January 2258

Orbital Spacedock

"…It is with great pride that I take command of the fleet that has been ordered to the Laurentian System," Captain Harriman said in a professional voice as he stood behind the podium and looked out at all of the officers who were part of the primary fleet, the Command staff who had come to witness the departures, and the few cadets who had managed to get the day off from classes to attend.

Arianne smiled and clapped along with the rest who were there and had listened to the speeches made by the various Captains in the primary fleet, but she wasn't feeling happy at all. Christmas and New Year's had gone smoothly enough, but a hearing concerning the incident at Christmas awaited her.

"Lieutenant Pike, I am reluctant to disrupt your enjoyment of this ceremony, but is necessary that we leave immediately in order to arrive at the hearing on time," Arianne suddenly heard Spock whisper.

Arianne sighed and took a last look at the crowd, the various senior staffs of the primary fleet, and Captain Harriman before she turned and followed Spock out into the corridor, "I thought the hearing wasn't until later, Spock?" she asked as she followed him towards the nearest airlock.

"While I was waiting in the corridor, I got a priority message from Captain Pike that Admiral Marcus had traveled to Earth from Alpha Centauri and was demanding that the hearing take place immediately," Spock explained in an almost annoyed voice as they reached the doors and he pressed the button.

Arianne nodded as the airlock opened and she stepped into the shuttle, "Alpha Centauri's a fair distance from here, so Admiral Marcus must have had something to say," she commented as Spock got into the shuttle and closed the airlock. "Spock, can I admit that I'm a little afraid of how this is going to go?"

"Fear is perfectly natural," Spock commented as he sat on a passenger seat. "Will you take us out?"

Swallowing hard, Arianne nodded and moved to the pilot's seat, where she sat and quickly disengaged the external initial dampeners before initiating the launch sequence, well aware that Spock watched.

Starfleet Command – Boardroom – 1300

"This hearing is now in session," Admiral Barnett said in a commanding tone. "We have convened to discuss the events that happened on December 23, 2257 at a civilian lounge in San Francisco and we will begin by hearing from Lieutenant Arianne Pike since she was at the center of what took place."

Arianne immediately looked at Spock, as he was serving as her counsel for this hearing and wouldn't do anything unless he advised it, "I advise that you proceed with caution," Spock spoke tonelessly.

Swallowing hard, Arianne stood and silently walked to the front of the room where Admiral Barnett, Admiral Marcus, Admiral Archer, and several other members of Starfleet Command were sitting at a small, horseshoe-shape table in front of a single chair that was next to a large recording machine.

Behind the table where she and Spock sat, Cadet Marcus, Cadet Hendorff, Cadet Rogers, and Cadet Finnegan were all sitting on one side of the room with a with two armed Security guards standing on either side of their chairs. On the other side, Jim and Leonard were sitting with Captain Pike.

"State your name and rank for the record, please," Admiral Barnett said in a commanding voice as Arianne sat in the chair and clasped her hands together nervously. "There's no need to be nervous."

Arianne nodded, "Arianne Christine Pike, Lieutenant, Academy Counselor and Cadet in the Command and Medical Tracks," she replied in a professional voice. "My graduation is set for April 2258."

"If you would please explain the sequence of events that occurred on December 23, 2257," Admiral Barnett stated in a professional voice. "Be sure to include as much details as you can recall."

Arianne sighed, "At 1800 hours on the day in question, Cadet McCoy and I were walking around downtown San Francisco after spending some time together and we came across a man lying face down in the snow," she explained in as steady a voice as she could manage. "I rolled the man over and was horrified to discover that it was Cadet Kirk and that he had been beaten up and thrown out of the building closest to the snow bank. Cadet Kirk managed to identify Cadet Hendorff as being in the building as he came to consciousness shortly thereafter and I left Cadet Kirk in Cadet McCoy's care."

"What did you do after you left Cadet Kirk in Cadet McCoy's care?" Admiral Barnett asked curiously.

Arianne swallowed hard, "I went into the building and found that it was a lounge," she explained in a calm voice, suddenly realizing that all eyes were on her. "I found Cadet Hendorff, Cadet Marcus, Cadet Rogers, and Cadet Finnegan at the bar and I asked them if they thought it was funny to throw Cadet Kirk into a snow bank. Cadet Hendorff responded that he had heard about the reporter at Cadet Kirk and Cadet McCoy's dorm that morning and he also said that Cadet Kirk was an attention seeking punk."

Cadet Hendorff suddenly looked very uncomfortable, but didn't say anything, "Cadet Marcus suddenly interrupted our discussion and invited me to join them for a drink with the suggestion that I ditch my shadow," Arianne continued nervously. "Cadet Marcus then put his arm around me and then he pulled me close when I refused. It was at that point that I punched him, but he persisted and grabbed me around the waist. As I was trying to fight him off, Cadet McCoy came in and pulled him off of me."

