Thank you to everybody who read or reviewed the last chapter. A few people have weighed in on the possibility of doing a small follow-up story. That seems more likely what I'm going to do but with this story I've pretty much been going with the flow. Everything I've had plan has been thrown out the window at least twice.

I had absolutely horrible writer's depression on this chapter and it took a while. Your reviews can make things easier for the next chapter (if there positive but I have this feeling that I will get cyber tomatoes for this chapter).

Warnings: This is one of those chapters where the adult rating really applies. Also please have a box of tissues handy.

The title from this chapter comes from a category on the fabulous website TVtropes. You could get lost on the site for hours if not days.

Chapter 21: Batman Gambit as executed by the villain of this piece

For the first time in a very long time Nyota woke up to the feel of sunshine on her bare skin. Apparently the windows at the Lume estate open on a timer. She knew she would be waking up in a strange room, but it took her a few seconds to realize that she was waking up in the wrong room. She distinctly remembered there should be cream-colored walls, not charcoal black. It was also at that moment that she realized there was an arm draped across her stomach.

She slowly opened her eyes to see Leonard lying down next to her. Really that should not surprise her at all. It wouldn't be the first time that she has woken up next to Leonard McCoy. Movie nights and away missions that always result in being stranded with minimal supplies and sharing a sleeping bag in a cave together (if she didn't know better she would swear she was being set up by somebody who was way too in to Harlequin for their own good). However this was the first time that sleep over involved nudity. The only thing she was wearing right now was the fuzzy blanket of the guest room. If she wasn't dressed than she was sure Leonard was in the same state. She seriously doubted said nudity was the result of her spilling tea all over her outfit.

Shit! Exactly how much did she drink last night? Because that's the only thing that can explain why her memory is patchy. The last thing she remembers clearly was screaming at Alexis and following Leonard into his bedroom. Vast quantities of alcohol would explain why they apparently made very good use of his bed. Most of the pillows were on the floor and the sheets were a mess.

Yes, she's willing to acknowledge after that very weird incident that she hopes was just a dream that she really does have feelings for Leonard McCoy, but it was the wrong time to start a relationship. Trying to start a relationship is the last thing she should be doing with Alexander Marcus trying to kidnap David and discovering that her father was dying of cancer because he fucked the wrong person. (She's not just using this as an excuse because she still extremely terrified of having a real grown-up relationship with somebody.)

And yet, she was in bed with Leonard. She can't say that she regrets it. This was going to happen eventually, she completely acknowledges that she was fighting a losing battle from the first moment they met. Actually, the only thing she regrets was she really didn't remember what happened and this was something that she wanted to remember. She blames Jim Kirk's very special Ice tea for her lack of memory and good judgment (in addition to all the other alcohol that she apparently consumed afterwards). Seriously, what did she do last night? (Other than Leonard apparently.)

She should be panicking. She just had comfort sex with a guy that she has possibly been in love with for longer than she is willing to ever acknowledge, but she isn't panicking. She's not even running out of the room, which was normal for her post one night stands. She never even bothered to have breakfast with her shore leave fucks. Most of the time she doesn't even bother to spend the night. It was a survival strategy that she adopted a long time ago after the Jordan incident.

But she didn't want to run away from Leonard. She wanted to wrap herself entirely around him and ask him what he would like for breakfast. This is an obvious sign that she really does care about him. Instead she settles for pulling just a little bit closer. This is also when she discovers that he's still wearing a T-shirt, which may mean they didn't do anything last night. Maybe the real reason why she doesn't remember what happened last night was because nothing actually happened. Maybe she should be more worried about the fact that she's actually disappointed that nothing did happen the night before.

"You're not looking for an exit?" She heard the man beside her ask as his lips brushed her neck. Definitely a more intimate kiss then she would receive from somebody who was just a friend, but then again they have not been just friends for a very long time. It just took her a while to realize that.

"Only to find the nearest bathroom." She said with a small laugh. Of course her head started to hurt and she had the sudden urge to throw up as soon as she said the words.

"If you were also naked I would be, but apparently this is just another platonic sleep over." Nyota joked, but Leonard to give her a worried look.

