March 2258

Enterprise Briefing Room – U.S.S Enterprise - Orbital Shipyard – 1100 H

Arianne entered the briefing room and saw that her father was sitting at the head of the long table and that Jim, Pavel, Hikaru, Tomlinson, Mitchell, Dr. Puri, and a few other Command cadets were sitting on either side of the table while two chairs remained vacant. She immediately took the seat next to Jim.

"Welcome to the Bridge Training Course, Lieutenant Pike," Chris stated in an official voice, secretly amused by Arianne's confused expression. "I trust you got your private invitation in the mail?"

Arianne nodded, "Yes sir," she replied in an official voice as she looked at Chris. "This morning."

"Excellent," Chris said in a pleasant voice as the door slid open and Spock came into the room holding a stack of styluses under one arm. "Commander Spock, would you please hand out the styluses?"

As Spock handed out the styluses, Chris looked around the table, "All of you are here today because I'm considering you all for Bridge positions on the vessels currently at the shipyard," he explained in a commanding voice. "Some of you are also in other academic tracks and you'll also be considered for positions in those tracks depending on how your interviews go. Now, however, turn to page three."

"Captain, I have other matters to attend to on Earth," Spock spoke up. "May I be dismissed?"

Chris nodded as he tapped his stylus, "Yes, Commander Spock," he replied calmly. "You may go."

Spock offered a nod and silently left the room, "Being a Bridge officer is no easy task, but it comes with a lot of opportunities that other officers on a ship may or may not have during their careers," Chris explained, glancing at the stylus every so often. "This stylus has notes on what one should do in order to do the job properly, but you can't always follow the class notes when you're a Bridge officer."

"Then why make us read the notes, sir?" Jim asked as he raised his hand. "If you said…"

Chris cleared his throat, "The notes give you a base on which to build on, Ensign Kirk," he replied in a firm voice as Jim nodded and went quiet. "Does anyone else have an issue with the notes?"

"Sir, what does 'give all that you can' mean exactly?" Arianne asked in a confused voice.

Chris was quiet for a moment and then sighed, "Giving all that you can is something that a Bridge officer should be prepared to do whether or not they are actually on the Bridge," he explained in a commanding voice as he looked at everyone. "There will be situations in which you may be required to make sacrifices for the benefit of the crew or of a mission and you should never give less than your best to anything you endeavor to do. Even if your best isn't perfect, the effort was made and it was yours."

"Is there a limit to the sacrifice that a Bridge officer could reasonably make for the benefit of others in the crew they serve in, sir?" Tomlinson asked in a confused voice. "Where do we draw the line?"

An awkward silence fell over the Briefing Room and Arianne suddenly stood up, "Captain Pike, may I provide an answer to Cadet Tomlinson's question?" she asked in a firm voice, relieved when Chris nodded. "A Bridge officer may end up sacrificing their life for the benefit of those they serve with, but it may be the only way out of a situation whether or not it's pleasant. Any situation, not just ones within a starship or starbase, may require sacrifice so that others can have a chance at some sort of future."

"That just sounds strange to me," Tomlinson replied softly. "Why would anyone sacrifice for…?"

Chris cleared his throat and Jim quickly stood up, "My father sacrificed his own life so that 800 other lives could continue and Captains make sacrifices every day so that others don't have to," he replied.

"My mother also made a sacrifice so that I could have a good life," Arianne spoke up in a trembling voice, not wanting Jim to feel like he was alone. "From what I've been told, she brought me to San Francisco on New Year's Day 2232 and made sure that I was safe before she passed away."

Pavel and Hikaru looked shocked at hearing that while Tomlinson and Jim looked slightly humbled and Chris almost looked proud. Swallowing hard, Arianne stood up and ignored the fact she was trembling.

"Permission to be dismissed, Captain?" Arianne asked softly, wanting to go back to Earth as quickly as possible and find Spock so she could talk to him about the fact that she had mentioned her mother.

There was quiet murmuring among every cadet but Pavel and Jim as Arianne moved towards the door and crossed her arms, "Granted, Lieutenant Pike," Chris said in a voice that indicated they would have a private chat later that day. "Now, can anyone tell me the different shifts Bridge officers can do?"

As the discussion resumed, Arianne slipped quietly out of the briefing room and went to the turbolift while taking her personal PADD out of her pocket. Once in the turbolift, she quickly typed and sent a message to Spock asking for an emergency counseling session. She then let out a very tired sigh.

