#startrekfic

Leonard was asleep when she got back, but he opened his eyes when she came into the house. “Didn’t know we needed to go to the store,” he said, watching her carry the groceries into the kitchen. “I’d’ve gone, you know.”

“Well, we didn’t need to,” she corrected him. “But wouldn’t it be a good day to make lemonade?”

“If you say so,” he said, shrugging. “Bet Joanna would like to, at least.”

“Mm-hmm,” Jocelyn agreed, and poked her head into the living room. “Where is she? Out in back?”

“’Less she came inside and I missed it,” he said.

“I’ll go get her,” she said, and crossed the kitchen to go out through the back door.

Joanna was lying in the hammock, fast asleep, and when Jocelyn shook her she rolled over without waking up. The second time, she stirred and stretched and nearly fell out of the hammock, which finally jolted her awake.

“Hi, Mama,” she said, rubbing her eyes.

“Hi, Jo,” Jocelyn replied, and kissed the top of her head. “Guess what I brought home?”

“Candy?” Joanna suggested, grabbing Jocelyn’s hand as she followed her mother back to the house.

Jocelyn smiled and shook her head. “Not quite,” she said. “You like lemonade, don’t you, sweetpea?”

“You brung lemonade?” Joanna demanded, beaming.

“Closer,” Jocelyn told her, and laughed. “I brought what we need to make it for ourselves.”

Joanna shrieked. “Make it?” she echoed. Even in the hot weather, she had plenty of energy to jump up and down at that idea. “I wanna make it!”

“Good, you can help me,” Jocelyn said, stepping into the kitchen. “Here, why don’t you carry the lemons and the sugar out onto the porch?”

“’Kay!” she agreed, beaming, and held out her arms to take the ingredients.

They sat on the porch with the big glass pitcher between them, half-full of water, and Jocelyn carefully cut each lemon in two so Joanna could squeeze the juice into the pitcher. She got just as much on her feet and dress and arms, but there were plenty of lemons, and she didn’t mind having sticky fingers.

“Daddy, you wanna help?” she asked when she looked up to see Leonard watching from the doorway. “You can ‘queeze lemons with me!”

He laughed and shook his head at her. “I’m alright, darlin’, I’ll just watch,” he said, and sat down on the doorstep, grinning at the big smile on her face and her giggle when juice ran down her arms to her elbows.

“You wanna mix it while I put the sugar in?” Jocelyn offered, holding up the wooden spoon.

“Yeah!” Joanna agreed, reaching out for the spoon with lemon juice still dripping from her hands. She held it in both fists and stirred the lemonade hard enough that it splashed onto the porch. Jocelyn laughed and shook her head as she measured out sugar and added it to the pitcher, where it dissolved in the whirlpool Joanna was making.

“Now, you keep stirring that while I go get glasses, alright?” Jocelyn asked after she’d added the last tablespoon of sugar. She got to her feet and smoothed out her skirt and waited by the door while Leonard moved aside to let her in.

“You want some lemonade, Daddy?” Joanna asked, putting the spoon down beside her when her arms got tired.

He stood and stretched and found a new seat on the creaky porch swing. “Sure, I’ll have some,” he agreed.

Jocelyn returned with glasses full of ice and lined them all up to pour the lemonade. “No, sweetheart, not yet,” she told Joanna when Jo tried to grab one. Joanna pouted, but Jocelyn didn’t give in until she’d cut up another lemon and added a slice to the edge of each glass. She dipped one finger in the lemonade so she could sprinkle sugar on the rims as well, and then finally handed two glasses to Joanna. “Go give one of those to your dad, alright?”

“Okay!” Joanna said, and for once she was careful not to spill any as she crossed the porch to sit beside Leonard on the swing. He took his glass of lemonade and clinked it against hers before they took their first sweet-sour sips, and Joanna laughed.

You lifted your eyes and he gave you a knowing, pointed look before turning and striding back to his spot in the Bridge.  

You took a shaky breath and pressed your cool fingers to your burning cheeks as you thought of the grumpy doctor.  

Leonard was one of your closest friends, having met him back in the Academy in your Xenobiology class when he spilt coffee all over your notebook half-way through the year. “Fucking hell” was the first thing you ever said to him, and you’d spent the rest of the week with him, copying his notes to replace all of yours.  You’d been friends ever since, ecstatic when you’d been placed on the Enterprise with him, and you had a weekly drink and movie night.

