AN: I'm not gonna lie, I'm terrible when it comes to describing planetary missions XD So with that warning out of the way, I hope these next couple of chapters aren't too terrible.

Two

"This planet could be a real game changer on how the rest of the universe was created."

"Or it could end in disaster if you send an away team on some planet that no one knows a damned thing about."

"Have you not seen the energy readings? How are you not interested in the fact that they correspond with Coulson's energy levels?"

"Maybe because I have about a dozen other things that need to be taken care of first."

Kirk merely rose an eyebrow in amusement as McCoy stormed out of his room, looking more than irritated with their current conversation. He expected the grumpy doctor to react that way. Talking about Coulson's energy levels always seemed to piss the doctor off more than usual. Not that Kirk wasn't surprised with his protectiveness. After everything they had been through together, his reaction made sense. He knew Coulson would likely rise to the challenge as she had with everything else thrown her way. Her ability to see things through was something that he secretly admired, even if he didn't entirely trust her.

That was part of the reason he wanted her to join the away team when they explored a planet that was scanned a few days ago. The Federation was interested in Planet Narla because of it's close proximity between Earth and New Vulcan. It would mean providing colony space for those traveling between the two planets along with trading spaces. The problem was, so little was known about Planet Narla that an away team was needed to determine whether or not indigenous life-forms already claimed the planet.

This was easier said than done for the single reason that scanners hadn't picked up any life-forms. The information that came back to the scanners came back with negative reports. That alone hadn't warranted a search party to explore the planet. The truth was, the energy readings the planet gave off was the reason behind said exploration. Said energy readings were similar to Coulson's, so much so that it struck Kirk as odd.

He wanted her to join the away team because it would give them the opportunity to determine whether or not his theory was correct. There was no denying the fact that there would be dangers on the planet. Even through the scans that were finished they hadn't been able to determine what sort life claimed the surface. The only information they had was that the atmosphere was breathable without suits and that the water was poisonous to drink.

With that thought in mind, Kirk finally went to look for Coulson before McCoy complained to her first. Though if they were as close as Kirk suspected, then McCoy had already beaten him to it. He just hoped that she was more on board with the mission than McCoy. She had a tendency to jump at opportunities the doctor would otherwise pass as too dangerous or risky for others to take.

He wasn't surprised to find her in the simulation room. If she wasn't there then she would have likely been at the gym since she was off-duty. She and McCoy were disgustingly alike. Kirk knew that she preferred staying busy as a way of keeping herself distracted, though he couldn't quite blame her for feeling that way.

From what he gathered through her profile, she had always been that way even before she enlisted in Starfleet. After what she went through, her behavior made sense. So when he did find her running a gauntlet with the simulator, he wasn't too surprised. She didn't break a sweat as she took down one enemy after the other, though it looked as though she had also taken a hit or two in the process.

Kirk watched the scene in amusement, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the wall. Her movement bore a striking resemblance to that of a well-oiled machine. She had a grace to her that was unlike anything he'd ever seen before. Not for the first time, Kirk could see why McCoy was so enraptured with her.

She was beautiful… sure, she was scary as hell when she was pissed, but she was also beautiful. He flinched when one of the targets suddenly landed near him, colliding into the wall while disappearing into pixels. Coulson finally paused the simulation, raising an eyebrow after realizing he was watching her.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Captain?"

He drew in a sharp breath when the simulation was set to pause. Her expression was a stark contrast to the way she spoke. He knew she was gifted at hiding her emotions. The few times he had ever seen her display something other than the vague expression was whenever she was with McCoy. Not for the first time, guilt stabbed him in the chest as he recalled why she reacted this way around him.

"I'm assuming that this is what your training was like with SHIELD?" he tried cutting through the tense, awkward silence.

He wanted to make things right between them. After using her as an excuse to escape his own fate with the Council, he understood why she felt the way she did about him. She'd been hurt enough times in the past that he didn't need to make it worse. Kirk rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly when she eyed him suspiciously.

"I prefer sparring with an actual partner, but the simulation is somewhat close to what the agency had," she finally replied with a shrug. Surprise swept through Kirk when she dropped her demeanor, though only just. He could tell she was keeping her expression guarded around him, just enough that he couldn't tell what she was thinking or feeling. "If you're here to tell me about Planet Narla, you can save your breath. Leonard's already complained about it."

