A swarm of people in black uniforms with black Starfleet badges and phasers set to kill filled the room seconds after McCoy left Lee's ward. He'd never encountered Section 31 before, but these folks sure as hell belonged to it. They hit every super-secret military intelligence cliche there was, and all wore an identical 'Look at me man, I'm so terrifying you should be fainting already' expression on their faces.

McCoy wasn't impressed. He had seen enough to know that in nine situations out of ten people with such looks were a minor threat and could be dealt with easily. It was a delirious grin and a maniacal eyes' gleam that usually sent a shiver down his spine.

Besides, he was done feeling scared. This whole situation was a mess, but it wasn't the first time he was thrown into the midst of a crisis. Wouldn't be the last.

Yes, Lee's life was in danger, but she was a sneaky bitch who could handle herself. And now, she had Jim who was a sneaky bastard too and didn't believe in a no-win scenario. She also had Spock, a scary Vulcan bastard who would be backing Jim up until his last breath. Then there was the whole crew who were no less badass than the people leading them. There were five hundred and fifteen people who got McCoy's back, and this knowledge gave him the strength to brave any disaster this world wanted to throw at him.

So instead of being terrified, McCoy gave the intruders a glare and stood in front of them, blocking the way to Lee's room. The Enterprise's security flanked him, raising their phasers set to stun.

"You are pointing your weapons in the wrong direction, officers," a middle-aged woman in the same black uniform stood forward, "We are not your enemies. The woman in your sickbay is."

McCoy rolled his eyes. So they also had this pretentious way of carrying themselves that most of the higher-ranks bore.

Damn clowns.

Seeing that McCoy wasn't backing off, the woman handed him a PADD.

"We have orders to take into custody a person known as Eileen O'Malley. This is the order for her arrest signed by Admiral Archer. We need to apprehend her as soon as possible."

Archer's name was supposedly mentioned to get some emotional response from him, but McCoy had never been the one for the respect of the higher authorities. Especially after one of such authorities had almost started a war with the damn Klingons and had been seconds away from blowing the Enterprise into oblivion.

So no, the Admiral's name couldn't make him lose his composure either.

McCoy glanced at the PADD to make sure it was indeed the order for Lee's arrest and looked back at the woman he silently christened Black Bitch.

"And how do you intend to do it? She's sedated, as per your orders," he growled, allowing familiar, burning, soothing anger to flow freely through his veins.

"Wake her up. And don't let her have her clothes, her belt especially."

There was again that flash of terror for Lee's fate, but McCoy dismissed it with a shake of his head.

Enough.

He'd been scared enough already. Fear wouldn't help, neither would panic. Fury, however, might produce some miracles, so it was the fury he would stick to.

"Stand down," he barked to security, and they reluctantly followed his order.

Then he looked for his Head Nurse in the front row of the crowd of his staff. He didn't bother to keep irritation from his voice - she knew him long enough to know it wasn't directed at her, "Find something Starfleet standard that would fit that nightmare," he jerked his finger at Lee's room.

Chapel shot him a worried look but nodded and silently left.

McCoy turned on his heels and stomped to Lee again, five Section 31 officers, Black Bitch included, followed him.

It took Lee two seconds to wake up, assess the situation, and give McCoy a small reassuring nod.

"Hi, guys. Who are you?" she wanted to know, accurately applying a go-to-hell-I'm-not-showing-you-anything mask on her face.

"In the name of the United Federation of Planets," Black Bitch said, "You are under arrest. You need to come with us, please."

Lee raised an eyebrow.

"That's interesting. What are your charges?"

"Admiral Archer will explain everything to you, he's waiting for you in the interrogation room. You need to dress fast, please. Also, bear in mind that our phasers are set to kill. Any unexpected movement would make us open fire. So no funny business or we will kill you."

McCoy frowned. He trusted Lee to behave wisely and not to get herself killed before the show had even started, but the words about Archer were disturbing. Had the Admiral beamed aboard to question Lee personally? And if yes, why had he done it? It was really uncommon for the brass to get their hands dirty with such a business.

