Title: Destroyed
Author: Linstock
Code: Spock/Uhura
Rating: T
Type: Romance
Disclaimer: I do not own the Star trek the characters nor to I profit in from this writing.
Prompt: Hurt /comfort Meme. Earth blowing up, escaping to space.
Au: For this prompt I re-imagined a scene from the 2009 movie.
Destroyed.
They had failed. They had been valiant and resourceful, but they had failed.
In stunned silence, the bridge crew watched as the blue green planet that filled the viewing screen slowly imploded. There was a gasp that became a sob. Chekov muttered in Russian what sounded like a prayer.
Earth was destroyed, the fleet was decimated and Captain Pike was a prisoner and the madman, Nero was already fleeing.
Spock snapped out the orders, knowing that at this moment the traumatised crew needed clear and unequivocal direction. Slowly the crew responded. This tragedy could not be undone but perhaps another could be prevented. The Enterprise moved to proceed to the rendezvous point.
Spock felt a brief and shaming surge of gratitude that his planet and his family were safe. How could he even think this when, if he closed his eyes, he could see the after image of the genocide of the human species?
Nyota rose from her seat at the communications station, and without looking at him walked briskly to the turbolift. She stood with her eyes cast down as she reached for the button to close the doors. Spock only hesitated a second before he followed, stepping into the lift as the doors began to slide shut. The lift started to descend. Nyota's eyes tracked his movements as he reached over and pressed the button that caused the lift to pause.
The enormity of what they had witnessed was too overwhelming to be captured in words, but he had to try. Vulcans had few words of comfort and this was not time for words of logic.
"I am sorry." His deep a resonant voice was soft. She stood frozen and unresponsive. He repeated in almost a whisper, "I am sorry." He reached out and touched her face and the paralysing horror and enormity of all she had lost washed through him stopping his breath. He centred himself, he need to focus on her needs.
"I am very sorry," he breathed, placing gentle kisses on he chin, her temples and her forehead. His large hands softly stroked the nape of her neck. She was rigid and unresponsive. He could feel her tension and her whole body vibrated with a deep trembling, as though she resonated with the aftershocks of her dead planet.
Finally, he felt her soften and she leaned against his chest for a moment.
He pulled her even closer into a firm embrace. He desperately wanted to take away some of her pain, to somehow share her loss. She straightened, rigid once more.
He kissed her and felt the trembling of her lips against his.
"What do you require? Tell me," He said softly.
She reached out her arm and pressed the button to start the lift.
"I ..I just need to … to do my job," she replied, "Everyone needs to do their job…".
He stroked the side of her face and nodded his understanding. There was no time now for grief and if one member of the team crumbled they could all fall like dominoes. They needed to work so they did not think or feel. Everyone needed to continue to perform…admirably. He nodded his understanding.
He had never been more aware of how deeply he loved this woman than at this moment, when he was powerless to help her.
He knew the lift would stop soon. He kissed her again and this time she leaned into him kissing him back, opening to him a little. In that brief instant, he felt all that she had lost. Her whole vibrant, nosily loving family: gone. Her culture: gone. Her Africa: gone. Her planet: gone. A desperate longing surged through him, longing to hold her and not let go, longing to protect her. He could do neither.
The lift stopped and she walked away down the corridor, her head high and back straight and did not look back.
He pressed the button to return to the bridge. He had a job to do.
In those brief moments of solitude as the lift returned to the bridge he was deep in thought. He had always been fascinated by the complexity and diversity of Earth culture. His world was much more homogeneous, united by one language and one belief system. There were regional differences but not nearly to the extent of those on Earth. Now all that rich diversity was gone. Humans were an endangered species.
Then, a chill ran down his spine as he realised that Nyota was part of that endangered species. More than that, she was a member of a minority group within that small pool of survivors. Would she feel that she had to act to preserve her race and her culture? Would she feel compelled to turn away from him and marry a survivor with the same genetic background as herself and bear that man's children. It would be …logical, Spock was not even fully human. The pain grew incrementally as he pursued the train of thought. It was like a tight band around his chest slowly suffocating him.
He resolutely disciplined his mind. He could not afford to be emotionally compromised. He was leading a traumatised inexperienced young crew. He was the acting captain of one of the few remaining operational Starfleet vessels. He had to focus.
The lift arrived at the bridge, and he stepped out to resume his command.
The End.
AU: I would love to hear you comments….