But you didn’t have a crush on him.  You thought. There was one time when you’d been watching a movie next to him on the couch, and you’d been shoulder to shoulder, and he turned his head and so did you, and for a second you’d thought he was going to kiss you, and you could feel his breath on your face, and for a second you’d hope he’d kiss you and…

A ping from your PADD woke you from your memories, and you could feel your pulse pounding in your ears.  

Looking down, you saw two messages that made your heart drop in your chest.

Leonard: Have to cancel drinks tonight. Busy medbay.

Leonard: Sorry.

Damn.  You cursed yourself internally at how disappointed you felt.

Y/N: It’s all good.  Stay sane.

‘Stay sane’ was something you always said to each other when things got crazy.  It meant a million things, like ‘don’t work to hard’, and ‘I’m here if you need me’, and ‘don’t do anything stupid’.

Part of you was excited to have a night to do whatever you wanted, the other part of you had been looking forward to having something to do on Valentine’s Day.   But most of you had been excited to spend time with Leonard.

But whatever.

That was all over now.

You finished your shift without any issues, and when you made it back to your room, you decided to throw together a batch of cookies for a treat.  

You just happened to make the kind that were Leonard’s favourite.

And you just happened to pile them into a container and head out the door towards the medbay.

I’m just being nice to my friend who has to work late, that’s all, you thought to yourself as you rounded the big glass doors.

“Hey, Y/N.” Someone called, and you spun to see one of your friends, Amy, who was a nurse.

“Hey,” you responded, “is Dr. McCoy here?”

“Nope, his shift ended about an hour ago.” She said, tucking the PADD in her hands under her arm.

“Oh.” You chewed on your lip and self-consciously held the box of cookies tighter.

You were just about to say something else when your com pinged.  

Hikaru: Botany lab.  SOS.

Shit.

“Gotta go! See you later, Amy!” You called over your shoulder as you dashed back out the doors.

A million things were going through your mind. What was the SOS about?  Was Hikaru alright?  Why did Leonard lie to you about having to work late?  Did he have a Valentine’s date he didn’t tell you about?

You were ashamed at how disappointed and stupid that made you felt.  

It took you a good 5 minutes of fast walking/jogging to make it to the botany lab, and you had broken out in a light sweat by the time you got there.

You rounded the corner quickly and nearly slammed into another person.

“Oh!” You jumped back, almost dropping the box of cookies.

It was Leonard.

“Y/N!” He exclaimed, looking particularly flushed and disoriented by the sight of you.

“Hi, umm, is everything alright?  Sulu sent me an SOS.” You tried to peek over Leonard’s shoulders to see into the lab, but he stood awkwardly in the way.

“He did?” Leonard asked, looking perplexed then annoyed, turning his head to the side and muttering something that sounded like ‘fucker’ under his breath. 

“He just left for the Bridge.” Leonard looked back to you, his hair falling onto his forehead, and a frown pulled at the corners of his lips.  He shuffled just a bit and it was the first time you noticed his hand tucked behind his back, as if he was hiding something.

“Wha-?” You started.

“Are those the cookies I like?” Leonard interrupted, squinting down at the container.

“What, these?” You stammered, tucking the box under you arm. “Well… yes.  But-but they were for Hikaru.”

Leonard’s brows furrowed and he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “I thought Sulu was vegan. Don’t those have eggs in them?” He questioned.

You felt your eyes widen, and you tried to control your facial expression as you responded, “Y-yea…nnno…maybe…” You tucked the box further under your arm. “What’ve you got there?” You asked, pointing to his hidden hand, trying desperately to change the subject.

He looked hesitant for a moment, before withdrawing his hand and producing a magnificent bouquet of flowers. There were white roses mixed in with full-bloom peony heads in a soft pink, interwoven with white baby’s breath and contrasted with dark green ivy.

“Wow.” You breathed. Peonies were your favourite.  You could smell them from here.

Leonard didn’t say anything, just held the bouquet awkwardly in front of him.

There were several beats of silence, and you felt your disappointment grow with each passing second. “You could have just told me you had a date,” you said softly, dropping your eyes to the floor, “I wouldn’t have cared.”