"What was Cadet Marcus's condition at the time of this altercation?" Admiral Barnett asked.

Arianne sighed as she fought to keep from shuddering, crying, or showing any emotion that might discredit her testimony, "He was intoxicated," she replied softly. "It was apparent that Cadet Hendorff, Cadet Marcus, Cadet Rogers, and Cadet Finnegan were also intoxicated by their unusual behavior."

"I see," Admiral Barnett replied in a neutral voice. "What happened after Cadet McCoy got involved?"

Arianne swallowed hard, "While Cadet Marcus and Cadet McCoy were fighting, the police arrived and came into the lounge just as Cadet Marcus threw Cadet McCoy into the bar," she stated softly. "Cadet Marcus was immediately escorted from the lounge by one officer while the other helped Cadet McCoy up off the counter. The first officer came back and then escorted Cadet Rogers, Cadet Hendorff, and Cadet Finnegan to the squad car. Cadet McCoy, Cadet Kirk, and I were detained at the lounge until another police car could come. At the station, everyone was escorted away and I was told to wait in the foyer and to also to contact someone who could come pick me up. I phoned my father for help."

"And not long after your father arrived in the company of Commander Spock and Lady Amanda Grayson, you left in the company of Commander Spock and Amanda Grayson?" Admiral Barnett asked, having spoken privately to both Spock and Amanda at the end of the previous month before Amanda left.

Arianne nodded, "Correct," she replied in a nervous voice. "It was better for me not to be there."

"Understood," Admiral Barnett replied as he looked at his fellow Admirals. "Any questions?"

Admiral Archer said nothing, but he looked exceptionally angry, "I believe I speak for my fellow Admirals when I say that Lieutenant Pike has given all the required information in a satisfactory manner," Admiral Marcus spoke up in a tight voice. "I'd actually like to hear from Cadet McCoy now; is that all right?"

Chris looked down at Leonard, who sighed and slowly stood up with a hand over his healing ribs, "Cadet McCoy, would you please come up?" Admiral Barnett asked. "Lieutenant Pike, return to your seat."

Arianne stood up and quietly returned to the table with Spock, her worry increasing when she saw how slow Leonard had to walk because of his healing ribs. Without any warning, Jim got up and, ignoring Chris's whispers to come back, he hurried up to Leonard and helped him walk up to the chair and sit.

"Thanks," Leonard whispered as Jim moved away from the chair. "Do I have to stand up at all?"

Admiral Barnett shook his head, "State your name and rank for the record," he replied tonelessly.

"Leonard Horatio McCoy, Ensign, Medical Cadet and Shift Doctor at Starfleet Academy," Leonard replied in a professional tone. "Sorry for my slowness in getting up here, but I sustained some broken ribs when Cadet Marcus threw me into the lounge counter. I spent the entire Christmas break resting on Captain Pike's couch on a diet of water and vegetable soup and I went back to my dorm on New Year's Day…"

There was some murmuring from the Admiral as they regarded how loose Leonard's cadet uniform had become, "The record we got from Doctor Piper says you were treated at San Francisco General Hospital and that you were given painkillers upon your release," Admiral Archer spoke up. "If that's the case, why did it look like you were having difficulty walking up here? Painkillers usually take the pain away for…"

"The only medication I've taken since the incident was a sleeping pill that Captain Pike slipped into my tea after I was patched up and recovering at his house," Leonard replied in a sharp voice. "Yes, Doctor Piper did give me a prescription of painkillers, but I got rid of it after I arrived at his house."

Arianne looked almost horrified at that admission, but she kept quiet, "What do you mean by that, Cadet McCoy?" Admiral Archer asked in a confused voice. "What, did you dump them in the sink?"

"No," Leonard replied in a semi-cross voice. "I stashed the bag in the coat closet so I didn't have…"

Realization suddenly washed over Arianne as she sat next to Jim, "I didn't want to risk getting addicted to them," Leonard continued somberly. "I didn't exactly get off to the best start here, but…"

A silence fell over the room and Leonard looked down so that nobody would see the tears forming in his eyes as he recalled his suicide attempt, "Admiral Archer, I don't believe that Cadet McCoy's recovery is the focus of this hearing," Admiral Barnett spoke up, clearly confused what the point was.

"My point is that Cadet McCoy is so focused on helping and standing up for others, but he still has trouble helping and standing up for himself," Admiral Archer said in a voice that dared anyone to argue with him. "He went into that fight knowing that he wasn't a match for Cadet Marcus because Cadet Marcus is one of the top students in the Hand-To-Hand Combat class and McCoy isn't a fighter…"

Admiral Marcus briefly looked impressed at hearing his son was a top student in something, but he quickly assumed a neutral facial expression, "The issue at hand is the conduct of Cadet Marcus, Cadet Hendorff, Cadet Rogers, and Cadet Finnegan," Admiral Barnett spoke up, unnerved by the sight of Cadet McCoy being close to tears. "If you four would please come up, a verdict has been reached."

