Disclaimer: I own nothing expect for Tempe, Jo, and the whole idea of the Changelings. I do not own Star Trek or the name Changeling that belongs to Clint Eastwood.

A/N: Thank you to Lunar Eclipse, LaVieBoheme76, CarlieHitachiin and BroadwayBaby387 for reviewing! Much love! Anyways onwards with the sequel. Here is chapter 2! Cheers!

The Issue with Paternity

"Pppppregnant?" I sputtered out. It couldn't be true, it was nearly impossible for me to conceive a child that was a fact. Out of all of the years of being alive I had produced very few offspring and it was near impossible me to become impregnated by human males.

"It can't be true. Your tricorder is malfunctioning or I have a tumor or something else. I can't be pregnant!" I tried to keep my voice to a hushed whisper hoping that no one would walk into Med Bay within the next few minutes.

"I'm sorry Tempe but you are." He said as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I can't be. I can't conceive easily. Oh bloody hell, how does this happen?" I said shaking my head. The wall looked really friendly right about now and I was ready to band my head into it thankfully Leo looked to be in the same position.

"Why is it such a big deal to you?" I barked sharply as he paced back and forth in front of me, running his hands through his brown locks messing them up.

"I could be the father, you moron. I swear you can be really dense sometimes dear." He said stopping in front of me his hazel eyes flashing.

"Oh don't you look at me like that. I'm not the only one who partook in the sex, you enjoyed it quite a bit too." I snapped as he glared at me like it was all my fault. "You are the one with the penis." I spat out.

"So just because I'm male it's all my fault now?" He said his voice beginning to rise.

"Yes it is your fault, you should have used protection." I said as I let my voice rise to match his.

"Well you should have given yourself the contraception hypo that would've saved both of us from this nightmare." His voice continued to rise until he was yelling.

"Nightmare?!" I screeched. "Wow that's really mature Leonard, calling me a nightmare just because you slept with me."

For some reason those words seemed to sober him up and he dropped his defensive angry stance and just looked at me with worry filled eyes.

"You are no nightmare and if anyone had to have my kid I'd want it to be you. I'm just worried about how Jim will take the news." He said quietly as he brushed the hair out of my face.

"How Jim will take what news?" The very man that we were talking about just waltzed through the doors and smiled his shit-eating grin at us both. I tried to keep my eyes from widening that he almost found out about this before I was ready to tell him.

Leo looked down at me and saw that I was begging him with my eyes to not say anything until I was ready to tell him. He had the same look on his own face and he nodded his head once to tell me that nothing would be said.

"Oh nothing Jim, why the hell are you down here instead of being Captain?" He barked out as he turned to face the younger man.

"I got a worried call from a nurse that over heard you two yelling at each other. She was terrified that big bad Bonesy was yelling at the one person he has never yelled at." He said smiling as he took a seat on the bio-bed next to me.

"It was nothing." I said calmly as I placed a hand on his knee. "Leo and I were just not seeing eye to eye for once."

Leo was glaring at the younger man. "Why the hell do you need us to do complete physical and mental work-ups?" He barked out as his hand reached out to the table next to him. I saw Jim's eyes follow his moving hand warily.

"Is this what your little tiff is all about?" He asked still watching Leo's hand like a hypospray would magically appear and stab him. When Leo or I didn't answer him he continued on. "It's because you are bored and need to work, also they haven't been done since our little voyage started. They were all last done back when everyone was on earth and life was hunky-dory."

"Well I think Jim should go first then, don't you Tempe?" He said turning to me as he grabbed a hypo with his other hand unbeknownst to James.

"Of course. Captain I regret to tell you that you are mentally unstable." I said as I smiled at him.

"Oh and you are in desperate need of a few vaccines." Leo said as he stabbed him in his neck.

"Fuck! OWW!" He shouted as he rubbed his neck. He looked at us both before he decided to bolt.

"I think I'll just go…" He said before he ran out of the room.

"Pansy." Leo grumbled to himself as he turned back to face me. "Either of us could be the father. I'd have to do a Paternity test considering how close we were when you had sex with us both. I'll call you in here when I have time to do it." He said as he went back to pinching the bridge of his nose.

I slid off the bio-bed and rested my hand on his shoulder. "Try not to worry honey. I'll confront him when the time comes." He just nodded and I turned ready to leave.

"Tempe, what do we do if it is mine?" He asked as I reached the door. I stopped and thoughts plagued my mind.

"We will cross that line when it comes." I said quietly before I walked out into the hallway. The pristine white hallway was crowded with all of the nurses that were standing there waiting to get to work. Oh dear god, hopefully none of them heard what our shouting match was about.

"Ladies," I said smiling at them. "Why are you all out here when you should be in there?" I asked them.

Christine walked to me. "Captain Kirk thought it was best for us to wait until you and Dr. McCoy finished your discussion."

I looked around at them and the petite brunette Nurse Charles was the only one that looked away. She must've been the one that told James. "Very well, our discussion is over, you may do your job ladies."

