Here is 4 - sorry it took me longer to update - its been a bit crazy round here lately! Please continue to read and review.

Disclaimer: Star Trek or any of its characters do not belong to me. However Ahara does - she is a product of my own imagination!

Kirk was lost in thought. If, after his check, Scotty could not find anything wrong, he was at a loss to explain what had just happened. If there had been a problem with either the ship or the space ahead, then Scotty would have called him back to bridge, or at least alerted him. It worried him. Surely it wasn't the girl…

'Jim!' McCoy's voice cut his thoughts off and he turned back to the rest of the room, whose contents were still strewed across the floor, 'Jim she's unconscious.'

Kirk's eyes crossed hurriedly to the bed. Ahara had collapsed backwards, hair sprinkled across the pillow and her large, expressive eyes closed. McCoy already had some equipment out and was running a scanner up and down her, glancing at the readings and nodding slightly.

'She's still very weak Jim, something's used up all her energy. She needs more rest.'

'Alright,' said Kirk with a slight sigh, 'Spock and I will go back to bridge and help Scotty, if anything changes let me know.'

As he turned to leave, he saw Spock standing in front of him.

'Is there something wrong Spock?'

The Vulcan considered for a mere second before answering, his voice calm as usual, as if he was merely talking about the weather,

'Captain, I think it would be easier and possibly safer if we avoided questioning her further.'

'Well what do you suggest then?'

'I would like to investigate her mind, it is a logical solution that will prevent further damage to us or the ship, and little distress to her.'

'Are you out of your Vulcan mind?' cried McCoy softly, darting across to them, 'She's already unconscious - do you want to kill her?'

'My point is doctor that this will prevent further questioning, which seems to be the source of her energy loss.'

Kirk considered, although Bones had a point Spock was right, this was the most logical thing, and it would also mean they could get on with figuring out the shaking rather than spending hours questioning a stranger.

'Alright Spock.'

Spock nodded and stepped over to the side of the bed, reaching down with one hand. Her skin was cool and soft beneath his fingers, and he could feel a slow, steady pulse beating somewhere. Carefully he positioned his digits across her face, closed his eyes and opened his mind.

~*~

Ahara's mind was chaos, a mixture of raw emotion and bad memories. There was no logic, rationality or control anywhere. Spock had never seen anything like it - if he could have been unnerved, this was one situation he might have been.

As he searched through her mind, he began to gather snippets of data, gleaming information from inside her darkest thoughts and occasional happy memory - all of the family she had lost.

Spock watched as a small children, all with white hair and pale eyes, ran and played across rocks and through woods with bright smiles on their lips, laughter ringing round them.

Then there was a woman, tall and beautiful with waist length silver hair and shimmering eyes. Her lips were a warm pink and looked beautifully soft as they curved in a smile. She reached out her arms in an embrace, her voice echoing in Spock's mind,

'Oh my darling, how I've missed you, did you have fun?'

Her tone was comforting and delicate, and there was an aura of warmth, the feeling of a sun shining its brightest. Another voice answering, this one a child's, happy and innocent,

'Yes mother, we played in woods…'

Mother… the word echoed in Spock's mind - this was the woman she had lost.

The memories changed and the emotions changed, no longer was there sunlight but rain. Screams echoed around Spock's mind, desperate cries for help,

'NO, NO, not my baby… don't take my baby… please! Somebody help me - they've taken my baby…' heart wrenching sobs followed, as if someone's heart was screaming in pain, and the sound of heavy rain…

There were later memories too, he saw more white haired youths, which he presumed to be the children he had seen, grown now with anger etched on their faces as they stood grouped defensively while others closed in around them, pelting them with stones and harsh abuse,

'Freaks - why don't you just die? Nobody wants you here!'

Spock felt something stir inside him, as he watched these children suffer, it reminded him of the taunting he'd endured on Vulcan. He could hear his own tormentor's in his head, their cruel words echoing around his mind, and he knew just how this girl felt. It had been some of the worst times of him life, no matter what he had pretended to his parents.

'You know… what it's like… don't you? The voice made Spock turn quickly, looking around. Behind him was a pale image, no more than a memory or something similar, of Ahara. Her soft robes and hair floated around her form, and the large eyes were fixed on Spock's.

'To be ridiculed?'

'Yes - you are Mr Spock aren't you?' she asked softly,

'That is correct' he answered calmly

'Why are you here? - I have never dreamed or imagined anyone like you before.'

Spock paused, and then quietly and slowly began to explain the situation. He observed it would be better to explain now, rather than at a later point.

