Chapter 2: Those Three Words

Disclaimer: Gene Roddenberry is the genius behind Star Trek, and J. J. Abrams brought us Star Trek: Into Darkness. This chapter is inspired by the song "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol.

Warning: Mentions of past abuse/rape and violence.

The rest of this story may seem a bit OOC according to canon, but don't worry, it's supposed to be. Happy ending, remember?

We'll do it all
Everything
On our own

Kirk suddenly felt the need to be nervous once he realized he would finally get to meet Khan's crew. As Khan guided the small shuttle to the asteroid hiding the Vengeance, the former captain wondered what the future would entail. Would Khan's crew even like him? Would he still be a slave, or would Khan finally treat him as an equal now that they were both free of the market?

"What's wrong?" Riley asked him, keeping her voice low.

"It's just…" Kirk began, trying to find the right words.

"You didn't plan this far?" she finished for him with a rueful smile. "Hey, I didn't either. I never expected to last this long in the first place."

To distract himself from the inevitable, he clung to her words and dared to ask the one thing that was always on his mind whenever she was around. "So how did you survive? Why did you keep getting passed around from one owner to the next?"

He only realized it was rude, and probably triggering, after the words left his mouth. But she didn't flinch, nearly blinked.

"I was a pet of the committee members. They took turns owning me. When I first got here, the owner took me for himself as some sort of victory over Starfleet." She answered, snorting to show how she viewed that 'victory' over the Federation who didn't even know what was happening to her. "You know, sometimes I wished they would've sent a message to Starfleet. Let them know what was happening, that they were out there. But they're too smart for that. No one will know about this place."

Kirk wanted to say that she was wrong. He wanted to tell her how he was going to make sure Starfleet knew, but as he glanced at Khan sitting in the cockpit, he knew that was a lie. He wouldn't be the one to tell the Federation, because he already made a promise.

Khan glanced back at him, and the pet knew his master had overheard the entire conversation. Riley probably knew it too.

We don't need
Anything
Or anyone

Once they reached the spaceship, Khan began preparations to leave, inputting coordinates and starting up the ship's systems. Kirk and Riley stood on the bridge, awkward and stiff, waiting for a command.

"Go find her a room and get her settled." Khan turned to Kirk, but barely even looked at him. He was so focused on his crew, who were so close now, nearly within his grasp, that his pet was now only an afterthought. Kirk took a deep breath and nodded, ushering Riley into the lift. He knew Khan would be in the bay, awakening his crew.

The pair of humans wandered down the halls, searching for a suitable home. There were officer's quarters, crew's quarters, and finally what appeared to be guest quarters. Riley didn't care which room she got, so they entered the first one they found.

She glanced around briefly before nodding. "This is fine." She muttered, stepping further inside.

Kirk watched as she walked around the room, surveying the area as if she never encountered something like this before. Being on the ship gave him an odd sense of déjà vu that he couldn't quite place. He blocked any thoughts about the Enterprise from his mind, and blatantly ignored any memories of his last time on this ship.

If he was honest with himself, being on the ship felt like he was finally home. It was odd, how familiar yet wholly foreign it felt to be on a ship once again. It was so sudden, leaving Khan's home on the alien planet, storming the slave trade, and jettisoning off into space. His mind wasn't finished absorbing it all, but he knew at some point he would have to sit down and thoroughly measure how he felt about this new environment. He could tell Riley felt the same.

"How long has it been since you were on a ship?" he whispered before catching himself.

She looked up at him, silent for a moment. "I told you, I lost count." She answered. He nodded, completely unprepared for what she said next. "So tell me, have you?"

Feigning ignorance, he cleared his throat and blinked. "Have I what?"

"Lost count."

Of course that's what she was asking. The truth was that he had no idea how long he'd been a slave, how long he was Khan's captive. There wasn't much of an opportunity to track time once it was lost. The alien planet didn't note the passage of years like on Earth. There were no months, weeks, or even days.

"Yeah." He finally answered her. "I have no idea how many years it's been, how old I am, or even what day it is."

"Don't say I didn't warn you." She said with a dry laugh. "But that's all over now, I guess. Unless we're still slaves, just with a new set of masters."

