October 2256

Starfleet Medical Psychiatric Center - 0500

"Lara, I brought you a friend," Arianne heard Commander Harriman say from inside the room where Lara Harriman resided as part of her in-patient treatment. "Her name is Arianne Pike—"

There was a whimper and then a sigh, "…No, Lara, she is Christopher Pike's daughter," Commander Harriman's gently-toned voice filtered through the door. "You remember Christopher Pike, right?"

For a moment it became so quiet that Arianne was afraid that Lara had fainted or retreated into a catatonic stated, but then the door slid open a crack. "Arianne," Commander Harriman stated.

Swallowing hard, Arianne moved forward and squeezed her body through the door. She suddenly found herself in a white walled room lined with photos of various Terran landscapes. The furniture was simple enough; a bed in the corner, a desk with a computer atop of it next to while a large closet and a door leading to a bathroom was on the other side of the room.

A wheelchair sat at the computer with its back to the door and Arianne saw a frail looking individual seated in the wheelchair. Commander Harriman was kneeling next to the chair looking very worried.

"Lara, is today not a good time for a new friend?" Commander Harriman asked in a gentle voice as he gently stroked his wife's hair and face. "If today's not a good time, Arianne will understand."

Lara sighed deeply, "Turn around," she replied in a faint, yet very commanding tone. "See her."

Commander Harriman nodded and carefully turned the wheelchair around, revealing a very young-looking woman who wore loose pajamas and a pink housecoat with her long red hair, which made her already pale face look chalk white, cascading down to her lap. Lana Harriman gazed up at Arianne through her green eyes and paused a moment before extending a hand out to the young Ensign.

"Nice to meet you," Lana spoke in a faint whisper as Arianne gently took her hand. "Soft hands."

Arianne smiled as Lara released her hand, "Can we have breakfast now?" Lara asked in a hopeful voice.

"Yes dearest, we can," Commander Harriman replied in a gentle voice. "What would you like to wear?"

Lara was silent for a moment and then rose from the chair. "Help me, Arianne," she said as she walked over to the closet and flung it open; she gestured to several beautiful pantsuits and dresses. "Choose."

Arianne studied the clothes for a moment and then carefully extracted a beautiful green dress with long sleeves and a long skirt. Lara smiled and caressed the dress and held out her hands to take it.

"I will dress for breakfast," Lana stated in a semi-jovial tone. "Please, may I have privacy?"

Commander Harriman nodded, "Use the intercom when you are ready to be taken to breakfast, dear," he replied in a gentle tone. "Arianne, if you will follow me out into the hall for a few moments?"

Arianne nodded and quickly followed Commander Harriman into the hallway. "The wheelchair makes her feel safe when she's outside her room," he stated. "She can walk just fine, though."

"I understand," Arianne replied in a sincere tone; she had seen her share of patients who had mobility but thought of a wheelchair as a form of security and often used it to encounter stressful situations.

There were a few moments of silence and the door suddenly opened. Lara was seated in her wheelchair adorned in the dress with her hair down her shoulders. Commander Harriman smiled and moved over to his pretty wife. He quickly knelt and gave her a gentle peck on the cheek before getting to his feet again.

"Shall we?" Commander Harriman asked as he moved behind the chair and smiled reassuringly at Arianne. Lara nodded impatiently and tapped the armrests of the wheelchair with a trembling hand.

As they began to move down the hallway towards the eating area, Lara let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes to relax. Arianne looked at Commander Harriman, who nodded and smiled reassuringly.

Realizing that the Commander was telling her all was well, Arianne began to mentally plan the rest of her day; after this meeting, she had a few classes to attend and then she was taking Leonard flying.

After the flight, Arianne knew that would be free to rest in her dorm, study, or do things to help herself relax. She had several exams coming up in a few weeks and extra studying always had helped before.

Dormitory – Boyce Hall

"She didn't!" a shocked gasp escaped Marla's lips as she gaped at Nyota from across the table.

Nyota nodded, "I saw her leaving his office last night after dark," she replied, disgusted that Arianne was trying to seduce Spock for better grades. "She obviously isn't doing well in Xenolinguistics."

"I don't believe that Arianne would seduce a teacher just to get the top mark," Christine stated in an uncertain tone as she handed Marla and Nyota cups of tea she got from the replicator. "It's really a well-known fact that Professor Spock has offered tutoring to his entire class. I don't think seeing Arianne leaving his office is anything except her just getting tutoring. Why else would she be there?"

Marla shrugged, "We should be getting ready for Physical Fitness," she said in a worried tone. "I hear we're doing some stuff in the rec center today. I'm glad for a break from running, personally."

"I don't even care about exercise," Nyota replied snappishly. "It's bad enough that it's a requirement for everyone each semester, but to have to work out alongside the likes of Arianne Pike and Jim Kirk-."

Marla sighed, "Well, I'm going to get ready," she said in a resigned tone as she stood. "See you later."

"I have to run too, Christine," Nyota said in an apologetic tone as she got to her feet. "I have some studying to do before the meeting with Professor Khan. He's giving us our first practical exam soon."

