I should probably put a trigger warning on this chapter but im not sure what to pit just. Heavy angst ahead. Alot of pain. Trauma. Etc.

Nyota was seething, still tied up, wrists burning from the constant friction straining against her bindings. "You don't like hearing the truth huh? How human of you." the words left her lips like venom dripping from a cobras teeth.

"How brave of you to continue on with this topic." The strange Vulcan didn't even spare her a glance as he spoke, cutting a lock of hair from Alex's head he turned on his heels walking to the other side of the room. Nyota watched him like a hawk, even the way he put on latex gloves was hateful, the material slapping back against his wrist with unnecessary aggression.

"What happens if the tests come back positive?... What if she is half human and half Vulcan?" Nyota asked becoming deathly still as she watched the man separated the blood sample he'd taken into six separate tubes, labeling each with scary precision. She didn't like the look he gave her after that, the raised brow and those hateful grey eyes, they were so cold and unfeeling it made her physically shiver as she maintained eye contact.

"I had previously planned to exterminate her. Though given time to meditate and think i came to the conclusion that that would be a far too quick form of punishment." He said matter of factly. Nyotas heart rate quickened as his intentions were finally brought out into the open. He wasn't to be messed with. He's far to unstable. He's a psychopath. "She will be marked, people will know her for what she is. I also wanted to make sure she was unable to breed, the surgery is one many doctors on this planet are familiar with it would have been simple. Perhaps after that i could return her to your ship, or leave her fend for herslef on a planet she doesn't know. But alas-" he sighed turning to look Nyota straight in the eye. "Jacobs convinced me she'd be much more useful and profitable being put to work, i could still perform the surgery of course, stop her from breeding which many would see as useful in a whore house. But leaving her the possibility to carry the child of a stranger in her belly seems a much better way of punishment than i could ever think of."

A tear streamed down her cheek as she looked at the face of her unconscious friend, nose bloodied and eye swollen with splashes of purple and red. She didn't ask for this. Nobody asks for this, this isn't fair. "You want them to rape her? You want to scar her and you- what is wrong with you?" her voice cracked as she looked over at him, an incomprehensible look on her face as her eyes scanned his features for any trace of humanity. "You won't get away with this."

"Oh but i already am. I'm running the tests as we speak, the last one could take a while you see." He flicked his finger towards a blank wall from his data padd and Nyota watched in bewilderment as face after face flashed up against the white wash wall one after the other, there profiles off to the side as there chromosomes were being overlaid and scanned against Alexs. "You see, i have access to the entire New Vulcan registry programme, which contains dna from every living Vulcan that survived the destruction of our home world."

"You hacked into that-"

"I did, but there's nothing they can do until my scan is complete. A simple array of subroutines to redirect them and any attacks they try to make are in place, thats if they even manage to find the data leak before i've finished. I've even narrowed the search down to entirely female Vulcans which cuts our search time down drastically. If this bares us no results i will have to take to searching the data records of the deceased." His tone never faltered or changed as he spoke, sounding as if this were just an everyday math problem that he was knuckling down to solve and not that of living things.

"How did you find out about her and Torin?" Nyota spoke keeping her voice level as she pushed down all the emotions that were threatening to spill over. I've got to keep a level head, i can have a breakdown when i'm back on the ship. I cant believe ive been dragged into this as a bonus for Jacobs, i shouldn't even be here! He doesn't want me im just collateral to him, son of a bitch. If he thinks for one second that im not something he needs to worry about hes wrong, he's took me from my station and he's going to hurt Alex. She's my first real close friend on the enterprise thats not Jim or Leonard or Spock or Male!

"He told me. I was stationed in Yorktown for a short while and had arranged to meet him for lunch. In essence he confessed to having thoughts of leaving his intended for this…" he scrunched his nose up in disgust at Alex before returning his attention to Nyota, not realising his emotional control was starting to waver the more he discussed his plans. "This human, this genetic travesty... He didn't mention her ears, or how they bared a striking resemblance to our own. But as soon as i made my distaste clear at his suggestion he became defensive. He told me that she was his Thyla, and no man nor Vulcan should speak against her in such a way to him in honor of the rarity of finding one's Thyla. He was stupid, his emotional control had failed him. He'd become obsessed with her." Lyras Spat in disgust before regaining his composure.

