808Title: Harry's Trek 2 -or- To Go Where No Wizard Has Gone Before
Rating: PG-15 (suggestive scenes but nothing explicit)
Pairing: Harry/OC
Summary: Harry continues in the world of Star Trek during the 24th century and beyond.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by a person commonly known as JKR. Star Trek is owned by a company known as Paramount. This is a work of fan fiction based on those two "universes" and no infringement is intended, nor is any money being made from this. That's right, this is a story for fun.
A/N:
This starts a few days after the previous story "Harry's Trek". You really want to have read that story first or you'll be lost for parts of the story. I had originally envisioned a trilogy with this "universe", but this installment will be the final story in the series. The first draft has worked out to be 19 chapters and about 203 K-words, for those that want to know how big the story is. That makes it just slightly longer than JKR's book 7. Please note that except for some time ordering, I tried to remain generally faithful to the Star Trek "universe" through the TNG series. The obvious exception to this is the last episode "All Good Things" would have to happen a little later, so also a timing thing. I ignore all of the newer series; this also includes DS9 and Voyager, although I include one small part of Voyager as it helps me. Please note, I have not seen any of the series after DS9 and Voy, so any similarities between my story and what the new series have done would be coincidence.
I have also updated part 1 (or "Harry's Trek") to version 1.1 in order to fix some typos and titles plus add the occasional clarification. The story told did not change. Although if you wanted to go reread it, it wouldn't take long. :)
My immense thanks to memory-alpha dot org, an amazing online resource for the Star Trek universe. Also, multiple name generators were used to name people and star systems, so if a name translates into something recognizable in a real foreign language, please understand that is a coincidence.
I also want to thank those of you who encouraged me to continue this series over the time after the first story was written. I know you had to wait over eight years, but here you go. I hope you enjoy it; I do as it's become my favorite of all I've written so far. - Kevin.
Harry's Trek 2
-or-
To Go Where No Wizard Has Gone Before
Harry hurried back to his quarters after an harried shift, his first in the last three days since the Enterprise had arrived and docked at the Starbase. Geordi had let him attend school for two days before he'd been requested to come back today.
A supply ship was expected tomorrow and he'd been helping to remove damaged parts and take them to the shuttle bay. He'd cheated somewhat by shrinking the parts down and filling a box with far more parts than anyone else could carry before Apparating to the Shuttle Bay and dumping them, letting the shrinking wear off on its own. Geordi had found his process amusing when he'd seen it, but he'd also been grateful and assigned Harry to take the larger parts because of that.
Entering his quarters, Harry turned on his Anaphasic lights to help him as he worked. Going down to his knees, he lifted the bed with one hand while he cast a Repairing Charm with his other hand. The leg on the bed straightened and strengthened so he could set the bed back down. He then worked on the other leg on that side too. His practical wandless magic was getting better as he practiced.
Last night, Kim had requested he let her show him how Klingons made love. It had been a thrilling and frightening experience at the same time. While he thought she'd gathered a few bruises from the time, he was sure he had and was grateful for the long-sleeved shirt he could wear. Honestly, Klingon sex was for Klingons; it was just too much for a normal human. He'd survived as well as he had because of his magic. Because he'd had to, he could now create a shield the size of his hand, very useful for minimizing damage from a swinging limb. He tried not to think about his sore back when he twisted in certain ways.
Straightening the covers, he flopped down on the bed to rest, although he didn't expect to have long. Sure enough, it was only about ten minutes later before Kim came hurrying into his quarters … or maybe their quarters now. He propped himself up on his elbows to watch her.
"Let's go eat before we go to our lesson," she gushed as she dropped her datapad on the desk then grabbed her bat'leth from the wall, where she'd hung it proudly two days ago or her first full day after the Klingon ship had left.
"Are you sure you should be carrying that weapon through the ship like that?" he asked.
"How else would I carry it?" she returned, as if there was no other valid answer.
Harry sighed and stood. Pulling his wand out he conjured a black canvas bag with a shoulder strap and handed it to her.
She lifted the flap and saw that her weapon would fit into the pouch. "But why?"
"Because we don't want to freak people out," he told her. "Please carry it in there to the lesson today and ask Worf. He'll know what to do."
Kim frowned but slid her weapon into the bag before slinging it over her shoulder. "All right, let's go. I don't want to be late!" Turning, she strode in quick steps.
Harry just smiled and hurried after her.
Soon they were in the main mess hall. They found Fran having dinner by herself and joined her.
"Hi," Harry told her as they sat. "Where's Lauren and Camillia?"
Fran shrugged slightly. "With their families, I think." She looked at the Klingon.
Harry took the hint. "You remember Kim from the party, right? Kim, this is Fran."
"Hi," Kim said hurriedly as she started to eat.
Fran nodded to her, always the quietest of the three teen girls.
