"Not the best time, my ass."

Jackson raised a hand to the young and rash captain standing behind him. "Captain Kirk, let me handle this." He straightened and squared his shoulders. "Emperor Zolaff. You haven't been honest with us."

"Whatever my daughter might have told you isn't true."

"Our medical doctor and first officers will highly disagree. Perhaps we may come down and discuss this amicably."

"Captain Jackson," Kirk's whisper was harsh and done through a clenched jaw.

"Be patient," he replied in an even lower whisper.

Zolaff frowned. "The Council has nothing to say to you at this time. When we reconvene in another week, you may try contacting us again."

Kirk had had enough, stepping forward. "Look, I don't care about your politics when two very good Starfleet officers are put into jeopardy. Doctor Leonard McCoy is under my charge. I will not stand by and wait for your Council when he could very well be dead at any moment."

Where Kirk expected anger, Zolaff showed indifference. "He is in no danger of dying and neither will the female, should she be successful."

"Successful? In what?"

"We reconvene next week. Any concerns will be addressed then."

Jackson opened his mouth to speak when the screen switched back to the view of the planet below. "You should have stayed quiet."

"He wasn't going to give us any information and you know that."

"Hm. So you don't trust him either?"

"Not as far as I can I throw him."

Jackson cracked a small smile while Hallon furrowed his eyebrows. "Sir. We're being hailed by Enterprise."

"Put them on."

Kirk leaned against Jackson's chair and smiled when Spock's face filled the screen. "You better have good news, Spock."

"I apologize, Captain. We've still had no luck with the transporter or communications. However, we've been able to track Doctor McCoy and Lieutenant Gellar's biosigns and monitor them."

"Is anything wrong with them?"

"You should probably get back to Enterprise."

"On my way, Kirk out." The screen went blank once more. Kirk sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"It's alright. Just keep me in the loop, will you? My chief engineer is down there."

"Of course, Captain Jackson."

Jackson saw Kirk off and returned to the bridge. A few hours of silence from sickbay was beginning to nag at the back of Jackson's mind.

"Commander Hallon."

"Yes, sir?"

"I need you to check on Erin. See what she's found out and help her any way you can."

"Aye, Captain."

Hallon found himself walking down to sickbay with his hands fiddling nervously in front of him. He tried to keep his worried expression hidden but failed miserably. How in the name of supernovas could Vulcans keep their emotions hidden every day? He supposed the skill would be beneficial but quite tiresome when done day after day.

Even before Hallon walked into sickbay, he knew Erin would be erratic. Jackson had given her on hell of a task to find the formula for this strange substance and synthesize it from scratch. However, the sight he walked into was far worse than he could have ever dreamed. Erin's office looked like a depository for whatever had the misfortune to get sucked into the black holes of this system. Papers and PADDs littered the area and the loud whir of computers analyzing the data filled the cramped space. In the middle of it all was Erin at her desk, pulling chunks of her black hair out of her skull.

"You look like hell."

Erin's molten gold gaze was enough to make Hallon sigh. Ok, so she was definitely frustrated.

"Not in the mood, Hallon."

"Well, that's a first. I'm sure some cookie dough ice cream could fix that. Maybe some whipped cream?"

A loud crash made Erin jump nearly half way to the ceiling. Her eyes grew wide when she swung around to one of the computers where an ERROR message occupied the otherwise blank screen. Slamming a fist down onto the table, Erin slumped back into her chair and grabbed a nearby PADD.

"Double the whipped cream then."

Erin sighed. "Commander, aren't you needed on the bridge?"

"You need help and you know it. Besides, Jackson sent me to help you. He'll likely need a report soon."

"A report?" Her sarcastic chuckle was slightly unnerving. "This is impossible. This substance is the most complex thing I've seen. Liv must be experiencing so much."

"Like what?"

"Well," Erin glanced at her watch. "The headaches have probably started by now. In another hour, the dizziness will start and so will the nausea."

"I thought this was supposed to make her aggressive and want to . . .mate?"

"Human females may be similar but a massive hormone overdose takes a toll on the body. After those initial symptoms, she should start feeling the best she's ever felt. That's when the delusions will likely start." Erin reached toward the synthesizer, "You want one?"

Hallon nodded before taking a seat at the other side of her desk.

"Two coffees. Black." She handed one cup to Hallon and took a sip from her cup before setting it down on her desk.

"Delusions? Like hallucinations?"

"Sort of. This substance wasn't made to force sexual feelings. It merely plays off of what's there and amplifies it." Hallon's eyes widened.

"She still loves him, so the Barezden-A will have an effect."

"Her body will think it's on fire with all those sex hormones raging through her system."

Hallon chuckled and mumbled 'sex hormones' under his breath. Even Erin had to crack a smile before she straightened in her chair and tried to regain her professional demeanor.

"Will she realize what's happening?"

"I'm sure Liv will figure out what's happening. Mating is part of a human's primal nature. Buried beneath layers of intelligence and refinement, every woman, including Liv, is a wild animal." She sighed heavily and took another drink of her coffee. "But she's so stubborn. Even when her body will likely throw herself on Doctor McCoy, she'll try to fight it. She hates him for what he did to her."

