Author's note: While there is nothing inappropriately explicit, there is attempted sexual assult in this chapter. I just felt like you should be warned.

Chapter Nineteen

Saturday dawned bright and early for Gael. She rose, dressed in her favorite purple blouse and a pair of jeans, then headed to the dining hall to meet Scotty for breakfast.

After breakfast with Scotty, she headed to the science labs where Carol and Spock were waiting to show her around. Gael spent all morning with the science officers, absorbing all of the information they told her. At noon, she said goodbye and headed to lunch where she was supposed to meet Jim, Pavel, and Hikaru. Half way there, she was stopped by a crewmember in a red uniform.

"Hey, Miss! You dropped this!" he called, dashing up from behind her. He held out a communicator. Gael checked her pockets and found hers still there.

"Sorry, sir, tha' no-" Before she could complete her sentence, he grabbed her, clamping a hand over her mouth to muffle her scream. He dragged her down several corridors till he threw her into a small supply closet. As the door swished shut behind them, he shoved her up against the wall.

"Wha' do ye think ye are doin'?" she cried when his hand slipped from her mouth.

He ignored her question. "Even lovelier than the reports said," he mumbled, his eyes raking over her body in a way that made her skin crawl. "This is a reminder, Subject 23," he added, his eyes snapping back up to hers. "Did you honestly think you were rid of us?"

Gael's blood ran cold. "Who are ye?" She whispered fearfully.

"I think you know exactly who. I know you haven't forgotten us," he answered, burying his nose in the crook of her neck. He began trailing kisses down to her shoulder. "You know," he continued between kisses, "the files...say...that the previous guards...were allowed...to have fun with you...I think...I'll do the same...I did find you...for them...after all..."

Gael struggled against him, but he back handed her so hard she lost her balance and fell.

"You have forgotten your place, Subject 23," he said angrily. "Looks like I'll have to re-teach you." He held up a pair of hand restraints and yanked her to her feet.

Jim was getting worried. Gael had commed him when she left the science labs to let him know she was on her way. It was a five minute walk to the dining hall from the labs. Ten minutes had passed since her comm. She should be here by now.

"Hey, Jim, how's it going?"

Jim looked up to see McCoy. "Quiet morning, Bones," he answered. "Have you seen Gael?"

"No, why?"

"She vas supposed to be here five meenites ago," Pavel said.

"Have you tried comming her?" McCoy suggested.

"She commed us when she left the labs." Jim pulled out his communicator. "Kirk to Gael. Do you read me, sweetheart?" he said into the device. "This is Kirk to Gael." Silence reigned.

"Do you think something happened? I've got a bad feeling about this, Jim." McCoy said.

"Relax, Bones, she probably stopped to talk to someone and got delayed," Jim answered.

"I'll check with the computer," Sulu said. "It should know where she is." Thirty seconds after he left, Sulu came running back. "She's stuck in a supply closet with a Security ensign!" he cried. "Gael doesn't know anyone from Security!"

"Which one?" McCoy asked.

"34 A."

McCoy immediately dashed from the room. He pelted down the corridors until he found the right door. He punched the button to open the door. It hissed open to reveal Gael pressed up against the wall by a large, burly security crewman, and her arms restrained behind her back. He had one arm at her throat to keep her in place, and the other hand fiddled with the closure of her jeans as he kissed his way down her pale stomach. Her blouse had been torn open, leaving her torso completely exposed. Tears streamed from her eyes.

McCoy took this all in in approximately 1.2 seconds, and saw red. He threw himself at the crewman, his fists swinging. Jim and Security Chief Hendorff (A.K.A. "Cupcake") showed up moments later. Jim had to pry a raging McCoy off of the already unconscious crewman, whom Hendorff dragged away.

McCoy immediately turned to Gael. "What did he do to you, Darlin'? Please, talk to me!"

"Athair!" she cried as she rush forward to bury her face in the doctor's chest. McCoy held up her trembling form as Jim carefully removed the restraints. Gael babbled almost hysterically in Gaelic between sobs.

"Darlin'," McCoy soothed. "Ya gotta calm down; I can't understand Gaelic." He let go of her long enough to yank off his outer blue uniform shirt, pull it gently over her head, and guide her arms through the sleeves. She immediately latched back onto him.

Jim gently rubbed circles on her back. "It's alright now, Gael. Cupcake's taking that son of a...gun down to the brig. I've ordered him locked up until further notice; he won't touch you again."

Gael nodded into McCoy's black undershirt.

"I've got ya, Darlin'," McCoy murmured. "I've got ya." In one smooth motion, he lifted her up in a bridal carry.

"You take care of her, Bones. I'm headed to the brig to deal with the creep." Jim said. "Chekov and Sulu had to head up to the bridge; I'll let them know what happened."

McCoy nodded and headed to Sickbay. He went right in, passed all of the protesting nurses and went in his office. He gently set her down on the couch. Her crying had quieted to sniffles, but she was still shaking. He wrapped her up in the quilt he always kept there and began running his tricorder over her. "Ya need ta talk ta me, Darlin'," he said softly, his accent making itself known in his concern. "Did he hurt you in any way?"

"He hit me on the cheek," she said quietly after a long pause.

"Yeah, the bruise is beginning to show," he answered. "Anything else?"

"My wrists," she murmured. "He put on th' han' cuffs really tight." He took her hands in his and examined her wrists. They were already mottled purple and blue like the hand print on her cheek. He dug around in his medkit and pulled out a silver ointment tube.

"Here, let's put some of this on ya," he said as he unscrewed the cap. "It'll take care of the soreness and make the bruising disappear in a few hours." He carefully applied it to her wrists and face. "How's that, Darlin'?"

"Better," she sighed, pulling the quilt more firmly around her shoulders.

"You still cold?" he asked.

"I jus'...cannae stop seeing...feeling him..."

McCoy sat beside her and pulled her close. He almost wanted to cry with joy when she let him. "Shhh, it's alright now, Gael," he soothed, gently stroking her hair.

Gael held tightly to McCoy. She had forgotten just how good it felt to be held by him. She felt whole, complete, safe. She curled up against his side and murmured "Is breá liom tú, a Athair."

I know it may seem McCoy and Gael made up kinda quick, but actuall "make upl" scene is in chapters to come. I just felt that conversation is not you have when one of those involved has jsut been assulted.

Is breá liom tú, a Athair = I love you, Father (Irish Gaelic translation by .)

To Perky511: Thank you so much! I'm so glad you have enjoyed it!