'… I wished to further understand these powers without causing you distress. I am sorry for the intrusion.' he concluded.

'Do not be - you are correct in deciding this is the best way. You have seen how little control I have, and if I try it becomes to much - it is easier for me just to retreat into myself and shut down.' she added slowly, sadness tingeing her voice.

'I see.'

'Do you have everything you need? Or would you like to see more?'

'I have enough to draw a conclusion.'

'Very well - you are always welcome to return and see more - it is nice to have company.'

Spock nodded and added,

'I shall take my leave.'

'And I think I will come with you - you are all very kind and I think I am safe…' and with this she reached out to take his hand.

~*~

Kirk realised he was holding his breath, when he saw Spock's eyes open slowly and realised it had worked, quickly he took a large gulp of breath before speaking,

'Well Spock?'

Spock merely nodded as he removed his fingers from her face. He was slightly drained, it had been a long meld and there had been a lot to see. Slowly he seated himself, in a chair next to the bed. As he did so, Kirk watched as Ahara's eyelids fluttered slightly, before opening to reveal those massive blue orbs again. A small smile crossed her lips as she began to slide herself in a sitting position.

When he saw this, Kirk hurried over and began to help her, pushing a pillow behind her back to support her, a smile on his face.

'I'm glad we have you back,' he said softly to her,

'Thank you'

'Reading's are normal Jim,' came McCoy's voice from the other side of the bed, where he was stood, rescanning Ahara's figure again.

'That's good - are you alright Spock?'

'Yes Captain, I'm in good health.' said the first officer as he returned his feet and the side of the bed.

'Good, good… now I have just thing left to say,' he said slowly, gazing into Ahara's eyes, 'This ship is your home for now, I'll have some guest quarters prepared for you. We can't have you living in the sickbay under Dr McCoy's feet!'

She blinked at him in surprise, mouth open in shock, as if this was the first kind gesture she had ever received.

'I'm sure we'll also be able to find you some more clothes - you can't wear a night-dress all the time!'

More blinking, her mouth slightly open this time, before her lips twitched and the edges curved into a small smile.

'Tha… Thank-you Captain… it is very kind of you… I do not deserve it…'

There was an awkward pause, whilst the three men gazed at her. Kirk in the least had never heard anything like it, being told preparing a room and some extra clothes was too much, it seemed to him like common hospitality.

'Of course you deserve it - you're a guest!' interjected McCoy, 'Honestly, I never heard anything like it.' he muttered darkly, pulling out yet another instrument and scanning Ahara with it.

'Now, if you two have nothing else to say, I'd like you to get-out, she needs more rest.'

'Of course.'

'Very well Bones.'

'As you wish,' came the two replies, 'We'll be on the bridge if you need us.' finished Kirk as he and Spock headed for the exit, passing through it and out of the sickbay into the next corridor.

When they had got about halfway along it, Kirk spoke again,

'Spock, what did you find out when you did your mind meld?'

'Well Jim, it's most fascinating.'

'How do you mean?'

'It seems that her story is accurate and the one we given lies, if we go by her memories. She has indeed be beaten, ignored and abused. Whilst it appears that they originally indented to make her and the other children as human as possible it became a problem as their powers surfaced.' he explained, tone passive as usual.

'I thought there was something funny going one. Now Spock, these powers - could you find anything there?'

'Oh yes, there are plenty of memories there to explain that. It seems, Captain, that her race can use their emotions to control their environment'

'How do you mean?' asked Kirk, a slightly worried edge to his voice.

'It seems that strong emotions or maybe channelled ones, allow them to adjust and control their environment and use it for their own purposes. However it seems she cannot control this and so it causes damage.' replied Spock

'You mean the ship? The rain? The earthquakes they spoke of - that was all her?' there was less worry in his voice now, and more amazement.

'Yes, I am assuming the conclusion that different emotions will produce different reactions. Perhaps it was anger that caused the ship to shake - considering her body language at the time. It is fascinating.'

Kirk considered the implications of this, his mouth slightly open and his mind whirring.

'Are you saying she can control things around her - just though how she feels?'

'I think that is the logical conclusion. We can also conclude that the colony caused these problems through their mistreatment of her.'

'Yes - after all it was reported to have a stable, warm climate. Yet they reported heavy storms and earthquakes.' he paused, quickly re-running these ideas over in his head, 'Yes, I agree with you.'

'Thank-you, that is the most logical thing to do.'

To Be Continued (I have the rest planned - just gotta write it now!) x