Commander Spock's Office – Starfleet Academy – 1200 H

The trip to Earth had taken 30 minutes and the trip to Spock's office had taken another 10 minutes, but it had unnerved Arianne enough that she could barely remain upright in Spock's office. She was in tears and shaking over memories that she had of her mother, yet she had never known the woman at all.

"Lieutenant Pike?" Arianne suddenly heard Spock ask as she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Arianne silently moved into the office and sank on to the small couch that was just beside the door and that Spock normally used for meditation, "I was at the Bridge Training Course in the Enterprise Briefing Room about an hour ago and the subject of sacrifice was brought up," she explained as Spock walked over to his desk and sat down. "I mentioned that my mother sacrificed her life to make sure I had one."

"You were granted the memories of your past so they would not define you, but help you to embrace your present and future without fear," Spock replied tonelessly. "I did give you a mental shield to prevent those memories from surfacing once because they were doing more harm than good, but…"

Arianne sighed, "T'Pol unlocked them when she forced a mind meld," she replied in a tired voice.

"Correct," Spock replied tonelessly as he looked at her. "Now you struggle to find a balance…"

Nodding, Arianne rubbed her eyes, "I'm so tired and maybe that's why I'm not thinking rationally," she said in a tired voice. "I thought I came to terms with my past a long time ago, but now I'm remembering how much my father gave up to adopt me and what freedom my mother gave up to save my life…"

"I am not fully aware of the circumstances under which you were adopted by Captain Pike," Spock replied in a toneless voice as he crossed his arms on the desk. "Would you care to explain them?"

Arianne shrugged, "I don't even fully understand all of it myself," she replied softly. "My father…"

"May I obtain the information about your adoption from your father?" Spock asked tonelessly.

Arianne swallowed hard, "I believe you will find that you already have the information from mind melding with me when those memories were first unlocked," she replied nervously, hating that she couldn't stop her tired body from trembling. "I am in no condition for any mind melds today."

"You have worked hard at academics this semester," Spock commented, giving Arianne a thoughtful look. "May I inquire as to how other aspects of your life are developing? Is your focus on academics?"

Arianne nodded and gently fingered the necklace that Leonard gave her that she always wore and kept above the pendant that Sarek had given her long ago, "Leonard told me that he wants us to get married after graduation and gave me a promise necklace," she replied in a calm voice. "I love him and the thought of marriage excites me, but I'm also worried about passing my disabilities on to my children because I'm not sure if I could parent a child with disabilities when I had trouble taking care of myself."

"You would not be alone in caring for any children you and Doctor McCoy would have because he would share in the parental responsibilities," Spock replied tonelessly. "When I was born, my father and mother shared in the responsibilities associated with parenting even though I was somewhat unique."

Knowing that Spock was right, Arianne sighed and yawned, "I guess I don't need to worry about such things now because I'm not even graduated yet," she replied in a gentle voice as she released the necklace and looked at Spock. "My father invited me to join the Bridge Training Course today."

"Indeed," Spock replied tonelessly. "I recommended to him that the course would benefit you."

Arianne smiled, but said nothing, "You have potential to serve on the Bridge of any ship that you choose and it was important that I bring that to the attention of Starfleet Command," Spock explained in a toneless voice as he gave Arianne another thoughtful look. "Your review is in a matter of weeks…"

"I have to begin assessing cadets this afternoon and pass my recommendations on to Starfleet Command," Arianne commented in a tired voice. "I am not looking forward to it because I know so many of the cadets, but the majority of psychologists went to the Laurentian system, so I don't have a choice. I will assess about twenty cadets per day and I have to have all my reports in by April first."

Spock raised an eyebrow, "Do you feel that you are inadequate to perform this task because of what certain people in command positions have said about you?" he asked in a toneless voice. "It is illogical to allow the past to limit what you can do now. You are capable of accurately assessing all of the cadets…"

"Thank you," Arianne replied softly as she pulled out her PADD. "Oh, I got my first list of cadets…"

Spock nodded, "Can I schedule another session for in a couple of weeks?" Arianne asked as she got up from the couch. "Thank you for talking to me, Spock; it helped me to calm down and focus my mind."

"You may contact me when you have time to spare," Spock replied tonelessly. "You are welcome."

Arianne smiled and silently left Spock's office so that Spock could get some of his own work done.

Academy Canteen – 1200 H

According to the PADD, the first assessment was scheduled at 1300 with Cadet Marcus, and then she would meet with several other cadets for half an hour each and that would give her time to decide whether or not they needed a second session before she wrote her reports for Command. The thought of making time for all the assessments along with homework, food, and sleep made Arianne cringe.

