Wow, super fast update again! Thank you very, very much for your wonderful reviews, I hope you continue to enjoy the story. Here comes another twist in the plot!

Warning: Minor swearing!

Chapter Ten: Favour and Fault of James Kirk:

A few days passed without incident, he had been contacted by Starfleet to inform him that new accommodation had been arranged on his behalf and he would be compensated for his loss of possessions as much as was possible; they also informed him that sixteen people had been killed in the explosion and that their families had been informed. Everyone had been a member of Starfleet; it had been a Starfleet apartment block, designated for housing members of the Federation who had nowhere else to live. And it had been a damn good set up too.

He was pleased that he was able to get a few days rest after everything that had happened in recent weeks, Spock and Khan were on their best behaviour, there was no arguing or glaring between them and he did wonder if the two had reached some form of mutually silent agreement for his sake, and the sake of his mother.

Winona was merely glad to have a house full again, she had sat him down and explained that it had been three years since she had divorced his step-dad and it had been the best thing she had ever done, second only to giving birth to him. It had filled his heart with a devilish excitement to know that his step-dad had received his marching orders, and it was even better to know that his mother didn't regret it. She seemed happier than he had seen her.

There were a couple of things still troubling him however, small changes which would mean little under normal circumstances, now made him wonder and speculate. Since his second death, his speed had increased, he went for daily jogs around the grounds and sometimes down the road to the shops and back, and over the passing days when Khan had sometimes ventured to join him he had noticed that he had been able to keep pace with the man, compared to their stint on the Vengeance together where he had been left flagging behind with his average human speed.

On top of that, his sense of smell and hearing had enhanced, he was hearing the smallest of noises, and the faintest of odours, including a rather embarrassing episode of smelling someone (naming no names) pass wind.

His sight was better than it had ever been, he could see clearly over longer distances than before and he could read faster, in truth he could read better than he had ever read before.

As much as he wanted to ignore it, there came a point where he had to admit that the second administration of Khan's blood to his body had undoubtedly triggered a faster transformation of his own DNA into the superhuman version. He could tell by these small things, when he put them together as a whole, that he was very nearly changed completely. And there as very little left to define him as an average human, if he had indeed ever been average.

'Because I looked up your file while you were drooling on the floor. Your aptitude tests are of the charts. So what is it? You liked being the only genius-level repeat-offender in the Midwest?'

No, no he had never been average. Average wasn't in his nature, his nature was to be unpredictable and better than average. It was just his choice whether or not to be better.

Jim sighed slightly as his train of thought was broken by the sound of his Mum's car pulling into the drive; he shuffled and jumped down from the tree branch he had been sitting on and walked over as she got out of the vehicle.

"You buy anything nice from the store?" he asked as he opened the boot for her and pulled out the shopping bags.

"That would depend on what you consider to be 'nice'." She answered with a coy smile, "Where are the boys?"

"No idea," he shrugged, "I left them asleep this morning. But I have been out here for hours, so their either got themselves up or are still there."

She chuckled in response and took the last bag out of the car before the two Kirks headed into the house to unload the shopping. When they got indoors, Jim stopped in his tracks as he watched Khan hoovering the carpet while Spock dusted the shelves. He raised an eyebrow and very slightly tipped his head to the side as he watched Khan bend down to pick something up. He snapped out of it as he saw his mother looking at him and his cheeks became coloured with a dark pink flush as she smirked slightly knowingly at him.

He ignored her and cleared his throat, "What... Are you doing guys?" he asked.

"Captain, as ever you seem to have the need to question the obvious." Spock answered.

"Winona is letting us stay here free of charge; it is only polite that we do something towards the upkeep of the house while we are here." Khan added, smiling at the blond woman.

"Aw how sweet!" she chimed, carrying her bag through the throe of men and into the kitchen, "I wish you'd rub some of that attitude off on my son."

"Hey! I'm helping you carry the bloody shopping!" Jim protested before he rolled his eyes at Khan's crooked smile and followed her into the other room to help her.

To her credit, Winona didn't question the way she had caught her son appraising Khan even though they both knew that she had seen it. It was one of the reasons he was glad that she was his mother and not someone else who was likely to be bothered by it. And as she had so aptly pointed out on the day of his arrival, she knew he was a bit of a man-whore. Though that wasn't something he had actually expected to hear from her.

