The Darkness Within (Star Trek Into Darkness Fanfiction)

Chapter 3: New Friends

Akaylar bounded forward, looking around with his nose twitching and ears pivoting on his head. He picked up the scent right away and it led him right into the bridge.

It was quiet in the bridge, as it usually was when there was nothing else to do, but he wasn't there for the noise of the bridge. He was there just to find something and now that he got the scent, it would be easy to find what he was looking for.

He looked around before he came up to Jim and wrinkled his nose. "I don't assume that you've seen my daughter here, have you?"

"Nope," answered Jim with affirmation. "Sorry."

Akaylar gave a nod as he stalked forward with his tail tip twitching. He was about to head out, when Spock pointed his finger to the space behind Jim's chair that was fairly difficult to see. Akaylar's eyes glowed as he gave a brief nod to thank the Vulcan.

"'I guess that I'll just have to go and look for Spaw somewhere else," he barked loudly as he heard giggling.

Then, as quick as a lightning storm in space, he darted under the chair and sunk his teeth into something soft. He pulled back and the young pup yelped as he set her down, laughing at her in spite of himself. "Got ya!"

"How did you find me," asked Spaw as she looked up to Jim with her eyes narrowed.

Jim shook his head madly. "It wasn't me!"

"I could smell your scent. I'll teach you how to do that later and when you're a little bit older," Akaylar explained as he nuzzled her cheek.

Spaw leaped to her paws. "Okay, dad. Can we play again?"

"I have to work, so now." Spaw's face fell. "But, how about you see if Pulse, Bones, or Skull needs help. I'm sure that you could always do something fun there."

Spaw wagged her tail as she perked up. "Okay. I'll see you all later. Bye," she called over her shoulder as she bounded into the lift. It took her down before she navigated herself to the medbay, but not before stopping to say hello to everyone that she passed. Everyone seemed to know her on the ship now and it was impossible to go somewhere without someone talking to her at least once.

She made her way to the medbay as she bounded in. "Skull, are you in here," she asked as she sniffed the air, but her nose wasn't as refined as her father's and she caught the scent of almost everything except for Skull.

Skull's head poked out from behind one of the beds as he bounded forward, shaking some particles of something from the top of his head. "Oh, hey Spaw. What are you doing here?"

"That's someway to greet your friend," she joked as she sat down and scratched her leg against her ear. "I was just wondering if you wanted to play or something."

"Um, I'm not sure," Skull confessed as he looked at his paws. "We had an outbreak of some illness on their weird planet. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to leave or not."

"Skull, who's that?"

Skull turned to answer the call. "It's just Spaw, Pulse. She asked if I can play. Could I go out for just a little bit?"

"I suppose, but come back soon," Pulse called back before he slunk back into his office.

Skull had a bit more spring in his step as he bounded out of the medbay with Spaw on his heels. "So, what do you want to play," asked Spaw as she lowered into a battle crouch with her eye slighting in amusement. "Keep away? Tag? Hide and seek?"

"How about hide and seek," suggested Skull. "I'm supposed to be working on my tracking skills anyway. Pulse says that I have to have them perfected before he lets me go on any planet beside earth."