I felt all of their eyes burning holes into my back. Damn gossipy nurses the whole ship will know about our fight before the day is up. I stalked to the bridge in a very foul mood and was met with nothing but the black expanse of space. Looks like nothing but another boring day ahead of us all.

Jim's eyes met mine as soon as I walked onto the Bridge. I glanced away and strode right into my main office without giving him the chance to open his mouth. My thoughts were spinning around my head way too fast for my own comfort and I dropped into the nearest chair about ready to scream and have a meltdown.

I couldn't be pregnant. It had always been difficult for me to reproduce, given I hadn't had many chances to try in all of those years I had only managed to birth three children, two boys and one girl. I sat in the chair holding my head as I tried to calm myself.

I heard my door slide open and I looked up to see James enter.

"Baby what's wrong?" He asked hesitantly before he came to me. I couldn't speak as tears formed at the corners of my eyes. He lifted me up and pulled me to his warm chest as he sat again rocking me gently.

"I'm sorry you and Bones fought, sweetheart, but you know Bones he fights with everyone it was only a matter of time until he had it out with you." He said trying to soothe me. It took every ounce of self control I had to not burst out laughing. Oh if he only knew the half of it…He would be the one that was furious and he would go storming in, to think his best friend probably knocked his girlfriend up.

I stopped crying and I just sat there numb in his arms. Either the baby was his and it would bring us together or it would push him away, or the child was Leo's and it would ultimately drive James away from me. An entire lifetime would be wasted.

"You okay to go back to work?" He slowly asked me afraid that I would break out in the waterworks again.

"Of course I am." I said glaring at him. Damn hormones were already going crazy! First the stupid crying and now I was bitchy, fuck this was going to be a long nine months.

"Ok, ok, don't get angry with me, baby. I'll see you at lunch, ok?" I nodded my head and crawled out of his lap and went to my desk and computer ready to make schedules to get every single crew member in for their required psych evaluations.

I watched James leave out of the corner of my eye and I couldn't help but to love him and hope that the little life growing inside of me was his and it would be the son he always wanted- the son that would carry on the Kirk name and tradition of being a hero.

--

Three hours later I had scheduled appointments with fifty members of the crew and my stomach was growling ravenously while I sat at my desk trying to decide who to schedule next. The chime saved me from having to make a decision and I glanced up thankful to be interrupted from the tedious work.

There Mr. pain in the ass with his innocent blue eyes stood waiting for me. "Ready to go to lunch?" He asked as he looked at me grinning his shit-eating grin.

I shot daggers at him. It was his fault that I was having to do this crazy task and it was possibly his fault I was suffering from insane mood swings that would have driven any normal woman insane, luckily for me I was no normal woman.

I stood from my desk rubbing my neck furiously to work out the kink I had gotten in it within the past few hours. "Yes I am ready for lunch. Let's go." He eyed me out of the corner of his icy blue eyes and I was ready to snap at him again before we walked onto the Bridge.

"Mr. Spock you have the Conn." He said as he led me to the lift. I leaned over to pressed six that would put us on the floor that had the few officer lounges and the mess hall when he stopped me and hit three that would lead us to his quarters.

I raised my eyebrow in a Spock manner and he smacked my shoulder. "You have no idea how unnerving it is when Uhura does that let alone you!" He said as he closed his eyes trying to rid his mind of the image.

"What's so bad about it?" I pouted ready to pick another fight.

"I don't want to see the woman I'm sleeping with make any facial expressions that remotely remind me of my first officer. That is just too disturbing to think about." He rambled.

"Aww does Jimmy have a crush?" I asked as I bumped into him teasingly.

"On you and only you babe." He said smirking. His smirk brought back thousands of memories of our teenage years and the three years we spent at the Academy. The flood of memories was enough to make me smile and forget my current predicament.

We headed to the mess hall in silence it was comfortable to have his arm around me in front of the entire crew, while our relationship wasn't hidden it wasn't exactly an approachable subject. Spock still considered relationships with crew members a dangerous regulation to be broken even though he continued to break it against his better judgment. Nyota had the poor man wrapped around her finger, he was so in love with her.

I smiled thinking of Nyota. We had almost every class together and both of us were in the top of the class so we bonded instantly and we stayed close throughout the years at the Academy. She was the only female friend I had there and out here in space with a lot of men our bond strengthened even more.

As soon as we walked through the doors my eyes went to the table that we normally sat at. I spotted Nyota, Scotty, and Sulu sitting there. Chekhov and Spock were still on the Bridge and I had no idea where Leo was at. I couldn't help but to worry about him and our fight that we had earlier. I hope he isn't avoiding us just because I'm pregnant.

"I'll get you food." James whispered as we neared the table. I smiled at him and nodded as I sat down next to Nyota and across from Scotty and Sulu.

"Hey lass, I 'aven't seen you around recently." Scotty said as soon as I sat.

"Sorry Scotty, Jim has both Leo and me on set on a crazy task that he thinks that needs to be done." I said as I patted the Scottish man's hand.

