Author's note: Oh wow, I'm so sorry it has taken me this long to write this chapter - the sad thing is that I wrote it in one sitting, it's just that it took so long for me to realize what I wanted with this chapter. But here it is, I hope it is to you liking!

I managed to sneak in a certain catchphrase, and this chapter is actually a reboot!rewrite of sorts of a TOS-episode - cookies to you if you get them! :D

Only one chapter left you guys, I sincerely promise I'll be quicker with the update this one final time :)

-Lungs-

Between Two Lungs

Between two lungs it was released
The breath that carried me
The sigh that blew me forward

"Well thank god that is over!"

Kirk shot a grin at his First Officer, who sat beside him at the controls of the tiny shuttlecraft, quick fingers moving over the screen as he tried to make sense of what the monitors were telling him.

They were alone; Kirk had left the Enterprise in Scotty's capable hands as Kirk and Spock had been ordered to rendezvous at the nearest starbase for a full debriefing with the commander regarding the whole Klingon-escape situation.

That was all well and done with, and as far Kirk could tell, they actually had managed to avoid a full scale interplanetary war.

Kirk settled back in his chair, feeling light and untroubled – until a loud beep startled him.

"What was that?" he asked, and Spock did not meet his gaze as he answered.

"There's an ionic storm coming up, Captain. This shuttle is not fast enough to escape it."

Kirk's breath caught in his throat.

He had thought he'd long gotten over his claustrophobia, but suddenly it felt like the shuttle was cramped and already running out of oxygen.

He was getting ahead of himself, however.

Because it was trapped
Trapped between two lungs
It was trapped between two lungs
It was trapped between two lungs

When the ion storm finally subsided, Kirk was able to loosen the knuckle-whitening grip he held on the chair he was sitting in.

"Status, Mister Spock?" he said, voice not trembling the slightest even as he could feel the knot in his chest unravel slowly when the shuttle finally stopped shaking.

"The storm put us off course, Captain," Spock answered levelly, "and we do not have enough fuel left to reach the Enterprise before our fuel supply runs out."

"What?" Kirk half-rose, frantically looking at the monitors before him, scanning the information desperately for a way out, "but if we send a distress call –"

"The storm knocked out our communications, Jim," Spock said almost kindly, and that kindness punched Kirk in the gut harder than the words themselves could.

"Well, then, we better set course for the Enterprise and hope they're looking for us," Kirk said as he settled down again, trying to seem aloof and at ease.

It didn't work.

Never had the infinity of space worked against them so, Kirk thought gloomily, and he was glad Spock did not recite the odds of the Enterprise finding them out there.

And my running feet could fly
Each breath screaming
We are all too young to die

"Approximately two hours of oxygen left, Spock," Kirk said and shivered. He was only imagining the cold of space seeping into the shuttle, but he still put his arms around himself in a defensive gesture.

"Thank you, Captain" Spock answered where he lay on the floor, patiently trying to restore their fried communications console, surrounded by tools and bits of wire. Kirk wished he could help, but there was really only room for one to work on the thing.

"Three point six hours to estimated rendezvous point with the Enterprise," Kirk continued, marveling at how much he sounded like Spock in his clinical recitation of cold facts, "So, if we managed to contact the Enterprise within the next one point nine hours, they could warp to us and get us before we-"

Kirk paused and looked at Spock, head obscured by the panels as he stretched into the bowels of the shuttle. A strip of his stomach had become visible where his blue shirt had hitched, and for some reason Kirk couldn't tear his eyes away from the pale skin that peeked out between blue and black.

Between two lungs it was released
The breath that passed from you to me
It flew between us as we slept
Slipped from your mouth into mine it crept
Between two lungs it was released
The breath that passed from you to me
It flew between us as we slept
Slipped from your mouth into mine it crept

Kirk had left the bridge while Sulu and Chekov had been in the midst of a heated discussion about an ancient game called "Tetris" and Scotty, who had been called to the bridge seeing as he's be in command until Kirk and Spock returned, was right in the middle of flirting with Uhura, who smiled fondly at him while still keeping him at arm's length.

"See ye soon, Cap'n!" Scotty had said with a hearty wave, Uhura had nodded and smartly reported that:

"The shuttle is ready for you and the Commander, Captain."

Kirk had smiled and saluted in reply, and as the turbolift-doors closed he had heard Chekov exclaim:

"Tetris vas inwented in Russia" to an incredulous Sulu, and Kirk had given a loud snort, mind already wandering towards the alone time he would have with Spock in the shuttle in the near future. Bones' dry voice had crackled over the intercom:

"Try to get back in one piece, Jim. I might not wanna stitch you up again."

Kirk couldn't believe he would never see any of them again.

Cos it was trapped
Trapped between two lungs
It was trapped between two lungs

"I don't want to die," Kirk whispered as he tangled his hand in Spock's shirt. Spock's strong nose was bumping into his and his dark eyes were fixed on Kirk's lips and his hot hands were clamped on Kirk's hips to keep him on his place in Spock's lap.

"Speaking will only deplete the oxygen reserve faster," Spock murmured, but softly, as close to comforting as the half-Vulcan got.

Kirk's incredibly blue eyes were actually shimmering with unshed tears, lit by the gloomy emergency lights, as he said:

"Kiss me," and Spock obliged without another word, his lips tenderly brushing Kirk's.

Kirk immediately put his arms around Spock, pressing them together almost painfully, one arm lined up against Spock's neck and hand entangled in his hair, and the other thrown across the small of his back, urging Spock on.

Lips parted, tongues meeting each other in a heated clash, and hands desperately clawing and clinging, Kirk almost sobbing at the breathlessness of it, the sheer hopeless desperation of the touch, the knowledge that this was it.

Kirk was out of breath and he knew he would never catch it again.

Gone are all the days of begging
The days of theft
No more gasping for a breath
The air filled me head to toe
And I can see the ground far below
I have this breath and I hold it tight
And I keep it in my chest with all my might
I pray to god this breath will last
As it pushes past my lips as I...

"Spock," Kirk mumbled into the half-Vulcan mouth, sharing what breath they both had left, "I'm so sorry. I can't – I'm sorry."

The reply was a low growl, and suddenly, Spock pushed Kirk away and stood up. Kirk staggered backwards as Spock entered a code on the monitor pad and let his fingers fly over the console. There was a beep, the whole shuttle shuddered, and the emergency lights started blinking.

"What did you do?" Kirk shouted slamming down his hands on the control panel, trying to ascertain what just happened.

"I jettisoned the remaining fuel and ignited it," Spock said, breathing heavily and met Kirk's furious blue eyes.

"You – a distress flare?"

Kirk blinked and then gave a loud, barking laugh as he pulled the startled half-Vulcan into a bone-crushing hug.

"My wonderful Spock. My dear, dear Spock. he mumbled into his shoulder, "Let's just hope someone saw it."

Dance