Author's Note: I love happy endings...we're almost there. Only a few more chapters remaining. Anything left unresolved (ahem...and there will be!) in the next three chapters will definitely pop up in another story. Thanks so much for reading! DLB48- THANK YOU for the beta assistance!
"Our two hours are almost up." Jim squinted at himself in the mirror. Carol had missed doing this for him. No matter the available technology, he was tied to the old-fashioned way of shaving, saying it did the job better. "I could hardly remember what I looked like underneath that hair."
"We'll get more time soon, James," Carol's eyes followed his cheeks and jawline. Her heart skipped a beat at the now exposed bare skin. "I haven't seen this face in two years. It reminds me of when we first met."
"Carol." Jim's eyes bespoke the haunting horror of that day. They both avoided mentioning that tragic day whenever possible. They had discussed it long ago and made peace with what they could.
"When we first met, I saw your genuine concern for my well being. I heard it in your words when you wished to prevent me from seeing my father harmed." She smiled in spite of herself. "Weeks later, you revealed more of your true self with the few visits I made in the hospital. I doubt you'll remember."
"I remember," Jim grimaced. "I wasn't getting around well. I was...out of sorts. How many times did I make a fool of myself?"
"That's not how I saw it." Carol gently reminded him. They'd had similar conversations before. "You were coming to terms with what happened to you and to Pike, and with the rest. I had my own difficulty, but I could not ignore the fact the man who had sacrificed himself to save the Enterprise and crew, including me, was in Starfleet General indefinitely for his recuperation."
"I do believe I was barely cordial once or twice."
"I caught you off guard several times." Carol wished she'd been closer to Jim at that time, for many reasons. The main being that his depression was as clear as day to her for awhile.
"I was already whipped, and then a beautiful woman walked into my room. What did you think would happen? I was a goner," Jim gazed at her adoringly. "And too chicken to ask you out even then."
"You managed, eventually." She smiled at their reminiscing. Her husband's eyes roamed over her lips. Carol lifted her toes in anticipation, wanting a sweet kiss even as their daughter watched from her spot on the floor.
"I've missed you so much," he murmured. His lips brushed hers. "Bria'lel, I'm so sorry for what I said to you at the bar."
"I know." It wasn't the first apology from Jim, but the fifth.
"I was an a-" Jim remembered Lucy's presence at the right moment. He scowled. "You know."
"Stop doing this to yourself, James." A tear refused to submit despite her efforts to contain it.
"I'm so sorry." Jim wiped it away tenderly. "I don't...how can I..."
"I forgive you."
"You shouldn't." He said stubbornly, wiping even more of her unchecked tears. "I've felt more anger than I've known what to do with."
"I love you, that's why I forgive you. You've suffered enough."
Jim shook his head, his jaw showing his stubbornness even more. "Don't ever let me be an... I mean...like that again."
"I'll do my best." She couldn't help but grin. Jim tried to keep a straight face but failed. Standing there together, so close, so in love, Carol could not fathom being anywhere else.
"McCoy to Captain Kirk."
"You've got to be kidding me," Jim groaned at the broken, intimate moment. Lucy threw her toy down at the interruption. Ruefully, Carol realized Lucy's temperament rivaled that of her father's. Before Jim answered his comm, Carol swept the razor along his jaw one last time to complete his clean-shaven look.
"Kirk here." Jim frowned, taking the towel she handed him.
"Jim, I need to talk with you."
Carol's heart jumped hearing McCoy's tone. It was not his usual greeting.
"Have you noticed any unusual symptoms since you left sickbay?"
"No, I have not, Bones. Why?" Jim's face tightened.
She exchanged a worried glance with him.
"Spock will be here in five minutes, Bones," Jim said, leaning with one hand on the sink and wiping his face. "You're welcome to join us."
"I'm sending information to your PADD. Look it over. I'll be right up. McCoy out."
Jim flung the towel on the counter and rushed out of the bathroom, unmindful of Lucy as she stared at him.
"Dadda," Lucy whimpered. Carol picked her up, whispering to her softly, and followed Jim. Without hesitation, he grabbed his PADD. His eyes fixated on the screen for the next few minutes.
"What is it, James?" His silence and constant pacing was unnerving. Seeing her father like this troubled Lucy.
"I'm not sure." At his terse voice, Carol determined it wasn't anything their daughter should hear.
"Lucy is watching you."
He tucked his PADD away on the desk, now realizing their daughter was upset.