“No, it’s not- it’s just- I…” Leonard was stammering, more flustered than you’d ever seen him before.

“It’s fine, I get it,” you defended, turning to leave, “I should go find Hikaru.”

“Y/N, wait.” Leonard’s hand found your elbow and spun you around, not letting go. He took a breath and squeezed his eyes shut before he continued, “They’re for you.”

You blinked at him, shrugging off his hand on you and stepping back, “No, you don’t have to give them to me just because you don’t want to tell me you’re going on a date. I don’t want your pity flowers.”

To your surprise, Leonard held your gaze, and you watched as his face softened, just a little.  “I’m not giving them to you out of pity, smartass,” he grunted , “they were for you the whole time.  I was bringing them to you as a surprise, for Valentine’s Day.  I know they’re your favourite and I just- I thought… yeah I guess it was pretty dumb.” He dropped the flowers to his side, and you watched a few peony petals glide to the floor.

It took you a second to process everything he said. “You-you’re being serious?”

Leonard lifted his gaze to you and nodded.

“I’m an idiot.” You huffed.

He shook his head, “No, you’re not…”

You pointed your finger at him and grinned, “I’m an idiot.  You’re an idiot.  We’re the co-presidents of Club idiot.”

That made him chuckle and you could almost feel the tension dissolving between the two of you.  What was left was a softer, gentler feeling, something from deep inside you.

“Sulu helped me pick them,” Leonard explained, “The amount of flowers that man grows should be illegal.”

Now it was your turn to chuckle.  

You took the container of cookies out from under your arm and let it hang between your fingertips. “I did make these for you.  I swung by the medbay to bring them to you because you were working late.”

“That was really thoughtful of you.” The softness in his tone surprised you, and you met his hazel eyes, seeing something flash behind them that you hadn’t seen since…

“Do you remember that night you made me watch ‘The Princess Bride?” Leonard asked, leaning against the wall, and you moved to join him, leaning to face him.

That was the night you thought he was going to kiss you.

“Of course. The night you cried because you thought Wesley and Buttercup weren’t going to be together.”

“Ha ha.” He smirked, then let his features soften. “Well, I don’t know if you would remember this, it was a while ago, but when we were on the couch, and… well…”

“I remember.” You said, and his gaze snapped to yours.

“You do?”

“Mhmm.” You licked your lips and looked up at him, taking in the face you knew so well, framed by dark, slightly tousled hair, the lines around his eyes and mouth soft, and the space between his eyebrows was smooth, though you knew his brows seemed permanently furrowed when he was stressed.

“I wish I had done what I had wanted to do then…” He said, his gaze flicking between your eyes and your lips.

“Which was…”

“Kiss you.”

The fingers that you were drumming on the top of the container of cookies stopped, and your mouth fell slightly open.

You chose your words carefully. “So, why didn’t you?”

He exhaled. “I didn’t think it was the right time.”

“Ah,” you nodded, looking down. “So, when is the right time going to be?”

A soft smile ever so slightly pulled at the corner of his lips.  “You only know it’s the right time when it is the right time.”

You smiled and rolled your eyes. “You’re such a romantic, Leonard McCoy.”

His eyes glinted with amusement as he smiled fully now, and your heart overflowed with love at the sight.  He dropped your gaze and played with the petals of one flower between his fingertips, rolling it between his thumb and index when it plucked free.

You gathered up all your courage and inched closer to him. “What if I told you right now was the right time?”

He stopped playing with the flower and looked at you, his expression unreadable. “That’s not how it works, Y/N.”

“Oh shut up.” You quipped, cocking your head to the side and taking a confident step forward, a sudden bout of nervous excitement causing butterflies to take flight in your stomach.

His whole face softened, and he was looking at you with an expression of such admiration that you wished you could capture it with a camera.  He leaned into you, now having to drop the bouquet at his side so he could stay facing you.  His free hand lifted and his fingers grazed your cheek, bringing with it a strong scent of peonies and roses.  

“Kiss me.” You sighed, your eyes fluttering closed as he pulled you closer, and you could feel his breath against your lips, just the same as that night watching that movie.