"He was in love." Nyota added, she knew she didn't know the full story behind Torin and Alex and had a gut feeling she knew more or less some of the things that may have occurred during their relationship, but at least she could safely tell Alex for certain that he had loved her. No matter what had happened he had definitely loved her. He thought she was his soul mate, his Thyla. I wonder what happened to make him leave.

"I told him if he did not leave her i would tell his family of his affair, he stated that his intended and his family would understand, since it was an arranged marriage she likely longed after someone else, that his family would not think any less of him or his chosen mate. So what could i do…" Lyras paced back and forth fingers woven together and a look of disinterest in his eyes.

"You threatened them… You threatened his family to make him leave?" Nyota was stunned, she didn't think even Alex was going to be able to take all of this in. "Then why come back for her? Why now, they've both moved on, they are both living their own lives. Why attack his ship?"

Lyras almost laughed. It was an unnerving sound almost like a snort. "Of course i threatened them, i also made it clear that if he bore any offspring with her then I'd be there when he least expected it, of course he didnt listen at first… but i was always keeping track of them after that day. If he hadn't had answered my question so honestly i would have never known. Of course Alex fell pregnant, i believe she kept this information to herself as she attempted to figure out what to do but alas-" Nyota could feel the fury rise in her chest as she started to shake. No. He couldn't.

"Don't say it." Came a quiet voice, Nyota watched Alex's slumped over figure began to shake in her seat. Her mess of hair covering her face from everyone in the room as her head hung lose on her shoulders. Everything was silent. Nyota looked over at her friend looking for something to say something to comfort but no words came. And then she heard it. The tiny plop of water hitting the ground. Her eyes fell down seeing the minuscule wet patch now on the floor. Before another fell and another, the pitter patter of tears falling deafening in the silence before Lyras remembered where he'd left off. Nyota ignored the man instead feeling her friends pain as she couldn't hold back the tears of her own. Not anymore. I'm so sorry Alex. I'm so so sorry.

"i poisoned her just enough to ensure the fetus wouldn't have the chance to grow. Torin had no idea of course but left soon after for fear of me hurting her."

"Why did you come back for me." Her voice shook as she spoke. But there's wasn't just tears of pain anymore and as she lifted her head Nyota saw it. There was black fury in her puffy red eyes even as the tears still streamed out of them. A suppressed anger in her tone that had been unlidded and was rising at a terrifying pace.

"Because after all these years, he tried to contact you again. But you weren't home, you were on the enterprise. What are you doing? Sit down at once." Lyras watched as she rocked herself forward onto her feet her eyes never leaving him as she stood back hunched as the chair came with her. A sinister smile crossed her features before she threw herself into the air backwards smashing the wooden chair into pieces. Maybe wood wasn't the best idea. Nyota thought as Alex scrambled to her feet, the look on her face didn't scare Nyota,but that was only because she understood it. It was the look of a mother at someone who'd hurt her baby. Alex stalked over as Lyras stood at the other end of the room, crouching down next to Nyota and untying her hands and feet in a timely fashion.

"Sit down now or i will sedate you."

Nyota turned to Alex angry tears streaming down her face as she saw the broken look on her friends face. "You listen here Alex, you get him, you get that bastard. And you don't stop until you can't lift your arms anymore, you don't ever stop." Nyotas bottom lip quivered as she saw her friends mask of anger crack and crumple infront of her as fresh tears filled her eyes. Putting her head against Nyotas she let out a sob. A heart retching sound for anyone that bore witness to it.

"He took my baby, all these years… i- i thought it was me, he took my baby away- Nyota- it wasn't his choice to make… it was mine. It was supposed to be mine!" Alex finished with croaky shout, Nyota couldn't speak as she sobbed alongside her friend, their foreheads pressed together and their tears making a pool on the ground. Grabbing Alex's hand she looked up through her tears into torn green eyes.

Squeezing her hand she swallowed hard, the amount of pain Nyota was in just hearing all of this come to light, the pain she felt for Alex must have been nothing compared to what Alex felt. "He's gunna pay for this sweetie, he's gunna pay. And we're gunna get home safe alright."

