Crossover time! In which Severus Snape ends up in the future and as a civilian member of the crew of the USS Enterprise. He is part of the landing party in the Omega Glory episode. This is the aftermath of that and what caring can do to change someone for the better.

Severus Snape stood stiffly and watched as captain Ronald Tracey was taken into custody the moment he was back on board the Enterprise. Severus was no longer clad in his trademark black robes of his past life. Rather he was clad in a simple green and brown tunic with brown trousers bloused over brown boots. His long black hair was tied back from his face and though he did not show it he was in pain.

The reason for that was the fact that he had disobeyed a direct order from Kirk and tried to gain access to a communicator to raise the Enterprise after captain Tracey had illegally held them prisoner on Omega IV. He had attacked and fought with Tracey which got the former sane captain (and Severus had met him before when he was much nicer) to order his punishment. Ten lashes, which were nothing to Severus as he had felt far worse. He thought back to the time he had just had and honestly was not pleased with what happened, or himself.

He had been on Omega IV with the landing party, he helped McCoy in finding out what had happened to the crew of the Exeter and if they were next due to the sickness or virus that had killed the whole Exeter crew. Captain Tracey was there and things went badly from there on out. They were taken prisoner and Kirk and Spock were locked in a cell. Severus was working with McCoy and was under guard. The last order from Kirk was to do stay put, but he could not just sit there. Something a Kohm guard said got him to hatch a plan, a communicator, that was all he needed.

It was not a good plan, he slipped out and managed to get a short way away before the Kohms spotted him. He managed to take down a couple but then Tracey was on him and he was knocked down quickly. Tracey was furious and let his men rough Severus up, then he was drug to a small square where two poles stood pounded into the hard ground. Severus knew what was about to happen and he glared at Tracey, he knew nothing he said would stop this. He wondered why he was not being killed outright. He refused to move even when a Kohm stood with a whip in hand.

What was worse is this was so unlike the captain Tracey he knew, a man who spoke up for him along with Kirk. What had happened to that sane, strict but caring captain? The captain Tracey he knew was nothing like this cold and violent man before him. It was as if an imposter had taken over Tracey and replaced him with a tyrant who would do anything to keep power. Severus mentally mourned what the man had become but was still angry at what was going on. He did have a right to be after all.

"You wonder why I do not kill you Severus Snape?" Tracey said, "you are useful, but you will learn not to try to escape again."

"I could force you to kill me." Severus said.

"I don't want you dead," Tracey said phaser in hand, "I will stun you instead."

"You killed one of our party."

"Not really what I wanted to do, now, you will pay for your escape, send a message to the others." Tracey said, "remove your shirt, now."

Severus did, all the while glaring angrily at Tracey. He knew this would hurt but there were curses far worse than this. He threw off his tunic then shirt and spat on the ground in contempt. He was bound and the order was given, ten lashes, Severus would not cry out, and indeed he did not. Even the Kohms were impressed at this, but Severus had a high pain tolerance and so this was not even close to the pain he had endured under Voldemort. The unjust punishment was over and he was able to walk, under his own power. Tracey had him brought to his private rooms and forced to kneel while he had dinner. This was child's play to Severus, this was not torture to one such as him.

"In time you will see I am not that bad, I could have had worse done to you, as you know, but we are stuck here and will need to work together." Tracey said.

"Just another dark lord." Severus muttered.

"You would think that, I lost everything, everything! I will rule here as I should, I can never leave and neither can you." Tracey said, "you might as well work with me."

"Why?"

"I can and will kill the others if you don't."

"You never were like this before, where is the real captain Tracey?"

"He died with his crew." Tracey replied.

Severus wanted to say something but things had happened in a blur after that, there were sounds of fighting outside and Tracey left. Two Yangs entered the room but on seeing him beaten and bound they actually left him where he was, with one guard over him. He was unbound and one gave him something that turned out to be a painkiller. Severus had managed to dress and in a few hours Kirk was free and they were headed back to the ship.