"Aww well I've missed you terribly, you should nip down to engineering and give me a shout. Oh and might I add that you look positively radiant today." My eyes widened in surprise. I couldn't already have that pregnancy glow, now could I? I certainly hoped I didn't otherwise Nyota would know immediately.

I saw her brown eyes widen as she took in my appearance and thought about the fight that happened earlier. I could see the gears turning in her head and knew that they would click into the right place before long.

"Thank you, Scotty. I don't have an idea why I would look any better today than I do any other day." I said trying to shrug it off. The conversation turned quickly and Scotty and Sulu were going on about something when I felt Nyota squeeze my knee. My emerald eyes met her chocolate ones and I could tell that she already knew.

"How?" I whispered to her.

"Call it woman's intuition. You have it too silly." She whispered back quietly so the boys wouldn't be distracted by us.

"Do you need someone to talk to?" She asked as she noticed James heading our way. I nodded my head stiffly. "I'll come see you later today at your office, ok?" I nodded again and felt more relieved knowing that I would have someone to talk to about my predicament.

James set down a load of food in front of me and sat on my other side grinning like a mad man. I laughed at him as he began to shove food into his mouth.

"What? I'm hungry.." He said as the entire table laughed at him.

--

I sighed as I entered the last appointment for a psych evaluation into the computer. I leaned my head into my hands and rubbed my throbbing temples begging the migraine to go away. The high pitched chime went off and I scowled at the noise as the throbbing intensified.

"Come in." I called to the door hoping it was Nyota that stood on the other side and not someone with a problem in the need of having me to talk to. Sure enough it was Nyota as I recognized the red uniform and sleek black hair.

She dropped into the chair that sat in front of my desk and her brown eyes held concern.

"When did you find out?" She asked quietly as she pointed to her own stomach.

"This morning."

"Is that why Leo and you fought?" She asked already knowing the answer.

"Yes." I said worried if I could tell her about the relationship that was kept under wraps for the little time it existed, but then again she trusted me enough to tell me about her and Spock when they first started seeing each other.

"Care to elaborate?" She said smiling at me. Her warm smile was comforting and I knew I could trust her with anything just as she trusted me with anything.

"Leo and I were together until the day I attacked Spock." I said quietly monitoring her facial expressions. She gave nothing away and I had to admit the woman was amazing at keeping her face placid and calm. She could almost give Spock a run for his money.

"When did that relationship begin?" She asked curious.

"A week after the last time I slept with Jim. I didn't plan it or anything it was just spur of the moment and it resulted in an obscene amount of sex." I said as I struggled to meet her eyes. While I knew her and Spock were intimate I knew it took them a very long time to get there.

"You slept with Jim while we were in the Academy?" She looked hurt that I hadn't told her that, but at that time period she was really involved with Spock and we weren't on good speaking terms.

"Only once during our Academy years and once before we went to the Academy and way too many times to count since we've actually started dating." I said smiling coyly.

"Trust me we all know that you two go at it like rabbits now. It's no wonder that you are pregnant." She said laughing then sobered up quickly. "Sorry I shouldn't have said that."

"It's ok. I was told when I was younger that I would have problems conceiving so I find it hard to believe." I said lying through my teeth. She nodded once and her face was marred by a contemplative look.

"I can see why all of this must be such a big shock for you then. Do you know who the father is?" She asked hesitant about the question. A long pregnant pause enveloped us both and I fought to find the words that seemed to evade my tongue.

"No, it's either James or Leo." She leaned over the desk and took my hand that laid on it. The silent act was one of unyielding support that I knew she would continue to offer throughout my entire ordeal. I was just hoping this ordeal would turn out to be a blessing.

"Either of them will stand by you no matter what. Are you afraid of that?" She asked as she rubbed my hand gently.

"I'm terrified that James will revert back to his old ways if the child is Leo's and he will push away the friendship that means the most to him. I wouldn't bear it if I came in between them two."

"I doubt Jim will do that, you aren't the only one that has realized he has changed. Given I haven't known him as long as you have I can tell that he has changed. We all did the day Nero was defeated, and in a way you have made him a better man, Temperance you have done what no one else could do or even tried to do."

"I honestly don't even know what I did that brought us together." I said slowly as I dropped my head into my hands shaking it in disbelief.

"I think you should take the rest of the day off and do some soul-searching, ok?" I looked up letting my eyes meet hers.

"Ok." I said quietly.

"I'll get McCoy to say you are unfit for duty until you get everything sorted out, until then relax and take care of yourself, Tempe. I'll come see you tomorrow." We both stood and she hugged me tightly.

She left my office and went back to the Bridge. A few moments later I heard Leo's voice coming from my communicator.

"Temperance?" His tone was questioning and I answered it.

"Yeah, Leo?"

"Come to my room please. Then you will be declared unfit for duty until you can handle everything. Ok darlin'?"

"Yeah I'll be there shortly." I said as I closed it and braced myself for whatever else was going to be thrown at me today.