"I always sleep dressed, because you never know when Jim Kirk's going to have an allergic reaction in the middle of the night. I already had to leave you once because Jim does not take bad news very well." He joked which pretty much told her that her first instincts were right. They had sex or at least they did something last night. It was obvious that their relationship had shifted.

She thinks she remembers Jim reacting badly to finding out his mother is also the mother of T'Pay's best friend, but that doesn't make sense. Jim's mom was dead and has been for years so how can Nyota remember her being alive with a seven-year-old daughter.

She's starting to wonder if those brownies from earlier contain cannabis or something harder. Drugs can only explain something like this. If she woke up naked next to anyone else this disoriented, she would be in Leonard's office asking for a rape kit. But this was probably all Jim Kirk's fault because he would so spice up his special Ice tea with something 'harder' and his husband does come from a planet where marijuana is their version of Tylenol.

"That was so not his fault. Anybody could suddenly develop an allergy to a lubricant that they have been using for months." Nyota said in Jim's defense, despite the fact he was probably to blame for her disoriented state.

"Yes but only Jim's allergic reaction would involve handcuffs. I'm actually hoping that the toddler will cut down on that sort of stuff now that he and the hobgoblin have a kid to take care of. Sex is usually the first thing to go." He snarked.

"This is Jim and Spock. They're probably going to just stick to bathroom sex." she quipped.

"Speaking of bathrooms, it is over there because apparently our boss can afford to have a bathroom in every single room." He said pointing to the white door off to the side of the bed.

When she looks into the room, she remembers standing in front of the mirror alone with hot tears streaming down her face. She also remembers breaking the mirror at some point. There are untreated cuts on her left hand. Maybe this happened when he left her to deal with Jim. But she remembers him finding her on the floor of the bathroom, crying, with glass shards scattered around her.

She also remembers him wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to his body. She remembers the touch of his lips on her forehead. She also remembers redirecting said lips to her lips. The kiss was warm and comforting. Kissing him was like chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven. It was the only analogy she could think to describe it. She remembers needing to fill something, anything. Maybe that's why she kept kissing him even as the tears fell down her cheeks.

Nyota also remembers him stripping her of her blood covered clothing and pushing her into the shower. She pulled him in after her, still fully clothed, but she is certain that he didn't stay that way very long.

"I think I remember us making really good use of the shower last night." As she said the words, she has a faint memory of his fingers stroking her clitoris. She thinks it's him anyway. "Things are fuzzy."

"I had to give you a sedative because you didn't take Alexis' announcement very well." Why did she feel that was an understatement? "After what happened in the bathroom, not before. You broke a mirror and a few other things. Just a little something to help you go to sleep. However you forgot to mention you were drinking the Jim Kirk version of ice tea. That's why you're still a little bit out of it."

"I didn't have a panic attack after we had sex in the shower?" She blames the drugs still in her system for asking that question out loud.

"Do you have panic attacks regularly after sex?" Leonard asked using his doctor voice.

Definitely should never have said that out loud. It only happened once and it was the second time she had sex right after the Andy fiasco. Although if she was going to have another post-coituspanic attack, she would have one after shower sex with Leonard after having a complete meltdown over the fact her father is dying. (Nyota was going to be in so much trouble for wrecking the admiral's guest bathroom.)

"Could you be any more of a doctor right now?" Nyota smiled at him, trying to get out of answering that question.

"I'm always a doctor." Leonard replied effortlessly. "Answer the damn question."

"I don't-not usually-it just happened that -I need to pee now." She said before running into the bathroom (that was thankfully clean of the mirror that she apparently broke yesterday). It really was not an excuse because she really did have to pee. Okay, it was an excuse because she really didn't want to talk about her past sexual history. Or current sexual history for that matter, especially because she didn't remember most of what happened last night. See this is the reason why she usually got the hell out of there post sex.

Okay maybe she left because she was trying to avoid post sex panic attacks. Maybe some part of her was afraid of a repeat of the jerky ex-boyfriend incident from years ago. Maybe she ran away because she was terrified this guy was going to be another version of her father who…

She closed her eyes in an effort to push all thoughts away regarding him. She didn't want to think about her dad. He was unwell and it was his own damned fault and she just didn't want to talk about it. She was okay. He was leaving her again and this is what he does and maybe a part of her was glad that she didn't let him back into her life. Maybe she was tired of everybody leaving her. She buried her mom and Jordan. She wasn't sure she had the strength to do it again so she keeps almost everybody at arm's length.