Lee couldn't not notice that too, but, naturally, showed nothing but mild boredom. She shrugged and slid out of the bed without a protest. Her robe hit the floor moments later, and she reached for a standard set of Starfleet clothes, ignoring five males in the room eyeing her naked form with different levels of interest.

McCoy shook his head in a flash of amusement. Being shy about her body had always been a foreign concept to her.

"You are very mean," she remarked, putting on tight black pants that outlined her curves beautifully.

"And you are very fucked," Black Bitch levelly shot back.

Lee snorted in reply.

After she finished dressing, Black Bitch yanked her arms behind her back and cuffed the girl, using more force than was strictly necessary.

McCoy gritted his teeth but didn't comment on it.

"I'm her doctor. I have the right to be present at her interrogation," he said instead, ready to fight for this right with all the rules he knew.

Black Bitch gave him a smile that he didn't like at all.

"Of course, Doctor. In fact, Admiral requested your presence. You will oversee the interrogation in the observation room."

McCoy blinked in surprise. It was unexpected, but maybe Archer didn't want his prey to die before the man finished with her?

Black Bitch gestured at the door and Lee was led out of the room. All phasers were on her instantly. The black officers formed a tight circle of bodies blocking Lee completely from the rest of the world.

"Get going," Black Bitch pulled out her phaser too and poked in Lee's back.

The girl complied, and everyone mirrored her motions, moving backwards, their faces fixed at her. She gave them an amused smirk.

"For the love of… You do realize we won't fit the lift, don't you?"

It earned her a rather violent shove in her back.

"Don't get smart with me. Just do what you're told."

Lee rolled her eyes dramatically, but stopped talking and marched out of sickbay. McCoy followed them, not meeting the eyes of his colleagues.

Five minutes later McCoy was watching Lee through a one-sided transparent glass that separated the interrogation room from the observation room.

Her arms were handcuffed in an uncomfortable angle, but she looked as nonchalant and relaxed as ever, leaning heavily at the back of the chair and slouching slightly. A polite blank expression was set firmly on her face.

Jim and Spock stood next to McCoy, their emotions in check. Still, the advantage of knowing them both gave McCoy an understanding that Spock was still shaken from what he'd seen in Lee's mind and that Jim was pissed off like hell. McCoy himself didn't bother to hide his ire.

On the other side of the glass, Archer sat in front of Lee and gave her a curious look.

The damn Federation hero had indeed graced the Enterprise with his presence.

"I always wondered," were his first words to her, "What does the Fox look like. I pictured some cunning-looking woman, or maybe some grim-looking man with a big impressive scar all over their face. Never in the world, did I picture a small kid like you. You were a teenager at the time of most of your crimes, weren't you?"

"I'm sorry, Admiral, but I fail to understand your point here," Lee's voice was neutral, the one she pulled when the situation was exceptionally shitty, "What exactly are your charges against me? As far as I know, I've done nothing wrong. Old buddies, me and the law we are."

Archer's eyes shone with something that looked suspiciously like glee.

"I see you are inclined to deny everything. Did you forget about your accomplices in the brig? They told us what we needed to know."

Her face stayed calm.

"They are not my accomplices. I lured them here to save people who helped me. I've never seen any of them before. There can't be a thing they told you to blame anything on me."

Admiral huffed.

"You really know your friends, I give you that. The Klingons just growl and the others are apparently too afraid of you to say anything. You are very good, Miss O'Malley. But you are forgetting you broke into the Federation classified archive."

"I was just playing the role. If those are your charges, I'd like to remind you that this crime, with mitigating circumstances which I believe I have, is subject to a suspended sentence. With a good lawyer, the charges can even be dropped. What crimes are you talking about?"

It had never occurred to McCoy that they had nothing against her. She could refuse everything and they wouldn't be able to prove it a lie. He wondered how Archer would solve that dilemma. The man definitely didn't look upset.

"About these," Archer slid a PADD over to Lee, and she leaned forward to look at it.

It should have been a hell of an interesting reading because she was scanning it for a whole minute; a time far longer than she usually took to study one single page.

