AN: Ok! Here's the next chapter. Charlotte's chat with Kirk and also a special scene requested by AussieMaelstrom who wanted to see sexytimes between Spock and Charlotte. This Vulcan knows how to comfort. I'm not the best at writing scenes like this so I hope it came out ok. The final part of tarsus IV trauma comes out so this chapter has that as well as adult rated activity. Please review if you like or if I should change anything. I wanted to add more but I figure I'll focus on that on the next chapter. Thank you so much everyone who is reading, reviewing, following and favoriting!

Tishbing

Chapter Twenty-Five

Spock saw Charlotte trembling on the biobed and even he had to admit that the sight of her upset was enough to emotionally compromise him. Therefore, he deduced that it was acceptable to display such things. He wrapped his arms tightly around her small form and held her. It helped confirm that he was doing the right thing when she reached for him and held him just as tightly.

"Thank you for coming. I'm sorry." She mumbled.

Spock pulled back and looked into her eyes. They were red rimmed from tears and the blue seemed subdued. She bit her lip and looked down, unable to hold his gaze. This would not do. He placed his thumb and forefinger on her chin and tilted her head up so he could see her and she could see him. He projected as much love as he could through there bond and knew he hit the mark when her eyes widened in understanding.

"There is nothing to be sorry for, ashaya."

Her eyes darted away and down but he didn't relinquish his hold on her chin.

"I almost couldn't save him. He nearly died right in front of me from something that is so easy to treat but I could do nothing."

He moved his hands to her shoulders and bent to her level.

"You did do something. You got help for him. You gave him what medication that you could to assist him until that help arrived. He is here because of your actions today."

He pointed to the young cadet in the biobed across the bay and Charlotte looked at Riley with a watery smile. She turned back to Spock.

"Also, you did not leave him. Even if help had not arrived in time you did not shy away from his possible death and leave him to die alone. No-one should die alone and afraid."

He moved closer and she leaned in. She smelled of cherry blossoms and he placed a hand behind her head to support her as he pressed his lips to her. Her soft mouth submitted to his and he deepened the kiss when she opened her mouth, his tongue darting in to taste her and claim her as his.

"Ahem...now that I see you're feeling better, maybe it's time for Miss Jones to answer a few questions."

They sprang apart at the sound of Kirk's amused voice and Spock could feel Charlotte's embarrassment and frustration. He could see her face flush a burning red and Spock could feel his own cheeks heat in embarrassment as well. Spock had to suppress his urges as he was in public. It was a struggle and he stiffened and pulled his shirt straight to show the proper respect but his fists were clenched at his sides in frustration.

"Yes. We will continue our discussion tonight, Charlotte."

It was somehow possible for his adun'a to glow an even brighter red and Spock internally smiled at her reaction. He could feel her underlying attraction and interest in him and he hoped that she could feel his. He sincerely wished that he could completely take away her pain but he was at least able to show her that she was cared for and loved.

Charlotte swallowed in nervous anticipation and watched Spock walk stiffly from the room. He'd never moved beyond kissing and holding her but the way he had kissed her just now made her shiver. She didn't know if it was what he was feeling or what she was feeling but she needed to be closer to him. He was there for her in a way no-one else had been and she was beginning to suspect that she was really in love with him. For a while she had suspected that he loved her out of a sense of duty for what she had done to help him and then when he'd found out about the babies but now it was a whole different matter. He loved her for who she was.

"Miss Jones?"

Charlotte's head snapped around to see Kirk watching her intently. There was amusement in his eyes but also a seriousness that went beyond what he usually implied when he had spoken to her in the past.

"Yes?" She asked timidly.

"Let's take a walk." He held out his arm for her to take and she slid off the biobed and walked alongside him. She could see McCoy watching them with a curious frown and T'Peni almost mirroring the doctor's look.

They walked in silence for a time until they reached the observation deck. He stayed behind and waited as Charlotte walked in first. He, then followed and turned to the door. He pressed the keypad and set the lock with his command code and privacy mode. Charlotte watched him do this with a tense feeling in her stomach and she frowned.

