Chapter Twenty-two

Salen woke from a pleasant dream with a content sigh. Stretching out he discovered that Joanna was curled up against his side. Smiling to himself Salen was pleased that the pleasantness didn't have to end when the dream had. Her warm breath brushed against his ribs. Running his hand over her deep brown hair he leaned in and kissed her forehead gently.

"Wuh...Salen?" Joanna muttered sleepily.

"I am here."

"Mmmm...good."

Joanna pressed against Salen and threw her arm over his chest. Nuzzling against his chest she seemed to fall asleep once again. Salen took a deep breath and spent a moment just enjoying having her close. Eventually she began to stir again. Tilting her head back she stared up at Salen and smiled. Entranced by her deep blue eyes Salen found himself smiling back. She suddenly closed her eyes and groaned softly.

"Are you okay?"

"I must be dehydrated," Joanna grumbled "I feel like I was up all night drinking heavily."

"Marry me." Salen sad suddenly.

"Uh...what?"

"I want you to be my bonded mate. I love you. Marry me, Joanna McCoy."

Joanna got a slightly panicked look in her eyes. She suddenly pushed herself away and jumped to her feet. Concerned Salen sat up in bed. Joanna rushed into the small bathroom and threw up noisily. Unsure what was happening Salen waited for her to return. He could hear her brushing her teeth and then the sound of a bottle of pills rattling as she took something for her headache. With her face buried in a towel Joanna stepped back into the room.

"So is that a 'no'?" Salen asked.

"I just don't think I'm quite ready to...uh...I don't know...it just seems so soon. I mean..."

"Relax, Joanna. I have already made my decision to be with you, I will give you as much time as you need to choose me." Salen said seriously. "Is there a human ritual where a potential mate must prove himself? Spock informed me that before the destruction of our homeworld that Vulcans would sometimes fight to the death to win the favor of a female."

"Vulcans fighting to the death? That doesn't sound very logical."

"If you look too closely at any Vulcan tradition you'll find very little logic in them."

"I guess the same can be said of humans as well." Joanna smiled uneasily. "Salen, I am very flattered by your...er...proposal, however, I need a little more time."

"Of course. I will be ready whenever you are and I will wait my entire lifetime for you if that is what you desire."

"You're so sweet."

Salen smiled and held out his hand for Joanna to take. She hesitated for a moment before accepting the offer. Salen brought her hand to his lips and gave her a courtly kiss. Chuckling Joanna jumped on Salen and pinned him to the bed with a passionate kiss. Releasing him she propped herself up on her hands and looked down on him with a mischievous smile.

"You are a difficult creature to understand."

"All women are, Salen, get used to it."

"I am trying."

Salen flinched as Joanna punched his shoulder playfully. When she leaned in for another kiss Salen got the distinct feeling that she was trying to encourage him to engage in another amorous encounter. He reached up and ran his hands down her sides just as she glanced over at the clock.

"Oh shit!" Joanna gasped. "I'm late for my shift at the infirmary...Dr. Pellos is going to tan my hide if I'm not there ten minutes ago!"

"I fear your hide is in danger then, time travel does not seem like a viable option at the moment."

"Just get dressed, Salen, I have to go, and I'm sure you've got classes to get to as well."

"Indeed."

Joanna collected Salen's uniform from off the floor and threw it at him while she rummaged through her own closet. Salen pulled his uniform back on and tussled his hair in a hopeless attempt to get it to lay down nicely. He was about to step into the bathroom to get his unruly hair wet, however Joanna grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him out of her room.

It did not escape Salen's attention that Joanna looked cautiously out into the hallway to see if anyone was out there. When they stepped out into the hall and the door closed behind them Salen saw a sheet of cello-paper stuck to her door. He went to read it, but before he got the chance Joanna snatched it down off the door. Her eyes scanned the print and she gasped with a bright blush.

"What does it say?"

"Nothing." Joanna said curtly.

"Someone put a sign on your door that says 'nothing'...I find that hard to believe."

"It's nothing important."

"Let me see." Salen went to the take the sheet away from her.

"No!" Joanna squawked with a chuckle as she pulled it away.

Not easily deterred Salen wrapped one arm around her waist to keep her from escaping and reached for the sheet once more. Joanna leaned away from him and stretched her arm as far from his reach as possible. Quickly degrading into a game of keep away Joanna laughed helplessly as Salen mercilessly tickled her to get at the sign. Laughing to the point of tears Joanna was eventually out foxed by the Vulcan and he got a hold of the sheet. Salen read the sign with a raised eyebrow.

"'Do Not Disturb: Endangered Species Conservation Program in Progress.'"

"I'm so embarrassed." Joanna muttered.

"It does not bother me."

"I'm still going to kick the ass of whoever put this up."

"I am sure you will."

"I think we'll have to be quieter next time. Now go get to class."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Salen walked with Joanna to the infirmary and gave her a quick kiss before heading across campus. Classes had started half an hour ago so the campus was mainly deserted. Salen stepped into the marble front entrance of the science building and started towards the lecture halls when an eerily familiar sound brought him to a sudden stop.

"You can no longer sneak up on me, Colonel Beckett." Salen announced coldly.

Smiling brightly Beckett stepped out from the shadow of an ornate archway. He was wearing a traditional Starfleet uniform with a Command pin secured in the deep blue fabric. It was the first time Salen had seen him in uniform and he was surprised to find that Beckett did not look out of place in it.

Salen glanced around nervously and found that he was alone with the Colonel. Taking a defensive stance Salen squared his shoulders and held his head high in an unusual display of defiance. Beckett didn't seem to care or notice that he was putting the Vulcan on edge.