When it was quiet for a bit, Harry finally asked, "Where are your parents?"
"Working," the quiet girl said. "Dad had to work late, but he gets off in about an hour. Mom is on second shift for now."
"Right," Harry said and considered that for a moment. "Do they work on different shifts often? I'd think that someone would try to schedule it so they had time together."
Fran thought about it. "Most of the time they work the same shift, but ever since the accident…well, it's been weird. Sort of like it is for you. You were in class, then you weren't, then you were, now you're not again."
Harry laughed and Kim smiled. "Yeah, it has been weird."
They ate in silence for a few moments before Fran worked up the courage to ask, "What's in the bag? It has an unusual shape."
Kim brightened. "It's my bat'leth. Want to see it?"
Fran's eyes widened and she shook her head vigorously. "No!"
Kim look disappointed, so Harry put a hand on her shoulder. "See, I told you that walking around with that out might not be a good idea. Besides, it has sharp points and if you tripped someone could get hurt."
Kim rolled her eyes and ignored Fran nodding in agreement. "I'm not going to trip with it. Besides, you carry it by the handle with the sharp parts down. This bag may hide what it is, but it doesn't really protect it."
Harry finished off his drink and considered the problem. "Maybe it needs a hard-sided case like a musical instrument."
"Maybe it just needs to be carried like the weapon it is," she returned sharply, almost growling.
Harry leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Save your growling for later; Fran doesn't need to hear it right now."
Kim glanced at the girl who was leaning back in her chair and looking a little frightened.
"You're done and I might as well be," Harry told his girlfriend. "Let's go and let Fran finish in peace. See you later," he told his school friend. She nodded back but kept an eye on the Klingon girl.
Kim slung the bag over her shoulder before grabbing her tray and following Harry.
After recycling their dishes and such, they headed towards Holodeck #3 where Worf said he'd meet them soon.
"She needs to get out more if she's going to do well in Starfleet," Kim said as they walked the corridor by themselves.
Harry nodded slowly. "I don't know and I could be wrong, but my guess is that Fran won't pursue a career in Star Fleet. I don't think she's the type."
"No, I don't think she will either," Kim said as the walked up to the Holodeck.
Harry checked the control panel and found the Holodeck was in use and it wasn't registered to Worf. "We're early and the last people aren't finished yet." He leaned against the wall.
Kim growled quietly, not happy at having to wait.
Harry smiled before he reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her to him. Her look warned him to be careful what he said. Putting his arms around her waist he pulled her all the way to him and whispered, "If you're still in a growling mood when we're done, I'll help you take care of it. Not in the same way as last night as I'd like my bruises to heal first, but I'll tire you out."
Her growl lowered to be almost inaudible and she smiled with lots of teeth showing. "You'll try," she challenged him.
Harry leaned forward and had just started kissing her when the Holodeck door opened. He pulled back to see an unknown woman in work-out clothes exit and then look at them.
The woman snorted and grinned at them. "Wouldn't your quarters be a better place for that?"
Harry let Kim go and told her, "Now you can take it out of the bag." Turning to the woman he said, "Don't think that would work out too well." He smirked when the bat'leth came out of the bag and the woman's eyes widened.
"I suppose not," the woman said with a shake of her head and walked away.
The pair walked into the blank Holodeck. "Computer," Harry said, "leave the door open until after Lt Worf arrives." The computer beeped while Kim dropped the bag near the door. He stayed near the door too while she walked to the center of the room, swinging the weapon around slowly.
Footsteps were heard only a few seconds before Worf entered, also in workout clothes. "Hold!" he commanded.
Kim stopped and relaxed, smiling brightly. "I'm ready!"
"I'm sure," the head of security said a little warily. "Computer, change to 'Worf training simulation, basic'." The door closed and the room changed to a large clearing in a forest. The trees, which were close together, were obviously where the walls were. He walked to the center of the room in front of the girl. "May I see it please?"
She held it out and he took it, examining it closely. "Hold your arms straight out." When she did, he held it up in front of her. "It is about six centimeters too long, but I suppose it will do for now. Did you have any trouble bringing it here?"
"No," Kim shook her head before giving Harry a displeased look. "He made me bring it in a bag so it was hidden."
Worf nodded and looked at the boy. "Good thinking." He looked back to her. "Please carry it in the bag unless you are defending the ship. It would be bad to have an accident with it."
"I won't trip with it!" she defended herself.
"What if you had been carrying it when we hit the Borg wormhole and the Inertia Dampers went offline?" While she blinked at him with a stunned expression, he turned. "Mr Potter-"
"Just Potter, or Harry if you prefer."
"I'd prefer a rank, but you have none. Potter, did you wish to learn this too?" Worf asked. "If so, hold your arms straight out."
Harry held his arms out while Worf said, "Computer, measure him from wrist to wrist and create a training bat'leth of that length and proportionally sized." A wooden bat'leth materialized on the ground in front of Harry. "Computer, create my standard training bat'leth." A larger version of the weapon materialized in front of him, which Worf picked up.
