Disclaimer: I own nothing Star Trek-related…though I might consider the idea of beaming Kirk, Spock, Khan, and the actors who play them to my house, once I manage to construct my own transporter. Until then, nothing is mine except original characters.

AN: Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

Chapter 3: Impossible Discoveries:

I'd assumed that Khan's time limit on my consideration of his offer would be a short one, and so I had begun to let panic sink in rather quickly, before I calmed down and tried to think clearly.

Without a specific amount of time given to me, I generally guessed that he wanted my reply before the universe ended, but presumably not too soon, so that he could be sure that I hadn't made any hasty choices. As a leader and a warrior, he was used to working under pressure, and making quick decisions –since I was neither, I believed that he was going to give me ample time to carefully consider the matter, before coming to a conclusion.

I was right.

A week later, following a regimental of daily mental exercises on my data pad, followed by a light lunch, and afternoon fight practice with Khan himself, there wasn't a single mention of his offer. There were no coy words, no prodding looks, nothing -not even during the evening meals I was forced to eat with him.

This worried me, of course. I'd expected glares, and the constant barrage of demands that I get on with it and choose whether or not to become Khan's "intimate companion." Yes, there were worse words for what he intended for me to be, but if I thought about it that way, I began feeling nauseous, so I tried to think clean thoughts about it. It didn't help much, but given my situation, a little comfort was better than none.

It was that small bit of comfort that helped me when the injections kept coming. Dr. Richards seemed to get a kick out of pumping me full of the mixture he'd made, and studying the results was a joyride for him. Khan seemed pleased with it, too, but for very different reasons.

Unfortunately, as time progressed, I could feel that I had reached certain limits with the abilities that I developed. While it was true that I stronger, with faster reflexes and a quicker healing factor than a normal human, none of it was anywhere near as good as Khan's, or his people's. Khan had taken me to one of their training sessions, where I saw his fighters pushed to the brink of their skills –it didn't take an idiot to see that I was vastly inferior to them, even with the serum.

As the limits revealed themselves during my sessions with him, I began to wonder if Khan would begin to lose interest in me. After all, I wasn't as good as the others, and the weakest link. Why would the leader of such a hostile, warrior-type people want me if I was the weakest of the lot?

Not that I wanted him interested in me; far from it. No, I worried more about the fact that he might lose interest, because the moment that happened, I was dead. He was very much like a predator, and all predators wanted a mate who was strong enough to lead the pack that followed them. If I was viewed as too inferior to them, the others would lash out, and then I'd be torn to pieces –in a very literal way.

So it was for my own safety that I keep Khan's attentions, even if it made me sick to think about it that way.

Ria was struggling with her decision –Khan could sense that much.

She did not want him, but he was her only hope of survival on a ship full of skilled fighters who viewed her as an insect. With no other options, Ria had no choice but to do what he told her. She wasn't one of his people, yet, but like all humans, she knew that in order to stay alive, she had to do what was needed, and expected.

But even in spite of her willingness to obey him, Khan wanted something more. He both wanted and needed her to agree to stay aboard, and there were few ways he could persuade her to do that.

He could threaten her; it was an old ploy, and if overused, it could only jade the person he was threatening. Still, it was effective. But even though he was fond of using threats, Khan knew that it was the wrong tactic. Ria had to be willing to join his cause, and the use of threats or violence against her would only serve to quickly drive her away.

Tempting or negotiation was a possibility. He had watched her progress over the past two weeks, and even though her advancement was impressive, she was still far from the standard that his people lived up to. Offering his protection had been a good idea, but there would have to be further offers to gain her loyalty and willingness to stay. But if bribery wasn't enough, he would have to find another way.

Perhaps, if she had a personal connection to the ship, she would better consider the idea of staying…

I immediately knew that something different was going on with this particular to Dr. Richards.

As I was about to take my usual spot on the bed used for my injections, he instead motioned to a different bed, one with additional vials lying on a tray nearby. Since I already knew that the serum used on me was blue in color, the green and yellow vials stood out like warning signs.

"What are those?" I asked, eying the tray closely.

"Just some adjustments to the treatments I've been giving you," the doctor replied calmly.

After all the time I'd spent with the man, I could tell when he was lying. Right now, he was partly telling the truth: it was an adjustment, but there was something else going on, and he wasn't going to tell me what it was.

Sighing, I went to the bed and lay down. I suppose most people would try to fight and resist in some way, but considering who I'd be going up against, it wasn't a good idea -Khan's people were ruthless when they were determined to have things done their way, and fighting would have only gotten me badly hurt, or killed. Since I wasn't ready to die just yet, I let them do what they wanted.

'Besides, it's not like the serum is hurting me,' I reasoned as the blue vial was emptied into my arm. 'It actually gives me several tools to use, for when I finally manage to get away.'

It was all part of my half-assed plan to get out of here. With my increase in strength, as well as Khan's instructions in fighting, I was beginning to hope that, on an off chance that I somehow found a means of getting away, that I'd at least be able to hold my own if I encountered any of his people.

