A/N: Ya'll don't need the battle scenes, skipping over those. I'll do a short gloss over, though, for those who haven't seen the movie. (And to those who haven't, for shame. Why the hell you reading this if you haven't seen the movie?!)
Kirk was on automatic pilot for most of the battle for Earth. It barely registered with him when he agreed to join Spock on the Narada. Both knew it was not out of friendship for the Vulcan, or loyalty for Earth. It was for a different reason altogether.
If the Earth was destroyed, Jim's last chance to escape the confined space of the Enterprise would be lost forever. With the rest of the 'fleet unreachable, it fell to them to finish this, finish Nero.
To make it stranger, Uhura walked with them to the transport room and went right up to Spock, catching him in a liplock that had everyone else looking away. Jim's stomach was still in knots over that particular incident.
So the unlikely and awkward pair infiltrated the large Romulan ship. Spock took the smaller Jellyfish, and Jim made his way to where they were holding Pike. They were beamed back onto the Federation ship just in time as the black hole was formed, absorbing the Narada into the high gravity singularity.
Without their warp cores, however, it would take days before one of the other ships reached them. On a slow start away from the area Scotty was now calling the Black Holada Quadrant, they cruised at an even pace, unbothered by anyone else.
Which left an ungodly amount of time to sit and think.
Jim lay sprawled out on the carpeted floor of his ready room, pondering the development that allowed him to stay in the captain's quarters. On his back and staring at the ceiling, he was half expecting someone to come in and demand he leave. But no one did, and no one would. He was a savior.
Or at least that's what they all said. Jim felt more like a coward. The first chance he got, he ran to a place he could lock himself in and avoid everyone. The level of confusion he was suffering from was mind numbing, and he knew for a fact that nothing apart from a complete mind reset would allow him normalcy in his life again.
His door chime went off, and Jim glanced towards the entry way, only mildly curious as to who it was. Either Scotty was bringing the star charts he had requested, or Bones was checking up on his injuries and medicinal reactions. Or Spock wanted his orders for the bridge crew.
He hadn't been in a room alone with anyone since this whole thing started, and he dreaded it now as his door opened to admit the one person he did not want there. Spock walked in, his science blues freshly pressed, not a hair out of place.
After the bridge incident, Jim's guard was so high that he refused to let even the slightest hint of fear through his expression. If Spock thought he was afraid, he could take advantage of that. Use him. His mind flew to how Gary had taken advantage, using money. Spock could use fear.
"Uhura kick you out?" Jim asked sarcastically, not sitting up but putting both arms behind his head so he was propped at an angle to watch the Vulcan walked around the captain's ready room to the computer console and access something. He didn't trust Spock not to attack him again.
"No," was the quick remark. "My welcome with Nyota is hardly relevant to you."
"Oh, Nyota now, is it?" Spock was accessing some of the ship's logs and Jim kept his eyes locked on the man. He tried not to look nervous, but his foot started tapping the air in a rhythm.
"Again, that is irrelevant." Turning slowly to the area where Jim was laying, Spock's eyebrows pulled together in an expression Jim was quickly realizing meant confusion. Jim was doing something illogical. "Why are you on the floor?"
"My back hurts," Jim responded. "Jumping from one platform and catching yourself on another when you don't have Vulcanoid crazy reflexes is stupid."
Indeed, his ribs, spine, and hips all burned from the strain of the fight with Ayel. The pure agony his body was in made him almost seek out Bones and ask for something. Even a hypo of death would be preferable. But that would require standing and walking, which were not an option.
To his slight horror, Spock took a few steps closer. "I can help relieve some of that pain," he stated in a carefully even tone. Jim forced his body to move and scramble to his feet despite the flames that licked at his muscles.
"No, that's not necessary." Jim held both arms out in the 'see?' gesture. "I'm fine."
"I understand you wish to not have me near." The way he said it made Jim feel like the Vulcan thought he was a burden. "There are several techniques we use for relaxation."
Stepping behind the desk, Jim shook his head. "You keep your techniques to yourself!"
Spock must have picked up his panic and backed up a step. "I will be in the science labs should you need me." The Vulcan turned to leave but paused at the door, giving Jim one last undecipherable look before leaving.
Upon the door closing, Jim collapsed back onto the floor, laying flat again so he could once more stare at the ceiling and drive other, less pleasant thoughts from his mind. Curiosity, however, was an ever present demon, and his eyes traveled over to the computer where Spock had pulled up whatever information he was interested in. Jim tried to see from where he was on the floor, but his eyes weren't quite that good.
He rolled over and pushed himself up, walking slowly over to the computer console and bringing up the most recent inquiry. It was a duty roster for the ship. Of course Spock wanted the duty roster. It was actually the captain's job to sign off on these things. But Jim wasn't exactly the typical captain.
Hell, he wasn't the typical anything.
Scanning down the list, his eyes froze on one name. Jim's blood ran cold as he stared at that name. Of all the ships in the 'fleet, of all the stupid coincidences that could have happened to him, of all the crappy timing of things like this, Jim was the acting captain to the ship that held as its main navigator one Gary Mitchell.
Using his newly discovered override, Jim opened Mitchell's files, trying to ascertain as to why he wasn't on the bridge. Mitchell was apparently confined to quarters back on the starbase with lungworm. That gave Jim pause. He wasn't on the ship, which gave him a little time to figure out what he was going to do.
Jim paced around the desk, his mind moving in slow motion. He kept circling around one idea, and that was with Pike out of action, he could just hand the captaincy back to Spock. Make the Vulcan acting captain instead. Jim could ignore the words of the old Vulcan back on Delta Vega for the time being and do what was right for this universe.