"Come, stand five meters apart in an equal-lateral triangle." Worf waited and directed Kim a little further back.
"Rule one. This is not a toy. If I see you not respecting the weapon, there will be no more lessons. This is a weapon of war, perhaps from a … less civilized time compared to today - or some would say that; but it is a tradition that has been with us since before Kahless and will remain for centuries to come.
"It is also a weapon for private duels. So rule two, do not bring it out unless you are expecting to fight. To carry it openly on a Klingon ship is almost asking for a duel." Worf looked at the girl. "The person who gave it to you, how did they bring it?"
"Err, wrapped in a blanket," she answered as she looked at the weapon in her hands.
"The bare minimum that had to be done," Worf told her. "How did you carry it?"
"I brought it here in my transport crate."
Worf nodded. "Since you were leaving, I doubt you would have been challenged had it been out, but putting it in the crate was wise. You should do that or carry it in the bag in the future."
"Rule three. Do not ever swing a real bat'leth towards someone while in training. We will use the wooden practice version such as this," he held his up, "when learning how to fight with it. Dr Crusher can heal you after being hit with a training model - most likely."
Harry blinked at that and tried to imagine how he could be hurt so badly with a wooden model; he supposed he'd find out eventually.
"Take a moment and hold it in the middle in front of you, blade down, to find the balance point." He demonstrated that and each moved as he continued. "When you are sure of the feel, turn it so half comes down your arm and points out."
As they did it and he watched, he added, "Like many other weapons, this is best used when thought of as an extension to yourself … as if it is part of your arm but longer. It must be considered when you move as it will affect your center of balance, even if it is not overly heavy.
"Lastly, you must always be conscious of the blade. Just as you know where your eyes are so you can protect them, you must know where the blade is so you do not hurt yourself and so you know what will be hurt."
Worf watched for a moment more. "Good. Now stand straight and hold the handle next to your body with both hands, blade out. Now follow my moves. I will teach you basic kata number one."
Half an hour later, the pair could do the kata, mostly and as long as the grader wasn't too strict about form. They each had earned a lot of scowls and corrections from Worf. Harry vowed to practice on his own time to get better faster. He thought he had good balance due to playing Quidditch, but could tell he was going to have to get even better.
The Holodeck door opened and Commander Riker walked in. "Is now a good time?"
"Yes," Worf agreed. "They need to rest now and practice more later."
Riker smiled easily at the comment before he said, "Computer, change to a sitting room for four." The forest went away and something like a small library appeared with four high-backed leather covered chairs. Each took a seat with the weapons being placed on the floor.
When they all were comfortable, Riker said, "It's now official. If you want to go to the planet Vulcan, you can. The Vulcan Science Academy has agreed to work with you for the duration that the Enterprise is being repaired, which is believed will take about six months. Before you ask, it will only be that fast because they are giving us the highest priority in the shipyard, literally stealing parts from other ships to send us back out faster."
Harry nodded, having wondered that exactly. "What about Kim?"
"She may stay with you and finish her normal education in a normal school if she likes." Riker looked at her.
"I would, thank you," she said.
"The Academy will work with you to help you and them understand yourself and your special powers. They request that you spend at least 20 hours per week working on this. The rest of the normal day will be for your usual education. Finally, they will also share their findings with Starfleet.
"The reason for that is that Captain Picard has convinced Starfleet to allow you to stay onboard and learn engineering. We consider it part of our charter to seek out new life forms. Harry, should I assume you'd like to continue in engineering?"
"Yes, Commander."
"K'mpok, I will leave your career discussion to Worf."
She and Worf each agreed.
"Thank you, Commander; I really appreciate this," Harry told him.
Riker smiled. "We'll see if you still feel that way when we pick you up. I have little doubt that you'll be busy and working hard while you're there."
"I'll work hard and I'll make it," Harry told him with determination.
"That's the spirit," Riker said and patted him on the shoulder as he stood. "Consider any questions you might have. We'll talk again before we drop you two off."
Harry was definitely excited.
The next day, Harry awoke and managed to push himself up slowly. That movement and his groan woke Kim also.
"Why am I so sore?" she asked as she also pushed herself up into a sitting position, the sheet falling and revealing her natural form on top.
"My arms are sore. I'd assume it was the bat'leth training. I'm glad I have an easy day today." He stood and headed for the bathroom. When he came out he asked, "Still want to go to the Starbase today? Today is one of the three days I can go."
"Yes, I think that sounds good," she said as she entered the bathroom.
When she came out, she grinned at him. "I have a fun idea."
"Oh?" he asked as he was about to pull his trousers on.
"Don't wear that," she told him as she walked over to the corner of the living area where her two crates were stacked. She opened the top one and dug through it for a moment.
