I sighed as I slumped into Bones' room; my room was under repair so Bones' room was the next best, since he had two beds, in case he ever had to look over a patient. I was about to say something when I was silenced by the man himself, he was sat cradling a young woman. I'd seen her in sickbay once or twice, she was his ensign, Bones had recommended her himself since she was 'a talented doctor with lots of potential' as he'd put it.
"I never pictured you as the 'drag your ensigns to bed' type Bones" he sighed
"I had to sedate her, she hasn't been sleeping lately. Her nightmares are getting more intense, even with a sedative she's still suffering"
"She's mentally unstable and you recommended her for a placement on the Enterprise?"
"She's only unstable when she sleeps. She's more than capable when she's awake. She was traumatized as a kid Jim… she needs just a little bit of extra care."
"What happened to her?"
"Tarsus IV happened" he growled "She survived one of the darkest periods in history. She was inside one of those rooms, where they killed off thousands of people… it took a few years to get her to tell me that much, she still won't tell me how she survived, what she saw, what she still sees…She said she should've gone back… because it was her job to protect those kids" I reached for the back of her medical shirt, it was a long shot but if she still had those markings, for identifying prisoners… "They're gone Jim. I had every mark, every scar removed, I hoped it would help her" he trailed off looking at the girl in his arms.
"Is her name Destiny?"
"No, Abigail Rose. Abby Rose if you don't want a neck full of Hyposprays"
"She used to be called Destiny…" I mumbled "I'm sure of it" Bones' comm went off, he winced as he answered it, careful not to wake her, then he hung up letting out a tired sigh
"Sickbay needs me, since Abby is out of commission for a few hours, I'll have to take her surgery calls… Jim … can I trust you with her?"
"Of course you can" I grinned "When have I ever let you down?"
"I'm serious Jim; don't leave her alone for too long. If she starts to panic, hold her and talk to her, but don't raise your voice…" I nodded "Don't screw up" he groaned as he lowered her to his bed before heading to sickbay. I looked over to Abby; she clutched the covers for dear life, her brow covered in a thin layer of sweat. I slipped besides her pulling her onto my lap
"It's alright… Destiny" her body tensed slightly like she was fighting against her memories, I brushed my hand through her hair "You're safe" the tenseness slowly eased from her body, her breathing became slower and even. Despite what Bones said, sometimes you just needed to know the right words. I smiled as I watched her, we were both children, I'm almost sure she was younger than I was, but she did her best to protect us. One of the other survivors became an engineer, he named his first ship The Destiny Rose, and we all thought she'd died. So her real name was Abigail.
"I'm Destiny, we'll get out of here, I promise" she grinned as she helped some of the other boys up before turning to me "You're new…" she paused "you don't have to fight alone any more" she offered me her hand as she smiled softly, I shyly took it since it was the first gesture of kindness anyone had shown me in a while "What's your name?"
"James Tiberius Kirk..."
"Nice to meet you" she pulled me closer hugging me softly in her arms "I'll protect you, I promise" she whispered as she gently rubbed my back, easing my worries away.
I lowered her back to the bed but stayed beside her, just watching her, she looked a lot healthier than she used to, she was always sharing her food, doing her best to ensure the rest of us survived, she was really tomboyish back then, short hair, boys clothes, that's probably why we accepted her so easily, she was one of us... but she became really pretty. She groaned as she clenched her fists, I took her hand in mine, she was always strong, but when Kodos took her... what did he do to her?
…
*Abby's POV*
I slowly opened my eyes, I was going to kill Bones when I saw him, just randomly giving me a hypo like that is cruel. Though when I opened my eyes I didn't see Bones as I was expecting, it was someone else... someone familiar, that I couldn't quite place... whoever he was, he was sleeping soundly and he was holding my hand. "So you've come around" I looked up to see Bones stood at the other side of the bed "When I came in you were surprisingly still, whether it was something Jim said to you, I haven't a clue"
"I had surgery today! You shouldn't have hypo'd me"
"I took care of it; you need to sleep, no matter how much you hate it"
"But it brings back those memories... I don't want to remember it..." I slipped my hand out of Jim's as I rose to my feet, wiping my eyes. "I was supposed to protect them"
"You were a child; you could only do so much"
"I should have done more" I stated as I left the room, when I was sure nobody was following me, I changed my route taking the scenic route through the observation decks before arriving in sickbay, I visited my patients, apparently Bones took charge of their surgery, I sat talking to them, making sure they were feeling ok. I gave them a sedative to help them sleep as I sat reading through my materials...