"Impressive," she said finally, leaning back again, "The person responsible for these crimes must be some serious guy you probably can't catch. Decided to give up, find a scapegoat and charge them of all these things, huh? Well, it won't work on me."

Archer seemed exceptionally pleased with himself.

"You see, Miss O'Malley, I think it will. And I think at the end of our discussion you will confess to committing all these crimes, sign on the bottom of this document admitting yourself guilty and then come with us to stand public trial."

She arched an eyebrow.

"Why would I do that?"

"Because you will see this."

Archer retrieved another PADD and showed it to her.

She was looking at it even longer. Her face didn't change but McCoy noticed her eyes going darker. She was getting angry, and he wondered if Archer saw it too.

"What's that?" she demanded.

Archer gave her an honest to God beam. McCoy couldn't see the Admiral's endgame, but he started to believe he wouldn't like it.

"You see, we indeed can't charge you of anything important. We have no evidence against you aside from this flawless hacking that you can claim anyone can do. The prisoners in the brig won't talk; your reputation keeps you safe here. So yes, we have nothing against you," Archer explained, "However, Doctor McCoy's situation is different. He's a Starfleet officer. He has regulations he is obliged to follow. He failed to follow them. He sided with an assumed criminal and violated the law. He probably won't end up in prison, but he will be stripped of his rank and kicked out of Starfleet should we proceed with our charges.

This is the order for his arrest signed by the President. We don't have any evidence against you, but we have plenty of evidence against him. So one way or another, there will be a public trial. The question is who would be the accused. If you don't admit your crimes, he will pay for helping you."

McCoy stared at the Admiral in shock. His hearing must have been deceiving him. They couldn't use him against her, right?

In the other room, Lee frowned slightly, still perfectly composed.

"I'm not an expert, but isn't it a slightly non-balanced exchange? He'd only lose his position, but the person signing this," she nodded at the first PADD, "Would lose their lives. The Federation doesn't usually sentence to death, but there were some cases, and I believe you want this case to be another precedent. As for the Doctor, he may lose his rank, and that's very unfortunate; he's a good man and doesn't deserve it. But I'm not signing this bullshit, thank you very much. I like being alive, you know."

"You think it's a bluff, don't you?" Archer smirked, "Have a look at this."

He tapped something at the second PADD and showed her.

She looked.

When she raised her head, her eyes lost their green color completely.

"What is that?" she asked in a soft, quiet voice that made McCoy shudder. She rarely spoke like this, but when she did, someone started to regret every decision that led them to confront her.

"It's evidence that you and the Doctor are having a rather emotional affair."

"What?" McCoy exclaimed and turned to Jim, "What the hell is he talking about?"

Jim didn't meet his eyes.

"Just keep watching."

"It's a fake," Lee asserted on the other side of the glass. Archer gave her a smile of a person who had the situation under his full control.

"Do you deny that you and McCoy are in a relationship?"

"Of course I do."

"Well, nobody's going to believe you. When I press this button, all major Federation media will receive these photos. He's rather famous; they won't miss such a scandal. It will also be the end of his medical career as having an affair with his patient is strictly prohibited by every medical code of conduct."

Lee tilted her head, still holding on her emotionless facade. Her eyes were pitch-black. McCoy could bet she was a fraction away from murdering the man in front of her, all handcuffs in the world be damned.

McCoy himself was clenching and unclenching his fists, trying to maintain the last shreds of his self-control. Starfleet's betrayal was so enormous he couldn't quite wrap his mind around it. He understood Archer's plan now, and he couldn't believe this decorated war hero, one of the Federation's founders, was using such a blunt and dirty move to get what he wanted.

"Is the Admiral bluffing?" Spock asked with a barely restrained rage in his voice.

"No," was Jim's reply, "They have pictures of Lee and Bones in rather compromising positions."

"But we didn't do anything!" McCoy protested.

His office didn't have camera surveillance and in public, the most intimate moments that they'd had were holding hands. There was no way Starfleet had anything against them.

"They can beam aboard a starship parsecs away from Earth," Jim hissed, "You think they can't fake a couple of compromising photos?"

