Khan straightened out his clothes as he slowly headed towards the hollodeck. He hadn't been to see Till in sometime. Not since Aria had come out of her coma. It's not that he was neglecting his duties, it was that it had been a whirlwind as of late. With The illness, the Klingon attack, and then the twins birth. Now though, Khan had time. The doors slid open with a hiss and he tilted his head seeing Till smiling from his restraints.
"So… Aria gave birth." He said and Khan said nothing as he walked in. "I know she did."
"Do you now?" he asked.
"She and I are connected remember? I had some wicked pain across my abdomen… Screamed in agony I did. Not ashamed to admit it. After all, I was going through childbirth. How many did you have?" Khan looked to him. "Because there was intense pain and then nothing and then intense pain again which makes me think two rounds of labor so… Two rounds of kids… Had twins huh?" Khans jaw clenched. "Two boys, two girls, or one of each?" Khans arms crossed over his chest. "I deserve to know they are my nieces or nephews or both after all."
"You lost your privileges when you strapped Aria to a table and tortured her for information you knew for a fact she didn't have."
"Are you really still mad about that?" Till asked with a lazy drawl.
"That and countless other things."
"I have been very naughty…" he said in a sing song voiced. "Where have you been by the way? I get staying away for a bit to spend time with the kiddies… But there was a small amount of time there after Aria got better that you could have come to see me…"
"Been lonely have you?" Khan asked his jaw clenching.
"Not really… I've been keeping myself busy." He said with a smirk.
"Have you now?"
"I have quite the active imagination…" Till closed his eyes. "All I have to do is shut my eyes… And I'm drifted away to all sorts of scenarios… Like my hands wrapped around your throat… Or my arms wrapped around your dear Aria. Her sounds of pleasure and pain as I-." Till laughed as he felt Khans hands grip onto his throat. "Oooh now don't be stealing ideas!" he said before his voice was cut off by the pressure he was putting on his neck.
"Enough games Till." Khan said. "You're going to tell me everything."
"Why?" He asked and Khan pulled away. "Why should I tell you anything? You're just going to kill me when I do."
"I'm going to kill you anyways."
"Really?" Till asked. "Because… I'm not dead yet, and I've been on this ship for how long?" Khans jaw clenched. "No I'm really asking because I've lost count." Khan instantly turned and Till laughed. "Oh come on come back! We were having fun! Fine leave! I'm just going to imagine fucking Your-." The doors slid closed behind Khan cutting off the sound of Tills voice.
"I really do hate that man." Galen said and Khan nodded.
"Activate the program Aria put into place."
"Yeah about that I don't understand this thing." Galen said pointing to the control panel of the hollodeck.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean this coding it's way beyond me. I don't even know how to enter this thing."
"Let me see." He took the tablet in hand and looked over the coding.
"It's advanced… That's for certain… She's made leaps in the standard programming. Most I can't follow… But they're bound to work." He said starting to input them in.
"Medicine and medical equipment that's all I've been good at… Computer programming not so much."
"It's a part of our augmentation."
"One group of skill sets we're well… Skillful at… I know. Aria though she's skilled at tons of things."
"Well she is the next generation."
"Aye, and the twins the next after her… You have to wonder what those changes will be… She still hasn't brought them to me for tests you know…" Khan nodded. "It's important I get a baseline for the children so we can run tests on their growth, their augmentation."
"Aria refuses them to be treated like laboratory experiments."
"I would never treat the kids as such. I would never." Galen said.
"You have to understand her mind set." Khan said. "She's… Very protective… She'd kill me to ensure their best interests."
"I'm sure that's not true."
"It is. She told me." Galen looked to him. "They are her children. I'm glad she said such a thing."
"It's natural for a mother to be so protective of her children… But that must have been terrifying to hear her say such… I mean… It's Aria. The girl can be quite frightening when she wants to be." Khan smiled.
"She can. It's one of the things I love most about her."
"It's a complicated relationship you two share."
"It is." Khan said with a smile. "The point is. She won't allow you to run tests… But you can plead your case to her if you want."
"I hope I don't incur her wrath when I do."
"You won't, if you're respectful of the children." Khan stood back. "I can't get this programing to work…"
"Maybe Aria can."