"Destiny...You're safe"
I shook my head... I haven't been called that name in years... why would I remember that now?
*Jim's POV*
I opened my eyes to see that Abby wasn't there any more, I shot up as I saw Bones with a glass of Bourbon "She left Jim. No doubt she's gone to check on her patients"
"I know her Bones" I stated as I sat up stretching "She was the reason so many children survived. Back on Tarsus IV she protected us, we only knew her as Destiny Rose."
"She saw something that you didn't see Jim, and it's tearing her apart on the inside."
"I noticed..." I sighed "I don't know what happened to her after Kodos took her... but I'm going to find out. I'm going to help her, just like she helped us"
"You're far too optimistic" he groaned "maybe she needs someone like you..." he chuckled to himself "Just leave her alone for today, the last time I pushed her too far she wouldn't talk to me for over a week" he sighed "She spent all her time with that green blooded hobgoblin instead"
"Spock? Who could spend a full week with Spock, and why?"
"The two of them are in the same boat, Abby is half Vulcan. Though she got most of the human attributes, her blood even has a greenish tint to it in the right light."
"She doesn't act like a Vulcan, I mean she's really smart, and from what I can remember she's one hell of a fighter, but she's not run by logic or stats"
"That's how she ended up on Tarsus IV anyway. Her mother didn't appreciate her human attitude so she shipped her off to a colony, left her to fend for herself"
"You know a lot about her Bones"
"I'm her friend and doctor, and it took years to learn that much." he groaned "she doesn't want to burden other people with it"
"Well, more of a reason I should talk to her" I smiled as I headed towards Sickbay, but I had to check in to the bridge first.
*Abby's POV*
I sighed as I finished restocking sickbay's supplies, all my patients were sleeping soundly... now what was I going to do to keep myself occupied. Almost on cue the doors opened revealing Spock
"Mr Scott, informed me that you were feeling down and were 'dying of boredom' he then informed me you were not in fact physically dying, but merely in need of entertainment" I smiled at his explanation, I always found Spock's straightforward perception amusing "I thought perhaps you would like a rematch" he held up the chess board
"I'd like that" I smiled as we set up on the table. "Hmm..." I pondered, he was good, very good... damn his Vulcan education "I don't see why you play me, you always seem to find that one strategy that I can't counter"
"As you are one of the only crew members upon the Enterprise that is a challenge, when it comes to strategy games"
"That's not very nice Spock" Another voice echoed, I turned to see that guy from Bones' room... Jim...
"My apologies, Captain" So Jim... is Captain Kirk... why was the captain sleeping in Bones' Room?
"Anyway, I want to speak with Miss Rose if that's alright" Spock nodded as he moved his rook
"Checkmate, Abigail" I sighed as we packed up the board "I look forward to our next match"
"Yeah, I'll beat you next time" he nodded as he left sickbay, leaving me and Jim alone. "You wanted to speak with me Captain?"
"Just call me Jim" he smiled softly "I heard from Bones that you weren't sleeping well"
"I assure you Cap- Jim... that my sleeping patterns don't affect my ability to work"
"Bones already told me that, I want to talk to you about the why"
"I'd rather not captain." I walked past him "There are some things that I would never tell you, even if you were going to kick me off the Enterprise and make it so I could never work in Starfleet again"
"I wouldn't do that, especially to you. Destiny" I spun to look at him in the eyes "What did you just call me?"
"Destiny. Rose." he didn't move his gaze from mine
"How do you know that name? You shouldn't... unless..."
"James. Tiberius. Kirk" he stated "Remember me now?"
"You're alive..." I felt my eyes water as I hugged him "You're all grown up" he chuckled
"So have you. To be honest I didn't even recognise you. You look good"
"Your name... it wasn't on the lists, a lot of the other kids weren't"
"They didn't take half of our names, they just took the adults names" he shrugged
"Who else survived?"
"Kevin Riley entered Starfleet... and Adam Crow, he named a ship after you, you know. The Destiny Rose" I chuckled slightly
"I saw. I was there when it set off on its maiden voyage... I just couldn't bring myself to speak to him"
"Why not? We'd have like to know you were alive"
"Destiny Rose, died that day... by that murderer's side, he killed her slowly from the inside"
"That's not true. You became a doctor, that same caring girl who just wants to help people is still there." he smiled
"I'm not... I shouldn't still be alive. I don't deserve it" I clutched his shirt tighter as tears tumbled down my cheeks "I should have died when Kodos took me, instead he, he..." I paused as he wrapped his arms around me pulling me closer to him, his hands slowly rubbing circles on my back
"It's alright, I'm here for you. It's my turn to look after you. To start with you need to get out of sickbay, according to Bones you've been here almost every waking moment"
"But my patients!" I protested as he pulled me in the direction of the door
"Are perfectly capable of pressing the call button if they need you" he smiled as he squeezed my hand gently "Now, where do you want to go?"
