Disclaimer: not mine, never will be, but that doesn't stop me from loving it.

I know it's been a while since Best Laid Plans, but here is the sequel…finally. Enjoy! Tickle me pink with reviews!

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"Another." Jim Kirk said to the barkeep, pushing his empty glass forward with a long sigh. God damn, but he was bored. Here he was, back on Earth barely a year after Enterprise started her 5-year mission. It was intolerable! He didn't belong planet-side! He was captain of a starship, damn it, he belonged in space! Exploring new worlds, contacting new species, defending the Federation, now that's what he was made for. But, he couldn't do any of that with Enterprise in its current condition. And so he was stuck here for the next six weeks while Enterprise languished in space-dock.

He could have gone to Mississippi with McCoy, but as much as he loved Ma and Pa Bones, Podunk Mississippi was the perfect center of boredom in the universe. Spock and Bonnie had invited him to spend this forced vacation on New Vulcan with them, but they were still newlyweds and if there was one thing worse than being bored, it was being bored around people in love. Yes, he was happy for them, yadda yadda yadda, but that didn't mean he wanted to be a third wheel.

So, it was just him and Jack Daniels tonight in this half-full dive bar. He was about to take a sip from his refreshed drink when the bar door opened with a squeak and he glanced over. Putting the glass down slowly, Jim grinned. Standing in the doorway was the night's entertainment, even if she didn't know it yet. Every man in the room was now either staring openly or glancing at her furtively and Jim couldn't blame them. The air in the room grew heavier when she came in, like a sudden change in the wind. Something about this woman simply commanded attention. As his mother would say, she had presence.

It wasn't how she was dressed. Tight blue jeans, a plain white t-shirt and a worn leather jacket didn't exactly scream 'notice me'. Maybe it was her body. She was tall for a woman, around 5'9" and was clearly in good shape. Her breasts looked on the small side, but firm and pert. She had an ass like a juicy, round apple and legs that went from here to the Neutral Zone. Wavy, shoulder-length blond hair and golden tan skin – it was like the woman he had fantasized about from age thirteen to, well…now, had come to life and walked into this bar. He didn't get a chance to reflect on any of her other assets because she was coming right for him. He took a long drag on his drink, but was disappointed when the mystery woman simply ordered a beer from the bartender and took a seat at a booth near him. He just started to rise from his seat to join her when another man sat down across from her. Looking down at his glass, he eavesdropped on their conversation.

"Hi. My name's Mason. Just thought I'd come over and introduce myself. You looked lonely." he said. Jim was tempted to scoff at the guy. Total amateur.

Mason didn't get a response from the woman, so continued on with significantly less confidence. "So, um…what do you do for fun?"

Oh God, this guy needed some remedial flirting classes and fast. Jim heard the woman blow out an annoyed huff and respond with false sweetness, an Australian twang in her words. "I like to destroy men."

Jim snorted into his drink and chuckled. Needless to say, Mason excused himself and left the door wide open for Jim. He rose from his chair again, but cursed under his breath as Bachelor Number Two slid into Mason's empty seat.

"I'm sorry, but I just had to come over here. You have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen." Anonymous Jackass said smoothly. Jim rolled his eyes. What a stupid opening line.

The woman seemed to agree. "Next you're going to tell me my eyes shine with the light of a thousand suns or space crystals or whatever."

Anonymous Jackass chuckled; it was an oily sound. "Actually, I was going to say they shine like the light of a San Francisco sunrise, something you'll be seeing from my bedroom window tomorrow morning."

Jim shook his head. Ooh, he was in trouble now. What a tactless idiot, to jump to that right away! There was a tense silence in the booth. Jim desperately wanted to turn around and watch the train wreck, so peeked over his shoulder. Mystery Woman was leaning over the table and whispering in Anonymous Jackass' ear, but it definitely wasn't sweet nothings or naughty suggestions. Anonymous Jackass was shaking slightly and his eyes were impossibly wide. As soon as Mystery Woman settled back in her seat, Anonymous Jackass scrambled out of the booth.