"To be honest…I'm not quite sure about that either. It's not like we discussed it or anything." Kirk said, sitting down next to her on the bed. He found it easy to talk with her, even though they never interacted before meeting on the alien planet. The fact that she was from Starfleet, that she was put into the same situation as he was, that they were equals, made it so much easier to share his thoughts and feelings.

"I guess I was already a slave by the time Admiral Marcus woke him up and all that happened, but I remember hearing about it. They kept mentioning 'The Dark One' and all these other titles they gave him, saying how savage he was—for a genetically modified human. And then he was here, on the committee, running the market, selling slaves like the rest of them." Riley told him. "I know you fought against him, and I won't ask why things are different between you now, but I don't trust him like you do. From what I've heard and seen with my own eyes, he's ruthless, cunning, and always has a plan, even when you think he doesn't. Hell, those committee members certainly didn't expect him to go ape shit and kill them all. If they did, they would have made him a slave like the rest."

"I highly doubt anyone would be able to make him into a pet." Kirk snorted.

"You'd be surprised. Some of these creatures that come through…they're truly monsters, the stuff of nightmares. Things that make Khan look like a soft kitten."

Kirk couldn't believe it, but he knew there was truth behind her words. Still, he couldn't imagine Khan as a slave.

"You should go to him." Riley said after a long while.

He glanced at her, measuring her expression, before nodding. Standing, he took a deep breath, clenching and unclenching his hands. She gave a small, amused smile at his stalling, and then he left her alone.

I don't quite know
How to say
How I feel

Kirk made his way with a purpose, not really thinking about what he would say or do, only that Khan might want him there. Or he might not. Hovering just outside the door to the bay where the crew was transported, he paced back and forth, trying to decide what to do. Did Khan even want him there? Was he just using him this whole time?

When he finally stepped forward, hearing the familiar whoosh of the doors opening, it was as if Khan had been waiting for him this whole time. He was standing near one of the cryotubes, facing the doorway, immediately locking eyes with Kirk as he entered. The former captain paused, stopping mid-stride. It didn't register at first, but soon he realized that most of Khan's crew were standing behind him, and they were all looking at him. A few were still waking up, still adjusting to everything around them, but most were already prepared for their duties, as if waking only from a small nap.

"Kirk, this is my crew, my family." Khan spoke to him softly, taking a few steps forward. "I want you all to meet the person who has given me comfort while I waited for your return." He said to the crew behind him. Kirk opened his mouth, but quickly closed it after realizing he didn't have the words.

Those three words
Are said too much
They're not enough

Khan's expression lightened, and he smiled—truly smiled—for the first time that Kirk ever saw.

Khan's crew started coming forward, expressions unreadable until they got closer. One held out his hand to Kirk. "Nice to meet you, Kirk. A friend of Khan's is a friend to us all."

Awestruck, Kirk could merely accept the hand and give it a light shake, before he caught himself smiling, and then laughing. The crew was looking at him with kindness, smiling as well. They didn't look angry at all, didn't look menacing or dangerous. Khan's demeanor was changed. He was happy, reunited with his crew, surrounded by his family. It was infectious.

"I can't believe I finally get to meet you all." Kirk said, grinning. "It's been so long…I never thought it would be like this." He confessed.

They were all around him now, and Khan was at the forefront of the group. "I wanted them to meet you right when they woke up. I wanted you to see them, to understand why I did what I did for them. Do you understand now, Jim?"

Kirk nodded, feeling tears pricking at his eyes. This was Khan's family.

And now he was a part of it.

If I lay here,
If I just lay here,
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Stepping forward, he embraced Khan and felt the man wrap his arms around him, holding him tight. Hands were placed on his shoulders and back, the crew accepting him as one of their own so easily, with no explanation other than Khan's words of endearment. He cried softly into the augment's shoulder, overcome with emotion, grateful to Riley for urging him to go down here for this reunion.

After thinking he would be an outcast, after thinking Khan's crew would be jealous of him, or even hate him, this was a welcome surprise.

When they pulled apart Khan was still smiling, wiping the tears of joy from Kirk's eyes. He placed a soft kiss against his forehead before leaning back.