That makes sense. She pushes her father out of her life before he can push her away. Nyota tries to date a guy who she could never have a deep and meaningful relationship with because he will always keep her at an emotional distance. Maybe that's why the conversation with her other self (or her delusional conversation with her other self) hit her so hard. She doesn't want to lose Leonard.

She feels her lungs tighten. She's trying to remind herself to actually breathe.

"Leonard is not Jordan." Nyota spoke out loud as she took another deep breath. "Leonard is not Jordan." She can handle this.

"He sure as hell isn't Andy or any of the other absolute dicks that I have dated over the years." She takes another deep breath. "Leonard is not that person. If he was just in it for sex, he would still be with someone like Gaila, who is now sleeping with another version of Spock, but that is neither here nor there." She exhales slowly.

"He is definitely not my father. Leonard left his ex-wife because he didn't want his little girl to grow up with her mom and daddy attacking each other all the time. Where my father managed to destroy three marriages and things with Alexis by not being able to keep his dick to himself." She inhales again.

"I'm a grown up. I'm not a scared little girl anymore. I'm not going to run away from him. If I don't go out there, I will lose him and I don't want that." She exhaled. "I can do a relationship." With one last deep breath, she opens the door only to see that Leonard is now fully dressed and making his way to the door. Instantly her panic from a few minutes earlier returned, and now it was exponentially worse.

"Where are you going?" Nyota asked worriedly. Of course she was an idiot to think that things would be different. He was leaving her.

"Starfleet medical." It's at that moment she realizes that he's wearing medical scrubs not a regular uniform or civilian attire. If she is going to be in a relationship with the doctor she knows that this is going to happen. It has nothing to do with her. And yet there's the cynical side of her that's telling her otherwise. She needs to stop listening to that voice.

"Christine's been shot with real bullets and I'm one of the few surgeons on this side…" Before he was even done speaking she was grabbing the new shirt that he obviously brought her from her room. Okay exactly how long was she in the bathroom not panicking?"

"I'll be ready to go in two minutes." She said, already slipping her shirt on not even bothering to put on a bra.

"You need to stay here."

"My friend was just shot…" She protests. Nobody was going to tell her to do anything. She was such a bitch to Christine and now…

"Probably because there is some psychopath going after Spock's friends, especially anyone who could attest to what a bastard he really is. You're at the top of that list." Even though Leonard has a valid point, that statement pisses her off. Actually if anyone else said that to her there's a very good chance that they would be getting punched.

"I'm not some weak little girl who can't defend herself." She said angrily putting on her shoes. She's a Starfleet officer. She knows how to get dressed in 90 seconds or less if she had to. And this was one of those situations.

"I know that." His voice sounded anything but patronizing. "However, a few rooms away there is a scared little boy who needs you to defend him. As good of a shot as Amanda is, she's going to need back up." She knows he is right, but she needs to talk to Christine. Of course if she let something happen to David, Spock will never forgive her. Christina may never forgive her either.

"You win. Knowing Jim the way I do, there are extra weapons in their room."

"Probably." For some reason she kissed him again. Don't ask her why she did it. She just did and yes, it did still feel good. Actually it was better than what she remembered from the night before, maybe because she could actually remember everything about this kiss.

"We have to talk about this." Leonard said pulling away from the kiss.

"But not when Christine may be dying on the table. Go." She literally pushed him out the door as she gave him one last kiss.

The first thing she does after he leaves is finish getting dressed. The second thing she does is raid Jim's private armory. Seriously, why does anybody need to bring that many weapons on vacation? That reason becomes obvious when guys with guns start invading the compound 10 minutes later.

"Where's ninja wife?" Jim asked the woman currently known as Whitney River as she walked into his hospital room.

He didn't know why they were keeping him in here. The bullet was already removed even though the doctor treating him really had no idea what he was doing. Jim wanted Bones, but he wasn't going to call the guy in from the secret guest house just because he hates being touched by other doctors. Besides Bones leaving the house could lead somebody to David's location and after what just happened two hours earlier, which was not something he wanted to happen.