"I hope so. It is her design."
"Look after him, don't engage."
"Will do." Galen said as Khan walked off to the turbo lift. The ride up to the bridge took a good minute and when he walked out he instantly heard laughter. He walked to the living quarters and peered inside to see Aria on the floor with their children. They were rolling about together. Arias eyes always on the children to make sure they didn't bump into anything. He was about to interrupt when he heard a glorious sound. Laughter. Not from Aria though, but from his children.
"Yes it's fun isn't it?" Aria asked with a smile as she took her childrens hands in hers. They laughed and she did too. "So much fun…" She said. "When you two get bigger, your father and I will take you outside, and we can roll in the grass, and if you're really big enough maybe we'll teach you to swim… If you're ready… Or more so if I'm ready… Maybe I won't be ready… Okay just accept it neither of you are ever learning to swim it's too dangerous… In fact the outside is too dangerous… We'll find other ways to have fun in here." Khan smiled at her protectiveness. "On this ship… No just in this room… Yes just in this room… Where mommy can protect you."
"Don't worry children, father will sneak you out sometime." Khan said walking in and Aria laughed as she shook her head.
"No he won't…" Aria said in a baby voice as she lifted Galadriel into her arms and Khan lifted Khaleesi into his as he took a seat on the ground. "No he won't, because mommy won't let him… No she won't." Khan smiled as he watched Aria rub her nose against Galadriel who laughed in response. "That is one brilliant laugh…" He laughed again and she did as well. Khan smiled as the sounds mixed together perfectly. Khaleesi reached up and palmed his nose. Khan looked down and smiled as she continued to feel his face.
"She did that to me for about an hour… Galadriel too…" Aria said and he smiled. "I think it's their way of learning our faces, memorizing them…"
"They shouldn't need to do so to learn our faces. Maybe there is something wrong with their eyes-."
"I'm not taking them to see Galen for tests." Khan sighed heavily for a moment.
"You know Ariadne, sometime they're going to need tests done, for development for-."
"I know that." She said instantly. "It's not like I'm neglecting them of such."
"I didn't say neglect but if that's how you feel-."
"Don't you dare try to manipulate me…" She said with a very calm tone of voice for the sake of the children but an incredibly deadly glare for the sake of him. He slowly nodded and looked down at the khaleesi in his arms.
"You're right. I'm sorry… That was very wrong of me to try." Her jaw clenched as she looked down at Galadriel. She shifted as she ran her finger along her sons cheek.
"You don't think there's really something wrong with their eyes though… " Khan slowly looked to her to see she had a worried expression as she looked down at their son. "Do you?" she looked up at him, and he was glad she was looking to him for guidance in that moment.
"Truthfully I don't know… I'm just as clueless when it comes to the medical needs of a baby as you are… Maybe even more clueless…"
"Then Galen should look them over but… Only the necessary things nothing else."
"Nothing else… I'll have him head to the medical bay to look them over."
"Not yet… It's time for their nap. If he's to see to them they should be well rested when he does so… So they aren't fussy." He could see she was nervous, and was using the nap time as her own time to prepare for their first Doctor appointment.
"Of course." He stood up as did Aria.
"Weee…" she said holding Galadriel in such a way that it made him look as though he was flying. Their son laughed in response as did Aria who flew him over to their crib. They laid both the children down and Khan tilted his head as he watched his children fall asleep instantly.
"They must have been tired…"
"They had just fed before you walked in… They tend to get sleepy after feeding…" she said with a smile before walking over to the bed and sitting down.
"How are you feeling?" Khan asked looking her over.
"Still a little sore." She said her hand resting over her swollen tummy. She only looked to be about two months pregnant now. Her body was bouncing back far more quickly than he had expected it to do so.
"Anything I can do…" She slowly looked him over. "What is it?" he asked.
"You've been around Till." She said.
"You can smell him on me."
"I'd know that sickening scent anywhere." She said her jaw clenching.
"He knows you gave birth." She looked to him quickly. "He knows there are two children."
"What?" she asked and he could tell she was frightened by her tone.
"He won't get to them. I promise." Her jaw clenched.
"Why isn't he dead yet?" she asked.
