A/N: new chappie! enjoy!
Chapter 28: Disobedience
"Everyone tucked in, Sulu?" Kirk asked, standing in front of a room with Captain Harrison glaring at him.
"Force field up and at full force, Sir," Sulu nodded, his phaser drawn and ready to fire anyway.
"We'll see what Starfleet has to say about this little adventure," Kirk nodded, smirking at Harrison before stepping as close to the doorway as he could without being hit by the force field. "Word to the wise: next time you try to take a ship, never under-estimate its crew."
"You're gonna pay for this, Kirk," Harrison ground out, his face battered and bruised.
"Most likely I'll get paid for bringing your asses in," Kirk retorted, stepping back again. "Starfleet pays well for the return of their rogue officers. Then again, I don't really do this for the money."
"Captain Kirk, to the bridge, please," Spock called over the intercom, and Kirk waved for Sulu to follow him.
"Let the security team take care of these guys," he smirked, patting the shoulder of one of the men before heading toward the bridge. He and Sulu trotted to their posts as Spock stood at his, leaning over the panel. "Alright, Spock. What is-?"
The ship rattled violently, shoving Sulu into his seat and nearly making everyone else topple to the floor.
"What the hell was that?" Kirk snapped, hurriedly seating himself in the captain's chair.
"Apparently, our prisoners have made friends with Klingons, Sir," Spock replied, calmly as he sat as well.
"Well, that's just great!" Kirk snapped before the ship jostled again from being hit. "What do they want?"
"Sir!" Uhura called before she grabbed onto her console as the ship was hit again. "They're requesting that we turn the prisoners over to them!"
"Like hell!" Kirk snarled. "Tell 'em to cease fire if they don't want them fried before they get them!"
"You're giving in to their demands, Captain?" Spock wondered if he'd heard right as Uhura turned to do what she was told.
"I didn't say that," Kirk replied before sighing in relief as the rattling stopped. "I said they'd fry if they didn't stop firing at us."
"Sir," Uhura called, turning in her chair as he turned to her. "They're hailing us."
"On screen," Kirk replied, turning ahead just as an ugly Klingon face came up and he fought back from cringing.
"My name is Kahless," he growled. "As I told your communications officer, hand over your prisoners and we will leave you with nothing more than a damaged ship."
"What has the crew of the Argo done to be demanded for by the Klingon Empire?" Kirk wondered, calmly.
"They attacked us without provocation in Klingon space!" Kahless snarled. "We are aware this starship has made itself independent from Starfleet, therefore we only require the crew and their ship and we will leave you in peace."
"I'm afraid I can't do that, Captain," Kirk replied. "You see, Captain Harrison and his crew attacked us as well, and as a result I am required to take them back to Starfleet. You're welcome to make your case known to Starfleet-"
"I will do nothing of the sort!" Kahless spat back.
"Well, then I can't help you," Kirk shrugged.
"Very well, there is only one crew member I have qualms with," Kahless replied.
"And who would that be?"
"A man named Stuart."
All eyes went wide as they turned from the screen to Kirk who only gave a smirk, the wheels in his head turning.
"Alright," he nodded, sitting back in his seat and all eyes went wider at him in astonishment. "That's actually doable. You'll have him in a half hour, tops."
"I knew you would see reason, Captain Kirk," Kahless smirked and Kirk nodded, signaling Uhura to cut the communication.
"Captain, just what are you planning?" Spock couldn't help but wonder as he stepped toward the captain's chair to stand next to him. "If I recall correctly, that dead body in Sick Bay is first mate of the Argo Mr. Stuart, is it not?"
"He demanded Mr. Stuart," Kirk shrugged. "He didn't say whether or not he wanted him dead or alive." He pressed a button on his arm rest and spoke into it. "Bones, you still have that guy's body in your freezer, right?"
"Yeah, why?" McCoy's response came from the com.
"We're gonna send it to the Klingons," Kirk replied, giving a very subtle smirk.
"What the hell-?"
"Just prep it, will ya?" Kirk cut in. "Trust me, Bones. You wanna get outta this to see your second wedding day, right?"