Alex nodded through watery eyes, sniffling as she stood up straight head snapping back up to where Lyras still stood. Then she was walking towards him, stalking towards him like a predator to prey and if he was scared he wasn't showing it. But he should have been scared. Fear and hate go hand in hand after all. Alex stopped in front of him staring him down without saying a word. Beeping to their right made both of them turn and stare as there was a green flashing on one of the monitors, then another one started beeping and another before the screen cast to the wall started screeching aswell and the word 'match' in huge letters filled the screen. Alex didnt care much for whoever it was that she'd matched with. Not right now at least. Turning back to him she smirked. Before launching herself at him wrapping herself around him like a koala bear, heels digging into his thighs as she wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, locking them into a choke hold as he slammed her into the wall to try and shake her off.

"This is for my baby."

She whispered into his ear before biting down on it, feeling the cartilage crunch as it gave way while his pained scream filled her ears. Nyota couldn't help the rather sinister smile that crossed her face. She wasn't a violent person by any means but if anyone deserved pain, it was him. And as she stood watching she couldn't help but feel some sort of pride, it wasn't much penance but hell Alex deserved some kind of revenge for what the sick bastard had done to her. The door burst open giving Nyota whiplash from where she was stood as she turned to see a group of armed guards rushing in clad all in black from head to toe, even their faces covered by balaclava. She turned to shout to Alex before one of them had shot at her, her shout cut short, her eyes locking with worried green orbs as she felt her knees give way and her world fade to black.

"It's weird that Torin knew straight away the guy we were looking for does nobody else think its weird? I mean that was before i even singled out that piece of audio from the video where that asshole said his name." Jim squinted at the control panel to the shuttle as he thought out loud. Thinking back to the way Torins face changed as soon as they said Alex had been kidnapped, he looked mortified even for a Vulcan. Lyras. That was the name of the guy behind all of this but he couldn't part with much more information than that. Which had pissed Leonard off to no end. God damn it Bones.

"He's always watching, i can't help you much more than giving you his name. And warning you, he is not stable, i believe he is behind the sabotage of my shuttle, for reasons which i cannot explain until he is in custody." Torin let out a controlled breath as he felt the man next to him rise out of his seat in anger.

"Now why can't you tell us any more than that? I thought you were supposed to care about her god damn it some help you've been-" Leonard ranted throwing his hands in the air with sneer.

"Of course i care for her, but the more information i part with the more i put my family at risk, you do not understand what he is capable of, you do not know why i had to leave!" Torins voice rose in volume as he rose from his seat, now on eye level with Doctor Mccoy as he squared up to the man the tips of their noses almost touching as Leonard ground his teeth together. He shouldn't be letting his emotions get the better of him but he really couldn't help it, he was sick of this shit, sick of all the secrets. "I left my Thyla to keep her safe, to keep them all safe. And years later he was still watching, and waiting."

Spock's eyes widened a fraction at the confession before he cleared his throat. "Torin you may return to your quarters, you will be informed when Doctor Reid is returned to the ship safety and Lyras is in custody." Spock spoke levely, watching Torins calm exterior immediately return as he backed down and took a step away from Leonard.

"I apologise Doctor Mccoy for speaking out of term, i understand this situation is not ideal, i wish i could be of more help. Commander, Captain." Torin nodded at each man before he left the room as gracefully as he'd entered it.

"Its not weird it's just annoying as hell, knowing this is all connected somehow but not knowing exactly how. All we know is that Alex is half Vulcan and the name of her mother. And that this guy doesn't like that possibility, but it doesn't sound like he suspected anything before now. He really does sound psychotic. Like he's been keeping tabs on them by the sounds of it." Leonard mumbled strapping himself into the shuttle making sure all his equipment was next to him. He looked around them taking in the rather odd sight as they were all dressed in civilian clothes, he was slightly dumbfounded that Jim had convinced Spock to wear jeans rather than trousers along with a plain black shirt and leather jacket. Honestly they all looked like they were in some sort of gang with how similar their outfits were and if the situation wasn't as dire as it was Leonard probably would have laughed. "You sure you'll be able to get a lock on Nyotas location Spock?" Leonard asked wearily, for once he just wanted things to be simple.

"Positive, ready when you are Captain."

