Jim Kirk sat in his quarters absently drumming his fingers on his desk unsure how to proceed with this news. He logged in the captain's log and recited the Star date.
"The last battle was a bad one for the Enterprise….there…were…multiple casualties…Lt Katie Kirk being one of them…" Jim hit the stop recording button feeling his emotions flaring again. He felt the tears dribble down his cheeks. He couldn't believe it…his beloved twin sister was gone. He controlled himself and hit the recording button again. "Lt Kirk had perished due to a explosion in engineering…before she died she managed to save six crewmen including Commander Montgomery Scott and First Officer Spock. Lt Kirk contained the blast to one room in the bowels of the Enterprise…she became trapped and subsequently perished in the explosion…Doctor McCoy…" Jim felt the emotions returning again and promptly shut off the recording device again. Jim felt a small sob escape his lips thinking about his poor friend. He got it together and hit the record button again. "Doctor McCoy reacted badly to the news of Lt Kirk's death and had to be sedated. Arrangements are being made for all of the casualties and condolences are to be sent to their families as soon as we dock…Kirk out." Jim ended his logs and stood up. He tiredly walked over to the porthole in his room and stared out into space. This was by far the worse day of his life.
Nyota Uhura sat at a table nursing a hot cup of tea. It had been a very bad battle. Not only because they lost several crewmen…but Katie Kirk's death had been a severe blow to the whole crew. Even Spock had been affected he hadn't come out of his quarters for hours. Poor Doctor McCoy…the look in his eyes and on his face when he found out that Katie had been in the storage room when it blew was heart wrenching. He yelled at and insulted Spock for making such a bad joke to him…but when Spock called him Leonard was when Doctor McCoy realized that Spock was telling the truth. Leonard McCoy paled and she had seen the world ending in the man's eyes. 'no'. Was the only thing he had managed to say before he tried to enter the still burning storage room. Spock had grabbed his arm stopping him. 'NO!' He screamed angrily at Spock and punched him. He went for the room again. Spock stopped him yet again. 'Dammit you bastard she's going to die if she doesn't get medical attention!' He cried grasping straws that there was hope.
'Bones…' Jim Kirk came through the main doors to the cargo hold. 'Leonard…I have confirmed reports from the security system…Katie was in the room when it blew.' Jim looked like he was going to get sick at any moment. Leonard saw the look of devastation in Jim Kirk's eyes. Leonard McCoy shook his head denying it more and more. 'No…it couldn't have been her!' He noticed that Jim had tears going down his cheeks. 'NO!' He screamed losing hope. Even Spock's eyes looked wetter than usual. 'NO!!' Leonard screamed angrily and tried to enter the storage room again. Spock sighed sadly and pinched doctor McCoy's neck and down he went.
Nyota sniffled back the tears remembering the scene. She wiped her eyes but soon felt more entering them.
Pavel Chekov sat on his bed against the headboard. He pulled his legs up to his chest and cried. Katie Kirk was one of a kind…despite being Captain Kirk's twin sister she had been almost nothing like him. Pavel cried again when he saw what Doctor McCoy went through during the last couple of days. The poor man lost somebody that meant a great deal to him. Pavel shook with his soft sobs Dammit he was just a kid! He didn't need any of this kind of hype!
Hikaru Sulu sat at the helm in deep thought as he piloted the Enterprise to the next destination. He didn't have the luxury of crawling into a corner, curling into a ball and let his grief take hold. Somebody needed to pilot the ship at all times. One of his best friends was dead. Hikaru smiled sadly feeling a single tear fall down his cheek as he remembered Katie Kirk and when she would talk about the things she and Doctor McCoy had done even with her brother Jim Kirk in the area. He had so much fun these past years with her. He will miss her sorely.
Montgomery Scott sat in the observation room and watched the stars of space pass by the ship. His best friend was gone, and he frowned as he took a shuddering breath into his lungs. Katie was his best friend for the entire time they've been out here. Scotty smirked sadly feeling tears falling as he remembered the practical jokes they had played on Doctor McCoy and Spock…he laughed slightly when he remembered one particular joke and felt more tears falling.
Spock was stuck in a paradox. He'd never felt such grief before. And this time he couldn't blame it on the humans he was always near. Their feelings did come off strong but this one feeling was not from them. This was actually something he himself was feeling. He always felt that Jim Kirk was a brother to him. Katie Kirk was also like a sister. The two of those Kirk's were perplexing to say the least. He knew there would come a day when one or both of them would perish…but he never wanted it to happen. Spock remembered feeling Katie Kirk shove him and Commander Scott out of the storage room some of the last to be evacuated. He also remembered her going back into the room to retrieve files that couldn't be replaced. It contained codes, information and secrets of the Romulan and Klingon empire. As she grabbed it up an explosion somewhere else had knocked a support beam loose and pinned her to the floor. She quickly slid the files out of the door and Scotty picked them up.