"Let's get started on our new mission, then." He said, and his crew dispersed, helping the newly awakened members and leaving the bay to explore other parts of the ship. "I trust Ambassador Riley is settled?" he said to Kirk.

"Yes, I put her in one of the guest quarters. We weren't sure where you wanted her."

"She's part of the crew now, as are you. That is, if she wants. She is perfectly free to do as she pleases. If she wants to go back to Earth, I will arrange it."

Kirk wasn't sure if the offer stood for him as well, but he didn't know if he would even take it at this point. He was free of the oppressive slave traders and those menacing aliens, and he was with Khan. While he didn't know exactly what Khan planned to do, he had a feeling he would like it better at his side than returning to Earth, to Starfleet. Riley would most likely feel the same, judging by what she said when they first met at the market.

Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life

Seeing Khan's crew alive and well suddenly struck him with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. His legs wobbled, knees weak, and he took a step back. His own crew was dead, killed by his lover's hands. The augment wasn't lying, because they would have come for him, they would have reached out, or told Starfleet. But they were silent as the dead.

Khan sensed his mood, expression changing to worry and sorrow. "I know it must be painful for you, being here, seeing my crew…I wish it could have been different, for the both of us."

"You killed my crew." Kirk whispered.

"I did it for my own. I took your family to protect mine. If I could go back, I don't know if I would make the same decision. Your crew would have fought for you—did fight for you—and who knows what the outcome would have been."

What if they had lost? Kirk thought. That's what Khan was implying. What if they were made into slaves as well, separated and forced into terrors and tortures unimaginable. Would Kirk prefer them dead and lost, or alive and suffering? He didn't know, and he never would at this point.

Closing his eyes, he reigned in his emotions. "I understand why you did it. This is your family, just as they were mine. But now…now this is my family as well." He said, unsure.

"Yes, it is. You are no longer my slave, Kirk. I want you to know that I have no intentions of enslaving you any further. You are free now. Even if that means you want to return to Starfleet. Whatever makes you happy."

Kirk blinked, thinking back to his earlier questioning. Khan was answering all of his hidden thoughts, speaking so honestly that it was, quite frankly, weird and almost unreal. But this wasn't a dream anymore, or even a nightmare. There was substance to this world, time was passing before his eyes, and he would not wake up in the same bed he went to sleep in the night before.

"I'm staying with you." He stated.

Khan smiled again, so bright it nearly blinded Kirk. This was the beginning of the rest of their life, a new world to explore together.

Let's waste time
Chasing cars
Around our heads

As they escaped from the slave planet, the crew got used to the ship and were brought up to speed on the past 300 years. Ambassador Riley integrated into their group slowly, unsurely, but seeing how happy Khan and Kirk were made it easier for her to settle in. They drifted among the stars, debating their plans.

"Our original mission was to take control of Earth and destroy all opposition. We were made to be warriors, to create empires and rule over them with an iron fist." Khan told Kirk one day. "But I no longer have the urge or need to enslave worlds. Going back to Earth would only entail more disaster to befall us."

"So what will we do now, Khan?" one of his crew asked. The leader turned to him, glancing over the rest of the crew gathered.

"What do you want to do?" he replied.

They murmured amongst themselves, considering their options, their hopes and dreams. For most of their lives, they were trained to fight, and told to kill. They never had a choice, only to rule or be ruled. Their freedom was welcomed, yet they had no idea what to do with it now. There was no need for vengeance at this point, and Khan knew all too well how formidable the Federation was.

"My original mission," Kirk spoke up after a moment, "was to explore the universe." The crew looked to him, listening with curious eyes. "I would go to different planets in the galaxy and help where I could, and ended up meeting a wide host of beings that thought and behaved differently than I could ever imagine. I also wound up in a bit of trouble from time to time, but I always managed to get out of it." Kirk snickered at the memories coming to the surface.

"But I enjoyed it all the same. Seeing new worlds, meeting other races and seeing how they interact with each other, their customs and beliefs. It was refreshing and humbling at times." He looked up and noticed the whole crew was staring at him. Clearing his throat, he mumbled, "It might be an option to do that again." He looked back down, unsure of how they would react to his suggestion.

"That sounds…fun." One member stated.