Christine nodded and was silent as Nyota left. Arianne couldn't be as bad as Nyota was saying.

However, Christine couldn't help but wonder why Arianne frequently visited Professor Spock after class hours at his office. Was it indeed for Xenolinguistics training or was something else going on?

Starfleet Medical Psychiatric Center – 0600

"I can't believe you talked me into volunteering at this Starfleet establishment," Dr. Piper said in an amused tone as he sat across the table from Leonard in the atrium. The atrium was decorated with several sets of round tables and chairs as well as fake plants, trees, and a small coffee bar.

Leonard shrugged and made a note on his stylus. "I figured since you're helping me at AA, I'd help you," he replied in a semi-distressed tone as he received a note from Puri to go to phys-ed class that day.

"What's wrong, Leonard?" Dr. Piper asked in a concerned tone, hearing the distress in his friend's tone.

Leonard sighed, "I've been semi-excused from a lot of the group physical education classes and have been able to do the workouts on my own because I do work for Doctor Puri," he explained in a distressed voice. "Doctor Puri just emailed me and said I have to go to the class today at 0700."

"Just take it slow and don't do anything you aren't comfortable doing," Dr. Piper replied in a reassuring tone. "Doctor Puri is usually pretty lenient about letting students do what they want at the recreation center as long as they're staying active. Maybe just do a few laps around the indoor track to start."

Leonard nodded; he was comfortable enough with running. Moving his legs at a fast pace was easy.

Dr. Piper, however, was gazing over at the far end of the atrium, so Leonard looked over there as well.

A trembling Jim was clinging to the wall as Dr. Puri and two orderlies surrounded him. There was a look of intense fear on Jim's face, but his eyes were slightly glazed over, as if he didn't know where he was.

"…Elizabeth gave me something to help me sleep," Jim was mumbling in a whispery voice, cringing as one of the orderlies tried to touch him. "I don't know where I am or why I'm not in my dorm…"

There was suddenly a loud gasp as Leonard saw Arianne enter the atrium with Commander Harriman from the hallway leading to the patient rooms. "Jim," she said, suddenly running to his side. "Doctor Puri, call your orderlies off and I'll handle it. I'm sorry, Commander Harriman, but-"

"Arianne," Jim whispered as he suddenly released the wall and fell into her outstretched arms.

Arianne held Jim for a moment and then noticed his hands, which were swollen, "Jim, your hands are swollen," she said in a soothing voice as she held her trembling friend. "What happened?"

"I've been having sleeping problems and Elizabeth noticed," Jim replied in an anxious voice as he sank to the floor. "He gave me some sort of soup that he said it would help, but I can't remember-"

Holding tight to him, Arianne sank to her knees, "Go to Starfleet Medical and get looked at," she said in a soothing voice as she stroked his sweaty forehead. "Have you been seeing things out of the ordinary?"

"Tarsus everywhere," Jim whispered anxiously. "Kodos was laughing at me everywhere I went."

Arianne nodded, "It was just soup," Jim whispered as he tried to stand up. "I'm not allergic to soup."

Swearing under his breath, Leonard stood up and ran over to them, "Jim, just relax," he said in a firm tone as he opened his med-kit and pulled out a hypospray. "I'm gonna give you a mild sedative so you don't feel anything while I give you an allergy treatment. You'll be all right, Jim. Just hang in there."

"It was just a sleepover at her dorm," Jim mumbled, wincing as he felt a hypospray pressed into the side of his neck; he immediately closed his eyes and his entire body relaxed in Arianne's grip.

Leonard sighed, "I had heard that Jim was seeing Elizabeth Dehner, but I didn't think she'd try to hurt him," he said in a resigned tone as Arianne gently laid Jim flat on the floor. "I've got him, don't worry."

"Jim is my best friend and I'm staying right here with him," Arianne replied, unaware that Commander Harriman and Dr. Piper were lingering nearby and were watching her and Leonard interacting.

Rolling his eyes, Leonard scanned Jim with a medical tricorder, "The way Jim's seeing things, I bet there was a hallucinogen in that soup he ate," Arianne stated, relying on her knowledge gained from studying medical topics during her summer of bed rest. "Sounds a lot like there could be something like LSD in it."

"Well, I'll take him to Medical," Leonard stated. "Doctor Puri, I need a hand with Cadet Kirk."

As Dr. Puri approached, Arianne rose and quickly moved out of the way. "I'm going to head for the rec center and get ready for class," she said in an uncomfortable tone. "See you all later."

Only Commander Harriman gave Arianne a nod of acknowledgement before she turned and left; she failed to notice Lana's expression of intense curiosity.

Starfleet Academy Recreation Center – 0700

"…Hello students, welcome to Physical Fitness," the voice of Dr. Puri sounded out over the intercom.

Arianne didn't hear the rest of Puri's usual speech because she was swimming freestyle lengths in the Academy pool as fast and as hard as she could in a lane that the pool staff had roped off for her. Not many students actually used the pool in class, as they claimed it wasn't an effective way to exercise.