'Katie…you must get out now!' Spock urged her but he knew she was stuck. He saw the look in her eyes. 'I do not think that is a wise decision…' He looked surprised at what she was asking him to do.
'DO IT!' She screamed as the fire portal she created to stop the explosion from taking the whole ship melted away. 'NOW SPOCK!!!!' She yelled and he sighed sadly and hit the button that sealed the room. She had come up with an idea to center the explosion on one particular room…this room was well endowed to take an explosion of such magnitude and it wouldn't affect the rest of the ship. The explosion ripped through the room and an enormous fire lit into the storage room and destroyed everything in its path.
Spock looked down in defeat as he realized that his meditation was not going to work this time. Doctor McCoy's demure has not changed since that day…he is still angry, bitter and…utterly heartbroken. Spock felt the tears falling down his cheeks and he sighed in misery. Life as they knew it on the Enterprise had ended, only to be changed into a newer darker ship.
Leonard McCoy sat in his office trying to hide from crew members that kept giving 'I'm so sorry doctor.' He couldn't bear to hear it one more time…he knew she was gone…he didn't need to be reminded every second of every damn day! He drank a bit of his scotch and walked over to his desk. He tenderly touched his fingers over the drawer that had the gift for her. He opened the drawer and took out the small box. He knocked back the rest of the scotch and slowly opened the box. The small perfect ring glittered in the light mocking him with its simplicity. 'I didn't even get to ask her.' He took in a shuddering breath. He loved Katie so damn much…after his ex-wife had screwed him over with their divorce he made a vow not to ever get married again…that was until that fateful day when he entered the shuttle that would take him to no doubt a really shitty future with Starfleet. That was the day he met Jim Kirk. Leonard smiled sadly when he also remembered Katie peeking under her brothers head and greeting him. She was so alive and had a grin that matched that idiot brother's of hers. Leonard could only think about what he lost when she left his quarters that morning. He had told her to meet him back here after the battle because he had to talk about something with her. That was when he was going to ask her. Leonard felt the anger surge up again and chucked both the empty glass and the ring in its box across the room and into the wall. He felt the tears trailing down his cheeks and he knew the sobs would start up soon.
A year later Starfleet had ordered the Enterprise and her crew to partake in a rather odd mission. They had to destroy a large device that was posting a danger to colonies that had been established on a distant planet of the federation. Jim sent down a handful of officers to complete this task. He decided it would be best for he himself to go with them. He, Spock, and Scotty beamed onto the planet. They were shown what had to be the biggest damn iron circle they've ever seen!
"What was this ring used for?" Jim asked a native who shrugged mutely.
"Well Captain…it seems to be an altar of some kind…" Spock approached the upright ring. He examined the small waist high pillar in front of the establishment. "It appears that these can be pushed but there is no power coming from it…" Spock assessed the podium and walked back to Jim and Scotty.
Suddenly the podium lit up and random parts of the middle started to light up as if somebody or something was pushing them.
"Spock what did you do?" Jim asked with a perplexed smirk.
"I assure you captain I did nothing…" Spock admitted finally the podium stopped lighting up and a massive water spout came out of the ring. The three men stared at the water spout as it seemed to reach out for them as they decided to back up more the spout imploded into itself and sucked back into the ring but the water still filled it. Jim looked at Spock who looked very surprised at the display and a bit worried.
"Okay…anybody want to take a guess?" He asked Spock, Scotty and the native of the planet. Just as he walked a bit forward a pulse shot came from within the water.
"JIM!" Spock pulled his friend back and Jim saw that the light bolt had seared the ground where he had been standing.
"What in the world?!" Scotty mumbled worriedly as more shots came flying through the water. Before anyone could add on to that statement a female wearing interesting clothes came running through the water with a pretty big gun. She was raising her weapon and firing it into the water.
"COME ON GUYS HURRY UP!" She screamed into her com. Then there were at least six or seven more people that ran out of the water. One guy with dark hair and a medical back pack staggered through and the girl helped him to clear the water. "Hurry up Doctor Beckett…" She urged him and got him moving again.
"Thanks Teyla…" He muttered obviously with a Scottish accent.
The other guy with a receding hair line breathed in deeply trying to dislodge the bandanna from his face.
"Doctor McKay are you well?" The girl Teyla asked the shorter man.
"Yes…yes fine Teyla…where's Ronon?" He asked and then a really big guy came running through with another female hot on his heels.
"SEAL THE GATE!" The last person through was another female. She was wearing an odd uniform and also had a mask over her mouth and nose. "So is this place any better Rodney?!" The obvious leader yelled at the shorter guy. He pulled out a scanner and nodded snatching off his mask.
"Yeah…Colonel this is actually breathable…" He muttered taking in a lungful of air.
"Carson…?"
"Aye love?" He asked the leader.
"Any idea where we are? I'd like to get back to Earth some time this century…" The leader asked bemusedly.