Hmm, intriguing. As bad as these guys were at hitting on her, that's how good she was at scaring them off. Jim grinned wolfishly; he always did love a challenge. He signaled the bartender and asked for a beer, carrying that and his drink over to her table. Sliding into the seat opposite her, Jim got a good look at her face for the first time. Her skin was tanned a perfect gold hue and she had one of those cute, upturned noses. Taking her in, he realized her 'presence' wasn't because of her clothes or body, but her eyes. Anonymous Jackass got one thing right – she did have spectacular eyes. They were a remarkable shade of light gray; they reminded him of the sun shining from behind the clouds on an overcast day. But aside from the color, those eyes were penetrating. As soon as he sat down, they narrowed critically as she sized him up. It unnerved him.

But besides the icy attitude, so far he liked everything about her.

Jim slid the new beer bottle across the table. "I wanted to apologize for those guys. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but when a man's interested in a woman, he brings her a drink."

"Maybe I'm old fashioned, but when a girl's not interested, she dumps it in his lap." she said dryly, sweeping that critical gaze of hers across the room. Looking back at him, she rolled her eyes. "That was code for Fuck Off."

"Yeah, I got that." he said amusedly. "But in exchange for the drink, I'd love to get a name. I'll even go first. I'm J-"

"I don't want to know your name, I don't want to know what you do for a living, I don't want to know where you live. I. Don't. Care."

"Hey, if you don't want to tell me your name, I guess I'll just have to make one up for you." Jim shrugged, inwardly smirking. He didn't know what it was about that line, but it always cracked the tough ones. And either she was really tough or he was losing his touch…which, of course, meant that she was really tough.

But to Jim's surprise, his Mystery Woman perked up at the tried-and-true line. "Do that." she said.

"Do what?" he asked confusedly.

"Name me." she replied, as if it were obvious. "Give me a name that you think suits me and I'll do the same for you."

"Or." he said with a grin. "We could exchange our real names like, you know, normal people."

She sighed and massaged her forehead as she tried to put this weird feeling into words. It was a feeling that drew her to this dark, filthy bar instead of her normal hangout; it was a feeling that had been plaguing her for some time. Mentally, she snorted. 'Some time' her ass, she knew exactly when it started. Six long years she'd had this feeling and something about the man in front of her made the long repressed need for escape boil to the surface.

Suddenly, her head snapped up and Jim was spellbound by the passionate fire in her eyes. "Don't you ever just want to get away?" she asked desperately. "I mean really away. You get vacations from everything else, right? From family, friends, work, neighbors, home. Tonight, I don't want to be me. I'm tired of being me, I've been doing it for 25 years and I need to get away, if only for the night."

Jim had a fist under his chin and a slight smile on his face as he listened to her. She gestured wildly, trying to express this bizarre impulse of hers. Her voice rose and fell in easy Australian rhythm and the expressions on her face were entrancing. It had been a while since he'd stepped outside the normal one-night stand, dating routine. Her suggestion, while probably an indication of her being completely insane, might just cure his boredom. The grin on his face got wider as she continued.

"People don't realize all that a name encompasses! Every time someone says your name, there's baggage attached to it. Any time someone has said that name in anger or disappointment or disgust or even happiness or love, it all makes its mark on that word! I don't want any baggage tonight and I don't just mean the bad stuff. A new name would be like…like a masquerade mask: protecting you just enough to let the real you come out. Does any of this make sense to you?" she asked pleadingly, as if needing just one person to understand how she felt.

The small smile on his face gradually disappeared, replaced by a look of pensive concentration focused solely on this strange, crazy, captivating woman. Yes, he understood that feeling. His entire childhood, he had the baggage of being George Kirk's son. It had defined him and sometimes, all he wanted was to get away from the Kirk legacy. And now, as Captain of the Enterprise, his heroic acts defined him. True, he could and had been defined by worse, but it meant people didn't bother to look behind that and get to know the real him.