"Because one, we don't know how to kill him without killing you, and two he hasn't talked."
"What about my programming?"
"Both Galen and I tried, we can't get it working."
"Well that's preposterous." She said. "The coding is perfect."
"I can't input it… It's…" he looked off. "Too advanced." Aria smiled softly.
"That took a lot for you to admit."
"Shut it…" She laughed instantly at his irritated tone and he smiled as he looked to her.
"I can input it from the bridge. When you're ready to put him through it let me know and I'll program it in for you."
"After the children are looked over I'll have you do so…" She nodded before taking a deep breath and looking over at the crib. "What is it?" Khan asked.
"Every time I put them down for their naps I can't wait until they wake up again so I can play with them, make them laugh, talk to them, even just look into their eyes…" She smiled softly before looking to him. "I'm forever in your debt for giving them to me."
"Love, I should be thanking you." He said. "You're the one who gave them to me. Don't give me any credit because I warrant none."
"Still… I'm so thankful you're their father. There's no one better for the job." He smiled instantly. "I just thought of a way you can make me feel better."
"Name it." She wrapped his arms around her before laying back in the bed making him do so as well. She snuggled against him and he smiled as she did so.
"Yes… Already feeling better." She said.
"Good."
"You know what?" She asked as she yawned. "It may be time for my nap time too…"
"Go ahead love." He said. "I'll look after you and the children…"
"Definitely the right man for the job…" she said as she was whisked away into darkness.
-o-
"Mommy? Mommy where are you?"
"I'm here." Aria shot up in bed as she took a deep breath. "I'm right here." She instantly headed over to the crib. She came to a stop as she stared down into them to see they were empty. Instantly any grogginess she felt left her body as her eyes snapped open wide and she reached down into the crib just to make sure her children weren't beneath the blankets. "No… No no no!" She said. "Khan!" She shouted before looking to the bed to see he too was gone. "Khan!" she ran out onto the bridge as her heart beat faster than it ever had before. "Khan!" She yelled her eyes shut tightly and instantly she felt a pull from her children. Her eyes snapped open and she ran to the turbo lift. Even though the ride to the medical bay was short and sweet it felt like forever to Aria. The doors slid open with a hiss and she ran out into the medical bay.
"There's the new mommy." Galen said and Aria rushed in with a terrified look. "Please tell me you didn't take the children without telling her." He said to Khan.
"I-"
"I was worried sick!" Aria said looking at Khan. "I woke up and they were just gone! I thought something had happened to them! I thought maybe Till had escaped and-."
"That's not going to happen-."
"You've said that before!" She said and he could see her expression etched in fear.
"Ariadne I'm sorry-."
"Here see they're all fine." Galen said and Aria walked over and took her children in her arms.
"Don't' ever take them away from me like that again do you understand me?" She asked Khan.
"I do I'm so sorry…" Before he could even finish the sentence she turned and walked away from them. "I just wanted her to rest…" Khan said to Galen.
"You have to put yourself in her mindset… She woke up and her children were just gone… I can't even imagine what Rayna would have done to me if I had done that to her…"
"I'm going to go talk to her…"
"Sure thing boss man." Galen said.
-o-
Aria took a deep breath as she placed the twins down into their cribs. Her heart had been beating so fast. Pumping away in her so hard she thought her heart might break right through her rib cage to alleviate her anxiety. Her children though were fine. A little tired from whatever they had been put through from their medical exams but fine all the same. She smiled softly as she watched them fall asleep. She backed away from the cribs her hand on her heart.
"Alright they're fine… Just… Calm down now." She said to herself. "You stay away from us." She said pointing to Khan as he walked in.
"I'm so sorry, I would have never done that if-."
"What were you thinking?" she asked looking to him. "Taking them away from me like that?" she asked.
"I wasn't taking them away from you I was just-."
"Just what?" she asked.
"Well if you'd let me get a sentence out-."
"No I don't think I will. What you just did was inexcusable!"
"You're over reacting just a bit don't you think?"
"Excuse me?" she asked her eyes flashing. "You took our children to Galen for medical tests without their mother present!" She shouted. "You knew how I was feeling about it, that I was worried, and still you took them! Without me! Without their mother! Why did you feel the need to do that huh? Maybe because Galen was doing a little bit more than the standard tests?"