"Did you just say Earth?" A voice neither of them had ever heard they spun around with their weapons at the ready.
Jim Kirk stared at these people warily. He noticed the leading female give a wry eyebrow raise to the one she called Rodney.
"I thought you said that this planet was uninhabited…" She was not sounding happy.
"It was supposed to be!" He whined loudly looking at his scanner. "It is! See right here!" He showed the female his scanner and she looked perplexed.
"Okay Rodney…." She nodded and ordered the others to take the masks off. "Breathable guys…masks off."
"Who might I ask are you?" Jim Kirk asked the female who had turned around to give the masks off order. She took hers off and turned around. Jim's eyes widened in he gasped in shock. Even Scotty and Spock felt lightheaded at seeing who the female was. "Katie?" Jim whispered feeling weird joy and fear. The girl who looked just like Katie Kirk looked oddly at him.
"Huh…you know my name…" Katie looked at her friends who rolled their eyes.
"Katie Kirk?" Scotty asked feeling sick but it was because of joy as well. Katie looked at him oddly again.
"Well one out of two's not bad love…" Carson smirked at Katie who frowned with a pout.
"No Stewart…Lieutenant Colonel Katharine Stewart United States Marine Corps…" Katie introduced herself to the three men who were staring at her. "And might I require the same from you three?" She asked politely.
"Captain James Kirk…Commander Montgomery Scott, and First Officer Spock…did you just say Marine Corps?" He asked with wide eyes.
"Unless if you know any other marine corps on earth…?" Katie offered with a smirk. The guy named Spock took a step forward. The big guy named Ronon raised his weapon. "Ronon put it down!" Katie snapped at him as if he were a child and he grumbled before he complied.
"Colonel is it?" Spock asked and Katie nodded. "From what I know in the Enterprise's database the United Marines Corps disbanded after World War III." He informed them he noted the pale faces on all of them.
"Okay…" Katie grinned tightly at the three men and turned around. "Rodney…?" She asked him carefully and he looked at her worriedly.
"Yes Katie?" He was getting scared…after her cousin John Sheppard had been killed four years ago she didn't need much to get pissed.
"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO?!" She screamed angrily at him and he flinched he started to stammer slightly.
"Katie…perhaps it was just a hiccup in the wormhole…it's happened before…I mean you remember how long it took for us to explain to DaVinci that we weren't from his time…?" Carson tried to calm his friend down. Katie breathed in trying to relax.
"Okay then…but Rodney so help me GOD if you don't figure out what happened I am going to bitch slap you so hard you'll never know what time period you're in!"
"Understood Colonel…" Rodney cowered he really hated it when she got angry. "Uh…Katie…"
"WHAT?!" She snapped at him.
"Your BDU's are ruined." He pointed at her pants and she sighed.
"Well aware of that McKay…" She shook her head. She turned around to face the three again. "Okay…so what time period is it now?" She asked and they gave a blank look. "Okay let's try this again…what is the year…the date?" She asked again.
"Star date 3463.79." Jim explained and quirked his head at the confused looks.
"Okay…how about century…?" Katie tried one last time.
"26th." Spock admitted and Katie's eyes widened.
"HOLY SHIT!" She cursed and shook her head. "Damn Rodney when you screw up you really don't half ass it!"
"If you are from the past then why are you not worried about the repercussions?" Spock asked perplexed and quite curious. Katie snorted.
"Buddy…whatever they told you about screwing up the space time continuum was complete bull shit…we've been in the future the past…alternate universes, believe me we've seen a lot and aren't that easily impressed or worried…" Katie explained drolly and Carson rolled his eyes. "So anyway if it's the 26th century just tell me this…does the Stargate Program still exist?" Katie asked finally. Upon receiving blank looks she sighed. "Guess not…"
"Well if we're so far into the future wouldn't it be natural to say that the program is no longer classified and would be documented?" Teyla asked calmly Spock raised an eyebrow at her.
"That would seem logical…though I am rather curious to hear what this program was about and when it started…" Spock admitted to the girl with the odd clothes and brown hair.
Both Katie and Jim raised an eyebrow at Spock.
"Does he always hit on the ladies?" Katie asked quirked her head to Spock and Scotty burst into laughter.
"Nope love…that's usually him." Scotty pointed to Kirk.
"Thank you very much Mr. Scott…" Jim grumbled deflating.
"So does this mean that the Wraith were destroyed?" Teyla asked hopefully.
"What the hell is a Wraith?" Jim asked confusedly.
"I guess it does Teyla…" Katie smirked at her friend who looked very happy.
"We mainly have to put up with Romulans and Klingons…" Jim informed them and Katie gave him a confused look.
"What the fuck is a Klingon?" She asked with a raised brow. "Anyway if you could let us access some of these data that you guys are talking about…we can get the info we need to get back to our time and place…we need to give information that's vital to our people…" Katie explained.
"Uh…I can't really let you up there Ms. Stewart…." Jim admitted and she frowned at him sourly and not pleased.