"I don't know... I usually only go to the observation deck whenever Bones bans me from sickbay"
"Well then I guess it's up to me then" he grinned
"Your concept of fun, involves drinking... and picking up girls... or getting into fights"
"What on earth has Bones been telling you?" he groaned "I can have fun without causing trouble, plus there's a party on today" he smiled "It's Spock's birthday so we're throwing him a party"
"I know it's Spock's birthday, I gave him his present this morning"
"So how about it? Would you do me the honour of being my date?" I suddenly laughed "What?"
"Nothing... it's just... you sounded so adorable"
"I can be adorable" he flashed a smile in my direction as we headed to the party.
"Bones!" I grinned as I hugged the doctor "I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier"
"It's fine... it's not the worst way you've reacted" I chuckled nervously "It's nice to see you out of sickbay once in a while" he smiled as he patted my shoulder
"Well... Jim can be pretty persuasive" I chuckled as Jim came up behind me, wrapping his arms around me
"Do you want to dance with me?" he asked "after all I promised you a night out"
"But I..."
"You should Abby; just make sure Jim isn't too drunk when he comes back to the room"
"That reminds me, why is Jim, sleeping in your room?" I asked "Are you dating?"
"Wha-" Bones choked on his liquor "No, he managed to break 90% of the circuitry in his room, so he's staying with me until Scotty gets it fixed"
"Ahh..." I giggled "I've never seen you turn red so quickly before"
"You surprised me, that's all"
"Come on Abs" Jim beckoned as he pulled me to the dance floor. "You'll be fine, I promise" I felt his lips on my cheek as he slipped his hands back into mine, his chest pressed to my back as he swayed, moving my body with his "just go with it" he whispered sending shivers down my spine.
…
"One more drink" he slurred "Please" I chuckled as I rose to my feet, feeling really tipsy myself
"No I promised Bones, you wouldn't come back drunk"
"We could go to your room instead" he smirked
"Come on" I tugged his arm "please" I fluttered my eyelashes
"Alright" he smiled as he stood wrapping his arms around me "Let's go" I helped him to Bones' room when he placed a kiss on my cheek "will you be able to sleep tonight?"
"I'll have to try" I smiled softly "Night Jim" I headed back to my room.
…
"Why did you bring Abigail on this mission, surely Doctor McCoy's expertise would suffice" Spock stated as I fiddled with my tricorder strap
"Abs needs to get off that ship, plus nobody's in sickbay, and Scotty's with us, that's a big enough reason to have an extra doctor with us"
"Hey!"
"Sorry Scotty but you get injured more often than anyone else" Scotty shrugged "Anyway, Abs and Scotty, you're with me, Bones, Sulu, you're with Spock" we nodded "We'll each check one half of the ruins then meet here in one hour" We split up taking our half of the ruins when we came across an archway covered in writing "What on earth does this say?" Jim groaned "don't suppose you can read this Scotty?"
"Nope."
"I can" I stated gaining an odd look from Jim "don't forget, I am half Vulcan, I might not act like it but I'm still pretty smart" I smirked as I moved closer to the wall, tracing my fingers over the words carved into the wall "Death awaits inside"
"Very original..." Jim groaned "So let's go in"
"Jim, wait." I tugged his sleeve "let me go in first. I'm more nimble than you and Scotty, plus the hallway caved in further down, I'm smaller than the two of you too... trust me Jim."
"Alright" he handed me a phaser "though we're right behind you"
"As always" I smiled softly as I headed through the archway, inscriptions had been scratched off the walls or destroyed by the cave in, but it looked recent. As I climbed over the rubble an awful smell began to get stronger and stronger, almost like something burnt and rotten. As I climbed through the hole it was pitch black, but that smell was turning my stomach I took the torch from my waist as I turned it on light filled the cavern, and I screamed
"Abs!"
"Stay there!" I yelled "Don't come here! I was just surprised that's all" I turned back to the pile of corpses, charred and burned, there must be hundreds of bodies here... just like then... I wiped my eyes as I headed back to Jim and Scotty.
*Jim's POV*
She returned from the hallway, despite her scream she looked alright, a bit shaken but alright.
