Captain's Personal Log:

The Pioneer has arrived at Starbase 147. I've authorized shore leave for all personnel while repairs are made. The capable starbase engineers will fix the ship, although I can't say Chief Engineer Jensen is thrilled at the prospect of someone else working on her engines! At nine hundred hours, Commander Watley and I have an appointment with Admiral Willis to discuss our next mission.

"Computer, end log entry." Captain Scott O'Reilly sat back in his chair. "Computer," he began, "what time is it?" "The time is now ten hundred forty hours," the computer answered. I wonder where Adriana is, he thought, the meeting with Admiral Willis is in twenty minutes.

Just then, the ready room doors opened, and Commander Adriana Watley, the first officer, walked in. "You're right on time, Commander," commented O'Reilly.

"Of course, sir," Watley said with the barest hint of a smirk.

He stood up and leaned on his desk. "What are you plans for after the meeting?"

She looked at him. "Did you have something in mind?" Watley responded archly.

O'Reilly smiled warmly. "Merely a question, Commander."

"Hmm. To answer your question, I was thinking of visiting a friend of mine who's stationed here," replied Watley.

"Another Betazoid?" O'Reilly inquired.

She nodded, "Yes."

"I see," he said. "Would you like to get together after you chat with her?"

"I would," she agreed.

"Great," answered O'Reilly. "Well, we better make sure we're the last ones off. Computer, how many people are on the ship right now?" "Four people are aboard the U.S.S Pioneer at this time, Captain O'Reilly, Commander Watley, Dr. Dalton, and Lieutenant Commander Jensen," the computer informed them. O'Reilly sighed. "Jensen. It figures. Computer, where are Lieutenant Commander Jensen and Dr. Dalton?" "Dr. Dalton and Lieutenant Commander Jensen are in Sickbay," reported the computer. He glanced at Watley. "Let's go."

"Bob, I don't care! No, you're not listening to me-" O'Reilly and Watley overheard Lieutenant Commander Tricia Jensen saying as they entered Sickbay.

"Captain," Dr. Robert Dalton said hastily when he saw them. "We were just about to leave." Jensen glared at the doctor.

"Captain," she started, "request permission to stay behind to supervise the repairs."

"Request denied," stated the captain.

Jensen's face fell. "But sir, I really think I should stay here," she maintained.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Commander. I'm sure the starbase repair crew can handle it." O'Reilly chastised. Watley gave him a look. "Commander, I want everyone off this ship, and that includes you. I ordered shore leave for everyone for a reason. I think we could all use a vacation," he insisted gently.

"Aye, sir." Jensen sighed. She and Dalton walked out of Sickbay, followed by Watley and O'Reilly.

"So," O'Reilly whispered to Watley, "what were your Betazoid senses telling you back there?"

She frowned. "I don't invade people's privacy by reading their minds, you know that. Besides, I'm not even fully Betazoid."

"Well, I didn't mean it seriously, and furthermore, don't tell me you don't have the ability. With the right training, half-Betazoids can read emotions very well. Since you're three-quarters Betazoid, I know you're reasonably telepathic, or at least empathic. So, don't you dare tell me you don't have the capability, Adriana." O'Reilly scolded.

"Maybe so, but that doesn't mean I have to use it. When did you become such an expert on Betazoids, anyway?" retorted Watley.

"Well, fine. I was just making a comment, a joke. You didn't have to blow it all out of proportion," he groused.

"You didn't answer my question. Since when are you an authority on Betazoids?" Watley said. "I work with you don't I?" questioned O'Reilly.

"And…?" she asked, puzzled.

"And aren't I your friend?" he added.

"Of course," agreed Watley.

"There you go. I know all I need to know." O'Reilly told her cryptically.

"What kind of an answer is that?" she complained.

He gave her a carefully neutral look. "Well, it's all you're going to get."

She gazed at him. "I'm never going to even begin to understand you."

He smiled mysteriously. "Who knows? You just might." Watley laughed.

Admiral Richard Willis was waiting for O'Reilly and Watley when they stepped out of the airlock a few minutes later. "Captain O'Reilly," he greeted, "welcome to Starbase 147."

"Thank you, Admiral. This is my first officer, Commander Watley." O'Reilly gestured toward Watley.

"Commander," nodded Willis, "This is my assistant, Commander Talok." The Vulcan standing next to and slightly behind Admiral Willis inclined his head in acknowledgement. "Well. Now that we've made the introductions, we can proceed to the conference room to begin the meeting," Willis motioned for them to follow him.

Forty-five minutes later, Commander Watley and Captain O'Reilly left the conference room. As soon as the doors closed, Watley began talking. "Couldn't they have sent us on a more interesting mission?" she complained.

"Well, I'll grant you it's not very exciting," conceded O'Reilly, "but it's an important mission. Not every assignment is going to be amazing and out of the ordinary, you know."

She sighed. "Sure, I know…but surveying planets for dilithium deposits? I hardly feel like we're 'boldly going'," added Watley.

"We can't all be on the Enterprise, Adriana," he told her.

Watley scowled at him. "But do you know what I mean?"

"Yes, I know what you mean," O'Reilly acquiesced. "Are you going to go visit your friend now? Counselor…" he gave her a questioning look.

"Darin, " Watley supplied, "Counselor Darin."

O'Reilly nodded. "Darin. How about I walk with you to her office now, and then meet you later?" he suggested.