"And why is that?" She asked tersely, Rodney was happy she wasn't mad at him this time.
"I can't let you on my Starship…you look like one of my crew members…" He admitted and knew he had to explain more. "My sister died a year ago…and you look exactly like her…you even have the frown and voice….I have a picture of Katie Kirk…" Jim got out the only picture he had of his sister. When this Katie saw that picture she paled.
"Jeez! It does look like me!" She stared at the picture. Carson and Rodney gaped at the picture.
"Wow Katie…besides the green eyes the brown hair, and the GOD awful uniform color she looks exactly like you!" Rodney admitted and she glared at him. Jim looked at her again it was true his sister had green eyes this woman had deep blue eyes…also his sister had brown hair and this one had deep red hair.
"It's just that…it would be very difficult for my crew to see you since you resemble her so much…they'd be confused…you'd get the same reactions that the three of us gave you…" Jim explained further Katie rolled her eyes.
"Dude…just call a senior officer meeting and tell them that even though I look and sound like this person I am not them…I really need to get information of the Stargate Program…." Jim didn't look like he was going to cooperate and Katie got a stern look on her face. Rodney winced and even Ronon backed up worried because when she got that look…she made a hungry mountain lion seem friendly. "Okay then…if that's how you want it…as a higher ranking officer than your Captain I now will order you to let me and my crew have access to those records…or when we do get back to our time period I will make sure that this Starfleet thing never sees the light of day!" Katie growled at him and Jim looked surprised that she had turned into a high class military officer.
"That's why I don't try to piss her off…" Rodney muttered quietly.
"Are we clear 'Captain'?" Katie snapped at him acidly.
"Crystal…Colonel." Jim glared at her angrily. "I'll need some time to explain to my senior officers about this…"
"Oh and to make sure you don't just take off on us I request that one of you three stay behind…" Katie snapped icily at Jim who nodded tersely. He hated it when somebody told him what to do.
"I would like to volunteer Captain…I feel I can learn more about our new acquaintances…" Spock admitted and Jim nodded still quite pissed. Next thing the others knew Scotty and Jim had beamed up and away.
Jim was beyond stewing but he had to quell it because he was about to inform his friends that an almost exact duplicate of Katie Kirk was down on that planet…and she was a damn bitch! He called a Senior officer meeting and hurried to the boardroom. He knew the argument before he got through the door.
"Dammit Jim it's not like I don't have a job to do!" Leonard McCoy growled angrily. Jim sighed this was going to be very difficult for his friend. It had been no secret between the two of them that had been planning to ask Katie to marry him and then she had died.
"Leonard…please sit down…"
Leonard looked surprised when Jim Kirk called him by his real name something was going on. He sat down and everyone else had to.
"What I'm about to tell you is going to be hard for you to comprehend…while on the planet Spock Scotty and myself discovered the thing we had to destroy…before we could that the object activated…"
Leonard looked worried. "What do you mean activated? Were any of you hurt?! Why the hell wasn't I contacted as soon as it happened?!"
"Bones…calm down! The large standing ring filled with water and as far as we can tell it is a portal to other places…other worlds…planes of existence even…some people have come through…the leader of the group had announced themselves as part of the Stargate Program…the leader…is a Lt Colonel for the USMC."
Leonard gaped at his friend, Nyota looked confused as did the others.
"Jim…the Marine Corps hasn't been in operation since WWIII…" Leonard informed his friend.
"I know that Dammit!" Jim snapped. "It is obvious that with their manner of uniforms and weaponry…that they have traveled into the future…our future…from their past…which would roughly be around the turn of the 21st century…" He saw his friends look of surprise. "There's something else…the leader has requested to examine the ships data records…I use the term requested loosely…she basically pulled rank and ordered me to…" Jim now had some respect for the crazy woman.
"A woman ordered you around? That must have hurt your ego Jim…" Leonard smirked at his friend.
"Guys…there is also something else…this Colonel…she is almost an exact duplicate of Katie…" Jim admitted softly and everyone gasped in shock. All expect Bones who became silent. "Her name is even Katie…but the last name is Stewart…she looks just like her…talks just like her…even has the facial mannerisms…there are some differences though…she doesn't have green eyes…she has very dark blue….she also doesn't have brown hair…she's got deep red…now I don't have any choice but to let her into our systems…and I warn you guys…it's going to be hard to see her walking around after a year from Katie's death…if you don't think you can handle it I would advise that you avoid confrontation at all costs…"
"DAMMIT JIM! I'm going to have to give them physicals!" Leonard snapped angrily and left quickly he did not want to do this…if this woman looked acted and sounded like the woman he fell in love with he'd have no clue how he'd handle seeing her knowing what he had lost.
Katie and her team was beamed aboard the Enterprise. She moved her shoulders around.