"What does Thyla mean?" Jim asked as he was flicked switches getting the shuttle's engines running, voice innocently curious as he looked over in spock's direction.

"It is a Vulcan term which can mean one of three things; friend, brother, or lover. It can also mean all three things at once, finding one's Thyla is a rare thing some even consider it a myth. It is similar to the concept of soul mates to humans." Spock felt eyes boring into him from two sides but refused to turn around.

"So he did love her then." Leonard muttered to himself sat in the back of the shuttle, no louder than a whisper but pointed ears perked up and heard the confused tone of the ships doctor. Spock couldn't help feel sympathy for Torin whilst simultaneously feeling that he deserved to lose his Thyla, laying a hand on one's Thyla was an unspeakable un imaginable thing. Though his aggression was due to a medical issue and not lack of emotional control, Spock could not fully judge the situation and forced his mind to stay neutral.

"i believe he did, and in a way still does, However it would be illogical for him to try and rekindle a relationship with Doctor Reid that is anything more than a friendship." Spock finished making sure the thrusters were engaged as he activated the inner lights of the craft. Jim hummed beside him shaking his head lightly.

"Love makes you do stupid things Spock."

Leonard shook his head. "I don't think he's that much of an asshole Jim, just a guy who knows he had something good and he lost it." He breathed out as the shuttle sprang to life slowly pulling away from the ships docking bay.

The atmosphere was tense as they entered space heading towards the grey and orange planet below. Not because of the recent conversation, but the heavy weight in all three mens chests that they may indeed be too late to stop the unhinged Vulcan below. Leonard was worried, he had a sick feeling in his gut the closer they got to the planet and was trying to stop himself from overthinking all of the information he'd recently taken onboard. She's half Vulcan then. That's how she could get the gist of what i was thinking. But she's… she's 28. Her dad lied to her and continued lying to her… i know it was meant to keep her safe but? How? Look where that's got us now. What was he keeping her safe from? judgement? She's ended up hiding something her entire life despite believing she was human anyway? Why not bring her up to be proud of what she is. I cant get involved, it's a family matter i don't want to go antagonising anything right now. But why do i have the feeling this is the least of our worries. I hope they're together down there, god knows what would happen if they were seperated, we'd probably be dealing with a massacre.

A loud beeping interrupted Leonards line of thought as he looked around frantically alongside Jim for what the hell was making the noise. "The hell is that?" Leonard half shouted in annoyance. Better not be this damn shuttle falling apart.

"Captain if you press the yellow button to your right side, yes that one, it's a call from the ship." Spock spared Jim a quick glance before turning his eyes back to the controls in front of him.

"Hello?" Jim tested warily.

"Captain, im sorry about this but he insisted i call you i got the shuttles contact information from Mr Sulu." Chapels voice filled the small craft, the three men looking at each other in confusion.

"Chapel? What's wrong." Leonard couldn't help but sound worried, it wasn't often his head nurse sounded so shook up.

"Leo-Dr Mccoy, it's Torin, he's- i can't explain it precisely Sir he's unsteady on his feet and he keeps telling me he needs to speak with you all, he's holding his head like he's in pain, but the readings on the scanners don't make any sense." Christine stumbled over her words as she spoke in a rush to get them out.

"Give him the comm Chris, he's gunna be fine." Leonards voice was steady, falling straight back into cmo mode at the sound of his distressed staff. There was static as the comm was passed over and then a grunt.

"Doctor Mccoy? You're running out of time. You need to tell your commanding officers they're running out of time.- ahh-" Torins voice was strained as if he was teetering on the edge of control, sounding like a man trying to hold himself together after breaking a bone.

"What's going on? I don't understand." Leonard spared a glance at Spock who seemed to look over at him with a certain realisation in his eyes before turning back to his consoles without saying a word.

"Doctor Reid- she is in a great deal of pain- I, i cannot confirm if it is emotional or physical but with who we are dealing with-" there was a pause while he drew in ragged breath.

"How do you know she's in pain man you're not making any sense!" Leonard shouted in mild frustration as the planet continued to get bigger in the ships display.

"Vulcans have the ability to mind meld among themselves and most other species-"

"You share a bond with Dr Reid?" Spock finally spoke, he thought it best to assist in Torins explanation if they were to get the information they needed from him before landing.

