Chapter 26
It takes an hour for them to thoroughly clean the barn and another hour to move in the necessary supplies. I stand on the porch, watching the progress from a distance. Kirk stands beside me and eyes the workers critically. Everyone else had left with the Enterprise's crew to assist with repairs leaving Khan, Spock, Kirk, Bones, Aaron, and me at home.
"Why are you guys doing all this? Wouldn't it be better for you to keep injured people at the SAR?" Kirk asks and I shrug at him. There's no way I'm telling him the truth—not if I want them to live. Because of Khan, anyone who has even a drop of Augment blood in them is seen as a monster; I won't sit back and watch them die because society doesn't think they have the right to live.
These kids had enough of that from the real monsters: Sector 31.
Captain Kirk may be a good man, but even he has to follow orders. And good men following the orders of the wicked are still accomplishing evil despite their intentions-good or bad.
"They're in quarantine for the time and I won't have them around my employees, Captain: a few of them have the stomach flu and we're shorthanded enough without everyone being out sick, especially with new recruits to train up." Technically, it's not exactly a lie—a few are actually sick…I just left out their origins…no biggie.
"Don't you have rooms that'll isolate them there…or maybe send them home?"
"The fresh air will do them good, captain. This isn't my first rodeo, you know, and I'm more than capable of handling the flu, sir. As for the 'send them home' option, unfortunately, they're all orphans. Perhaps, it would be better if you could command your people in peace and I command mine without your criticism, hm?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you weren't capable of leading your people. I just think it's a little strange—."
"I understand this." I say quickly, cutting him off. "But they are my responsibility."
"And where did you find them? Kind of a lot of people to just 'show up' one day, huh?"
"As I said, they're orphans. And they didn't 'show up': I asked them to join. This way they get shelter and food and I get more help. It's a win a win."
"But do you really need so many? And at such a young age?" Normally, I would be glad that someone was concerned about their welfare other than me, but this was getting annoying.
"Captain, let my rephrase my previous statement: stop telling me how to do my job or get your people and get out. Understood?"
His eyes narrow slightly and he nods. "Sure."
…
"So, tell me, Mr. Spock: how is your dear mother doing these days?" Khan asks with mock innocence and Spock's eyebrows twitch—the only disturbance of motion on his otherwise still and passive face.
"My mother died several years ago when the planet Vulcan was destroyed, and what, may I inquire, sparked your sudden interest in her?"
"And how exactly did it feel to watch her die, Mr. Spock?" Khan ignores his question, and a corner of his lips twitches upwards as the words leave his mouth, and he narrows his eyes in cold amusement. "But then again, you can't feel, can you?" Spock's body quivers slightly with anger and his hands curl into loose fists, his eyes hardening into smoldering coals.
Khan continues to mercilessly goad the furious Vulcan calmly, his icy blue eyes dancing with excited mirth: "Did you love her Mr. Spock or is love yet another emotion that eludes you?" Khan says smoothly and Spock launches himself across the table with a roar, his fist connecting squarely with the Augment's jaw and the two men fall to the ground in a tangle of fists and fury just as Ze'eva and Kirk walk into the room.
"What in the the—?" Kirk says, stopping abruptly. "Spock! Khan! Stop this!" The two ignore him, too angry to hear his words. Ze'eva cocks her head to the side: one function of Khan's collar was to stop him from hurting people—apparently mental pain was not a factor.
Interesting...
"Spock!" Kirk lunges forward to grab his first officer's shirt and Khan leaps deftly away from the Vulcan and Spock plows into a wall. "Stand down!" He gets between Spock and the grinning Augment and glares at his first officer and Khan in turn, not once flinching away from Khan's chilly stare. "And that's an order!" He snaps.
Slowly, the Vulcan's breathing slows and evens and he nods slightly before standing. "My apologies, Captain." He walks out the room and outside, not once faltering in his steps.
"And you!" Kirk wheels around to glare at Khan. "What did you say to him?" The young Captain demands and Khan strides over to him and looms over him threateningly, Khan's smile still plastered to his face.
"What did I say?" Khan feigns ignorance before shrugging. "Must have slipped my mind... Captain." He strides coyly away, his chin held high in the air and arrogance radiating off of him in tsunami sized waves. His bedroom door eases closed and Ze'eva sees Kirk open and close his fists angrily.
…
"Can you believe that guy?" Kirk yells and I shrug lightly.
"That was certainly…not good." I agree. "Do you want to maybe check on your first officer?" I suggest. "You know, see if he's okay? He looked pretty upset and by the way he practically ran out the door…"
Kirk nods, catching on. "Alright, good thinking. Bones!"
"Dammit, Jim! I was already on my way! Let's hunt him down and give him a full medical examination. You don't think I'll need a sedative do you?" McCoy asks as he breezes past Kirk, and Kirk rolls his eyes.
"No, Bones. I don't think that will be necessary." The two stride outside towards the forest after their Vulcan friend and I sigh with relief.
"About time they left." I mutter.