With her frail body, however, Arianne knew that it was one of the few exercises she could do for an hour without resting or slowing down. Besides, she had loved the water ever since she was a small child.

A sudden splash in the shallow end caught Arianne off guard and she suddenly saw Jim enter the pool's shallow end dressed in a wetsuit type swimsuit. She stopped and slowly swam over to where he was.

"Bones went for a run on the indoor track," Jim stated in a tired voice. "He says I'm allowed to do light exercises in the shallow end of the pool and nothing else. I'm supposed to take it easy today."

Arianne nodded, unsure if Jim had gotten the letter she had sent him a month ago, as things had been too busy to talk. Jim studied Arianne for a moment and then smiled reassuringly at her.

"I got your letter, Arianne," Jim stated in a gentle tone. "It doesn't change anything between us at all."

Instantly relaxing, Arianne nodded and made to stand up so that she could hug Jim, but she suddenly felt her legs giving out and her body quickly sank further into the water. Jim frowned and grabbed her.

"My legs feel so heavy," Arianne said in a weak voice. "Help me over to the steps so I can sit down, Jim."

Jim nodded and carefully escorted Arianne over to the pool steps. He helped her to sit and then unzipped the top of her swim wetsuit, revealing the top part of a blue one-piece suit. Arianne sighed and immediately placed a shaking hand over the scars that the neckline of the blue swimsuit revealed.

"My heart's beating so fast," Arianne moaned as she grabbed hold of the railing to support herself.

Jim's eyes widened and suddenly he saw Leonard walk into the pool area in shorts and a t-shirt with a tired look on his face and a med-kit in his hand. He walked across the deck towards one of the small hot tubs that were on the far end of the deck. "Bones!" Jim shouted in a trembling voice. "Bones, hurry!"

"No, I'm okay," Arianne protested, shakily forcing herself to stand up and move up out of the water.

Leonard watched as Arianne moved unsteadily towards the change rooms. He slowly moved over to her and gently slipped his arms underneath hers, holding her in a comfortable, yet immovable position.

"Please," Arianne whispered, suddenly feeling chills shoot through her whole body. "Please, let—"

Arianne suddenly felt her legs give way and before she knew what was happening, she found herself lying flat on the deck. Her head was spinning and dehydration was the first thought that came to mind.

"I knew this would happen sooner than later, Bones," Arianne suddenly heard Jim say. "She's been going at breakneck speed from 0400 to 2300 every day since term started. I've been keeping an eye on her from a distance and Admiral Archer sometimes makes her do midnight PT for no reason."

Arianne wanted to scream at Jim to shut up and stop spying on her, but she lacked the strength to do anything but lie there. She suddenly felt her legs being raised and bent and a hand touch her face.

"Starfleet Medical, this is Doctor McCoy requesting a medi-shuttle and orderlies be dispatched to the Aquatics area of the Starfleet Academy Recreation Center on a priority one demand," Leonard said, quickly whipping his communicator out of his pocket. "Jim, STOP TOUCHING MY MED-KIT!"

Arianne saw Jim's face hovering near her own as she suddenly vomited and slipped into blackness.

Starfleet Medical Emergency Care Unit – 1030

"…I said NO, Jim!"

"…I just want to give Arianne the notes from Commander Harriman's class and then I'll go…"

Arianne opened her eyes and immediately saw that she was in an exam room at Starfleet Medical and reasoned that her bed had been raised. She could see Jim and Leonard standing in the hallway and Jim had a stylus tucked under his arm. Leonard was scowling and was holding a small box in one hand.

I have to get to class or else I'll have to do more midnight PT. Arianne thought, her fear of incurring anger from her many instructors causing her to sit up and immediately be hit by a wave of dizziness.

"Arianne, what are you doing?" Jim asked, suddenly noticing that Arianne was trying to sit up.

Leonard scowled and handed the box to Jim, "Go take that to the analysis lab for a drug screen," he said in a gruff voice as he moved into the exam room. "Just lie back and relax, Ensign Pike."

"What time is it?" Arianne asked, suddenly surprised about how weak and tired she sounded.

Leonard didn't reply; he moved over to a portable table and picked up a stylus that Arianne recognized as the one that had been in her bag that morning. He scanned it carefully with a frown on his face.

"Jim was right, you've been running yourself ragged," Leonard replied as he scanned the data. "You seriously get up at 0400 to study until 0500 and then you go off and do counseling rounds from 0500 to until you have class at 0700. Your classes run from 0700 to 2100 and there are times throughout the day that you could be eating or resting, but Jim says you use every spare moment you can for studying."

Arianne watched as Leonard tapped on her stylus and then placed it on her bed so she could see it.

Pike, Arianne C.

