Chapter 2

Jim awoke with a killer headache and the urge to throw up- again. It was the third time that night. Luckily he had emptied the contents of his stomach the first two times, so all that was left was the sour bile flavour, which worsened his headache. Yeah…luckily. He turned to look at the time- 7:36am. There was no use trying to get back to sleep now, he might as well make the most of the day.

Getting up turned out to be a much harder task than he had originally anticipated, but he persevered. It was not only his head that hurt. There were stabbing pains in his stomach every time he made sudden movements, which meant he had to focus on moving slowly. That was when he remembered the black mark on his stomach. Had it really been there, or was it a hallucination? There was no use in waiting to find out.

Yep. Still there. He could have sworn that it wasn't that big the night before. As well as the mark, the rest of his body was covered in bruises and a few minor cuts. As he stripped off his clothes, he had to refrain from gagging at the sight of his own body. He was a sickly pale colour, and the dark bruises did not help with the contrast.

A hot shower did not completely relieve him of his pain, but it certainly helped. He took two aspirins and headed over to his bed, preparing to get over his pride. He remembered last night surprisingly well considering his intoxication level, and was beginning to feel guilty. Embarrassment followed the guilt. Why hadn't he just ignored those idiots? As much as he hated to admit it, he knew that Pike and Bones were right to be mad at him. If he ever wanted to become a Captain one day, he couldn't afford to get into fights over minor disagreements. They were wrong to insult his parents, but he had the choice to walk away. You always have a choice.

Jim signed. He really did need to grow up.

Not surprisingly, neither Pike nor Bones answered his calls. So, they were still angry. A sense of loneliness washed over him. He had just messed up his relationship with the only two people that really mattered to him. Just great.

Well, there was no point worrying about that now. Pike had said he couldn't go to any lectures for a week, but that didn't mean he couldn't study.

The library was empty, most students were probably in lectures. He wondered how many students got suspended yearly. Not very many by the looks of things. The three 'musketeers' had gotten away with a warning. Oh, how fair life was.

He sat down feeling worried. He had gone to the academy hospital asking for Bones, as he worked Thursday mornings. He was told that the doctor was busy, and had specifically asked not to be bothered unless there was an emergency. Was Bones ever going to forgive him?

Jim scrolled through his PADD searching the syllabus for the topics that would be covered in the lectures. There were quite a few that looked interesting, and a few others that would have really helped him. He cursed himself again for his temperament.

During his first two weeks, Jim had almost been kicked out of the academy. He knew he was smart- a result of being told he had 'potential' all his life lead to that. Where he was lacking was the actual studying. He was used to sailing through his studies when he was a kid, but Starfleet was different. After the initial assessments in the second week, he had failed everything. Everything except physical. The look of disappointment on Captain Pike's face that day was one Jim wished never to see again.

"You're not taking this seriously." He had said.

Jim didn't have anything to say. What could he say? He knew he had messed up.

"Jim you do realise that if you fail the retakes, you won't be able to continue, right?"

"Yes Sir."

Pike shook his head. "Look kid- you're smart. I know that. You know that. But being smart can only get you so far. If you want something, you have to work for it."

Those words had stuck with him. With the retakes only a week away he had studied his ass off. Luckily Bones was there to help him- the bastard had passed everything. The end result paid off, although Jim hadn't been so pleased.

"Well done son, you got above 70 in everything." It was nice not to be scolded for once.

"It's not good enough."

"Jim, you passed everything. You should be proud. You can't always be on to-"

"I want to be the best."

Pike had stared at him for a long time, making direct eye contact as if checking to see if he was being serious.

"Then do it."

It was almost five by the time Jim was finished in the library. His headache was coming back, and he was pretty sure that a fever was coming on. He packed up his stuff and headed towards the door. That's when he heard it. A shuffling sound behind the bookshelves. There were only a few other people in the library, but he hadn't seen anyone near the area the sound came from. He decided to go inspect, and was surprised when he found the area completely empty. He turned to leave and spotted the window open. A chill ran through him. The space was just large enough for a person to fit through.

As Jim walked back to his room, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. He was about to turn around when he spotted Pike in front on him. He tried to make eye contact, but the captain was talking to two admirals.

"Captain Pike, can I…"

"I am busy at the moment cadet. If you wish to speak to me please make an appointment for a later time."

"Sir, I'm sorr-"

"Did you not hear the captain? He is busy at the moment. Or have you taken up a habit of disobeying orders from Starfleet captains?"

"Sorry Captain. Sorry Admirals."

As they walked away, Jim overheard something he wished he hadn't.

"Honestly Christopher, I don't know what you saw in that kid. He's a menace. And to think- he actually thinks he can become a Captain!"

The female admiral laughed. It was a harsh sound.

Jim got back to his room feeling sick. Physically, mentally and all the other ways in which a person could feel sick. Who was he kidding? He was beginning to wish he had never signed up for the academy.

His head was really spinning now. Just get to bed Jim, a little rest will make you feel better. Easier said than done. A lot easier.

He didn't make it to the bed. His legs buckled and he fell to the floor, face first. Before his eyes closed though, he saw something blur past his vision.

A tail.

A/N: Thank you so SO much for the reviews. Seriously. It means so much that you guys are actually reading and reviewing this, I didn't realise it would be well received! I've replied to those reviews that I could (I hope!). I actually wasn't planning on making this a story but I will now. I've already got the chapters planned out. You guys keep me going.

I love you guys. Honestly.

Hope you liked this chapter!