"I haven't been beamed somewhere since the Asgard were nearly destroyed." Katie grumbled to herself. She noticed Carson was breathing in terror. "Hey Carson…you okay?" She asked actually getting worried. She also noticed just beyond the window that there was a guy with what looked like a medical bag.
"Damn lass…you know how I hate having my molecules scrambled around like that!" He whined to her. "I have always had issues with bein' scared that when I come out the other side I wouldn't back together correctly!" Katie smirked and patted his shoulder helpfully.
Leonard McCoy was standing in the transport room waiting with his medical bag for the new ones to beam up. Then they did beam up, and he froze at how much this woman looked like the woman he had fallen in love with.
"I haven't been beamed somewhere since the Asgard were nearly destroyed."
Leonard felt his breath catch inside his lungs she even sounded like her! He noticed the other guy beside her breathing heavily.
"Carson you okay?" She asked worriedly.
Leonard frowned sadly she even had the compassion that Katie once had.
"Damn lass…you know how I hate having my molecules scrambled around like that!" The man that spoke had a Scottish accent like Scotty did.
Leonard inwardly smirked at least he wasn't the only one that didn't like this devices.
"I've always had issues with bein' scared that when I come out the other side I wouldn't be back together correctly!" He whined again and this woman patted his shoulder helpfully.
Leonard McCoy sighed that man just voiced his own fears about these damn contraptions. He backed up a bit when the look alike walked up to him. She gave him an odd look and stopped approaching.
"Okay…I can see you're scared of time travelers I'll just stand here then." Katie stated with a quirked eyebrow. "You the medic?" She asked giving McCoy the once over.
"Yeah…I'm…Leonard McCoy…" He introduced himself.
"Lt Colonel Katharine Stewart…this is my crew Doctor Rodney McKay, Specialist Ronon Dex, Teyla Emmagen, and Doctor Carson Beckett." Katie waved to each person introducing them. The one name Rodney wasn't looking too happy. Katie saw the man eyeing up McKay. "Don't mind Rodney…he just found out he's no longer the smartest man in two galaxies."
"Yes…First Officer Spock seems to have…" Rodney admitted and couldn't finish.
"Spock shut him up…" Ronon grunted with amusement.
"Seriously…we've been trying for over ten years to shut this ass up…and Spock does it in two sentences!" Katie smirked at her new friend. "My hero…" She chortled and Spock sighed in annoyance. She did notice that Doctor McCoy seemed very uncomfortable around them. Katie realized that since she looked like this Kirk girl than maybe McCoy was just reacting to the alikeness.
"Yes…well…I need to give you all medical examinations so if you'd follow me…?" Leonard McCoy didn't wait for a reply and started to walk off.
Katie and her crew had been given a clean bill of health by Doctor McCoy, for people not from their own time they didn't have the usual amount of toxins. He voiced this to them and Katie grinned wily at him.
"The Stargate program made sure that we all were fit to travel…we've had to put up with physicals after every damn mission…" Katie explained to the southern doctor. "So what part of the south are you from?" She asked curiously.
"Georgia…" He muttered trying not to be pulled into a conversation with her. He couldn't handle a talk with the woman that looked like Katie Kirk.
"Gee a lady could get used to the southern hospitality…you treat all patients with the surly attitude or the just the ones you like?" Katie asked sarcastically. "Jeez no wonder people die out here…no of boredom but from doctors with attitude problems…probably worried that somebody would yell at them for blowing themselves up…" Katie grumbled and Leonard McCoy snapped around from working with Carson Beckett. Katie stopped talking at the enraged look in the man's eyes. He quickly approached her and gripped her shoulder.
"Uh…what's up doc?" She asked and Rodney snorted in laughter but the worry in her eyes made him stop.
"Don't you ever….EVER say anything like that again! Do ya hear me?! Katie Kirk died in an explosion! Not because she was bored but she saved the fucking ship and crew!" Leonard didn't even register the fear on this other girls face. Christine Chapel came rushing over. She noticed that McCoy was gripping Colonel Stewart's shoulder way too hard and she was showing pain.
"Doctor McCoy….DOCTOR MCCOY!!!" She yelled at him and he snapped out of it. He looked at his hand which was starting to go white from the pressure he was putting on Stewart's shoulder. He let go and paled. "Leonard…go to your office and key down…" She urged him to his office. The door slid shut and he went for the whiskey hidden in his bottom drawer.
Katie rolled her shoulders and winced. Chapel glared at her and put a soothing salve on the red welts that McCoy had caused.
"Okay…what the hell did I say?" Katie asked worriedly. Chapel just stared at her angrily and walked away. Katie glanced over to Rodney and the others who were just as perplexed. "Okay you guys heard me ask right?" They nodded wordlessly. "Man these people of the future are messed up." Katie stated with a head shake. Spock entered the sick bay and walked over to them.
"If you would follow me to the computer consoles I can teach you the basics of our systems…"
"Well Rodney get to it…" Katie smirked at Rodney McKay.
