Magi: I'm glad you like this story! And as for adding in Carol Marcus at some point: Well, I'm not sure, because I am a supporter of Janice/Kirk, but Marcus and Kirk are canon... I'll think about it.

Communique for Leonard McCoy from Pavel Chekov

Hello!

How are you? You told me to tell you about Annika. She isn't really in Starfleet. But she has this intern thing she does at the base because she's very smart. She helps in the astronomy department. But since she isn't in Starfleet it's all off the books. She says what she means, but as the Russian proverb says 'honesty is the best policy'.

I asked her out. She said 'No'. I don't know why she said no.

That's really all I had to say. Goodbye!

~Pavel

Communique for Spock from Leonard McCoy.

YOU WENT TO CHRISTINE'S AND YOU SENT US A MESSAGE SO LATE WE DIDN'T HAVE THE TIME TO REPLY? (Actually that's kind of ingenious, but that aside...)

I hope it went well, I really do. Maybe if you actually tried with Christine you two could get together and maybe you'd even be normal-ish.

And I'm positive Jim already asked you this, but are you being bullied? Because no matter what an annoying pointy-eared hobgoblin you are, bullying is not okay. (yes, I make fun of you, but you know I don't mean it, right?) Tell the commander or something. Or, if they get to mean, smack them upside the head, I'm serious.

I performed my first surgery today-after being here a whole month-it went well. I have a sort of date kind of thing tonight with this amazing person-Emony Dax. so I need to go.

L. McCoy.

P.S. Do you know anything about Trills? Emony is one, and there isn't much in the database.

Emony opened the door and pulled Leonard in.

"Hello, Doctor." she said.

"I'm still a student." he said.

"Close enough." she sat down on the couch. "You picked a good time to come, I just got home from practicing, these apartments are way too small for gymnastics. How've you been? I haven't seen you at all in-oh what? Two days?" it had been ten days since what they had finally agreed to call a date.

"Ha, ha." he sat down next to her. "let's talk. I sent a communique to Spock, I told you about him."

"yeah, how's he?"

"Fine, he still won't admit he's into this other girl, Christine, the whole 'no emotion' thing is really annoying sometimes, even when he's on a different planet!" Emony laughed.

"My brothers and I are like that. I should really call them."

"Emony," said Bones. "What I wanted to ask you was if you're joined." Emony looked at him as if he'd grown another head.

"What?"

"Spock's dad is an ambassador and I asked him what he knew about Trills. I figured he'd come up with social protocols, you know, so I wouldn't end up looking like an idiot. Instead he pops off with-"

"-adult Trills humanoids-under the correct circumstances-can become the hosts of the Trills symbiont." finished Emony. "It's a big honor, really."

"It's an honor to get a slug grafted onto your major organs?" said Bones skeptically. Emony rolled her eyes. "I didn't mean to sound like that, Emony. I just don't understand. What happens to the Host?"

"Their memories are added to those of the symbiont, and they can remember the lives of all the previous hosts as if they were their own, and in a way, they are. Their distinct personality is combined with the distinct personality of the symbiont, effectively creating a new person." said Emony, in a voice that implied she had this all memorized. She stood up and walked over to a wall. She quickly flipped herself upside-down so she was doing a headstand.

"Sorry, I think better this way." she said. Bones went a lay down on the floor beside her.

"It's alright. Actually, I think that's pretty interesting. From a medical standpoint. Emony purposefully tumbled forward and jumped onto her feet.

"Really?" she said, rushing over to Bones and giving him a hand up. "It doesn't bother you?"

"No. But you haven't actually-"

"Yes, I'm joined, two years now. My symbiont is called Dax."

"I thought that was your surname!"

"The symbiont's name replaces the surname. My family's name is Cagan. So, you can call me, Emony or Dax. I answer to both."

"Sure, Dax." Bones smiled. He changed the subject. "I heard Starfleet gave you a ticket to go see CATS last night."

"I'm so sorry, I couldn't take you too, they only gave me on ticket. But the choreography! Leonard it was amazing! They moved in ways I can't even move and we have creatures on Trill like cats and could really believe it. I loved it! They were beautiful. And you know what else is beautiful?"

"Your eyes?" he blurted. He immediately turned red.

You're an idiot Leo-NARD! Dax had grabbed his shoulder and was kissing him. He wrapped his hands around her waist.

"I was going to say your face." said Emony when their lips parted. "But hey, 'my eyes' work too." Leonard laughed quietly.

"I want to take you out on date, right now."

"Only if we go dancing."

"I can't dance."

"I'll teach you." she let go of Leonard and ran off to change. "Give me fifteen minutes!" she blew him a kiss and disappeared into her room, leaving Leonard with a dopey smile on his face. It struck him a moment later.

I think I have a girlfriend. And she's an alien. I've got to tell Jim and Spock. Spock is never going to forget this.

Kirk looked back at the turbolift doors. It had been six weeks since he had begun this assignment, two and a half weeks since he had started stealing shifts on the bridge.

"Is something wrong, cadet?" asked the second officer, who was currently sitting in the captain's chair.

"Sir, my replacement is late." he said.

"A few extra minutes won't kill you."

No, but the captain might when he walks onto the bridge and finds me here!

A yeoman handed the second officer a PADD.

"Cadet, you'll be working another shift. Lieutenant Thomson is sick."

"Yes, sir."

The captain walked onto the bridge, The second officer vacated the Captain's chair and headed for the turbolift.

"James," said Captain Daver. Jim went ridged.

"Yes, Isaiah?" said the second officer. Jim relaxed a small bit. The second officer was also a James-James Merdell, and he was a personal friend of Captain Daver.

"Send Jason up here."

"Yes, captain." he left. Jim kept on doing what he was supposed to.

Don't notice me, don't notice me. Oh, I'm in so much trouble.

That train of though continued in Kirk's head for the next fifteen minutes uninterrupted.

"Helm update." said the Captain.

"Nothing on sensors, all system report normal." said Kirk. The Captain was silent. Jim thought he was finally safe.

Kirk suddenly felt himself being pulled out of his chair by the back of his shirt and turned around. The person who did this was the captain.

"You are not supposed to be at helm, cadet." said the captain, evenly and calmly. "Why are you?"

"I rewrote the computer program that handles assignments so I could get some shifts on the bridge. I've been taking shifts I knew you wouldn't be on the bridge." replied Kirk, also calmly. "And you can't get mad at me for it, sir, because you allowed me on your ship for rewriting a computer program I wasn't authorized to in the first place. And with all due respect, sir, can you really punish me for a trait you admired?" everyone on the bridge was listening to the conversation.

"You are confined to your quarters for a week, you will not send any communiques. I will be putting this on your record, Now get off my bridge." the captain let go of him.

"Yes, sir." Kirk walked to the turbolift. "If I may ask sir, what will you be putting on my record? I may have had to do some rewriting, and some digging. But I when it came to accessing the program, there was nothing blocking me. Will you be telling Starfleet I was being left in charge of engineering for Gamma shifts once a week, which is against protocol, sir? And that you left what ended up being a vital program unprotected, sir?"

Kirk stepped into the turbolift. The last thing he saw was the incredulous look a Captain Daver's face.

I'm going tot start moving this along a little faster. But I will be sure to get some Spock in next chapter. Also, I will be continuing 'Back At The Academy: Mirror Mirror.'