(Here is the next chapter. I'm not sure how well I did on this chapter particularly on the first part with Kat comforting Spock, but I hope it's at least passable. Please enjoy and thank you again for all your wonderful reviews and everything. I own nothing but Kat.)
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Part 11
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"Spock?" Kat hesitantly approached her husband.
Spock was standing with his back to her, his arms clasped behind him as he stared lost in focus at the beaming platform in front of him.
"Spock." Kat slowly entered the Transporter chamber, shutting the door before continuing to address him. "Honey, talk to me."
Spock shook his head. "That would be unwise." He muttered sounding only like a shadow of his former self.
Kat frowned at his words. "What do you mean?" She gently put a hand on the top of his shoulder. Spock swallowed slowly.
"He is wrong...I didn't choose you simply because it was the logical choice." He looked up and stared hard at the empty teleporting platform. It was the same way he had looked at it after his Mother had died during the attack on Vulcan.
"I know." Kat grimaced and rubbed his shoulder therapeutically. "It's okay, I don't blame you for what happened." She leaned forward to kiss his cheek, but Spock turned away.
"How could you not? I lost my sense of reason...and in doing so I nearly committed a most unforgiveable act against you." His expression darkened again and Kat had to force herself not to flinch or turn away from his gaze.
"No." She reached out to him again. "Even if your Father had not stopped you, you would have released Jim on your own. I know it." She gently stroked his hair to soothe him.
Spock shut his eyes. "It is not possible..." The muscles in his throat convulsed as he attempted to revert back to his normal state of mind. "Logically speaking, you should not be with me right now after what transpired on the bridge."
Kat cupped his right cheek in her hand. "Well...logic has never been one of my strong points." She smiled somberly and leaned forward to kiss him next to his lips. "And in my world you don't abandon the one you love when they need you...not for one mistake." She kissed him again.
Spock arched an eyebrow down at her. "It was hardly a minor offense-." He tried to argue, but Kat silenced him with a hand over his mouth.
"Shhh." She cradled his taller frame close against her own body. Tears pricked her eyes when she felt just how emotionally distressed he was.
"That's enough."
Spock frowned at that. "Katarina-."
"Shhh. It's not your fault, Spock." A tear slid down Kat's cheek.
"Nero killed your Mother. He destroyed your home...that's not something you just get over. Especially when an idiot like Jim starts rubbing it in your face." She buried her face in her husband's shoulder.
Spock set his hands gingerly around the small of her back, his lips twitching slightly towards a frown when he felt her trembling.
"He...he should not have said those things about Amanda...you know?" Kat bit her lip, continuing her ministrations as Spock briefly laid his head in the crook of her neck.
"I..." He trailed off unsure of how to respond as she looked up slowly to meet his gaze.
For a moment they just stared at each other, basking in each other's presence as the pain they shared gleamed in their eyes.
"You going to be okay?" Kat asked after minute, stroking his hair comfortingly as he continued to stare at her blankly yet full of emotion at the same time.
Slowly he nodded his head.
"...Thank you." His lips twitched into what might have been a smile. Kat smiled back and reached to stroke his cheek.
"I love you." She whispered and leaned in. Spock leaned forward to meet her halfway, his fingers gently caressing the soft flesh under her cheekbones when he noticed his Father approaching from the left side of the chamber.
"Father?" He called out and Kat turned around. Seeing her Father-in-Law and knowing why he was here, she leaned up and quickly kissed Spock on the cheek before turning to leave.
"I'll see you on the bridge." Spock nodded his head.
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"Whatever the case we need to get aboard Nero's ship undetected!" Jim snapped, clearly irritated with whoever he was talking to as Kat returned to the bridge.
Bones rolled his eyes at the younger Kirk. "Jim, you can't go in there guns blazing. Not with their type of-."
"Look the math doesn't add up!" Sulu cut him off. "Ambassador Kirk." Uhura acknowledged her presence first while Jim and the others continued to ignore her.
"I have made contact with the rest of the Vulcan survivors. Most are headed for earth to seek shelter while the leaders seek a new planetoid to rename New Vulcan." Uhura turned the screen of her computer around so that Kat could see her work.
Kat nodded her approval. "Well done, Lieutenant. What's the status on the bridge?" She turned back to where Jim stood still arguing with Sulu and Bones.
Uhura shrugged. "Well since Captain Pike named him first officer after elevating Commander Spock to Captain, Jim's taken over command and his first act as Captain is to order the immediate rescue of Captain Pike." She sat back down at her station.
"Pike named Jim First Officer?" Kat furrowed her brows together. Uhura rolled her eyes.
"Captain Kirk! Captain Kirk!" Chekov suddenly rushed across the bridge looking more excited than when he figured out how to beam Jim and Sulu back onto the ship while they were freefalling on Vulcan.
"Y-yes Chekov! What is it?" Jim turned to acknowledge the young officer his gaze just missing Kat. Chekov pulled up a star map on the hand held view screen he was holding.
"Based on the Narada's course from Vulcan, I have predicted that Nero will pass by Saturn. If Mr. Scott can get us to Warp factor 4 and drop out of warp behind one of Saturn's moons say Titan the magnetic distortion from the planet's rings will render us invisible to Nero's sensors. From there as long as the drill is not activated we can beam aboard the enemy ship." He explained pointing out various places on the map as he talked.
"Aye! That might work!" The man Kat had seen enter the bridge with Jim earlier approved as he rubbed his hair dry with a towel.
Bones turned his gaze from Chekov to Jim and back again.