"Who me?" He asked worriedly.
"You're supposed to be the smart one out of us…so get to it…" Katie urged him. He whined but still followed Spock.
Katie found herself walking around and found her way into the observation deck. She always loved watching the environment outside of the Daedalus when the ship was in hyperspace. She heard somebody else walk in and she turned to see Leonard McCoy staggering into the room.
"Whoa doc…you look like hell…" She muttered he looked at her and dropped the bottle of whiskey in surprise.
"Katie?" He asked worriedly.
"Last time I checked I was…" Katie looked at him. "What's with the staring contest McCoy?" She backed up when he walked up to her. "Hey what's up?" She asked when he finally backed her into the wall. He kissed her hungrily.
"I've missed you Katie…" He muttered into her neck. "I love you…" He whispered and Katie's eyes watered.
'He thinks I'm Kirk…'
"Let's get you back to your quarters…where are they doc?" She asked looping an arm around his waist and supporting his weight.
"You should know…" He laughed at her antics.
"I'm sorry…" Katie sighed sadly.
"Bout what?" McCoy muttered drunkenly.
"I can't be the person you want me to be…let's get you somewhere to sleep this off." She sighed getting more and more upset. She finally did bump into Jim Kirk who glared at her. "Captain Kirk…could you take him to his quarters?"
"What'd you do?" He snipped at her.
"I entered the observation deck…he entered about 15 minutes after…he put the moves on me thinking I was your sister…I was helping him get to h is quarters…I told him I was sorry I couldn't be the person that you all want me to be…please…I don't know where his quarters are…" Jim Kirk looked at her and nodded she was a bitch but this woman was honest and loyal to her friends.
"Thanks." He muttered and grabbed McCoy from her. He started to walked away with his staggering friend.
"Captain Kirk…" Katie called and he looked back. "Was Doctor McCoy and Katie Kirk…?" She couldn't finish the question because the expression on Jim's face was pained. He just nodded answering her question.
"He was going to ask her to marry him the day she died…" He offered sadly.
"I' m sorry…I didn't know…" Katie frowned so sadly.
"It's hard sometimes…some days I find him in the observation room like you did…and have to get him to his quarters…but other days…he seems about as fine as I am which isn't much…"
"I can understand…I lost my cousin about four years ago…he's the reason why I'm no longer a Major…his death made me Lt Colonel…I didn't want this job…" Katie admitted trying not to remember the day John Sheppard died. "You'd better get him somewhere looks like he's about to erupt…" Katie motioned to McCoy who looked a bit green.
"Thanks…" Jim nodded to her and continued walking his friend away.
Katie approached Rodney and Spock an hour later.
"How are we getting along boys?" Katie asked both men noticing she had lost her hard edge.
"What unfroze your exterior?" Rodney quipped and grimaced at the smack to his head.
"Good one McKay…are you almost done?" She asked getting that hardness back.
"Are you kidding?! Do you realize how much time space I have to sort through?!"
"Rodney…you have five hours if you don't find anything in that time….we're leaving for our own time…" Katie ordered him and he gaped at her.
"That's not enough time!"
"Rodney really…who cares if we do or don't know about what happens…what we have discovered is worth it…the Wraith don't exist…Earth is still there…let's just go home…" Katie sighed in defeat and Rodney glanced worriedly at her.
"What happened to you?" He asked quietly.
"I just got reminded that not everyone handles death too well…myself included….we need to get back so we can deliver the news to those families that their loved ones aren't coming home…" Rodney nodded almost understanding her thoughts.
Katie sat in the observation room again thinking about what Captain Kirk said about his sister and Doctor McCoy. She then thought about her own loss. Her cousin John Sheppard had died saving her and Rodney. He had told her before he had died in her arms that she was in charge now. She hadn't cried then and she hadn't cried now. She knew she had a job to do. Today was hard for her since they were in the future there was nothing for her to do except think about the past. She figured four years worth of bottled up emotions are due to come out. She felt the first tear fall down her cheek. Then she hiccupped with a sob. Since the first sob she couldn't stop now and let loose with her emotions. She heard a voice clearing their throat and she spun around and stared embarrassedly at Doctor McCoy.
"Gee you guys don't stay drunk too long huh?" She asked trying to hide her face from him.
"I apologize for my earlier actions…" Doctor McCoy approached her and looked ashamed of himself.
"It's my fault…really…I didn't know about you and Ms. Kirk…I guess it's just the usual way to see if I can open my mouth an wider to see if I can stick my other foot in it…" She muttered darkly and McCoy laughed at that. She looked over at him surprised he had laughed. He frowned when he saw the tear stains. She looked away again and he made her look at him again.
"Now…why's a marine like you cryin'?" He asked quietly as he wiped a tear away.
"Got nothing better to do…it's time I grieved for my cousin…"
"What was his name?"
"John Sheppard…"
"I think he was in our history books…" McCoy admitted remembering a John Sheppard that had disappeared during a scientific mission.
