"Lieutenant Arianne Pike. Personal Log. Supplemental," Arianne said in a tired voice, holding her personal PADD close to her mouth as she sat on a chair within her father's quarters, deeply exhausted after helping Sarek and the Vulcan Elders find a place in the badly damaged Enterprise where they could meditate and help one another in peace. "The loss of the only mother figure I have ever known has shaken me to the core, but I cannot dwell on that now nor can I dwell on the secret I keep quietly…"

The door chime suddenly went off and Arianne sighed, "Pause and save," she replied in a gentle voice before stashing the PADD in her pocket in case Leonard was at the door. "Who's out there?"

"Nyota," a female voice replied in an anxious tone. "Arianne, can I come in? We need to talk."

Arianne sighed and stood up, "Sure," she replied in a gentle voice. "Please come in, Nyota."

The door slid open and Nyota entered the room with a distressed look on her face, "There was a fight on the Bridge between Kirk and Spock and Kirk was sent away," she explained in a distressed voice. "I tried to talk to Spock about it, but he said that Kirk was more of a danger if he were to remain on board…"

Arianne's eyes widened in both surprise and fury, "Spock sent Kirk off the ship?" she asked. "Where?"

"Spock ordered some Security officers to lock Kirk in an escape pod and the pod was jettisoned to Delta Vega when we passed it half an hour ago," Nyota replied anxiously. "Something's wrong with Spock…"

Swallowing hard to keep her anger at Spock reigned in, Arianne nodded, "Where is Spock now?" she asked in a tone that told Nyota that she would handle it. "I feel a discussion with him is in order."

"Spock's on the Bridge," Nyota replied in a concerned voice. "Arianne, why are you in your father's quarters right now? I thought Spock had ordered you to help the Vulcan Elders settle in?"

Arianne sighed, "The Vulcan Elders are in the rec room either meditating privately or helping each other deal with emotional distress," she replied softly. "Ambassador Sarek is overseeing that and I felt it would be best to stay out of the way for the time being. Spock is very experienced and doesn't need me…"

"Please, Arianne, I would like it very much if you could help Spock," Nyota said softly. "Please."

For a moment, Arianne was silent and then nodded, "I'll come to the Bridge soon," she replied softly.

"Thank you," Nyota replied in a relieved voice. "I'll meet you at the Bridge in a few minutes."

Arianne nodded as Nyota left the room and then she walked over to the replicator. Before she went to the Bridge, she needed to have something to eat so that the symptoms of pregnancy wouldn't be obvious enough for anyone, especially Spock and Leonard, to detect and quickly restrict her duties.

Bridge – U.S.S. Enterprise – 2000 H

The first thing Arianne heard as the turbolift doors opened was Leonard scoff as he walked across the Bridge get away from Spock. Obviously, she reasoned, there had been an argument between the two.

"Captain, a moment of your time?" Arianne asked respectfully as she walked over to Spock.

Spock was silent for a moment and then nodded, "I believe the Ready Room would serve as an appropriate place to have a private discussion, Lieutenant," he replied in a quiet, toneless voice.

Arianne nodded and as she followed Spock across the Bridge, she caught sight of Leonard and wasn't surprised that he was giving her a concerned look; he was obviously confused by her actions.

However, Arianne offered no information until she was safe and alone in the damaged Captain's Ready Room with Spock, "I was taking a breather in my father's quarters and Lieutenant Uhura came to talk to me," she explained in a tight voice. "She said that you and Jim had a rather ugly fight on the Bridge."

"Lieutenant Kirk was being insubordinate and was attempting mutiny," Spock explained in a toneless voice, reminding himself that Arianne had not been on the Bridge at the time. "I responded logically."

Arianne's eyes narrowed and she felt herself becoming angry, "Marooning Jim on Delta Vega in an escape pod is a logical response, Spock?" she asked in a snappish voice. "I cannot believe with all the logic you've been taught, you'd resort to such a human method of dealing with insubordination!"

"Arianne, it is not logical for you to shout at me either," Spock replied tonelessly. "Are you unwell?"