"Luce," Jim pressed a kiss on Lucy's cheek after the toddler wrapped herself fiercely in his arms. "We should ask Uhura to watch her again. They can remain here but in a separate room."
"Sit," she pulled them both towards the couch. "I'll ask Uhura. You're not going to solve anything by wearing out your floor."
"Bad habit of mine."
"I remember," she said, reaching for her comm. Uhura answered promptly. Relieved to read her message, Carol sat beside them. "She'll be right over. James, what's wrong?"
"Despite their shock, my brother and Aurelan are in love with our plan for a wedding tomorrow," Jim absentmindedly stroked Lucy's hair. "He thinks I've gone off the deep end. I still don't know if I should tell him."
"You still know how to change the subject when it suits you." Carol said sternly. "What did Leonard send you?"
"A problem," he scowled.
"James," she began, "what kind of problem?"
"He lied," Jim gritted. He took Lucy off his lap, setting her gently on the couch by herself and resumed his pacing. "Mitchell lied, Carol."
"What do you mean?" She had not expected additional deceit from Mitchell.
He didn't hear her, looking so deep in thought.
"James?"
He continued to ignore her and he did not acknowledge the arrival of McCoy and Spock. Carol ushered them in. Jim still stood motionless, arms now crossed and his back facing them. Uhura also arrived. Reading his body language, she took Lucy in the other room immediately.
"Jim," McCoy said quietly. "I'm sorry."
"That bastard," Jim whispered. "How did you even figure this out, Bones?"
"A hunch." McCoy heaved a sigh as he sat down. "When you were asleep I swabbed a DNA sample."
Carol trembled, her mind already racing through her register of medical knowledge. Jim remained immovable. It magnified her anxiety. She felt as she had at the hotel- terrified and incapable of stopping it.
"Jim, a possibility exists that he was uninformed this would occur," Spock said.
"He knew," Jim snorted. "That son of a bitch had to have known. You don't get a hold of something like that and not know. You can't pull off something like this and not know."
"James?"
"That blood did more than heal me, Bria'lel." Jim turned to face them and noticed Carol's trembling arms immediately. "Oh, Carol..."
He rushed to her, pulling her in his arms in urgency. She still trembled as he wrapped an arm around her waist. His other hand held her head close to his chest. She reveled in his pursuit to comfort her and her shaking diminished.
"It's okay, sweetheart. I'm fine, I really am," he pleaded. His hands were strong but gentle as he stroked her head. "I didn't mean to worry you. Please, it's okay."
"You're not." Her face pressed into him even more, desperate for him to appease her. "Otherwise, you would have answered me earlier and you wouldn't be this anxious."
Jim tightened his embrace.
"Bria'lel, he really is fine for now and we will monitor him indefinitely." McCoy walked towards them and spoke reassuringly. "He is in no danger. I simply want to monitor him closely until I determine exactly what the effects are.
"Why do you need to monitor him?" Carol questioned.
"The blood Mitchell infused into Jim contained a chemical that is causing a minute mutation of his DNA," McCoy said as he swabbed Jim's mouth. "I am unfamiliar with the chemical and have no way to stop the process. However, the fact that he is not experiencing any symptoms is good."
"No, you can't mean...Mitchell..." Carol stared at her husband, crushed at the devastation showing on Jim's face once again.
"At this point, with not data, I can't even predict the end result but we will be cautious," McCoy said.
"I do not think that we will know the end result until Section 31 deems it necessary," Spock stated.
Jim slipped his arms from Carol. He stared helplessly at Spock.
"Wait, just a minute. You're implying that Mitchell has planned this all along, but for what purpose?" McCoy wondered. "Jim we have no way of knowing what he has in mind!"
"You're right, we don't." Jim growled. He stepped back and glared vehemently at the doctor. "Section 31 is capable of anything. Mitchell stabbed me in the back once. What's preventing him from doing it again?"
"Captain," Spock said carefully. "Jim. Captain Mitchell may indeed be conspiring with Section 31 against you. Or he may be an unknowing participant. I propose that the logical course of action is to have Dr. McCoy monitor you while simultaneously attempting to contact Mitchell to gain information on his plan."
"Spock's right, Jim. I see nothing alarming now and I can easily monitor you with your cooperation." McCoy stated simply.
"Shit," Jim whispered. "I can't be watching my back all the time, Spock."
