April 2257

Grey skies and rain greeted Arianne as she pulled her dormitory curtains open and she stood there for a moment in her sweats, socks, and gray t-shirt to watch it fall, "Is it seriously raining again?" Christine asked as she came out of the bathroom in her cadet uniform. "Arianne, aren't you getting dressed?"

"Why?" Arianne asked softly as she turned to face Christine. "There's nothing until later today."

Christine looked surprised at Arianne's casual demeanor, but before she could reply, the door chime sounded, "That's probably Leonard wanting to go to breakfast or something," Arianne commented in an amused voice as she walked towards the door. "He's been taking me to breakfast every day for the past month and sometimes he brings Jim so that Jim won't have to be alone or try and go without eating."

Christine chuckled as Arianne opened the door, revealing a nervous looking Finnegan and Riley standing there in their cadet reds at attention, "Lieutenant Pike, Cadet Finnegan and I have express orders from Captain Pike to escort you to Starfleet Medical immediately," Finnegan explained in as toneless a voice as he could manage. "There has been a crisis and a fellow cadet is in serious need of counseling."

"Which cadet?" Arianne asked, suddenly worried that something horrific had happened to Jim again.

Riley shrugged, "Captain Pike wouldn't say," he replied fomally. "He only requested that you come…"

"Give me a few minutes to get dressed, all right?" Arianne asked as she hurried over to her closet and grabbed the hanger holding her cadet reds. "Feel free to replicate yourselves some coffee if you want."

As Arianne ran into the bathroom to change, however, Finnegan and Riley remained at attention.

Nearly half an hour later, Arianne arrived at Starfleet Medical with Finnegan and Riley and was surprised to see Admiral Archer, Captain Pike, Dr. Puri, and Commander Harriman all gathered outside of the patient bay with somber expressions on their faces. There was a curtain around a bed in the patient bay.

"Ah, Lieutenant Pike," Captain Pike said in a professional tone. "If you'll just follow Doctor Harriman…"

Arianne frowned, "Captain Pike, with all due respect, I'd like to be told what's going on so that I may be more efficient in counseling the cadet in question," she replied, suddenly feeling extremely uneasy.

"Lieutenant Pike, what is disclosed here today does not leave this building," Captain Pike stated in an unusually serious voice as he looked at her with somber eyes. "Admiral Archer will explain, since…"

Admiral Archer sighed, "This morning at 0500 hours, Ensign McCoy received an email that his ex-wife, Jocelyn Darnell, was killed in a shuttle explosion near Luna," he explained in a solemn voice. "I'm not sure on all the details, but according to Ensign Kirk, the email caused Ensign McCoy to first experience a trance of shock that quickly progressed into a grand mal seizure. Ensign Kirk called for medical and…"

"What is Ensign McCoy's condition?" Arianne asked in a professional tone. "Is he alert and coherent?"

Not bothering to reprimand Arianne for interrupting Admiral Archer, Captain Pike gestured into the patient bay, "Doctor Harriman and Ensign Kirk are with Commander McCoy now," he explained in a somber voice. "The last report we received nearly an hour ago was that Ensign McCoy was awake, but was refusing to talk to anyone, including Ensign Kirk and Doctor Harriman, about what happened."

Arianne nodded and silently walked into the patient bay, "Starfleet Counselor, Lieutenant Arianne Pike, reporting for duty as requested," she said as she came to a stop right outside the curtained area.

There was soft talking and then the curtain slid open, revealing a nervous looking Jim and a concerned looking Dr. Harriman standing beside a biobed. Leonard was lying on the biobed in patient pajamas with two driplines in his right arm and a blanket over his body. His eyes were closed and his breathing slow.

"Ensign McCoy?" Arianne asked, trying to keep her voice professional. "It's Lieutenant Pike, Ensign."

Leonard didn't wake up and Arianne was silent for a moment, "Professor Khan lied," he finally said in a toneless, unusually hollow voice. "He said Jocelyn died in a shuttle in 2255, but she obviously didn't."

