Hey guys, I just want to apologize for taking freaking forever to get this uploaded. I ended up moving out of my previous house and into a new one and had to fight with the Internet company to get service transferred. That, as well as unpacking, kept me from getting online to update. I hope you all enjoy this new chapter! It took me for surprise. I hadn't meant for it to go this way, but it happened and I have no regrets. Reviews would be nice! It's hard to tell if people are enjoying this when there's no feedback. ;w;

Warnings for chapter: Smoochy smooch ; angst ; soft violence ; Doctor McCoy using logic


The bridge of the Enterprise was silent as the crew gazed at the face of the man that had taken many lives from their crew only three years before. They had all been assured that the man had been put back to sleep and that he would never be awoken for any reason and yet there he was. Kirk's hands gripped the captain's chair tightly as he tried to keep his expression clear from any negative emotions. "Captain Kirk." Khan's voice filled the room and Kirk was vaguely aware that Spock had moved to stand next to him. "Now, Kirk, I have some things I would like to talk with you about… so you should report to your transporter room lest I destroy the Enterprise – and believe me when I say this time there will be no stopping me. I am prepared for any and all outcomes, captain." Kirk pressed his lips together and he shifted in his seat, glancing at Spock out of the corner of his eye. "Anything you have to say to me and be said in front of my crew." Kirk said in a stern tone, his eyes gazing levelly at the image of the male on screen. Something told him that doing what Khan said would still get his crew killed… especially with knowing how they had been tricked before.

The pale eyes of their enemy seemed to darken at Kirk's words and the male leaned forward, his face stern and posture confident. "Let me rephrase, captain.. You either come willingly or I will force you to board my ship. This is not up for negotiation. You have three minutes." With that the screen when blank and the transmission was cut off, leaving the crew on the bridge of the Starfleet ship dumbfounded. Kirk took a deep breath and lifted his hand to touch the bandage on his neck, a frown on his lips. If he took a hit from Khan with how weak he still was it would probably kill him. Despite that knowledge, Kirk stood and turned to Spock. "Mister Spock come with me. Lieutenant, get in touch with Starfleet and let them know what's going on. " He said softly, turning on his heel and making his way to the turbo lift without a second glance at his crew. He had a terrible sense of foreboding and wasn't sure if he could confidently face his family in that moment.

The second the doors on the lift closed, Kirk reached out and stopped the motion before he turned to face Spock head on. "You're aware that I'm probably not coming back." He said simply as he watched his Vulcan crewmember. Spock was silent for a moment as he stared blankly at the doors of the lift before he too turned to face the other. "I am aware." They were silent for another moment before Kirk sighed softly and shifted his weight uncertainly. "In that case, there's something I need to do." Kirk whispered before he took a deep breath and leaned forward to connect his lips with Spock's. He gasped softly when the chaste kiss was instantly returned and arms were wrapped around his waist, tugging him closer. What was originally supposed to be a simple kiss as a last act – and confession – had turned into a messy melding of lips and groping hands. They broke apart with gasps from Kirk and slightly labored breathing from Spock. The two men stood there for several seconds without breaking eye contact before Kirk removed his arms from around the Vulcan's neck and resumed the motion of the lift. By the time the doors opened the men were standing side by side with composed expressions on their faces.

The walk to the transporter room was silent and, aside from the occasional brushing of hands as they walked, uneventful. Both had left the other to their own thoughts and worries and had chosen not to discuss what had just happened on the lift. Kirk had always admired Spock, he just hadn't been sure in what way until he had realized that he was going to die and not be able to return to his Vulcan officer. Kirk frowned as he removed his comm and phaser from his person, deciding to save Khan the trouble of taking them from him, and stepped onto the platform. "Spock, if you doubt for one second – just one – that I'm still alive I want you to get the crew away from here." Spock was silent for a moment before he replied with a 'yes captain' and stood back from the platform. Their eyes stayed lock until Kirk was no longer on the Enterprise and that's when Spock's jaw locked and he hustled back to the bridge, falling into a professional mode and spouting off orders at the crew until they were hailed once more by Khan.

The grinning appearance of the male put Spock at unease as he slowly straightened his back and gazed back. "I wonder what you'll do, Spock? Will you come for your captain or will you leave him?" He asked with a sickeningly pleased look on his face as Kirk's scream was heard. Spock forced himself not to tense and react with an emotional response and instead spoke calmly, "I, myself, wonder what it is you want? You have yet to fire on us now that you have the captain and you have yet to flee. What game are you playing?" He honestly was curious but that curiosity was not enough to drive out the worry he felt for Jim. They had kissed minutes before but Spock wasn't really sure if he had reacted that way due to Kirk's overwhelming emotions for him or if he himself was feeling the same for the other. He was aware that emotional transference occurred in mind-melds, so he wasn't sure if what he was feeling were his own or not.

Another scream was heard, followed by a choked gargling sound and Khan's momentary distraction, before the two advanced beings were gazing at each other again. "I believe that I will break him and make him beg for death – maybe even beg for your help, Spock. That sounds wonderful, doesn't it?" Khan spoke with a smug expression on his face, though he frowned and appeared thoughtful as Spock spoke, "I do not believe you will be capable of such a thing. You were not able to succeed three years ago and those years have only managed to make the captain stronger." Khan chuckled softly before he leaned back in the chair he was seated in and motioned for someone off the screen. "I may not be able to..." He began in an amused tone as another being came into the Enterprise crew's view. "I am perfectly capable of eliciting a response such as the one Khan desires. You are aware of this, Spock." The new being – a Vulcan – made Spock tense visibly and grip the captain's chair tightly like Kirk had done before. "Stonn." Spock mumbled in acknowledgement, practically glaring at the screen.