Swallowing hard, Arianne sighed and stared out the cracked window, "You're right, my anger wasn't logical," she said in a somber voice. "However, Spock, neither was your treatment of Kirk."

Spock was quiet for several seconds and then moved close to Arianne, "May I initiate a mind meld with you, Arianne?" he asked, suspecting that all was not well with Arianne judging by her behavior.

"Spock," Arianne whispered in an anxious voice as she moved away, closer to the cracked window.

There was a tense silence and Arianne turned away before Spock could see her tears, "Arianne, you are emotionally compromised, but I suspect that the reason is not anything to do with my mother's death and Captain Pike's capture," Spock said as he walked over to her. "I am an effective confidant…"

"A bond has been created between myself and another," Arianne replied softly, not turning around.

Spock was silent for a moment, "Doctor McCoy," he replied tonelessly. "Is he aware of it?"

"No," Arianne said as she turned to face him. "He is not aware of it nor is he aware of the child…"

For once, Spock was at a loss for words, "It will not compromise my ability to do my duties aboard the Enterprise for this mission," Arianne continued in a calmer voice. "I do not want Doctor McCoy to know of my condition, however, as I will tell him when the time is appropriate. Can you promise me that?"

"I can," Spock replied calmly. "I trust that you are aware of your limitations and will act wisely."

Arianne nodded, "I also confided in Kirk before he took the Kobyashi Maru and he promised to keep it confidential and support me through this," she explained gently. "I just need to get through this…"

"Keptin Spock, pleze kome to ze Bridge," Pavel's voice suddenly said over the intercom.

Spock silently looked at Arianne, "You are welcome to work on the Bridge if you would like," he said in a voice that almost conveyed compassion. "I will, of course, keep our conversation confidential."

"Thank you," Arianne whispered as she followed Spock out of the ready room and went over to the Ops Station while Spock walked over to the command chair. "Nyota, where exactly are we headed?"

Nyota sighed, "The Laurentian System," she whispered. "Spock wants to join up with the primary…"

Suddenly, the turbolift doors opened and Hendorff and two other Security officers came on to the Bridge with a battered Jim and, to Arianne's shock, a waterlogged and battered Monty. Words were exchanged between Jim and Spock and without warning, Spock became angry and attacked Jim so viciously that he was pinning him against the Helm console with a tight hand around his throat.

"SPOCK!" the toneless, yet loud voice of Sarek suddenly cut through the air like a sharp knife.

The reaction was instant; Spock released Jim, relinquished command, and fled the Bridge and Arianne got up just in time to see Jim take a seat in the command chair. Of course, Leonard shot his mouth off, but Jim and Hikaru quickly shut him up, claiming that Captain Pike had arranged everything before.

As Jim sent a shipwide message that explained their new plan, Arianne silently walked over to the command chair, "What happened to you, Jim?" she asked in a soft, but concerned tone of voice.

"After we stop Nero from destroying Earth, I'll sit down with you and we'll chat over food and hot apple cider," Jim whispered in a reassuring voice as he shivered. "Delta Vega was really, really cold."

Arianne nodded, "I already know that," she replied gently. "I'll have a uniform brought up for you."

"If it takes more than 10 minutes, don't bother," Jim replied calmly. "Can you please go to the Ops station instead and allocate as much power as you can to weapons, shields, and engines? I've got a bit of a plan in mind, but I need to take a minute to sort through it in my mind. It's a bit of a risky plan."

Arianne sighed, "Don't get yourself killed," she whispered in an anxious voice before she walked over to the Ops station and saw Pavel sitting at Navigation looking at a PADD. "I hope you can save Earth…"

Nearly half an hour later, Arianne found herself standing beside Nyota as Pavel explained his plan about how to get on board Nero's ship. Pavel's young age made it difficult for anyone but her and Jim to take him seriously, but Jim found merit in the plan and Spock had readily arrived and offered support.

"Lieutenant Pike, please take the center seat," Jim said in a confident voice, still smarting over the fact that Leonard reacted so badly to his taking command under Pike's orders. "If you can, please ensure that a message to Starfleet Academy advising them of the situation is sent. Take care of the Enterprise."