"What are you doing?" She asked hesitantly.

He turned back to her with a sigh but his face was lined with determined resignation. There was also pain but it was well disguised.

"I'm making sure we can talk in private." He gestured to the benches lining the wall and she shuffled to sit. He ran a hand over his face and looked at her closely.

"What is your connection with Cadet Riley? And why is it you wanted to meet with me?"

Charlotte looked at her hands for a moment, trying to find a way to be vague but clear.

"I...I knew him when we were kids and..." She took a deep breath and looked out at the stars streaking by. It was calming, reminding her that out here, her problems were just a drop in a vast ocean even if they felt all consuming.

"I wanted you to ask Dr. McCoy to knock it off. The information he seeks is not necessary to either Riley's or my file. It's private and I'm not going to tell him." She set her jaw and focused on the captain next to her.

Kirk tilted his head as he watched her respond. He recognized the look that she was giving him. It was the same look that he had given Bones three years ago at the academy when he had first became his primary physician and noticed the records discrepancy.

"You were there." It wasn't a question. It was a statement and Charlotte knew it.

"I was nowhere." She hissed.

Kirk spun off of his seat and kneeled in front of her and grabbed her hands. She glared back daring him to try and make her talk.

"Oh, yes you were. I know that look. It's a defiant glare. There was someone you couldn't save and that's why Riley almost dying in front of you hurt." At her gasp he continued. "That's why you became a nurse. There was someone who died in front of you and had you had the knowledge you have now, you think you could have saved him."

His hands reached up to her biceps and tightened. She clenched her jaw and looked away, afraid to look in Kirk's eyes. He gave her a rough shake and almost shouted.

"Tell me I'm wrong." He shook her again until her gaze rested on him. "Tell me I'm wrong!"

She shoved him hard and he let go in surprise.

"You're not wrong. I couldn't save him!" She screamed back and him and a sob broke though. Kirk swooped in and pulled her to him. She could feel him stroking her hair and saying something but she needed to explain.

"My sister, Kevin Riley, Daniel Morton and I were part of a rescue team. A group of boys that had left before my sister and I joined their team had not returned from trying to access the communications array on Kodos' compound. We went after them."

Charlotte held the phaser rifle and was shaking. Her sister was only marginally better and was in front of her while they waited for Kevin to tell them to advance. Charlotte had seen an almost animalistic gleam in Daniel's face as he fired on the guards that were stationed in the halls, leaving them with smoking craters in their chests. The smell of burnt flesh made Charlotte gag but there was nothing in her stomach to come up.

"Alright, C.J., M.J. This way. They're still alive and in the room with the comm systems. They're being held there. Daniel says you both have to shoot. We have to get control of that room and barricade ourselves in. It's our only shot!"

Little Kevin spoke like an adult and it was heartbreaking to see him older than his six or seven years. Kodos had taken that from him and more. She couldn't sink to his level though.

"I won't kill, Kevin. Put the rifle on stun." She whispered.

His little face twisted in confusion as both Molly and her held their weapons to the boy and waited while he pressed the switches necessary to take the setting off kill.

"They'd kill you, you know? Probably rape you first and then kill you. That's what those monsters did to my parents. They don't deserve your kindness." He snarled.

"I won't be like them. I want to be better than that. We can be better than that." She insisted.

Riley just shook his head sadly and waved an arm for them to follow. They caught up to Daniel and with Charlotte on one side of the hall with Kevin and Molly with Daniel on the other side they crept up to an open area with a door being guarded by two men in camouflage fatigues. They were both holding the same weapons as them but unlike the children they were chatting to each other and not focused on their task. Charlotte could hear faint screaming coming from the room and her heart rate skyrocketed as adrenaline flooded her system.

Charlotte watched as Daniel counted on his fingers and she tightened her grip on her weapon. On three, all four of them opened fire and the two men dropped without a sound other than a muffled thump. They peeked around the corner and ran to the door. Charlotte could feel the blood pounding in her ears, her senses sharpened by her fear.