There was more silence as Cadet Marcus, Cadet Hendorff, Cadet Finnegan, and Cadet Rogers all came up to the front of the room without so much as a look at anyone else, "Cadet Kirk, before I pass a verdict, was anyone besides Cadet Hendorff involved in injuring you?" Admiral Barnett asked commandingly.

Swallowing hard, Jim stood up, "I still can't remember everything from that night," he admitted in a nervous voice as he looked at Admiral Barnett. "I was at the lounge thinking through some personal issues and I was suddenly harassed by all four of them. Hendorff did tell me that I was an attention seeker, but I don't know if he ever laid hands on me. I think all four of them had a hand in it…"

"I see," Admiral Barnett replied in a sharp voice. "The fact is, Cadet Kirk, that none of these cadets should have ever laid a hand on you and they did, which resulted in McCoy also getting hurt. As superintendent of the Academy, it's my job to ensure that things like this don't happen. Cadet Rogers and Cadet Finnegan, you will both be required to take the fourth year of your track and you will not graduate until next year, but you're both still in the Academy. Cadet Hendorff, you will be on academic probation and your off-campus privileges will be revoked for the remainder of the semester; if you keep out of trouble for the rest of the semester, I will allow you to graduate with the rest of your class."

There was another silence as Admiral Barnett looked at Cadet Marcus, "Cadet Marcus, the other Command members and I have talked with your father and we have agreed that it's in your best interest for you to undergo supervised, in-patient counseling before we take any further action," he said in a less stern voice. "I have assigned Lieutenant Pike and Doctor Puri to also conduct a mental health evaluation on you during your stay at the Mental Health facility. Your family is welcome to stay with you…"

Cadet Marcus nodded, but said nothing and silently hugged himself, "This hearing is adjourned," Admiral Barnett said in a commanding voice. "Everyone is dismissed and all are excused from classes for today."

Arianne was silent as she watched Admiral Marcus get up from the table and walk over to where Cadet Marcus was standing while the rest of the Admirals were deep in discussion. She waited until her father had gotten Jim out of the room and then she went over to the chair where Leonard was still sitting.

"How are you feeling?" Arianne asked in a quiet voice. "Can you make it back to your dorm okay?"

Leonard sighed, "I think I can if I take it slow," he replied as he slowly stood up. "How about you?"

Before Arianne could reply, Admiral Marcus and Cadet Marcus walked over to them, "Lieutenant Pike, I do not believe a mental health evaluation will be necessary," Cadet Marcus said in a quiet, but nervous voice as he swallowed hard. "I think I might have a mental illness caused by prolonged exposure."

Leonard looked concerned, but Arianne nodded, "Do you suspect what mental illness you might have?" she asked in a soft, but professional voice. "Mental illnesses are treatable and nothing to worry about."

"I would like to continue this discussion in a private place and I would also like Doctor McCoy to join us if he could," Admiral Marcus said in a clipped voice. "Do you have an office, Lieutenant Pike?"

Arianne nodded and motioned for Leonard, Admiral Marcus, and Cadet Marcus to follow her unaware that Admiral Archer was watching all of this play out with a suspicious scowl on his youthful face.

Starfleet Medical – 1400 H

"My wife and I first went to Alpha Centauri from Earth on a NX-02 shuttle when she was pregnant with Anthony and it was the worst shuttle I'd ever been on, but we didn't have a choice," Admiral Marcus explained in a somber voice as he and Arianne stood outside the patient bay, watching through the glass as Leonard stood beside the bed where Cadet Marcus lay in his reds restrained by a stasis field. "I guess there was a radiation leak or something and Anthony ended up being born on that crappy shuttle…"

Arianne nodded, but didn't speak, "Premature babies are always hard, but we were on a planet that barely had an operating station with minimal supplies," Admiral Marcus explained in an anxious voice. "I knew that there was something wrong when Anthony was an aggressive child, but his mother and I worked through that with him, but I thought Starfleet might be able to help him even more."

"Mental illnesses can be treated, Admiral Marcus," Arianne replied calmly. "I have ADHD and Non-Verbal Learning Disorder, but I was lucky enough not to need medication. I overcame great obstacles and accomplished great things, but I think that Anthony might need mood stabilizers to help him."

Admiral Marcus sighed and nodded, "I want him to be able to stay in Starfleet if that's possible," he said in an anxious voice. "I know putting him on a starship full of people is probably a bad idea, but if he can get some credentials, maybe I can get him a posting on a station or planet. He's too skilled to…"

"I've heard rumors that Starfleet is going to open up a special program that will prepare and equip interested people to establish a Starfleet presence on Deneva," Arianne said, silently appreciating Jim's illegal habit of hacking the Command database to keep on track of developing Starfleet projects.