"You do not have to so." Spock's calm demeanor never faltered. "You are Captain James T. Kirk of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Every crew member on this vessel, myself and Dr. McCoy included, will be honored to do that for you."
"I can't ask them to do that, Spock."
"You do not have to ask them. They will do so willingly, as will I."
Not only had Carol missed her moments with Jim, she'd missed observing the friendship he'd developed with his first officer. It thrived despite Captain Kirk's eighteen month absence.
"Spock, I-"
"You will continue with your wedding plans tomorrow."
Jim stubbornly set his jaw. Commander Spock knew her husband too well.
"How can I?"
"Captain, I do not believe Mitchell's regard for your family has diminished."
"There's one way to find out," Jim muttered. He immediately opened his comm. "If the coward cares at all about my family, he'll meet me in Riverside tonight."
"Jim?" Carol asked, frightened he would set himself up for more hurt.
"I'll take you and Luce to my brother's. I'll meet Mitchell in a public place downtown," Jim scowled, "if he answers back."
"I will come with you," Spock said quietly. "I do not wish to see you betrayed again, Jim."
"He definitely has the practice," Jim said bitterly.
"Indeed, but he does not wish to inflict harm upon your family," Spock agreed. "We have already established that he desires to protect you, Bria'lel, and Lucy."
"For how long? A month?" Jim scoffed. "A year?"
"We can't think like this. If we do, we will miss every single bit of happiness life gives us." She could see this but doubted her husband did at the moment.
"I'm so sorry," Jim said brokenly to her. "Bria'lel, you deserve a life without this risk or this heartache."
"I want this life." She clung to his hands with the hope that he'd understand. "I want to marry you as Bria'lel and make this new life for us."
"How can you want that with me? Now being things the way they are? If we make our new life together-"
"If we make this new life, we will be together," she earnestly told him. "What do you want, James?"
He flinched at her question.
"Give us a moment," Jim asked McCoy and Spock. The two men silently left the sitting area as the tension rose between Carol and Jim.
"I don't understand why you want to stay with me, Bria'lel." Jim pleaded. "You'll be endangered. It's that simple."
"Oh, James." His answer reminded her of their first days as much as his clean-shaven face had. Jim's past had conditioned him to expect those who profess friendship or love to leave. Now having experienced her own insecurities in this Ikaaran body, Carol could understand how this insecurity was engrained in her husband. She would do everything she could to show Jim how very wrong he was.
"You and Lucy deserve better than this. I can't stop it."
"No, you can't stop it but that doesn't mean I want to leave. We need to be together. Lucy needs you just as much as she needs me. We're a family. I love you. Can that be enough for you to let us stay?"
"I don't know how to do this," Jim admitted.
"You are not going to do this by yourself," she reassured him.
"I don't want to do this without you, but I'm scared." Jim's despaired, much like he had the day before. "I don't want to lose you."
"Neither do I want to lose you."
"Oh." An understanding rippled along Jim's features. "I...oh."
"Please don't send us away."
Jim took his time to respond, gazing solemnly at her with those blue eyes she could only dream about the past two years. Once his expression flickered with the deep sadness he had in the lift. She held her breath as she watched him.
"It won't be easy."
"I understand the difficulty but I can't be without you."
"Are you certain?" His fingers hesitantly grazed her cheek. "I am not the same person, and clearly, I'm not going to be."
"I'm not the same person, either, but I'm not leaving." She wondered at the contentment now radiating from his face. He seemed to thrive with her willingness to remain- with him
"You're still there, Carol," he gently said. "I see you, but as Bria'lel you have brought Lucy and me even more happiness than I could ever imagine."
Jim's tenderness with her wasn't new. She'd experienced it as Carol but now- it was in such a pure form, she longed for it to never cease. Uhura was right- Jim had changed. She had as well, but her love for her husband never faltered. Carol had two years to come to grips with her new identity, and even now she struggled. Jim had come to terms in mere days.
His acceptance of her new identity astonished her even more than the discovery on his own of her identity.
"How did you know?" He'd never gotten the chance to tell her yet.
His mouth quirked up. She knew her husband well enough to catch the smugness in his eyes. Carol enjoyed watching his features settle even more with her question.
"The strawberries, the way you bonded with Lucy, how you said my name, Lucy calling you Mama, the way you kissed and held on to me..."
Carol smiled. It was fitting their second chance was influenced by their very own daughter.
"I think I just knew, Carol." Jim's eyes shone with love. "How could I not?"