When he had finished assisting her, she shooed him away so that she could start cooking something 'nice' for their evening meal; Jim stepped into the living area and found that the Vulcan and superhuman had completed their cleaning tasks, he went and sat down on the newly made up sofa before Khan. Spock was in one of the armchairs, looking surprising comfortable with his surroundings, which made a pleasant change.

"So, I have to ask... Why are the two of you so friendly? You're cooperating, you aren't at each other's throats, you haven't even had a bitch-slapping contest lately," he said with quirked eyebrows, "Did you guys sign a truce or something while I wasn't looking?"

"Something like that." Khan ventured as he glanced at the Vulcan, "When we found you in the road I think we both realised that we both care about your safety and your happiness... It seems a natural conclusion therefore not to cause you grief by arguing and sniping constantly."

Jim considered it for a moment before he shrugged, "It's all cool, and a lot easier without having to worry about the two of you tearing chunks out of each other."

"We thought as much." Spock sighed, "I cannot say that I trust Khan yet, he has done much to make many suspicious of him, however I am willing to attempt peace because of your... Involvement, Captain."

"Thanks Spock." He smiled slightly and glanced at Khan before he looked away again.

The slightly awkward silence was then broken by the buzzing of Kirk's communication device; he jumped slightly and pulled the phone from his pocket and answered it.

"Kirk here." He answered quickly, faltering as there was no answer for several minutes.

"Captain! I cannae hear you very well, you're breaking up!" Scotty's voice sounded suddenly and made him raise an eyebrow.

"Mr Scott, what's the problem?" he asked, trying to speak clearly so the man could hear him a little better.

"There's been a problem with the Enterprise, sir, some... Ah, damage."

"What do you mean damage?" he swallowed, feeling his stomach knot, "Is she salvageable?"

"I cannae tell you everything at the moment Captain, I'm still running the diagnostics check... But from what I've found so far, someone's been tampering with her engines and the Warp Core." Scotty's voice was tense; he knew that the Warp Core was still a slightly sensitive subject for the man.

Jim hesitated and met Spock's inquisitive gaze, "Alright Scotty, I want you to finish the diagnostics check and report back to me. Do not speak to anyone before you've spoken to me, that... That is an order."

"Understood Captain."

When the line went dead, Jim got to his feet and walked out; calling the same Starfleet Commander who had led the meeting with himself, Spock and Khan a few days previously.

"Hello sir, I'm sorry to call you without warning, this is Captain Kirk of the USS Enterprise, I've just had a call from my Head of Engineering..."

Khan listened from his seat, his eyes closed to assist his concentration and he focused on the conversation Jim was having outside. He knew it was ill-mannered of him to eavesdrop but he was concerned from him, he had seen a change in his posture when he had been talking to Mr Scott on the phone and he could detect a mixture of anger and worry in his voice now he was talking to someone else.

A few moments later, the door slammed shut and Jim stalked across the lounge, ignoring the calls from his two male friends as he disappeared into the kitchen, throwing his phone down on the counter as he moved.

"What's wrong dear?" Winona asked her son as she saw the murderous look in his sea blue eyes.

"Someone tampered with the Enterprise... This is just the latest in the line of problems going on. And... It all feels like it is linked to me somehow, I know that might sound self-centred but..." he paused and pinched the bridge of his nose, "... Listen, the bomb was planted at a party which I was attending; then my apartment block was blown up; now my ship has been sabotaged... When I came off that bike... I knew who it was... His voice was familiar but I just couldn't place him... I couldn't see very well so my sight couldn't help... But I felt like I knew him... And they way he spoke to me was almost... Tenderly, like he was egging me on to be better than I am. The things he said were personal things, like he knew me."

"James..." she murmured.

"Tell me I'm going crazy." He said, "Please tell me this sounds crazy..."

"It doesn't." She sighed, "I think you're right. I think this is about you."

"Shit... I knew it..." he leaned against the counter and threw a hand through his hair restlessly, "I... Said the same thing to the Head Commander of Starfleet, and he... He agreed with me as well."

She tipped her head, "What does he plan to do about your thoughts?"

Jim sighed heavily and bit at his bottom lip, "Well, I've got Spock and Khan to cover my ass for the time being, not that I need the extra protection."

"What do you mean?" she asked, her eyes going wide as he grabbed a large knife from the block and ran it across his forearm, showing her the blood welled cut before it healed before their eyes, "I'm... I'm not average anymore... I'm like Khan."

