Crossroads

Posted on Mon Aug 18th, 2014 @ 6:40am by Lieutenant JG Paul Harrison

2,379 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Mission 86 - Discovery
Location: School Two - Starbase 400
Timeline: MD3, 1202 hours, Following Splashdown

"Crossroads"

Rachael Yamaguchi
Paul Harrison
Anthony Donos
Sian Anderson

Music Soundtrack: Escape by Craig Armstrong.

***** School Two - Hallway Three *****

Rachael Yamaguchi flicked her fingers across the lock as she reset the combination to a random number while she hefted her pack over her back as her friend came over to her. "Hey baby." Sian Anderson who was a moderately built Asian girl smiled as she greeted Rachael.

"Hey hon." Rachael returned with a smile.

"So... how's Paul Harrison?" Anderson inquired. "I'm envious girl.... not all of us have a guy like that chasing us.." she smiled as she regarded her friend, the other word was that her mother had refused a promotion to serve with Torilla Yamaguchi as Ensign Jiao Anderson would have been forced to accept a transfer away from Starbase 400 and Sian too would have been carted off as well, something she would not have enjoyed as she would have uprooted her entire life.

"Life is good.... he's making a lot of choices that he needed to make... its why I stayed away and let him crack on with it." Yamaguchi explained as the two girls walked down the hallway to the cafeteria or as Rachael had named it. 'The Mess hall.'. It was a nickname that had stuck fast and now many others were using it.

Rachael was in Grade Seven, same as her friend while Paul Harrison was in grade ten, he was much more massive then she was as she considered it, she then heard her friend asking her about sex as she turned a shade of deep brown. "So... no... you didn't do it then?.... aww Rachael, got cold feet.?"

"Sian, seriously, you need to get your mind out of the gutter.... seriously girl, its not a good look for you." Rachael's response was simple as Sian sighed softly. "What about Anthony Donos..... you know he's also lusting after you." the Asian girl shook her head. "You have all the luck.... neither of them know I exist while both want you bad."

"I know..." Rachael sighed. "I fucking hate it." she added with a soft growl. "All the boys want the good girls."

"Hate what?" Donos who seemed to appear out of the shadows commented. "Hey Sian.... Rachael."

"Must you do that?" Rachael protested. "I hate it when people sneak up on me." she added a trifle hotly.

"Sorry..." Anthony laughed as Rachael sighed. "Sian, smack him please.."

Sian smiled. "Nah... he's way too good looking for that."

Just then Paul Harrison showed up as Donos looked balefully at him. "Well well, I was wondering when you were going to show up.." Donos good cheer turned to acid when Paul appeared.

"What is that supposed to mean...loser?" Clearly Paul wasn't in the mood.

Donos narrowed his eyes as he indicated the other man with his left hand.
"Fine.... after school, we settle this.... mano eh mano. I'm going to break you."

Rachael raised an eyebrow. "Down boy.." she drawled to Donos.

Donos looked at her as he growled at Paul. "I'm going to have your head..."

"In your dreams. In your dreams." Paul rolled his eyes as he didn't take him too seriously.

The two girls stopped as they both quickly realized exactly what was going on here, they shared a look as they realized that Anthony was squaring off for the prize, the prize was Rachael herself and the four of them knew it.

"Look, Rachael is with me. Why don't you go away and I'll forget that you were ever here."

Donos gave him an evil glare. "You won't be around forever Harrison... After you leave.. I will still be here..."

"Seriously Anthony, listen to yourself..... Quit being an asshole." the smaller Asian girl commented in a derisive tone.

Paul was now just annoyed, "Yeah loser. Quit being an asshole."

Donos growled as he threw his punch at Paul.

Paul was able to block it by a move that Pike had taught him. He was about ready to swing at him but Rachael interfered with his swing.

Rachael grasped Sian as she pulled the smaller Asian girl away from the small fight now breaking out. "Enough you two.... fucking guys." Sian snarled as Rachael sighed.

