A/N: Greetings from Migraine-land.

"Scotty?"

"Yes, lass?"

"Can I use one of the Jefferies Tube junctions as a little secret hideout?"

He turned to face her, concerned. "Someone been botherin' you, Elle?"

"No," she said, fidgeting.

"That was the most unconvincing 'no' I've ever seen," he said flatly.

"Well, currently, Dr. Jones is freaking me out," Elle said, "but that's not what I'm worried about."

"Freaking you out, how?" he asked.

Elle tapped her forehead. "She's telepathic, Scotty. She knows I know something and she keeps staring at me. Asking me weird questions. It doesn't help that I can sense the Medusan ambassador like, like a fizzy soda in the back of my mind."

Scotty's eyebrows went all the way up. "Why haven't you informed Mr. Spock? Or the doctor?"

Elle waved a hand. "I don't have any trouble sleeping or anything. It's just," she bit her lip, "Lt. Riley mentioned, that me having a place to go, would be good, in case of Romulans. Or Klingons. Things like that."

His expression changed. "Ah. Well, that would be logical, wouldn't it? Let me run it by the captain and we'll see."

"Nice."

"If," he continued, giving her a firm look, "you speak to Mr. Spock about these events."

Elle sighed. "Fine."

"Good. You just go do that then," he said. He folded his arms in an attitude of patience.

Elle sighed again and went to go find Spock.

He was in one of the science labs, working with one of the astrophysics teams. "Good afternoon, ax'nav, give us a few moments."

Elle nodded and perched on one of the stools, watching them throw variables around the hologrpahic tank like little blue bouncy balls.

They finished their advanced mathematical sorcery and returned to their stations. Spock turned to Elle and clasped his hands behind his back. "You seem disturbed."

"Not really but Scotty's making me talk to you otherwise I won't get a secret junction."

Spock gave her a look and gestured towards the door. "I must oversee the xenobiological departments, walk with me as you please elaborate, Elle."

Reluctantly, Elle informed him that she could sense the Medusan ambassador and that Dr. Jones knew that Elle knew things she couldn't possibly know. "She keeps just, looking at me," Elle complained. "Like she's trying to peel my brain like an orange."

"That is a grave breach of telepathic conduct," Spock said, solemn. "I will speak to her." He gave Elle a long, assessing glance. "With each encounter, your esper sensititvity seems to be increasing," he said. "I believe we should resume your mental training."

Elle nodded. "If you have time."

"I will make the time," he said. "You must have the tools to take care of your own mind, and shield yourself from others'."

"So the Jefferies Tube junction," Elle said.

"You may claim it," Spock said, quirking an amused eyebrow at her. "I will inform the captain."

She resisted the urge to give him a hug. "Thank you! Excuse me." She hot-footed it to engineering. "He said yes," she informed an amused Scotty.

"Verra well then, lass, go to it."

"Awesome!" She hugged him, and went to pester the quartermaster's office.

"Blankets, pillows, a storage box with wall-attachments, and a projecting screen?" Lt. Cmdr. Chanax asked. "What are you making a blanket fort?"

"Essentially."

"Good thing we have all the extras from crew turnover." He waved her into Storage Room 25-C. "Go nuts."

The crew turnover room was where all the things too big to be taken with you or too complex to recycle into replicator material went to reside. People who wanted a personalized touch to their roooms could come here and take what they wanted. Or you could sneak in and dump your unwanted belongings in a sort of trade. And sometimes, as a prank, other people's belongings.

Elle made a small pile of pillows, grabbed one duvet and a few throw blankets, and sat down to make sure they were all fire-safe. After some hunting she also found a couple storage boxes and a small projector. And, she found some noise-canceling carpeting, probably from the last time a Denebian been onboard. Denebians all snored terribly. They produced a lot of internal mucus. Thanks Bones, for that wonderful biology tidbit, Elle mused.

Ooh, and glow in the dark stars. She snagged them and dragged her bounty out of the quartermaster's department, wrapped in the duvet.

The crewmembers she passed smiled at her tolerantly. "You movin' out, Elle?" Lt. Martine teased.

"I'm making a secret club," Elle replied, grinning.

"Uh-huh."

Elle wrestled her things all the way to junction 45-27 B and set to work. She installed the soundproofing carpeting on all six sides of the junction and tested it with a shrill whistle. Not bad. She installed the storage lockers on the blank wall and shoved the blankets and pillows inside them to make sure they'd be out of the way when she wasn't here. "Perfect," she said aloud.