"It makes a lot of sense, actually."

Mystery Woman breathed out a heavy sigh, like the burden of this impulse was lighter just for having told someone. "Good. So…do it then. Name me."

Jim studied her, looking for hints of her character. She was a strong woman, that was plain to see. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind and she didn't put up with anyone's bullshit. He also got the feeling she could be dangerous if she wanted to be. Something in the way she carried herself and scanned the room every now and again hinted at a background in defensive training. But then there was something else, too, something that intrigued him. Her desire to 'step outside of herself' spoke of an interesting mind, a deep soul and a hard life. And once again, he was back to those damned eyes of hers. They were powerful and persuasive. With everything all together, this was one formidable woman.

"Delilah." he blurted. "Delilah suits you."

"Why's that?" she asked, the first hint of a smile stretching her lips.

"Because I have a feeling you could bring a strong man to his knees." Jim said seriously.

Delilah threw her head back and laughed. Her laugh suited the rest of her: unrestrained, rough and genuine. "I like it."

"Well, Delilah?" Jim asked cheekily. "Where's my masquerade mask?"

Delilah studied him too. The man was incredibly handsome, which wasn't anything new for her. She was constantly surrounded by good-looking men in her job, but they were her comrades, her partners-in-crime. She'd never been interested in them, let alone as wildly attracted as she was to the man across from her. His eyes were playful and mischievous, a sparkling light blue. He was confident to the point of arrogance, persistent to the point of relentlessness, and as flirtatious as any long-time ladies' man. He looked like he could handle himself in a fight, and if his mischievousness and arrogance were any indication, he probably sought them out and won most of them. She was profoundly drawn to him; maybe it was their conversation, which was refreshingly real, or maybe it was just him.

"Malak." she said finally. "I'd call you Malak."

"That's not a name you hear everyday." Jim commented. "Why Malak?"

Delilah smiled and licked her lips, travelling into her memory. "My mother told me a story once, about a man she met before Papa. His name was Malachi but she called him Malak. I remember she got this faraway, love-struck look in her eye when she talked about him. She told me, 'I fell in love in a day and it lasted a week…but what a week.' I've thought about that a lot over the years. I think that's how it would be between us."

Jim sobered and looked at Delilah intently. "You think we'd fall in love?"

She chuckled and shook her head. "No, I think we wouldn't last. You feel it too, don't you? A kind of…magnetic pull between us? That kind of connection isn't strong enough for real love. You and me, we'd be like an erupting volcano: explosive and dangerous together but that kind of heat and pressure can't be sustained forever. We would burn out as quickly as we came to be."

Jim leaned against the back of the booth, thoroughly engrossed by the woman before him. Earth wasn't the only thing he'd gotten bored of. The dance of seduction was always the same these days. Maybe it was too easy now that he was a starship captain and an intergalactic hero; there were no surprises or challenges to dating anymore. The women blended together and the conversations were all the same. Or maybe he was just getting older and outgrowing his womanizing ways, as Bones always said he would. But either way, this woman captured his attention like no other.

"You are by far the most interesting woman I have ever met." Jim said, a mystified half-smile on his face.

"It'll stay that way, too." Delilah said. "Because I don't plan on being around long enough for you to lose interest."

"Crazy as it sounds, I don't think I would lose interest." Jim said, the truth of that statement hitting him only after he'd said it.

Delilah laughed again. "Lying to yourself is the first sign of mental illness, Malak. No, you and I are meant to have this one night together and no more. After all, a masquerade can't last forever."

"Then let's make the most of it." Jim said determinedly, standing up and holding out his hand. Delilah hesitated. She knew what he was asking, and right now, it truly felt like the baggage of her life had drifted off her shoulders for the night. She was completely stunned to realize she wanted him.

Just this once, she thought to herself. I'll get my one night and that will be the end of it. I'll be wild and sensual and responsive, because tonight, I'm not me. Tonight, I'm Delilah.

She finally put her hand in his and let him lead her out of the bar.