"I did, many years ago. I-I believe due to our distance and the fact Alex is infact half Vulcan, that the link didn't break as it should have- it has just lay dormant, until now." It was strange hearing a Vulcan sound so tired, voice pained and gruff as if he'd just endured a beating. Jim's face had went stern as had Leonards in hope that what he was telling them was wrong.

"This is the first time that you have noticed the link was still present?" Spock spoke sternly.

"Yes, i had experienced a persistent ache when boarding your ship, however until now i had simply put it down to lack of meditation whilst stranded in space. But now, the link is open, i cannot block it. S-so much anger." the line fell silent for a solid thirty seconds before nurse Chapel picked up the comm once again.

"He's- he's passed out." Chapel sounded beyond ruffled up and Leonard could understand why, these weren't normal circumstances. Leonard watched Spock go rapid fire with a number of the ships controls as he replied feeling the ship jolt as their speed picked up, he gave Spock a wary glance as he spoke.

" He'll be fine Chris, just keep an eye on him make sure he's comfortable, and warm enough. I know this isn't something we usually deal with, make sure to let his wife know whats going on aswell, just tell her everything you've just heard him tell me okay, and tell her the rest will be explained when we get back with the asshole that stranded their ship."

"Yes sir." The line went dead and Leonard and Jim immediately turned to Spock with a panicked look on their faces.

"Spock wanna tell me why were now speeding through the planet's atmosphere?" Jim laughed nervously as the heat rose in the cabin.

"We are running out of time, if Torin is indeed unconscious it is a indicator that Alex's mind is close to breaking point." Spock actually sounded on edge which sent a shudder up Jims spine in the worst way possible.

"What?!" Leonard half shouted, lunging forward in his seat unintentionally.

"Wait what? how does someone's mind break?" Jims voice cracked slightly as the ship juddered, a frown forming on his face as he looked to Spock for answers.

"It takes a lot to break a mind. Even a humans mind can take a metaphorical beating. But Vulcans, we experience emotion more deeply than any other race, which is why we use logic rather than rely on emotion-"

"Spock." Leonard warned.

"What i'm trying to say doctor, is that emotion has the ability to overpower a Vulcan should they lose their control. Alex has not been taught these controls, she has went through life as a human with the intensity of emotions that a Vulcan possesses, only being able to put in place small controls of her own. A telepathic link allows these emotions no matter how jumbled or powerful to travel between two people. I believe, that for a mind link to be opened in such a violent way, coupled with the fact that Torin has lost consciousness, Doctor Reid is experiencing emotional pain at heights she never has before. For the mind link to open itself so violently in the first place after laying dormant for years…"

"Its a call for help." Jim whispered. His mouth setting in a thin line as guilt filled him from all of his previous thoughts about her not being as important as Nyota, just because she hadn't been with them as long. Despite this being entirely centred around her and Torin from the start and you still decided she wasn't as important as Nyota. Pull your head out of your ass Jim and save your crew. Both of them.

"But what could cause that amount of pain, she's a doctor, she's seen death. And if she's strong enough to deal with that even with heightened emotions she's far stronger than half the people on this ship." Leonard pointed aggressively at the planet they were just about to land on, his teeth bared in anger and confusion as his undying urge to protect and heal was not being filled. "And what was that about anger, he said something about anger towards the end." Leonards face scrunched up in confusion, not knowing made him angry. He hated being kept in the dark, especially when people's lives were in danger.

"Anger and pain…" Spock speculated but he was at an impasse. "I concur that we do not know Doctor Reid as well as we thought we did. Though, i have a feeling that Nyota may know everything we don't… We may need her to tell us what occured if Alex is unresponsive."

"What do you mean unresponsive?!" Leonard whispered aggressively as they all tore off their seatbelts and shoved their phasers in their jackets.

"She will need time to heal Leonard, the mind is a complex thing. She may not verbally communicate until she is ready… possibly never again if we do not get there on time."

"Well let's go, spock get that radiation reading up its all we have to go on right now for any idea of where they are, that and a whore house but my gut tells me we need to follow that signal." Jim's face was set in a stern grimace as they exited the shuttle as casually as they could, parked up alongside other shuttles in what seemed to be a huge yard specifically for that use as buildings surrounded them. They walked between the shuttles quietly the gravel beneath their boots crunching gently as Jim craned his neck looking into every shuttle they walked past on their way to the town. He stopped dead making Leonard walk into his back with a thud.

