Multicoloured scarves were draped around the walls and ceiling of the miniscule space. James Kirk had never had a reason to visit one of these fortune teller tents before. He had always found them to be pointless: a good way to waste your money in between the adrenaline highs you earned at the midway.
His current girlfriend Leila had dragged him here. She had insisted that he give it a try because it was just so cool. Well, fine, he thought in response, if you say so.
He was now looking right into the face of the most beautiful Latina woman he had ever seen. He dark flowing hair was restrained by a brightly patterned scarf that matched the tent perfectly.
"Cross my palm with silver." She stated in a seductive voice. Jim looked sideways at Leila, unsure of what she meant.
Leila rolled her eyes and handed over some money. The woman tucked it away in a leather pouch attached to her rope belt and gestured for the couple to sit in front of a small knee high table.
"Is the reading for you, Miss, or your young man friend?" The woman asked sitting opposite them.
"My boyfriend has never had a reading before." Leila said simply.
"Very well." The woman gestured for him to hand her his left hand. She took it and closed her eyes.
After several minutes of dramatic faces and "Ah"s and "Good… good…"s she finally opened her eyes and declared with mystery coating her lightly accented voice: "You will save the world."
Jim looked at Leila. She grinned back at him. He grinned himself. Being a world-wide hero offered good prospects for lady catching.
"And," the woman continued, "You will find true love with the one who cannot leave you behind."
Alright, that was interesting. Though not as interesting as the first bit.
"Um… thanks." He said as Leila pulled him up and tugged him from the tent.
The moment they got outside she left to go see some friends on the other side of the concrete stretch.
Well, Kirk thought, she's not the one.
***
His dreams faded him back to the bridge of the Enterprise. It was pitch black save the red alert lights. The Narada was on screen being sucked into the black hole. Jim had just told Sulu again to go to warp.
"We are." Jim's blood ran cold.
***
Jim woke with a start. He glanced all around the room and was relieved to see that he was in his quarters.
"Jim?" A worried voice came from behind him.
Jim craned his neck around to look into the face of Doctor Leonard McCoy. He felt strong arms convulse around his bare torso instinctively protecting Jim from the things that weren't actually there.
"It's alright, Bones. Just a nightmare. Go back to sleep." Bones smiled a sympathetic smile, kissed Jim's shoulder and lay his head back on his pillow.
Jim matched his breathing to Bones' steady inhale… exhale… inhale… exhale.
"You will fall in love with the one who cannot leave you behind."
As Jim drifted back to sleep he remembered Bones not being able to leave him behind when he hadn't been allowed to go on the rescue mission to Vulcan.
Now nothing else mattered, not Leila, not psychics, not the Narada… all that mattered was that he got to fall asleep in his lovers arms… his true love's arms.