"I would never do something like that without your consent."
"You took them without my consent."
"I'm sorry I didn't wake you but I wanted you to sleep a little more… Lord knows you could use a rest and it seems you still could. You always get a little touchy when you're tired."
"Don't treat me like a child."
"Then stop acting like one." Her eyes narrowed. "The children were perfectly safe with me."
"Not as safe as they are with me…"
"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked. "You think I can't protect our children."
"I think you can protect them to the best of your abilities." She said.
"Which is subpar in you opinion."
"Have you seen my Genetics compared to yours?" His jaw instantly clenched. .
"Where is this hostility coming from?" he asked.
"Don't take my children away from me again… Do you understand?" she asked.
"Here I thought I was the perfect man for the job." He muttered before storming out. Aria moved forward her eyes flashing with emotion.
"Khan…" she said softly but it was too late, he was gone. "Damn it…" she said as her children began to cry. "Oh no…" She turned and rushed back to her children before taking them both in her arms. "It's okay kids… Mommy and daddy will make up…"
-o-
Aria sat on the bridge as she took a deep breath. She had put the children down for bedtime near two hours ago. Truthfully sleep beckoned to her as well, but she didn't dare. She needed to make up with Khan, needed to apologize for her behavior. She didn't know what had gotten into her, she didn't know why she had freaked out so badly. But she had, and she needed to make things better. She heard the hiss of the turbo lift and slowly stood as Khan walked aboard. He came to a stop seeing her and tilted his head.
"Left the children alone did you?"
"The doors open and their cradle is in my sights." And he slowly looked to see it was true. "Khan… I'm so sorry." She said softly and he slowly nodded before moving forward and wrapping his arms around her. "I don't know what got into me. I just saw red." He nodded as he held her tightly.
"I would have done the same if I were you." He said. "I'm sorry I took the children without your knowledge. I can't imagine how terrifying that must have been for you." He said pulling back and kissing her deeply.
"I have other things to apologize for." She said. "The things I said, there's no excuse."
"No… Some… Some of them were true." He said moving away from her. "It's partly why I got so angry…"
"None of them were true."
"You saying you were the one who was best suited to protect them… That was true."
"No Khan I-."
"Ariadne…" he said silencing her. "It is. You know it is… You're the next generation of our people… You're stronger, faster, more intelligent-."
"Well I don't know about that-."
"I do… I've looked at your genetics." She looked at him for a long time.
"Can I ask you something?" She inquired.
"Of course."
"It's something that has been bothering me for a long time…"
"Go ahead…" She took a deep breath as she looked him over.
"Are you afraid of me?"
"No." he said instantly and she smiled softly. "I'm afraid of what you're capable of." Her expression instantly fell. "Of what you and your siblings are capable of, and now what our children are capable of."
"That's truthfully very upsetting."
"It's a part of our DNA to conquer those who are weaker than us."
"Correction, it's a part of your DNA." She said. "Not mine. If anyone should be scared of anyone here it's me."
"Why?" he asked taken aback.
"Oh gee I don't know how many people have you killed?"
"How many people have you killed Ariadne?"
"As many as have tried to kill me."
"Same here."
"Don't try to fool me. I'm a battle expert. Which means I know battles. I know wars. I know all about the Eugenics war Khan." She said. "That was pure and simple genocide."
"You know about the Eugenics war?" he asked walking towards her as his anger built. "Really? So… You were there."
"No-."
"No you weren't, I was. You have no idea what started that war and you have no idea what went on during it!"
"I read the files."
"Files created by your precious Starfleet!"
"My precious star fleet?" she asked.
"I see how you protect them…"
"Protect them?" she asked. "I've nearly killed them-."
"Yes nearly!" He barked as he walked straight up to her. "Aria I have seen you single handedly take out a garrison of Klingon warriors with only a phaser at your hip, yet you can't take out a simple group of mildly trained Starfleet operatives. You are protecting them… You can't do this anymore Ariadne."
"Do what?" she asked.
"Not choose a side."
"I chose a side the second they locked me in that white room and let Till do what he did to me!" She shouted her voice shaking. "You want to know why Kirk and his crew aren't dead yet?" she asked. "Do you really want to know?"