Daniel counted to three using just his fingers and they burst into the room to a nightmare. The smell of blood and burnt flesh assaulted Charlotte's senses and she retched in the corner. Once she collected herself, she saw the horrors in the room. Daniel and Kevin worked on barricading the room while Charlotte and Molly froze open-mouthed. On the floor were two boys. One had the entire side of his face burned and he was very still. The other was an older boy who was swollen and bruised nearly everywhere. His breathing was a gurgling gasp as blood trickled from his mouth.

After she tore her eyes from the two on the ground, she noticed a third chained to the wall. A young blond child about the same age as her. He wore a defiant expression and was clothed in little more than rags over his skeletal body. His lip was split and he had a black eye but he looked reasonably better than the two on the floor.

"Molly." She hissed. Her sister just stared straight ahead. "M.J.!" She said loudly.

Her sister snapped from her dazed staring and looked at her with haunted eyes.

"Help me. Get that boy down and I'll look at the one on the floor."

Charlotte didn't really know what to do other than basic first aid. She saw Daniel at the comm console typing frantically and Kevin looking around the room. Charlotte came up next to the older boy and reached to check for his pulse. It was barely there but before she could breath a sigh of relief it was gone.

"You need to help my brother! Please." The blond cried.

The blond boy had been released and was standing over her. His voice breaking with grief.

"This boy's still alive, too. What do I do?" Her sister cried from across the room where she was checking over the burned boy.

Charlotte placed her hands over his chest and started pumping. Her mind running through her last first aid course.

"Uh...I need a first aid kit. His heart has stopped." She said. The blond ran around the room and located one. Charlotte turned to her sister.

"You need to put a cool wet dressing over the burn. Not cold and it needs to be sterile. Keep his legs up."

The boy opened the kit and there was a large amount of gauze and sterile water, a few hypos that she didn't know what they were used for and a respirator.

"Put the respirator on your brother and turn it on. It'll try to breath for him."

The blond carefully put in on the boy's face and turned it on. She heard the seal click and saw his chest start to rise and fall.

"You saved him!"

Charlotte was still pumping but couldn't feel a heartbeat.

"Not yet."

She saw a tricorder but she didn't really know how to read one. She heard a muffled shout from Daniel and looked up to see the screen enlarged and showing a man in a Starfleet uniform glaring at Daniel and Kyle.

"I do not find this to be funny, young man. Now stop contacting us and put your parents on the line."

Daniel was rigid with fury and Kevin looked close to tears. The blond kid suddenly stormed across the room and stood in front of the screen. His blue eyes blazing with anger, his body tense and straight.

"Sir, I assure you this is not a joke! Look behind me."

The child tapped into the computer and had the camera pan over to Charlotte who was pumping the older child's chest, sweat glistening on her from her efforts and then to Molly who was applying the wet gauze to the other boy's face. He stepped back in front of the camera.

"That is Sam. My big brother who is dying and Thomas who is also very likely dying thanks to Kodos. He killed half of the colony and is hunting down those of us that survived! I sent out a message three days ago! Did you ignore that as a joke? I hate you Starfleet! Does this look like a joke? We're starving and dying because a madman has taken control!"

The man onscreen paled and Charlotte spared a glance to stare into his eyes. She hoped he would remember them to his dying day if he ignored them again.

A banging on the door brought them back to the moment. Charlotte heard the Starfleet man ordering his ship to them at maximum warp.

It was two hours before they got there. Sam had died. The boy J.T. Had shut down after Charlotte told him. There wasn't anything she could have done but she still felt the guilt to this day. Thomas had survived but was disfigured beyond repair. They had discovered that the fungus had been intentionally created by Kodos to try and create his own society.

Starfleet had labeled them the Tarsus 9 and separated them. For their own safety, they had claimed, because they had not been able to find a body. Kodos had escaped. They wanted the only witnesses to see Kodos to be kept safe. Starfleet had classified the incident in an effort to allow them some measure of privacy and Charlotte had never seen any of the other children again.