Admiral Marcus looked intrigued, but before he could reply, Leonard came out into the hallway with a stylus in one hand, "Cadet Marcus wants to go through with a mental health evaluation now that he feels safer," Leonard explained as he handed the stylus to Arianne. "Here are the assessment forms."

"Lieutenant Pike, am I allowed to discuss your thoughts with members of Academy Command?" Admiral Marcus asked in an intrigued voice. "What you suggest is much closer to home for him than here…"

Arianne nodded and sighed as Admiral Marcus walked off, "I have to get my report on this to Doctor Puri," Leonard explained in a concerned voice. "After you're done here, do you wanna take a walk?"

"Sure," Arianne replied in a calm voice. "I'll comm you when I'm finished here, all right?"

Leonard nodded and Arianne silently entered the patient bay, unaware that Leonard was still at the window to make sure that nothing happened, "Cadet Marcus, how are you feeling?" she asked in a gentle voice as she approached the bed where Cadet Marcus was laying. "Any pain anywhere?"

"I think I was having a manic spell on that evening when I attacked you and Cadet McCoy," Cadet Marcus replied softly. "Everything just felt so intense and I needed to deal with it right away."

Arianne nodded, "Security might not be the best fit for you then," she replied softly. "Maybe Science would be a better career to pursue; there are things in Science that would be able to help you…"

"Biploar disorder's supposed to be gone," Cadet Marcus replied in a whisper. "Why did I get it?"

For a moment, Arianne was silent because she didn't think that being exposed to radiation as a baby would be enough to cause it, "Can you fill this out for me, please?" Arianne asked in a gentle voice as she handed Cadet Marcus. "It's a mental health sheet that will help me properly diagnose…"

"Sure," Cadet Marcus replied as he looked at the stylus. "Can…can I ask a question, Lieutenant?"

Arianne nodded, "Of course," she replied nervously. "What would you like to know?"

"Cadet McGivers is living with us on Alpha Centauri right now and she said that there's a guy named Professor Khan who knows how to help people," Cadet Marcus said in a hopeful voice. "Do you think that I could ask this Professor Khan guy for help? I don't want to be sick like this; I want to be well."

A sick feeling washed over Arianne and she sighed, "Khan is not a professor and he never was," she said in a soft, slightly trembling voice as she looked at Cadet Marcus. "The man who passed himself off as a professor here is actually Khan Noonien Singh and he murdered a cadet's father a few months ago. I would not recommend you seek Khan's help for anything. There are safer ways to ask for help."

Cadet Marcus nodded and silently began working on the stylus. Arianne made her way out of the patient room, down the corridor, and into the nearest fresher where she promptly threw up.

Even after seeking counseling from Spock, the mere mention of Khan was enough to make her want to throw up, Arianne thought as she stared at herself in the mirror. Khan was the reason that she had compromised her ethics, gave into Doctor Puri's plea, and had sent the pregnant Marla away…

Pain shot through Arianne's skull and she keeled over the sink; it was a migraine caused by guilt, stress, and anxiety that had come from the sudden reminder, "Who's getting sick in there?" a voice asked as Arianne suddenly heard a knock on the door. "Medical override, McCoy, Alpha 654345, Delta Three…"

Another wave of pain shot through Arianne's skull and she keeled over just as the door slid open, "Whoa," she heard Leonard say in a concerned voice as she felt someone touch her shoulders.

"I just need a minute," Arianne whispered even though she remained there. "Got a migraine."

There was a soft thump and a click, "You need a pain reliever?" Leonard asked worriedly.

"I actually could use a nap," Arianne replied in a pained voice. "I just don't have time for that."

Leonard sighed and quietly loaded a hypospray, "How much longer do you think you'll be helping Cadet Marcus?" he asked in a concerned voice. "Why'd you leave him filling out the assessment alone?"

"I just needed a moment to think," Arianne replied, too scared to tell him what she had done.

An uneasy feeling washed over Leonard and he frowned, "What are you not telling me?" he asked in a concerned voice as he moved around so that he could see Arianne's face. "Living with Jim for three years has made me pretty good at being able to tell when secrets are being kept. What's wrong?"

"I compromised my ethics to protect a patient last year and potentially put a lot of innocent people at risk," Arianne replied in a crestfallen voice as she looked up at Leonard with an anxious expression.

Leonard frowned, "What are you talking about?" he asked in a concerned voice. "What patient?"

"Len, you know I'm bound by confidentiality rules," Arianne replied softly. "I-I can't bear it…"

Leonard's eyes narrowed as Arianne got up and left the fresher, "Wait a minute," he said as he followed her back to the door leading into the patient bay. "What exactly did you do that's making you so…?"

"Lieutenant Pike, I want a word with you right now!" Admiral Archer snapped in an irritated voice as he suddenly burst into the foyer. "McCoy, go and do something productive instead of eavesdropping!"

Arianne sighed, "I'm working with Cadet Marcus, Admiral," she replied tersely. "Can't it wait?"

