communicated directly to me."

"Ah, that's right," McCoy replied dryly, "I keep forgetting communicating is important to you now."

"Does this get you off?" Adea mused, tilting her face towards his as she took a step towards him, "Taking petty shots at me every chance you get?"

"I bet you wish it did," McCoy drawled in low voice, smirked slowly, "You're the one who felt the need to march across the lab and get in my face."

"I don't give a damn how you want to interact with me in your free time," Adea hissed, her face inches from his, "But keep your petty grudge the hell out of my work on this ship. You will report lab protocol to me, and directly to me. Is that clear?"

"Whatever you say, Sweetheart," McCoy drawled, staring down at her as the livid red flush spread across her cheeks.

"I mean it, McCoy," Adea warned, snatching her PADD from his desk as she shouldered past him, as she exited the medical bay.


Two Years Earlier (Stardate 2256)


"Where are you going?" Adea huffed, the heel of her boot catching in the crack between the concrete as she hurried after him.

"Hell do you care?" McCoy snapped.

He continued across the courtyard as Adea trailed behind, the music of the banquet fading into the background as they reached concrete plaza before the Academy's main lecture hall. Adea wobbled to a stop, her head spinning as she stared after him. It was pointless chasing after him.

"The fuck is your problem?" she called out.

He slowed, his shoulders heaving as he squared to face her.

"The fuck is my problem?" He hissed, marching over to her, "Adi, are you out of your damned mind? You said you wanted to get lunch, so I wait. You don't pick up your damn phone the entire all day, and when I finally run into you, you're tipsy as hell, accepting an assignment for the mission you can't even tell me about?"

"I forgot my phone and didn't tell you about a scholarship I didn't have, so throw a hissy fit and walk off?" Adea shouted back.

McCoy exhaled deeply, the line between his brows wrinkling.

"Dammit, Adi, I don't care about the phone," he replied, his drawl becoming more pronounced as his voice raised, "Why didn't you say anything about the Adair Fellowship?"

"Because I didn't know," she retorted dryly, "What was I supposed to say?"

"You knew you applied," he shot back,"Ever think it might be nice to say hey, I might be leaving for deep space for the next year and a half."

"Since when the hell do I have to tell you anything," Adea countered.

"Since you decided to blast off into space without another word!" McCoy yelled, "At least I told you when I left, Adi. I didn't fuck off without saying goodbye to you."

"Do you honestly believe I am the type of person who would leave without telling you?" Adea asked incredulously.

"Sure as hell seemed like it," he retorted coldly.

Adea stared back at the unfamiliar expression burning in his eyes as he glared back at her, her heart pounding in her chest. His expression had only flickered for a moment before softening, a brief pang of regret flashing in his eyes. But it was too late. She snapped.

"What is the point, Lee?" Adea spat, "So we can continue to act like we don't know each other in front of other people for another two years? You don't know even know what I had to give up and risk to be where I am now, you don't even care! So if all you can do is storm off and rant about about how I'm planning to abandon you, forgive me if I find it impossible to abandon a relationship doesn't fucking exist!"

The moment the words had left her lips she regretted it, a wave of nausea rolling over her. He stared back at her blankly, his mouth slightly open. Adea inhaled shakely, a hot tear rolling down her cheek as he watched her.

The chime of a PADD notifications broke the silence as Adea's purse began vibrating. She ignored it, as McCoy looked away from her, glancing down at his own PADD notifications. He stared for a moment at the illuminated screen, the line between his eyes wrinkling as he began to shake his head slowly.

"Lieutenant Uhura just sent me a message to thank me for supporting her sister with the thesis that helped her win the Adair Scholarship," he repeated slowly, looking up at Adea.

Adea swallowed dryly as the plaza around her began to spin dangerously, a sinking feeling building in the pit of her stomach as his words echoed in her head. Lieutenant Uhura. Her sister.

"Lee, it's-"

"Dammit, I'd ask if it were true, but that look," he trailed off, glancing down at the PADD as he shook his head.

Adi stared numbly forward, her vision blurring with tears. She had not known what he would do if he found out, but anything was better than the disappointed contempt he watched her with now.

"So what exactly was your plan, Adi? " he scoffed, "Lie to me and let me know when it became relevant like your scholarship? Hope it doesn't implode and hurt the people around you? Or just continue pretending like you care about anyone else when you can't be bothered to give a damn about anyone but yourself?"

She opened her mouth, but he shook his head in response, walking away without another word.


PRESENT


"You're awfully quiet, A," Carol mused, eyeing Adea from across her room.

Adea shrugged in response, turning back to her PADD as Carol snatched it out of her hands.

"What the hell are you-"

"Dr. McCoy's Starfleet profile?" Carol mused, holding the PADD out of Adea's reach, "You said you were reading through a report on Temeres."

"Give it back," Adea ordered, a hot flush rushing to her cheeks as she glared at Carol.

"No, absolutely not," Carol replied, "Not if you're going to do this with it."

"Carol!" Adea hissed, snatching at the PADD as Carol rotated sharply, scrolling through the page.

"Born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 20," Carol read aloud, pacing away from Adea.

"Damn it, Carol, give it back," Adea hissed, as Carol turned again.