Harry followed and watched her with interest since she was dressed only in her knickers.
"Try this on. Resize it with your magic if you need to." She handed him a stack of clothes.
"What are these?" he asked as he took the stack, dropping all but the top item of the stack on the couch. When he unfolded it and held it up, he looked at her in slight shock, recognizing it. She was grinning at him as he queried, "Why would you want me to wear a Klingon uniform? And where did you get a male version?" He noticed he had the trousers, a belt, and even the boots too.
Her grin hadn't diminished. "It'd be fun and imagine the looks you'd receive. You'd be the best dressed male there."
Harry doubted that, but knew better than to say it. Still, it could be interesting, he thought. "I'll do it this once to make you happy."
Still grinning, she walked over and grabbed his head, kissing him hard for a long moment. "I shall make you happy later for doing this."
As Harry dressed in the strange outfit, he watched her dig another uniform out of the crate. As she put it on, it became obvious that it was for a female; something he was not surprised to see that she had.
He put his boots on last, but she did hers after her skirt with a high slit (so similar to the one she wore when he'd saved her). She was still topless at that point, something he was sure she had done to tease him. Finally her top went on. He had no idea how it worked, but the top somehow showed a lot of cleavage by pushing everything up and yet managed not to show too much - barely. Harry had noticed that was the style for tops most of the Klingon women wore on the ship, although he couldn't figure out why.
It took a little longer for her to brush her hair out, such that she would have given Hermione a run for her money in being bushy. Harry pinned his Starfleet communicator onto his shirt and then strapped on his belt pack with his portable Anaphasic generator.
Returning to the crate, Kim dug through it one more time. Finding what she wanted, she threw it gently at Harry. "Put that on your belt. Every Klingon always has at least one weapon. Since we'll be in a friendly area, one should be enough."
Harry looked at the knife in a sheath for a moment before he added it to his belt like she was doing. He had no idea why she wanted them both to dress up today, but once couldn't hurt, could it? "Let's go get breakfast; then we can beam over." A quick look in a mirror showed him a person he barely recognized; shaking his head he led her out.
Walking into the main mess hall, heads started turning and stared at them for a moment before people slowly returned to what they were doing. Harry was sure this was the effect Kim wanted based on her pleased look. They had no real problems, but that was helped by them eating at a table by themselves.
After breakfast, they walked to the main transporter room. "Whoa!" Chief O'Brien exclaimed when he saw them.
"Don't ask me," Harry said as he walked up to a transporter pad. "I'm just being a good boyfriend and doing as she asked."
"As you should," Kim told him seriously as she took her place. "We're ready."
O'Brien looked at them for a moment more, just blinking. "I'd suggest," he said slowly, "you be careful over there. Energizing."
The couple appeared in a transporter area. The tech in charge of the area just stared at them. Harry rolled his eyes and walked away, wondering if the entire day was going to be like this.
As they left that area, the two stopped and stared for a moment. "Wow, this is big," he said in awe as he gawked, trying to work out what a large Starbase would look like if this was a small one."
"I've never seen a Klingon version of this," she said in her own wonder.
Looking at his companion, he told her, "Let's go see what they have." She nodded and they started walking around, still staring and trying to take it all in. Off to the side Harry could see the Enterprise in its dock, along with a few specks moving around it - obviously people in suits doing repairs.
They found shops with various things, the most common being clothes, which neither of them bought today. The next most common were shops that sold food. They'd each brought a few of the golden coins so they sampled foods from multiple worlds and cultures. Most were good, but each teen found a couple of foods he or she didn't care for.
They also gathered a lot of confused and lingering looks, not only from the shop workers but from the general public too.
When they found a shop that sold ores and raw materials, Harry stopped and looked in the window, thinking an idea through.
"What do you want with a bunch of rocks?" Kim queried.
"Thinking about a project," he said vaguely and softly.
Kim was already distracted. "Hey, there's a small party of Klingons over there. Let's go."
"Bloody hell no!" Harry contradicted her swiftly. "Let's go the other way and leave them alone."
"Are you being a coward?" she accused him.
"No, I'm trying to keep us out of the brig because a fight started, which I think is likely," he told her and grabbed her arm to pull her in another direction.
"I will not start a fight with them," she argued and resisted so their walk was slow.
"I'm not too concerned about you, but what they will do when they see me, a human in a Klingon uniform," he returned and pulled harder so she walked at almost a normal speed.
"And if I want to stay and talk to them?" she countered as she jerked her arm from his grasp and stood there looking at him.
"Then either I let you go do that on your own and I continue on, or else I take you back to the ship," he told her pointedly.
"As if you could," she dared him.
He reached out and grabbed her arm again and a second later they were standing in their quarters onboard the Enterprise. Harry let go and stepped back. While she looked at him in shock, he took his communicator off and then his belt pack.