Rank: Ensign

Track: Command & Medical

Semester: Fall 2256

Monday – Friday Schedule (By Order of Leonard McCoy, MD)

**0600 - 0700: Counseling Rounds

**0800 – 1000: Command Fitness I

**1100 – 1200: Xenolinguistics

**1300 to 1500: Starship Medical Simulations

**1600 to 1700: Kobyashi Maru Prep

**1800 to 2100: Finer Points of Survival

Fear filled Arianne's heart; there was no way that she would be able to do this modified schedule even if Leonard had used his status as an MD to order it. Admiral Archer, for one, would not allow such a thing.

"Doctor Puri's already signed off on it," Leonard stated as he took a seat on a stool beside the bed. "You can do light physical activity during the week, but nothing more than necessary. If you feel up to it, I've arranged it so you can do the Physical Fitness and Inner Fitness classwork on Saturdays. For now, though, you're going to take it easy and the only way you'll go to your other classes today is with an escort."

Arianne sighed, "Right, like Professor Spock's gonna let any new people into his class," she replied in a tired voice, suddenly noticing that there were driplines in her hand. "He's a really strict teacher."

"I wasn't planning on releasing you until the dripboxes ran dry and you had something halfway decent to eat anyway," Leonard replied, giving Arianne a concerned look. "I'll email this Professor Spock and tell him that you'll be sitting this class out. I didn't tell your father about this; by the way, as I know that he'd be on the first transport back from Iowa. Why were you swimming like a maniac, though?"

Arianne was silent; she didn't want to speak of the conversation between Elizabeth and Nyota that she had overheard while in one of the cubicles dressing for Physical Education class that day.

Arianne had put on her swimsuit and was now slipping on a wetsuit over it to hide the scars on her chest.

"…I didn't think Jim would be dumb enough to take the soup from my fridge that I had made to give Arianne," Arianne suddenly heard Elizabeth say as footsteps entered the change room. "I went downtown yesterday during Medical History and bought some stuff from this dealer who lives near the Golden Gate Bridge. He's really the only one left in the area who sells the actual drug…."

"…It would have been fun to see Arianne hallucinate, but it was even funnier to see Kirk act like he was having a psychotic break," Nyota's voice replied in an amused tone. "I got some pictures of it…"

Anger surged through Arianne and, quickly putting the wetsuit on, she silently left the change room.

The walk across the deck was quick and Arianne dove into the deep end with a heavy determination.

"…I also arranged your schedule so that you can have a little bit of a routine and have an easier time adjusting to the semester," Arianne suddenly heard Leonard say; she suddenly felt another blanket being placed over the gown that was covering her body. "An extra blanket should help you feel a little better."

Arianne nodded, "Thank you," she whispered, suddenly feeling like she could use a small sleep. She let out a tired sigh and closed her eyes to take advantage of the opportunity to rest while she had it.

Leonard watched Arianne sleep for a moment and then swallowing hard, he silently left the room. As much as he wanted to stay by her side and be there for her, he had other work that needed taking care of.

Classroom - Starfleet Academy Command Building – 1555

"…I'm so embarrassed that I slept through Med Sim class," Jonathan suddenly heard Arianne say in an amused, but very tired voice, as he heard footsteps enter the classroom. "Why didn't you wake me?"

As he continued looking over the marked tests, Jonathan heard Jim clear his throat, "Bones wouldn't let me come into see you and skip class," Jim said in an amused tone. "He said you needed the rest."

"If Doctor McCoy keeps making me take it easy, I'm gonna end up failing all my classes," Jonathan suddenly heard Arianne reply in a distressed voice. "I've got enough to worry about without him—"

Having heard enough of Arianne's whining, Jonathan gazed up at the two of them sternly. "You're right, Ensign Pike, you do have enough to worry about," he stated in a sharp tone. "You have to worry about whether or not you're actually going to survive the Academy with all the problems you've been having."

"Problems, sir?" Arianne asked in a confused voice; she had been holding her own at everything so far.

Jonathan nodded, "You may be Captain Pike's daughter in name, but you have yet to show me or any of the other instructors that you are really your father's daughter," he stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "I looked over your transcript and you took a lot of basic courses in your first year. 26 to be exact, right?"

"Yes sir," Arianne replied in an uncertain tone. "I'm in both the Command and Medical tracks."

Jim suddenly frowned, noticing that Arianne was becoming both very confused and distressed by this sudden interrogation, "Admiral Archer, with all due respect, Arianne is supposed to be taking it easy—" he said in a concerned voice, unsurprised when Admiral Archer gave him a death glare.

"When I want your opinion, Cadet Kirk, I'll ask for it," Admiral Archer replied crisply as he stood up with a PADD in his hand and walked over to where Arianne and Jim were sitting. "As you may or may not know, there is an option to take the Kobyashi Maru at the end of the semester instead of next year."

Arianne nodded, but remained silent, "I'm glad Bones left his PADD for this class at the dorm and he let me walk you here," Jim whispered to her. "He would have blown up at Admiral Archer…"

"Anyway, Ensign Pike, I think you should take the Kobyashi Maru for your semester final and invite the members of this class to work under your command," Jonathan stated in a calm, yet firm voice. "I think it's time that you actually proved that you are worthy of the name 'Pike.' Don't you agree?"