"Yes."
"They're not dead yet not because I'm protecting them but because I'm protecting their children! If we kill Kirk and his crew it gives the federation reason for war, I don't want my children to grow up in a war Khan. I want them to just be able to be children! Before I got pregnant I wanted blood. I wanted blood more then you could ever know… But when I got pregnant… The second I found out…" She took a shaky breath. "I had no want or need for it anymore… The only thing I wanted or needed was a safe place for my children to grow up… It's why I threw kirk off the scent of this planet. So we could live here… peacefully with not only our children but hopefully someday our well… Your people."
"They are your people too…" Khan said his hands going to her shoulder. "But Ariadne… They won't want peace after hearing what they've done… They'll want war as you said… It's in our DNA."
"Khan-."
"Ariadne…" he tilted her chin up so she would look at him. "They will never stop looking for us… Do you understand that?" he asked. "Not ever… If we don't level them someday they will try to level us… You want to protect our children?" she nodded. "So do I love." He said his hand setting on her cheek. "If we don't, you and I, handle Starfleet now our children may have to do it in our place… You say you don't want your children to grow up in a war, I understand that. But do you want them to grow up peacefully but then be thrust into a war as adults completely unprepared."
"No."
"No… Because they probably won't survive it if that's how it happens." Her jaw clenched and he saw that sentence had brought her great pain.
"We can't start a war now Khan though… We don't have the numbers. As strong as we are… You, Galen and I… We can't wage a war with just the three of us…"
"That's why I'm trying to find our people." She slowly nodded and he saw something flashing deep in her eyes.
"Take the children to Galen, ask him to look after them." Aria said moving forward.
"Where are you going?"
"To the hollodeck. We're going to make that brother of mine talk." He smiled as he watched her walk right onto the turbo lift and get taken away. He smiled as he walked to his children and picked them up in his arms.
"Mommy's back kids." He said and Khaleesi seemed to smile up at him.
-o-
Till craned his neck as he fought away the pain in his shoulders from his hands being bound behind his back for so long. This whole captivity thing was really starting to wear thin. Just as he was about to sigh in complete frustration he felt a familiar presence.
"Aria…" he said softly before the doors slid open revealing her. "To what do I owe this displeasure sis?" he asked as she slowly walked in the doors closing behind her. He tilted his head as he watched her look all around, somewhat with a lost expression. "What are you doing here? And without that augmented hunk of man at your side…"
"Are you okay?" she asked and he was slightly taken aback by the question.
"What?" he asked.
"I asked if you were okay?" she inquired quietly as if she wanted no one to hear her.
"What is this? What are you doing?"
"I'm asking if you are okay?"
"Why would you care?"
"You're… Family."
"Oh what is this?" he nearly spat. "Pulling the family card to get information…" his voice trailed off as he watched Arias eyes brim with rare emotion.
"I've…" her voice broke. "I've made a terrible mistake."
"Motherhood not fitting you sis?" he asked trying to turn a cold shoulder on her.
"Motherhood fits me just fine…" she said with a soft smile. "You have a niece and a nephew… I wish I could bring you a photo but there isn't one to bring."
"Why would you want to show me their photos?"
"Because they are your family…"
"Whatever card you're trying to play-."
"I'm not trying to play a card!" she said and he could feel the truth of it in their connection. "I should have let you kill Khan when you had the chance… He's not the man I thought. All he does is ache for war, and death. What kind of father can a man like that be…"
"War is no place to raise a family…" She slowly looked to Till.
"Yes…" she said softly. "That's what I said…"
"I thought you loved him…"
"I so badly wanted to love him…" she said softly as she walked over. "I don't know what to do…" she sat down by his feet as she took a shaky breath. "I feel trapped. My children and I are trapped… I don't know what to do…" Till looked down at Aria for a long moment.
"You kill him."
"I can't kill the father of my children." She said and he slowly nodded.
"Yes… The kiddies may resent you for such…" he said with a near bored drawl. "Sentiment." He near spat. He then looked down at her. "I could kill him." She slowly looked up at him.
"Galen has found our people." Aria said and he looked to her quickly. "Khan is with him now… Soon they will go to them. Free them. Those people they won't accept me or my children…"
"Because you three are more powerful."