"Whoa wait a minute Kid! How old are you?"
"Seventeen Sir." Chekov answered readily with a smile. Kat smirked at the look on Bones' face. "Oh good. He's seventeen." He muttered clearly not wanting to trust him.
"Dr. McCoy, Ensign Chekov's plan is logically sound." Katarina stepped up a bit alerting the rest of the bridge to her presence.
"Indeed Doctor I can reconfirm his telemetry." Spock suddenly appeared stepping off the Turbo lift just before Bones could get his two cents in. Kat whirled around surprised to see him so soon.
"If Mr. Sulu is able to manuever us into position, I can beam aboard Nero's ship, steal back the black hole device and if possible bring back, Captain Pike." Spock walked past the crew stopping when he was standing between Jim and Kat near the main window of the bridge.
Kat walked up to join him. "Spock, you can't do that alone. It's too dangerous." She worried.
"She's right." Jim set a hand on his hip. "I won't allow you to do it, Mr. Spock." He addressed the Vulcan by his formal title.
Spock turned to meet Kat's gaze. "Romulans and Vulcans share a common ancestry." He returned his gaze to the new Acting Captain. "As your sole Vulcan crew member I will be able to access the ship's computer and locate the device easily given the cultural similarities. Also my Mother was human which makes earth the only home I have left." He finished.
Kat reached for his hand. "Then I'm coming with you."
"No." Jim cut in.
"No." Spock repeated. "Given your condition Ambassador, it would pose too much of a risk for you to undertake such a mission. I will go alone." He gave his wife a firm yet caring look.
"No you will not." Jim gave Spock an equally hard look. "I'm going with you."
Kat and Spock turned simultaneously to look at him.
"I would cite regulation, but i know you will simply ignore it." Spock stated simply yet calmly. Jim smirked.
"Well I guess we are learning to get to know each other." He clapped Spock on the shoulder loudly before passing him by to speak with the Engineering officers.
The man with the towel left with him.
"Spock, let me come with you." Kat protested despite what Spock and Jim had said earlier about the matter.
"Ambassador-."
"You know my understanding of Romulan is better than Jim's! I can help you find Captain Pike and the black hole device!"
"Be that as it may, as your husband I cannot on good conscious allow you to accompany me to the Narada." Spock gently stared her down before turning to leave the bridge area.
Kat followed him.
"Spock please." She tried to persuade him. "Katarina my decision is final." Spock stopped just before he could open the doors.
"Please, for the sake of our child remain here." He lowered his voice, opening the doors before stepping out into the lift.
Kat sighed, but said nothing more to deter him. Nodding concedingly she waited till the doors had shut noisely behind him before returning to her post.
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"Bridge to Transporter Room. We are in position over Titan. Over." Sulu COMMed over just as Kat exited the turbo lift at the Transporter level.
"Really? Fine job Mr. Sulu. Well done." The new Engineer nodded his approval as he quickly inputted the coordinates into the transporter device.
"Mr. Scott I believe?" Kat smiled as she stopped next to the man now clad in a red Starfleet Engineering shirt. "I was informed you were to be our new Engineering Captain. Ambassador Kirk. Pleasure to meet you." She offered her hand to the new crewman.
"Miss Kirk?" Scotty turned in his seat surprised to see her. "I was told-."
"I am not to be permitted on this mission." Kat picked up the sentence and finished it for him with a smile. "Yes Mr. Scott, I am well aware. Just allow me a minute to bid my husband and brother good luck." She stepped past the Engineer and admitted herself into the Transporter chamber passing Jim who glanced at her before bending to give the crew some last minute instructions.
"Whatever happens Mr. Sulu...if you think you have the tactical advantage you fire on that ship even if we're still on board. That's an order." He spoke in a low voice ignoring the slightly alarmed look Scotty gave him.
There was a long pause before Sulu responded. "Yes Sir."
Jim glanced over his shoulder where Spock and Kat were currently engaged in a light make out session. "Otherwise we'll contact the Enterprise when we're ready to be beamed back. Kirk over and out." He ended the transmission then turned to re-enter the Transporter Chamber, positioning himself next to Spock.
"I will be back...for both of you." Spock murmured, his forehead resting against Kat's.
"You better be." She looked up to fix him with her fiercest yet most vulnerable stare. "I'll be monitoring both your frequencies." She grasped his hand and kissed him one more time as he felt her abdomen right where their unborn child lay.
Jim glanced over and upon noticing what was going on swallowed as if he were nauseated before quickly averting his gaze.
"Captain." Kat nodded her head at him as she stepped across the platform to where he was standing next to her husband.
"Kat." Jim nodded back at her trying to keep his eyes from straying to her mid section.
"Just wanted to wish you luck...Take care of Mr. Spock for me." She grinned at him cheekily missing the look Spock gave her over his shoulder.
Jim rolled his eyes. "Oh I'll take care of him all right." He muttered under his breath. Kat slugged him across the shoulder.
"Ow!"
"That was for what you did to him on the bridge." She snapped and turned to stalk off the platform nodding at Scotty to begin the beaming process as she exited through the doors.
Jim frowned and rubbed his arm. "So she's pregnant?" He turned to look at Spock for confirmation.
"I have no wish to discuss the matter." Spock cut him off.
Scotty came over the intercom. "Okie Dokie then. If there's any common sense in the design of this ship I should be putting you somewhere in the cargo bay where there shouldn't be a soul in sight. You can make your way from there." He instructed.
Jim turned away from Spock. "Energize!" He gave the order. Scotty hit the switch.
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