Arianne remained silent, unsure of what to say that wouldn't make Leonard worse. Professor Khan had told her the same story, but Jocelyn had obviously been a troubled woman and perhaps she had failed in her first attempt, so she had gotten another shuttle with which to try again. It was just a theory, but…

Leonard suddenly sighed and opened his eyes, "Can you and Jim stay?" he asked tiredly. "I'm real tired."

"Yes," Arianne replied softly without looking at Jim for confirmation. "You should go to sleep now."

Instead of going to sleep, however, Leonard slowly sat up, "I'd like to talk to Doctor Piper," he said in a tired voice as he placed a hand on his forehead. "I suddenly have the worst headache."

"I can go find Doctor Piper for you if you lie back down, Len," Arianne promised in a gentle voice.

Leonard nodded and slowly laid back down, "Bones, do you want some breakfast or anything to read?" Jim asked in a concerned voice, having not seen Leonard in such a state since they started the Academy.

"You can go get me something from the canteen if you want to, Jim, but that doesn't mean I'm going to eat it," Leonard replied tonelessly as he rolled on his side. "Doctor Harriman, can I make a call?"

Without waiting for Dr. Harriman's reply, Jim and Arianne silently left the curtained area and the patient bay, "Did McCoy talk to you?" Admiral Archer asked in a sharp voice. "What exactly did he tell you?"

"I apologize in advance for my rudeness, Admiral, but that is none of your business," Arianne replied in a tone that dared Admiral Archer to argue with her. "Now, if you'll excuse Ensign Kirk and I, please?"

Chris's eyes widened as Jim and Arianne walked off out of Starfleet Medical, "If your daughter isn't careful, Christopher, she's going to end up irritating the wrong person and end up tossed out of the Academy," Admiral Archer snapped as he glared at Chris. "She may be a Lieutenant, but…"

"Jon, this isn't the time or the place to be discussing this," Chris replied, cutting him off because he didn't want Commander Harriman, Finnegan, Riley, and Dr. Puri to see Jonathan lose his temper.

Commander Harriman sighed, "If you two are going to go to blows over Lieutenant Pike's competency, do it somewhere else," he said, noticing that Riley and Finnegan were giving each other looks.

"My office, right now," Admiral Archer hissed, having had enough of Lieutenant Pike's personality.

Suddenly feeling very much like he did at that civilian school when he berated the staff for not taking care of his daughter, Chris nodded and stiffly left Starfleet Medical with Admiral Archer, "Boys, why don't you go back to your dorms and get ready for your classes?" Commander Harriman suggested in a less formal tone. "Remember, everything you saw and heard here today is strictly confidential."

Riley nodded and didn't say anything; he had been an expert on confidential matters since being rescued barely alive from Tarsus IV. He wouldn't be sharing anything from today with anyone else.

Finnegan, however, coughed, "Sir, is Ensign McCoy going to be all right?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm sure he'll be fine in time," Commander Harriman replied softly. "Now, off with both of you."

Riley and Finnegan nodded and silently left the building, leaving Commander Harriman with Dr. Puri.

Nearly 30 minutes later, Arianne walked up to Professor Khan's office and found it not only open, but occupied. Professor Khan was sitting behind his desk while a distressed looking Marla sat on the couch.

"Professor Khan, may I have a word?" Arianne asked as she rapped on the wall. "It's important."

Marla tensed at seeing Arianne, "Arianne, get out," Marla hissed in an anxious voice. "We're busy."

"Cadet McGivers, will you give Lieutenant Pike and I a moment alone?" Professor Khan asked in a smooth voice as he noticed the anger and confusion in Arianne's eyes. "Please wait in the hall."

Marla's eyes widened, but she stood up and silently left the room, "How long was Doctor McCoy's ex-wife really a patient at your facility, Professor?" Arianne asked as soon as the door was closed. "Truth."

