Here's another Star Trek Fic by moi, Vulcan Wolf. It's been sitting on my HD for a long time, and I figured what harm in posting? It's a long one, and it comes in parts. Here's Part One! Enjoy!

Legal Stüf: I own absolutely nothing belonging to Paramount, not the Enterprise, not Captain Kirk, and not Doctor McCoy or Commander Spock. Dammit. Just a starving student with three lovely boys upstairs who keep me busy.

Part One :: Chapter One

When Juliana Marcus was assigned to the U.S.S. Enterprise, landing a post in Sickbay under the thumb of Commander Leonard McCoy, who was reputedly one of the toughest CMOs in Starfleet, she took her commission with a healthy dose of apprehension. Everyone in Starfleet knew the Enterprise's former captain either in person or by reputation, she couldn't think of a single cadet, mid, yeoman, or admiral who didn't know something about James T. Kirk. That was not to say it's current captain was a Starfleet nobody.

All during her childhood, adolescence, and tenure at Starfleet Academy, her mother had always warned her to keep her boots polished, keep her hands clean, make sure her uniform was neat, and by all means mind your manners before superiors. There were three in particular Juliana had been warned to be on her best behavior around: Admiral Kirk, Captain Spock, and Commander McCoy. Should she ever have the unspeakable honor of serving them somehow, and an honor it was, she should keep her respectful distance from the captain, stay out of the admiral's way, and do exactly and whatever the commander told her. Juliana did everything to keep a low profile. The few times she encountered the captain or the admiral, she held her peace. It was usually in a public setting with people and she didn't have to say anything regardless, as she was never directly addressed, but one evening after a sparring session with Lieutenant Saavik, she found herself in the ultimate awkward position. She had changed into her duty uniform, having showered in the locker room, and thought she might be able to get away without getting caught by her superiors.

"Good night, Juliana." Saavik called as she stepped off the lift.

"Good night, Saavik." Juliana smiled and stepped back to allow another passenger boarding.

"Deck?" it took her a minute to realize the senior officer was addressing her directly and she looked up.

"I'm sorry?"

"Which deck?"

"Oh! S-sickbay." She gulped. Admiral Kirk! She bit her lip. Damn.

"Convenient. I'm going that way myself." The admiral smiled and gave the order to the computer for the proper deck. As they got underway, he turned to her and looked her over, "I don't believe we've met before. You're part of the training crew?"

"Yes, sir." She stood at attention, as she had been taught, keeping her hands folded behind her back to hide the tremors. Admiral Kirk! Admiral Kirk, my father! Damn!

"What's your name?"

"Juliana Marcus, sir." She kept a nicely straight face, the name didn't seem to rally any recognition despite the fact that she was practically the man's bloody female clone. This was a little awkward.

"You're all so young! But you look like you know what you're doing."

"Thank you, Admiral." She looked down. As they reached the Sickbay deck, he let her go out first. When they reached Sickbay, Doctor McCoy turned on them both.

"You're late, Lieutenant Marcus." He gave Juliana that look, and she had the sense to blush.

"I'm sorry, sir. Lieutenant Saavik and I lost track of the time. It won't happen again, I promise."

"And which one of you saw the loosing end this time?"

"Two to one, sir." She blushed. She was getting faster, and stronger, but Saavik could still kick her ass any day in sparring. McCoy just rolled his eyes.

"I figured as much. Jim, do you mind waiting a minute?"

"Oh, take your time."

"I just have to take care of a few bruises. Come along, lieutenant." The CMO beckoned her to follow him and she looked back over her shoulder. Had he figured it out yet? As she sat down on the bio bed, McCoy took note of her elevated heart-rate and respirations. He finished the customary scan and looked at her.

"Something else the matter, Julie?"

"Admiral Kirk, sir."

"Aw, him? Nah, don't let him scare you away." The old-fashioned CMO chuckled, "So you lost this time?"

"More new bruises to add to the tally."

"Have you ever considered asking for restraint?"

"What's the point? How will I learn that way?"

"Stubborn kids. One of these days I'll just turn you around and push you out that door."

"Not anytime soon, sir." She rubbed the back of her neck as he prepared the requisite hypospray.

"Hand down." he said, pulling her hand away, "You know the breaks, kiddo."

"Sorry." She winced as the hypo made contact with the side of her neck, "She flipped me backwards over her shoulder."

"Is she okay?"

"Better than I am." She exhaled, "No worries, it's mutual pain." McCoy snickered and told her to get some rest, he had prior engagements to attend.

"I'll see you in the morning, Lieutenant."

"Good night, sir. Good night, Admiral." She trotted out of Sickbay with a salute to both officers, and once she was out she raced back up to Saavik's quarters. It was one of only a few cabins aboard the Enterprise that actually had a lock on the door. She looked both ways as she laid her hand flat against the scan-pad, and ducked into the cabin as the door opened to her.

"Saavik?" she called softly.

"In here." Juliana heard Saavik's voice from the living room area and quietly took off her boots, setting them by the door. Going into the living room, she found Saavik seated on the low couch. Her friend was just out of the shower, her hair was damp and she wore nothing but a robe.

"Sorry it took so long."

"You always apologize for taking longer than you think you should have. You are only late by one minute." Saavik scolded, rising in one fluid motion that made Juliana's skin crawl with anticipation. She exhaled slowly as Saavik held out a glass of wine to her, allowing their fingers to touch but briefly as she took the offering. Juliana touched her glass to Saavik's, making a silent toast to friendships, sisterhood, and love. They each took one sip of the wine and then exchanged glasses. Taking her by the hand, Saavik led her to the couch and they sat down together. Juliana sighed heavily, feeling tormented muscles relax as she eased into her customary position on the long couch.

"You are stiffer this evening."

"That's my payback for sparring with you for three hours after the end of shift." She sipped her wine and held up two fingers. Saavik just smiled and shook her head. She and Saavik had sparred twice in the past three days, something they almost never did, and now her body was paying the price. It was so worth the pain, though. Juliana sighed, wincing as Saavik picked out the particularly tender bruises by touch, finding one on her hipbone. After savoring the intimacy of a shared glass of wine, Juliana let Saavik coax her to the narrow bed with just enough room for two people. Five minutes later, Juliana was enjoying a massage and thanked god for skilled Vulcan fingers and for Saavik, who loved Juliana's troubled human soul and laughed at her odd, illogical, very human thought-processes.