Chapter Thirteen

"Finally Awake, Sleeping beauty?"

Hazy electric blue eyes slid from the ceiling to turn in the direction of the voice beside their owner, confusion in their depths.

Where was he?

And why the hell did he feel a sharp tugging in his chest?

He looked down in the direction of the sensation and his confusion grew when he found nothing but the stark white of the wife-beater he'd been wearing beneath his work clothes. He looked back at the gruff man beside him, bewildered.

"B-Bones."

His friend's eyes softened.

"Hey, Kid. Alright?"

His brow furrowed.

"What happened?"

Bones heaved a heavy sigh, suddenly looking older than he was.

"Khan showed up at The Yard and did something. You fainted like the lil princess you are and Spock stunned Khan. Just got word the psycho and his friend left the hospital an hour ago. You've been out since yesterday."

Jim frowned and forced his tired body to sit up as the memories from the day before rush back to him.

Khan showing up at the Yard.

The confrontation with Spock.

Mycroft.

John.

Bonding.

"Oh," He whispered, placing his hand over the area the tugging was coming from.

He'd bonded with Khan.

Somehow, he wasn't as bothered by the news as he probably should have been. If anything, the news cause a small flutter of warmth in his chest.

"Stop smiling, brat."

He flushed, only just realizing that a small shy smile had danced its way across his lips. His best friend smirked.

"Ya don't do things by halves, do ya Jimmy?"

He smiled impishly. "Now where's the fun in that?"

"Sherlock."

Pale silver-n-sky eyes moved from where they had been gazing listlessly out th window to meet serious grey ones full of concern.

Mycroft.

The puppeteer stood in the doorway wearing a worried expression that still managed to come off as chastising, a small furrow in his brow and his lips downturned. Had it been anyone else, the expression would've irked him, as it was he only felt a strong wave of melancholy wash over him driving his gaze back to the window.

"What am I doing, My?" He murmured softly. "I should be dead, not pretending to be a man long since dead"

"Sherl-"

"Khan! I'm no longer Sherlock Holmes nor have I been since the moment I awakened strapped to a table in Baskerville. There is nothing for me Mycroft! Nothing! What use do ghosts have for a relic of a time that has not nor shall pass!"

For the first time in years, true anger sparked in his elder brother's eyes, his hand tightening on his umbrella.

"We need you! In the three years you were dead to us, we mourned for you! I mourned for you! John nearly committed suicide! If something happens to you again he may very well succeed. Please, I can't bury another sibling, Sherlock."

His voice broke and Khan flinched, curling in on himself.

It had been so long since someone had honestly cared about him that it hurt a bit to hear it in his brother's voice and see it in his eyes.

Like Mycroft, he could remember when they'd buried Sherrinford, could still hear his mother's screams of denial as her eldest son's coffin was lowered into the earth.

It hurt to know he'd forced her to feel that pain again but even worse, he could remember Mycroft's face. Blank even as tears made their way down his cheeks. He never wanted to be the cause of that face and yet…

The tugging in his chest from his bond to Kirk and the hollowness in his chest where his bonds to his crew should be made him ache and feel and he just wanted it to stop.

Placing a hand to his chest where the tug originated, he gritted his teeth when one particularly sharp tug nearly managed to bring him to his knees. There was no way that the Starfleet and the MET would let him near Kirk and if he knew the Vulcan, the bastard had already placed a restraining order against him…which explained Mycroft's presence. However, it also created unnecessary complications that if not handled would lead to both his and Kirk's deaths. With their bond so new and unconsummated, it was fragile and could be broken but the backlash would kill Kirk and severely weaken him.

His eyes narrowed. He wouldn't allow that.

Seems like Khan was necessary in this time after all.

A throat clearing drew him from his thoughts and he looked back at Mycroft.

"Indeed, the new restraining order was one of the reasons I am here, it was not my main reason."

He frowned. "What else is there?"

"Father and Mummy are coming to visit."

Sherlock stared at him, unsure of how he should react to the news.

In his original time, he hadn't seen his parents since just after he and John had handled the Hound case. More than three hundred years had passed and while he'd always loved them, it was more the love of a distant relative than the love of a child to its guardians. How was he supposed to deal with this situation?

He sighed, closing his eyes.

"Fuck."

Yep, that word summed it all up nicely, even with Mycroft's petulant snickering in the background.

"You did what?!"

Spock stared at his friend and captain impassively as the blonde glared at him, iridescent blue gaze full of righteous fury.

He hadn't expected the younger male to like his decision, but it was for his own good. He'd seen the looks Khan and his captain had exchanged and it made him uncomfortable to know that the blonde was slowly falling prey to the sociopathic augment's charms. If the only way to protect the younger man also earned his ire it was a risk he was willing to take, but Khan was dangerous and the attack at the police station had only emphasized that fact.

"I filed a restraining order against Khan and Sherlock Holmes. It was for your own good captain." He monotoned and Jim sneered his eyes watering but still angry,

"That isn't your call, Spock. I'm a grown as man, I can take care of myself!"

Spock snorted before he could stop himself.

"Captain, I have never seen you empathize with anyone, criminal or crewmate as well as you empathize with Khan. It is safer for us all is he stays away, but its safest for you if he's gone.

His friend swallowed and something in his gaze seemed to shatter.

"I appreciate you looking out for me, Spock, but while Khan may be dangerous, he won't hurt me."

Bone snorted. "He attacked Spock unprovoked. Sorry Kid, I know you like him and I'd hate to do this, but I agree with the hobgoblin."

Jim looked betrayed, his hand clutching at his chest.

"You're wrong." He replied, standing shakily. They reached out for him but he evaded them.

"You're. Wrong." He repeated, heading into the bathroom and locking the door behind him.

Spock gave a heavy sigh, wondering why his friend couldn't see he was just trying to protect him.

Wouldn't Jim do the same for him?

John sighed quietly as he sipped the pint of beer in front of him, his heart aching in his chest.

When Sherlock had returned, he'd allowed himself to hope that maybe there was a chance for them. That he'd finally get to act on the feelings he'd been harboring for his roommate but it wasn't to be. Anyone with eyes could see that Sherlock was firmly head over heels for the blonde time traveler staying with Lestrade. Plus, they were "bonded" whatever the hell that meant. It hurt both more and less than he expected it to.

He was happy that Sherlock had finally found someone that could keep up with him and yet he couldn't help but wish it was him.

Sighing once more, he jerked as a beautiful blonde woman took a seat beside him.

"Aren't you a bit too handsome to be drinking alone?" She said playfully and he flushed slightly.

"Couldn't the same be said about you?"

She smiled, slow and sweet. "Touché. Can I get you a drink?"

"Only if I can get you one as well."

Her smile grew. "Absolutely. My name is Mary. Mary Morstan."

"Nice to meet you. I'm John Watson."

TBC…