As he started undoing his top, she came out of her shock and asked, "What are you doing and why did you bring us here?"
Harry sighed and continued taking his top off. "I brought us back here to avoid a fight and so that if you wanted to yell at me then it was private. I also want to change into normal clothes. Look, it was interesting to dress that way, but I'm not a Klingon. It felt like everyone was looking at me, watching me, and it's not a feeling I like. Even the cleaning guy gave me a strange look."
"Are you afraid to be seen with me?" she accused.
He sat down to undo the boots. "No. I'm perfectly willing to return to the Starbase and walk around with you for the rest of the day, even holding hands if you want. I just think the Klingon uniform on me is not the best of ideas."
As she glared at him, he thought he realized what was troubling her. "Look, Kim, I mean no disrespect to you, the Klingon culture, or anything else. I haven't been in the Federation for long and I just don't want to cause any trouble. Do you want to go back to the Starbase when I finish changing? You don't have to change if you don't want to." He pulled his boots off and let her think.
"Yes," she said finally, "but I think I want to walk around by myself for awhile."
He pulled his trousers off before grabbing his normal clothes and redressing. "If that's what you want. I'll take us back to the transporter area and you can do what you want. If we run into each other later and you want to spend time with me, let me know."
"All right, that's fair," she agreed, stilling looking and sounding put out.
He finished getting dressed, including putting his communicator and belt pack on. Harry held out his hand, when she took it he Apparated to the transporter area on the Starbase again.
The tech there looked at them in surprise. "Where did you come from? No one told me there were people coming over. Hey, didn't I see you earlier?" He directed his question at Kim, ignoring Harry.
"Does it really matter?" she returned before she walked away.
Harry followed slowly for a minute, then turned and walked another direction when he could. He sighed and just walked, not really having any place specific in mind to go to. It was obvious he had upset her and he thought she thought he'd disrespected her, or maybe her culture. He really didn't, he just didn't want to cause a fight and get into trouble. How hard was that to understand?
He saw the place that sold ores again. He ambled that direction and looked in the window again. Eventually he saw that they really only sold in bulk, so this wasn't a place for him. It had made him start to think though.
Technically, he had no need to buy ore, which would require smelting and other work … work he really didn't have the knowledge for but could learn given enough time. Honestly, it'd be better to just buy the metal he needed, but that was the first problem. What did he really need? Considering the Enterprise and what it was made of, there were metals like duranium and tritanium. He'd had to look those up when he'd been introduced to them while cleaning up. More normally and easier to obtain, there was simple titanium, various steel alloys, and even Transparent Aluminum.
He could find those somewhere on the base to buy - probably - or he could use his replicator rations over time. Every person had an amount of energy they were allowed to use for the replicator for personal needs. It wasn't a lot, but he got a ration each week. Food didn't count, but personal items did. That was why most crew members bought things like clothes and other items at a Starbases with Federation Credits: their pay. Then they had their replicator rations for anything they needed while on a voyage.
He supposed he could save his rations up and get whatever material he wanted in small amounts over time. He also had some of the Klingon coins he could use; Kim had given him maybe ten percent or maybe a little more of what she'd won.
Harry sighed. He actually didn't have to buy now; they'd be here for about another week and he had two more times he could come over here. He didn't even have any plans drawn up for what he wanted to make. Hell, he didn't even know how to make the final product. He might work in the engineering department, but he wasn't a real engineer yet. Although, he suspected the computer could help him plan the first part of his project. The second part was hopeless for now, so this was really more of a long term dream.
Looking around, he saw the cleaning person again, this time using some handheld device to clean up a spill, sort like he might do with his wand, except that his cleaning spell worked a lot faster. The human man nodded at him and returned to his cleaning job. Spying another food shop, but one that specialized in candy and other treats, he walked that way and went in.
Taking his time, Harry picked up sweets from various places, but half had origins from Earth. Paying for it, he went back outside of the shop. He felt like he really didn't need to be here and he had no friends to walk with. He might have had some fun with Wesley, but he didn't know what his friend was doing. He didn't see Kim either, so he just walked back to the transporter area and returned to the Enterprise and then his quarters.
He left a little of the chocolate out before he put the rest of his sweets away. "Computer, lock the door," he said as he sat at his desk in front of the main computer interface so he could see the screen easily.
There was a beep. "The door is locked."
Good, he'd have warning when Kim returned, something else he was going to have do something about. "Computer, open a private file." Now, exactly what had Worf said…
— — —
When Harry heard the chime of the door, he said, "Computer, save work and clear the screen, then open the door." There was a double beep and the door opened as the screen went blank.
Kim was standing there looking at him in puzzlement. "Why was the door locked?" It closed behind her with a soft whoosh after she entered.
"I was thinking and didn't want to be surprised," he told her, true but very vague. "Kim, I'm sorry for earlier. I meant what I said. I don't disrespect you or anything, but I really didn't want to get into trouble either." He shrugged a little helplessly, not sure what else to say.
