Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek or Death from Terry Prachett's Discworld series.

Warnings: spoilers for ST: Into Darkness. Major character death, but we all know by now that that doesn't last.

Notes: The poem that Death and Jim reference is "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas, which, if you've never read it, go. Do it now. Seriously, do not read this piece of dribble until you've read that masterpiece. The title of this fic is from "Sunt Leones" by Stevie Smith, which is another wonderful poem you should read. This has not been beta read.

Death was not surprised when James suddenly appeared next to him. James, on the other hand, looked very surprised. Death was surprised by that – James knew exactly what would happen when he made that climb, so why would he be shocked that this was the end result?

"Death!"

HELLO, JAMES.

"Spock!"

JAMES, IS THERE A REASON YOU ARE SHOUTING RANDOM NAMES?

"No, I mean yes, I mean…" Jim sighed in frustration. "I'm dead, right?"

YES, JAMES.

"Like, really dead?"

LIKE REALLY, REALLY DEAD. THIS DEATH IS THE FINAL ONE.

"I was just with Spock! How did I end up here?"

JAMES, YOU OF ALL PEOPLE SHOULD UNDERSTAND HOW THIS PROCESS WORKS. Death's tone was more than a little condescending.

"You're right; I'm sorry. It's just… Spock. He looked so upset by my death," Jim said, sounding shocked by it. "I think… was he crying?"

I DO NOT KNOW, JAMES, FOR I WAS NOT THERE. BUT STRANGER THINGS HAVE HAPPENED TO YOU THAN HAVING A VULCAN CRY OVER YOUR DEATH.

"I have to go back, Death! Please!"

Death showed Jim his Lifetimer. The top was completely empty. I AM SORRY, JAMES. BUT, AT LAST, IT IS YOUR TIME.

"This isn't fair! I was getting some place with him; we were finally starting to connect. We were… friends." The way Jim said the word "friends" would have tugged on Death's heartstrings if he had any. It was whispered, reverently, as if the idea and person the idea was about were both sacred to Jim.

Death wanted to sigh; he had met so many people with the same regrets as James. And, as much as he wanted to gently welcome James into his realm, he knew that he now had to treat James the same as he had treated all of his previous visitors. Death knew if he gave James even one more minute to plead his case, he'd somehow become alive again, because for some odd reason, that's just how the Universe worked when it came to one James Kirk. JAMES TIBERIUS KIRK, YOU ARE ACTING LIKE A SPOILED CHILD THAT HAS HAD A FAVORITE TOY TAKEN AWAY. YOU HAVE HAD MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO LIVE, AND I WARNED YOU IN THE PAST ABOUT SQUANDERING THEM. IT IS NOT MY FAULT YOU WASTED TIME.

Jim stared at Death for a minute, blinking. He finally squared his shoulders and nodded. "You're right, I'm sorry. But, please, Death, could you answer one more question for me? And then, I promise, I'll go gentle into that good night."

AH, DYLAN THOMAS. NOW THERE WAS A GOOD POET. DIED TOO EARLY THOUGH.

Jim's eyes focused on something that only he could see. "Christopher Pike… He was okay, right? He ended up where he needed to be?"

Death softened at the question. YES, JAMES. I MADE SURE OF IT.

"And he was walking okay?"

AS WELL AS ANY DEAD MAN CAN. HE WAS RELIEVED WHEN HE DIDN'T NEED THE CANE ANY MORE TO MOVE. HE TOOK TO DEATH QUITE WELL.

"Was he… Was he mad at me?"

NO, JAMES. I BELIEVE IT WAS THE OPPOSITE. HE THREATENED TO BEAT ME WITH SAID CANE IF I DID NOT TAKE PROPER CARE OF YOU. HE TOLD ME THAT HE COULD STILL GET SOME USE OUT OF IT.

Jim smiled softly. "That sounds like him."

INDEED, IT WAS CHRISTOPHER PIKE I MET.

"It was an – nevermind." Jim looked at all the darkness around him, looking a little agitated as another thought popped into his head. "You'll look after them for me, right? Please tell me you'll take care of them."

There was no doubt to the "them" that James was referring to. I WILL, JAMES. TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, I WILL WATCH OUT FOR YOUR PEOPLE.

Jim appeared to calm down after receiving this promise from Death. Only he would be soothed by the knowledge that Death would stalk his friends. "Death, what happens next?"

