[Awakening]

"What the hell is going on here, Mr. Scott," Jim demanded as he entered the room, his gaze moving back and forth between the chief engineer and computer scientist. When none of them answered, the captain took a step closer to them. "I'll ask once again. What's going on here?"

Serena looked over at Scotty, her eyes narrowing as a warning, but the Scotsman ignored her and pointed at the monitor behind them. "She's insisting that this is the computer system of the USS Vengeance, sir," he explained, then stopped for a second and bit his lower lip. "And she's also saying that it actually says Vengeance instead of Enterprise."

"Is that so?" The captain walked past them, right to the monitor Scotty was talking about and checked a couple of things. Serena watched his back, anxiously running a hand through her hair in disbelief. Then he turned around and rested his hands on the edge of the panel. "Everything is okay with this system, Ms. Katzberg."

"But," she started defiantly before her voice faded immediately. They were looking at her as if she was insane, especially Scotty, who had called Bones anyway. She couldn't believe that they didn't see it. "I know it's not the one we use," she added, her voice suddenly rising. It wasn't right, there was no way she would mistake the two systems. "How can you tell me it's the same? I mean, if you don't see it then fine, but you can stop with that bloody game, you won!"

She was shouting now, and when Jim stepped over to put his hands on her shoulders Serena pushed him away and kept on talking. She was hysterical, sure, but she felt like she had the right to act like this, because that was an incredibly sick joke from the two men. After a minute or so, having enough of the fight, she wanted to leave the room but Jim grabbed her from behind and when she tried to get out of his hold, he only held her tighter.

Bones arrived. The good doctor didn't hesitate to inject something into her neck, but for her biggest surprise it turned out to be some kind of a tranquilizer. She didn't feel like fighting; she was completely numb, and if the captain hadn't been holding her up, she would have collapsed on the floor.

On their way to sickbay Bones kept asking questions, mainly from Scotty who tried his best to remember everything, however confusing he found it. A little bit later the engineer disappeared and there were only the three of them. Out of the corner of her eye Serena saw the raised eyebrows of the doctor as they arrived and he asked Jim to help her on the closest bed. This place was so sterile that even the idea of it made her nauseous.

"We should call Dr. Harrison," Jim spoke up as he looked over at his friend.

Serena wanted to open her mouth to stop them but she couldn't speak, and even her eyes closed from the sudden rush of tiredness.

Then Bones said something she greatly appreciated. "I don't think it would be a good idea, Jim. It would only upset her now."

"I thought they were," he started slowly, "you know."

"It's complicated, Jim, and there's something wrong with her. There are those nightmares she's having lately to begin with."

"What nightmares? God, Bones, do I really have to force it out of you?" the captain complained. "But I'll call him anyway."

"Damn it, man, don't ask for my professional advice again if you don't even listen to me."

Slowly, but she could open her eyes to look at Kirk. "Don't," she said weakly. "Don't call him. Please."

Before he could answer her, Serena fell asleep, sinking into a weird and terrifying dream again.

She was on a ship.

Probably.

But she wasn't entirely sure. The dark grey walls of the room weren't exactly modern, but apart from that, there was nothing that could help her figure out where she was. The only thing she knew for sure was the fact it was real. A hundred percent and without doubt it was real, not a dream, a creation of her own crazy mind.

Every single inch of her body was aching for some reason, but she got out of the bed anyway. Her bare feet touched the cold metal floor. It was strangely difficult to stand straight without grabbing the edge of the bed, and her legs felt weak. Probably it had been a while since she had last walked but she couldn't remember a damn thing.

Footsteps came from the hallway so she hid behind the bed as quickly as she could. It was him. The moment the man entered the room there was no question about his identity. She heard his breathing stop for a moment and, just as he turned back towards the door, she jumped up and attacked him. Serena twisted his arm without hesitation, adrenalin running through her veins to support her plan, and she slammed his face right into the nearest wall.

"Serena," he started but she cut him off immediately.

"Shut up, you son of a bitch! What the hell did you do to me?"

Khan looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Nothing," he replied. "If you let me go I'll explain everything." She didn't move so he went on. "You have to trust me, Serena, I would never hurt you," he tried.

"Never? That's a good joke, darling," she said with a sarcastic laugh. "But at the moment I would trust the entire Federation more than you."

"What's wrong with you?"

Suddenly she let go of him, backing away until her back hit the wall. She had been so blind, believing that he had changed, even a little bit. Khan was nothing more but a tyrant; there are things that never seem to change. Family - this is what he called the others, yet it had been him who took away everything from them. So many thoughts, so many memories appeared at once in her mind.

It was too much for her, even the anger she felt couldn't make it go away. Putting her palms on the sides of her head, Serena slowly sank to the ground with her back against the wall. They had been caught and put into cryostasis again. This was the last thing she remembered. But it was a ship and they seemed to be alone. Probably he found a way to get out before they froze them.

Khan crouched down in front of her, his long forefinger running down the side of her face before stopping under her chin and pulling it up so she was looking at him. "I found a way to get out of cryostasis, but something went wrong with you," he explained quietly, his deep voice already messing with her mind. "I have to keep you asleep, Serena, right until I figure out how to help."

"No."

"Believe me," he said, "I want to help you."

"NO!"

Her heavy breathing echoed in the room as she sat up on the bed and looked around. Enterprise. Sickbay. Safety. Everything was alright and she didn't know why she screamed. There was no nightmare this time. Bones rushed into the room, John right behind him, and the two men stopped by the two sides of the bed.

"What happened?" the doctor asked as he checked her vital signs.

"I don't know," she replied honestly. One second she's falling asleep from the tranquilizer, the next she's sitting up in the bed, screaming loudly.

"Nightmare?" John offered with an unusually cold smile.

Serena had to bite her lip not to start a fight in front of the doctor. After turning her gaze to Bones, she said, "Look, I'm better now, but I'd rather go and have some rest in my room." While she was talking, she tried to get out of bed but, for her biggest surprise, it was John who gently pushed her back. "I'm fine, John. I can work in my room."

He let out a tired sigh as he leaned above her. "I would be happier if Dr. McCoy was the one telling me you're okay," he said, then straightened back, his eyes falling on the other man. "Doctor, she hasn't been herself for weeks and who knows when she will become dangerous to others."

Without saying another word or waiting for the response, John Harrison left the room, leaving two very confused people behind. Bones looked down at her with a questioning look, his hazel eyes locked with her brown ones. He didn't have to say anything; she already knew what he wanted to know.

"It's been pretty... pretty complicated between us lately," she replied. "I guess he believes I'm going insane and doesn't want a crazy girlfriend. I can understand him to be honest."

"Do you love him?"

"Doctor, it has nothing to do with this. Believe me," she added, hoping it was the truth. She couldn't be going crazy. Not because she had been having doubts about his feelings for quite some time now. "It must be something else."

Author's note: You're amazing! Seriously, thanks for the support. Here's a quick update - yes, I know it's short and I'm really sorry for that. And if you find typos, ignore them. I'll check the whole thing tomorrow.