He paused for a second, and you became suddenly aware of your pounding pulse and your impending anticipation.

“As you wish.” He breathed, the words fanning over your mouth before he covered your lips with his.

His lips were firm and warm against yours, the taste of him immediately intoxicating you and you kissed him back with an equal fervor.  You slung one of your arms around his neck, awkwardly dropping the box of cookie to your side in order to draw him closer.  

The kiss was everything you had hoped for and more, and as his hand dropped to your waist, you felt your chest fill with desire.

You broke the kiss breathlessly, not straying far from him, holding him firm by the fingers entangled in the hair at the back of his neck.

“How ‘bout we take that bouquet and these cookies back to my room?  Hm?” You asked, pecking his lips softly before continuing, “we can have those drinks you cancelled on me from earlier.”

Leonard laughed and shook his head, his nose rubbing against yours.  “Sounds like a plan to me.”

But before you could lead him away, he kissed you breathless again, pulling away to tip his forehead against yours. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Y/N.”

You smiled, “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

-Thanks for reading!  I hope you liked it!-

He dropped your gaze for a moment before looking back at you solemnly through his brows.  The look on his face was a thinly veiled mask over an expression of worry, and you were so focused on it that you jumped a little when he took your hand, giving it a quick squeeze between his thumb and fingers.

He dropped your hand as the aliens emerged from the stairs, and you felt yourself longing for more of his reassuring touch. 

You were taken into the arena again, this time the room already filled with the dark aliens, and the cacophony of sounds was deafening.  Your eyes fell instantly to the platform in the center, however, this time noting a large wooden chair on top of it, rather than the glass box. 

Your heart clenched as Leonard was dragged and pushed onto it, his arms and legs being strapped down to it. 

SNAP! The sound of Ch’al’s cane hitting the ground made you spin around and silenced the entire room.

“Welcome back, Sweet.” Ch’al’s taunting voice echoed across the arena.

Your mouth went dry and mind went blank at what to say.

“Are you going to cooperate today?  Hmmm?” He hummed. “Shall I ask you again?  I suppose I shall.  Tell me everything you know about your father.  Tell me where the Artifact is.”

You exhaled and set your jaw.  You had thought about what to say this time, wracking your brain for anything regarding your father. 

“He was an explorer.  Or at least that’s what my grandmother said when she was still alive.  She was the only one that would talk about him to me.  She said he explored the galaxies, searching for new things and new life.  I vaguely remember seeing a picture of him once in a Starfleet uniform. But that’s all I can remember.  I swear to you that’s all I know.”

Ch’al regarded you with an even gaze, and you could hear your heart pounding in your ears. 

“Where did he go?” Ch’al asked.

“Pardon?”

“When you were a child.  Where did he disappear to?”

You blinked. “I-I don’t know.  My mom picked me up from school one day and just said that he wasn’t coming home.  She wouldn’t tell me where he went.”

“So you don’t know.”

Panic started building in your chest, and your hands started trembling. “No, she never told me where he went.”

Ch’al snapped his talons.

You spun to Leonard, gasping when you saw a dark figure approach him from behind.  It was in the same shape as the aliens, but cloaked in long, dark robes from head to toe. Leonard was craning his neck to see it, but as soon as it centered behind him, his eyes squeezed closed, and he dropped his head, as if he was in pain.

“What are you doing to him?” You asked, your voice shaky.

“Maliika here is trained in the art of entering minds.” Ch’al responded. “And she may be able to add a few things or two if she feels like it.

Leonard shook his head side-to-side, as if he was trying to get water out of his ears, before he looked up to you.

“So, Sweet, you were saying your mother knows where your father went?” Ch’al sung, and you turned slowly back to him.

“I don’t know.” You said slowly, carefully. “I think she did, at one point.”

Ch’al gripped the arms of his chair tightly and snapped, “You are wasting my time.  Explain, human.”

“She-she was diagnosed with schizophrenia when I was 18.  It’s a… a human disease of the mind… that-that makes you see and hear things that aren’t there.  It can make you have delusions, or symptoms of depression.  Before I went to the Academy I got her placed in a psychiatric home, to have full time care.  She still recognizes me, but her attention and memory are… spotty at best.”

Ch’al seemed to consider this for a moment, though his posture stayed rigid and tense.