"Sian, we all knew this was coming." as she sighed softly before Rachael separated them both using her abilities. "Guys... that's enough." she said softly as Donos growled and he swung at Rachael, his first blow connected with her jaw as she crashed backwards into the set of lockers as she groaned in pain.

Sian turned. "What the hell Asshole!" she snarled as Rachael shook it off as she growled. "Nice cheep shot..." her eyes seemed to almost turn molten as she gathered her strength to hit him back when she stopped herself as she recalled Paul's request that he wanted to protect her from harm as she shook her head. "Donos.... I think you're about to learn what pain really is..."

A big grin came upon Paul's face. He remembered something that Pike told him which was to not stop before the assailant was down for the count, "Normally, I make it a point to not fight." Paul started to turn but then quickly stopped, "But for you, I'll make an exception." Paul charged at Donos, pushing him into the wall, knocking the breath out of Donos. Before Donos could recuperate, Paul punched him in his stomach, then one in his his chin and finally his eye just to give him something to remember him by. Donos slid down the wall. "Let's go Rachael. I don't want to waste anymore time with this loser."

Rachael looked at Paul as she noted the way he went about utterly demolishing Anthony Donos, his form was actually quite good as she smiled. "Sure. lets go have lunch...." she turned to where Donos was slowly shaking it off. "You... disappoint me... Anthony." and with that she turned and walked off

Sian sighed softly as she reached down and helped Anthony Donos to his feet as he slipped an arm over her shoulders as she helped him off to the nurses office.

Meanwhile in the school cafeteria, a room which Rachael had nicknamed 'the messhall' and the name had stuck, Rachael Yamaguchi was developing a black eye on her right eye as she sighed. "Paul... you fight well... but your form needs work... would you like to train with me?" she inquired. "let you see me in action... We can spar together.... and it'll be a great outlet for you."

Paul raised an eyebrow, "My form needs work? I thought I did very well for my first time. Nice shiner by the way."

Rachael sighed softly. "Thanks, you're a lot of help." she looked at him.
"Donos should know better.... never punch a woman in the face." she sighed as she turned her attention to the lineup. "Lets go get some food before the idiots take it all and leave us with none."

"Last one there is a rotten egg." Paul raced her for the line.

Rachael tried to get around him twice but he simply blocked her each time and as expected, he won. "I hope I taste better then a rotten egg." she raised an eyebrow as she looked up at him.

Just then the Captain of the High school basketball team who was passing looked at them. "What happened to your eye...?. Tell me you didn't do that to her man.." he asked Rachael and then he addressed Paul as he indicated Rachael, more to the point he indicated her now evil looking black eye.

Paul shook his head, "No sir. It wasn't me. I don't hit ladies." He was a little put off at the comment. "You can blame it on that Anthony Donos."

"Donos Eh." came the response. "Well... I hope you kicked his ass for it."
the large jock responded.

Rachael raised an eyebrow. "Its okay Dean... Donos is being hauled to the nurses office by Sian.... hopefully he'll realize that she exists."

Dean Sanderson chuckled softly. "Fair enough... I'll leave it alone..." he paused. "Do you play Basketball.... either of you?"

"I might." Paul played a little but it wasn't his love.

"Why not come try your hoop shot out with us... see if you're any good. we're looking for new people.."

Paul shrugged, "I will if Rachael will."

Rachael's eyes opened wide as she had no idea of how to play. "My skills are non-existent but... sure.."

"Alright...well we can teach you."

Paul looked over at Rachael, "I'll teach you. You just might be a natural. You never know."

Dean nodded. "Alright.. finish your lunch first and we'll see you two in the gym.."

Rachael raised an eyebrow as she quickly selected her lunch and then she paid for it with some credits. "Paul you coming... come on big guy. Lets go eat."

"Um, yeah. I am." He followed her.

Rachael went over to the table with her lunch in her hands as she selected a seat and then sat down. "So.. Do you have your courses sorted out yet?" she inquired as she regarded Paul. "for the academy I mean."