"You realize they're gonna come after us anyway if you send 'em a dead body!" McCoy shot back.
"Not gonna happen," Kirk replied simply then pressed another button on the rest. "Scotty, how much power you think we can get outta the engines? I'm talkin' max."
"From zero to warp five is the best I can get out of her, Captain," Scotty replied.
"That'll have to do," Kirk nodded. "When I give the signal, punch it."
"Aye, Captain," Scotty replied and Kirk contacted McCoy again.
"Bones?"
"I don't like being hung up on, Jim."
"Sorry. Body ready?"
"Yes," McCoy sighed in irritation. "I hope you know what you're doing."
"Of course I do!" Kirk grinned and Spock lifted a brow at his captain but said nothing as Kirk contacted the transporter room. "Transporter room, send him over."
"Aye, Captain," the officer on the other end replied.
"Turn us home, Mr. Chekov," Kirk ordered.
"Yes, Captain," Chekov nodded, making the course change as Kirk pressed the button on his chair to contact engineering but said nothing as he counted down from three to himself.
"Now, Scotty!" he ordered and the crew was shot back as the ship went to warp five instantly.
Meanwhile in Sick Bay...
McCoy ran from one sick bed to another, treating officers that had been injured from the few shots the Klingons had landed to the Enterprise. When the ship went to warp, he was next to one of the beds but didn't grab the railing on it in time to catch himself and was sent to the floor, sliding across the floor and grunting when his back hit a desk, bringing him to a stop.
"Leo!"
He frowned with a groan at the familiar voice before he shook the rattling from his head and looked up to see a concerned, freckled face staring sapphire eyes at him as she knelt down to grip his arm.
"Are you ok?" Kristine hoped, helping him sit up.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded as they both stood, and he held his head. "You're supposed to be in your room."
"And ignore the fact that the ship was rocking and rolling?" Kristine shot back, her hands on her hips. "I think not. Now let's get to work."
She was about to head toward one of the beds when McCoy caught her arm and pulled her back to him, making her frown in wonder.
"You need rest," he ordered. "I can take care of things here. Go lay down-"
"These officers are my first priority, Leo," Kristine snapped, pulling her arm back. "You of all people should understand that. I'll rest when we get everyone treated."
"Kristine-!"
"I've decided!" she cut in, and marched toward one of the patients to treat him as McCoy scowled at her before doing the same.
"Attention crew," Kirk's voice came over the com as the two hurried to treat everyone. "We've managed to outrun the Klingons by some miracle, so we'll be heading back to Starfleet in a half hour. Everyone can relax now. Kirk out."
"Well, that's a relief," Kristine smiled through a sigh and turned to McCoy as he stood with one of the men, running a scanner over his body and not looking back at her. Her smile dropped as she turned back to what she was doing.
She knew he was angry with her for not listening, but it made things so much easier when there were two people in Sick Bay treating the sick and wounded. She knew he realized that, but he'd given her an order to stay in her room, not only as a doctor, but her future husband, and she'd disobeyed him, even though she knew it was for her own good that he was ordering it.
Finishing with the patients she stepped toward McCoy's desk and leaned back on it just as he passed, but he didn't look up from the scanner in front of him as he walked.
"Leo," she called, but he was almost past her and still didn't look up. She reached out and gripped his arm, making him stop and finally look up at her with his usual frown that was visibly more irritated than usual. "Can you just stand here for a second so I can apologize, please?"
McCoy turned, lowering the scanner to his side as she stood in front of him.
"I'm sorry I didn't stay in my room," she began. "But the ship wasn't gonna let me rest while it jostled the way it was. So I thought I'd make myself useful and do my job, you know?"
McCoy said nothing as he only scowled at her and she sighed as she pushed off the desk to stand directly in front of him, one hand moving to fiddle with the Starfleet badge on his uniform.
"And…" she sighed, looking at the badge as she played with it before continuing, "I really didn't wanna be alone after everything that's happened. I mean, after the kidnapping, and after that planet…"
"I didn't die, Kris," he reminded her.