"With your husband on their way to relocate David and your mother-in-law. Apparently, Lume's assistant was the Starfleet mole that was providing logistical information to certain unknown parties." His mot-Winona answered quickly. He refuses to call her mom right now. As far as he's concerned, she doesn't deserve that title.

"How exactly did this come out?" Jim sighed.

"Right about the time you were being attacked at the restaurant, he tried to kill Chris and Dr. Jane Jackson." Jim sat up in the bed as soon as he heard this. He doesn't even think to ask her how she even knows about this. Ninja wife probably briefed her anyway.

"Is Chris okay?" He asked, not really caring about the doctor. Yes, she may have saved David's life, but her experiments also made his new son a target.

"Chris is fine miraculously. According to security footage, Chris was hit with a phaser on the kill setting and yet the EMTs were able to get him breathing again. Unfortunately he's still unconscious. Thankfully the attackers left him, but the other person he was speaking to wasn't as lucky. She's missing." Jim pinched the bridge of his nose at her words.

"You mean Alexander Marcus' band of thugs?" Jim remarked bitterly as he touched his now mostly healed bullet wound. Seriously of all the Admiral's daughters that Spock could have possibly knocked up, why did he have to knock up the daughter of a guy who was absolutely crazy?

"You don't know if Alexander Marcus was the one responsible yet." Winona admonished.

"One of the guys trying to take my baby sister-in-law referred to their boss as 'Alex'. You may want to pass that to your superspy wife, if she really is your wife." Jim told her angrily. "Hey maybe this was an elaborate cover. "I mean Alexander Marcus was your boss sometime when I was a little kid. We did move around a lot when I was a child. I wouldn't be shocked at all to find out you were a member of his super-secret government agency that entire time. I mean you are an excellent liar." Jim essentially screamed at her.

"I'm currently not a member of section 31." Just the fact that she referred to it as section 31 made him wonder if at one time in the past she had been a member, but not at present. "She is my wife or at least I think she is actually my wife. I just found out about her belonging to an organization that technically doesn't exist. I do not need this attitude from you right now."

"For some reason I don't believe you. Maybe because you have been hiding the fact that you've been alive for the last seven years. Should you be that surprised that you also married a compulsive liar? How does it feel to realize that your entire life is a lie?" Jim asked angrily.

"I left because I didn't have a choice. I knew he was going to kill me in Georgia if I stayed in that house just one more minute. He had too many connections and the only real way for me to ever be safe was to turn on him. Witness protection was my only option." She spat out.

"No, that part I understand. You already knew Sam was dead before you found out about Georgia?" Winona nods her head in agreement.

"What I don't understand is why you leaving involved me thinking you were dead?" That question has been on his mind after he discovered that his baby sister-in-law's best friend was his half-sister.

"Don't think I don't love you because I left. I just…"

"That is complete and utter bull shit." Jim screamed at her. "You left and started some new happy family without me with ninja wife."

"James, I didn't have that many options. But that doesn't mean that I forgot about you. I met my wife at your favorite bar because I was there all the time just to get a glimpse of you, to see if you were okay. I went to your commendation ceremony despite the fact that the place was filled with people who could identify me thus resulting and my cover being blown." This doesn't surprise him anymore considering he swore he saw her at the ceremony. At least he now knows that he's not losing it.

"Jim." He corrected, irately. "The only one allowed to call me James is my husband and Amanda or, as I like to refer to her, my good mom. You lost that privilege when you ran away. You following me around like a creepy stalker doesn't make up for that." She looked at him sadly.

"I didn't run away." Winona defended herself. "Or, at the very least, I didn't run away from you. Frank was a monster. He taunted me with the fact that he killed Sam in cold blood constantly. He would hold the knife to my stomach as he talked about how much easier it would be for him to murder this child in utero."

Winona pulled up her shirt to show him the scars there. The name Frank carved in her flesh. This made Jim realize that the bastard really did see her as his property.

"Why don't you get rid of it?" Jim was almost tempted to touch the scars, but doesn't.

"So I never forget who he is." Winona whispered.

"Like you did last time?" Jim spat out heatedly.

"Exactly,"

"Well it's been nearly 8 years this time so I guess things are working out better." Sarcasm was dripping from his every word.