Arianne nodded, as Jim's unspoken message to take care of herself while in command was also clear and she had no intention of doing anything that would harm her unborn child, "Lieutenant Uhura, please send an emergency message to Starfleet Command advising them of the situation," she said in a commanding voice as she sat down in the command chair and looked at Nyota. "Sulu, please tie Operations into the Helm and make sure that all power levels remain steady. Ensign Chekov…"

"Ve are in position," Pavel replied officially. "Keptin Quirk and Meester Spock are on zeir way…"

Arianne turned and saw that Jim and Spock were indeed gone, "Doctor McCoy, could you please go to the temporary Sickbay and prepare a team, supplies, and a stretcher?" she asked as she turned her attention to Leonard, who was staring nervously at the viewscreen. "Once all that is prepared, I want you and the team to wait in the transporter room until Jim, Spock, and my father get back."

Leonard was silent for a moment and nodded, "Of course," he replied calmly. "I'll take care of it."

Arianne nodded and remained silent as Leonard left the Bridge, "Message has been sent to Starfleet Academy," Nyota reported as she looked at Arianne. "Should I keep an open link to Kirk and Spock?"

"Yes," Arianne replied calmly. "Sulu, keep up with Nero's ship so long as we can avoid detection."

Hikaru nodded and pressed a few buttons, "Until we hear from Jim or Spock, all we can do is wait and hope that the plan will be successful," Arianne said, hoping that her words would comfort them all.

A few minutes passed and Arianne looked at Pavel, "Activate the viewing screen," she ordered. "I want to be able to see what's going on out there so we can be prepared to respond however we need to."

Pavel nodded and the Bridge crew was greeted by the sight of the demonic ship right ahead of them.

Chaos reigned on the Bridge and Arianne was relieved that, nearly an hour after Jim and Spock had departed for Nero's ship, they had both returned and had brought Captain Pike back with them. Consoles were in pieces, the viewscreen was cracked, and a large black hole was just outside the Enterprise.

Jim, being Jim, had offered Nero mercy and the mercy had been thrown back in his face. The black hole had promptly swallowed Nero's ship in its entirety and was now threatening to swallow the Enterprise.

It was then that Jim and Monty had decided to eject and detonate the warp cores to give the Enterprise the push out of harm's way that they needed. Of course, to Arianne's shock, the plan was successful.

"Lieutenant Pike, Captain Pike is in Sickbay," Jim said in a quiet voice as he stood up and looked at her.

Arianne nodded and looked up and down at Jim's battered form, "Looks like you could use Sickbay yourself, Jim," she replied in a tired voice as she saw Spock approach Nyota and talk to her.

"Bones is busy enough taking care of Captain Pike," Jim replied calmly. "How about we get a hot meal and cider while we wait for Bones's schedule to clear? I think we both need to have a bit of a break."

Arianne sighed and caught sight of the chronometer that was above the turbolift and was now sporting a crack as large as the one on the viewscreen, "Is it really almost 1100 in the morning?" she asked in a tired voice as she stood close to Jim. "I think we both need something to eat and then a good nap."

"I can't afford to take a nap, but you can," Jim replied calmly. "Sulu, how long til we get back to Earth?"

Swallowing hard, Arianne looked out the cracked viewscreen at space for only a moment before she turned and left the Bridge. She took the turbolift to the floor where the Mess Hall and Rec Deck was so that she could do two things; check on the Vulcan Elders and get something to eat before she fainted.

As Arianne walked down the corridor, however, she saw Sarek come out of the Rec Room and proceed directly into the Mess Hall with a woman whom she recognized as T'Pau, "Ambassador Sarek, High Priestess T'Pau," she said in a respectful voice as she approached them. "How are you faring?"

"We have just disengaged from meditation and are seeking to acquire sustenance," T'Pau explained in a toneless voice as she regarded Arianne and her attire. "You have acquired a second necklace…"

Arianne nodded, "A gift from one I have bonded with," she explained softly. "He does not know of the bond nor of the fact that I conceived during a period of intimacy with him. I plan to keep the child…"

"Have you confided in your father about this?" Sarek cut in. "He would be able to guide you the most."

