What Would You Do For Family

Chapter 11 – Revelations

Kirk walked into the med bay.

McCoy was standing before Kathrin who was seated on a bed. He was scanning her and she seemed to be tolerating it. He stepped to Kirk after excusing himself from her for a moment. Kirk looked at the scan of the blood.

"Khan's blood replicates like nothing I have ever seen. He is an augment. A true advanced human."

"Is there such a thing."

"We have him in our brig."

"Explains how he was able to attack the patrol."

"Yes."

Kirk stepped forward to the girl who was looking at her belly. "I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot."

"Perhaps, Captain." She acknowledged.

"What happened to you?" Kirk asked.

"How do you mean?"

"Admiral Marcus claimed you were held against your will."

McCoy stood nearby watching. Their girl's hand was still red from the glass cuts, though he had healed them and removed the glass from her skin.

She took a breath. "I was, but it was the Admiral whom held me. He knew my husband would come back for me."

"And he was right." McCoy said.

Kirk looked at her. "Admiral Pike told me about you. He raised you on his own. He loved you so much. You looked so much like your mother. He had no idea what to do with you when you wanted to join Starfleet, but he could not stop it."

She sighed. "He wanted me to stay on earth as a bio engineer."

"Father's always want to keep their little girl's safe."

She smiled a little and nodded. "My mother died and he felt so guilty about it, even though he was nowhere near where it happened. I was left without a mother and I had a captain for a father." She smiled a little. "I loved traveling through space as a child."

"He was a good captain."

"He was a good father too. As good as he could be." She looked down. "He had me and a crew. A captain is like a father of a crew. Dozens of souls on board."

"You know, I never knew my dad. He died saving my mother, myself, and the crew from an attack." Kirk said.

The girl looked at him. "I do not remember my mother." She sighed. "I used to think she was a beautiful woman with red hair and a fiery temper. Then I remembered that was me."

Kirk chuckled. "Yes. I look in the mirror and wonder how much of my dad looks back too."

She nodded. "I only have one member of my family left now." She looked up. "May I see him?" She asked. "Please, Captain?"

Kirk took a breath. "Come then."

She got up. He offered a hand and she took it a moment as she steadied herself. "Sorry." She said softly.

"Not a problem. How far along are you?" He asked.

"The development would say she is nearly due." McCoy said. "It is already nearly eight pounds."

"I am five months." She said.

McCoy looked at her. "Perhaps you miscounted, my dear."

"No." She shook her head.

Kirk lifted his hand. "This is Khan's child. Perhaps it is also advanced."

McCoy nodded. "Can I take a sample of the fluid?" He asked Kathrin.

She nodded as she laid back on the bed she had vacated. McCoy used a long needle through her belly button to get the fluid from her placenta. Kirk helped her sit up and McCoy ran the results. The child was an augment and would be natural born.

Kirk blinked. "I didn't think that was possible."

"Neither did Khan." Katie said.

McCoy also took a blood sample from her before Kirk led the way to the brig. Katie was willing to walk with him. She waddled along. He was gentle with her and seemed to actually care about her welfare, not fake it as Marcus had. Marcus had wanted the baby to experiment on, little more. Kirk actually was a human being.

They stepped into the brig and Khan rose to his feet from where he had been sitting looking at the floor. "Katie." He whispered.

Kathrin moved to barrier. "Khan!"

Kirk looked at his chief of security. "Lower the shield. Let her in."

The man nodded and the girl stepped in before the barrier returned. Khan pulled her into his arms, one arm around her, the other cupping her neck, fingers in her hair. He held her to his chest after kissing her lightly and sighed, his cheek against her hair.

"Thank you, Mr. Kirk." He said looking at the captain.

Kirk nodded as Khan took his wife's hand and led her to the bench. He gently caressed her belly as she sat down and he joined her, speaking softly to her. Kirk knew then that Marcus had lied. The girl was not a captive at all. Even a girl with Stockholm Syndrome would have shown some apprehension, but their soft words, touches, and looks were those of lovers, familiars, and a married couple.

He moved to walk off to investigate the tube as Khan suggested. So far the pair of them had been telling the truth.

The only ones.

Perhaps it was time to go a little on faith here.

ZzZ

While McCoy and Dr. Marcus were looking at the torpedo as Khan suggested, Khan looked at his wife as she regarded him.

"What is on your mind?" He asked softly.

"My father is dead."

He took a breath. He looked down. "I am sorry."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You killed him."

"I killed more than a dozen in that room. With the bombing I am nearing sixty." He said.

She quivered. "But he was my father. Why did you not spare him?"

He took a breath and turned from her. "I tried, but he moved at the wrong time. I thought he would have been protecting Marcus."

"So you knew."

"I knew I had hit him, not that he was dead." He turned slightly. "However, I did hit him full in the chest."