"Jim."

"I don't have the time or energy to deal with you right now. I have to concentrate on more important things like…"

"David." Winona finished for him.

"Exactly, and that is my first priority. I don't have time for this." Jim said as he started to get up from the bed.

"Fine, I'll leave. I just hope that now that you are a father, you will understand that the needs of your children become more important than your own needs and you will make choices that you wouldn't under normal circumstances." Those words from her just make him angry.

"If you actually believe that, you would have never ended up with Frank in the first place." Jim sniped. "You definitely would not have gone back to the fucking bastard. Or maybe it's that one child is more important than the other."

"Or maybe there's a really big difference between a grown-up who can take care of himself and a child who is completely dependent on your protection and you're forced to choose between the two. I hope you're never in a position to make that choice." Winona looked him directly in the eyes.

"I don't want to hear it. I'm going to go see if one of my good parents is not dying." Jim said angrily. This whole argument has been so heated that he almost completely forgot about the fact that Marcus' people also attacked Chris. He just had to push all the Winona stuff away and concentrate on handling Marcus.

"I told you he was okay. He's just still unconscious and heavily guarded by Lume herself." Winona sighed.

"For some reason I don't believe you." Just as he was getting up, Alexis walked into the room. He would like to blame the fact that he was just involved in a very heated argument with his moth- Winona for not picking up on the blood splatters adorning Alexis' dress or the grave expression she was wearing.

"Please give me some good news like the courts have come to the conclusion that Carol's father is a complete sociopath that shouldn't be allowed to babysit a cockroach." Also confirmation that Chris was okay from somebody other than the liar would be good, but after the last few weeks he doesn't want to push his luck. He really can't take one more bad thing happening right now.

"Even if they did, I doubt he would abide by it. We've moved beyond civilized legalities." Alexis closes her eyes, then takes a deep breath. "Christine is dead."

This would be one more bad thing. There's no way that that could be considered good news under any circumstances despite their complicated relationship.

"What?" He didn't believe her or maybe he just didn't hear right. It wasn't possible -Christine couldn't be. He was expecting awkward encounters in the hallways for the next 30 years, not- he felt his lungs tightening again.

"I was talking to Amanda this morning about- it doesn't matter, anyway I was on my way to speak to Christine about the David custody situation when I found the dead bodies of her security team. I'm pretty sure one of the guards turned on Christine and the other member of the team. They were dead. Christine was still breathing, but not… They shot her with an actual gun and by the time they got somebody here that actually knew what they were doing…"

Jim knows that she is still talking, but he doesn't hear the words anymore. His mind is going through information overload and he can't process this. It makes sense that Spock entered his mind at that moment. They can always find each other during the really bad moments and this qualifies. Anytime he loses a crew member it qualifies, and maybe it's worse this time because he feels personally responsible.

"Just tell me that you guys are at another safe house. I can't…" He started to tell his husband telepathically, but he's cut off before he can finish.

"When we arrived at the compound, the gates were breached and the occupants were no longer inside." Spock said completely detached which was never a good sign.

"Fuck!"

45 minutes earlier.

Amanda has gone through too many kidnapping/hostage situations for her own personal liking. She herself has been the victim of three kidnapping attempts and one attempted assassination. This would be attempt number four. However, her protective instincts kicked in the moment she realized they were breaching the compound and that she needed to get David out immediately. She had no idea how long the commander could hold off the unknown number of attackers.

She thought about going to the compound's transport room but she knew it wouldn't be possible and it would be too easy for the attackers to follow behind. Therefore she went with plan B and activated the pendant around her neck. In the aftermath of the destruction of Vulcan, the Vulcan government decided to create an emergency evacuation system for government leaders, such as herself. Granted it only evacuated you to another location on planet, such as a space port or in this case a panic room at the Vulcan embassy.

Of course she was greeted by several men holding various weapons andCouncilmember Sank because that was just a little too easy.

"You did exactly what I expected you to." The council member said in a voice completely devoid of all emotions or empathy. She pulled David closer to her. This was not good.

To be continued.

I know cliffhanger. To completely make up for the fact that I'm leaving the story at this precarious point, I promise to start working on the next chapter earlier than normal in my rotation. You may now commence with tossing cyber tomatoes at me.