"Will you watch where youre going man-"

"Shh, this is it. This is what brought em down here. Were in the right place." Jim glared inside the side window of the craft noting the familiar layout and the very obvious rope strewn across the floor near the back of the ship seemingly coming off two thick beams of the shuttles main frame. Taking a glance Spock sighed.

"I believe you are correct Jim."

"Alright then let's go." Leonard muttered. Trudging out of the shuttle park onto a side path to this strange city. The sun was dim in the sky as it sunk lower casting long shadows against the sandy roads, there was no grass to be seen, no hints of green anywhere as the three of them continued down the road slyly following Spock's scanner as they walked. Leonard couldn't help but hate the sandy red roads and lack of greenery because the one thing he craved most at the moment was to find evergreen eyes that he'd became obsessed with, the lack of green made him tense, the lack of such a prominent and beautiful colour made his gut churn, he needed to find her, he was starting to go insane. They continued for a while roaming the strange winding streets, ducking into alleyways as the sun set until Spock stopped dead in a rather busy area, full of women and men and clubs and… they were in the red light district.

"We're in the red light district." Leonard muttered before frowning down at Spock's device, watching how the blip on its screen was now huge and directly inline with their current coordinates somehow.

"They're below us. We're close. But where do we go from here?" Spock looked up and scoped the area. His head turning toward the crowded strip full of clubs and drunks. "Where would he take them?" Spock spoke mostly to himself as he analysed the surrounding area meticulously.

Jim and Leonard turned around each taking in the visuals and picking them apart in a second, trying to decipher if anything seemed off or slightly out of place. A guard their, a dark alley with an underlit door here. Watchful eyes over there. Leonard felt the hairs in his neck prick up as he turned slowly looking down the alleyway to their right more thoroughly, it was on the same side of the street as all the clubs but it wasn't directly connected to them instead stopping pretty short as a dead end alley with a small building at the end of it, low roof, it didnt look like much, especially under cover of dusk. The building was practically falling apart as the allet continued to fall into shadow. Jim followed Leonards gaze as they both clocked the rather heavy looking iron door leading into the rather old looking building, its roof practically decaying by the second as the metal had turned to pure rust. But that's what made it even more suspicious. That and the light shining ever brighter as the sun sunk in the sky from underneath the heavy door. Turning to each other they shared a look before signalling Spock to follow. It was just the ideal cover, especially being so close to a noisy part of town.

Jim turned on Spock as an idea popped into his head, as all three if them crept down the alley towards the ever looming iron door. "Hey Spock how long does it take for a Vulcan to wake up from being stunned by a phaser?" Jim questioned offhandedly keeping his voice low and innocent.

"Approximately 1 and a half minutes Captain-" Spock's eyes went wide for a second as he felt electricity jolt through his body, looking down to see Jim looking up at him apologetically with his phaser pointed directly at him just before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he dropped. Thankfully Jim was expecting it and Leonard was fast on the ball as he Jumped to the vulcans side quickly throwing Spock's arm over his shoulder and wrapping his arm around the man's waist before hoisting him up, swearing profusely as he did so.

"I swear Jim you better have a damn good plan, and next time a little warning would be nice." Leonard cussed, frowning as they dragged Spocks rather hefty frame towards the door, Leonard finally noticing what Jim had noticed a yard back. The symbol on the door. The caduceus symbol was slap bang in the middle of the door its two snakes wrapping around one another gracefully as wings sprouted from its top. Earth's most common symbol for medicine and doctors proudly spreading throughout the universe into the furthest reaches of space. Great plan Jim. Jesus fucking christ.

As they got to the door Jim proceeded to pound on it aggressively. "Open up, c'mon guys i know you're in there! my friends been spiked nd he's passed out there's gotta be something you can do, he's not responding to anything." Jims voice shook as a mask fell over his face, his eyes going wide and his lip wobbling in fake panic. The shutter on the iron door opened and they were greeted with suspicious brown eyes as a man inside eyed the two of them then looked down to the slumped head of their friend as it lolled about on his shoulders.