"I agree." Khan is standing in the kitchen, leaning casually against the doorway. "It is a shame it can't stay that way."
"You do realize, that that was rude, right?"
"Of course, I assumed that was obvious; that was why I did it."
"Alright but no more. I can't have you two ripping each other's throats out and getting someone hurt." Khan's eyes narrow at the order but I refuse to back down. "My children are not going to get hurt because of your boneheaded desire to anger some random Vulcan, and I already have enough to worry about financially without having to buy new furniture to replace what you broke. Come on, you're like, what, thirty five? Grow up, man."
I turn to walk away and he grabs me sharply by my shoulder and forces me to turn around, his fingers digging into the flesh. Not quite painful, but pretty darn close.
"I would be careful with what I say if I were you," He growls.
"Or you'll what?" I retort. "Get a thousand watts of electricity through your skull and flop like a fish on my floor?" I jerk my shoulder out of his grasp and meet his glare with one of my own. "Yeah," I say sarcastically. "That'll show me, huh?"
"You dare challenge me?"
"Not 'challenge'— teach. Your actions today were childish; if you're so superior then act like it. This will change nothing. He'll still hate you and you will continue to hate him: nothing is getting accomplished."
"I am sorry." He says lightly but I shake my head.
"No you're not. You'll only do it again. If you were truly sorry, you wouldn't have done it in the first place. Did it ever occur to you that my son could have been in the room? What would have happened then, Khan? Did it ever occur to you that he was right upstairs?! What would have happened if he decided to walk down and see what was going on, huh? He could have died! Is your petty feud that important," I glare at him and he squirms a little under my scrutiny.
"But he wasn't in here." He says smoothly.
"But if he had been?"
"What does it matter?" He snarls suddenly. "What does it matter if I ever improve? What is the point of living when my crew does not? What is the point of life if everything is lost in the end anyway? If everyone still dies? What does it matter if he dies today or fifty years from now if the end result is still achieved?"
I shrug. "What's the point of violence or manipulation if you have already failed to achieve your intended goals?" I shoot back at him and he flinches at my words as if I had just struck him, "You used those tactics before and failed—maybe those are the wrong tools to utilize, hm? Maybe it would beneficial to actually try to be pleasant around your enemies?" I shrug. "What've you got to lose, right?"
…
"Captain, for the final time, I am neither inured nor do I need to 'talk about my feelings'. I would appreciate it if I could walk in peace. The doctor has already examined me and found that I am not in any way injured: there is no basis for your concern."
"Spock! You need to talk about it! You lost control and attacked a man. The fact that it was Khan makes it no better, Spock."
"Captain, I am fine—Vulcans do not lie." Spock says evenly.
"But you are upset, Spock-that never happens to you!"
"Multiple beings are upset during numerous times of the day; I believe that this would be what you would consider 'normal,' correct? And do not humans enjoy outward displays of emotion, Captain? Shouldn't my...'outburst' be somewhat of a relief to you to know that I do in fact have emotions?" Spock asks curiously.
Kirk sighs and smiles at his friend. "Okay, fine. Whatever. Just don't do it again, okay?"
"Affirmative, Captain. Again, I apologize for my actions."
"Oh, no. It's not me you have to apologize to—it's Khan and Ze'eva."
Spock's eyebrow quirks upward. "Captain?" Ze'eva, he could understand but Khan? He expected him to apologize to Khan? How was that logical?
"You heard me. Come on." If Kirk didn't know any better, he'd say the Vulcan's shoulders were dropping slightly in defeat. McCoy sighed and shook his head at them.
"And so it begins." Bones says with a roll of his eyes before stomping after them.
…
"How are you feeling?" I ask, looking at Khan carefully. "Any injuries I should be aware of, Khan?"
"And why the sudden concern?" Khan asks looking bored.
"It's what I do, remember? Do you seriously have to question everything? Why so cynical?"
...
The door opens before he can responds and Spock walks in, no emotion showing on his face and Bones and Kirk follow in his wake, both of them smiling as if they'd snagged a cookie from the cookie jar and gotten away with it. Khan watches them suspiciously and his blue eyes watch them for any sign of hostility. But...they don't appear to be angry. In fact, they seem to be fighting the urge to laugh.
Hm…this can't be good. What did they do?
...
"Khan." Spock addresses tonelessly. "Ze'eva." We turn to him and wait. "I apologize for my actions earlier. They were uncalled for and…" He pauses and Kirk laughs a little before coughing to cover it up.
"Right, sorry." Kirk apologizes sheepishly when Spock glances at him and Bones rolls his eyes at him. "Carry on, then, Spock...just...ignore me."
"As I was saying, I am sorry. That is all." He walks away and Kirk finally dissolves into laughter and McCoy joins in with him. Khan smirks slightly and I shake my head at all three of them. Tears stream from their eyes and even Khan seems to be smirking.
"I'm surrounded by children." I mutter.
*Evil Laughter* Sorry, guys, I just couldn't resist the Spock Attack and figured the apology would be nice little twist. Haha, poor guy. :)