She finished telling Kirk her story and rubbed her face. It was stiff from the dried tears she had shed. She was exhausted. Telling him had been almost cathartic.

"That was why I went into the medical track. My sister was a technical genius and made sure we covered the holes Starfleet left in our records. We didn't want to have to relive this like I just had to."

Kirk took her hand and squeezed. Tears had fallen from him as well but he was smiling.

"I never knew who those two girls were." He said softly.

Understanding dawned and it shot through her, piercing her heart.

"Oh, God. You're J.T. I'm so sorry." Sobs tore through her. "I couldn't save him." She folded in on herself and he pulled her to him, rubbing soothing circles across her back.

"You didn't kill him. Kodos did because we wouldn't tell him where the rest of us were and because we had gotten a message out. You tried to save him." He told her.

He held her until she stopped crying and waited patiently for her to calm down.

"Charlotte, you did the best that you could do under very difficult circumstances. You showed the best of human nature by choosing to not kill unless there is absolutely no choice. You still had your humanity even though most people would have tossed it away." Kirk insisted.

She looked up and gave him a small smile.

"Thank you, captain."

He chuckled and shook his head.

"Jim. I think after this talk, you can call me Jim."

He looked at her with a serious frown.

"You saw me at one of my worst moments. I heard about your family's compassion with supplying Riley with food. That was what caused you and your sister to be hunted and Mr. Jones's death. Your family risked everything to help a group of kids. No-one else did that. You probably saved us by your family's actions."

She nodded her understanding but remembered the primary reason she had wanted to talk to him.

"Can this remain private? I just don't want any pity."

"Of course. Unless someone needs to know."

He let out a deep breath and let her go, rubbing his hands on his thighs.

"I think I've kept you long enough. Spock seemed very interested in talking with you."

He used air quotes with the word talking and smiled brightly with a flash of teeth. It made Charlotte blush and shove him playfully.

"Jesus! You are incorrigible."

He laughed and stood, helping her up. They walked out together and he accompanied her to her door.

"I'm glad to see that you and Spock are getting closer. You'll need that when those two make an appearance."

He indicated her abdomen and Charlotte placed a hand over it. A warm feeling settling in her chest.

"Yeah. He's a good guy." She shrugged with a grin. "He kind of grows on you."

Kirk laughed and slapped a hand on her shoulder.

"That's what I've found. You know we didn't get along at first."

She mock frowned as if in thought but with a wry smile.

"That's what I heard. I'd wondered if it was true."

He grew serious and held out a hand and she took it. He pumped her arm.

"It was good to finally meet C.J."

"Goodnight Jim."

He turned to leave but stopped and went back to Charlotte.

"Hey, Charlotte?"

Her hand paused above the keypad and she turned back to him.

"Yes?"

"I just want to say thank you. You did save Thomas with your instructions and he'll be happy to see you when we pick him up tomorrow."

She was floored.

"What?"

"He's the scientist we're picking up at Planet Q." He stopped and frowned, deep in thought.

"You know...I think this is the first time this many of us have seen each other since it happened."

He shook his head but shrugged off the thought.

"Yeah...I'll see you later, Jim."

"Goodnight, Charlotte."

She waited until he left and went into her quarters. The lights were low and candles were lit, setting a relaxing mood. Charlotte could feel Spock through their bond and it sent her heart pounding in nervousness. She stifled a nervous giggle. It really was a better way to end her day and take her mind off of the past. She moved into the living room area and smiled at his thoughtfulness.

"I felt that you needed a positive reminder of your worth."

He wrapped his arms around her from behind and nuzzled her neck, pressing gentle kisses behind her ear and at the nape of her neck causing Charlotte to shiver in pleasure.

"Yes?" It was getting hard to think as his hands moved up her sides and pulled her hair to the side so he could gain better access to her neck. Her hands shook as he slowly moved to her face and held a hand to her cheek as he kissed her eyes, the corners of her mouth and then he leaned back, still holding her face.

"You are an amazing woman. I am proud to have you as my wife."