Fortunately, Arianne was spared having to answer that question because other students, including Leonard, began to file into the classroom, all of them deeply engaged in conversation with each other.

As if he wanted to make a point that he was still keeping a strict eye on her, Leonard took the seat next to Jim, within arm's reach of Arianne. Arianne sighed and ignored the concerned look he was giving her.

Monty was among the last to arrive with Porthos on a leash and he scurried down the row to stand beside the desk, "Welcome to class, students," Jonathan stated, pointedly ignoring Monty trying to get Porthos to sit and behave. "Before we start today's lecture, I have a little announcement to make. The end of the semester exam will be replaced by a Kobyashi Maru test that will be taken by our own Ensign Pike."

A loud buzzing suddenly filled the air as Arianne heard other students whisper to each other that she was crazy to take the test before third year. Leonard, however, immediately glared at both her and Jim.

"All right now, quiet down," Jonathan stated in a light, yet stern tone. "Access your notes for today."

Pressing a button on the desk, Monty was relieved when the room darkened and a screen lowered from the ceiling that would display the class notes. Now he could make Porthos behave in darkness.

The room fell silent as Jonathan glanced at the screen, "Cadet Kirk, if you wouldn't mind reading the first three paragraphs about the history of the Kobyashi Maru," he said in a firm tone as he gazed at Jim.

"Uh, I'm having a little trouble making out the words, sir," Jim replied in a nervous voice.

Jonathan raised an eyebrow, "I'll talk to you after class, Kirk," he said in an unamused tone. "Cadet Dehner, please read the first three paragraphs of the history of the Kobyashi Maru."

As Elizabeth, who smirked at Jim, began to read in a loud voice, Arianne pretended like she was taking notes on her PADD when in actuality, she was sending a text message to Jim's private PADD.

Jim,

I thought I told you to go get your eyes checked.

Arianne

Arianne watched as Jim looked at his PADD, sighed, and typed a response. She looked at her PADD.

Dr. Puri gave me Retinax at the end of last month and I ended up decorating my dorm with my breakfast and having swollen hands for a week. I think I might be allergic to it and glasses are hard to come by.

Sighing, Arianne typed a response; she knew that Jim wasn't telling the truth about the glasses being hard to come by. Jim was just afraid to ask Dr. Puri about glasses for fear of Leonard finding out.

Look, we'll go off campus to a civilian eye doctor after class. You are probably farsighted.

"Ensign Pike, Cadet Kirk, is there something you want to share with the rest of the class?" Arianne suddenly heard Jonathan say as she looked forward and noticed him glaring at her and Jim.

The lights suddenly flashed on, "Class will resume as soon as Ensign Pike and Cadet Kirk either tell us their big secret or leave the classroom," Jonathan stated in a strict voice. "Either way, I'll see you two on the South field at midnight for some running. You need to learn some heavy discipline, I think."

"We're outta here," Jim mumbled as he got to his feet. "C'mon, Arianne; let's go."

Arianne nodded, stood, and followed Jim from the room, ignoring the stares of everyone else.

"All right, now that the drama is over," Jonathan continued. "Miss Dehner, please continue…"

Deeply concerned about why Jim and Arianne suddenly chose today to disrupt and leave a class, Leonard quietly stood up and left the classroom. He smirked as Elizabeth Dehner shot him a tedious glare.

Opthamology Clinic – 1800 H

"No." the faint voice of Jim filtered out from behind a door that led to an exam room.

"Jim, come on," Arianne said in an insistent, yet very gentle voice. "I'm not going to laugh at you."

"I can't believe I'm farsighted," Jim's voice whined. "Having to wear glasses will royally suck."

Arianne sighed and bit her lip, "It's not so bad," she replied in a firm tone. "Come out here NOW."

There was a sigh and the door opened, revealing Jim standing there in his cadet uniform with a pair of bifocals on his pale face. He scowled, but his look softened as he saw Arianne's gentle expression.

"We're both gonna get nailed by Professor Khan for missing class," Jim stated as he came out of the exam room and grabbed his leather jacket and Arianne's jacket off of the coat rack.

Arianne shrugged, "Your eyesight was more important than class and I know that you wouldn't go to Starfleet Medical about it, so this was the next best thing," she replied as she put her coat on over her flimsy cadet reds. "I've known Doctor LaForge ever since I became a certified counselor and she's very skilled within the field of opthamology. I updated your medical file while you were being taken care of."

"You know Bones is probably going to freak out, right?" Jim asked as they left the office and moved down the sidewalk towards the stop where they could catch a bus back to the Academy. "He said…"

Arianne sighed, "You let me deal with Doctor McCoy," she replied as they huddled in the small bus stop

kiosk to keep from freezing in the sudden evening wind. "Geez, it's really freezing out here!"

"It's not that cold," Jim replied in a soft voice, suddenly noticing the sweat on Arianne's forehead. "Hey, are you okay, Arianne? You don't look really well. A side effect of the progesterone?"