"I left the facility after she tried to murder me out of insanity," Professor Khan replied, raising an eyebrow at Arianne's question. "That same day, the woman took a shuttle and went into space. She left a note for me saying she was going to kill herself in space and that I couldn't stop her if I tried. I tried to go after her out of guilt, but all I found were pieces of shuttle debris; I came right home and cried…"

Arianne was silent for a moment, "I'm assuming you told everything to Doctor McCoy?" she asked.

"Yes," Professor Khan replied in a somber voice. "However, around 0600 this morning, I got an email from him that basically called me a liar among other things. Jocelyn, apparently, just died recently…"

Arianne nodded, "She must have beamed somewhere from the shuttle and hid somewhere for two years before getting another shuttle," she said in a serious voice. "It's just a theory, though, sir…"

"I suppose I should not get angry at Ensign McCoy for his email," Professor Khan said in a smooth voice as he leaned back in his chair. "If he needs a break on his coursework, I can of course arrange it…"

Swallowing hard, Arianne stood up, "I'm sorry to have bothered you, sir" she replied in a remorseful voice, suddenly feeling very self-conscious about having come to Professor Khan about Leonard.

"It is not a problem, Lieutenant," Professor Khan replied patiently. "You obviously care for Ensign McCoy very much and with your disabilities, I suspect that you sometimes have impulse control difficulties?"

Arianne was silent for a moment before nodding; when she had started Starfleet Academy, she and her father had met with all of the instructors to discuss her disabilities and how they impacted her learning and she remembered telling Professor Khan about her disabilities during the pre-training celebration.

Letting out a sigh, Arianne moved towards the door, "Anyway, I should get going," she said in an anxious voice. "I've got a lot to take care of before I go to classes today. Finals are in only a few weeks."

"Have an excellent day, Lieutenant," Professor Khan called out as Arianne silently left the office.

It took nearly an hour for Arianne to find Dr. Piper's apartment on the Academy campus and return to Starfleet Medical with him, taking the opportunity to explain Leonard's situation as they walked there.

As Arianne and Dr. Piper walked into the patient bay, however, they were surprised to see Leonard up and dressed in his cadet reds, "Leonard," Arianne commented nervously. "How are you feeling?"

Before Leonard could reply, Dr. Harriman and Jim, who was holding two duffel bags in his arms, came into the patient bay, "You don't have a lot in the way of clothes, Bones," Jim commented as he tossed Leonard one of the duffel bags. "Oh, Captain Pike's going to fly us to Georgia in a shuttle himself."

"You're going to Georgia?" Arianne asked softly, gazing at Leonard. "Because of Jocelyn's death?"

Leonard nodded, "Apparently, Jocelyn left me some stuff and I have to meet with lawyers about it," he replied in a tired voice. "I phoned my mother while you were gone and she said I can stay with her…"

"I invited myself along to serve as moral support," Jim spoke up in a somber tone. "What about you?"

Arianne gave Jim a funny look, "I wasn't invited," she replied before looking at Leonard. "Leonard, I got Doctor Piper like you asked me to. I can also talk to Academy Command about getting you a break…"

"Thanks," Leonard replied in the same tired voice. "Can…can I talk to Doctor Piper alone for a sec?"

Arianne nodded and left the patient bay with Jim trailing behind her, "I've been doing some digging on the internet trying to search for my mom and brother," Jim commented softly. "I searched Sam's name and the only Sam Kirk that comes up lives in Atlanta and does some scientific crap there, so…"

"Oh, Jim," Arianne replied softly, seeing the anguished expression on Jim's face. "Are you sure?"

Jim nodded, "While Bones is off spending time with his mom and meeting with the lawyers, I'm going to find Sam," he explained in an anxious voice. "Captain Pike will be there to make sure I don't…"

"Fly off the handle and beat the crap out of Sam?" Arianne asked in a concerned voice. "Jim…"

Jim sighed, "Maybe I'd better come with you and Leonard," Arianne continued in a worried voice. "I'm not going to force my company on either of you, so I'll leave it up to the two of you to decide whether or not you want my company. I'm not the best with social skills and you've gotta have good manners..."