"Don't tell me that the food's that bad?" an amused voice asked. "Why aren't you eating, anyway?"

Arianne scoffed without looking up from her PADD, "I'm too busy to eat," she replied in a slightly annoyed voice as she continued trying to figure out how she was going to balance everything.

There was a scoff and footsteps followed by several minutes of silence before a tray containing a wrapped sandwich, an apple, and a water bottle was set down in front of her, "If you don't put that away and eat some lunch, I'll put you on medical restriction just because I can," Leonard's voice snipped.

Arianne's eyes widened and she looked up to see Leonard standing there with a scowl on his face and a wrapped sandwich in his pocket and a water bottle in his hand, "Len, don't you have class?" she asked in a confused voice as Leonard sat down beside her and took the sandwich out of his jacket pocket.

"Just got out of class, actually," Leonard replied calmly as he unwrapped his sandwich. "I work at one."

Arianne nodded and silently stared at the sandwich, "Len, I'm not hungry," she replied softly, suddenly feeling that she'd rather be doing anything but eating. "I couldn't eat much this morning either…"

Leonard frowned and immediately placed his hand on her forehead, "You're warm," he said in a concerned voice, suddenly noticing how tired Arianne looked. "How have you been feeling lately?"

"Don't start treating me like a patient, Len," Arianne replied crossly. "I've been taking the progesterone like Doctor Puri said and I've been careful about what I eat and how much exercise I get each day…"

Leonard frowned, "How much have you been taking?" he asked worriedly, wondering if it was too much.

"Doctor Puri doubled it because I've been tired and he thought it was a hormone imbalance," Arianne replied in a distressed voice. "I wasn't sure if that was a good idea, but I don't have an M.D., so I…"

Leonard sighed, "I want you to come see me when you have a few moments to spare since you'll be at Starfleet Medical anyway," he replied in a concerned voice. "You might be taking too much…"

"Len, I've got to go if I'm going to have my office ready by 1330 hours," Arianne said in a tired voice as she stood up, suddenly felt lightheaded, and immediately grabbed the table. "Oh dear, hang on."

Leonard immediately got to his feet, "Just a little lightheadedness," Arianne replied in a strained voice as she straightened up and looked into his concern-filled eyes. "I'm fine and I just need to rest later."

"You need to rest now," Leonard said in a concerned voice as he took her arms. "Come with me."

Arianne could only follow Leonard as he led her out of the canteen, down several footpaths, and into the dormitory that he and Jim shared within Cochrane Hall, "Len, please, I have to do an assessment at one and I've got a lot of other assessments after that," she protested as Leonard took her PADD.

"I'll give you some meds to help with the fever, the lightheadedness, and tiredness, but I also want you to take a little time to rest," Leonard replied calmly as he set the PADD on the bedside table. "Okay?"

Arianne scoffed, but didn't protest as Leonard got some hyposprays out of his medkit and gently injected them into her neck one by one, "You'll feel tired for a bit, but when you wake up, you'll feel better," he said in a gentle voice as he helped her to lie down. "What do you have to do today?"

"Assessments for Starfleet Command," Arianne replied in a tired voice. "Puri asked me to do them…"

Leonard sighed, "I'll see if he can't reschedule the sessions so you can have time for sleep, eating, and to keep doing well in your classes," he replied, knowing that he had his own assessment coming up.

The only reply Arianne offered was a sleepy sigh and Leonard took the opportunity to leave the room.

"…Arianne, wake up," Arianne heard an anxious voice say. "Doctor Puri's looking for you."

Arianne opened her eyes and was surprised to see a blanket covering her, "Arianne, Captain Pike sent me to get you because Doctor Puri's looking for you," she heard Jim say in an anxious voice. "Get up."

Letting out a tired sigh, Arianne sat up and was surprised to see Jim standing beside the bed, "What time is it?" she asked in a groggy voice. "Leonard dragged me in here, gave me meds, and told me to sleep."

"Bones got hurt about an hour ago because Cadet Marcus went beserk on him," Jim replied in an anxious voice as he sat on the bed. "I guess Cadet Marcus was hanging around Starfleet Medical and overheard Bones telling Doctor Puri that the assessments needed to be scheduled a little better…"

Arianne's eyes widened and she got up off the bed, "How badly hurt is Leonard?" she asked softly.

"Not bad, but Cadet Marcus had to be sedated and restrained," Jim explained worriedly.