"Not yet. Um...Lee..." He wasn't quite sure what to call him now, "said that he'd help me out with it."

Rachael smiled warmly at him. "At least your Mom is finally married.." she commented. "It was a great wedding... and what to call Leon Pike.... that is something you and he should go away and talk about... just the two of you and your mom need not be involved." she explained.

Paul admitted, "I'm kind of nervous. My father never really talked to me. I mean, yeah, he talked to me but he didn't REALLY talk to me, more like, at me. Lee is so different from my dad. When I am with him, I feel intimidated. He has such a large personality. Lee and my mom are perfect for each other."

Rachael smiled up at him. "But you and he need to have a heart to heart... find out where you both stand with the other..... he has to listen to you." she explained. "Just because he married your mother doesn't mean anything... you still factor into it." she added before she frowned as she gently rubbed her forehead. "Mmm...Ohh." she winced. "I think...Oh no."

She closed her eyes before she along with everyone else in the messhall all proceeded to scream all at the same time, some parts pain and some parts terror. The sound was well and truly deafening.

"What the...?"

Rachael's eyes opened wide. "I need to go to see the Doctor..." right as her green bracelet began beeping at her, indicating that what she had seen and felt was not a hallucination but was quite real.

"Rachael? What just happened? What's wrong?" Paul was confused.

"We need to go... right now." she said softly as she glanced around, everyone else seemed to be doing the same thing as well, the muffled chatter indicated that nobody knew what was going on as Rachael rose to her feet and followed about forty odd other students out the door.

Paul sighed as he followed her out.

"That was a mindspike, I've never had one before." she admitted when they were out of the cafeteria and heading towards the entrance to the school. Rachael sighed softly. "my abilities surge in strength for a brief time... like an overcharged battery and it flashes, sending a surge out for a certain distance." she explained. "it means my time of blooming is over." she paused. "Finally... I'm tired of having weird and random things happen to me. I'm....tired.." she spread her hands to indicate everything around her. "Always having to watch what I do, how I feel and what I say to people for fear of my brain exploding."

"I get it Rachael. There's not much you can do about it. It happened but I still love you...even if you are weird." Paul flashed a smile at her.

"Everyone in the school felt that mindquake and you're okay with that?" she looked at him as they passed out of the entrance to the school and into the Starbase itself. "You are more accepting than most..." she sighed.

"Rachael." Paul pulled her close to him and kissed her, "You worry too much."

Rachael raised an eyebrow as she found Paul's lips gently pressing against hers as he tried to reassure her that all was well, she however wasn't so sure. "I know... but can you really blame me for worrying?"

"I can't and I know that it is easier said than done. But you know I am here for you no matter what happens."

Rachael smiled up at him. "I know... you need not reassure me about which I already know." she responded. "I'm going to miss you when you leave for the Academy.." she sighed. "how long before you go?"

He shrugged, "In the fall. I'll miss you too."

"So you were accepted." she smiled up at him as her the green bracelet she had been wearing for the last few months flashed at her. "I'd best go before the Doctor calls me.... Hopefully it won't be too bad..."

"Hopefully. I guess you'd better." Paul kissed her, "See you later."

Rachael smiled as she gently kissed him back. "Seeya at last break... also let Ms Stone and Mr Reynolds know where I went okay?"

Paul hugged her, "Okay, I will. Hope it goes well with the doctor." He smiled, "Love ua." Paul smiled at her.

Rachael gently hugged the much more massive man back, since he was a third of her body weight heavier then she was, also he was a half foot taller then she was too. "I'll be back soon..... unless something else goes wrong.." she smiled. "dinner later?" she was referring to after school but the point was the same.

"Sure. Can't wait."

"Alright, same time and same place?" she smiled up at him.

"Yes, same time, same place. Now get going. The faster you get there, the faster you can get back."

"Alright." and with that, Rachael turned and departed the school.

***** Here's where the fun begins - Anakin Skywalker *****

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