"He admitted that he's scared of us… What if he tries something? What if he and all his people try something. A few augments I can stand against but a whole army?" Till slowly nodded before his jaw clenched.
"Why are you talking to me about this?"
"Remember when I said I made a mistake?"
"Yes."
"The mistake was choosing him over you."
"But you did. Why?" he asked. Her jaw clenched and she bowed her head forward.
"You're my brother on a genetic level…" She said her head bowed forward. "I shouldn't yearn for my brother in the way I yearn for you."
"I thought you hated me."
"I'm supposed to hate you Gabriel… After everything you did to me… It's sick that I don't. I'm sick…"
"Prove it." He said and she slowly looked up at him.
"How?"
"Let me go…"
"One condition."
"You want to put up conditions?" he asked his rage building.
"One condition Gabriel…" his jaw clenched.
"Name it."
"We get the hell off this ship."
"Where do you propose we go dear sister?"
"We go and eradicate our current problem." Aria said standing.
"You want to destroy the augments in the criotubes." She nodded.
"We have to get there before Khan and Galen. If they wake those men and women up you and I we're going to be extinct. They will kill us Gabriel…" her eyes brimmed and he saw fear move across her expression. "They'll kill my children, your niece and nephew."
"Our children." Gabriel said. "If I do this I have one condition… You and I we raise the children together… We won't be brother and sister but husband and wife." Aria suddenly looked over her shoulder.
"He's coming." She said. "I'll be back to free you, I'm going to knock him out."
"Be careful." Gabriel said and she nodded before running out of the hollodeck. Till watched as Khan faced Aria and tilted his head.
"What were you doing in there?" Khan asked. Till smiled as he watched Aria slam her fist across Khans face just as the doors hissed closed behind him.
"What are you doing!?" Khan yelled grabbing a hold of her fists and slamming her up against the wall. She locked eyes with him instantly.
"I've manipulated Gabriel into thinking I'm in love with him and that you wish ill will towards the children and I. That you and Galen have found the location of our people and are planning to wake them up. Where upon you will eradicate Gabriel, the children and I." His eyes grew wide at the words filling his head thanks to their connection. "He's going to take me to the location of our people… Where he thinks we are going to kill them. I just need us to get to the shuttle bay for him to enter our coordinates. Those coordinates will be where our people are located."
"If he knows you're manipulating him?"
"He'll still take me to the shuttle bay where upon he'll try to kidnap me. He loves me in his own twisted way. He hates that he's lost me to you. So he'll want to take me by force."
"So what do we do then?"
"You threaten to kill me if he doesn't give up the whereabouts of your people. Do what you can to convince him you hate me and that you wish me more dead than alive… That you found out how deeply I cared for him…"
"You want me to hurt you…"
"It's for the good of our people. Now… I'm sorry, but I'm going to hit you really very hard."
He smiled at her and Aria moved forward giving him a chaste kiss before jumping into the air wrapping her legs around his neck and using the momentum of a flip to twirl him in the air and slam him down into the ground before slamming her fists across his face. His eyes shut feigning a knockout and she quickly ran back to the hollodeck.
"Nicely done." Till said looking at Khan as she quickly undid his restraints. He jumped down from where he'd been tied and smiled as he wrapped his arms around Aria. She instantly melted into him and he pulled back as he set his hand on her cheek. "Hello doll." She laughed softly and he moved forward his mouth crashing against hers. He smiled when she instantly kissed him back. Aria could feel through her connection Khans anger rising. She guessed he had stolen a peek at what was going on.
"Gabriel…" she said pulling back. "We have to go now."
"Of course plenty of time for that later." He took her hand in his and they ran past the knocked out Khan. As soon as they got to the turbo lift Khan leapt to his feet and followed right after them.
"Wait Gabriel thy children." Aria said seeing they were heading towards the shuttle bay.
"We will be coming back for them."
"What If khan Kills-."
"He'll use them as leverage to get you back." Gabriel said. "Aria… You have to trust me." He said setting his hand on her cheek. She slowly nodded and he moved forward kissing her forehead. "Don't think though that I'm not completely cross with you… Once we get the children back you have a lot to make up for."
