"Can we bring our coffee into the classrooms?" as they walked the route from Elle's quarters to the section of classrooms.

Troi raised her eyebrows. "You drink coffee?"

"Sometimes," Elle said. "Tea, mostly."

"Beverages are allowed for older students if they prove to be responsible for them," Troi said. "Do you find you need coffee to start your day?"

"Only in crisis-es. Bones said I couldn't develop a caffeine dependency until my frontal lobe grows in," Elle replied. She stifled a yawn. "What time do classes usually start?"

"At 0930, usually."

"Oh thank goodness," Elle said, heaving a sigh of relief.

Troi stifled a smile.

They came around the corner and things changed. A series of botanical prints on the wall, each plant labeled meticulously. There was a large open lounge area with a floating holo-model of the galaxy above the couches, and in the wall a replicator labeled "Snacks Only - No Science Supplies". Various doors and open arches led off to classrooms and open areas, and Elle could hear the distinctive sounds of children playing. The shrieking, you know. It was something that could have been straight out of a magazine layout, "The Future of Education." The only thing missing were those weird bowl-pits from the 2009... never mind.

"These are the classrooms for classes Level 10 and up, but everything's open-plan, as it helps socialization to have the little kids and the older kids together," Troi said.

"Cool," Elle said, following her to one of the doorways.

"This is your literature classroom," Troi said, reaching out to tap the entry pad.

Elle took a deep breath and steeled her nerves.

Troi paused. Looked over at her. "Elle?"

"Yeah?"

"You all right?"

Elle nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said, pulling at her sleeve.

"Can you take a deep breath for me?" Troi asked, gently steering Elle away from the doorway.

"I'm fine," Elle said again.

"Then take a deep breath," Troi said.

Elle inhaled, almost choked on her own breath, tried again. "I'm fine."

"It's okay if you're not fine," the counselor replied calmly. "You don't have to be fine."

"Sorry, I'm just," Elle huffed a laugh, "I'm really nervous."

"That's okay," Troi said, reaching out to pat Elle on the arm, "it's okay to be nervous. Just take another breath for me, okay?"

"Yeah." Elle took one deep breath and then another, slowly falling into the rhythm Bones had taught her.

"Should we perhaps postpone for another day?" Troi asked.

Elle flushed. "I'm fine."

"Doesn't mean you have to take the tour right now," Troi responded, quite reasonably.

Elle bit her lip. "Maybe, maybe tomorrow?" she asked.

"Of course." Troi stood up and offered her a hand. "Instead, why don't we go back to my office, have some hot chocolate?"

"Okay."

Thankfully, they met no one on their way out of the educational center.

-/\-

Elle sipped at her hot chocolate and stared at the collection of Betazoid art on the wall while Troi went into her private office and made a call. Betazoid art was interesting. Bright, colorful, sensual in texture and movement, because of course a race of telepaths and empaths don't really get the whole idea of subtlety. Maybe I'm over-generalizing though, Elle mused, slurping up a mini-marshmallow. We only really see Lwaxana Troi in depth and she's...a lot. I should probably study up on Betazoid culture. Although, you know, they do weddings in the nude so am I really over-generalizing?

"...can't believe social anxiety wasn't listed in her file," Troi said. She sounded irritated.

"Social anxiety?" Was that Bones on the comm? He sounded surprised. "Counselor, I've seen that girl march up to dignitaries, hostiles, and a ticked-off Jim Kirk without a trace of hesitation and bawl them out."

"That's as may be, but there's no denying I took her to tour the classrooms of the Enterprise and meet her new teachers, and she had an anxiety attack so severe we had to stop."

Elle realized nobody on this Enterprise knew about her hypersensitive hearing. Troi definitely should have closed her door all the way. Whoops. But my anxiety wasn't even that bad. Doesn't compare to the Zetar incident... which probably says something about my standards. She shook her head sharply and refocused.

"...history of anxiety induced by her unique circumstances, but never related to that."

"Probably because she never encountered another person her age for two years," Troi said.

Elle didn't know whether to be terrified or delighted to overhear someone scolding Bones.

"That's on us," he admitted, after a second, and he sounded old. "We were going to get around to it, but, then she was gone."

Even one room away Elle could feel the sympathy Troi was radiating. "I see," Troi said gently. "What kind of..." the door slid closed all the way.

Elle frowned in consternation at the closed door. She turned back to the Betazoid art. It was weird, knowing that people were talking about you.

-/\-

Elle sipped her tea and looked at Deanna Troi.

Deanna Troi sipped her tea and looked at Elle. Calm, kind, patient, understanding. The perfect counselor, armed with empathy and new insight.

Elle grimaced. "I'm sorry, Counselor."

"For what?"

"I'm sorry, I just, I trust you, I do, but, I don't know know you. I," Elle bit her lip and stared down into her teacup. "No offense, but, you know."

Deanna smiled, understanding. Of course she did. "I'm sure that Admiral McCoy would answer your call," she suggested, as if she hadn't been on the comm with McCoy less than fifteen minutes ago.

Elle smiled. "Really? I can talk to him?"

"I don't see why not." Deanna moved to the computer on the desk. Within a couple of minutes, the comm was ringing Admiral McCoy, retired. Deanna gestured for Elle to sit down and then removed herself to the other end of the room, nonchalantly gazing at the same art Elle had analyzed.

Elle leaned forward eagerly when the video call picked up. "Bones?"

"Elle! You all right?"

"I'm fine," Elle assured him. "Well, besides, everything."