He couldn't hide the grin that followed when she rolled her eyes. Of course McCoy had already complained to her. He should have known better than to think that the doctor wouldn't take advantage of their telepathic bond. It was bad enough that she didn't trust him, he didn't want McCoy feeling the same way.

"I was hoping you could convince Bones to join us," he admitted sheepishly. Coulson rose an eyebrow in surprise as he let out a sigh of frustration. "I know he hates being involved with away teams, but this is an opportunity we can't pass. You've seen what those energy readings are like if he's talked to you about it."

Coulson's brows furrowed together with thought as she took his words into consideration. Kirk hoped that she would be more on board with the mission. Unlike McCoy, she saw all sides of the mission. He knew that in spite of her annoyance with him, she would accept the challenge. Or at least he hoped his instinct was right.

"I suppose I could try and talk Leonard into joining us," she said thoughtfully. Relief swept through Kirk the moment she said that, though he refused to let it show. He knew he wasn't out of the woods yet. She hadn't convinced McCoy just yet, and until then he hadn't played all his cards right. "Doesn't mean I have to enjoy being the instigator here."

"Wouldn't expect you to, Coulson," he reassured her with a cheeky grin.

He hoped that by going through with this plan, it would help restore the trust they had in each other. Otherwise the next four months were going to be hell for both of them.

.

.

"Remind me again why you think this is a good idea?" McCoy asked as they finished getting ready the next morning.

When Kirk first talked to her about the mission at hand, Emily hadn't put much thought into it at first. She'd seen the dossier for herself and knew that the planet was important to the Federation. Because of its close proximity between Earth and New Vulcan, the Federation wanted to establish a Starbase on the surface of Narla. She agreed with McCoy over the fact that too many other inhabited planets had already been changed because of Starbases. The one solution they had was to establish a Starbase on a planet that was allegedly uninhabited, though that was easier said than done.

"Because this is what we've been training for from day one," she replied without missing a beat. Emily smirked in amusement when he scowled at her, though it didn't last long. "Relax, Leonard. From what we've seen in the scans there's little to no threats on this planet. It's not going to be another incident like Delta Vega."

"I'm not worried about you, Darlin," McCoy reassured her with a kiss on the forehead. "I'm more concerned about Kirk dragging us into whatever mess he's making."

By now she was struggling not to laugh at Kirk's expense. After the mess revolving around Nero, she understood why McCoy was so worried. They were lucky they managed to escape with their lives intact. Then again, Kirk pulled off the same tactics his father would have used. Emily had seen what Kirk was like when he became a leader. As much as she hated to admit it, he was a good leader.

"It's almost as if you don't trust him, Leonard," she gave him a playful nudge once they were finished getting ready.

It hadn't taken long for them to change into their usual attire. Emily rose an eyebrow in amusement as she noticed just how different McCoy looked in his medical blues. She couldn't hide the sheepish smile that followed when he suddenly leaned forward and kissed her affectionately on the forehead once more. They agreed to keep things professional while on duty, though that was easier said than done when the crew was constantly teasing them.

"That dress is far too revealing for my liking," he snorted as they left their quarters.

Emily merely smirked in response. The dress wasn't her first choice in uniforms, but women weren't given that many accommodations. She planned on opting for the long-sleeved uniform whenever she could, but for missions like this the dress seemed more appropriate.

"I'm sure that if you wrote a letter of complaint to the Council, the first thing they would do is accommodate you," she retorted. She had to admit, she loved teasing the hell out of him whenever she could. "Besides, it's fun to watch you squirm."

McCoy just rolled his eyes in exasperation as they reached the transport room. Kirk was already waiting for them with Henderoff, two other security officers and Spock standing near the transport pads. Emily shared a knowing look with McCoy when she caught the way Kirk was watching them. The cheeky grin written across his face was just another reminder of how the crew handled their relationship.

"I'm glad to see that Coulson was able to convince Bones to join us," Kirk deadpanned while bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Henderoff, you owe me twenty units."

'Don't let him get to you,' Emily silently warned McCoy after hearing his thoughts raging against Kirk's response.

She knew Kirk was just finding a way to get under McCoy's skin. Unfortunately for him it didn't take much, especially when their relationship was involved.

"Spock, I'm leaving you in charge while we explore the planet," Kirk added to the first officer.