"Yes sir…" he smiled loving the fact he was back to being the dominant one over her.
"Good girl." He said his hand resting on the small of her back. "Then again it will be a long ride to where our ancestors are hidden so we'll have plenty of time to set your wrong doings right on the shuttle ride over." He kissed her neck and he smiled.
"I shouldn't be so excited."
"No you shouldn't… But you can't help that you crave subjugation…"
"I long to be under your control again…"
"I long for you to be under my control as well my darling sister…" the doors slid open and they moved forward hand in hand.
"Wait!" Aria came to a stop. "Weapons we need weapons."
"I'll get weapons, you ready the shuttle." He said.
"What coordinates do we put in?" Aria asked as she ran towards it.
"Don't worry about that. Just ready the shuttle." Gabriel said as he ran over to the weapons section. Before he could reach it he heard a cry of pain.
"Gabriel!" Aria shrieked and he spun around his eyes going wide to see Khan his hand gripped around her throat as he held her body before him.
"Let her go." Till said with an intense gaze.
"No… I don't think so."
"That's the mother of your children Khan… You can't hurt her."
"I eliminate threats, she has just clearly shown herself as a threat." Khan said his hand gripping around her throat tighter making her wince in pain.
"Khan please-." He wiped her around and with a clenched jaw slapped her across the face.
"You." He said pointing a finger at her. "Will shut your mouth." He said before whipping her back around to face Till.
"What do you want?" Till asked.
"Turns out my former dearest here gave us the wrong location of our people… made us think you had told her through your connection… She used our excitement to get to you so you would take her to the true location of our people… to kill our people as they slumber in their tubes."
"Khan No-." He gripped her throat tighter and she made a pained noise as he lifted her up on her tip toes.
"Shut up." He said. "So what I want is the true location of our people."
"Fuck off." Till said and Khan forced Aria to her knees while pulling out a knife and placing it to her throat. Aria's eyes shut tightly, she never liked the feeling of sharp cold steel against her skin. It took her right back to the white room. Fear instantly coursed through her. Khan looked down at her feeling it in their connection. She was scared of him in that moment. His jaw clenched, he hated he was having to do this to her.
"Your generation of augments are more advanced at healing. But if I use this knife to cut off her head well…" Khan gave a deep laugh. "There's no way she's coming back from that."
"That's the woman you love."
"Correction the woman I did love. I stopped loving her around the time she started wanting to fuck you."
"I'm not telling you where your people are."
"Then I kill her." Khan said.
"Gabriel…" Aria said softly tears brimming in her eyes. "Please…" his jaw clenched as he slowly looked to Khan.
"Count of three." Khan said the blade pushing into her skin. Aria hissed as blood started to drip down her neck. "One." He pressed it in harder.
"Gabriel!" She cried out.
"Stop it!" Till yelled as blood began to trickle down his own neck.
"That's right you two have a connection I kill her I kill you two birds with one bloody stone!" Khan yelled.
"You need me to find your people!"
"I'll eventually find them anyway… To be honest I'm sick of this fucking incestuous circus." He pushed the knife in deeper and Arias hand shot up and gripped onto Khans hands as pain spread through her neck. "Say goodbye to your sister you sick fuck you'll be joining her soon in hell anyways-."
"Coordinates 55 46 97 21!" Till yelled making his hand stop as Khan looked to him. "Check them… Go ahead." Khan dragged Aria to one of the control panels.
"Stop struggling." He said to her as he punched in the coordinates. Khan smiled softly when he saw they lead to an old federation outpost. One which was labelled shut down. He threw Aria to the feet of Till.
"Gabriel…" He lifted her onto her feet as she wrapped her arms around him. Till held her close as he stared at Khan wide eyed the blood dripping knife in hand as he did.
"It's alright love…" Gabriel said holding her close his hand smoothing out the back of her hair. "So we can leave?" Gabriel asked as he slowly backed them up towards a shuttle.
"Yes but good luck outrunning this ship." Khan said with a devious look.
"Come on Gabriel let's go." Aria grabbed his hand and they instantly ran aboard the shuttle.
"I'll never let you go Ariadne! You'll never escape me!" Khan bellowed
"You shouldn't have told him." Aria said as they ran to the front of the shuttle.