Arianne cringed as she picked up her PADD and moved towards the door; she knew that something else had to be wrong besides having bipolar disorder because the meds should have controlled that.

"Jim, come with me," Arianne replied in an anxious voice. "Leonard will want to see you too."

Jim shrugged, "I cut class to come get you, so okay," he replied worriedly. "There was a lot of blood."

"I don't want to hear that, Jim," Arianne replied anxiously. "It doesn't help me feel any better."

Jim murmured a quiet apology and kept silent as he followed Arianne from the quiet dorm room.

Starfleet Medical – 1600 H

"…I can't believe it's already four o clock," Arianne said in an anxious voice as she and Jim entered the foyer of Starfleet Medical and saw Captain Pike, Admiral Archer, and Admiral Barnett standing there.

Upon seeing Arianne, Admiral Archer scowled, "I just spent an hour on the video phone with Admiral Marcus trying to explain why his son went berserk after having a previously scheduled assessment cancelled," he snipped in an angry voice. "I want to know why you cancelled that appointment."

"I wasn't feeling well and Doctor McCoy ordered me to rest and was nice enough to let me rest in his dorm while he came to talk to Doctor Puri about rescheduling the assessments," Arianne replied, giving Admiral Archer a look that dared him to mess with her. "Now, how badly was Doctor McCoy hurt?"

Admiral Archer scoffed and walked off in a huff, "He's in the patient bay with Doctor Puri," Admiral Barnett explained in a neutral tone. "I do apologize for the poor way in which the assessments were scheduled, Lieutenant Pike. Captain Pike and I will work with Doctor Puri to fix that immediately…"

"I'd like to see Doctor McCoy now, if you don't mind," Arianne replied softly. "Please."

Captain Pike nodded and gestured to the patient bay window. Arianne sighed, silently walked over to the window, and was horrified to see Leonard sitting upright on a biobed with bruises and several bandaged cuts on his face. Dr. Puri was standing next to the biobed holding a medical tricorder.

"Cadet Marcus is being held in the Mental Health Unit for the time being," Arianne heard her father say in a somber voice as Jim approached the window. "I'd like to talk to you about that, Arianne."

Arianne nodded, "Jim, stay with Len and behave yourself," she whispered as she turned away.

"I want to talk to Admiral Marcus before I offer any recommendations," Arianne said in a formal tone as she walked back over to her father and Admiral Barnett. "I do have the right to speak to him."

Admiral Barnett nodded, "I won't do anything about Cadet Marcus's academic status until after I have your recommendation, Lieutenant Pike," he replied calmly. "I trust you will keep me informed?"

"Yes, sir, I will," Arianne replied, knowing that confidentiality was useless in this situation.

Admiral Barnett nodded and Arianne walked off to her office to make the phone call to Admiral Marcus in private. She quickly locked the door once inside her office so that she wouldn't be interrupted.

As Arianne sat at her desk, however, her computer suddenly beeped, "Incoming call for Lieutenant Pike coming in from an Admiral Marcus of Alpha Centauri," an automated voice spoke. "Do you accept the call?"

Arianne sighed and tapped the button, surprised when Admiral Marcus's face appeared on the screen before her, "Lieutenant Pike, I heard what happened and I'm afraid that I haven't been entirely honest with you about Anthony," Admiral Marcus stated in a somber voice. "You see, Anthony was adopted."

"I see," Arianne replied calmly as she crossed her arms. "Where exactly was he adopted from, sir?"

Admiral Marcus swallowed hard, "I don't exactly know where Anthony came from, but he was found in the company of Andrei Chekov's little bootleg crew and he was going to be used for experimentation by those animals," he explained in a somber voice. "I think Anthony came from the same place as that Khan fellow did, but I didn't think it was fair or reasonable to use an innocent child as a lab experiment."

"Is that why you moved to Alpha Centauri so suddenly?" Arianne asked softly, remembering that her father had told her that Admiral Marcus had once been on campus but had moved away suddenly.

Admiral Marcus looked almost amused, "My record says that I moved to help promote Starfleet outside of the solar system, but that is not true," he replied gently. "I moved to protect my family from fallout."

"Anthony is currently sedated and restrained in the Mental Health Unit and they'll most likely want to run medical tests on him," Arianne explained in a concerned voice. "I'm assuming you don't want that."