"It's a grave...a mass grave... it didn't mean Death for those who enter, but death is already there... We should go" she headed through the door back outside
"Something's got her spooked" Scotty stated "She's trying to hide it though"
"We should follow her" I stated as we headed out, she stayed a short distance in front of us but she broke into a run when she saw Bones and hugged him
"Whoa, what's wrong?" she didn't reply she just buried her face deeper into his chest
"I believe she must have seen the same thing as we did Doctor McCoy, it would be logical to believe that it reminds her of Tarsus IV" Spock mentioned, how much did he know?
"How did you... When did you?" she sniffled
"After the incident when you returned to Vulcan, you asked me for aid, you begged me not to tell your mother of your survival, I'm afraid my human curiosity got the better of me, and I performed a mind meld while you slept, my apologies"
"Can we just go back please" I nodded as I called the Enterprise as we were beamed back on board. It wasn't long until she walked off in the direction of sickbay. I followed soon after, as I entered Sickbay she was administering a hypospray to her leg "Anti-nausea medication" she stated, probably to ease my worry "It's been a long time since I felt this sick" she lowered herself onto one of the sickbay beds
"Talk to me Abs, please. I'm worried about you, Bones and Spock are worried too"
"I... can't"
"Damn it Abs!" I snapped "I don't want to go behind your back; I want to hear it from you. I was there, don't I have the right to know?"
"That's exactly why you shouldn't!" she yelled, tears streaming down her cheeks "It was too cruel…" she curled up protectively, tucking her knees up to her chest "I should have saved him"
"Him?" she nodded as I sat besides her, wrapping my arm around her, bringing her closer "Tell me Abs, please"
"Do you remember Loretta Skye?"
"Yeah… She died pretty early on didn't she?"
"Yeah, when she died, she left behind a son, he was only a few months old" she took a pendant from around her neck, her hands trembling as she opened it, revealing a photograph of a little baby boy, a grin spread across his chubby little cheeks "I was looking after him, but I… I couldn't protect him" she clenched her fist tighter "Kodos tried to take him from me; apparently he wasn't necessary for survival. I wasn't going to give him up without a fight. That's when they took me from all of you, his men dragged me to his side, and he made me watch." she sobbed slightly as she tried to pull herself closer to me, her entire body aching for comfort "he made me watch as he burned them alive, men, women and children.. He just killed them all. His men… they hit me… I was weak and they took him from me, and threw him onto the flames" she pounded on my chest "He was a baby! A defenceless baby!" I held her closer as she fell apart in my arms; she'd carried this burden around for so long… she didn't deserve to see that… Her grip on my shirt tightened slightly "I should have fought harder"
"You did the best you could. It was because of you so many other kids survived"
"I know… but… I can't help thinking, what if that was my baby boy, I'd want someone to protect him… but I failed and he…he…" she stifled a sob, trying not to cry any more than she already had
"It's alright" I brushed my hand over her hair, and her body slowly began to relax, her breathing became steady and her sobs had been reduced to the occasional hic, "you should sleep"
"I can't. Every time I close my eyes, I'm back there… watching them burn"
"It might be better now that you've told someone. If you'd like you could sleep with me" her head shot up, her face a nice shade of cherry red.
"W-What! I-I couldn't do that!" she stuttered
"Why not? You slept with Bones?" I pouted
"Not willingly!" she protested "Plus, you're the Captain, think about your position! The misunderstandings!" I chuckled slightly at her outburst, somehow she'd lightened up a lot just because of a single suggestion "I'm not a girl who shares a bed with just anyone" she mumbled brushing some of the hair from her face while avoiding eye contact, she was embarrassed.
"Well it's either that or you sleep alone" I stood looking through Bones' collection of hyposprays I wonder how many of these he's already used on me, I shuddered "Now where's the sedatives"
"That's unfair" she sighed "I don't want to sleep"
"You'll be fine" I smiled as I turned to face her "I won't let anything happen to you"
"You're such a moron" she huffed as she smiled softly. I offered my hand which she took, her hands were a lot softer than I expected, doctor's hands were usually rougher, she rose to her feet as we headed towards her room.
She sighed as she exited the bathroom, where she'd gotten changed into her Starfleet sleepwear, which was really just a t-shirt and shorts, but she still looked gorgeous, nothing like the tomboy she used to be.
"You alright?" she nodded as she climbed into the bed beside me "You look nervous"
"I told you, I don't usually share a bed…" she blushed as she turned off the lights
"You're so cute" I smiled "especially when you're embarrassed" I wrapped my arms around her pulling her to me "I'm glad you ended up on the Enterprise" I kissed the top of her head
"Me too…" she rested her head on my shoulder, gently easing herself into my embrace.