She dropped into a chair and looked down for a moment before looking back at him. After a moment she nodded and told him, "I understand now. I'm sorry too." After another moment she added, "I found the other Klingons again. I almost got into a fight. They didn't like it that I was wearing a KDF uniform when I wasn't in the KDF."
Harry looked at her and then started chuckling before it turned into laughter.
Kim glared at him for a moment before she started to laugh with him. She shook her head at the end. "How did you know?"
Harry shrugged back. "I didn't know you would, I really was more concerned about myself getting into trouble. On the other hand, where I came from I was put with a group of people who were supposed to be more brave and sometimes we did things that were a little stupid because of it. I think you felt a little braver and ignored caution a little today because it was the first time you were out on your own."
"Maybe," seemed to be as far as she was willing to acknowledge, which amused Harry some.
"Want to go get dinner? I'm getting hungry," he said as he stood, trying to bring some normalcy back now that they had cleared the air between them, or so he thought.
"Yes, it's a good idea," she said as she stood. "However, if you ever grab me and forcibly transport me with your magic again, we're going to be having more than words between us."
"Does that apply if I'm saving your life?" he countered with a grin.
When she growled at him, he took her hand and led her towards the door and they started walking towards the mess hall. "Does it also apply if I take us straight to our bed?" His grin continued.
"It depends on if you want me to go full Klingon on you," she challenged him.
"Hmm, something to keep in mind for when I feel more adventurous," he told her.
"Yes, brave and stupid at the same time," she commented quietly, but obviously meant to be overheard. He kept on grinning as they walked.
The next morning Harry woke to his communicator chirping and then, "La Forge to Potter."
He peeled himself back from the girl he was spooning and fumbled for his communicator, tapping it without picking it up. "Potter here," he mumbled tiredly. Kim stirred but didn't make a sound.
"Harry, I know it's a little early, but the supply ship just arrived and I really need your help. Will you please get breakfast as quick as you can and then join us in the shuttle bay? I think your special help will really speed us up," Geordi begged.
"Err, yeah, I can do that; but it'll be a half hour."
"Do what you can. Oh, and please bring one of the generators over your bed. I can hook it up down here for when you take a break," the Commander told him.
"That bad?"
"We have a lot to do. La Forge out."
Harry dropped his head back on his pillow. Kim rose up on one elbow and sort of smirked at him. "I guess duty calls. That's the price of being so good."
"It's for a good cause, I suppose." Harry rolled out of bed slowly, only feeling a little sore this morning. "Are you coming to breakfast with me?"
"Might as well since I'm up. I guess I can go to class early. It's self-study so I don't really have a schedule other than I'd like to be done," she commented casually as she searched for a set of her normal clothes.
They ate breakfast together before he grabbed her hand and squeezed. "Don't know when I'll be done."
She shrugged. "Do what you need to. I'm used to being mostly on my own. If you aren't back by dinner, I'll eat something then practice with my bat'leth." She grabbed his head with one hand and pulled him to her and kissed him before letting go and walking away.
Harry heard a chuckle and light laughter. Looking over he saw Wesley shaking his head and trying to hold his laughter in.
"Glad I'm not you," Wesley told him as he walked over.
"It has it's ups and downs," Harry said with a shrug as he picked up his lamp that he'd brought with him. "Sorry, I'd talk but I have to go to the Shuttle Bay to work."
"I'll come with you as I'm supposed to be there too. There's not much navigation to do while we're in dock," Wesley pointed out.
"I suppose," Harry agreed vaguely. "What have you been up to?"
Now Wesley shrugged. "Not much the last few days. I've tried to help out where I could but we've really been waiting on the supply ship so we can fix up things well enough to do warp 3 and hopefully warp 4. I heard there were other things shipped so we can do repairs for the couple of weeks we'll need to get to the main shipyard."
"How long will it take to get to Vulcan from here?" Harry wondered.
"We'll make it in a week, maybe a little less. I'd say it's about half way. Why? Main Shuttle Bay," Wesley added the last part to the turbolift they'd just entered.
"I, really Kim and I are supposed to stay on Vulcan while the ship's being repaired. We'll join back up when the repairs are done," Harry told him.
They exited the lift. "Then I'll be saying good-bye next week. I'll be leaving for Starfleet Academy while the repairs are happening."
"I'm happy for you," Harry told his friend as they walked to the big bay. Geordi wasn't hard to find so they walked over.
"Ah, Wesley, Harry," Geordi greeted them. "I'm glad each of you could make it. Wesley, if you'll join that group over there, you'll be helping to identify what's coming over and then moving it near where it needs to go."
The engineer looked at Harry. "I'll take your lamp," Geordi held out his hands and took it. "I'll set it up over here. Harry, I'd like you to shrink every pallet as it comes over down to the size a person can carry. Can you make that last about half an hour before it resizes up?"