Turning on his heel, he headed out the door, wincing in pain as the muscles in his back screamed in rebellion. Jim walked a bit slower, but his focus always ahead of himself and trying not to look as if he were in pain.
-oOo-
Spock knew that going to Jim had been a long shot. When compared to the disaster that had been the last two days, he estimated only a two point eight six percent chance that Jim would forgive him and welcome him.
What he hadn't counted on was Jim's ability to completely forget the scene on the bridge.
It made sense in a way that the human would be able to push that aside so easily. Given the other things that he went through in past years, his mental strength against being abused had to be the strongest of anyone Spock knew.
The thought that Spock was responsible for at least one of those episodes of abuse made the Vulcan feel sick. He waited for the lift to open, needing to distract himself with work. The only place he could go and not be disturbed was his office in the science labs. The computers didn't have the same capabilities as those in the captain's ready room, which was why he went there in the first place. Now that he had the necessary files to do what needed to be done, he retreated back towards the science bay.
His first task was to solidify a working duty roster. Jim wouldn't have any idea how to do it, or that it needed to be done at all. With Pike's abrupt departure and the battle with the Narada, the roster was never updated to reflect the current crew aboard. Pike had insisted that Spock show Jim what he needed to know to be captain, but some things needed to be taken care of first. Like removing one Lieutenant Commander Mitchell, Gary, from active duty. Spock's open court martial of Mitchell for falsifying documents notwithstanding, since he was not aboard the ship, he would not receive commendation for the Narada engagement.
No sooner had he finished removing Mitchell from the roster than did his door open. Spock looked up and saw Nyota standing in the open door, smiling as soon as she saw him. He internally sighed at her unmasked expression of interest. Had he not been in the middle of a mental and emotional breakdown and trying his hardest not to show too much on his face, the near assault on the platform would never had happened. He was certain she knew this and had taken advantage of the timing to push herself onto him.
In an effort not to seem cold and heartless, Spock hadn't pushed her away at first. But now she seemed under the belief that he returned her affections, which was simply not the truth. Intelligent as she was, Nyota simply wasn't his type.
The woman in question flounced (for lack of a better term) over to his desk and sat down on the edge, one hand landing on his shoulder as she looked down at him.
"You should be resting," Nyota said calmly. "The captain is on temporary medical absence, and he wasn't the only one hurt."
He carefully moved so her hand would have no other choice but to fall away from him. "The captain has physical injuries that require his absence. Mine are mental and easily overcome."
Her lips pursed in a no nonsense manner. "You can't tell me his pain even compares to yours-"
"Lieutenant, I would suggest you refrain from insulting the captain at this point in time," Spock said as rationally as he could. "Not only did he risk his own life to save this universe, he also did so at no personal gain."
"No personal gain?!" Nyota practically screamed, standing quickly. "He has an entire ship. A ship that should rightfully be yours."
"Nothing is rightfully mine." Spock stood, leveling his gaze on the woman. "Although it is not yet public record and will never be, the debriefing with Captain Pike was quite educational. Nero knew of Kirk because in his history, Kirk was the captain of the Enterprise."
Pike had also told him that Nero claimed that Spock would suffer greatly if his T'hy'la were Nero's prisoner in Pike's place. Although Pike had no clue what that meant, Spock had an instant understanding.
"That was in an alternate reality, Spock!" Nyota shouted at him. "That doesn't have to be this one! You could be the captain. You should be the captain!"
"No." Spock pointed to the door. "Leave. Lieutenant Uhura, whatever relationship you believe we have that allows you to speak so freely does not exist. My apologies if I led you on in any way."
Her face became smooth, not a sign of any of the emotion Spock knew would be there. She turned, her long hair flipping slightly, and glided from the room. She stopped outside the room, looking at someone to the left of the door.
"Hope you enjoyed the show," she said before pushing past the person, angrily muttering to herself.
Spock walked around the doorframe to see who was there and was a bit surprised to see a nervous looking Jim staring after Nyota as she strutted away. The captain was shaken as he turned to face Spock.
"Uh...can we talk?"
"Certainly," Spock said, stepping back into the office and raising one eyebrow at him, he waited for Jim to start talking.
The human entered slowly, cautiously. He tried to make it appear casual, but to Spock's keen eyes caught the slight shaking of his hands.
"You have to be the captain," Jim said in a rush, not taking a seat.
Spock stared at him for a moment. "I am sorry, I do not fully understand."
Jim looked squarely at him. They were almost the same height, so they were almost looking each other in the eye. "I don't know what I'm doing. I can't be a captain. You do it."
After he initially gave up his captaincy to Kirk, Spock never expected this. Jim was a great leader and belonged in the captain's chair. "I cannot. Regulation states that I cannot resume that position until I undergo a psychological evaluation to determine my emotional state. I am still emotionally compromised, therefore, you are still captain."
A lost look entered Jim's eyes. The man was giving into that overly vulnerable side again, something Spock did not want to see in him. "I can't do it. I don't want it. I never wanted it."
"I can help you," Spock said, walking around his desk and sitting. By placing the barrier between them and lowering himself, he could see Jim relaxing slightly. "I cannot take your place, however I can teach you what needs to be done. I have finished reviewing and finalizing the current duty roster, if you would like to see."
Transferring the information to a dataPADD, Spock passed it to Jim. If he could properly teach him the things he needed before they reached the Starbase to rendezvous with the 'fleet, then maybe what Pike had set up so perfectly would come to fruition.
And with the information Pike had given him, it would be up to Spock to see that if they were still T'hy'la they could explore that relationship. But first it would take Jim's trust. Something Spock knew would take a lot of time, patience, and hard work.