"Try and get some sleep"
"Alright… night Jim" she whispered, she must have been exhausted as after a few minutes she'd fallen asleep, her breathing soft and gentle. Not a nightmare in sight.
*Abby's POV*
I stretched my body slightly as I opened my eyes, resting them on the sleeping figure beside me, his arm loosely strewn across my waist. I smiled softly until I saw my clock; I climbed out of the bed causing Jim to wake up as I looked for a clean uniform.
"What's wrong?" he groaned as he sat up his hair ruffled and haphazard
"I'm late!" I scurried into the bathroom, changing quickly; I threw my hair into a ponytail as I slipped on my boots
"Just tell Bones it was my fault" he grinned causing me to chuckle
"I'll be fine" I grabbed my Tricorder,
"Come here a sec" he stated causing me to pause slightly before heading to him, he sat up and kissed my lips lightly "Have a nice day" he smiled as I felt my cheeks heat up
"You too" I smiled as I headed to sickbay. "He kissed me..." I mumbled as I shook my head as I took a deep breath before entering sickbay. "Morning Bones" I smiled as he looked up from his PADD
"You're late... I was starting to worry" I chuckled nervously
"Well the funny thing is... I slept in..."
"You slept in?" his eyes widened with disbelief and within seconds I was under attack by his tricorder scanning my vitals "No signs of sleep deprivation, that's a first for you" I smiled as he handed me a PADD "What caused the sudden change?" I blushed again, the image of Jim's body pressed against mine, the way his lips brushed against my own "You've gone red Abby. You know you can tell me anything, I'm your friend and a doctor, nothing could be that embarrassing"
"You'd be surprised" I giggled as I started filing through our equipment making note of what we needed to order "Hey Bones are we out of sedatives?"
"Yeah, we've been out for a few days, that's why I told Jim we needed to stock up on supplies"
"You mean he KNEW we were out of sedatives?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Nothing" I mumbled, he lied to me... well not exactly... but still. I sighed
"Abby, I'm heading down to the mess hall, fancy joining me?"
"Sure" I smiled sitting my PADD down as I hooked my arm through his "Shall we, Doctor?"
"You're in a really good mood" he chuckled
"I just feel relieved, like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders, I'm a little confused about my feelings, but it's a good kind of confused"
"I'm glad you're feeling good, Kid" he smiled as we got our food, turning I saw Jim and Spock sat at a table so we went to sit with them.
"Jeez, I'm sure you got up later than me and you're already eating so much"
"Abs!" he grinned as he looked up from his very big breakfast as I sat beside him
"Jim hasn't been himself this morning doctor, he arrived at the bridge late, then he wasn't entirely focused on his duties and as you can see his appetite appears to have increased. It may be possible that he is unwell but that is your expertise Doctor McCoy."
"I'm fine Spock" Jim retorted before taking another bite, I chuckled softly
"You're both squabbling already. Can't we just have a peaceful meal?"
"With these two probably not" Bones smirked
"That's not nice" I smiled as I swiped a piece of apple from his plate
"Hey that's mine"
"Try take it back" I smirked as I put it between my teeth sticking it out
"You're always playing games" he chuckled as he bit into the apple taking half of it
"I wasn't aware that you were in a relationship with Doctor McCoy, Abigail"
"We're not, I just like teasing him" I grinned "It cheers him up a little"
"Yeah yeah" he mumbled before returning to his food
"Anyway, I heard we're going to be docking soon, for supplies. Sickbay seems to be running out of medication quickly… especially sedatives." He coughed slightly before simply replying
"Interesting" he went to reach for a slice of toast which I swiped from him
"Yeah. Interesting" I smirked as I took a bite of his toast, when our Comms went off "Scotty's in Sickbay…again… I'll take it, you eat your breakfast" I kissed Bones' cheek then Jim's before heading to sickbay.
*Bones' POV*
"I should leave also, I promised Nyota that I would meet with her when her shift ended, so please excuse me, Captain, Doctor"
"Later Spock" Jim grinned before eating again, I don't think he's eaten this much food, ever.
"What's going on Jim? Both you and Abby are acting weird"
"She told me what happened to her, she was a little upset so I tried to comfort her. She's adorable Bones" he had that dumbfounded look on his face; it was that look, lopsided grin and all… The kid's fallen in love with Abigail. "What are you smirking for Bones?"