"Yes, you did, Leonard," Kristine shuddered, lowering her hand and looking up at him. "You died. I know. I'm a doctor too, so I know. That was-"
She looked away and bowed her head, but he caught the tears forming in her eyes and it made his heart clench in guilt that he was so angry with her. He still said nothing as he lifted an arm and wrapped it around her shoulders to pull her close, placing the scanner on his desk behind her to wrap the other arm around her as well. He felt her shudder against him as she buried her face into his chest and he set his cheek on top of her head.
"I'm sorry, Leo," she shuddered, softly. "I just-"
"You're tired, Kris," he murmured, pulling away enough to try to catch her gaze and she looked up at him with a sniffle. He lifted a hand to brush her tears away with his fingers before leaning down enough to press a tender kiss to her swollen lips. "If you don't wanna go back to your room, sleep in one of the empty beds here. I'll join you when I finish up with my work."
Kristine sniffled again before nodding and attempting to walk away but he wouldn't let her go for a moment, making her look up at him with a frown.
"I'd like a proper kiss first," he smirked, trying to lighten the mood and Kristine rolled her eyes with a slight sigh but smiled with a small sniffle before slipping her hands up his chest and around his neck to pull herself close and press her lips to his again.
McCoy's hands slid around her waist to pull her closer as his tongue slowly delved into her mouth, coaxing her to return the kiss, which she did eagerly. He could have lived in that moment, but she pulled away, making him groan in disappointment.
"Well, dear, make up your mind," she murmured through a smile, threading her fingers through his hair. "Do you want me to rest, or do you wanna feed on my mouth some more?"
His eyes widened hungrily as he closed in for another kiss, but she gently pressed a finger to his lips with a slight giggle and shook her head.
"You wanted me to sleep," she shrugged, slipping her hand to his cheek and gently patting it before strolling out of his embrace, her hand slipping from his face as she headed toward an empty bed and he sighed in disappointment as he watched her walk away before turning back to his duties.
Ten minutes later, McCoy sighed tiredly, rubbing his eyes as such as he shuffled toward the bed he'd seen Kristine heading toward earlier only to frown when he found the bed empty. He stopped and glanced around only to find that the only bed empty was that one, and she was nowhere to be found in Sick Bay.
She wouldn't... he thought, but all the same, he shot out of Sick Bay and into the hall, heading directly to the brig where Harrison and his crew were being held.
Harrison looked up to the door from where he sat when he heard footsteps stop in front of it and smirked charmingly at the sight that greeted him.
"Well, well," he hummed, standing and approaching the doorway, but stopped just short of being hit by the force field. "What a pretty visitor we have, boys. I take it by the cute little freckles over you cute little nose that you must be the famous fiancé of doctor McCoy's, am I right?"
Kristine only glared at him with a burning sapphire gaze that made him give a slight frown.
"Well now, sweetie, what'd I do to deserve a glare like that from such a gorgeous girl, hm?" Harrison wondered, honestly.
She said nothing for a moment as she only glared at him before stepping dangerously close to the force field separating them and ground out, "Stuart was a good man, and that crap doctor of yours let him die, didn't he?"
"Oh, so he got in your head with all his righteous talk of going down in a blaze of glory, did he?" Harrison smirked, leaning on the door frame to examine his nails as Kristine's eyes widened at him. "And his little sob story about his TB? He was lying to you, ya know that, sweetheart?"
"A dying man doesn't lie about something like that!" she snapped. "I'm a doctor! I know the symptoms!"
"He could have faked them," Harrison shrugged. "But I guess I can't lie to a pretty girl like you, even if I want to. So I'll clarify a few things for ya." He shifted to face her completely, leaning his forearm on the wall to his right. "Yeah, he had TB, but that whole story about his 'blaze of glory' was total crap. He didn't care how he went out, he just wanted to die. He planned the whole thing the way it happened. The only thing he didn't plan on, was you."
"You're lying!"
"He shot himself three or four times with that hypo, right?" Harrison continued, and smirked when Kristine's eyes widened.
"H-How did you…?"
"He planned the shut down on the shuttle," Harrison resumed when she trailed off. "He knew he wouldn't last long without air supporting his crappy lungs, or without heat. His last selfless act was keeping you from freezing to death with what little body heat he had left."
