[TITLE] by Greenbeans a fanfic based off of "The Best and The Brightest" a book by Susan Wright published by Pocket Books, Feburary 1998 "Star Trek" is property of Paramount Pictures. Characters in this story are property of Susan Wright and have been used without permission. Introduction A several months ago I was given a copy of "The Best and The Brightest". I eagerly read through it, having been captured by its being a character driven story.. or so it could have been. Ms. Wright tells the story of six Starfleet cadets in a manner that could be best described as 'wetting the tastebuds'. The book itself contains roughly a dozen chapter long stories and is not as character based as one would expect from this type of 'coming of age' story. I am not critisizing the author, I only wish to expand upon the characters she created since their chances of being further explored in the "Star Trek" universe are slim. It is said that copying is the highest form of flattery, and I would hold that having a fanfic written based upon your characters, in a respectful way, to be quite a compliment. One of the purposes of fanfics to explore a universe that has not had every stone over-turned, and that is what I wish to do here. Expand upon what was built and turn over a few more stones. I realize that not everyone has read the book. I've written this story so that reading it before hand is not neccessary, but helpful. There are brief character descriptions following this along with a short synopsi of upto where I'm inserting into the book. Referring back to these during the story may assist in keeping character and places straight. Characters Moll Enor, female, Trill Moll is a second year cadet at the beginning of this story. She is a recently joined Trill, the first to host the Enor symbiont. Moll has a photographic memory. This rareity has lead to her being studied and generally avoided as a social outcast, an oddity, and in extremes, a freak. She possesses an incredible intellect at the cost of not being very socially adept. Interactions with others are carried out in an almost shy manner that is reserved. She tends to be single-minded when she encounters a problem that intrigues her, to the point of causing worry for her Quad mates. Jayme Miranda, female, Human Jayme is a member of a Starfleet family, and has grown up knowing that she would follow in their footsteps. She is an outgoing person, almost to a fault. Her misadventures have paved the way for a record scattered with reprimands for her actions. Through it all, Jayme remains an enthusiastic and outgoing person who won't quit once she has her mind made up about something. ----- Jayme Miranda hefted her duffle bag onto her shoulder before leaving the transporter room. Ever since she was old enough to understand what Starfleet was, she knew that she would be a member of it. Her family was Fleet to the core, and finally standing on the Academy grounds as a cadet felt like a long awaited homecoming. [skip] Moll's head was cushioned in her arms as Jayme kneeded her back with strong hands. Before long, Moll's eyes closed and her breathing slowed to a steady whisper. Jayme continued working until she was certain the Trill was well into sleep. Slowly, she shifted positions so that she could admire Moll's peaceful expression. By God, she was beautiful. Jayme leaned closer to the sleeping form, close enough that her breath was warm against Moll's face. A little more... Jayme shook herself and stopped. Quickly, but quietly, she gathered her things before making her way to the door. "Why did you stop?" Moll's voice, heavy from sleep, asked. Jayme turned to face her before answering. "I thought that you were asleep, so I stopped rubbing." A slow smile crossed Moll's features as she watched her friend through slitted eyes. "That's not what I meant." "I-" Jayme's throat caught, "I'm sorry," she turned to the door to leave. "Wait, Jayme," Moll sat up, suddenly awake, "don't leave." "I can't, Moll, it hurts too much," Jayme hung her head before pressing through the door. Moll bolted off the bed after the younger woman. A few quick strides and she was able to catch Jayme's wrist before she made it to her room. "Please don't leave, Jayme," she asked again. Jayme faced the Trill squarely, a look of hope in her eyes, then shook her head. "You don't mean that." There comes a time when words will accumulate into a defining action. It was a lesson Jayme learned from the Izad after they had been ploting the revolt they were currently in for decades. It was a lesson reinterated when Moll pulled her into a soft kiss. Both were events that could be measured in finite terms of time, but had lasting reprocussions. Jayme's heart was thumping loud enough that she was certain Moll could hear it. The Trill pulled back and waited for her answer. "I think I would like that," she said finally, all the while, Moll kept a loose grip on her wrist. She shifted her hold to take up Jayme's hand, leading her back into her room. ***** Later that night, Moll mused to herself silently as Jayme slept nuzzled up against her. They opened a new door to their friendship tonight. It was something she found to be oddly comforting. The strength and support Jayme offered her no longer needed to be muted (not that it was much to begin with). 'Oh you silly, silly girl,' she chided herself. 'Why have you denied yourself this for so long?' Was it because Jayme's flambouyance towards life caused her to shrink away? Was Jayme's chasing what made her run? She'd gotten lucky. Most would have given up after three years of being rebuffed. She scolded herself for making Jayme wait so long when their feelings were mutual. There was no reason other than the time never seemed right for them. Moll combed her fingers through Jayme's soft hair. It wasn't that she didn't have feelings for the younger woman, hardly, but how to express them? Once again she'd left others behind without meaning to. She had much to make up for if she was allowed the opportunity. This time, she would not leave Jayme Miranda behind.