Arianne swallowed hard, "I feel like I'm going to be sick, Jim," she replied in a faint voice as she took a seat on the metal bench in the kiosk. "The side effects are horrible some days, but I keep going."

"You shouldn't be alone tonight, Arianne," Jim said in a gentle tone. "Would your roommates mind-?"

Again, Arianne sighed, "I haven't slept in my dorm for the past three days because the code was changed on me and neither of my roommates has told me what the new code is," she confessed. "Between the classes, counseling, study time, and getting midnight PT, I haven't had a lot of time for rest anyway."

"Come back to my dorm then," Jim replied in a calm voice. "Bones will be out until 2300 hours."

Too worn out to argue, Arianne nodded as a hover bus approached, "I'll make sure you get something to eat and you'll be safe from the idiots who enjoy mocking you," Jim continued, gently helping Arianne to her feet and slipping an arm around her waist to support her. "I'll even take care of the bus fare for you."

Arianne remained silent and allowed Jim to help her on to the bus and to a comfortable seat in the front, closest to the window. She watched as he went back to the front, paid credits to the driver, and came back.

Jim quietly sat down and Arianne leaned against him, allowing her eyes to close and sleep to take her.

Academy Campus – 1900 H

Beneath a tree, Serij sat in a meditative position, silently listening as Nero's anger filtered through the bond of friendship they had formed. It was all Spock's fault that all things were happening this way.

Yet, Serij knew that despite vowing to serve under Nero's command, his goal was not to eliminate Spock, but to make him suffer. The fascination that Arianne Pike and Jim Kirk's uniqueness created had caused him to direct his attentions towards them. It was fortunate that T'Pol was helping him in this quest.

The fascination that T'Pol was developing for Jim Kirk was disturbing to him, Serij reflected as he gazed towards the building where Professor Khan was putting a class through a rigorous mental exercise that was rumored to have brought other groups of students to tears. There was no need for assistance today.

"Ensign Pike, Cadet Kirk!" Serij suddenly heard the sharp tone of Admiral Archer shout.

Serij looked up and saw Admiral Archer walking towards two people who were just stepping on to the campus, both of them dressed in civilian clothing. Admiral Archer looked exceptionally angry.

Curious to see if he could perhaps intervene and use them to further his research, Serij rose and silently walked over to where the three stood. He could hear Admiral Archer reaming the two cadets out.

"…When I got the message from Professor Khan that you two were absent, I about had a heart attack," Serij heard Admiral Archer snap. "Cadets are not authorized to leave campus without permission…"

Jim sighed and rolled his eyes, but Arianne remained quiet, "Are those glasses, Cadet Kirk?" Admiral Archer asked, suddenly noticing the bifocal eyeglasses Jim had over his tired looking eyes.

"Yes sir," Jim replied in a respectful tone. "Arianne took me to a civilian eye doctor and I'm farsighted probably because of the space radiation I was exposed to as a baby. Doctor LaForge gave me some glasses and also recommended I get a body scan at Starfleet Medical in the next few weeks."

Admiral Archer's look suddenly softened and he also noticed that Arianne looked very tired, "Forget the midnight PT," he said in a warmer tone as he smiled at the two of them. "I asked you to get your eyes checked, Cadet Kirk, and you were able to do it with the help of Ensign Pike. I'll create some make-up assignments for you two to complete in lieu of missing your classes. Consider today a free pass."

"C'mon Arianne, let's go," Jim said in a quiet voice. "Thank you for your mercy, Admiral Archer."

As Jim and Arianne walked off, Serij approached Admiral Archer, "Admiral Archer, I am curious about something," Serij stated in a toneless voice. "Why would you extend mercy for human tardiness?"

"Serij, I just feel like it wouldn't be fair to punish Ensign Pike for helping Cadet Kirk do something I asked him to do," Admiral Archer replied gently. "Mercy would be a better approach than justice."

As Admiral Archer explained to Serij the intricacies and importance of human mercy and emotion, Serij knew that he could use Arianne's exhaustion to his advantage; her vulnerability would be his success.

Academy Canteen – 1930 H

Commander Harriman smiled at the cup of coffee he held in his hands; because of Ensign Pike's visit earlier in the day, Lara's mood had been excellent and she had shown affection towards him that day.

Now, with Lara occupied in sewing and journal writing until she was ready to sleep, Commander Harriman found himself with some unexpected free time before his evening paperwork. He had chosen to treat himself to a strong cup of coffee at the canteen before returning to his office and doing his work.

"…I am NOT hungry," Commander Harriman suddenly heard a familiar voice say in a weak tone.

The door to the canteen suddenly slid open and Commander Harriman saw Jim and Arianne enter the canteen, both of them wearing civilian clothes. His eyes widened when he saw Jim wearing glasses.

"Cadet Kirk, Ensign Pike." Commander Harriman said in a calm tone as he rose to greet the two of them. "I heard that you two got thrown out of Admiral Archer's class today. Is that accurate?"

Jim turned a deep shade of red and looked at the floor, but Arianne nodded, "Yes sir," she replied in a respectful tone. "Admiral Archer also declared that my Kobyashi Maru would be the semester final."