His hands moved slowly over her body and he carefully slid his fingers under her tunic, sparks dancing on her skin as they rested on her lower back.

"You are...so beautiful, ashayem. I will spend the rest of our lives together showing you how much I love you."

He pressed scorching kisses along her jaw and gazed at her with half lidded eyes. His pupils were blown with arousal and she could feel it pulsing through their link. It sent her blood rushing south and her breathing quickened. His loved poured into her as he gently pulled her shirt over her head to reveal her body. His eyes widened as he took her in. She suddenly felt self-conscious and moved to place her hands over her body but he slowly pulled them away. His expression was one of wonderment.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of. You are perfect."

Charlotte felt her face heat and she looked away but Spock had other ideas. He pressed himself to her and kissed her, tasting her and wrapping his tongue around hers. One hand drifted lower and rested on her waistband while the other caressed her side. She brought her hands under his shirt and could feel his toned abdomen and at her touch he moaned into the kiss, becoming more frantic with his movements as he touched every part of her skin that was exposed. She pulled back to breathe and quickly pulled off his shirt. As she did that he deftly unhooked the clasp to her bra and pulled it off quickly.

His hot mouth hungrily kissed her breasts and he cupped them carefully as he licked at her nipples. She gasped at the sensation and trembled, gripping his hair. She could feel her arousal becoming more intense as he ran his tongue down her stomach, open-mouthed kisses following as he toyed with the elastic of her pants.

"Oh, god! Spock!" She moaned.

She felt him smile into her and a flash of smugness came though the bond.

"Spock, you sly bastard!"

She gently shoved at him and he stood looking at her, his face was flushed.

"I believe that we should move this into the bedroom."

Before she could move he put his arms under her legs and carried her bridal-style into her room and laid her on the bed. He climbed onto the bed between her open legs and his feelings of lust overwhelmed her causing her head to fall back and she could hear herself panting in anticipation. He shucked off his pants and Charlotte felt herself grow damp with arousal at the sight of him. His muscles rippling as he moved towards her, his erect member was flushed green and slick with precome. She reached forward to touch it and he moved around her grasp.

"This is about you, my ashaya. I want you to enjoy tonight."

His voice was thick with arousal and he moved to unfasten her pants, pulling them down and exposing her to him. She moaned in frustration, desperate to touch him as he was touching her.

"So beautiful." He murmured.

His fingers slowly moved along her thighs and Charlotte moaned as her hips thrust of their own accord. Spock chuckled quietly and moved his head lower, rubbing his lips along the sensitive skin of the inside of her thighs. His fingers moving to her most sensitive area, slowly circling her entrance before carefully entering. She moved into his touch mewling at the sensation of him touching her there. His thumb caressing her clitoris and causing a build-up of tension to start coiling in her belly.

"Oh, right there! If you keep doing that I'm gonna..." She panted.

"I think that is the point." He quipped.

She huffed and struggled to think straight with the wonderful sensations he was causing.

"I...I want to come with you inside of me...please." She begged.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

She threw him a glare but a sudden twist of his fingers caused her to fall back and into him with a cry. She fisted the sheets in frustration. He pulled his hand out and moved in between her thighs, carefully lining himself up and she could feel him slowly press in. His length filled her and once he was fully seated she heard him groan. He threw his head back and then leaned forward, his hands on either side of her. His expression strained and she could feel his struggle at controlling his climax. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. He began to thrust into her and she wrapped her legs around him and she thrust with him.

His movements became quicker and the tension returned. It was winding tighter and tighter before she felt herself falling over the edge with a cry, squeezing her thighs tight around him as she came. Spock's thrusts became staggered and his grip on her sheets tightened. He pressed his face into her shoulder and his body tensed as he came inside her with a shudder. A thin sheen of sweat on his back and he stayed still. Both of their breathing was erratic as she held him.

Once they both calmed down he ran a hand through her hair and looked into her eyes. She could see the gold flecks in his irises and he whispered to her.

"I love you Charlotte."

She could feel it and tears welled up in her eyes as she realized that she loved him too.

"I love you, Spock."