"Your manners are fine," Leonard's voice spoke from behind Arianne. "Do you really want to come?"

Arianne's eyes widened and she turned to find Leonard standing behind her, "Leonard, I'm just concerned about you," she replied nervously. "I realize it was impulsive to offer, but I care…"

"I think it's a very kind offer," Leonard replied softly. "If you want to, I'd love for you to come."

Instead of packing, however, Arianne found herself standing in Admiral Archer's office having been summoned there as she left Starfleet Medical to pack. Now, as she stood before Admiral Archer and her father, Arianne had the uneasy feeling that she her competency was about to be called into question.

"Lieutenant Pike, have a seat," Admiral Archer said, gesturing to an empty chair beside Captain Pike.

Arianne silently took a seat beside her father and watched as Admiral Archer picked up a large stylus from his desk, "You're at the end of your second year and I think it's time for a little evaluation," Admiral Archer said in a sharp voice. "Your grades are surprisingly good and the reports from your instructors are nothing short of exemplary in terms of your practical classes, but I do have reason to be concerned."

"Why, sir?" Arianne asked in a confused voice. "My coursework and practical work are just fine…"

Admiral Archer scoffed and set the stylus on the table, "Your social skills are a nightmare and I've gotten reports from almost every instructor on campus about it," he replied in a concerned voice. "Lieutenant, I hate to tell you this, but Starfleet isn't just about academic skills, it's also about people skills…"

"Hold on a second, Jon," Chris cut in in a concerned voice. "Arianne's a Starfleet counselor and she…"

Admiral Archer scowled, "Counseling people is a lot different than being able to socialize with them," he replied in an irritated tone. "In the two years you've been here, I notice that you don't go out of your way to socialize unless you're prodded into it by Cadet Kirk. Command officers need good social skills and experience among other things and those are things you are clearly having trouble with."

"Jon, what do you mean when you say almost all the Academy instructors have provided reports?" Chris asked in a confused voice. "I know that I've given you glowing reports, but who hasn't given any?"

Admiral Archer's eyes narrowed, "Seeing as Lieutenant Pike is the very first cadet with disabilities to attend the Academy, I've thought it prudent to keep on top of her progress," he explained in a terse voice. "Professors Harriman and Spock, however, have refused to give me any progress reports."

"Well, Jon, seeing as Arianne's been singled out because of her uniqueness, I'm not surprised that you're not getting the full cooperation of the instructors," Chris replied in a less than impressed voice, deeply disgusted that Admiral Archer would expect perfection from Arianne when she was giving her all.

Swallowing hard, Arianne suddenly sat up a little straighter in her chair, "If you want an evaluation from Professor Spock, Admiral, why not summon him to your office right now?" she asked in a daring voice.

Chris looked shocked at Arianne's attitude, but said nothing, "Very well," Admiral Archer replied in a calmer voice as he pressed a button on his desk console. "Admiral Archer to Professor Spock."

There was silence and then a beep, "Professor Spock here," a toneless voice replied. "I was about to depart my office to teach my Xenolinguistics classes, Admiral. May I ask what your query is?"

"I want you to come to my office right now, please," Admiral Archer replied coolly. "No arguments."

The entire room was silent for several minutes and the silence was only broken by the door chime going off, "Come in," Admiral Archer said in a commanding voice. "Lieutenant Pike, I don't know why…"

"Greetings," Spock said as the door slid open and he entered the office in his instructor uniform.

Admiral Archer nodded at Spock before looking at Arianne, "Lieutenant Pike, you and Captain Pike are dismissed to the foyer," he said in a commanding voice. "I want to speak with Professor Spock alone."

"Jon, I'm scheduled to take Ensign McCoy and Ensign Kirk to Atlanta Spaceport in a shuttle at noon," Chris replied in a concerned voice as he stood up. "I need to get going if I'm going to have everything ready by then. Kirk and McCoy are already packed and are probably waiting for me to get them."