"No," Admiral Archer replied in an infuriated voice. "McCoy, take over Cadet Marcus's care."

Leonard's eyes widened, "My office, right now," Admiral Archer snapped. "Follow me."

"I think Admiral Marcus would prefer that I finish taking care of his son," Arianne replied coolly.

Admiral Archer's eyes widened, "Admiral Marcus has no say about what cadets I wish to see and when I wish to see them!" he snapped in an angry voice. "I want to know how you found out about the project on Deneva even though it's not set to be announced until next September! Do you hack the system…?"

There was a silence and Admiral Archer sighed, "Cadet Kirk," he hissed. "I should have known that Kirk would hack the system, find out the information, and give it to you. Kirk's a bad apple and bad apples…"

"Jim's been through enough this year already without you breathing down his neck," Arianne snapped in an aggravated voice. "He's like the brother I never had and I will defend him even with my own life."

A throat suddenly cleared and Arianne turned to see two Security officers standing there, "You indirectly committed a Security violation and that's punishable by arrest," Admiral Archer explained in a no-nonsense voice as one of the Security officers held out a pair of open wrist clamps. "Guards…"

"Sorry, Lieutenant Pike," one of the guards said as he put the clamps on her wrists and closed them.

Leonard's eyes widened as the two guards escorted Arianne out of Starfleet Medical, "You patronizing idiot!" Leonard shouted in an angry voice as he glared at Admiral Archer. "What did you do that…?"

"Keep it up, McCoy," Admiral Archer replied in a sharp voice. "And you'll find yourself expelled."

Swallowing hard, Leonard scowled and promptly went into the patient bay to do Arianne's work.

Starfleet Security – Cellblock Area – 2000 H

Her cadet jacket, her PADD, and her communicator were on a table just on the other side of the forcefield next to the table where a tired looking Cadet Hendorff was sitting, silently working on a homework assignment on a PADD and not paying attention to her at all. Arianne sighed as she lay on the cot staring up at the gray ceiling; she hadn't been given anything to do or any food to eat, but…

The doors slid open and Chris entered the room in his Instructor uniform, causing Hendorff to drop the PADD and leap to his feet at attention, "At ease," he said in a sharp voice. "Lieutenant Pike?"

Swallowing hard, Arianne quickly got to her feet and stood at attention, "Yes, sir?" she asked softly.

"Imagine my surprise when I got an email from Admiral Archer informing me that you had been arrested for indirectly breaching Starfleet Security by having access to classified information," Chris stated in a voice that was devoid of all emotion. "It didn't take me long to figure out that Ensign Kirk was the one who had accessed the information about the Deneva project and so I had a little chat with him."

Arianne nodded, but said nothing, "I don't know how you got the information, but Admiral Archer informed me that you suggested it to Admiral Marcus as a way to help Cadet Marcus stay in Starfleet despite having bipolar disorder," Chris stated. "I also thought you'd like to know that Cadet Marcus told Doctor McCoy that he'd be interested in switching from Security to Science when he was well enough."

"That's good news," Arianne commented softly. "Mental illness should not define a person."

Chris nodded and folded his arms, "Hendorff, drop the forcefield," he ordered in a firm voice.

"Sir, I have orders from Admiral Archer to keep Lieutenant Pike in here until 0600 tomorrow morning," Cadet Hendorff replied in a nervous voice. "Apparently, Cadet McCoy got mouthy with him…"

Chris sighed, "Has Lieutenant Pike had any dinner or access to a PADD?" he asked sharply.

"It's not on the orders, sir," Cadet Hendorff replied nervously. "Admiral Archer will have my head…"

Scoffing, Chris picked up Arianne's personal PADD, deactivated the forcefield, and walked into the cell with the PADD held out, "You're allowed to do your homework, check your Academy email, and read the local area and Starfleet news," he explained as he handed her the PADD. "See you tomorrow."

"Yes sir," Arianne replied nervously as Chris stepped out of the cell and reactivated the forcefield.

Cadet Hendorff paled as Chris shot him a sharp look, "Make sure Lieutenant Pike gets some basic dinner rations and is allowed visitors," Chris said sternly. "If I hear of you mistreating her, midnight PT for you."

"Understood," Cadet Hendorff replied, nervously inputting orders as Chris left the cellblock area.

Swallowing hard, Arianne returned to the cot and silently began to do her homework as Cadet Hendorff quickly sent out a coded request for one of the cadets in their year to bring Arianne some dinner rations.

The scars on her arms had faded with time, Arianne thought as she silently looked at her scarred forearms as a break from homework, but the memories of how she got the scars would always be imprinted in her mind. Each scar meant some sort of willing or unwilling sacrifice she had made.

"Homework's boring enough that you have to look at scars to pass the time?" a voice asked.