"Admiral Archer has not hesitated in making a campus-wide announcement about that," Commander Harriman replied in a semi-amused tone. "He thinks he's going to humiliate the great Ensign Pike."

Arianne was stunned, "Sir, I'm not ready for the Kobyashi Maru by any means," she confessed in a scared voice as she took a seat across from the Commander. "The Kobyashi Maru requires the one taking it to have the heart and finesse of a Captain. I'm just recovering from a serious illness and am not strong."

"Your victory against cancer because of Doctor McCoy is not news to me, nor is your continued battle with your disabilities" Commander Harriman replied in a more serious tone. "The fact that you didn't allow it to dominate the way you led your life shows that you have what it takes to be a Captain. Like those of old, however, you just need the right support, reasonable preparation, and the appropriate circumstances in which to prove what you are made of."

At that comment, Jim turned pale and immediately sank to his knees, "Cadet Kirk?" Commander Harriman asked in a concerned voice as he rose from his seat. "Ensign Pike, assist me please."

"Elizabeth Dehner had hosted Jim as a guest in her dorm last night and he ingested some of her special soup that contained a hallucinogen meant for me," Arianne said in a worried voice as she helped Commander Harriman haul Jim to his feet. "Doctor McCoy treated him, but maybe it wasn't…"

Commander Harriman shook his head as they helped Jim to sit at the table, "No, it's nothing to do with an allergic reaction," he replied in a gentle voice as he lifted Jim's chin. "Cadet Kirk, can you hear me?"

There was silence for a moment and then Jim suddenly blinked, "What happened?" he asked in a groggy voice as he blinked and suddenly realized he wasn't alone. "I need to see a counselor, don't I?"

"I'll talk to Professor Guinan for you," Commander Harriman said in a gentle voice. "For now, however, I want to talk to you in private. Ensign Pike, if you'll give us a few moments…"

Arianne nodded and gently patted Jim on the shoulder, "Jim," she said gently. "Let him help you."

Jim nodded and silently watched as Arianne left the canteen and then turned back to Commander Harriman; he was surprised to see that the Commander looked more concerned than anything.

Academy Classroom – 2000 H

After half an hour of walking around to collect her thoughts and strength, Arianne entered the classroom just in time to see Professor Khan dividing a class into pairs. She silently walked to where he stood.

"Ah, Ensign Pike, it is good to see you are feeling better," Professor Khan said in a gentle voice as he gestured to Serij. "Serij, are there any cadets who are not yet paired with another for this exercise?"

Serij immediately walked over to the two of them, "I believe Cadet Uhura is not paired with anyone."

"Where is Cadet Uhura?" Professor Khan asked, disturbed by Cadet Uhura's silence that evening.

Serij gestured over to a corner of the room where Uhura was gathered with Elizabeth Dehner, Christine Chapel, and Gaila. Professor Khan raised an eyebrow, smirked, and then turned back to Arianne.

"Serij, would you be troubled at pairing with Ensign Pike for this particular exercise?" Professor Khan asked in a smooth tone as he handed Serij a PADD. "There are your instructions. Read them carefully."

Serij took the PADD and nodded, "Ensign Pike, if you will just follow me into one of the empty group rooms," he said in a low voice. "There, I will explain the purpose of this exercise from Professor Khan."

Arianne nodded and, ignoring the uneasy feeling that crept into her heart, she followed Serij into an unoccupied group room. As the door clothes, she was immediately hit with a barrage of images.

She stood alone, surrounded by a white fog and dressed in a Starfleet Medical uniform with a gold shirt in her hands. She touched her hair and found that it was in a fancy updo and noticed that all was still.

Suddenly, Leonard appeared beside her with a med-kit in one hand and a simple bouquet of flowers in the other; he was dressed in his medical uniform and gave her a gentle smile. He silently offered his arm.

"Let's look to the future together," Leonard said in a gentle Southern drawl. "Take a chance with me."

There was a rumble and Leonard suddenly faded from view, as did her attire. She suddenly found herself in a small apartment that had a view of the Golden Gate Bridge from the large living room window.

"I'm sorry I can't be here to watch you give your speech, Jonathan," Arianne said, as she moved around her apartment, occasionally taking personal items from shelves and placing them in a duffel bag.

As he lingered on the couch, Jonathan smiled, "It's all right," he replied. "It's good that you were able to be at my side for Trip's funeral, though. He meant a lot to me and I was glad to have the support."

"Trip meant a lot to both of us, Jonathan," Arianne said, halting her packing and embracing him for all he was worth. "He would have been proud of what you are going to do tomorrow."

Jonathan nodded and felt comforted by her arms around him, "I hope you won't be gone for very long," he gently admitted, as he caressed her hands. "El Auria seems like it's far away from Earth."

"The Mandarin will be back as soon as we complete our work on El Auria," Arianne stated, as she kissed his hands and resumed her packing. "When I return, we'll work on planning our wedding."