"Any idea what it was, see anything in his drink?" A gruff voice greeted them as he tried to assess what drug had been used.

"By the time we came back to the bar there was a crowd around him nd he was laid blubbering on the floor, like he was trying to speak but nothing would fit together, does that make any sense?" Leonard frowned trying to sound like he didn't have the foggiest what had happened, yanking Spocks body further up into his grip for extra effect. "I just wish he wasn't such a hefty bastard, i knew we shouldn't have asked him to come out tonight." Leonard frowned over Jim who rolled his eyes in response.

"You can't just not invite a guy out just because one time he was sick on your shirt, it could have happened to anyone!" Jim quipped back, taking note as the guy behind the door rolled his eyes as they heard bolts being pulled back scraping against metal loudly.

"Alright alright bring him in, docs downstairs to the left just make sure you knock before you go in. Poor bastard needs to watch his damn drink people don't go easy with that shit you know?" The guy shook his head in sympathy before he shuttered the door behind them amd Jim nodded his head in agreement before shooting the guy at point blank rage with his phaser watching him drop like a sack of bricks. Quickly un arming the guy and checking his pockets for anything that could help them as Spock started to come around frowning at Mccoy as he came out of his disorientated state.

"Hey don't look at me like that i didn't know anything about it either before it happened." Leonard defended himself quickly removing his arm from around the man's waist as Jim pulled the guys balaclava off just to check, yea good he's human.

"Lucky for us Spock humans stay out for a solid 20 minutes to half an hour after being stunned, sorry by the way i'll warn you next time."

"That would be greatly appreciated." Spock spoke with a raised brow clearly judging Jims course of action but also appreciating the mans quick thinking and charisma at getting them into the facility so quickly.

"Doctors to the left, so we go right." Jim spoke in a hushed tone as the three of them started down the stairs quietly. Leonard could feep every part of his body tingling as they got further and further down the stairs before he felt Spock tense behind him coming to a complete standstill. Then he heard it. Screaming. Hoarse and desperate shouting. It was Nyota. As they rounded the corner they saw her down the corridor, right at the end there was two guards stood next to her as she hammered on a glass window screaming bloody murder, tears streaming down her face her voice cracking as she called out.

"Stop it, you've done enough! Can't you see you've done enough what more do you want! Please… please." Nyota slapped her hand against the glass one last time putting her head against it and sobbing. Something in Leonards gut twisted and Jim's gut was screaming at him as soon as he'd turned the corner and saw her there, as soon as he'd heard her strangled pleas he knew something awful was happening. A rage filled him along with the urge to protect before they all heard it. Nyota looking up fresh tears streaming out of her eyes as she looked at Alex from behind the glass, her petite frame caving slightly as her body shook, looking down at her feet she squeezed her eyes shut letting out a sobb.

Leonard stopped breathing. The words were heavy as the lyrics left quivering lips, voice shaking in between involuntary sobs as they raked through her body at the pain in her skull, as the song left her lips slowly, painfully falling from her lips like the blood from her head was falling to the ground.

Almost heaven

West Virginia

Blue ridge mountains

Shenandoah river

Life is old there

older than the trees

Younger than the mountains

blowing like a breeze

And that was when Leonard lost it completely. Pulling out his phaser he downed one of the guards, there was a steely look in his eyes as he watched the man fall to the ground, making Nyota jump as she turned, seeing the three of them heading towards her as the other guard turned to draw his own phaser.

Country roads

Nyota grabbed him by the wrist smacking his hand against the wall making him drop his phaser, raising his other hand, fist clenched as he swung it around. Nyota ducked just in time.

take me home

Another phaser shot from Leonard and the other guard was down. Nyota turned to him with red puffy eyes wrapping her arms around his neck in a bruising hug as he finally got to her knowing what he was about to see was going to hurt. And he was already hurting despite not knowing the half of it.

To the place- I belong

Leonard pulled Nyota close, hand raising to stroke her hair soothingly as he hugged her feeling her smaller frame shake as he looked up. He nearly choked. Glassy green eyes were staring hopelessly as the wall in front of her. Alex. Leonard felt something in him snap beyond repair.