"Do you think there are beings even more superior than us in the universe?" another asked Khan.

"Oh of course there are." The augment replied. "It would be interesting to meet them." He grinned. The crew began talking excitedly about what they might find and the adventures they could have. Khan stepped closer to Kirk and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I like your suggestion. I think it would be good for us to explore other worlds." He said softly.

Kirk glanced up at him. "Yeah? You really think so?"

"It's either that or hide out for the rest of our lives. I, for one, prefer a life with more action." Khan smirked. "After all," he raised his voice so the crew could hear. "We've been asleep for much too long to remain dormant now. So what do you say?"

"Aye!" his crew responded, fists in the air. Kirk beamed, looking at their excited and eager expressions. Khan turned to smile at him, showing a warmth that Kirk was still getting used to after all of these years.

I need your grace
To remind me
To find my own

So it was decided that they would roam the universe, visiting different worlds as merchants and traders of goods that would benefit a variety of lifestyles across the galaxy. There were certain worlds they knew to avoid, based on their experiences on the slave planet, but there were even more planets they were looking forward to visiting.

"I'd like to go back to that one planet, remember the one we vacationed on?" Kirk said as he and Khan were lying in bed one night. He was tucked against his lover's side, head resting against Khan's shoulder.

"Mhm." Khan murmured, and Kirk could feel the rumbling in his throat.

"We could go back to that cave…" Kirk suggested, grinning up at the augment.

Khan grinned back down at him. "The one with the bats?"

"Yes, the one with the bats."

"I'd like that." Khan murmured, stroking Kirk's hair. "Another vacation, with the whole family this time."

"It's like when parents used to take their kids to Disney World."

"Ah yes, I remember Disney World." Khan said nostalgically.

Kirk moved to lay on top of Khan's chest, resting his head on his arms. "What was it like?" he whispered.

"It was a child's dream…and sometimes a parent's nightmare." Khan said with a chuckle.

Khan would often tell Kirk stories of the past, and Kirk would in turn talk about all the changes that have been made after Khan was cryogenically frozen. The augment didn't have much time to research what was going on in the world while he slept when he was being employed by Admiral Markus. They spent their evenings together with sometimes quiet moments, others passionate, and still some filled with long hours of just talking to each other.

Kirk realized he was finally getting to know Khan as a person, and not as an enemy or master. They were free of all restrictions and could just be open and honest with each other. It was more freeing than Kirk ever imagined.

All that I am
All that I ever was
Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see

He also spent some time informing Riley about the things she missed while in slavery. She was fascinated about some of his missions, and how the Federation changed in such a short time. Sometimes they would talk about what it would be like if they ever went back, and whether they even wanted to or not.

"At times I feel like I'm a burden, overstaying my welcome at someone else's home, you know?" Riley said.

"I understand, sometimes I feel the same way. I don't know this crew like Khan knows them, I haven't shared the same experiences with them that he has. I feel like an awkward stranger at times." Kirk replied.

"But I can't imagine going back to Starfleet, back to Earth and my life. What would I even tell them? What would they say?"

"I don't think I'd want to tell them. And I couldn't face seeing everyone in uniform, or going to the base, or even seeing another ship like the Enterprise." Kirk confessed. "I would just keep seeing their faces. Their ghosts would follow me."

They were quiet for a moment, as Riley allowed Kirk to wallow in sorrow over his lost crew. She gave herself some time to mourn the situation they were placed in, reminding herself that she was safe now, and free.

"Do you regret it?" she whispered.

"Regret what?"

"Coming here, with him." She turned to him, and they finally looked at each other, saw each other for what they were.

"No. Never." Kirk said firmly, and Riley believed the sincerity in his eyes.

I don't know where
Confused about how as well
Just know that these things will never change for us at all

Author's Note: I bet you kept waiting for something bad to happen, didn't you? While it was definitely difficult to restrain the urge to throw in any plot twists or betrayals, I did promise you guys a happy ending, and I plan on delivering just that! Also, if you imagine Sigourney Weaver as Ambassador Riley it makes everything 100% better.

In case you didn't notice, I referenced a few things from the Moments with Master side-story series. If you want some fluff, awkwardness, and hilarity, I suggest reading that as well~