Winona sighed and rested a hand over his, "Maybe you should head back to San Francisco? I know you wanted a week away but with everything that is going on I think you need to be with your ship and your crew... Your family James, they are going to need talking to about what is happening too."

"I know, but I don't want to go yet. I feel like I only just got here..." he murmured, leaning forward over the counter and playing with some breadcrumbs which littered it, "Plus, I really want to make sure that this is personal before I tell the others. They think I'm pigheaded enough without making some crazed accusation like this."

"You are pigheaded, what difference is this going to make?"

"Oh... Thanks a lot Mum!" he half growled, "I'm serious!"

"I know, I'm sorry love." She smiled weakly and touched his arm.

He moved from his resting place and glanced at the doorway where Khan and Spock were sat beyond, "What do you think about him, Mum?" he asked in a quieter tone.

"I think he cares a great deal about you and your wellbeing, but I also think that if he truly had to make a choice he would choose to save his own life over yours. He is a tricky one to read, he had many emotions but hides them all save for the ones he wants people to see... But I have seen the way he looks at you and that is truthful, his eyes are warmer and tender when he looks at you, James." She sighed softly, "I think... You should open up to him and let him see the real you."

"The... Real me?" he repeated, looking at her slowly.

"You are my son. Do you really think I cannot see beyond your mask? Your distrust of people and your need to shield yourself with falsities and facades; your sexual need to make yourself feel better by bedding men and women so that you feel more loved; your emotional habits of keeping people at arm's length so that you don't get hurt again... I've seen you grow up my boy, I've seen you build that facade from nothing. You can't fool me." She smirked slightly before it faded and she touched his cheek, "Trust him fully and let him see what you truly are."

Kirk looked away from her and glared out of the window, his eyes downcast, he cursed her for being able to read him so well, and when he believed he had everyone so properly fooled. It seemed that the only one who was fooled was himself. He pouted slightly as he looked back at her and he hugged her slowly, wrapping his arms around her and allowing her motherly scent to envelope him, making him feel safer.

He sighed heavily and grabbed his communication device as he pulled back at the last minute, stepping aside his he made to make another call, he was distracted by the whistling of a fast moving object through the air before the window shattered and the object embedded itself in his mother's chest, spurting blood from the wound as she staggered and collapsed.

A cry left his lips as he dropped down, catching her in his arms just before she hit the floor, he cast his eyes over the wound and faltered as he saw she had been shot with an antique 21st century bullet which had penetrated her chest and was pumping blood out.

He pressed his hand against the wound, glancing out of the window as he saw a figure disappear between the trees out the back of the house; Jim looked down at her and faltered as he saw she was getting paler. The kitchen door was forced open to its furthest point as Spock and Khan both swept into the room, having heard the shot and Kirk's cry.

"Wh-What happened?" Khan asked, his voice faltering for a moment as he saw the blood covering the blond man's hands as he pressed them against his mother's chest wound.

"21st century bullet to the chest... Someone fired a shot using an old fashion gun of some kind..." he replied, swallowing thickly as he watched Winona lose consciousness.

"The medics are on their way, Captain, I have called them." his Vulcan friend announced before he crouched down and swapped places with his Captain, pressing his own hand more firmly against the wound as he attempted to stem the blood loss.

Jim sat back against the counter, staring a little blankly as he slowly receded into the back of his mind where he could already feel the numbness of his mental and emotional shutters coming down. He felt a strong hand on his arm and he looked around slowly, finding himself face to face with Khan.

"The medics are here, James, come on... You need to get up..." the dark haired male told him as he pulled him up to his feet, half dragging him out of the kitchen and after the stretcher which was carrying his mother.

Khan felt deep concern about the way Kirk was acting and he wasn't sure what to do about it, the blond seemed to have completely shut down, it was like he wasn't even there anymore. He looked at Spock as the large ambulance's doors slammed shut, the Vulcan was staring at Jim as well, and he could see apprehension in his dark eyes.

Jim closed his eyes and rested his head back against the wall of the ambulance as he heard the unsteady beating of his mother's heart rate via the monitor she had been hooked up to. He tried to calm himself down, but he couldn't seem to do it.

It was happening all over again, he'd showed her just an ounce of affection and now she was fighting for her life. It was all his fault. It was always his fault.