West Virginia

There was blood everywhere. All over the floor, long clumps of red hair strewn over the white floor covered by an even coating of crimson. As some thing carved into the side of her freshly shaved head with a scalpel. He choked then, a sob coming from deep in his throat, he was overwhelmed. She didn't look like she was even there anymore, she was staring at nothing, she looked vacant, eyes streaming and red.

Mountain mamma

He joined Spock in kicking down the door, time slowing an ungodly amount as Lyras turned in his seat looking unphased, the smallest semblance of surprise crossed his face as he stood up from his seat. Before immediately being stunned by Jim. Leonard turned to his best friend. Jim looked mortified, he just stood staring at the lax form of the Vulcan on the floor, eyes damp with frustration, disbelief, and horror at what he'd done.

take me home

At some point after Nyota had ran in going to Alexs side instantly and at the 4th call of his name from Spock he eventually zoned back in.

"Leonard, we need to stop the bleeding, the cuts aren't deep but they will scar." Spock spoke with an unusual amount of pain in his voice as he joined Nyota at Alex's side propping the red haired woman up against his chest and holding her firmly against him, his eyes burning at the words carved into her skull, her singing continuing as if they weren't there. As if she wasn't being rescued, as if there was still no hope.

Country roads...

Leonard sprung into action as Jim secured the Vulcan on the floor, calling scotty to beam the six of them back onto the ship as Leonard pressed a clean towel against her head, the lump in his throat getting stuck as she didnt even wince at what should have been something extremely painful. Spock lifted her into his arms like she weighed nothing her hand instinctively coming up to rest against his chest. Eyes still vacant, it was like her mind wasn't with them but her body was registering she wasn't in pain anymore, that she was safe again. A hand came up to brush his face ever so tenderly, cautious and unsure, expression still unchanging as if her eyes didn't recognise or even see the familiar face.

Spock winced at the contact but he didn't pull away as he felt the intensity of the doctors emotional trauma slam into him like a tsunami. He would help her to the best of his ability when they returned to the ship. He felt a closeness to the doctor he hadn't felt before, they were one in the same after all, both caught between species, both judged. But he'd never dealt with anything to this extent before, maybe it was because she was more human than him, he did not know. But he did know the feeling that was building in his chest. It was rage. It was pain, he must protect. He would teach her all he knew.

"Spock?" her voice was small, as skittish as a mouse and something in Leonard chest pulled tight. She's never sounded like that- that's not Alex. What has he done to her, what has he done to her-

"I am here, We are here." Spock soothed, looking at Leonard expectantly and nodding at Nyota. Nyota placed a hand gently against Alex's arm squeezing lightly. Leonard tried to swallow but couldn't, the hand that wasn't holding the towel to her head coming up to stroke her cheek. Her eyes shifting slightly as each person made contact, their minds mildly grazing hers as they touched her bare skin.

"I'm not going anywhere." she whispered staring off somewhere between Leonard and Nyota, her eyes shifting but not seeing. But Leonard knew that was meant for him and he frowned, closing his eyes to will the tears back as he felt his eyes watering, he managed it. Just.

"We should avoid further physical contact with her unless necessary, her mind is in chaos, she is lost in grief. Over exposure to anyone brushing up against her mind may be enough to tip her over the edge, and we will not be the ones to break our doctors mind." Spock spoke with authority and Leonard and Nyota immediately removed their hands.

"How do you know she's grieving?" Leonard muttered eyes worried and wide as he looked up to spock with his furrowed brows as a single tear streamed from his eyes. Leonard felt a pang of hurt that he couldn't be there for her in the way that Spock or any other Vulcan could at this time, but he grounded himself on the fact he was going to be the one patching her up. He was going to look after her till she was herself again.

"I can feel it." Jim looked up at that, the crack in Spock's usual perfect mask was harrowing. He could see his first officers rage pushed back in the depths of his brown eyes along with the pain he was currently sharing with Alex as he held her firm, the transporter finally taking hold of their atoms as yellow light swirled around them. He snarled down at the Vulcan in cuffs on the ground next to him, pointing his phaser at his head, his hands shaking as he set the phaser to kill. He wanted to. But he couldn't. Changing it back to stun he looked down at the enemy with defeat. This didn't feel like a victory. Not at all.

Please review. Hope you liked this chapter took me a while to finally sort out but here it is i hope it reads well for you all. X