When Serena went to work the next day she didn't see Spock but a day later he was back in the labs. For a week he had continued his work as it had been before their capture. He even spoke with her about their experiments but it didn't feel the same. Serena blamed herself. She thought she could try to just go back to normal but whenever she talked to Spock she just felt like something was missing. Serena wasn't as upbeat as she used to be in the labs and she even found it more enjoyable when Spock wasn't there. But Serena stayed in the labs just as long as she had before. Science was a love of hers and not even the uncomfortable environment of Spock's coldness could keep her from it.
Spock's cold state felt like it chipped at her confidence each day and she found herself slowly starting to pull away from Spock and instead concentrated of filling in the gap with her friends. Dalera was now a regular in Sickbay and they had found a means to communicate with her. She was starting to speak now, her phrases were short and few but every little thing was an improvement. Sharick visited often because of Dalera and Serena found that she enjoyed his company. There was a bond between the three of them since the capture; they seemed to trust each other almost entirely. It wasn't the same with others. Serena enjoyed the bond and enjoyed their presence. She also hanged out with Tiffany more often. Her friend had been busy on the ship and she always had gossip when they were together. Serena never cared for the gossip but let the woman get it out as she knew her friend loved to do. Apparently Tiffany was going out with someone from engineering now. She went on and on about him when she wasn't spewing gossip.
As time went by Tiffany finally couldn't keep it in anymore. "What happened between you and Spock?" Serena had been in the middle of eating when she looked up at her friend. "What do you mean?" Serena asked innocently. "Don't give me that bull, you two were close as thieves before you were…you know… And now you guys barely hang out anymore. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy getting you all to myself but… Serena you don't seem happy." Tiffany said grabbing her hand for comfort. Serena smiled at her. "In all honesty I'm not happy, particularly because my parents are going to come on board at our next docking." Serena said changing the subject. It wasn't far from the truth. The fact that her parents, specifically her mother, were boarding the Enterprise to be taken to the outreach colonies for research was a particular stress that had been building up in her the past few days. She had received the comm about it two days ago. "Oh no... Your mother's coming? She hates me!" Tiffany said flabbergasted. "Yeah… well, it's a big ship. Find a good hiding spot. I wager I'll keep myself from blowing my brains out for about one, maybe two hours. I don't know if I'll last the full day and a half trip." Tiffany laughed at that and Serena would've laughed too if she didn't think that a bit of truth rang in the jest.
The day came for her parents to board the station and Serena walked the corridors dressed as professionally as she could. When she entered the hanger bay where Kirk, McCoy, and Spock were waiting for the shuttle they all looked to her. "Yes Lieutenant?" McCoy asked confused why Serena was there, Spock seemed to be intrigued as well. Kirk smiled at that. "McCoy, do you know nothing of those under your command? While Dr. Javelin Reese did not take her husband's last name when they married Lieutenant Serena Moss is the daughter of Dr. Reese and Dr. Yate Moss." Kirk said thoroughly amused by McCoy's stunned look. Serena noted Spock had raised an eyebrow as well. "So you are the daughter of one of the more acclaimed neurosurgeons of this century." Spock stated more than questioned. "Why didn't you tell me this Serena!?" McCoy jumped in, looking flustered. "My assignment to this ship and my duties did not require the knowledge of my heritage so thus I did not know the information was necessary." Serena responded. She hated how Vulcan she sounded at that moment but the woman who was about to step off the shuttle that was entering the bay would expect it.
McCoy shut his opened mouth as the doors to the shuttle opened and all three of her commanding officers straightened as Dr. Reese walked out of the shuttle followed by two interns, who were prodigies in their own rights, Dr. Moss and the crew of the shuttle. Her mother wore a tight suit that was somehow both professional and aesthetically pleasing at the same time. The air around her mother was that of utter superiority. Her father on the other hand was more humble in his dress but his authority was there almost as bad as her mother's. "Welcome aboard Dr. Reese, Dr. Moss." Kirk said nodding to both of her parents. "It is a privilege to be able to help you get to the outlining colonies for your neurological experiments. I would like to introduce you to my First Officer Spock and my Chief Medical Officer Dr. McCoy." "It is a pleasure to meet you." Dr. Reese said, her steely eyes looking at each of them in turn. Those grey eyes found Serena and Serena had to keep herself from flinching away. "And you already know our Lieutenant; she's been an enormous asset to our team." Kirk said, he was about to say more but her mother beat him to it. "You do not need to lie to me about her performance Captain Kirk; I have read the reports submitted on my daughter. She is merely adequate, hopefully by the time I depart this ship she will be of much more use to this ship then she has been." Dr. Reese said her nose turning slightly up into the air. Serena kept her gaze cool and steady; the hurt of her mother's rejection of her work did not even enter her eyes. "Excuse me Dr. Reese but I believe there has been an error. There have been no negative reports on Lieutenant Moss; in fact she has even made discoveries in planetary geosciences while she has been aboard the USS Enterprise." Spock said. Serena flinched at what he said. Spock caught it out of the corner of his eye but his eyes returned to an almost death glare from the mother. "Someone of her birth should not be proud of merely getting by without incident. She should be advancing the fields of medicine and starting off world clinics. Work in geosciences merely a play thing in the grand scheme of it." Spock looked like he was debating what to say next but Kirk cut in. "Forgive us, why don't we show you to your quarters." "I would much prefer that you showed my husband to our quarters, I on the other hand would like the good Dr. to show me the facilities here." Dr. Reese interjected. Kirk nodded and held out a hand for Dr. Reese and her entourage to go first out the doors. When Serena passed she caught Kirk's whisper "Good luck with the inspection Bones the fate of the ship might just be resting in your hands."
Author's note: oh no, not the parents lol