Stonn nodded his head slightly at his name before he gazed over towards where, Spock assumed, Kirk was. "His mind is most dynamic, Spock. I see now why you have chosen to remain with him… but I will be taking him as of now. I will indulge myself and shatter his mind beyond repair before I allow Khan to take his life. You will not be able to save his life." Stonn then vanished from Spock's view and Kirk's screams were heard once more. Khan hummed softly as he watched what was happening between Kirk and Stonn before he turned his attention back to the Enterprise. "Did he tell you? What he feels for you?" Khan was met with silence which only made his expression darken once more. "Interesting. Well, I have revenge to take now so be on your way."

The transmission went dead and Spock sat stunned for a moment before the bridge burst into activity, words being called over people's shoulders and bodies scampering across the floor. Spock frowned when Chekov's voice filled the air. "H-He's gone, sir. The Captain's vitals have completely vanished… it's like his dead but I can't tell for sure." One by one the crew ceased their work and turned to look at the Vulcan, frowns and worry on each of their faces. Spock, despite his carefully composed outward appearance, was overwhelmed with his human emotions of worry and sadness. Remembering the words his captain had spoken before venturing to the other ship, Spock set his jaw and ordered Hikaru Sulu to pull back and set course for Earth. To the new instructions the crew were both thankful and furious and the mixed emotions were very clearly written on each one's face. Spock had doubted Kirk's survival… and because of that he had been forced to take the best action for the sake of the crew that had been left under his command. Wordlessly, Spock stood from the captain's chair and made his way into the lift and down to his living quarters.

After several hours of meditation Doctor McCoy made his presence known and Spock willingly pulled himself from his trance to allow the doctor in. They sat in silence for a long while before Spock spoke up in a clipped yet thoughtful voice, "What reason is there for Stonn being involved in this?" Much to his surprise Doctor McCoy seemed to be the one with the answer, "Wouldn't it make sense to say that he did it out of revenge? Maybe a grudge or something like that?" Spock lifted his head and gazed over to the doctor that had been Kirk's best friend, taking in the slight red color around his seemingly puffy eyes. The doctor had been crying, Spock deduced before he spoke once again, "That is most illogical. Vulcan's do not act on emotion because they do not have them." McCoy clicked his tongue and crossed his arms over his chest in a stubborn manner. "… 'eah, but you're Vulcan and have them." The taller man raised one eyebrow and elegantly rested his hands in his lap. "You forget that I am only half Vulcan, doctor. My human half allows for emotions to occur." They sat there for a long while, both stubborn and both right in their own minds, before McCoy tossed his arms up in defeat and made his way to the door to leave. He paused long enough to speak before vanishing, "Look, Spock, don't get me wrong. I'm not Vulcan so I don't know anything for sure… but it seems possible that he was doing this as an act of revenge or something. Don't tell me this bullshit about not having emotions. Your father told you he married out of love, right? That's an emotion and he was full Vulcan. Just… You were engaged to his love interest, right? And he lost her when Vulcan was destroyed by Nero, right? And here you are… well… were… with Jim and Nyota and myself and the rest of the crew living well and enjoying life in your own weird hobgoblin-y way. It seems possible to me. Get some rest, Spock… we're going to need you."

The moment McCoy had left the room Spock was on his feet and walking to stand at the desk in his room. It could be possible… Stonn very well could have reacted that way, Spock told himself as he sat down and silently gazed at the surface before him. Spock and Stonn had not gotten along very well in the past when it came to T'Pring, Spock's ex-fiancé, and the more Spock thought about the situation at had the more likely Doctor McCoy's theory seemed. Spock frowned very faintly and shifted his weight in his chair, leaning forward slightly as if it would help get him closer to the answer he was looking for. If Stonn was looking for revenge… it would be revenge against Spock, not the captain… so why had it been the captain that was taken? Spock sighed softly and stood, making his way out of his living quarters and into the halls. He hadn't realized where he was going until Scotty came into his line of sight, a sympathetic look on the engineer's face. "How're you holdin' up?" The Scottish male spoke, his accent still as vivid as it had been the day he had first arrived on the Enterprise. Spock tilted his head to the side in a manner that was barely noticeable, and raised an eyebrow. "I am perfectly well, Mister Scott." Scotty frowned and lightly placed his hand on the Vulcan's arm, shaking his head sadly. "You don't 'ave to pretend for our sake. We all know how… intimate you and the Captain were." Spock's eyes widened slightly and he the answer he had been looking for washed over him as if he had been tossed into the Arctic Ocean. "Of course! Thank you, Mister Scott. You have proved very useful." Spock turned on his heel, making his way to the bridge without another word, leaving a dumbfounded engineer in his wake.

It all made sense to him now. Every bit of it. Stonn had allied with Khan as an act of revenge and a grudge that the Vulcan still harbored against Spock. It was just as the doctor had said before; Stonn had lost the one he loved and was planning on spending the rest of his life with but Spock still had happiness and friends around him. Stonn and Khan had mistaken Spock and Kirk for being together in a way far more intimate than that of friends… And if that is the case, Stonn would be sure to torture both Kirk and Spock – not simply kill the captain. It would be too quick and a pain that would sooner be forgotten by the half-Vulcan. Dragging out Kirk's death and giving the first officer a false sense of hope… that had to be their plan. If he was correct… Spock restlessly shifted his weight as the turbo lift soared to take him to his destination, his mind spinning with the knowledge he now had. There was a sense of urgency radiating out of him, his expression clouded with emotions. It was very uncharacteristic of the commander but he could not bring himself to focus long enough to compose himself. As the doors slid open to reveal the bridge, which Spock entered with flying speed, he spoke in a voice that alerted the entire crew, "I have made a grave error. Mister Sulu, turn us around. The captain is alive."