"For what?"
"Disappearing during a scientific mission…" At this Katie laughed loudly.
"Yep…that was us…" She admitted with a smirk and a head shake.
"Are you five all that's left of that mission?" He asked sadly and she swallowed more tears as she nodded.
"We were attacked…we had found the Earth fabled city of Atlantis…it was on a different planet…actually there's just the three of us…Carson Rodney and myself are from Earth…we found Teyla and Ronon…" Katie talked about her cousin died. And they compared stories between Katie Kirk and John Sheppard.
"Wow…this Sheppard character sounds a lot like Jim…" McCoy muttered to himself and Katie snorted in amusement.
"Katie Kirk sounds like Elizabeth Weir. She was our leader before she died of multiple gunshots…then John was in charge. We fled from the city and into the Stargate…there was something wrong with the gate and it spit the six of us out into the time of Leonardo DaVinci. We had a hell of a time trying to talk with that man…" Katie shook her head with a laugh. "We've going through as many gates as we could before we ended up on a world that was war torn. Rodney and myself were in the line of fire…John pushed us out of the way and he took the brunt of the attack. Before he died he told me I was in charge now." McCoy nodded solemnly understanding having to take over lead position because it happened to him with the Enterprise. "John was all I had left…" Katie admitted sadly and stared out the viewing window.
"Your family's dead?" McCoy asked quietly and she snorted with ironic humor.
"Not in my time no…did you guys ever hear about the battle of the Neo-Nazis?" Katie asked thinking about that horrible time. McCoy nodded remembering something from history classes when he was kid. "I was Lieutenant during that siege…after that siege I was a Captain…during the Stargate program with my Cousin he became a Lt Colonel and I became a Major…then he died and I became a Lt Colonel…"
"If you were a Lt in the Neo-Nazi battles then how'd you become a Captain?" McCoy asked curiously.
"My commanding officer died during a surprise raid on my camp one morning…some colonel from another camp accidentally revealed our position. We had less than 30 seconds to prepare…out of 40 men in my unit we managed to save five myself included…the commanding officer died…was my older brother…" Katie looked down feeling the tears welling up in her eyes again. McCoy rubbed her shoulder sadly. "I kind of went ballistic when I found his body…and managed to overthrow one of the Neo-Nazi turret pits…I snapped the machine gun around and took out the other pits…after I had done that I was reassigned into the 25th OSS Reconstruction Program…" She admitted and pulled her knees up to her chest. Leonard McCoy stared at her in stunned silence. "My squad was the best damn squad fighting out there…" McCoy nodded silently before he found the words.
"Stewart…I remember you now…you had half of a chapter of the history book to your name…" McCoy admitted feeling weird that he was talking with a pre WWIII legend. The caption under her name had read that after over 200 classified missions she had over 1000 kills.
"Yeah…it was great….while it lasted…then it ended…and everybody got to go home again…" Katie's eyes darkened in sadness. "When I got home I had to face my family…older sister mother dad, my brother's wife Debbie and his daughter Annie…they were proud of me until they learned about Steve's death and how I was there when the attack happened…after that my father became angry that his retarded daughter had lived and his only son had died…he made it seem like my fault that he hadn't lived. After a year or two of being abused by an alcoholic druggie father I ran away…I used my credentials and got into something called the Stargate Program…I've never been back since…"
Leonard looked at her and sighed sadly. He pulled her in for a hug.
"I am sorry that you went through something like that…and I am sorry that I put you on the spot when I walked in earlier…"
"Yeah well….I've realized a lot of things over the years…shit happens…people die…people live sometimes you just have to pack it up and move on…no matter how much leaving your loved ones corpses hurts or not…" Katie sighed tiredly and sat back against the cushions of the couch. "It sucks to have everything that meant something in your life to be taken away so that you're left with absolutely nothing…except a promising career in the Stargate Program…"
Leonard McCoy thought to himself about after his messy divorce being left with nothing almost all of his credentials had been revoked because of that bitch…now all he had was a promising career in Starfleet.
"Yeah it does…" He nodded agreeing with his new friend. "My ex wife erased nearly all of my medical credentials…I had nothing except my body and Starfleet…"
"Gee that sounds vaguely familiar…" Katie muttered sarcastically and glanced quickly to McCoy who had started chuckling.
The five hours were up and Katie found Rodney still sifting through the database.
"What'd you find?" She asked curiously. He gave her an odd look surprised that she had asked instead of ordering it.
"The Wraith weren't destroyed…" Rodney admitted sadly and Katie's face fell.
"What?!" Katie asked harshly.
"Carson was right…they fed off of humans so much that they evolved to the point where they didn't need to…well….eat us…" Rodney offered with a wry grin of irony. "Katie…" Rodney gave her a happy face that also had disbelief on it. "The Wraith evolved into the Klingons…" He informed her and she gasped in surprise then started laughing lightly. She shook her head with her own grin of disbelief.
