Author's Note: Three Years Later
"I'd say you should have covered your tracks better," Harry remarked as he fell into step beside Jim and Bones, "but since you did the impossible, it doesn't really matter."
"You do the impossible all the time in your flight simulations," the blonde retorted.
"Only highly improbable," he corrected. "If it was impossible, I would be able to do it," he finished as they settled among the crowd waiting for their assigned station.
"He didn't say my name," Jim retorted as the list came to an end.
Harry and Bones remained behind, heard the blonde being told me was grounded. Harry gave the doctor a look. "All right," he sighed. "Go on," he urged. His companion grinned before loping toward the Enterprise.
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Jim and Sulu landed on the transport pad with a thud. "Thanks," Sulu gasped.
"No problem," he retorted.
Harry was before the pad in a second. "You okay?" he asked holding out a hand to the pair to help them both to their feet.
"Clear the pad," Spock ordered.
As Harry pulled both men to their feet, he gracefully stepped onto the pad himself. "I'm going with you."
"Harry-" Jim began.
The brunet shot him a look before focussing on the acting captain. "I won't slow you down."
"He won't," Jim agreed.
The Vulcan nodded and crouched. "Energise."
As Spock picked his way in a careful but swift path toward the Katric Ark, Harry easily kept pace. He followed the half-Vulcan, and hung back as he made his announcement. He waited until Spock grabbed his mother's hand, and followed the pair, deftly avoiding falling debris and leading those following to do the same.
Spock and his mother moved close to the edge of the outcropping to allow everyone outside enough room to be within transport range, and Harry placed himself behind Spock's mother.
'Stay where you are.'
The ground rumbled ominously. Harry's hands shot out, tugging Spock's mother's weight against his braced form a split-second before the rock shelf broke and fell into the crevasse. He tightened his grip in the seconds before they transported.
They materialised and Spock met Harry's gaze. "Thank you."
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"I will not allow us to go backwards!" Jim declared. Harry placed a restraining hand on Bones' arm. He glanced at the slighter brunet as Spock ordered security to escort Jim out. They shared a look and the doctor nodded slightly. Both watched the ensuing fight and Spock overpower the blonde with a touch.
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"Ca-Harry," Spock corrected himself as he found the slighter brunet alone.
"You're not going to thank me, are you?" he asked, glancing up from his monitor briefly before tapping a couple of commands. "Because you already have."
"No, I believe once was enough to convey the sentiment," he stated, watching the human curiously until he finished and turned toward him.
"Yes?" he asked, his lips quirked upward.
"There is a matter I wish to discuss with you."
He bit back his immediate response. "Yes?" he prompted.
"I have spoken with the council, and they confirmed what I suspected; you saved more than one of them from death by avoiding falling debris, just as you grabbed my mother before the ground shifted." Harry licked his lips. "And I saw you stop Dr McCoy from interfering on Jim's behalf on the bridge, after which Jim returned with Mr Scott and the information needed to defeat Nero." Harry opened then closed his mouth. Spock's hand shot out and Harry shifted to avoid it automatically. "Fascinating."
"I could have see-"
"Vulcans are able to move faster than the human eye can track," Spock interrupted. "You did not see my movement. Please explain," he requested.
"It won't make sense to your logical mind."
"Indulge me."
"I have instincts," he stated, tapping several buttons on his console. "I listen to them." He took a step away before he turned back, scraping his teeth over his bottom lip. He blew out a breath. "Spock, if you're not intending to have an emotional and physical relationship with Uhura, you'll need to talk to her, because that's where she thinks you're headed."
"How do you know?"
"The way she looks at you."
"I will take it under advisement."