Shaking her head, Arianne sighed, "My father is in Sickbay and I do not wish to disturb him or Doctor McCoy for the time being," she replied in an anxious voice. "I was just planning to get some food."

Sarek and T'Pau nodded and suddenly went quiet and Arianne turned to see Pavel standing down the corridor with a horrified expression on his face at seeing the Vulcan Elders, "Pavel, wait!" Arianne called out as Pavel turned and ran back the way he came. "Ambassadors, if you will please excuse me."

As Arianne speedwalked down the corridor, her communicator beeped, "Lieutenant Pike here," she said in a professional voice as she pulled out her communicator and opened it. "What do you want?"

"Lieutenant Pike, care to join me in my ready room?" Jim's voice spoke. "Consider that an order."

Arianne smiled, "On my way, Captain," she replied calmly, intending to tell him about Pavel.

Captain's Ready Room – U.S.S. Enterprise – 1200 H

"…Excellent, we'll be awaiting them," Arianne heard Jim say as she quietly entered the room.

Jim smiled as he tapped the computer, "Starfleet's sending a bunch of shuttles up to get us since our shuttlebay was damaged," he explained in a tired voice. "They'll be here in about 15 minutes."

"I've been thinking, Jim," Arianne replied as she moved to the desk. "Len's a great CMO, isn't he?"

Even though he was confused, Jim nodded, "If I were to tell Leonard about this pregnancy, there is no way he'd accept another space assignment for the next 18 years," Arianne said as she sat in the chair across from Jim and crossed her arms. "He'd want to marry me and work at Starfleet Medical so he could be there for me and the baby and he'd grow to resent being so limited in what he could do."

"You're not going to tell him?" Jim asked in a surprised voice. "How are you going to support…?"

Arianne sighed, "Admiral Archer is going to be sworn in as President of the United Federation of Planets after graduation," she replied, well aware that the commencement ceremony would be very somber because a great deal of the graduating class had been killed in orbit of Vulcan. "I cannot legally marry another because I am bonded to Leonard and polygamy's illegal, but staging a wedding might work…"

"Archer's going to go ballistic about that and so is your dad," Jim replied. "Are you sure you don't…?"

Arianne shook her head, "I sent Admiral Archer a message explaining my situation when I was alone in my father's quarters," she replied in an anxious voice. "Admiral Archer understands that I love Leonard and I always will, but this way, there won't be any danger of having the baby taken away from me. I told him I was pregnant and right away, Admiral Archer said that if I did not choose to tell Leonard or find someone who could serve as a parental competency monitor, I would have the baby taken from me."

"Archer is such a moron in calling you incompetent," Jim muttered grouchily. "I just have one question; I know for a fact that Admiral Archer hates you because you're friends with me, so how do we…?"

Arianne sighed, "The whole cheating thing will be fresh in Archer's mind and he'll assume that I decided to break off my friendship with you because I wasn't at the hearing," she replied in a tired voice. "He said that he'll take care of Leonard and that worries me a bit, but I don't see any other way to do this."

"Arianne, I could put in a request for you to come serve under me after the baby's born," Jim replied.

Swallowing hard, Arianne stood up, "You know that Starfleet doesn't allow pregnant women or mothers to serve aboard ships with their children in tow," she replied softly. "Can you support me in this, Jim?"

Jim was quiet for several minutes and then nodded with tears in his eyes, "Thank you," Arianne replied in a quiet, emotional voice as she grasped Jim's hands in her own. "I have to think of the baby…"

"You love Bones so much you're letting him go," Jim replied in a somber voice. "Arianne…"

Arianne nodded as tears pooled in her eyes, "You'd best comm Sickbay and see how Captain Pike is doing because I don't dare contact Leonard myself," she said in a quiet voice. "I would crack."

Jim nodded and pressed another button on his computer, "Captain Kirk to Doctor McCoy," he said in as official a voice as he could manage. "I would very much like an update on Captain Pike's condition."

"I'm doing what I can for Captain Pike here and when the shuttles get here, I'll take him to Starfleet Medical and do more there," Leonard's snappish voice replied. "I'll get back to you later, all right?"