"Your place or mine?" Jim asked, running his thumb over the back of her hand.

"Yours." she responded immediately. They set off through the dark streets of San Francisco, walking through clouds of vapor rising from the streets.

"So Delilah, do I get anything real?" Jim asked. He liked this, a night with a mysterious stranger, but it wasn't enough. She intrigued him and he couldn't leave this encounter without something real of her to remember. He needed more.

"I guess it couldn't hurt." Delilah shrugged. "One question."

"I better make it a good one, then." Jim said. He thought about it and decided he agreed with her; he didn't want to know her name or her job or where she lived. He talked about those things on every date he'd ever been on. It all seemed too mundane and too shallow for this conversation and especially for this woman. He wanted something about her. "Alright, I got it. What's your motto? You know, words you live by everyday. Something at the core of everything you do."

"Live like you have a death wish." Delilah answered instantly.

Jim stopped cold on the sidewalk and turned to her, a look of complete awe on his face. "I think I love you." he breathed, only half-kidding. She laughed, tugging on his hand and pulling him forward.

"Hey!" Jim cried, stumbling to catch up with her. "Don't you want to know something about me?"

"Oh, I suppose." she grinned mockingly. Staying silent for a minute, she met his eyes and asked, "If you could change your past, would you?"

Jim walked next to her silently, swinging their joined hands between them. It was a question he'd pondered a lot. Since his encounter with Spock Prime, he'd gotten glimpses of another life. One where he'd made different choices and had different, and in some cases, better experiences. But would he change any of it? The haunted sadness in his mother's eyes when she looked at him or her frequent absences? His childhood delinquency or his enrollment in Star Fleet? His actions during the Nero incident or the members of his senior staff?

"Nah." he said, tilting his head up to the sky. "It's supposed to be like this. Sometimes I'm sitting on the brid- I mean, at work and I just get this feeling. Like everything is square with the universe and things are as they should be."

Delilah smiled at him sadly. "You're lucky to see things that way."

"You would change something?"

"You already got your question, Malak. Don't push it." she warned, her light teasing covering up an undercurrent of seriousness.

They continued on in a comfortable silence, the anticipation rising palpably between them. Jim felt the absurd desire to drag her by the hand and run the rest of the way to his apartment. They'd be there in no time but it didn't seem fast enough. Delilah was refreshing, original and totally unique. She had a dry, quick wit and an intensity that drew him in. That magnetic pull she mentioned grew stronger with every step, creating a weird blend; he was comfortable with her but his attraction to her was urgent and deep in a way he'd never experienced.

He wasn't a romantic by any stretch of the imagination, but if this wasn't love at first sight, he didn't know what was. Nodding determinedly, his mind was made up. If he had anything to say about this, tonight wouldn't end as a one night stand. She may not be planning to stick around but he could be incredibly persuasive, especially when naked. He had no long-term plans or expectations, just the need to explore this…them…her, further.

Next to him, Delilah was also lost in thought. She was surprised at herself, honestly. This was so out of character, which of course was the point, but agreeing to go home with him isn't what shocked her. The fact that she wasn't the least bit nervous, however, did. She wished she could see sex like others, as no big deal, but going home with a stranger was a huge step for her. But Malak had a strong, confident presence that made her feel ready. And with this newfound readiness, her body seemed to come alive. Her skin sparked with awareness and sensitivity as his thumb brushed over her hand. She couldn't help but imagine his hands touching her electrified body elsewhere. Stealing glances at her pensive companion, her breath quickened. Those wicked blue eyes, his lean and muscular body, those full lips…it all drove her to distraction and moved that pulsing electric need decidedly south.

Delilah had never discussed it with anyone before, but her experience in the bedroom was more a lack thereof than anything else. But tonight, she wasn't going to let that stop her. She knew what felt good, her sensitive spots and how to give herself pleasure. Tonight, no over-thinking or self-consciousness; she would let her body lead the way. This was just a one-off. She would never see Malak again, so what the hell, right? Nodding to herself firmly, her mind was made up. She would explore Malak's sculpted body, take what she needed from him and leave.