"That may be true, but she still loves him." Erin gave him a quizzical look to which he responded a smile. "She told me everything."

"In that case you know why she will fight her feelings tooth and nail."

Hallon's face grew dark. "That's what worries me. Didn't you say in another two days that she'd die?"

"Yes. However, near the end, she'll be far too drawn into her animalistic nature to stop herself. Although, I can't say I'm not jealous. Doctor McCoy isn't that bad looking. I'd like to see him with his shirt off."

Hallon raised his cup, which prompted Erin to join him. He sighed and shook his head. "To Doctor Leonard McCoy. God help him, he'll need all the luck he can get."

"To Olivia. God help her to not tear McCoy from limb from all those sex hormones raging in her body."

Hallon chuckled. "To sex hormones!"

They both drank and Erin laughed. Hallon smiled, it was good to see Erin's face softened from laughter. Frustration was definitely not complimenting on her. Before he knew what he was doing, Hallon had stood and closed the distance between him and Erin. He placed an arm around her shoulder and placed his other hand over hers.

"So, what do you need?"

She smiled and handed him three PADDs. "Start with these."

Hallon glanced back at his empty cup. "We're gonna need more coffee."

They worked in silence for the next hour when Hallon suddenly let out a long, contented sigh. "Erin! You're never going to believe this."

"What?" She leaned over his shoulder, using a hand on his arm to steady herself. The PADD was showing some data, but what drew Erin's eye was a calculation at the bottom of the screen. "You've found half of the formula."

"Yeah but to get the other half, we're going to need more information."

Erin scoffed. "And the Council will have us chasing our tails long enough for them to hide whatever information we might need."

"Who says they need to know we're coming?"

"Hallon? Are you suggesting we break in?" She raised an eyebrow. "Captain Jackson will never go for it."

"Go for what?"

Captain Jackson's weary voice yanked the two officers back to reality. Only then did they realize how close they were to each other. Erin pushed herself to her desk and turned to face Jackson. His gray eyes examined the room with heavy lids and dull life in their depths.

"What have we got?"

"We managed to piece together half the synthesizer sequence."

Jackson's sigh was long but filled with relief. At least something had gone right today. "How long until you get the other half?"

"We need information on their genome and what happened during the Alecksha."

Hallon rubbed his temples with a sore hand. "And we're pretty sure the Council won't give us that information."

"Come with me. Captain Kirk has requested our presence on the Enterprise."

Erin and Hallon exchanged a shrug before following Jackson to the transporter room. A team consisting of Kirk, Spock and two of the Enterprise's doctors awaited their arrival. They took the three to one of the conference rooms.

"We got your information and agree that more information is needed."

Kirk placed his holds folded in front of him on the table. "We already asked the Council. We told them it would help ensure a cure. They accused us of trying to get near their sacred caves for our own use. They've threatened that if we attempt to further probe the subject, they will kill any who emerge from or approach those caves."

Erin bit her lip and turned to Captain Jackson. "If Liv, I mean, Lieutenant Gellar doesn't mate, she'll die. Sir, we need to get her out of there."

"I agree."

Kirk drew in a sharp breath. "It would seem a more direct approach must be taken."

Spock raised an eyebrow. "Starfleet has made it clear no hostile action can be taken."

"They captured our people first! How can we stand by and watch this happen?"

Jackson placed a hand on Hallon's shoulder. "There's no need for shouting, Commander Hallon. We need that information to piece together the cure. Only then will the Council listen to us."

"If they should catch us, the results would be more damaging than helpful."

Erin curled her hands into fists. "It's a risk I'm willing to take."

Both Jackson and Kirk rounded their eyes on Erin. Jackson shook his head. "You're not going down there."

"What other doctor has significant combat experience? Besides, even your trained professionals wouldn't have the slightest clue of what to look for. I do."

"You'll have to take a small team with you."

"No. Too many will draw attention. Having only one other with me will give us additional strength but the added benefits of stealth."

"Doctor Kolshar's logic is sound."

"But who goes with her?"

The silence was thick and nearly choked the air from all the people crammed around the table. Finally Kirk sighed and said, "I'll go."

Immediately there was an up roar except from Spock who merely narrowed his eyes. "Captain. If you are captured . . ."

"I know what'll happen."

"I must protest." Jackson swallowed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You have to command your vessel."

"Spock ran this baby for a while before I became Captain. He can run her again while I'm gone. Besides, Doctor Kolshar will need someone with tactical experience and a little bit of muscle wouldn't hurt."

Jackson turned to Erin who nodded. "We really shouldn't have a problem. Molshara included floor plans of the palace in the information she gave us. It'll be simple to beam in, get the information and get out."

"Be ready to go in ten minutes."

They reconvened in the Enterprise's transporter room. Erin was dressed in all black, matching her hair that she had pulled back into a high ponytail. She advanced onto the platform and waited for Kirk to join her. Hallon and Jackson looked on from a safe distance back.