"I didn't." Till said punching in a new coordinate. Aria smiled and set her hand on his shoulder.
"Gabriel?" she asked.
"Yes love?"
"Don't call me love." She slammed a syringe into his neck and he instantly went down. Arias fingers danced across the shuttles coordinates sending them to the bridge for a flight pattern set up. She smiled as she grabbed a hold of his hand and dragged him out of the shuttle. She smiled as she looked to Khan.
"I sent the real coordinates up to the bridge… We can start planning what we're going to do tonight." Khan walked past her and grabbed a hold of Till instantly throwing him over his shoulder and carrying him off.
"I'll meet you on the bridge." He said and Aria wondered what she had done wrong.
-o-
Khan rode up the turbo lift. He had strapped the slumbering Till back down to his table and had left him in a dark abyss. The whole time his mind had been going to that moment in which Aria had willingly kissed Till back. He knew she had been acting but watching the passion that had moved from her to till hadn't seemed as such.
Then there were the moments in the shuttle bay. The way she had clung to Gabriel, and pleaded for Gabriel to save her. Or that way she had pleaded with him not to slit her throat open. She had been scared of him, he had convinced her so thoroughly that he was going to open her neck up right there that she had been frightened. He walked out onto the bridge and came to a stop seeing Aria standing beside the Captains chair. She instantly turned and looked to him with a soft expression.
"Khan?" she asked and he felt himself get carried towards her instantly. "Khan what is it?" his hands gripped onto her hips as his mouth crashed against hers. His eyes shut tightly before he pulled away. He was angry she could feel that.
"I can taste him…" he said his hand clutching her chin. "Can smell him on you."
"We only kissed."
"You didn't tell me you were going to kiss him." Khan said.
"He kissed me." His grip on her hips tightened as he pushed her roughly against a control panel.
"You didn't tell me you were going to kiss him back."
"I hated every minute of it."
"It didn't look like you hated every minute of it."
"I only want for you." She said. "I only ache for you. The second his mouth hit mine I wished it was yours… I pretended it was yours. It was the only way I could kiss him back as I did."
"You were scared of me." He said his hand going to her cheek which was bruised from where he had smacked her. He kissed it and she smiled softly.
"No."
"Yes." He said tilting her chin up as he looked over her neck where he had cut her. "I put the blade to your neck and you were frightened."
"It reminded me of what happened to me in the white room. I was frightened of my memories…" her eyes drifted closed as he kissed the cut on her neck. "Not of you." She said softly. "Never of you." He wrapped his arms around her and picked her up her legs wrapping around his waist as he carried her towards their living quarters. "Khan… The kids…"
"Galen is watching them…" He said as he laid her down on the bed. He went to remove her shirt and she took his hands in hers.
"My body hasn't bounced back…"
"You look beautiful…"
"You haven't seen me naked since the kids were born."
"But I'd like to…" He kissed her hands. "Let me worship you…" she took on a soft expression before slowly letting go of his hands. He instantly lifted the shirt from her body and took a deep breath as she was revealed. The second his hands touched her body she felt the connection build between them. She could feel his want mixing with her own and it was intoxicating.
It felt like forever since she had been touched like this. In truth it had been ages. Mostly due to her pregnancy. As Khans hands roamed over her body she felt heat ignite beneath her skin. Her body arched as she moved the shirt off his body her hands instantly coming in contact with the strong muscles across his chest. Khan quickly hiked up the skirt she'd been wearing and positioned himself between her legs. As he slowly pushed into her he sighed her name against her mouth. As he pushed deeper and deeper into her she let out the most glorious noise of ecstasy.
"It's been too long…" He said and she kissed him deeply telling him she agreed completely.
-o-
AN: Okay hey hi hello there. DON'T BE ANGRY WITH ME PLEASE! So the last chapter I posted I got sooo much hate for on PM's that it kind of shell shocked me. But I got over it. I've written four new chapters this being the first of those four. I'm really sorry I took such a long hiatus but I just wanted to make sure I write these chapter well, and that you guys are happy with it. I just want to do the story justice. I'm a little worried though that no one is reading this anymore.
Is anyone reading this still?