The half-Vulcan merely eyed the group before nodding in agreement. Kirk had already discussed matters with the away team before she and McCoy arrived. It seemed as though he'd guessed they would be late, though that was also for a good reason. It took some convincing on her part to drag McCoy with her, and even now he wasn't happy as the group gathered around the transport pads.

To her relief, Scotty's coordinates had been surprisingly accurate. The moment she recovered from the sudden disorientation of being placed from one room to an entirely new location, Emily blinked a few times to get her bearings. The security officers surrounding them were on high alert. Yet the moment she was able to grasp where they were, she realized with a start that the air was deathly still. No sound penetrated through the thick band of trees surrounding them, save for the trickling of a stream nearby. Emily grimaced when she realized that there was no signs of life, aside from the vegetation that surrounded them.

"Spock wasn't kidding when he said there's no life-signs on this planet," she said quietly.

"Well, that is if you don't count the plants," Kirk put in with a smirk. Emily rolled her eyes at his comment. She glanced in McCoy's direction, not missing the fact that his glare hadn't left her. "Why don't we split up and cover more ground? Henderoff, you and Kiale can go with Bones. Emily and I will go with O'Neil in that direction."

Henderoff gave a nod of understanding, but McCoy was less-than-happy with that suggestion. Splitting up would have been a dangerous plan… if there was any sign of life. As far as she could tell, there weren't even any creatures living on the planet. Not even the sound of birds or animals could be heard. Unease crawled through her at the realization that they were utterly alone on this planet… although it didn't exactly feel like they were alone.

"Dammit man, splitting up is the worst possible idea you could come up with!" McCoy all-but-complained the moment he had the chance.

"Bones, you're a doctor and if anything does happen, we'll just be a com-link away," Kirk reassured his friend.

'We'll be fine, Leonard,' she reassured McCoy silently. She shared a knowing look with McCoy, not missing the way his face softened when he realized what she was implying. She knew Kirk wouldn't get them killed purposely. He did care about his crew, in spite of what everyone thought. 'I'll be with you the whole way if that makes you feel better.'

'I guess that's better than nothing,' he admitted, though he didn't look any happier knowing what they were about to do.

She gave him a reassuring smile before she, Kirk and O'Neil went their separate ways. She felt reassured knowing that they could stay in touch with each other telepathically. The bond they shared came in handy when they were apart at the Academy. Though there had been a few instances when she had to keep the link between them closed, she kept it open most of the time. This time around she kept it open knowing just how uncomfortable he was.

"You and Bones seem to be handling each other pretty well," Kirk started when he fell in beside her.

It wasn't easy navigating through the dense undergrowth. Emily supposed the only consolation they had was that the atmosphere was breathable. She checked her scanner for a second time to see if there was any drinkable water, but it seemed as though the nearby streams had been poisoned. She frowned at the notion. After hearing about how other people in the past tried claiming the planet as their own, she was beginning to wonder why they never succeeded. It was clear there were hidden secrets under the dense foliage they had yet to discover.

"If that's your attempt at making amends with me, then you're doing a pretty poor job," she retorted. Kirk rose an eyebrow in amusement while O'Neil pushed ahead. "Is that why you wanted me to join the away team?"

"To be honest I wasn't the one who recommended it," Kirk admitted. "Admiral Pike thought it would be a good idea for you to join us since the energy readings seem so similar to your own."

Emily sucked in a heavy breath as she understood what he was implying. When she saw that the readings were similar to her own and the Tesseract, she knew there had to be a connection. She wasn't sure what the connection was, but she had a feeling it wasn't anything good.

"So the Admiral thought it was a good idea to drag me into unknown territory because he had a gut feeling," she guessed.

"Something along those lines," Kirk nodded in response. Emily resisted the urge to roll her eyes when he smirked at her. "But in all reality, it also gives me the chance to see Bones squirm." She was ready to punch him in the arm when she thought better of it. In any normal setting it would have been largely ignored. But he was her superior officer, as much as she hated to admit it. Showing signs of aggravation would only lead to trouble on her part. "Actually, I was hoping that we could start over again… I know I'll never be able to take back what was said at my trials, but I want to make up for it somehow."

Her face softened when she noticed he was being sincere. Unlike his jab at McCoy, it was clear he did feel guilty for putting her in an uncomfortable position. She swallowed hard, suddenly unsure of what to say.