"How did you know it was me?" Beckett chuckled. "Please don't tell me it was the smell."

"Your heart sounds different than that of other humans. It was something that I noticed when I awoke in the hospital with my improved hearing."

"My heart sounds different because it's not real."

"I do not understand."

"I'm heartless." Beckett tapped on his chest. "Literally."

"Are you trying to be funny?"

"Not at all. The thing pumping in my chest is artificial. A replacement part from when the old one was broken."

"What happened?"

"I caught a phaser blast to the chest."

"And you survived?"

"The blast went through my partner's heart before it got to mine." Beckett sighed. "We were on a somewhat unauthorized rescue mission. He reacted on instinct when he saw the muzzle flash."

"He shielded you at the expense of his own life."

"He did." Beckett nodded solemnly. "It's why your father hates me."

"What?"

"He has never forgiven Jonathan for saving my life, and he has never forgiven me for surviving."

"That does not sound like my father."

"Well, Kid, you've known the Admiral for six years, I've known him for thirty."

"You served together?"

"That's right. I wasn't a Dog at the time...but I've always been known as a risk taker. Pike used to say: 'Jonathan, one day that asshole Beckett is going to be the death of you.'. And what do you know...he was right."

Salen relaxed his threatened stance somewhat, but still remained suspicious of Beckett. Smiling sadly Beckett reached up to the collar of his uniform and stretched it out to show off the scar left by the shot. It chilled Salen's blood to see someone with a scar as devastating as the ones he bore. Shaking his head Salen took a step back.

"What do you want with me?" Salen demanded. "I thought it was up to me if I saw you again or not."

"It was suppose to be your choice. However, something has come up. I desperately need you help."

"No." Salen said instantly.

"Hear me out. Give me thirty seconds to plea my case and then you can tell me to go jump in a lake if you want to."

"I do not see how making you jump into a body of water would help my situation unless you are unable to swim."

"Wow, you really do have a lot of Pike in you."

"You are wasting your thirty seconds of my attention."

"Right. Do you know Councilman Ringer?"

"Only by reputation. He is a good man."

"Yes he is. And a not so good man has kidnapped his little girl."

"Kidnapped?" Salen repeated with a sickening feeling in his stomach.

"That's right. She's in the hands of particularly nasty bunch of criminals."

"Why did they take her?"

"Leverage. They are trying to force Starfleet into giving up on a star system."

"Starfleet does not respond to such threats."

"No." Beckett shook his head. "No they don't, at least not with negotiations. Which is why if the Black Diamond Dogs don't get her back in 68 hours they are going to kill her."

"I do not see how I can assist you."

"We have one of the men who took her, but he is not talking."

"I still do not understand."

"I need you to look into his mind and tell us where she is. We will take everything from there, I just need that location."

"I...I can not." Salen said nervously. "I am sorry."

"Salen, please. She's only eight years old, she's just a child."

"It is not that I do not wish to help, it is that I can not help. I am untrained in the art of the Vulcan mind meld."

"You did it to Langin."

"And I drove him insane." Salen said coldly. "Do you even understand the danger of your request?"

"I don't care if this sick fuck doesn't even remember his own name when you are through with him...I just need to know where that girl is. Get the information for me, and I will personally bring you back to the Academy. I am not asking you to join the Dogs, I am simply begging for you for help this once."

"And if I say 'no', then what?"

"I can't force you to do anything, Salen." Beckett sighed. "The decision is purely yours."

"Can I tell my father of what transpires while I am in your care?"

"Um...no." Beckett admitted. "That freedom is not mine to give you. This is the kind of operation that Starfleet is not willing to admit to. Tell anyone what you see with the Dogs and you'll end up with a dishonorable discharge from Starfleet."

Salen automatically took a step away from Beckett. He was feeling vulnerable alone with the Colonel despite the fact that they were standing in the heart of the Academy. Beckett did not seem like the same confident or jovial man that he had encountered before. He had a much more serious aura around him that prickled the hair on the back of Salen's neck. After glancing at the door to make sure he had an easy escape Salen turned to Beckett to give him his answer.

"I am sorry, Colonel, I can not help you."

"Salen...she is going to die without you." Beckett said desperately. "What can I do, what can I give you, to change your mind? Anything you want, anything you need, I'll make it happen."

"Anything?"

"Name it."

"I want the truth."

"The truth?"

"You are so desperate to have me look into this man's mind...let me look into yours first. Let me see your true intentions."

Beckett didn't hesitate for a second. He stepped directly up to Salen and held his hands behind his back. A little surprised that Beckett was so quick to submit to a mind meld Salen himself hesitated. Slowly he reached his hand up to touch Beckett's face and noticed that the Colonel didn't even flinch. Salen waited a moment before putting his hand back down.

"I will help you, Colonel Beckett." Salen announced. "Take me to your man."

"Was that it? Did you look into my mind?"

"No." Salen shook his head. "I do not dare. I fear that I would drive you to the edge of madness even if I did learn that your motives were pure."

"If you don't have the proof that you needed...why are you agreeing to help?"

"You were willing to trust me with your life, I am willing to try trusting you with mine."

"On my honor, Salen, I will not betray your trust." Beckett said seriously. "If it ever takes my life to save yours, I will give it gladly."

"Do not make promises that you do not intend to keep."

"I have made and broken promises in the past...this is not one of those times."

"Why should you be so quick to give your life for mine?"

"Because I believe that you are one of our best hopes for the future."