"We're here." His voice cut through her distractions. She turned to him and nodded, climbing the steps to his apartment. It seemed like everything revved up. Her body became a mass of nerve endings and arousal and her mind was filled with desperate, long-suppressed desire. Time seemed to speed up. Suddenly, they were inside his apartment. Malak gestured around the living room and his voice sounded distant and distorted. Delilah hung back and watched him from behind. Her pupils dilated, nostrils flared, tongue darted over lips, and her mouth twisted into a feral smile.

"So, this is my place." Jim said, a hint of impatience in his voice. God, he wanted her so much. He wanted to shove her up against the wall and sink inside of her, but some dance steps had to be followed. In his experience, women usually liked a little tour and conversation before jumping into it. As much as he hated it, he didn't want to screw this up. "Well, not really, its just regulation housing, but its good enough. Although it does have a great view and the balcony is-"

Jim cut off as Delilah grabbed his bicep and spun him around. She fisted his shirt in her hand and pulled him down into a hard and urgent kiss. It was unexpected, but Jim didn't waste any time on surprise. He got lost in the burning need right along side her, kissing her back with startling force and passion. His lips never left hers as he cupped her perfect, apple-round ass and pulled her up until her legs came around his waist. He groaned into the kiss – he could feel the heat between her thighs even through the layers of clothes. He bucked against her unconsciously, smirking against her lips when she let out a faint growl of pleasure.

Delilah managed to shrug her jacket off even while pinned to the wall and Jim slipped his hands under the hem of her shirt, feeling the hot, soft skin of her waist and stomach. The sound of their panting breath and heated kisses echoed throughout the room. Neither wanted to stop, but the need for oxygen became too great. Jim ripped his lips from Delilah's with a gasp, trailing down the column of her neck instead. All of a sudden, Delilah unwound her legs from Jim's hips and pushed him away from her.

"What the-" Jim managed through his haze of lust. He looked at Delilah confusedly, but his only answer was the smoldering look in her eye. Spellbound, the next few seconds played out in slow motion. His crazy mystery woman grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head. He froze. He gulped. Then two words sounded in his head. No bra. Gorgeous breasts, perfect for filling his hands. Small, dusky, rose-colored nipples, peaking from the cool night air.

And then his mind just…stopped. In two strides, he was pressed against her and somehow, they became even more frenzied than before. Kissing was wilder, hands moved faster. Then his shirt was gone and he couldn't remember which one of them had taken it off. And God, how many hands did this girl have? They were running over his chest and back, her nails lightly grazing over his nipples and making him shudder. Jim lifted her up again, settling their hips together. He ground against her as he explored her breasts. First with his hands, making her whimper. Then with his mouth, making her gasp and cry out. But when her hands drifted to the edge of his jeans, it was like a blinding white light flashed behind his eyes. The urgency and need went to a completely new level.

"Bedroom." he murmured huskily. He started in the direction of his room, Delilah still wound tight around his body. Her hands kept exploring and God help him, her mouth started exploring too. The trip to the bedroom was a bumpy one, but nothing could stop this insatiable lust. He knocked his shin against the coffee table then ran into the arm of the couch, causing them to tumble onto it in a heap. At some point, they both fell to the floor. Delilah seemed too busy undoing his zipper to care, so he picked her up once more. Still kissing like it was going out of style, he stopped one last time, shoving her up against the doorjamb of his bedroom. Somehow, he managed to kick his pants off before stumbling further into the room and falling onto the bed on top of her.

"Why the hell are you still wearing pants?" he panted in between kisses.

"Stop complaining and do something about it." she demanded, taking his hand and guiding it to her jeans.