She understood why he reacted the way he had when he read her profile history. She was surprised that McCoy had accepted it so easily. Then again, he was also warned ahead of time by Coulson. Coulson had taken advantage of the fact that McCoy also felt so guilty for what happened between them, and there were times when she wished he hadn't.

"Jim, I never said that I was angry with you," she reminded him. Kirk gave her a look of surprise. "Doesn't mean I don't trust you, but I have forgiven you."

Kirk's brows furrowed together with disbelief. He hadn't realized until then that it was that easy for her to forgive others. She'd learned the hard way not to hold on to a grudge. Trust, on the other hand, was a different story. She couldn't bring herself to trust him the way she had at the Academy. It would take more than words of encouragement for her to fully trust him again, and even that might not be enough.

"So… what's it going to take for you to trust me again?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"I'm not sure," she admitted guiltily. She didn't want him to feel put out, especially since he was her Captain. Truthfully, she had begun to see different sides of Kirk since he took the helm. Yet there was still that mischievous side of him that would always linger. "Maybe you could tell me why you aren't so close to your mother."

He stiffened at the mention of Winona Kirk. Throughout their wandering of the dense forest, Emily hadn't taken her eyes off of the thick terrain. They talked to pass the time and cut through the awkward silence. It was eerily quiet around them; the wind appeared to be the only sound cutting through the branches of trees that towered above them. She used the sound as a distraction while waiting for Kirk's response.

"You want the long answer or a short answer?" he finally replied, though his response was more like a question than an answer. Emily glanced at him warily, not missing how uncomfortable he was with the topic. "Mom's proud of me for what I accomplished, but it wasn't always that way… she was usually off planet most of the time once I was old enough to care for myself, and she left my Uncle Frank to babysit myself and my older brother, Sam."

"Your parents mentioned having an older son," she said thoughtfully.

"Sam left when he was twelve," Kirk explained warily. "Said he couldn't take much more of Uncle Frank's shit and left without another word. Even now we don't talk about it. Only thing I do know is that he went to medical school to train as a doctor, because he wanted to get as far from us as he could."

Her heart broke at the thought of going through something like that. There had been little ticks and responses that told her something else was going on with Kirk. She could tell he was a victim of abuse just from the way he acted at the Academy. She hadn't realized until then how far that abuse went.

"I'm assuming that's why you don't like doctors?" she guessed.

"Actually, that's a whole different can of worms," he let out a light laugh, though she could tell he wasn't comfortable with the topic. "I'm sure Bones talked to you about some of my horrendous allergy reports."

"Technically that would go against your HIPPA rights; Leonard's pretty strict about maintaining that code," she smirked in amusement. "But he has complained about your terrible immune system."

Kirk just rolled his eyes as they continued pushing their way through the undergrowth. Emily didn't miss the fact that O'Neil had given them enough room and time to talk. She was grateful for the fact; she knew Kirk wouldn't have been so open if the other officer was with them. Still, that didn't stop her from keeping her guard up. Even if there was a lack of life on the surface of Narla, that didn't stop her from being overly cautious.

"Right, that might be a story for another time," he suddenly brushed it off.

Emily rose an eyebrow and was ready to say something when she caught what he was looking at.

Her heart nearly skipped a beat when she saw a large opening in the vast expanse of forest. O'Neil was already getting a reading of the clearing, frowning when he caught something on the radar that shouldn't have been there. She and Kirk reached their fellow crew member, suddenly feeling a sense of foreboding as she noticed mounds protruding the undergrowth. Emily shared an uneasy look with Kirk. She could tell that he was on edge as well, though for a different reason.

"They appear to be burial grounds, Captain," O'Neil informed them.

She wasn't sure what to say as she and Kirk approached the site warily. She couldn't shake off the feeling that the site was sacred for some reason. Though that wasn't what really caught her attention. What grabbed her attention was the large, crumbling structure that stood in front of them. Kirk's jaw practically dropped when he saw the structure for himself.

"Indiana Jones anyone?" he quipped, earning a nudge from Emily.

"Something tells me this isn't quite as simple as that," she rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Should we tell the others to meet up here?"

"Given the fact that this is likely a sacred place, it might be wiser to set up camp somewhere along the outskirts," O'Neil warned.

Emily shared a knowing look with Kirk. One nod was all it took for them to decide they needed to explore the structure. She knew there was something about that structure that put her on edge, and something told her there was a greater connection than she realized.