“I do not understand this ‘disease of the mind’.” He said flatly. “I believe you are lying.”

Then he snapped.

It was not as dramatic as before, with the water rushing into the glass chamber, but still you spun to face Leonard, who was not looking around, not with a pained expression, but with one of confusion.

“Joanna?” The name left his lips as his eyes tracked something near the large doors. “Joanna, what are you doing here?”

You frowned deeply and rubbed your hands over your face in dread.  You had no idea who Joanna was, but you knew this couldn’t be good.

“Let her go!” Leonard shouted, looking pained, his eyes fixed on a point behind you.

“Your mother must have told you where your father went.  You cannot keep that secret from a child forever.” It was Ch’al’s voice now.

“I already told you, she never did.  All I know is that he was an explorer and…”

“ENOUGH!” He yelled, snapping his fingers again.

“Jo?  You monsters! Let her go!” Leonard was the one yelling now, and you turned to see him fighting against the restraints.

“Leonard, it’s not real,” you said, stepping towards him.

His eyes tracked an invisible object and seemed to land on you.

“Y/N?” He asked, and you thought for a second maybe you had gotten through. “Answer him. Tell him the truth.  Please,” he begged. “That’s my daughter!”

Your heart dropped. “I am telling the truth. It’s not real, Leonard.”

“I don’t understand,” he said, and you could see the sweat dripping off his brow.  “Why are you doing this?” He was fighting against the restraints even harder, pure panic filling his features. “NO!” He shouted, “LET HER GO!  THAT’S MY DAUGHTER!”

“Tell me the truth and this all stops.” Ch’al’s voice cut through Leonard’s yelling. “Tell me where your father is.  Tell me where the Artifact is.”

You turned slowly to face Ch’al, keeping your voice as steady and even as you could, “I’ve told you all I know.”

“PLEASE!” Leonard yelled from behind you.

A tear inadvertently snuck down your cheek. “I would tell you if I did, because it sounds really important to you, your species, and your planet, but I don’t know where my father or the Artifact is.”

Ch’al’s dark eyes bored into yours, and you swore he smiled as snapped his fingers.

“Oh, god.” Leonard’s voice was strained.

You pinched your eyes shut for a moment as you turned around, squeezing a few more tears down your cheeks.  Leonard was staring at a spot a few feet away from you, his expression more desperate than you had seen on anyone, ever. 

“Y/N.  Please.  Stop them!”  He yelled, straining so hard against the restraints that he shook the chair. “They have a knife, oh god!  Joanna!  Let her go!  Take me instead!”

That damn near broke your heart, and had to close your eyes and look away from him.  You couldn’t watch him face whatever he was facing. 

“NOOOOOO!” A scream tore from his throat so feral and so raw that you knew he believed every second of whatever he was hallucinating. 

Leonard went quiet now, and you peeked your eyes open to see him, limp on the chair.  Head drooped down, everything about his posture defeated. 

“Take them back.” Ch’al commanded.

You heard the restraints unlatch from Leonard’s chair, and he was marched off the platform, trudging past you, escorted by guards, without glancing in your direction.

You followed, escorted by your own guards, and soon returned to the cell, void of your empty food trays and blankets, you noticed, as the guards left. 

Leonard was facing the back wall, completely rigid, not moving except for his shoulder heaving with each breath.

“Why didn’t you tell him the truth?” Leonard’s voice was low and gravely.

“I did. I told him everything I know.”

“Your lies killed my daughter.”

Oh.

“Leonard, that wasn’t real. Your daughter’s not dead.” You said carefully, staring at the spot between his shoulder blades.

“But-“ he faltered for a second, “but I saw her die.  You gave them the knife.”

“It was an illusion.  A hallucination.  Someone was in your head.”

“YOU’RE LYING!” He roared, but stayed immobile, breaths quickening.

“Please, Leonard.  You have to believe me.  If your daughter was there, I would have done everything to save her.  I would have sacrificed myself to save her.”

He didn’t move.  Stayed silent.

“Please.” You breathed, stepping up close behind him and reaching out to rest a hand on his shoulder.

Without warning he spun, knocking your hand away and shoving you to the ground, hard.  The suddenness of the landing knocked the wind out of you, but nothing hurt more than knowing that he was still in pain, still believed the hallucination.