"Guard, let down the force field," Kristine ordered, and the man next to her frowned at her in confusion.
"Oh, I can see you're mad as hell, sweetheart," Harrison smirked. "It looks good on you."
"Let down the force field!" Kristine almost screamed.
"Don't let down that force field."
She gasped and spun around to be met with a scowling McCoy and he gripped her arm to pull her staggering down the hall.
"Damn it, Kris, why don't you ever listen to me?" he growled, pulling her toward the lift. "I told you earlier to stay away from there, didn't I? Or was I just talking to the damn wall?"
"Leo-"
"I don't wanna hear your excuses!" he ground out, swinging her into the lift as he stepped in and pressed the button to Sick Bay, let it go a moment then hit the hold button to turn to her and grip both her arms in his hands and step close to her.
"After everything that's happened, you go and pull a stunt like that? Do you realize what could have happened if I hadn't stepped in and told that guard not to let you order him around? Harrison could have taken you hostage again! Then what would you have done if he got away and took you with him? God only knows whether he'd keep you or dump you somewhere when he got far enough away! What if he-?"
McCoy cut himself off at the thought that crossed his mind and he gently shoved her away as he let her go. Kristine bowed her head as he turned to face the door and run a hand through his hair.
"You can be some kind of reckless, do you know that?" he wondered, only sternly this time and he looked at her as she nodded, still staring at the floor. McCoy sighed in exhaustion before lifting an arm toward her and she ran toward him, throwing her arms around him as she shuddered with sobs and he lowered his arm around her, burying his face into her hair.
"I'm sorry, Leo," she shuddered. "I just wanted to know why such a good man like Stuart had to die. Harrison said-"
"I heard him, Freckles," he cut in. "I heard it all. Maybe I'm some kind of reckless too, because I got there just after you did and stepped back to see what he had to say."
"I'm sorry," Kristine shuddered.
"I know," McCoy nodded. "Stop apologizing now, babe." He leaned over to press the button to take them to Sick Bay. "We'll go back to Sick Bay and you can sleep like you've never slept before."
Kristine nodded and looked up at him to give a small smile as he lifted a hand and brushed her tears away.
"I'm not gonna be a very good wife," she muttered with a sniffle and McCoy only scoffed.
"Well, we're a pair then, 'cause apparently I make a terrible husband," he murmured, pulling her close and kissing her temple.
"No comment," she blurted out of the corner of her mouth and McCoy looked to her with a cocked brow.
"Sexy little smart ass," he smirked, lowering a hand and swatting her rear, to which she jumped with a startled squeak before looking up at him with a sly smile.
"At least I'm sexy," she whispered as the lift stopped. They both stepped out of the lift and he led her to the empty bed she'd been in before.
"Now stay put this time, damn it," he snapped, playfully as she laid back. "I don't wanna have to run after you again."
"What if I sleep walk?" she wondered with a sweet, sarcastic smile.
"I have a hypo for that," he smirked, lifting one from the tray next to the bed.
"Oh, yeah right," she blurted, shifting to lay down as he approached. "Like you're gonna-Ow!"
"Yeah, I just did," he replied, setting the hypo back down and Kristine rubbed her neck where he stabbed her with it.
"I have a bad feeling you're gonna do this a lot after we get married," she mumbled with a slight slur and she frowned, shaking her head quickly as her vision started blurring. "What was in that?"
"Just a little cocktail I had prepared for an occasion such as this," McCoy replied vaguely, helping her lay back. "I remembered some of your allergies so I didn't use anything I'd typically use."
"Should I take that as…a romantic gesture?" she sighed, tiredly as her eyes started to flutter shut.
"Sure," McCoy shrugged, playfully. "Just rest now, Freckles. Don't think about it."
"You kinda suck, don't you, doc?" Kristine blurted.
"We can discuss that later," he murmured, leaning over her as she sighed tiredly again, her eyes closing completely. He lifted a hand and gently stroked the hair over her forehead away from her face to kiss her forehead gently. "I love you, Kris."
A/N: yea, it's mushy! and what? lol! reviews?