He squinted at her, gruff and wonderful. "You wanna talk, darlin'?" he asked.

"If you have time," Elle said, suddenly awkward.

"Of course I have time for you. Never mind Cambridge." He glanced off the side of the screen and leaned in, grumbling, "I'm older'n'everybody in this Fleet and they've still got me on the lecture circuit. I feel like a cobbled show horse, being trotted out for graduations and special lectures. Fresh-faced cadets and doctors, I was never that young."

Elle laughed. "I totally believe you."

"I'm surprised you called me and not Spock," he said, raising an eyebrow.

"Spock's busy with the Romulans," Elle replied, shrugging.

Bones huffed. "Romulans. More trouble than they're worth."

Elle frowned. "No they're not, Bones, you know that."

His expression went solemn. "I know, kiddo. And we met some of the best ones, didn't we?"

"Yeah."

He grinned at her. "So. What was all that, earlier?"

Elle sighed. "I don't know. I don't know what normal teens are like, they freak me out. And even less now, a whole century in the future. I just, it was a lot, and I said I was ready and I wasn't, so..." she shrugged. "What do I do, Bones?"

"Elle, darlin', I've seen you march up to Admirals and spies and straight-up monsters without flinching, baby, you can handle a bunch of little kids." He smiled at her. "I'm going to tell you something. Should'a told you this a while ago. There is no such thing as a normal kid. Especially not ones you find on the Enterprise. They'll be little geniuses, sure, like that helmsman they got, Great Bird help them. But everyone's got their little quirks. You know that. Just find the quirks you like."

"What if they don't like me?" Elle asked, feeling terribly childish.

"Then that's their problem. You're an incredible young woman, Elle, and in terms of sheer experience, you're twice their age, probably. But that's why you need them, too, darlin'. Find someone you can watch those cheesy holos with. Find someone who likes Minecraft. Find someone who can show you how to work that dang holodeck so you can get a little sunlight in you between shore leaves." He raised an eyebrow at her. "And not everybody's gotta like you, Elle. We all did, and you've got a freakishly large extended family spanning all corners of the galaxy if you need them, but if someone doesn't like you, that's their problem, not yours. You know that, darlin'."

"I know, I know."

McCoy smirked. "And if you really don't like it, you can always go back to Vulcan. Amanda's not there anymore, but Sarek's second wife is a wonderful lady and the Matriarch of the Clan would be glad to have you. You, no, you haven't met her, I don't think."

Oof, that hurt, another reminder that eighty years had passed. Elle moved past it and mustered up a smirk. "If I don't fit in among the general population here, Bones, I don't think I'm going to fit in amongst the Vulcans. I'd probably knock somebody out with my volatility and then where'd we be?"

"Safer than out there," Bones grumbled. He glanced off-screen again. "I've got to go, kiddo."

She slumped slightly. "Oh. Okay."

"Stay safe out there, you hear me? I think I was around Vulcans too long, any of you in trouble and my blood pressure picks up, I just know it."

Elle smirked. "I'll do my best."

He squinted at her through the screen, eyes painfully blue and earnest. "And listen, Elle. If you need me, or Spock, you call. Anytime, okay?"

"Okay. And we'll have Scotty back, eventually, so."

McCoy smiled. "Oh really?"

"Yeah. A few from now." Elle couldn't help but grin. "Good thing I'm here, he's gonna flip."

"Comm me when it happens," McCoy said. Another glance. "All right, all right, I'm coming! Love you, Elle, stay safe."

"You too!" she said.

"And no boys!" he hollered, just before closing the channel.

Elle cracked up, just as he'd intended. She glanced over at Deanna, still snickering. "Thank you," she said.

"Anything to help," Deanna said, giving her a smile. She took another sip of her tea. "We all want you to succeed, Elle. You don't have to proceed at anyone's pace but your own, you know."

Elle nodded.

"To that end, we're going to try something a little different. There's a few people, your age and a little older, who are in a few of your classes. I'd like to introduce you to them one at a time, have you eat lunch together or work on an assignment together, and that way, when you're ready, you'll know someone in each class and you won't be so nervous. How does that sound?"

Elle nodded again. This was humiliating, a little bit, having to be treated so carefully. I should be able to do this without freaking out.

Deanna must've sensed the frustration in her. She smiled gently. "You're an independent young woman, Elle. Many of us on this ship are, and it's hard having to take things slow sometimes. But with these kinds of situations, it really is better to dip your toes in than do a cannonball."

Elle sighed. "Yeah. I know. I tried the cannonball thing, it didn't work then either."

Deanna patted her on the shoulder. "You don't have to be good at everything right away."

"I'm good in a crisis, though, I swear," Elle promised.

"We're not in a crisis, right now, are we?"

"I think that's what's making me nervous," Elle confessed. "Everything on this ship seems so slow."

Deanna laughed a little bit. "You know the old Star Fleet adage?"

"Hurry up and wait." Elle smiled wryly. "Yeah, I know."

"Good girl. Treat youself kindly, Elle. You have the time right now to take it slow. Later, when there is a crisis, you can dive right in as you do."

"Makes sense," Elle admitted.

"I'm glad. And you realize, Elle, you and Wesley are not the only ones who have jobs on this ship."

Elle blinked. "Huh?"

"Others your age have internships in science labs, or part-time shifts in recreation, the arboretum, the mess hall, maintenance, and other services. They'll understand why you'll be in different places, and everyone on this ship understands the meaning of the word 'classified.'" Deanna patted her on the shoulder. "It's going to be okay."

This time, Elle really believed it.