Arianne looked up and was surprised to see Leonard standing there in his medical uniform with a box of Starfleet dinner rations in one hand and a medkit in the other, "Starfleet regulations require all in the custody of Starfleet to undergo a basic medical exam," Leonard explained in a professional voice as he approached the cell. "I'm on clinic duty tonight, but the clinic's slow so Doctor Puri sent me over here."

Fighting the urge to chuckle, Cadet Hendorff deactivated the forcefield and Leonard stepped into the cell, "If you could put your PADD down please," he said in a professional voice as he set his medkit on the floor, opened it, and took out a medical tricorder. "Is it all right if I scan you, Lieutenant Pike?"

"Of course, Doctor McCoy," Arianne replied in a calm voice as she set her PADD down on the cot.

Leonard activated the tricorder and silently scanned Arianne with it, "How are you feeling?" he asked in a concerned voice, not looking up from the tricorder. "You had a migraine this afternoon and I just…"

"It's gone now," Arianne replied softly as she rubbed her hands together. "I'm just very tired now."

Leonard nodded, "Not surprising since you've hardly had anything to eat all day," he replied in a professional voice as he put the tricorder back in the kit. "You're dehydrated and you need food and a nutria-drip as well as a good night's rest. I would take you to Starfleet Medical and take care of all that if Admiral Archer wasn't such a glorified ego-maniac who insists that Jim is a bad influence on you…"

"Jim's like the brother I never had," Arianne replied softly. "I heard you sassed off Admiral Archer."

Letting out a sigh, Leonard shrugged, took out a portable drip box, and gently hooked it to Arianne's left arm, "He threatened to expel me, what else is new?" he replied in a dry voice. "He's already restricted Jim to campus for the next two months and is insisting on teaching every Ops class from now til April…"

"Pavel," Arianne whispered, suddenly remembering what Pavel had told her. "I need a favor."

Leonard nodded and Arianne sighed, "Go to Captain Pike and tell him that Admiral Archer is threatening to keep Cadet Chekov from a ship posting because of the incident with Professor Khan," she said in an insistent voice, not noticing that Cadet Hendorff looked shocked at hearing that. "Can you do that?"

"Yes," Leonard replied softly as he repacked his medkit. "As long as you're going to be okay tonight."

Arianne chuckled, "I'm spending the night in jail, Doctor McCoy," she replied tiredly. "We'll see."

"Right, that concludes the basic exam," Leonard replied as he grabbed his medkit and stood up. "I highly recommend you eat the dinner rations and then take it as easy as possible. Have a good evening."

Arianne nodded and was surprised when Leonard gently wrapped his arms around her and gave her a light, but tender kiss on the lips before leaving the cell. Cadet Hendorff silently reactivated the forcefield and went back to reading his PADD, so Arianne turned her attention to the rations that Leonard had left.

As Arianne ate, she peered at the chronometer that was in just above the door and was surprised that it was 2100 H; she would be released at 0600 H tomorrow and she didn't know what mess awaited her.

Dormitory – Boyce Hall – 0700 H

After enduring a night with hardly any sleep and being released without so much as a word, Arianne entered her dormitory and was surprised to see Christine sitting on her bed in her cadet reds with a PADD in one hand, "Don't you have class at 0500, Christine?" Arianne asked in a tired voice.

"It was cancelled today," Christine replied as she watched Arianne sit on her bed. "How are you?"

Arianne sighed and rubbed her face, "I wouldn't recommend spending a night in jail," she replied in a tired voice as she lay down on her side. "I don't think I'd ever had such a sleepless night in my life."

"Um, Pavel said he was going to come by," Christine replied in a nervous voice. "He was worried…"

Arianne nodded, "Well, considering I was arrested at Starfleet Medical in broad daylight, I wouldn't be surprised if the news of it ended up all over campus, "she replied in a tired voice as she rested her unwashed hair on the pillow and held up her hand. "I had to be put on a dripbox of fluids in jail."

Christine nodded and then suddenly started giggling, "I can't believe Hendorff actually got away with what he did," she replied in an amused voice. "Hendorff sent a message to Leonard last night and reminded him of his responsibility as a doctor to ensure the health of anyone in custody. I was on duty last night as part of practicum, so I saw Leonard convince Doctor Puri to let him go do your exam and Doctor Puri told Leonard to make sure that he took rations with him. Everyone hates Admiral Archer…"

"I thought Hendorff and his buddies hated me?" Arianne asked in a confused voice. "Ever since…"

Christine shook her head, "Hendorff and his buddies hate Jim, but not you," she explained in a concerned voice. "They think that you've got a lot of courage and are a great example to them."

"It could have been worse," Arianne replied as the door chime sounded. "Oh great, now what?"

Christine quickly got up from her bed, walked over to the door, and pressed the button, "Sorry to bother you, but I just wanted to see if the rumors were true," Hikaru said as he came into the room with Pavel, who immediately brightened at seeing Arianne. "I heard you spent the night at Starfleet Security…"

"Yup," Arianne replied in a tired voice as she took her personal PADD out of her pocket and quickly accessed her schedule. "I've got A-Level Command Simulation Class in an hour, but I can't imagine walking in there and being given any level of respect after last night. I'm thinking of skipping class."