Admiral Archer was quiet for several seconds and then nodded, "Perhaps you had better take Lieutenant Pike with you, Chris," he replied firmly. "I'll contact you after I talk with Professor Spock."

"Understood," Chris replied stiffly as he looked at Arianne. "Lieutenant Pike, please follow me."

Arianne nodded, stood up, and silently left the room with only a brief nod to Spock, "Dad, I don't understand what just happened in there," she said as she followed her father out of the Command building and down the steps. "I haven't done anything that's been out of step with regulations."

"You've been giving the Academy your all, honey," Chris replied as they walked down the pathway towards the shuttle bay. "I know learning takes a lot of your time and socializing's very hard for you."

Arianne frowned, "Why is Admiral Archer questioning my ability to become a good Starfleet officer after two years?" she asked in an anxious voice as she grabbed her father's arm. "I need the truth, Dad."

"I'm not sure," Chris replied honestly. "You've always had difficulties with other people, Arianne, but you've gotten better at co-existing with others over the years. Now, I'll admit that you're not perfect, but I also know that there are some things that are beyond your control because of your disabilities."

Arianne released her father's arm and nodded, "What's going to happen to me, Dad?" she asked in a fearful voice as they continued walking. "Is Admiral Archer trying to get me expelled from here?"

"Arianne, you're the first student with disabilities to attend Starfleet Academy and Admiral Archer, like a lot of the other instructors here, is still trying to figure out your strengths and also what you still need to work on before you graduate," Chris stated gently. "Nobody is going to expel you, I promise."

Nodding, Arianne sighed, "Dad, please don't mention this to Leonard or Jim," she replied in an unusually nervous voice. "I'll tell Jim myself later on, but Leonard's got enough to worry about right now."

"All right," Chris replied gently, smiling reassuringly at Arianne. "Go to your dorm and pack enough stuff for at least three days. I've got to go and prepare the shuttle, but I'll see you at noon, all right?"

Arianne nodded, kissed Chris's cheek, and took off across the grass towards Boyce Hall. Chris sighed and continued walking down the pathway towards the shuttle hangar. He spotted Cadet Kirk sitting under a tree near the library with his duffel bag behind his back and a PADD in his face, but Kirk didn't see him.

What is Kirk up to now? Chris silently wondered as he continued down the path past the library; he had to prepare the shuttle, get clearance to land at the Atlanta spaceport, and gather his passengers all before noon, so he had no time to talk to Jim about what was going on in his head.

As Chris continued walking, he failed to notice that Serij, who was on his way to prepare the classroom for Professor Khan, had observed the entire encounter and was now heading back to talk to him.

"Yes, Serij, I am already aware of Cadet McCoy's situation," Professor Khan replied in an amused voice as he leaned back in his chair and stared up at Serij. "A Doctor Piper, who seems to be a friend of Cadet McCoy's, already contacted me and asked me to show some leniency in Cadet McCoy's schoolwork."

Serij nodded, but said nothing, "You have been a good assistant, Serij," Professor Khan explained in a calming voice as he sat up straight in his chair. "I express concern, however, over your weak health."

"I am able to function as needed, sir," Serij replied in a nervous voice. "My private meditation…"

Professor Khan nodded and tapped some keys on his computer, "There's a settlement on Luna called Copernicus Village where a young scientist named Sonak lives," he explained calmly. "I know you hate travel, but Sonak can help you to recover from the past that you have tried so desperately to overcome. You can also assist any cadets that may come there for advanced studies."

I do not disagree that Nero's constant mental berations have taken their toll on my health. Serij thought silently, "After finals are completed and marked, you are cleared for time there," Professor Khan explained. "I have cleared this through Academy Command and I have also notified Ambassador Sarek and Lady Amanda, who will check on you periodically."

Serij nodded and silently left the office; he had been unwittingly given an opportunity to prepare the galaxy for Nero's return.

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