"Okay then…" She admitted with a final laugh.
"Another thing Katie…the Stargate Program…" Rodney started but stopped and looked at her.
"Go on McKay." She nodded urging him to continue.
"After WWIII the Stargate Program became declassified. It's still around Katie…the program…the name however has been changed." He admitted.
"To what?" Katie asked curiously.
"Starfleet…" Rodney admitted and Katie's eyes widened in shock.
"Really?" She asked and Rodney nodded. "So everything we did…will have a lasting impression…we did good McKay…we did good." Katie admitted with a sad nod thinking about all the people that had died. "At least Elizabeth John and all the others died for something that ends up being freaking big…" Katie felt better knowing that her friends had died for something…and something big no less. "Makes it easier doesn't it?" Katie asked quietly and Rodney nodded feeling some tears enter his eyes. "Okay…we got what we needed…let's go home…" Katie stated simply.
While the Stargate crew as they were now dubbed were preparing to try out Rodney's new invention that Scotty helped him build Katie got an odd look on her face.
"Rodney…come here…." She beckoned him to follow her to a corner. When they were alone. "So this device can send us back to wherever we want right?" Rodney nodded his head. "Can we also go certain places even though we were never there?" She asked and Rodney gave her a perplexed look. She showed him some schematics and he realized her plan.
"This might not end well Katie…." He admitted sadly.
"I don't care…these guys are dying because of this…at least…Kirk and McCoy are…I want to do this…McKay can it be done?" She asked again.
"I think so…yeah…"
"All right let's do this…" Katie informed her crew of the plan and they looked at her in surprise. "Doctor McCoy needs this….I have to do something…after learning about Stargate becoming Starfleet…I at least know that John meant something to the future…I want to give Kirk that chance also…." Katie ended and everyone nodded silently feeling a new respect for their leader.
They were zapped with the invention but Rodney added something to it so it zapped with them and the machine went with them to wherever they went.
Spock and Scotty were shoved out of the storage room. Spock spun around and stared as Katie Kirk went back for the needed files. A distant explosion dislodged a support beam and landed on her legs. She looked up knowing that she was going to die and slid the files across the floor where Scotty picked them up.
'Katie you must get out now!' Spock informed her worriedly then her saw her face. 'I do not think that is a wise decision….' Spock was surprised at what her face was asking of him.
A brief light entered the room so that Scotty and Spock couldn't see into the room. After the light vanished Katie Kirk was free from the support beam and was scooting towards the door. Spock didn't have time to question what had happened he just knew he had to get his friend out of the room before the doors sealed themselves. He tugged Katie the rest the way out of the storage room as Scotty hit the door sealer. The door slid shut just as a massive explosion ripped through the room. Katie Kirk stared at the closed door with wide eyes not sure what she saw was real. The girl that appeared looked just like her only the hair and eyes weren't the same. Maybe it was only a guardian angel…but she was alive and that was all that mattered!
Leonard McCoy ran into the hallway where the three of them were standing. He bent down and worriedly looked Katie over.
'Leo…I'm fine…really…just a little shaken is all…' He kissed her forehead tenderly and sighed in relief as his medical scanner showed no problems.
Jim Kirk sat in his quarters absently drumming his fingers on his desk unsure how to proceed with this news. He logged in the captain's log and recited the star date.
'The last battle was a bad one for the Enterprise…there…were…multiple casualties…however, five crewmen including Commander Montgomery Scott and First Officer Spock had been evacuated from the storage room in time before it blew. Lt Katie Kirk had come up with an idea that could center the explosion on the one room without it affecting the rest of the ship. The plan was successful though Katie Kirk nearly perished in the explosion when she went back for the files we had collected on the Klingon and Romulan empires. Doctor McCoy…' Jim stopped the recorder and burst into laughter at what his friend had done. He calmed himself down and hit the button again. 'Doctor McCoy asked Lt Katie Kirk an interesting question after the incident. It seems now Lt Katie KIRK will become Lt Katie McCoy! Though the day ended on a happy note arrangements are being made for all of the casualties and condolences are to be sent to their families as soon as we dock…Kirk out.' Jim stood up after he signed out and looked outside as the stars flew by the ship. He smiled warmly thinking about how happy both Bones and Katie were right now…this day could've ended a lot worse…a lot worse indeed.
A year later Katie McCoy gave birth to a healthy baby boy which thrilled his father Leonard to no limit. Leo might have had a daughter with his ex wife but he didn't have a son…and Katie gave him one.
"What do we name him darlin'?" Leo asked his beautiful wife.
"I don't know…but for some reason…John Sheppard seems to stick in my mind…" Katie admitted staring into the green eyes of her son. She remembered a year ago the one who saved her said that name and it stuck with her ever since.
"John Sheppard McCoy…it has a nice ring to it." Leonard nodded and kissed Katie's cheek sweetly.
The end