"Yeah, I think so," Harry replied. "Be sure to tell them to place them a little further apart then they need to be and don't be near after delivered so they don't get hurt when the resizing wears off."
"Great, that will work. I really appreciate this, Harry. This is helping us a lot," the head of engineering told him.
"I'm glad to help."
While Geordi explained what was going on to the delivery team, Harry started to shrink the twenty or so pallets that had already arrived. He made them small enough a person could hold one pallet in each hand, since the weight reduced with the size.
When he finished those, new pallets were sent over with the transporter from the supply ship and he started shrinking them. Wesley had the idea to get an anti-grav lift and place six shrunken pallets on it that were all going to the same area. It didn't take long before Harry was waiting on the supply ship to beam more pallets of parts over.
After three breaks for food and during another lull in the work, Geordi came by and found him sitting under his lamp. He was tired too.
"Harry, I just heard that we're done transferring supplies and parts. In fact, thanks to you, we did two days work in one day. Go get some rest and sleep and come back for a normal first shift tomorrow and we'll teach you some normal engineering at a normal pace. How's that?" Geordi looked at him hopefully.
"Sleep sounds really good," Harry answered.
Geordi chuckled. "I know today was probably boring for you. These days don't happen often but we do have to do them for the good of the ship. Thanks again."
"Sure, I understand," Harry told him rising and turning off his lamp and disconnecting it. He really did understand. He equated it to doing laundry in the old days, something you just had to do.
With a nod, he Apparated back to his quarters, finding it empty. He hooked the lamp back up and turned them on. Since he'd already had the equivalent of dinner and he wasn't hungry, he stripped down and crawled into bed. He thought he remembered Kim joining him but he wasn't sure.
Harry looked out his window and smiled as he saw the stars going by slowly. It was their second day after leaving the Starbase and he mostly had he day off and to himself; Kim was away doing school. Using his replicated wooden bat'leth, he slowly went through kata #1, concentrating on form. When he finished that, he started on kata #2 which Worf had taught them this week. He had to be careful of the ceiling, but with care he could practice here if he stood in the middle of the room.
The computer suddenly beeped at him. "Appointment with Counselor Troi in fifteen minutes."
Harry stopped his light exercise to get changed. He really hoped this time went better than the last, although he supposed good had come out of it. He still had an exercise session with Commander Riker once a week and the Commander usually made it fun, even if they were each sweating by the end of the hour. He also still exercised with Nick and Jose once a week too.
Since it had taken him a little longer than expected to get ready, he Apparated to the corridor outside of her office. When he pushed the alert button, the door opened a few seconds later for him to walk in.
"Come in, Harry, and take a seat," Counselor Deanna Troi told him as the door closed behind him automatically.
He took a deep breath and did as asked. He did his best to hide his nervousness and wariness, even if deep down he knew she had good intentions.
"How are you doing today?" she asked with a pleasant smile.
"Err, all right. I have the day off," he commented.
She smiled again and lifted her datapad and looked at it. "That's good to hear. I was reviewing my notes from your first session and I've realized I forgot to mention something. You should know that I'm half Betazoid. So while I don't have the full powers of someone from there, I do have some talents."
When she paused, he asked, "I'm sorry, I don't understand. What does that mean?"
Troi smiled at him and set her pad down in her lap. "A full Betazoid can read another's thoughts. For me it means that I can only fully detect emotions of others. That does help me guess your thoughts-"
"What?!" he shouted and jumped up. Visions of two abusers jumped forward in his mind and he Apparated away with a swift and loud crack.
Deanna just blinked for a moment before she dropped her head into a hand. "Damn it, this is as bad as last time. What have I stepped in now?"
It took a long moment, but she suddenly remembered that she had an advantage now that she didn't have last time. Deanna tapped her communicator, "Computer, what is the location of Harry Potter?"
"Harry Potter is in main engineering at station 32." It beeped and turned off.
Deanna tapped her communicator again, "Troi to La Forge."
"La Forge here. What can I do for you Counselor?"
"Are you in engineering?"
"I am," he replied.
"I was just talking to Mr Potter and said something wrong because he just disappeared. The computer says he's there at station 32. Can you please talk to him and try to help him?" Deanna truly hoped Geordi could help Harry.
"I will. Can you tell me what the problem was?" He sounded concerned.
"Well, I was explaining about being a Betazoid and how I was not a full Betazoid," she informed him.
"Hmm, I'll see what I can do. La Forge out."
— — —
Geordi stood up from his desk and headed out into the main area. It would have to be station 32, he thought as he stopped near the warp core and looked up to the alcove embedded into the wall over ten meters above him, the place that was rarely used and only to inspect the top of the warp core.