Unfortunately, any opportunity for escape was small, at best. I tried figuring out the work schedule by watching what people went where, and at what time, but since I was only allowed outside my quarters a limited time every day, all of my observations had holes big enough for a ship to sail through.

I'd briefly entertained the idea of using the numerous hatches and tubes that ran throughout the ship, for the engineers to use to make internal repairs, but since Khan's crewmembers were still working on keeping and getting the ship together, I knew there was a great risk in encountering someone. I also had no idea where the nearest hatch entrance to my quarters was, which didn't help matters. Nor did I have access to the layouts of the ship to study.

'Besides, even if I managed to navigate the internal hatches and crawlspaces, I'd have to end up someplace that could somehow get me off the ship,' I told myself as another vial was sent into my veins. 'If I could get to the transporters, or the escape pods, that might be something.'

But then, where would I go? I had no idea which sector of space we were in, so I had no idea if we were near any inhabitable planets. An escape pod was the best option, but they would immediately know I was missing, and they could use a tractor beam to pull me back. Even if I did somehow get out of range, I had the same problem of finding out where I was, and how to get to Federation space for help. Escape pods weren't known for their ability to go far, or very fast.

"Now, this one is going to be a bit different from the others," Dr. Richards informed me out of the blue, his words immediately getting my attention.

"Wait, what? What do you mean?" I demanded, my senses immediately going on high alert.

The smile he gave wasn't very reassuring. "This particular injection has to be made in the abdomen. It won't hurt, but you'll feel a bit of pressure. Just lie there and hold still."

Before I could react, the hypo-spray was pressed against my stomach, and its contents emptied there.

No, wait –that wasn't my stomach. I would have felt it enter my belly, so it wasn't there that the vial was emptied. It was lower than that…

I didn't have time to consider it, because the good doctor helped me sit up, and told me I could go. I walked out of sickbay feeling sick, afraid, and confused. What had they done to me this time?

That was the one and only time three injections were given to me at once. After that, it was the usual single dose, and for a while, my days went on as normal.

It wasn't until several weeks passed that I noticed that Khan was giving me odd looks during our training sessions. It was almost like he was quietly studying me -for what, I didn't know, but since it was Khan, it probably wasn't anything good.

This slight change in his demeanor was enough to get my attention –given who he was and what he was genetically engineered to be, he was supposed to be a cool, calculating fighting machine, with little care about the welfare of 'lower beings' like me. So, obviously, I quickly decided to return the favor: as he studied me, I would watch and see if anything else changed about him.

Slowly, it became apparent that Khan's attitude in handling my physical training was softening slightly. To me, it was as though he were trying to teach me much as he would one of his own, but in another way, he seemed to be worried about damaging me. I still received the expected bruises, bumps, cuts and aches, but mostly, it seemed that Khan seemed determined not to harm me in any way that resulted in severe injury.

A month or so after that odd trio of injections, I arrived at sickbay, ready for my usual treatment, when I noticed that Khan himself was there. I figured he was there for a progress report, but then remembered that the updates were usually sent to his office. The fact that he was physically here meant that he was eager for the results, which made me more than a little suspicious.

After the serum was administered, the doctor took some blood, and proceeded to scan them right then and there, while I was still in the room. He then motioned for Khan to follow him, and the two went into the doctor's office, leaving me sitting on the bed under the watchful eye of the nurse.

It felt like forever before they came back out, but when they did, Khan looked unexpectedly pleased. The doctor looked arrogant as ever, and from the looks he was giving his nurse, I could only guess what was going to happen after Khan and I left.

"Good news, I take it?" I sarcastically remarked as Khan reached out to help me off the hospital bed.

"Very," he replied with a slight smile. "Now, it's time for practice."

I followed, even though my mind didn't stop wondering just what had happened. For Khan to be that happy had to mean something significant had to be happening with me. What it could be, I could only guess, but I knew it probably meant something very bad for me.

Time passed in a typical routine, and soon, one day blended into another. I soon lost track of time, and how long I'd been aboard Khan's vessel. I could ask the computer the date, but I knew that it would only depress me even more than I already was.

Obviously, I was lonely. I had no friends amongst the crew, and I wasn't allowed to leave my quarters for anything other than my visits to sickbay and my bouts with Khan. My data pad was my only source of amusement, and the paper journal I kept my only companion. Alone in my quarters, I often jotted down my low spirits on paper, and when words weren't enough, I began teaching myself to draw, to better express how I felt.

So, day in and day out, that's how things stood. The only things that changed was my progress in matching wits and fists with Khan, whose behavior towards me softened further, much to my confusion and concern. I still couldn't figure out why this was –part of me wanted to think that, maybe, he was developing truly romantic feelings for me, but my sensible side said that kind of sentimentality was impossible for a man of Khan's caliber.

Then, one morning, I woke feeling sick, and raced to the bathroom, where I ended up vomiting into my toilet. At first, in my sleep-fogged brain, I thought that it might have been something I'd eaten the night before, at Khan's table. Or maybe it was the flu or something.