He had stalked to the far end of the cell now, grabbing shakily onto the bars before it looked like his knees gave out and he sank to the floor.  It sounded like he was sobbing, or having a panic attack, his breath ragged, his body trembling.  He stuffed the heel of his hands into his eyes and folded over in defeat.

You wanted to comfort him, you really did, but something about him shoving you to the ground scared you.  You knew that when the mind lies it can really affect someone.  You knew it better than anyone, especially, with your mom having schizophrenia.

Leonard stayed like that for some time, folded over, defeated, but you didn’t approach him.  You tucked yourself into the opposite corner and stayed quiet.  To give him his time to process everything.

Wishing you still had that blanket, you curled into the bars, shivering at the cool contact of the metal against your skin. At some point you dozed off, in a fitful, cool sleep, filled with dark, evil creatures and little girls with Leonard’s eyes.

-Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it!- 

Tag list (let me know if you want to be added/removed):@emmkolenn @harley-with-gegs-quinn@feelmyroarrrr @jefferson-in-the-tardis@anyakinamidala@fandomheadrush@kirkaholic123@im-the-nerdiest-of-them-a11@pinkamour1588@to-pick-ourselves-up-7@starmission@destielismymothership @curiosity-killed-the-speedster@mccoymostly@yoshiepic@anotherotter@daytimemaniac@super–who–locked@sparkedupsilver @stupidhawkass @startled-seastar@dirajunara @the-space-goddess-16 @mysteriously-lost-forever @lauuerodz @kirkaholic123 @space-helen@annathewitch@releasethefreaks @bubblegum-star-trek

"Why are we here?" Leonard demanded. 

"You will come with us." The alien shouted again, and one of them stepped towards the cell with a giant key. 

"We're not going anywhere." Leonard took a step back, closing the gap between you and him and extending a hand that crossed over your front and gently touched your hip protectively. 

"You will come with us." Three aliens entered the cell and advanced towards you and Leonard. 

Leonard's grip on your hip tightened as they neared, and he stepped back, taking you with him.  They smelt of sea water and the stench of rotting plants, and it only made your panic spike. 

One of the aliens grabbed at Leonard, it’s taloned hands ripping him forwards and away from you.  In the tightness of his jaw and the stiff steps Leonard took, you could tell that he wanted to fight back, but when he flipped around in the alien's grip to face you, you could tell he'd made a decision.  To not fight back, to be docile in order not to get hurt.  And his gaze he was telling you to do the same.  

You gritted your teeth as the next alien grabbed you and held your hands to your back tightly.  

Sharp talons were digging into your upper arms as you were escorted out of the cell and through the winding stone corridors.  You climbed up several sets of wide stairs until you ended up at a large set of double doors.  They swung slowly open with loud resounding creaks as you approached, and it made you want to put your hands over your ears.  

The doors opened to a vastly large room, with towering ceilings and tall stone pillars.  It became clear as you entered that is was more of an arena, with stone stadium seats lining the room, with larger, separated seats at each far end of the stadium.  The ground was a fine gravel, almost sand, under your feet, and it made a soft crunching sound under your feet.  

A barely perceptible cool breeze brushed across your bare skin and made you shiver.  For a room with only high windows for light, it was surprisingly bright but the shadows that streaked across the room were very ominous.  

You were pushed into the center of the arena, where there was a platform in the center of the room with a large glass box sitting on top of it.  It was taller than it was wide, looking like the size of a stand-alone shower.

"Hey!"

You snapped your head around to see Leonard being shoved towards the platform.  He was trying to wrench his hands free, digging his heels into the sand, but ended up being forced up onto the platform. 

“What are you doing?  Stop!” You yelled, trying to get free yourself, but you were no match for the alien’s grip.  

Leonard was shoved into the glass box, which was quickly closed and sealed behind him, trapping him inside.  He pressed his palms against the glass before slamming a fist against it with a bang, and you could see his shoulders rising and falling with heavy breaths.  

His eyes found their way to you and he looked like he wanted to say something, and you wanted to say something too, but you had no idea what was going on.  No idea what was going to happen. 

With your attention focused on Leonard, you were distracted when two cold metal bracelets were clicked onto your wrists and you were released, arms falling separate at your sides.  