On the other side, Lee was silent. Archer gave up on getting a response and continued.

"I press this button, and everything's becoming public. Your doctor will find himself in the center of the biggest scandal of the last years. He might be a hero, but people like watching overthrowing heroes as much as they like worshipping them. You may look like you don't give a damn, and your self-control is perfect, but I believe you care about the Doctor. I saw the feeds of your fight on the bridge. You sacrificed yourself to save him," Archer leaned forward a little, looking straight into her eyes, "You've never done that before. You left your accomplices, you killed them, but you've never ever tried to save them. I know you care. So if you're not cooperating, he's in trouble. All of this because of you."

McCoy felt like exploding.

How could they?

He was a good doctor. He served Starfleet well. He saved the lives of many people, and some of these people were the ones who saved billions of other lives. He didn't deserve it.

Archer was going on.

"I believe you understand more or less what a person the man in question is. He is a doctor by calling, not just by profession. What happens if we take not only his rank but also his life purpose from him? He will face a court-martial and lose his medical license. He won't be able to practice medicine in any world related to the Federation. So tell me, Eileen, shall I press this button?"

"Can we do anything?" Spock asked.

"No," Jim replied, his eyes fixed on Lee, "They want her badly. He wouldn't even listen to me."

In the interrogation room, Lee finally spoke, still presenting a relaxed appearance to the world.

"This is the most insane bluff I've ever heard. Are you serious in believing I would buy you sacrificing one of your best assets to achieve what exactly? Going through with your threats only harms you, not the criminal you want to abduct. You're telling me that even AFTER the criminal doesn't admit their crimes, you're going to harm your organization even more by court-martialing McCoy. You'd end up without the criminal AND without one of the best Doctors that have ever walked the world. And for what? To piss off said criminal? It's just stupid, even for the brass like you."

Archer grinned. Holy hell, the motherfucker actually grinned at her.

"Your words would make perfect sense should the situation be different. But it isn't, Eileen. You care about McCoy and you are also one of the most dangerous criminals we have ever encountered. We are this close to making you answer for your crimes. So if all we can do is to piss you off by disgracing him, we'll do it. You are more dangerous than he's useful," Archer dropped his sneer and went deadly serious, "Quit your pretending. I'm giving you a one-time offer now. You sign this, or I send the photos to the media and McCoy's career is over. The choice is yours."

McCoy squeezed his eyes shut and prayed to God all of it being one hideous nightmare.

It couldn't be real. He realized of course that Starfleet wasn't above such a low blow, but he could never imagine this kind of blow being directed at him.

He opened his eyes. Nope, the nightmare was still there, so he probably wasn't dreaming.

Unfortunately.

He studied Lee's completely still form warily. The most logical option for her was to tell Archer to get fucked. Obviously, it was the lesser evil. It would cost McCoy his career, but at least she'd still be alive and free. Maybe they would be able to start a new life somewhere in a different world. Maybe he'd even be able to see his daughter from time to time.

Then it hit him.

Joanna.

Jocelyn would never let him see her again should Archer throw him into this scandal of the century.

He'd never see his little princess.

He realized he was starting to panic and tried several deep calming breaths. They didn't help, but the situation on the other side of the glass changed, and all thoughts about his daughter left his head as he heard a soft click. Lee's handcuffs fell on the floor. There was a phaser in her hand now, set to kill.

Everyone froze.

"Captain?" Spock had his phaser out, his hand on the door.

"Stand down," Jim ordered firmly without tearing his eyes away from the scene, "Let them finish."

"You are a very brave man, Admiral," Lee gently said, "To walk in a room with a person you believe did all these things, walk in alone and threaten the man who the criminal presumably cares about, and hope to leave this room alive. I'm impressed."

Despite the phaser pointed at his face, Archer was smirking.

"The risk was worth it, Fox. At least now I know we're right. And I'm still sure you'll sign this."

She tilted her head.

"Why's that?"

"You are not exactly a talkative type. If you were going to run, you'd do it already. If you were going to kill me, I'd be already dead. You're still here, and I'm still alive, so I assume you are amenable to negotiation."