Delilah knew he was good, having spent the last ten minutes soaking through her panties because of him, but he removed her pants like a magician removes a table cloth from under piles of dishes. In one smooth tug, he had her pants and underwear off. It took him less than a second to have his own boxers lying on the floor and then he was on her again. It felt so indescribably good. Skin on skin, nothing between them, their body heat and breath mingling. His hard length rubbed against the inside of her thigh, making her inner muscles clench and throb in pure feminine need.

"Malak, please." she pleaded breathlessly, desperate for more.

Jim wasted no time in guiding himself to her center. He had wanted her from the first moment he saw her and here she was, flushed and panting and absolutely beautiful beneath him. He couldn't wait anymore and entered her in one long, swift stroke. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, taking deep breaths to keep from ending too soon. She was wet and silky and so, so tight; her muscles were pulsing around him. He hadn't felt this out of control since he was a teenager and struggled to contain his overwhelming desire enough to move inside of her.

He didn't notice her eyes shut tight or the gritting of her teeth until he lifted himself off her shoulder. She was in pain. And once the fog cleared from his mind a little, it was no wonder. She was incredibly tight and he was larger than most.

Stroking her hair, he whispered, "You should have told me it's been a while for you. I would have-"

Her eyes snapped open, meeting his. "It's a good pain." Then she smirked and bucked her hips, making them both groan.

Jim took the hint and began to move, slowly in and out. The feeling of him inside her, stroking her walls and hitting that sensitive spot with every thrust, made that pool of white hot liquid spread through her stomach and down her legs. Her thighs began to shake and the sounds coming out of her mouth grew louder and more desperate. Jim read her body and sped up, the sound of their bodies coming together joining the sounds of their pleasure.

Once he began to move faster, he couldn't control it anymore. His hips slapped against hers faster and harder. She screamed and begged and mumbled incoherently, first in English then slipping into some foreign language. The words were guttural and passionate and it turned him on like nothing else.

"Come on, baby." he rasped. "I know you're close. Just let go. I wanna hear you scream it. That's it, baby, come on."

Another string of foreign words erupted from her mouth, this time pleading and nearly delirious. Sweat beaded on his forehead and soaked his hair, but his hips never stopped the relentless pounding rhythm into her body. Then a hoarse and earth-shattering scream ripped from her mouth. Her back arched, her muscles spasmed around him and her eyes rolled back in her head. Jim followed right behind her, emptying himself inside her body and letting out his own forceful roar.

For a moment, neither of them could breathe. The force and passion seemed to suck all of the energy out of their bodies, leaving them winded and fatigued. When Jim finally had the strength to roll off of her, he could only blink tiredly up at the ceiling and whisper, "Damn."

"That was-" Delilah couldn't finish her sentence. She didn't think there was a word to describe what that was.

"Yeah." Jim agreed, still panting. Rolling over, he threw an arm across her stomach and murmured sleepily, "Stay."

She said nothing and watched him drift off to sleep. She waited until she was sure he wouldn't wake up, then scooted out from under his arm. Delilah dressed quietly, still buzzing from earlier. Looking over at his sleeping form, she kissed his lips lightly.

"You'll forget me soon enough." she whispered, frowning slightly. "Everyone does."

Without another look back, she left.

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Jim woke to the bustling sounds of San Francisco and sunlight streaming into his room. Immediately, he rolled over to kiss Delilah good morning only to find she wasn't there. Her side of the bed was cold and her clothes were gone. He sighed in disappointment, throwing an arm over his eyes. It was no surprise, really, but part of him hoped she'd stay. Throwing back the covers, he moved to get up but froze when something on his pure white sheets caught his eye.

Blood.

His mouth fell open. There was blood on his sheets. She was…she was a virgin? But…but…but he was a man-whore! He didn't like it, but it was true! Women did not lose their virginities to James T. Kirk! Why the hell wouldn't she tell him? Why would she want to give it to him, some stranger? Why hadn't she had sex before?

He fell back in bed, once again exhausted. It seemed all he'd ever have of Delilah were questions. He'd never know who she really was or why she went home with him.

"I fell in love in an hour and it lasted the night." he blew out a long sigh and then smirked. "But what a night."

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