Smiling, Jonathan watched her continue to clean her apartment, "I'll miss you," he finally said, turning to leave. "Just remember that I'll be thinking of you and anxiously awaiting your return, Imzadi."

As Jonathan quietly left the apartment, Arianne finished packing and quickly sealed her duffle bag.

"…You have been given a second chance to relive your life," Arianne suddenly heard Spock's calming tone echo through her mind as the vision faded. "Embrace it. Only you have the key to tomorrow."

"Spock…"

Arianne suddenly jerked backwards and felt someone catch her. She opened her eyes to see Serij standing at the table with a deeply shocked expression on his face. Fortunately for her, the room was soundproof.

"Relax your mind, Ensign Pike," Arianne suddenly heard Spock say from behind her. "All is well."

Serij suddenly looked ready to be sick, "Professor Spock, I was initiating the exercise on Professor Khan's orders," he said in an anguished voice. "I-I had no idea that anything like this would happen."

"It is not your fault, Assistant Serij," Spock replied tonelessly. "I would like to speak with Professor Khan, however, about his methods. Ensign Pike, you are dismissed to your dormitory."

Still shaken by the experience of the 'exercise', Arianne nodded and left the room, unaware that both Spock and Serij were following closely behind her. She saw students coming out of other group rooms.

"Your mind is weak," Arianne suddenly heard a faint whisper say in her mind. "You are conquerable."

Her eyes widening, Arianne stopped in the middle of the room. Someone had entered her mind.

"Professor Khan, I wish to speak with you privately," Arianne suddenly heard Spock say in a stern tone.

Well aware that she was earning curious stares from other students because of her sudden strange behavior, Arianne swallowed hard and quickly left the room without so much as a look at anyone.

Admiral Archer's Office – 2100 H

"Miss Uhura, I really see no concern about Ensign Pike seeking extra tutoring from Professor Spock after class hours," Admiral Archer said in a semi-annoyed tone as he sat behind his desk and read the PADD containing the lengthy report that she had compiled on Arianne's activities and conduct since September.

Nyota sighed and rolled her eyes, fidgeting in the visitor's chair she had chosen to sit in; she had snuck out of Professor Khan's class after seeing Serij lead Arianne off into a group room. In her mind, all Arianne Pike had done since coming to the Academy was seduce professors into passing her. Spock's sudden arrival to Professor Khan's class had been the last straw for Nyota and she had taken action.

"If you have concerns about Ensign Pike, Miss Uhura, it might be a good idea to share them with Ensign Pike before coming to instructors or Starfleet Command with them," Admiral Archer continued as he handed the PADD back to Nyota. "I suggest you focus your energies on something other than this."

Her eyes widening in shock and anger, Nyota pocketed the PADD, stood, and stormed out of the office.

Admiral Archer sighed and looked at his desk; everything was becoming more complicated with the passing days.

The secret of Arianne could never be told, but Admiral Archer knew that he would have to do something about her.

Dormitory – 2300 H

Jim's loud snoring was the only thing keeping Arianne awake enough to read the PADD titled 'Courage to the Captain' that Commander Harriman had asked him to give to her, along with a few other readings. It was a very long book.

The many readings were only part of what Commander Harriman had in mind for helping her prepare for the Kobyashi Maru, Jim had told her when he had gotten back to the dorm two hours earlier. It was nice to have both Jim and Commander Harriman helping her to be ready to take the Kobyashi Maru at the end of the semester, but Arianne still felt as if she should do her best alone and prove to everyone at the Academy that she was a Pike.

Arianne was so engrossed in the chapter about being an example of confidence that she didn't hear the door slide open and closed. She sighed, blinked tiredly, and lay back on the couch. Sleep was something she craved.

"Did you and Jim have another late night study session?" Arianne suddenly heard Leonard ask as he walked around the couch and stood in front of her in his medical attire, complete with med-kit in hand. "You look so exhausted."

Arianne sighed, but before she could reply, the PADD in her pocket began to vibrate, "Oh, hang on," she said, scoffing as she took her personal PADD out and looked at it. She immediately swore and set it on the floor.

"Admiral Archer decided to move my Kobyashi Maru exam to the 23rd of November," Arianne replied, immediately catching the concerned expression on Leonard's face. "I get to spend my birthday alone in a do or die situation."

Leonard sighed and sat down on the couch next to her, "First of all, it's only a few hours long," he replied in a gentle voice as he took her hand in his own to calm her down. "Secondly, you won't be alone. There are those who care."

"I'm not popular here, Leonard," Arianne replied in a soft voice. "I'm here now because I've been locked out of my dorm for the last few days. Marla and Christine changed the code and never told me what it was. I've been finding random places on campus to sleep for a few hours at a time. Some days I don't feel worthy of the name 'Pike'."

Overwhelmed, Arianne suddenly began to cry, "Shh," Leonard said in a soothing tone as he put an arm around her and held her close to him. "I promise that I'll do whatever I can to help you, Arianne. It's all gonna be okay, darlin."

May I please have some detailed reviews?