"I won't be long."

Hallon stepped forward until he was in front of her without being on the platform. His hand grasped her neck and pulled Erin down into a kiss. She was a little shocked but no less agreeable. He pulled back with his mouth drawn into tight, worried lines.

"Remember. Find the information and get out. You're not there to find Liv. Come back safe."

"I will." Hallon nodded and returned to his post by Captain Jackson.

"Transporting in three . . .two . . .one."

"Energize," Erin and Kirk said simultaneously.

The light faded and the two found themselves in a dimly lit room. Erin smiled; knowing the layout of the room indicated they had been transported to the hospital. The battle was half way over already. She flipped open her tricorder and found the information terminal. Kirk had crossed the room to the only door with his phaser pulled and set to stun.

"How much time do you need?"

Erin looked at the readings displayed on the screen. "Five minutes."

"Keep going."

She worked in silence, working her way around access screens and detection codes. Soon Erin found what she was looking for. "There you are. Come to mama."

"That's it?"

"That's it." She noticed the slight frown forming on his face. "What's wrong?"

"That was easy. A little too easy. I would have thought there'd have been—"

Warning. Intruders. Warning. Intruders.

Kirk whirled around to Erin whose face widened from shock. The tricorder fell from her hands and crashed to the floor. "What the hell went wrong?"

She knelt down and picked up the device. "I don't know. I navigated the defense codes. Someone had to have known we were coming."

"Did you get what you were looking for?"

"Yes," she looked over the downloaded data. "Yes, I believe so."

Then a panel from the back of the room burst open. Several soldiers with loaded weapons fixed their aims on the two. Without thinking twice, Kirk yanked the door open and pulled Erin through it. The shots were still echoing in Erin's ears as they ran down the corridors.

"Left," Erin shouted. "Right."

Her breathing became heavy and each step was harder to pull off. Still Erin met Kirk's pace as they raced through the complex like mice in a maze. Echoes of footsteps and the blaring alarms made Erin's concentration falter a couple of times. Normally she was able to get it back but one time she was too slow. When they should have taken a right, they took a left. Several corridors later and Erin was turned around.

"Where to now?'

"Try this one."

"Any particular reason?"

"It's the only one I recognize."

But before they could turn, a net made of energy fell on top of them. Immediately their muscles began to freeze, forcing them crashing to the floor in a mangled heap. Soldiers advanced from all sides, their weapons focused on every single vital area of their bodies.

Kirk tried to talk but his jaw and tongue were paralyzed. All that came out were gurgling sounds. Erin cursed her body for not being able to move.

They heard heavy footsteps approaching and Erin was able to catch the glimpse of a metal tipped foot as it collided into Kirk's face. Another made contact with her ribs.

"Hello. We haven't had the pleasure of meeting." A figure bent down, forcing both Kirk and Erin to look on his disgusting form. His face reminded Erin of an old Picasso painting. Heavy scar tissue was over his right eye while his left was slightly higher than the other one. Cracked and blood stained lips curled into a malicious grin.

"My name is Bartal. You must be Doctor Kolshar and Captain Kirk. We've been expecting you. The one called Sarah told us someone would try something like this." He laughed. "And our trap netted a doctor and a captain. More importantly, a female. You say you want to help us cure the disease. Well, I know of a few ways you can help us. Soldier!" Another figure trotted up to Bartal, his gun still pointed at Erin's head.

"Yes, sir!"

"Inform the scientists they have a new test subject."

"What about the male?"

"Kill him." The ominous sound of all the weapons cocking made Erin's heart plummet. Her scream nearly deafened all of those in the room. Bartal turned back on his heel with an even bigger grin on his face.

"On second thought, we've been needing to show Emperor Zolaff our progress. Hook him up to the Ko-turg." Erin tried to struggle but the numbing agent in her body prevented all movement. All she could do was continue to whimper.

Bartal grabbed Erin's chin and forced her gaze to Kirk.

"Get a good look, Doctor Kolshar. This is the last time you will see him in one piece."

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Author's Note: Man….almost killing Bones, about to torture Kirk….I am really mean!!! But I've been talking with Jim lately and he is one big pain in the neck (unless he's shirtless, then everything is much better). Don't worry, though, I won't harm him. . .much ; ) So next chapter is going to be one of my favorites!!! Keep in mind the order of Olivia's symptoms lol

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A big round of applause to my reviewers: Yayyou, Canna, Vulcanvamp,CaffeineKid (or is it now KaffeineCid?), Jac Danvers, miller330, stargirl0507, fafinette, uki200 and Steff7. A big thanks also to CaffeineKid, Steff7 and FuzzyDeath for their awesome PM's. Steff7, hope your foot gets better hun!!!!

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So have you guys read When Fates Collide? It's an awesome possum story by two of my favorite authors CaffeineKid and FuzzyDeath. Go on. . .shoo. . .go read it!!!!! I can wait. . . . . . . . . . .Ok, now that you're back, press the review button!!! It is fully functional. . .I think ;)

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-Trekky17