She laughed, loudly and darkly.

"You Federation scum," she spat, "You have a thing for public executions, don't you? You could just kill me, but no, you wanted to march me to the gallows for the whole world to see your strength and glory. You don't want to just end it, you want a show," she added several words in a language McCoy didn't understand, Klingon by the sound of it. Most likely curses.

"We just want you to face the consequences of your actions. We're not murderers. We…"

She interrupted him with a laugh that sounded outright lunatic.

"Not murderers… You are killing people on a daily basis. The only difference between you and me is that you call it politics and proclaim it to be the law. You are ready to sacrifice an innocent man to get what you want without batting an eyelid. You can think whatever you please, but facts say you are no better than me."

Archer opened his mouth, but she cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"Save it. I know you're not bluffing. I see it from your body language and I see that the order is not a fake. I'm not really surprised you decided to go for it though. Only the cowards like your lot would come up with something like this. So I believe you'll make the Doctor suffer if I don't admit these crimes," she cocked her head to another side, "I believe you," she repeated and took the phaser from her right hand to her left, leaning on the left arm of the chair.

"I was wondering why you came here yourself," she continued, abandoning her indifferent mask completely and smiling like a madman, "People like you don't do fieldwork. They sit in their posh offices and sign death sentences for other people to carry them out. They don't risk their lives interrogating dangerous criminals."

She bent slightly forward.

"But then I remembered Dean May was your friend."

Archer's body tensed.

McCoy frowned. The name rang a bell, but he couldn't tell where he'd heard it before.

"Yes," Lee cooed, now looking positively insane, "Not the closest you had, but you valued him. And I killed him."

The gentleness of her voice was eerie, and it was exactly the thing that usually scared the living shit out of McCoy. Not the menace of heavily armed black officers, but the quiet gentleness of a fragile woman.

A fragile woman who had her back up against the wall.

A fragile woman who was known for killing one and a half thousand people.

Archer stopped being smug and glared at Lee. The vein on his temple was pulsating violently.

"Oh, he screamed so loudly," Lee murmured and the penny finally dropped. McCoy shut his eyes tight for a moment, banishing away growing nausea.

He remembered now. It was the first name on Lee's list of victims from the 'Tortures' section. The skinned alive man.

"He told me everything I needed in the first five minutes," she purred, "You'd be surprised how easy it was to break him. A strong, fearless man, and I brought him into submission in five short minutes…" she chuckled at Archer's very visible shudder, "I could have let him go. But you rarely have an opportunity to practice, you know."

Archer growled and lurched at her. She stuck her phaser out and he dropped back on his seat, his eyes blazing with rage.

"No need to react like this, Admiral. I'm just trying to make a point, that's all."

She fell into her previous relaxed stance again.

"My point is, being skinned alive is not the best death one might have. But," Lee raised one finger to emphasize her words, "It's not the worst either. And now I want you to listen to me very carefully, Admiral."

She held on the phaser tighter and straightened in her seat.

"If you ever harm the Doctor in any way, I'll show you what can be worse than May's fate."

"My death won't change anything," Archer snarled, "If you don't sign the paper, McCoy will suffer."

"I know," she said mildly and reached for the first PADD, "But unlike you, I have some honor and dignity in me. I don't betray people who helped me."

She scrolled the page on the PADD down, where the place for a signature was.

"You'll leave the Doc alone. You delete this stupid stuff from everywhere and you won't raise any charges against him. No demotion, no court-martial, no media, you hear me?"

"We don't need McCoy, you bitch," Archer hissed, "We need you. Sign the damn thing, and we'll let him be."

"Of course you will. Because if you don't, Dean May's death will seem very fast, very easy and very desirable for you. Should I know you fail to fulfill your promise, I'll come after you personally, and then you'll regret you've ever been born. Don't consider it a threat, Admiral. Consider it a promise."

She unclenched her fingers and let the phaser fall to the ground. The clang of the dropped weapon added the finality to her action, and before McCoy could do anything to stop her, she signed her death sentence willingly.