"Nothing much. Since we'll be docked for a few days what're your plans?"
"Not a clue." He shrugged "Hit the bars, I guess" Man is he really this dense?
"Why don't you take Abby out for a bit?"
"I figured you'd be spending time with her, after all you're joined at the hip"
"I'm sure I can give her up for a weekend" I watched as his eyes lit up a little, yeah the kid was falling hard, and he probably doesn't even realise it. I smiled softly as I rose to my feet, "You know when I started dating that girl Stella? Back in the academy, Abs told her 'Break his heart, and I'll break your face' I'd never seen her hit someone so hard before. She protected me so it's my job to protect her, so don't hurt her Jim"
"Eh?" he stared at me blankly "What do you mean? I'd Never hurt her"
"Good to know Kid" I patted his shoulder "Try and focus a little; otherwise Spock will end up sending you down for a physical"
"Fine. I just had a bit on my mind this morning" Yeah 'a bit' is called Abigail Rose.
"Yeah. Later Jim"
...
*Abby's POV*
"Sure" I smiled at Jim "I'd love to"
"Great! I'll come get you in an hour" he grinned as he rushed out of sickbay, I sighed slightly
"What's wrong? I thought you'd be happy about your 'date'" Bones smirked
"I am... but this is Jim we're talking about, you said so yourself he's not the type to settle with one person... I don't want to be a notch in his bedpost"
"Just give him a chance" He smiled "People can change"
"I hope you're right Bones"
"I am. Now go get changed out of your uniform, dress up for once"
"Yes mother." He chuckled as he shoved me out of sickbay. I had other reasons for being nervous, since I'd never really been on a proper date before. I sighed as I looked into my wardrobe, my casual clothing being scarce. "Dress...Jeans...Dress...Jeans...Why is this so difficult?" I growled as I collapsed onto my bed "Computer, run weather statistics" I looked over to the screen "Chances of rain... Jeans it is" I slipped into a pair of skinny jeans, pulling on a pair of black converse before deciding on a black strap t-shirt and a black shirt which I'd stolen from Bones after he spilt his drink on me. I smiled as I ran my fingers through my hair shaking it loose "How about touching up your make-up" I smirked "Eyeliner!" I used to love defining my eyes with smoky eyeliner but medical practitioners were limited to foundation and nude shades.
There was a knock at my door, I grabbed my comm. As I opened it to see Jim he was wearing jeans, a t-shirt and a leather jacket.
"You ready?" I nodded as we headed towards the shuttle which would take us to the planet's surface; I looked out of the window and couldn't stop myself from grinning.
"It's so pretty" he chuckled at my reaction "I've not been to many worlds before..."
"Really? You'll love it" he grinned
"I'll hold you to that" I chuckled.
...
"You're mad!" I proclaimed as Jim stood closer to the edge "It's a long way down!"
"I won't fall" he offered me his hand "Trust me" he smiled, I took a deep breath as I took his hand and he pulled me up onto the ledge, I squealed as my grip tightened he chuckled "It's safe, you can't see it but there's a field to stop people from falling... Just close your eyes, and feel the wind, it makes you feel free" I just looked at him in disbelief "Trust me" he smiled, I nodded as I closed my eyes, the gentle breeze brushing through my hair I took a relaxing breath
"It reminds me of home" I smiled
"Home?"
"Vulcan was never a planet renowned for its good looks, but it was brilliant for climbing, I'd go out to get away from my mother, the breeze was a lot like this"
"Told you it was nice" I opened my eyes to see him smiling
"Still doesn't change how high it is" I sighed as I looked up to the sky only to feel water hitting my skin, I squealed as there was a sudden downpour, we rushed under a nearby shelter when I started laughing "I knew this planet was prone to 'sudden rain' but that really was sudden" I looked over to Jim and I smiled "you're soaked"
"So are you" he chuckled, I took a few steps back into the rain as it had eased up a little "What are you doing?"
"I like the rain" I giggled
"Come on, you should get changed out of your wet clothes, if you get sick Bones will kill me"
"Don't worry, I'm a doctor, I'll be fine" I grinned as he wrapped his arms around me
"Of course you will" he leaned down as he kissed my lips softly "But I won't take that chance" I squealed as he swiftly picked me up and shuffled me onto his back
"What're you doing?" I chuckled as we stepped into the turbolift
"I'm taking you back into the hotel so you can get changed, or were you heading back to the ship afterwards?"