I DO NOT KNOW, JAMES. THAT IS A PATH THAT ONLY YOU CAN WALK. I AM SORRY, BUT I CANNOT GO WITH YOU. YOU MUST DO THIS ALONE.

"I know. And I think that's what scares me the most," Jim looked at Death, his eyes beginning to fill with tears. "Death, thank you for everything. You've been a constant presence in my life and… Well, I'm going to miss you."

I WILL MISS YOU TOO. Death paused, as if he wanted to say something, but he shook his head. NOW, JAMES, STOP STALLING.

"Yes, Death." Jim sighed. He looked at Death one more time before he hugged the skeleton. Death flinched, unsure for a moment of what to do. But, when James did not let go, he gently wrapped his arms around the other man. "Thanks again."

YOU ARE MOST WELCOME. Death let go of the blond man and watched as Jim began to saunter away. As he watched the being he considered a son walk away into the unknown, Death felt a very foreign emotion. His (metaphorical) heart was breaking at the thought of losing his child and what it would mean to Death's continued being. The thought of an existence without James Kirk in it was a dreary, lonely thing to ponder. And a rather boring one as well. Who else was Death going to show kitten pictures to? JAMES, WAIT. ALTHOUGH I FEEL I MAY SOON COME TO REGRET THIS DECISION, THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE. I FIND MYSELF BUSY THESE DAYS, AND I COULD PROBABLY DO WITH SOME HELP. PLUS, ALBERT HAS BEEN NAGGING ME ABOUT GOING ON A VACATION FOR A FEW MILLENNIA NOW.

"Death, are you asking me what I think you're asking?"

THAT I AM ASKING YOU TO BE MY APPRENTICE? YES, JAMES, THEN I AM ASKING YOU WHAT YOU THINK I AM ASKING. THIS WILL BE A TRIAL BY FIRE FOR YOU. AND I DO MEAN THAT LITERALLY – IF YOU FAIL AT THIS, THEN YOU WILL BE FIRED AND THEN YOU MAY END UP SOMEWHERE WHERE YOU WILL BE ON FIRE. IS THIS SOMETHING YOU WOULD BE INTERESTED IN?

"But you once told me you had an apprentice and it didn't end so well."

THAT WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT. IT ALMOST ENDED EVERYTHING.

"Then why are you willing to try again? With me?"

FOR YOU, JAMES, I WOULD TRY MANY THINGS.

"Even after that huge speech like three minutes ago about how it was my time to die and I needed to go and walk that lonely road?"

ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE THE JOB OR NOT?

Jim smiled softly at Death, but shook his head. "No. I'm not. I really do appreciate the offer, but I don't want you to end up regretting it, and I don't want to accidentally destroy the universe. Again. Besides, as you have often told me, I think I've lived enough for a few lifetimes."

Death nodded, looking almost proud of Jim. VERY WELL, JAMES. I UNDERSTAND.

"Then you're not mad at me for not accepting the offer?"

NO, JAMES, QUITE THE CONTRARY. AS WITH MOST THINGS YOU DO, I AM QUITE PROUD OF YOU. NOW, DEAR CHILD, I BELIEVE IT IS YOUR TIME.

Jim nodded, giving Death a teary smile. "After all these years, and all these visits… I - I just can't believe this is goodbye."

NEITHER CAN I, JAMES. I KNOW NOT WHAT AWAITS YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE, BUT I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST.

Jim started walking into the fog only to pause.

JAMES?

"Death, I feel tingly. Like really tingly." Jim said anxiously. "I thought I was dead – I shouldn't be able to feel anything!"

JAMES, DO STAY CALM. WE'LL FIGURE THIS OUT.

"Actually, Death, I don't think we will. I think I'm alive!"

NOW, DON'T BE SILLY, YOUR LIFETIMER IS – Death looked at James' Lifetimer which was inexplicably filling with sand again. He looked at where James had been standing, but the blond man was gone. Death looked further up, where mortals believed the gods to be (although Death knew otherwise) and couldn't help himself when he said: DAMMIT, JAMES, WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT DISOBEYING THE RULES OF THE UNIVERSE?

But if anyone could have seen Death's face, they would have seen a smirk on it. Death whistled for Binky and absently began to plan when he could next visit James.