Sighing, Geordi walked over and gripped the outside of the ladder with his hands and started climbing up. As he reached the top, the rails of the ladder went up another meter to make it easier to enter the area, before they turned horizontal to act like a railing. There, sitting at the back of the alcove with his knees pulled up to his chest was a dark haired teen and also his newest helper.
With only his head visible, Geordi asked, "Do you mind if I come on up? I'd prefer not to fall from here."
Harry shrugged, "I don't mind."
The engineer took the last few steps and crawled on his hands and knees the meter and a half to the back wall and sat on the floor and leaned against the back wall also but on the other side of the small alcove.
Geordi decided a softer and caring voice would be in order. "I must say I was surprised to be notified that someone was up here since we're not conducting an inspection of the warp core today. Are you all right?"
It took a little bit for Harry to answer. "I don't know." After another short moment he added, "Probably not."
"Perhaps if you told me about it I could help. I told you when you came back from the Klingon ship that I was willing," Geordi reminded him.
Harry continued to stare at the slow pulsing of the warp core. "I … Someone was taking advantage of me."
"Oh?" Geordi was very surprised based on what little Deanna had told him. "I can definitely help with that, but you'll have to tell me more."
Harry seemed to be in no hurry to discuss it, but he did eventually continue on. "I was talking to the Counselor. She told me she could read minds. I … I've had people … two people … take advantage of me that way before."
Geordi only blinked in surprise for a few seconds. Thinking back to when he'd first met Deanna, he could suddenly understand at least part of what was going on. He could also see that this was an old wound Harry carried and misunderstanding had caused the problem. He felt sorry for the boy, but knew he couldn't sound like he pitied him. "Harry, I'm sure I can't explain everything right now, but I'm almost certain there has been a misunderstanding. Can you tell me what she said?" When Harry said nothing, he added, "Please?"
It took a long moment before Harry finally said, "She said she was from Beta-somewhere and could read minds. A former Professor, two really, did that to me and used my thoughts against me."
Tears were starting to slowly leak from the boy's eyes, Geordi noticed. There was true hurt here. "Harry, there has been a misunderstanding. Will you let me explain?"
While Harry didn't say yes, he didn't say no either, so Geordi continued. "Harry, while it is true that a full Betazoid can read minds, Deanna Troi is not a full Betazoid; her father is as human as I am, so she can't read minds."
"But she said she could!" Harry retorted angrily now.
Geordi considered what to say. "I'm certain she actually can't read your mind. All she can do is read emotions, not thoughts. There's a big difference."
"I don't think there's much of a difference," he argued back, only a little calmer. "If you know how someone is feeling it's not too hard to guess what they're thinking."
While he started to argue back, Geordi closed his mouth and thought about what Harry said for a moment. "All right, I'll admit there is some truth to that, but I bet she'd tell you that doesn't happen very often. She can tell if a person is happy, or sad, or frightened; but that doesn't allow her to know why you feel that way. Sure, she can notice that if you are holding a picture of a person and feel happy, that you're probably thinking good thoughts about that person, but that's as far as it goes. I might could tell the same thing, but she's just a little better at it, that's all."
Harry didn't argue back, but he didn't look accepting either. Geordi decided to fish for more info. "Can I guess that a person with magic can read someone else's thoughts and that was what was done to you?"
The boy nodded. "It's call Legilimency. I don't know how to do it; but yes, it was done to me and I couldn't stop it."
"It's my opinion," Geordi told him, "that you left before she could fully explain. My suggestion would be to go back and allow her to tell you everything. It's the only way you'll really know."
Harry turned away and returned to staring at the pulsing warp core. "Maybe. I'll think about it." He disappeared with a soft crack.
Geordi let out a deep sigh noisily. Tapping his communicator he said, "La Forge to Counselor Troi."
"Troi here. What did you find out?"
"Either he'll show up any second or else you're going to have a hard time fixing this; I'm sorry."
Deanna sighed. "What did I do wrong?"
"I don't think you could have known, but apparently it's possible to literally read minds with magic and Harry had that done to him multiple times and his thoughts were used against him. He's essentially afraid you have the power that your mother has," he explained.
"I told him just before he left that I can't do that, that I can only detect emotions," she defended herself.
"Yes, I told him that too and I think he understands that now, but he also said it was about the same thing. Counselor, I…" Geordi paused, "I don't know how to fix this, but I can recognize a fear and that he feels deeply that he was hurt by this in his past. Has he returned yet?"
"No."
"Then I predict he won't return today and he will avoid you," the engineer told her.
"Thank you for telling me, Geordi, and thank you for your help. Troi out."
Geordi considered the problem but could come to no conclusion on what to do. He unknowingly mirrored Troi's thoughts.
(A/N: Why yes, not everything will always be rosy for Harry. If there was no conflict or something to overcome, it'd be a boring story. :) FWIW, I tend to update about every 4-7 days, depending on what real life hands me along the way.)