"I hadn't decided... My stuff is in a locker, so I could go either way" I rested my head on his as he stepped out
"Well, you can get it and change in my room, then we'll go for some dinner"
"I'd like that" I smiled as I kissed the top of his head "You know you're actually quite romantic"
"Of course I am" I chuckled
"Cocky too..."
"You know you love me" I smiled softly as we entered the lobby
"yeah... I do" I muttered quietly as we approached the lockers "it's number four" he walked over to it as I pressed my finger on the scanner as it swooshed open and I took out my backpack
"That's it? You sure do pack light" I chuckled
"I don't really need much" I readjusted my grip as he started moving again.
*Jim's POV*
I smiled as I came out of the bathroom to see her sat on the bed staring out of the window "It's amazing isn't it?" I wrapped my arms around her
"Yeah, it sort of makes all the travelling worth it"
"Yeah it does" I kissed her cheek "Shall we go?" she nodded as we headed to the hotel's restaurant so that we didn't get soaked again. She sat down and she looked like she was glowing... Maybe Spock was right... I am falling for her... stupid Vulcan observations, Bones picked up on it too, that lecture he gave me the other day about not hurting her... yeah he knows... I've never really felt like this before
"Jim? You alright? You've been staring at that menu like it's in Klingon"
"What? Yeah I just can't decide what to eat" I chuckled
"How about we get a share platter. It's got all sorts of food on it, and I'll order it so there's nothing that you're allergic to" she smiled
"Sure that sounds great"
"You sure you're ok?"
"It's just a little hard to believe... that after all these years we ended up like this"
"What on a date?" she chuckled "to be honest despite being on the Enterprise for eight months, and being reacquainted with you for five of them... I didn't expect to be on a date with the Captain either"
"Well I got the better half of that deal" she pretended to be engrossed in the wall's décor as she tried to hide the blush that was evident on he cheeks, she really was cute. "You're cute you know that"
"You're crazy, do you know that?"
"Yep" I grinned causing her to giggle as our food arrived she thanked the waiter as she picked up the chopsticks
"They eat with chopsticks, I haven't used these since my dad took me to Earth" she grinned as we started eating "Jim, you should try this, there's not much but it's gorgeous" she held out her chopsticks with some weird food on it
"So you're feeding me now?" I smiled as I ate it "it is good, here" I held out my chopsticks as she ate the food I handed her "You know this is the best date I've ever been on?"
"Me too" she smiled before munching on alien salad "It wasn't what I was expecting"
"Which was?"
"I was worried... you'd be more interested in other girls..." she mumbled "Bones told me you'd changed and to give you a chance, I'm glad I did" Thanks Bones
"Well you're special, I don't know why but I really like you"
"You're blushing" she giggled "I like you too Jim, otherwise I wouldn't be here" I moved closer to her as I tipped her chin towards me
"I'll be honest I've never felt this way about anyone before... I love you Abs" I kissed her softly
"Jim... I love you too" Those words usually sounded strange... but from her, it couldn't have sounded more right, I kissed her again.
*Bones' POV*
"Spock!" Abs grinned as she ran and hugged not Spock, but Spock Prime "What're you doing here? I thought you were with your father?"
"I came to speak with Doctor McCoy about a medical matter and my other self about the colony's progress." he stated "However, I'm glad to see you again Abigail"
"You know you're always welcome to visit the Enterprise I'm sure Jim wouldn't mind" he laughed slightly
"I shall visit more in the future when the Vulcan colony is stable, you seem to be rather hyperactive today Abigail"
"I've been feeling full of energy lately, It's crazy" she grinned
"Crazy doesn't quite cut it, you've been a handful ever since you and Jim started dating" Bones huffed "Anyway, since Spock Prime went out of his way to speak to me, maybe you should go check on that boyfriend of yours, make sure he hasn't worked himself to death yet"
"Alrighty" she saluted "I'll see you later Spock, I'll tell you...you're coming" she smiled before skipping out of sickbay I shook my head, she's crazy
"It seems my calculations were indeed accurate"
"Calculations? Anyway what's this 'Medical matter' you wanted to talk about?"
"I would like you to conduct a test on Abigail, if my estimation is correct this should be the best time to check"
"What's wrong with Abs?"
"Nothing is wrong as a matter of speaking, Doctor McCoy. However I would like you to run a full diagnostic on her health, should the results be positive then your computer will receive the correct prescription and dose for Abigail"
"What happened to not interfering too much with the future? And Why don't you just tell me?"
"The impact of my meddling will not be severe, it will merely save you a lot of work, and will spare my other self from receiving a broken nose and several broken ribs due to her actions"
"Actions?"