The comm link went silent and Jim looked at Arianne, "I want very much to stay and be there when my father wakes up, but I'm scared of being around Leonard and him finding out," she explained in a nervous voice as she stood up. "I suppose I could go there under the pretense of taking you there."

"If that would help you feel more comfortable, I'll let you take me to Sickbay," Jim replied gently.

Sickbay – U.S.S. Enterprise – 1700 H

Most of the cadets had gone by the time Jim and Arianne managed to get to Sickbay after rechecking on the Vulcan elders, answering messages and calls from various Academy personnel, and getting damage reports from all departments. When they entered Sickbay, however, silence greeted them.

There was damage in Sickbay, yes, but they could also see Captain Pike's form laying in the surgical area connected to various machines with tubes and wires sticking out everywhere. Dim lights were on in the Chief Medical Office and Leonard looked busy at the computer, so Jim and Arianne silently passed that.

As Arianne and Jim stopped at Captain Pike's bedside, Arianne gently took her father's hand in her own and sighed, "I'm so glad you're alive, Daddy," she whispered in a distressed voice. "Really glad."

There were footsteps and Arianne turned in time to see Leonard approach with a small jar containing a very ugly looking creature that resembled a puffy worm, "This was in Captain Pike's spine, but don't ask me what it is because I don't know," Leonard stated in a tired voice. "Anyway, Jim, go sit on one of the beds in the patient bay and I'll be with you in a minute. Lieutenant Pike, we need to talk, don't we?"

"I'll put this back on your desk," Jim said, taking the jar from Leonard before he walked off alone.

Arianne sighed, but said nothing, "I got a message from Admiral Archer that you're being recalled to Earth and he's making you marry him so he can serve as a competency monitor," Leonard said in a distressed voice as he gave Arianne a concerned look. "I guess your advocacy made him mad…"

"At least I think I'll be able to graduate from the Academy," Arianne replied softly as she carefully released her father's hand. "The methods I use to help people may not be seen as politically correct in the eyes of Starfleet, but I have no regrets in what I've done to help you and help others succeed."

Leonard nodded, gently held up his hand in a Vulcan kiss gesture, and extended it to Arianne, "I hope you find peace wherever you end up," he said in a somber voice as he struggled not to break down.

"And I hope you find peace in wherever Starfleet sends you," Arianne said in a somber voice as she made the gesture and gently touched his outstretched fingers. "Do good for the future, my love."

Swallowing hard, Leonard nodded and lowered his hand as he stepped back. As he turned away, Arianne could see tears glistening in his dark eyes, but she could say nothing because there was no point.

"Arianne," Arianne suddenly heard a faint voice say. "I…overheard your talk…please…explain."

Arianne looked down and saw that her father was awake, but looking very tired, "I'll explain it to you when you're feeling more up to talking, Daddy," she whispered in a reassuring voice. "Get some rest."

"Arianne," Chris said in a faint voice. "I know something happened; please tell me and let me help."

Swallowing hard, Arianne gently took her father's hand, "Daddy, I don't want you to get too stressed out right now," she said in a gentle, but firm voice. "How about I stay here and watch you sleep for a while?"

Too exhausted to argue, Chris nodded and allowed his tired body to relax as he fell back into a slumber.

Intensive Care – Starfleet Medical – 2200 H

Every so often, Arianne found herself gazing up at the monitor that was next to the bed where her father lay in semi-critical condition with a high chance of permanent paralysis below the waist. She had come with him on a shuttle back to Earth because she was eager to get planetside as quickly as possible.

A chair at her father's bedside, a stylus to do her work, a meal and snacks to keep her strength up was all Arianne needed because she wasn't going anywhere until her father woke up again. There would be no official marriage ceremony; a story would be spread throughout Starfleet that Admiral Archer had ordered a private ceremony performed and that would be it. After all, she was already bonded and would not break it for anything.

The monitor suddenly beeped and Arianne looked up from her stylus to see that her father was awake and giving her a concerned look, "Hey," she said in a tired voice, smiling at him. "How are you?"