Suddenly, there was a resounding siren echoing through the room.  And without warning the empty stadium was suddenly full, the rows of empty stadium seats filled with aliens in a flash.  The echoing silence quickly turned into an uproar of screams, hoots, and hollers.  

Your heart was hammering in your chest and you felt panic and dread dripping through your system when there was a loud slam, like the bottom of a cane hitting the ground, and the entire room fell silent. 

You spun towards the sound, and you could have almost laughed.  It looked like one of those old medieval movies, where the king was sat on a throne, his guards standing at attention on either side.  The larger alien in the middle held a long staff, with a sharp golden point at the top, and had on similar armour to the rest of the aliens, except his were more ornate, a deep green and purple, with gold accents.  On his head was a line of gold that looked like a thin chain necklace draped over his forehead.  

"Welcome humans!" The alien's voice resounded, loud and echoing through the large room. His English was much smoother and easier to understand than the other alien's language. 

"I am Ch'al, the leader of this species." At that, the entire stadium erupted in applause and cheers.  

Once it died down, he continued. "You look frightened.  What ever is the matter?" 

You stared up at him, teeth clenched tightly together, feeling your knees shake slightly out of fear.  

His mouth curved into a sickening smile, sharp rows of teeth appearing behind his curled lips. "Speak, human!" He demanded, clicking his cane again, the sound resounding across the room. 

Your tongue sat thick in your mouth and you blinked heavily before forcing the words out of your mouth. "Why-why are we here?"

"Very good," he taunted. "You are here, human, because of the Artifact." He said it with such reverence that the words resounded in your brain and shook you to your core.  

What the hell was he talking about?

You curled and uncurled your fists at your side before raising your voice shakily, "What artifact?"

The entire stadium erupted in shouts of laughter, and you looked around, your breath ragged in your chest, dread soaking your nerves. 

"Oh ignorant one," Ch'al taunted, "the Artifact that was stolen from us!  The one that you came here to help us retrieve!" There was more sharp laughter, and it grated against your ear. 

"We came here to retrieve a crashed ship." You said.

"Ah yes," he grinned, "we'll just call that a 'happy accident' that brought you to us, young one."

"What do you want from us?" You shouted, and the crowd fell into a sudden silence. 

"Oh, I don't want anything from him." The alien gestured with his head towards Leonard, who was standing stoic when you looked over your shoulder at him. "I just want you."

Your heart pounded in your chest, and your palms grew sweaty. "What do you want from me?" You asked, not feeling prepared for what the answer was going to be. 

"I want information."

Well that wasn't what you were expecting. 

Ch'al looked down his nose at you, cocking his head slightly to the side before continuing. "We'll start from the beginning.”

The crowd fell into a silence again and a cool drip of sweat snuck down the back of your neck and made you shiver. 

“Tell us everything you know about your father."

Your mouth went dry.  A shiver drew down your spine. "M-my father?" You stammered, swaying slightly on your feet. 

Ch'al's gaze was even and undeterred by your fright as he waited for you to continue. 

"I barely knew my father," you gulped, "he left when I was six.  I was raised by my mother."

"Child, you test my patience." His tone had suddenly switched from taunting to icy, and the crowd started shifting excitedly in their seats. "Let me show you what happens when you test me." He clicked his talons together as you would snap your finger and there was a sudden gurgling and gushing sound. 

You spun around to follow the sound, and your heart contracted painfully in your chest.  The sound was coming from the box that Leonard was trapped in, now about a foot of water soaking Leonard's calves.  You saw true panic in his eyes as you both realized what was happening, and Leonard slammed his fist on the side of the box, shouting something that was muffled through the glass box. 

"Let him go." You demanded, spinning back to Ch'al, fury and true fear sparking in your veins. "You don't want to do this."

"I don't?" Ch'al's voice was back to taunting. "I want information, Sweet, and this is how I'm going to get it."

It was then everything seemed to swirl in slow motion as realization hit you.  This wasn't just a hostage situation.  They weren't just going to hold you and Leonard captive until you were rescued.  They wanted something.  Something you were going to have give them.  Something you didn't have.  And they were going to torture Leonard for it.  

-Thanks for reading!  I hope you liked it!-

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