Admiral Marcus shook his head, "I would be grateful for any assistance you could offer my family and I in this situation," he said in a pleading voice. "I understand that my lie gave you a false impression, but I'm asking you to forgive that and please help my family. My wife would be heartbroken if Starfleet decided to take Anthony away because he was like Khan. He's a good kid, really, but he's just different…"

"Maybe a transfer to another place under the guise of establishing a Starfleet presence would be best," Arianne replied calmly. "Perhaps Anthony would benefit from undergoing training to participate in the Deneva project whenever that is put into play by Starfleet. I just don't know where the training is…"

Admiral Marcus cleared his throat, "Starfleet gave control of the project over to Doctor Sam Kirk who lives in Georgia," he explained in a calmer voice. "Anthony's a Science cadet so it should be easy…"

"I'll make that recommendation in my report, but I don't have the final say," Arianne replied softly.

Admiral Marcus nodded, "I understand," he replied. "I am grateful for your assistance. Marcus out."

As the screen went black, Arianne turned her attention to her computer and silently wrote out a report that recommended that Cadet Marcus be sent to Georgia and trained to participate and add a more official Starfleet presence to the Deneva project. She silently hoped that it would be enough to help.

Once the report was done, Arianne sent it off to Starfleet Command, got up from her desk, walked over to the counseling couch in the corner of her office, laid down on it, and immediately closed her eyes.

What seemed like hours later, the door chime woke Arianne and a quick look at the chronometer on her desk told her that it was nearly 1800 H, "Come in," she called out in a tired voice as she sat up straight.

The door slid open and Admiral Archer came into the office holding a PADD, "I read the report you submitted to Starfleet Command and I have to say that your recommendation is unusual, if not suspicious," he said in a commanding voice as he strode over to the desk. "A mentally ill cadet attacked your boyfriend for no reason and you don't recommend expulsion and further assessment; instead, you recommend that the cadet in question be sent to serve as a Starfleet presence for the Deneva project."

"I don't believe the reasoning behind my recommendation is any of your business, sir," Arianne replied in an unimpressed voice as she stood up. "As a qualified psychologist, I made a recommendation and now it's up to Starfleet to decide whether or not they want to follow my recommendation, sir."

Admiral Archer scowled and blocked Arianne from leaving, "Maybe I should just not bother letting you and that insufferable boyfriend of yours graduate because of all the stress and crap you two have put me through since you came to the Academy," he snapped, throwing the PADD on her desk. "Since I'm going to be President of the United Federation of Planets in a few months, I can veto anything that Starfleet Command implements if I have a valid reason. Breaching ethical codes is a good reason."

"How dare you!" Arianne yelled in an angry voice. "Accusing me of breaking ethical codes just to get me to be your lap dog is no way to run Starfleet, Admiral! There is no honor in breaking ethics and there is no honor in breaking confidentiality in order to satisfy curiosity either! Now, I want you out!"

Admiral Archer's eyes widened, "Excuse me, Lieutenant?" he asked softly. "What did you say?"

"I want you to get out of my office right now," Arianne replied angrily. "Do you understand?"

Admiral Archer nodded, but scoffed, "This won't be your office forever, Lieutenant," he replied grouchily, giving Arianne an angry look before he stormed out of the counseling office.

Silently swearing under her breath, Arianne put her head on her desk and silently groaned when she heard footsteps and a knock, "What's got Archer all mad?" Jim's voice suddenly asked. "Arianne?"

"Jim, please," Arianne murmured in a distressed voice. "I've got a headache; what do you want?"

Jim sighed, "Bones is ready to leave, but Puri won't let him go unless he has adult supervision," he explained as Arianne lifted her head. "I offered to babysit Bones, but Puri said I'm not mature…"

"I'm coming," Arianne replied in a toneless voice as she stood up. "I just need a break."

Jim nodded and silently followed alongside Arianne as they left the office and walked down the hallway back towards the patient bay, "…I do NOT need a wheelchair!" they could hear Leonard snapping.

"…You'll sit in that chair til you're discharged or I'll keep you overnight," Dr. Puri's voice carried down the hallway. "You got knocked over when that cadet attacked you, so sit there and don't whine."

Arianne and Jim came into the foyer and saw that Dr. Puri and Captain Pike were standing beside a wheelchair where a grouchy looking Leonard was sitting in his cadet reds with a small bag on his lap that Arianne assumed contained pain medication, "Now that Lieutenant Pike is here, Doctor McCoy, you're free to go," Dr. Puri said in a commanding voice. "You're off clinic duty for two days, McCoy."

"Yeah, okay," Leonard mumbled as he slowly got up. "Have you come to take me away, Lieutenant?"