When I was a little more awake, I realized that, with my new immune system, food poisoning, illness, and food allergies were no longer an issue for me. So why was I suddenly feeling like I wanted to hurl my stomach into the toilet?

When my escort to the doctor arrived, I made a note to mention this, as soon as possible.

Like any doctor who knew their patients, Dr. Richards took one look at me and knew something was up. "Something wrong, Ria? You are very pale."

The lack of concern in his voice made me glare at him as I replied, "I just spent several hours being sick in my bathroom. I figured that, since I'm supposed to be immune to illness, something has to be wrong with the stuff you've been giving me."

Dr. Richards kept a straight face as he looked me over. After a few minutes of examination, I watched as he took a vial of blood, which promptly went straight to the analysis machine. A few minutes later, it finished, and Dr. Richards took a moment to review the results while I tried to catch a glimpse of it.

"Not now," he said when he caught me at it. "Nadia, get the Commander up here, would you?"

Now armed with the nurse's name (it had never been mentioned during my previous visits), I watched Nadia head off to do as ordered. Why Khan would care if I was sick was beyond me, but I guess after so much time and investment, he'd want to know why his little science experiment was suddenly experiencing side effects.

I waited as their esteemed leader was called, and arrived in record time. He gave me a quick look as he passed by me to the doctor's office, but other than that, there was no real acknowledgement of me. Frowning, I shifted in my seat as Dr. Richards finished giving me a quick once-over exam, my head filled with questions about what was going on, and doubts about whether or not they were going to actually tell me what was wrong.

Pacing around the doctor's office, Khan waited for Richards to pull way from Ria's side and tell him what he'd discovered in the latest examination.

After what felt like an eternity, he saw his medical officer make his way towards the office, a blank expression on his face until he could activate the newly-installed privacy screen. The use of precious materials on what the crew considered a frivolous thing had caused some discontent, but when Khan asked whether or not people wanted their weaknesses witnessed by others, they had quieted.

"Well?" he demanded as the screen finished spreading across the glass walls, sealing them in.

Richards smiled. "It's as you requested. It's done."

Khan felt an immense satisfaction that he'd never experienced before. "Excellent. If all goes well, Richards, I'll make sure that you're well rewarded for this."

Giving quick bow, followed by a quick salute, Richards turned his attention back in the direction Ria was in. "Should we tell her? She'll want to know, of course –she has to know, so that she can make sure to take certain precautions in the future."

Khan considered it. "No," he firmly told his crewman. "I'll tell her. All you may tell her is to return to her quarters for the day, to rest, and that I expect her in my quarters for dinner. Meanwhile, say nothing to anyone, and order Nadia to remain silent, if she knows what's good for her."

With another salute, Richards nodded and went to speak to his assistant, leaving Khan alone to ponder his next tactic.

I was shocked to receive a day off, but I didn't question it. I was grateful to be given the chance to be lazy while I was experiencing what I believed to be side effects from Dr. Richards's serum. If something were actually wrong, Dr. Richards would be panicking –since he wasn't, what I was experiencing had to be just a little setback of his experiments.

Unfortunately, I still had to join Khan for dinner. This was not a good idea, since I wasn't able to keep much of anything down, but when the time came, I managed to swallow down a little water and hold my head up as I headed down the corridors with my guard close behind. As usual, Chan kept a respectful distance from me, though nothing stopped the hard glare he leveled at me as I walked beside him.

Inside Khan's quarters, I was seated in my usual place across from him, and watched as he poured water instead of wine for the two of us. I was grateful for this, and carefully sipped the cool liquid as the lids of our plates were lifted off by Chan, who immediately retreated to the hallway once his last task was done.

The smell of the food made my stomach churn. "Um, I don't think eating is a good idea for me right now," I said, turning away from the plate.

Khan, surprisingly, whisked the plate away immediately, leaving the rolls on the table beside me as he put my plate on a nearby desk. "Now, Ria," he said, leaning back in his chair. "I suppose it is time to discuss your decision on whether or not you will be remaining on my vessel, and at my side."

He smirked. "After all, you are now carrying my child."

I froze in my seat. What had he said? "That's not possible," I told him firmly. "We've never been intimate in any way. There's no possible way I'm pregnant."

"And yet, here you are, experiencing morning sickness," he casually replied, as though it were nothing. "I can assure you, you are pregnant. Dr. Richards has confirmed it."

I felt as though I were going to be sick again. This was not happening. It could not be happening!

Mentally going back, I tried to calculate my monthly periods. There were ways for dealing with them these days, and true to form, I'd done a good job sticking to that particular regiment!

But lately, I had noticed that something was off. I hadn't noted it at first –I just figured that it was the serum at work, combined with the medication that women took in regards for their monthly cycles these days. My moods hadn't been stable, but then, given my current situation, was it any wonder that some days I was fine, and others I felt really depressed?

And now it turns out it was something far more than that. Somehow, by some horrible way, I was pregnant.

Now what was I going to do?

AN: So, I have no idea if they have special medications for women's periods in Star Trek, but I figured that, with all their medical technology, they might. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed themselves, and will leave a review. Thanks so much!