"Graduated from the University of Mississippi, magna cum laude," Carol continued, holding the PADD to her chest, "Do you want to talk about this or shall I continue?"

"That's extortion," Adea replied dryly, snatching the PADD back from Carol.

"Are you going to wait three years to talk again?" Carol asked, raising a brow as she settled onto Adea's sofa, "Adi, I'm worried about you."

"I'm sure you are, but I'm fine," Adea concluded, switching on her tea kettle.

"Are you?" Carol questioned.

"Yes," Adea answered, "In fact, I am ahead of schedule for my first four planet reports."

"You know I'm not talked about that, Adi," Carol frowned.

"Then enlighten me," Adea mused dryly.

"You're living in a permanent rotation of the lab, the ship's archive, and your room," Carol began, "You barely talk to anyone. You work impossibly late, and you are the first one up every morning. I'm positive you have no hobbies on this ship besides work."

"Your point?" Adea huffed.

"It's bad enough watching you two interact," Carol continued, "But now here you are, lying about the Temeres report and reading his Starfleet profile. What is going on with you two?"

"Nothing," Adea stated firmly, handing Carol a tea mug as she sat on her bed with her own.

"I find that hard to believe," Carol continued, "Everyday you two find some petty tit for tat to argue about. He seems hellbent on bringing up the past every chance he gets. You still have that Starfleet Medical shirt shoved haphazardly under your pillow like I wouldn't notice. If that's not enough, I can't count how many times I've caught one of you staring at the other thinking the other is not looking. What's going on?"

"I don't know," Adea frowned, glaring at the wall in front of her as she sipped her tea.

"You don't know or you don't want to acknowledge it?" Carol pushed.

"I don't know," Adea shrugged, frowning into her mug, "And to be honest, I don't think I want to."

"Don't think you want to?" Carol repeated, "Adi, do you still feel something for him?"

""It doesn't matter what I feel. It changes nothing," Adea sighed.

"Have a tried talking to him?" Carol asked.

"You're hilarious, Carol," Adea laughed dryly, "You say that like he'd even give me a chance to talk. Then what? We figure things out again? Wait until someone finds out when things really began? It'll be fun. I become the slutty student who slept her way to her position. He gets reprimanded for having slept with his subordinate."

"If it's the past coming out that worries you then say it started aboard once you were assigned to the same ship as officers," Carol pointed out, "You're not his student anymore."

"Well I was when this started," Adea continued, "And all of this, is still excluding the wrath of Nyota. Imagine what'll happen once she finds out her baby sister risked her professional reputation by fucking around with one of her beloved crew members. A crew member, might I add, who is older than Nyota."

"You still haven't mentioned what you want," Carol pressed, "You can't make decisions based on what won't piss off Nyota."

"Of course, because that worked out so well with Adam?" Adea snapped coldly.

Carol frowned, catching the pained look in Adea's eyes. She sighed, moving to sit next to Adea before speaking up again.

"As much as you and Nyota resent one other sometimes, I don't think she ever meant to hurt you like that," Carol replied slowly.

"Yet she does know how our mother is," Adea scoffed, "And she still chose to involve her. Don't take her side."

Adea stood up from her bed, returning the tea mugs to the kitchen as they sat in silence.

"Adi, I'm not taking her side," Carol spoke up softly, "But still, after everything, you can't let worrying about Nyota shape what you want."

"Frankly, it's my choice what I do," Adea snapped back, "And what assumptions I consider when doing so."

"Did you ever tell McCoy what happened?" Carol asked after a pause.

"Is that a joke?" Adea laughed.

"No, it's not, A," Carol replied, "Did you?"

"What do you think, Carol? I tried to tell him everything after he found out," Adea mused miserably, "Do you think he cared to listen at that point? I'd barely mentioned Adam's name when he assumed that's why I didn't tell him about leaving for the Adair Fellowship."

"And?" Carol pressed.

"And? A door was slammed in my face," Adea shrugged, staring blankly ahead, "So yes, Carol, I tried."

"Adi, you never told me you talked to him again," Carol replied slowly, standing up to join Adea at the sink.

"No, I didn't," Adea frowned, scrubbing angrily at the tea cups, "Because it didn't matter then and it doesn't matter now. You didn't see the look in his eyes when he said it Carol. He hated me and he still does."

"He doesn't hate you, Adi," Carol frowned.

"Carol, I don't need your pity or your theories," Adea mumbled, rinsing the glasses.

"I'm not pitying you, A," Carol replied, "But you can't honestly believe, after all this time, he's still mad at you for the hell of it. McCoy is not over you, Adi."

"Are you done, Car?" Adea sighed, rubbing her temples.

"For now, yes," Carol relinquished, exhaling loudly, "But if I catch you looking at his profile again instead of reviewing, you won't hear the end of it."

"That's the last thing you need to worry about," Adea replied, picking up her PADD as she refound her place on the sofa.

"For now," Carol mused innocently.

"What was that?" Adea replied, eyeing Carol as she sat down on her bed.

"Oh, nothing," Carol sighed, smirking at Adea, "Nothing at all."


Til next time,

Live Long and Prosper - Case H.