Now he was just wanting his bunk to sleep off this horrible time, yet Kirk was not finished with him, not by a long shot. He had to process how a man who had vouched for him could turn so far from everything he believed and stood for. Severus started to walk to the door but Kirk was having none of that.

"Stay Snape." Kirk said, "we need to talk."

"Sir?" Severus said turning around.

"You deliberately disobeyed my direct order." Kirk said, "I vouched for you with Starfleet."

"Sir I felt I could…"

"It is not up to you to decide to go off on your own! You could have got killed!"

"I was willing to take that risk." Severus said, an unwise thing to say.

"I was not." Kirk said, "I lost one man on that mission, and you because of your actions nearly made that two! What if Tracey had decided to kill you instead?"

"He did not, and I…"

"Don't you have any self worth?" Kirk said, "any idea that you matter?"

"With all due respect sir, I never did matter in my own time and I hardly see that I am anything but expendable here." Severus said.

There were crew here who heard that and knew Kirk was going to be very, very upset. They respected their captain as he cared very much about his crew, he mourned when he lost any crew member like they were his own children. He was unorthodox as well, he liked to lead away teams himself, he was not a leader that led from the comfort of his command chair. He would put himself in danger to explore and was deeply respected. They knew he was not going to put up with any of the crew, Starfleet or civilian (the Enterprise had twenty civilian employees) acting in the manner that Severus was now. Kirk went very quiet for a moment and it was clear he was doing his best to hold his temper. Finally when he spoke he made sure he was loud enough for everyone to hear but not really yelling.

"Mr. Snape, you matter to me, you are part of my crew. Think man! Why would I have spoke up for you with Starfleet, why would I have you here working with the science division and going on away teams if you did not matter?"

"You know my past."

"I would not have you here if I did not believe you were a good person." Kirk countered. "That you mattered! So if you ever, and I mean ever disobey a direct order such as I gave you, you will spend time in the brig. Now, you are to head to sickbay and have McCoy tend to you, then you are confined to quarters for two days."

"Yes sir." Severus said.

"Oh and since you were a professor you will write lines, one hundred of 'I matter and am worth life', understood?"

"Yes captain." Snape replied.

Severus walked away with Spock who had stayed for the whole dressing down and was led to sickbay. Severus had a warm feeling inside, oh yes Albus had been kind to him but he never outright said he mattered. Never once and here Kirk had said that, he had read of his past what he did in the last wizard war against Voldemort. He had him rescued from that dark cave he woke in had him healed and then he had petitioned to allow him to stay on his ship to heal and be part of his crew. Others too had acted in his behalf, the sane Tracey being one of them. But he did not care like Kirk did. Severus nearly had blown it, Kirk was right, he should have obeyed him.

"I was a fool." Severus said, "I should have listened to the captain."

"Yes, you should have, he cares, a very human trait but a logical one in this instance." Spock said, "he invested time and medical care into you, therefor he would wish to not loose you, you are very good at recognizing plants and such that can be used for medicines and you have used what you call your potions knowledge to great use."

"Thank you." Severus said, "for caring as well."

"Vulcans do not care." Spock said.

"No they just value assets." Severus shot back.

The turbolift dropped them in sickbay and Severus was led to a bed. Nurse Chapel was there and Severus mentally sighed, she was really going to fuss over him. He was not that badly hurt, he had worse after all but he knew the routine and so took off his tunic and the brown shirt under it. His back was covered in deep gashes and bruises. Before he was whipped he had lost a fight to Tracey, it was not even a contest, Severus could box but Tracey was a master of mix-martial arts. He had dropped Severus in a matter of seconds, taking out a knee. The Kohms had got in a few hits of their own.

"Well, you certainly know how to keep us busy." McCoy said.

"I assure you it is not as painful as it looks," Severus replied.

"We can have you fixed up quickly." Chapel said.

Severus lay on his stomach and let them get to work, soon all pain was gone from his back, something even magic was not as quick at. He was healed quickly and felt far better. McCoy gave him a hypo-spray and sent him to his quarters. Once there Severus showered and changed to sleep pants and lay on his bunk. He was thinking, here he was wanted for himself, not as a spy, or potions master, but for himself. He had been allowed to chose what he wanted to do and was accepted for that. He did like the fact that Kirk cared about him. He vowed to do better in the future, he looked at his left arm where the shadow of the evil mark he had taken was gone, he could have left the arm bare but instead he had a tattoo of a cross there. He fell asleep and had no nightmares at all.