"I believe you owe me an explanation, dear child of mine," Chris said in a tired voice. "Go ahead."

Arianne sighed, "I love Doctor McCoy so much that I'm letting him go," she replied calmly. "I've heard he's being pegged for the Chief Medical Officer position on the Enterprise and he needs to do that."

Chris was silent for a moment and then his eyes narrowed slightly, "You're pregnant with Doctor McCoy's child, aren't you?" he asked in a soft, but knowing voice. "You don't want to make him feel obligated to stay behind and look after you and the baby, so you spun this wild story. I may be old and sick, but I still have a few brain cells working..."

"I actually told Admiral Archer about the pregnancy and he ordered me to either tell Leonard or find someone who could monitor my competency with the baby at all times," Arianne replied in an anxious voice as she let out a tired sigh. "He said that it was either his way, or he would contact Social Services about my incompetency."

Chris scoffed, "Archer's a moron," he replied in a groggy voice. "So, the wedding is just a cover and isn't real?"

"There won't be even that," Arianne said in a tired voice. "Just a story about how it happened."

Chris nodded and sighed, "When I was back on the Enterprise, I heard bits and pieces about my condition from McCoy and he doesn't know if the paralysis is permanent or temporary," he said, seeing that Arianne was uncomfortable with the subject they were on. "I'm also apparently being promoted."

"Really?" Arianne asked in a gentle voice. "Who are they going to give the Enterprise to, then?"

Chris sighed sleepily, "I'm all for recommending Jim to command it, but he needs people in his crew that will keep an eye on him since your orders put you elsewhere," he replied tiredly. "If you have any recommendations as to who could serve under Jim to keep him grounded, I'd love to hear them."

"I'll think on it," Arianne replied softly, smiling at her tired father. "Now why don't you rest a while?"

Letting out a yawn, Chris nodded and promptly closed his eyes. Arianne stood up, quickly pulled her communicator out of her pocket, and opened it for a moment before putting it away and reaching for her private PADD. She silently typed out a message explaining what would now happen to her because of the unborn child and she sent it to Spock. Sometimes, it was easier to write than it was to explain and Spock would understand what she was both telling him about and also what she was asking him; she needed someone to look after Jim in her stead.

Three Weeks Later

Assembly Hall - Starfleet Academy – 1300 H

Commencement had been a somber occasion, more somber that any other since the Academy had been founded. The small graduating class had been celebrated quickly, as had their many deceased classmates. Loved ones collected the diplomas for their deceased graduates while it took every bit of courage for the survivors to do the same without breaking down. Just getting through the simplest tasks without a breakdown was surviving.

Immediately after commencement, Admiral Barnett had summoned Jim forward and granted him Captaincy of the Enterprise along with a commendation. Jim had immediately reported to Admiral Pike and had thereafter received a hail of praise, honor, and glory for all that he had done to save Earth from everyone within Starfleet.

It took everything for Arianne not to rush over to where Leonard and Jim were standing with Monty, Hikaru, Nyota, Leonard, Christine, and a few of the others she knew would soon be joining Enterprise, but she also knew that it would cause problems. Swallowing hard, Arianne quickly turned away to hide her surfacing tears.

It was done, Arianne thought solemnly as she left the Assembly Hall with her diploma in one hand and a new rank pip in the other that she had earned for her actions on the Enterprise. She would move what little things she had over to a special bedroom at Admiral Archer's house and assume her new role in society as the fake First Lady.

"Arianne?" a soft voice suddenly called out as footsteps came up behind her. "Wait a minute."

Arianne turned to see Leonard standing behind her, "I just got the word," he said in a somber voice. "I am going to be succeeding Doctor Puri as Chief Medical Officer of the Enterprise starting today. We leave tomorrow at 0600."

"Then I guess this is farewell," Arianne said in a faint voice as she moved towards Leonard and kissed him.

Leonard and Arianne remained in the embrace for only a moment before pulling apart and separating; he went back inside the Assembly Hall and she began the long walk to Admiral Archer's. Truly, the future was now.

Please read and review! The sequel is called 'Yesterday In Tomorrow.'