"It's common for hybrids of two races to undergo a change in behaviour during the period in which the changes she may be undergoing occur"
"Damn Vulcans and your riddles" I groaned "I'll do her tests"
"Then my business is done, I wish you well Doctor"
"Yeah, so you say" He smiled before leaving, I noticed Abs comm sat on the table, I sighed "Sickbay to Captain Kirk"
"What is it Bones?" Jim's voice echoed over the comm
"Send down Abs for me"
"I'll be down in a second Bones" She replied "Kirk Out"
"It won't work unless I say it..." I heard her giggle "Kirk out" I shook my head and smiled those two will be married within a year.
"Bones!" She jumped through the door "What's up? We got a patient?"
"Yeah, You. Sit" I patted the patient bed "don't worry it's nothing to worry about... apparently"
"ok..." she sat there as I ran my tricorder over her "Why?"
"Spock Prime asked me to" I connected the tricorder to the computer as it processed her data "Do you feel any different?"
"Nope... I feel really good" The computer beeped as I received a message "What?"
"I'm going to kill him!" I growled "6 weeks!"
"Bones... Len...?"
"I gave him permission to take you on a date, and he does That!" I looked at the message from Spock Prime and began making the hypospray I stabbed it into her neck
"Ow! What the hell?" she groaned "What was that?"
"Hormone stabilizers. You'll need them every week for the next six months"
"Why?"
"It's natural among hybrids for their hormones to become unstable for the first few months... of pregnancy" I watched her eyes widen
"You mean I'm?" I nodded she squealed as she jumped up and hugged me "I'm going to be a mother" That wasn't the response I was expecting
"I see that the test was positive"
"Spock!" she hugged him "You knew?" he nodded "In your time line is it a girl or a boy?"
"Your first child was a girl"
"A girl, I get a baby girl!"
"This is also a part of her hormonal imbalance, she should act normally within an hour of her first dose of her medication"
"You'll be her Uncle Spock and Uncle Bones" I shook my head
"Aren't you get a little over excited, don't forget there's the matter of telling Jim"
"Ahh... I can't wait to tell him"
"Stop, wait till your medication has kicked in and you're thinking clearly" I rubbed my forehead
"Ok... for you Uncle Bones. I'm going to go see Daddy" I nodded as she skipped out
"I'm going after her, I want to see this" he nodded
"Give Jim and Abigail my best wishes,"
"Yeah, will do" I headed up to the bridge taking a sedative with me, just in case Jim goes berserk.
*Abigail's POV*
"Jim!" I hugged him
"Hey there" he kissed me "What did Bones want?"
"He wanted to run some tests" he pulled me down with him as he sat in his captain chair
"What tests? Are you alright? You're not sick are you?" he panicked
"No" I shook my head "I'm not sick" I kissed his cheek as Bones entered the Bridge I trailed kisses up to his ear "In fact I have something to tell you"
"What is it?"
"I'm pregnant" I whispered
"Really?" he looked me in the eyes as I nodded as he picked me up and spun me before kissing me softly "I'm going to be a dad?"
"You're going to be a dad" I giggled
"Well that went better than I expected" I heard Bones chuckle
"I believe congratulations are in order" I turned to Spock
"Thanks Spock" I grinned as we were surrounded by other crew members, I felt his arms wrap around my waist as he pulled me closer his lips on my neck as he whispered
"I love you"
…
"I'm going to go see Uncle Bones" Eva yelled
"I'm going to go see Uncle Spock" Kallen yelled I sighed as I shook my head as the two of them took off out of the room
"I hope you're going to be the sensible one" I placed my hand on my stomach, "Shall we go see if Daddy has come back from the planet's surface?" I smiled as I headed to the transporter room as Bones came out with Eva in his arms
"I found your daughter, Spock's got the other one" He chuckled "Who're you going to dump this one on? Chekov? Uhura?" he motioned towards my growing bump
"I don't dump them on anyone, she just loves you and Kallen likes learning new things, and hopefully this one will keep mummy company"
"You should go see your husband he's been complaining for hours, he looked hurt that your little ones weren't there to see him" he let out a hearty laugh, I giggled
"I will" I smiled as I headed into the transporter room
"Abs!" I was wrapped in a pair of strong arms and my lips were greeted with a kiss "I missed you" he leaned down and kissed my stomach "and you too" I giggled as he nuzzled my stomach "Your mummy is ticklish"
"Stop it" I chuckled
"I love you" he smiled as he kissed me again
"I love you too."