Arianne nodded, "Yes," she replied softly, suddenly wanting nothing more than to be with Leonard.

Leonard sighed and went quiet, allowing Jim and Arianne to lead him out of Starfleet Medical without so much as a peep. Dr. Puri narrowed his eyes at the flirting he had seen, but Chris looked amused. Arianne was obviously a good influence on the likes of Leonard McCoy.

Dormitory – Cochrane Hall – 2100 H

"…I can't seem to stop shivering," Arianne heard Leonard mumble in an anxious voice even though the pain medication was supposed to have put him to sleep. "…this ice planet is so cold…"

Frowning, Arianne looked up from the chair that she was sitting in, doing her homework while Leonard was supposed to be resting. He was sweating and shivering uncontrollably even though he was in his cadet pajamas and under a warm blanket, "I'll do anything as long as you don't hurt her," he mumbled.

"Len, wake up," Arianne said in an anxious voice as she stood and walked over to the bed. "Len."

The mumbling stopped, but Leonard didn't quit shaking and Arianne wished that Jim was there because he knew how to snap Leonard out of any problems he might have. Jim, however, had helped them get back to the dorm and then had gone out to have an evening alone with Gaila, whom he was now dating.

Worried that Leonard was going to become ill, Arianne set her PADD on the bedside table and, discarding her boots, she silently got into the bed, but remained upright. She gently pulled the shivering Leonard against her and began to gently stroke his hair and face. Gradually, Leonard stopped shivering.

"Arianne," Leonard mumbled sleepily even though he didn't wake. "That feels nice."

Arianne sighed and continued to sit there until Leonard suddenly woke, "Arianne?" he asked softly.

"Yes?" Arianne asked softly as Leonard sat up in bed and stared at her. "You were having a nightmare."

Leonard nodded, "When I was little and had nightmares, my mama would climb into bed with me and stay until I calmed down," he explained in a tired voice. "What you did really helped me; thank you."

Arianne nodded and silently held out two fingers to Leonard, "This is a Vulcan touch that symbolizes love and I have found that simple touch seems to be a good therapy for some, especially you," she explained in a gentle voice as she extended her fingers. "See if this simple touch helps you."

Even though Leonard didn't understand what Arianne was getting at with offering him a strange Vulcan ritual, he held his hand up in the same way and felt immediate peace when he touched her fingers.

"Your ability to calm me down is one of the many reasons I love you so much," Leonard said in a gentle voice as he took her hand in his own and kissed it tenderly. "However, I think you also need your rest."

Arianne sighed and silently got out of the bed, "I've had quite a few power naps today," she replied in a gentle voice as she walked over to the replicator. "Are you feeling up to having a light dinner, Leonard?"

"Only if you share it with me," Leonard replied groggily as he got out of bed. "I think I need a shower."

Arianne chuckled, "Go ahead," she replied as she pressed some buttons on the replicator. "I'll be here."

Leonard nodded and disappeared into the bathroom. A few minutes later, Arianne heard water running and she turned her attention to programming a light, but filling dinner for both of them to share.

Several minutes later, Leonard came out of the bathroom in his pajamas with his wet hair neatly combed and styled. He was shocked to see Arianne sitting at the work table with a bowl of stew, glass of juice, a napkin, and cutlery in front of her. The same things were on his side of the table and there was a small basket in the middle of the table containing biscuits and a small cup of butter sat beside the bowl.

"Wow," Leonard commented as he walked over to the work table and sat down. "This is amazing."

Arianne smiled and picked up her spoon, "It'll be even more amazing if you stop talking and dig in while everything's still warm," she replied as she ate some of the stew. "You need to be warmed up."

"Yeah," Leonard replied gently as he helped himself to some stew. "Did you check your messages? A counselor like you must have a thousand messages to check..."

Arianne shrugged and looked at the PADD on the table beside her, seeing that she had new messages from both her father and Dr. Puri. She quickly checked the messages and Dr. Puri's was a new, more relaxed and evenly spaced out schedule of cadets who needed assessments starting tomorrow while her father's was a simple commendation.

In her eyes, the messages could go without replies until morning and all she wanted to do was spend a quiet, romantic evening with her first and only true love.

The dinner was quiet, yet the deep feeling of love in the room was one that could not be easily ignored. Neither Leonard nor Arianne knew that that night's simple, but sweet romantic moments would soon lead to things that would change both of them forever.

Please read and review. The next chapter starts parallel to Star Trek 2009!