He was not even denying it. She looked down and wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm an orphan." She whispered.

He turned back to her. "Yes." He said.

She had tears in her eyes. "I wanted him to be there. To see his grandchild. He wanted it as well…" She looked down as a tear fell. "We had made up and you took him from me!" She shouted.

He moved to her, taking her by the arms. "If I had not shot into the room, I could not have saved you. Marcus would have tortured you and our baby. I had to come back. He knew I would and the bombing was a message." He sighed. "You are an orphan, but not without family."

"I hate you." She hissed struggling.

"No you don't." He said calmly.

She struggled a moment longer before she sank against him, wrapping her arms around him. "I miss him."

"I know, sweetheart. I know." He soothed as he caressed her hair and back.

She sobbed in her grief and he let her, allowing the grief to run like a fire hose from her to ease her. It was the only way she would move on and be able to relax.

"I love you." He murmured.

She nodded against his shirt as she held part of it in her fists.

After a while she had calmed and he laid her on the bench, letting her rest. He said beside her, caressing her face to calm her. She eventually slept for a time which was good for her and her coming child.

ZzZ

Khan had made Katie stay seated as food was brought to them. It was better faire than most prisoners would have, but Kirk had insisted because the woman needed it. She was a prisoner of sorts too, an augment, wife, caught between two sides. She was a victim in the truest sense of the word. Lies had been told about her, her husband was clearly not whom he was said to be, and she was the wife of the most wanted human on Earth at the moment.

Kirk was not about to let her be harmed more and so he allowed her to remain with her husband for now. There was not much harm in it and it kept them both out of the way and where they could do no harm.

She ate her fill and Khan was speaking to her gently when Spock came to the barrier.

"Excuse me, Dr. Pike?" He asked softly.

She looked up at him. "Yes? Oh Commander…What can I do for you?"

Khan had moved slightly, in a protective gesture before her, guarding his mate.

"I would speak to you a moment."

Khan looked at his wife. Her eyes looked to him and then she shook head slightly. She rose to her feet and walked to the barrier. It lowered and she stepped out as Khan rose, watching behind her as the barrier rose again.

Spock stepped to the side and gently looked at her. "I know that you did not take the news of your father's death well."

She took a breath. "No."

He sighed. "I was there when he left his world."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"As he was dying, I did a mind meld on him, to try to ease his passing." Spock said. "His thoughts, we all on you and leaving you alone in this world." He sighed. "He was afraid. Afraid for you. Afraid of death." Spock sighed. "But he loved you."

"I know." Katie said. "I wish he could have known his grandchild."

Spock sighed. "John Harrison killed him."

"We have spoken about it."

"I do not think it was intentional." Spock offered.

"You merely wish to placate me."

"No. Vulcans do not lie."

She nodded and turned to see Khan watching them, his azure eyes regarding them. "I will return to my cell now."

"You are not a prisoner, Dr. Pike."

"My husband is and as such, I am as well." She said.

He nodded slowly. "As you will, Lieutenant Commander." He turned to the chief as she walked back.

The barrier again dropped and Khan pulled her to him and let her sit again as he regarded Spock. There was no malice there, just almost curiosity about what was said.

ZzZ

Kirk found Katie sleeping when he went down to see how she was doing. Khan rose to his feet and walked to the barrier.

"Would it be acceptable to ask for a favor?" Khan asked softly.

"Why would I do a favor to a murderer?" Kirk asked also hushing his voice.

"My wife should not be here, but she insists. Would it be possible to have a blanket and a pillow given to her, perhaps two? The pregnancy is hard enough on her, but on a hard bench. I am a prisoner and I accept that, but should she suffer my sins also when she has had no part in them?"

Kirk shook his head. "I will have them brought for her." He looked at the dreamy face. "How is she?"

"I worry for her." Khan said looking at his wife. "The child has grown quickly and I fear she may deliver far sooner than her time. It is something we are not prepared for."

"Dr. McCoy can safely bring the child into this world."

"I thank you for that." Khan said. He looked at Kirk. "One final favor, again for her, not necessarily for me."

"Yes?" Kirk asked hesitantly.

"Do not let Marcus near them." Khan said.

Kirk nodded. "I will do what I can to keep them from harm. They are both innocents." He said looking at her. "And I am doing this for her as a favor to my friend's memory." He looked at Khan. "Remember that."

Khan nodded. "I do."

Kirk sighed. "Treasure her. She is better than you deserve." He turned and walked to the chief. "Have a blanket and pillow brought for Dr. Harrison."

"I thought she was Dr. Pike."

"She is married to the man." Kirk said and looked back at Khan.

Khan nodded and sat down again.

The blanket and pillow were taken through the small hole and Khan gently lifted her head and put it on the pillow and then laid the blanket on her as he then dropped and sat beside her watching over her, listening to her breath, and thinking about their future.