Pavel looked alarmed at hearing that, "Nyet, you cannot skeep," he protested in an anxious voice as he sat on the edge of Arianne's bed. "Today eez my turn in ze command chair and I am wery nerwous."

"All right, I'll come to support you," Arianne replied in a reassuring voice. "I'll see you there, all right?"

Pavel let out a squeal of delight and got up, "Yes!" he replied in an excited voice. "See you zere!"

As Pavel dragged Hikaru from the room, Arianne looked at Christine and started to laugh.

Bridge Simulator Room – 0800 H

"…Students, today's roster is as follows," Captain Pike's voice filtered out of an intercom that hung from the ceiling above the simulation room. "Cadet Chekov will be in command, Cadet Pike will man the helm, Cadet Sulu will man Ops and Navigation, Cadet Uhura will be manning Comms, Cadet Riley will be manning Engineering, Cadet Tomlinson will man Environmental Ops, and Cadet Chapel will man Medical. We have a special guest manning the Tactical and Science positions, Commander Spock."

Arianne frowned as she took her place at the Helm; Jim had been registered for this class, yet he was nowhere to be seen. Had he decided to skip or did he change his schedule to avoid being near her?

"The scenario will be a simple training cruise near Klingon space that is disrupted by a Klingon Bird of Prey that is on a patrol and thinks you're planning to attack," Captain Pike's voice said in a commanding tone as the doors opened and Spock entered the Bridge, immediately walking to Pavel's side. "Captain Chekov, it is your responsibility to address the situation as you see fit and it is also the job of your crew to help provide suggestions in helping you get your ship and crew out of this situation unscathed."

Pavel nodded, "To your stations, eweryone," he said in a commanding voice. "I vant status reports."

"Five, four, three, two, one," the intercom's automated voice said. "Simulation beginning now."

There was a beep and Nyota looked at Pavel, "Captain, we are being hailed by a Klingon Bird of Prey that is just over the border line," she said in an anxious voice. "They say we are invading their territory."

"Attempt to contact zem," Pavel replied in a nervous voice. "Meester Spock, any suggestions?"

Spock was silent for a moment, "I recommend that you do not show fear when speaking to the Klingons because they will use your fear to their advantage," he replied in a toneless voice as he looked at Pavel.

"Why have you invaded our space?" a gruff, Klingon-sounding voice suddenly spoke over Comms.

Pavel sighed, "Zees ees Keptin Pavel Chekov of ze Starsheep Endeavour," he said in as commanding a voice as he could muster despite being nervous. "Ve haff not crossed ze line eento Klingon space…"

The Bridge suddenly rocked, "Sir, they've fired upon us!" Hikaru reported. "Shield power is down…!"

"Mees Pike, transfer tacteecal pover to your station, raise our sheeilds, and fire," Pavel replied in a slightly nervous voice. "Meester Spock, use ze Science station to scan zer sheep for veaknesses."

Spock nodded and moved to the Science station while Arianne pressed a few buttons on the Helm console, "Tactical power transferred and shields raised, Captain," she replied as she used the targeting mechanism to lock on to the ship and promptly fired a few shots at it. "Our weapons have no effect!"

Before Pavel could reply, the Bridge rocked again and the Ops/Nav console exploded, sending Hikaru flying backward on to the floor near the command chair, "Shields are down to 50 percent!" Arianne said in an anxious voice as she looked at Riley. "Riley, give me some sort of power to put towards shields!"

The Bridge rocked again and another console exploded, "Shields have failed, Captain!" Arianne shouted.

"The warp core's on it's way to overheating," Riley reported nervously as Christine hurried to Hikaru.

Pavel was about to speak when the intercom whined, "Prepare to be boarded," the Klingon hissed.

"Vait, vat eef I agree to be your preesoner?" Pavel asked in a curious voice as he stood up as if he were speaking to the Klingon Captain face to face. "Eef I do zat, vill you let my crew and ship eescape?"

Arianne turned just in time to see Spock rise from his station, walk over to the command chair, and lean in close to Pavel, "Captain, are you sure this is wise?" she heard Spock ask in a toneless voice.

"I am ze Keptin and eet is my job to get ze crew and ze ship out of zees seetuation safely even eef I kannot be wiz zem," Pavel replied in a nervous, but firm voice. "I vant you to take care of ze crew…"

There was static, "Captain Chekov, beam over to our ship and once you are in our custody, we will greet you in the fashion that a Starfleet officer should be greeted," the voice said in a dark, amused tone.

The room suddenly went dark and then light flooded the room, "Exercise complete," an automated voice suddenly said. "All participants are to report to Briefing Room One for mission debriefing."

"Wow, Pavel, that was an incredible job!" Hikaru said as he got up off the floor. "You were so brave!"