She pulled everything back out and created the perfect nest. She set up the projector to play from her tablet, and opened the other storage box. It was full of snacks. "Perfect," she repeated.

Two episodes of a Rigellian historical drama later, she got a text on her PADD. "Literature analysis tonight?" from the captain.

Elle glanced at the chrono. "Oops." She texted back, "on my way!" and shoved everything back into their boxes. She grabbed her PADD and slid her way down the Jeffereies Tubes, ending up right outside the Observation Deck. She went into the room and spotted the captain. "Sorry I'm late," she said, sitting across from him. "I got caught up in my new project."

Kirk smiled. "Yes, I heard, your new secret junction. Every kid needs a treehouse." His smile dimmed slightly. "Spock also mentioned you were going to step up your mental shielding? Is the presence of the Medusan ambassador bothering you?"

"Not bothering," Elle said, "I'm just, really aware that he's onboard."

"Hm." He tapped at his PADD. "So where did we leave off last time?"

Elle took the out gratefully and switched to their latest novel. "There were pirates," she said.

"Ah yes. The Dread Pirate Roberts."

-/\-

Dr. Jones came into the Observation Room right in the middle of Elle's ramble about breaking the fourth wall in literature. Elle fell silent awkwardly as Dr. Jones came over.

"Dr. Jones," Kirk said, giving a charming smile.

"Captain Kirk. Miss Wilcott."

"Can I assist you with anything, doctor?" Kirk asked, after a second.

"No, thank you," Dr. Jones said. "I was merely restless and I didn't wish to stay in my quarters."

"Of course," the captain agreed. "The arboretum is beautiful this time of year. Our botanists have been cultivating heirloom roses to give to the colonies we visit."

"That sounds lovely," Dr. Jones said. "Perhaps Miss Wilcott could give me a tour?"

Elle glanced at the captain uneasily.

"Unfortunately Miss Wilcott is doing homework," Kirk said smoothly, "but I would be pleased to stand in as a tour guide." He stood up, squeezed Elle's arm reassuringly, and escorted Dr. Jones away.

Elle sat back in her chair and frowned after them. Maybe she'd better go to bed.

-/\-

The comm dinged.

Elle put on her shoes and hit the comm. "Elle here."

"Elle, would you eat breakfast with Mr. Spock and I in my quarters this morning?" the captain asked. "We have something to talk about."

Elle paused. "Um, yes, sir. On my way." She grabbed her PADD and made her way up one deck to the captain's quarters. The door slid open when she got close and she went in.

Spock and the captain were sitting at the desk with cups of coffee. The captain waved her over and handed her a cup of hot cocoa. "Good morning. You sleep okay?"

"Yeah, I slept fine," Elle said, sitting across from them. "Am I in trouble? This feels like a parental lecture."

Kirk laughed. "No, you're not in trouble, sweetheart. Actually, you've gotten a job offer."

Elle blinked. "What?"

"I spoke to Dr. Jones yesterday about her interest in you," Kirk said. "It was, enlightening."

Elle's stomach twisted. "She didn't read my mind? The classified stuff?"

"No," he reassured her, "nothing like that. Apparently, you piqued the Medusan ambassador's interest as well, and he asked Dr. Jones to scope you out as a potential apprentice and one-day succesor to the telepathic link."

"Apprentice?" she echoed. "What? But I'm not even telepathic."

"The Medusan ambassador inferred you would be, with sufficient training and exposure to a telepathic environment," Spock said.

"But I'm not blind or Vulcan, I'd go crazy," Elle said.

"Aye, there's the rub," Kirk quoted, grinning wryly. "As your guardians, we declined the ambassador's generous offer to take over your care." He gave her a look. "Unless of course you'd like to become a diplomatic attache."

"No way," Elle said, shaking her head so vigorously her hot cocoa almost spilled.

"I didn't think so," Kirk said, amused.

"And that was it?" Elle asked. "No nefariousness?"

"Nope."

Elle leaned back in her chair. "And Dr. Marvick isn't gonna go berserker?"

"Nope."

"Cool." Elle glanced at the empty desk. "You promised breakfast."

The captain laughed. "I did, didn't I?"

Four days later, the Medusan party was dropped off on their homeworld. Elle was glad to see them go.