When Snape was allowed out of quarters it was to bad news. It seemed Tracey had not got down to the planet unscathed. The virus had managed to damage his brain, there was no cure and it was why he acted so far outside his character. Severus remembered him before and remembered he was much like Kirk, a good man who loved his crew. McCoy had given him medication to help stabilize him and he had asked for Severus as he lay restrained in sickbay. Severus came and saw a man in the last stages of life, he knew Tracey was dying and would not be with them much longer. He looked sad, and Severus knew what happened was not really his fault.

"Captain how are you?" Severus asked.

"Dying, hell of a way to go out, loose all my crew and broke the prime directive while I was at it, don't know what I was thinking." Tracey replied.

"Your mind is breaking down" McCoy said, "you have hours, I am sorry."

"For what it is worth all charges have been dropped." Kirk said entering the room, "the official story is that you were held captive by the natives who were involved in a brutal civil war."

"You don't need to do that for me Jim." Tracey said, "I killed one of your crew and unjustly hurt another."

"I have had worse." Severus said, "it was nothing."

"Nothing!" Tracey said, "Kirk you need to kick his ass if he keeps saying that, I mean it."

"What will happened to the Exeter?" Severus asked.

"She will be taken and reworked and given and new crew and captain." Kirk replied.

"Good, she was, is a good ship," Tracey said, "Severus, I am sorry what I had done to you, it was wrong of me."

"I accept your apology." Severus said, "I am sorry you are dying."

"Blunt but yes, thank you." Tracey said.

Tracey died two hours later and Severus did feel badly for him. He had not been in his right mind when he did what he did. He was to be taken back to his native Ohio and there buried with his family. Severus stayed on board the Enterprise, he had no desire to visit earth or Hogwarts. Not now, he knew Hogwarts was still running and was a very good school that had got rid of the house system and replaced it with a mentor program attached to the founders. He had many memories of Hogwarts, some good, many bad. Kirk knew the best thing for him and took him to meet his family and stay a few days on his parents farm. He was adopted at once by the Kirks and found true family at last.

The years and decades passed, everyone around Severus got older, and in Kirk's case rounder in the middle. Severus knew the instant he woke up in the cave alive that he was going to live a very long time. He stayed on the Enterprise, and when she was lost went on to the Enterprise A. Now he stood on the deck of the Enterprise B knowing what he had to do. Kirk had given him a chance at a long life and he was family. Kirk was going to survive this time and Severus, well who knew where he would end up? This was not the end for him as he stepped on the deck to seal the haul (Scotty had taught him a few tricks). Then he vanished from Kirk's time.

By doing this he would change time, Kirk ended up marrying he married a Fern Potter, a pretty woman with long red hair and green eyes of the magical Potter family. He sent his children to a magical school in Iowa and one of his three children, Robert, Thane and Heather joined Starfleet. Heather Kirk was as good a captain as her father had been and she was able to make first contact with the Bajorian peoples. This would change the course of history and the Cardassians would not get a chance to enslave Bajor, though they did help start the dominion decades earlier and caused the Romulans to form a tentative alliance with the Federation and the Klingons. There was still a Cardassian Empire, though smaller and there were still Marquis.

As for Severus, it was he not Kirk who met Picard and he who helped destroy Soran and sealed off the Nexus from the known universe. Severus was injured but recovered and was rescued along with captain Picard and his crew. A new adventure waited Severus and though he did miss his old live terribly, he was looking forward to a new life with a new crew, or whatever was in store for him next.

Ronald Tracey lost his mind in Omega Glory. He was not a bad guy and I do hope I explained how that could have happened. I wanted to show he did not escape unscathed at all and was in fact dying. Oh and yes, Kirk is very much in character, he has got upset at Spock before for going off on his own, and he would on Severus for his attitude as well.