"Sure," accepted Watley.

A few minutes later, O'Reilly and Watley arrived at Counselor Anissa Darin's office. "Here it is," she confirmed. "Hold on for a minute, Scott. I want you to meet her." Watley pushed a button on the wall next to the door. The door then opened to reveal Counselor Darin.

"Adriana!" squealed Darin as she rushed to hug her friend.

"Hello, Anissa! How are you?" Watley grinned.

"Fine, fine. But what about you?" inquired Darin. She gazed at O'Reilly. "And who is your friend?"

"Oh," blushed Watley, "where are my manners? This is Captain Scott O'Reilly, my commanding officer and my friend."

"Captain, " welcomed Darin.

He smiled. "Please, call me Scott."

"Then I'm Anissa," Darin returned.

O'Reilly glanced at Watley. "So, just call me when you're ready to go." He turned to leave. "Goodbye, Adriana, goodbye Anissa!" The two women lingered by the door and watched him walk down the hallway.

When he was out of view, Darin turned to face her friend. "Adriana…" Darin crossed her arms and stared at Watley, "just what is going on between you two?"

"What are you talking about?" Watley asked, perplexed.

Darin laughed. "Oh, please! You two have to be involved with each other."

"Why do you say that?" questioned Watley, suspicious.

Darin suddenly looked like she was now wishing she hadn't opened her mouth. "Well…"

Watley glared at her. "Anissa…" she warned.

"I was just getting some interesting readings from him, that's all. It was nothing, really," admitted Darin.

"What kind of readings?" Watley inquired curiously but cautiously.

"You're a Betazoid, don't you know?" questioned Darin.

"I was just through this with Scott," Watley muttered. "Hey, wait a minute! Don't change the subject. What kind of readings were you getting from him?"

"I don't know…just when he looked at you, I got the impression that…he had feelings for you. Romantically. It was barely noticeable, though. It probably didn't mean anything, I shouldn't have even mentioned it, " Darin downplayed.

"No, that's fine," Watley told her.

"Adriana," asked Darin, "do you feel that way about him?"

Meanwhile, Dr. Dalton and Lieutenant Commander Jensen unwound over a couple of synthehols at Starbase 147's restaurant and bar, the Neptune Café. Jensen propped up her head on her arm and stared into space with a sad look on her face.

"Tricia, what is the matter with you? Don't tell me you're worried about the ship, either. It's something else, isn't it?" queried Dalton.

Jensen gazed at him. "Do you really want to know?" Dalton gave her an of-course-I-do look. "Okay, I'll tell you," she began slowly, "There's someone I knew a long time ago that is stationed here on starbase. I'm more than a little worried that I'm going to run into him while we're here."

"So who is he?" Dalton requested attentively.

Jensen glanced around quickly, and then lowered her voice. "He's my ex-fiancé. His name is Dr. Michael McKay."

"The astrophysicist? You were engaged to him?" said Dalton incredulously.

"You know him?" Jensen questioned.

"I know of him. He's fairly prominent in his field," replied Dalton.

"Bob! I didn't know you were interested in astrophysics," she commented.

"I'm not just a doctor you know," Dalton responded with mock offense, "I'm a man of many talents."

Jensen grinned. "I'm sure. I can't believe in all the time I've known you, I never knew that."

"Well, I never knew you were ever engaged, either," remarked Dalton.

"I told you, it was a long time ago," Jensen started, "I think it was about ten years ago, when I was an ensign on my first deep space assignment aboard the U.S.S. Troy. He was part of a civilian science team that was accompanying us on our mission. By the end of the mission, we were engaged. His team was transferring to a starbase, and he wanted me to try to get reassigned so we could be together." She paused. "His career was beginning to take off, but I was just starting out. I mean, the main reason I joined Starfleet was so I could be out in space. I wanted to explore the unknown. You know how it is. Eventually though, he got impatient and he wanted me to choose what was more important to me, being stationed on a starship or him. I obviously chose the former. We didn't part on the best of terms," finished Jensen.

"It couldn't have been easy for you," Dalton stated sympathetically.

"No," she acknowledged, "but I don't regret it. I bet that if I were to see him today, he probably wouldn't even remember me."

"I doubt that, you're very memorable," observed Dalton.

"Thanks…I guess," Jensen replied.

"It was a compliment, " he assured her.

"Tricia?" said a voice behind her.

Jensen turned around, "Mike? Hi!"

"It's good to see you. How have you been? Chief Engineer, aren't you on that ship of yours?" McKay queried.

Jensen beamed at him. "Why, yes. I hear you're rather successful yourself," she returned.

"I can't complain," replied McKay. Dalton cleared his throat a little too loudly.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Jensen apologized, "Mike, this is my friend Bob Dalton. Bob, this is my ex-fiancé Mike McKay."

McKay smiled genially, "A pleasure, Mr. Dalton. Or is it Bob?"

"Dr. Dalton, please," he paused. "I'm the CMO aboard the Pioneer. I've heard you're an astrophysicist. Actually, I've heard a lot about you." Dalton finished sharply.

McKay looked as if he wasn't quite sure what to say. "All good I hope," McKay finally replied.

"Yes…" Dalton drawled.

Jensen watched Dalton, bewildered. "Won't you join us?" she asked graciously.

"Of course," answered McKay, equally as polite. Dalton eyed him suspiciously.