Arianne stood up and watched as Hikaru, Nyota, Christine, Riley, and Tomlinson all crowded around Pavel and gave him encouraging words, "Ve should get to ze briefing room," Pavel said in a nervous voice, taken aback by all the positive attention he was getting. "Keptin Pike wants to talk to us."

"I can talk to you all in here," Chris said as he came into the Sim Room. "Everyone take a seat."

Arianne silently sat in the Helm chair and noticed that Spock, Hikaru, Nyota, Christine, Riley, and Tomlinson were all quick to take their seats while Pavel remained standing, "From what Starfleet knows about Klingons, they are very aggressive and honor driven," Chris explained as he walked up to Pavel and gazed around at the rest of the crew. "Chekov, I think your strategy of trying to honorably sacrifice yourself for your crew's safety is commendable, but in situations like this, there are no guarantees."

"Yes, sir," Pavel replied in an obedient voice. "I had to at least give eet a try; how could I not?"

Chris nodded, "Right, that's it for today's class and I'll have your marks with comments posted on the class forum by 1800 hours," he said in a professional voice. "Lieutenant Pike, a word please."

Arianne waited until everyone else had left and then she stood up, "How was your night in jail?" Chris asked in a concerned voice. "I shouldn't tell you this, but Cadet Kirk is sick with grief over the fact that you got arrested because he hacked some classified information. He was too sick to come today…"

"Is anyone looking after him?" Arianne asked in a concerned, but tired voice. "Why didn't you…?"

Chris sighed, "Admiral Archer had him out running last night and Jim could barely make it back to his dorm at dawn," he replied in a concerned voice. "Jim's in a panic because he thinks that you're still in the Brig and he's telling himself that it's his fault that you got arrested because he got the information."

"Am I allowed to see him?" Arianne asked in a worried voice. "Or is that an arrestable offense too?"

Again, Chris sighed, "He's in his dorm with the door locked," he replied softly. "If you can get in…"

Nodding, Arianne was silent as Chris left the room and then she began to think of a plan.

A beep told Arianne that the door was unlocked and that she could now enter Jim's dorm.

Letting out a sigh, Arianne pushed the door open and took off the manual override clamps she had used to force the door. Jim was in his bed with his knees drawn up to his chest and nothing but a pair of sweats and a t-shirt keeping his body warm. His cadet jacket, blanket, and clothes were on the floor.

"Jim?" Arianne asked in a concerned voice as she approached the bed. "Jim, are you okay?"

Jim silently lifted his head and Arianne held out a small bag of food that she had gotten from the canteen, "How'd you break out?" he asked in a barely audible voice. "You were arrested."

"I spent the night in the Starfleet Security cell block, Jim, I wasn't shipped off to an off-planet penitentiary," Arianne replied in a concerned voice. "Why did you blow off class this morning?"

Jim sighed and suddenly began to cry, "I blew up at Bones this morning and kicked him out because he spent the night worrying about you," he explained through his tears. "I was trying to find out about projects Starfleet was going to have open by graduation because I thought that Sam might like something better to do than work at a hospital and also because they'll never let me on a ship…"

"Jim, you don't know that," Arianne replied in a concerned voice. "You're a brilliant individual…"

Jim sighed and sniffled, "I was just curious about the Deneva project and I didn't mean for you to get arrested for it," he replied in an anxious voice. "I feel like crap and super guilty, but I'm also…"

"Jim, shh," Arianne replied in a soothing voice as she set the bag on the floor. "What's wrong?"

Swallowing hard, Jim slowly sat up, but kept the blanket close, "I feel like my mind is going to explode sometimes and it's more than the ADD," he replied anxiously. "I have terrible dreams about that Vulcan named T'Pol sometimes and I wonder if she screwed with my mind when she melded with me."

"What can I do?" Arianne asked softly, knowing that Jim wouldn't want that spread around campus.

Jim sighed softly, "Just be there for me even if I get crazy and do stupid things," he said in an anxious, but tired voice as he looked at her through his tired eyes. "Can you make me that promise, Arianne?"

"You've always been there for me through both the good and bad," Arianne replied softly. "Yes."

Jim nodded and took a deep breath just as the door opened and Leonard came into the dorm, "I figured you're the one who broke into the dorm," Leonard commented dryly as he walked over to his desk and picked a few PADD's up off the counter. "I just came to get a few PADD's for my next few classes."

"Bones, I'm sorry about kicking you out," Jim spoke in such a soft voice that Leonard looked at him.

Arianne was silent as Leonard nodded, "Now that you see that Arianne is all right, are you going to be okay?" Leonard asked in a concerned voice as he looked intensely at Jim. "You scared me pretty bad."

Jim shrugged and yawned, "Get some rest, Jim," Leonard replied gently. "I'll be back after class."

Arianne sighed as Leonard left the room and then she gave Jim a compassionate, but worried look.

Please read and review!