DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction using characters from the Star Trek universe. I do not claim any ownership over them or any of the many Trek universes. This work is solely for entertainment purposes and is not considered canon (not by a long shot).

"Admiral, sir … he's not on Earth. He's on Qo'nos, sir," Jim announced as he ran into the conference room where Marcus and the admiralty were meeting to discuss next moves. He did not pause but plowed ahead — he wanted this mission. "I request that my command be reinstated and your permission to go after him."

Marcus regarded the determined young man before him and then looked at the others. "Give us a minute."

Walking to the other side of the room, Marcus mused, "So … Harrison's gone to the Klingon home world. Is he defecting?"

Jim shook his head. "We're not sure, sir."

"He has taken refuge in the Ketha province, a region uninhabited for decades," Spock added.

Jim's impatience won out over diplomacy. "Sir, he has to be hiding there! He knows if we even go near Klingon space, it would be war. Starfleet can't go after him, but I can."

Bones is gonna kill me, Jim thought.

Marcus frowned and regarded a display of ships — from the Wright brother's plane to a new ship configuration that Jim had never seen before. "All out war with the Klingons is inevitable, Mr. Kirk. If you ask me … it's already begun." Marcus walked down the line of models. "Since we first learned of their existence, the Klingon Empire has conquered and occupied two planets that we know of and fired on our ships half a dozen times. They are coming our way."

Marcus turned back to regard the two officers. "London was not an archive. It was a top-secret branch of Starfleet designated Section 31. They were developing defense technology and training our officers to gather intelligence on the Klingons and other potential enemy who means to do us harm. Harrison was one of our top agents."

Jim's frown deepened. "Now he's a fugitive and I want to take him out."

Marcus seemed amused. "Pike always said you were one of our best and brightest. You should have heard him defend you."

Jim's heart constricted as he thought of the man who'd given him every chance he'd ever had to better himself.

"He's the one who talked you into joining Starfleet, isn't he?"

"Yes sir." Jim said softly.

"Did he ever tell you who talked him into joining?" Marcus asked.

Jim stared. "Sir?"

Marcus looked remorseful. "His death is on me. Yours can't be, son. After all, you have an omega to consider, don't you?"

Jim's blue eyes blazed. "I do, sir, but if you'll just – "

"Mr. Spock," Marcus said, ignoring Jim's building ire. "You said the province where Harrison is hiding is uninhabited?"

"Affirmative, sir," Spock replied.

Marcus looked at both men, debating something internally. Jim wanted to yell and demand the right to seek and destroy Pike's killer. He'd never resented being mated … until now. If his mating kept him from this mission, Jim did not know what he would do.

Even as he had the thought, his stomach flipped. Jim knew he loved Bones and would not trade their relationship for anything. It did little to alleviate his frustration and anxiousness. Pulling his thoughts back to Marcus, Jim watched as the older man called up a schematics display.

"31 developed a new type of photon torpedo. Long-range and untraceable — it would be invisible to Klingon sensors." Marcus met Jim's gaze. "I don't want you hurt, but I want to take him out. You park on the edge of the Neutral Zone, you lock onto Harrison's position. You kill him and you haul ass."

Jim looked steadily back at Marcus, relief flooding his brain. "Permission to reinstate Mr. Spock as my First Officer."

Spock looked at Jim, incredulous.

"Granted."

Hours later, Jim was in uniform and heading to the shuttle to return to the Enterprise. He felt focused if a little uneasy about his orders.

"Jim!"

Jim turned to see his omega running over. "Where were you?"

"For what?" Jim asked, knowing full well the question.

"Your medical exam – you were in a damn firefight less than 10 hours ago – now it's my duty as ship's –"

"Bones, I'm fine."

Leonard stopped Jim. "The hell you are." Bones hissed.

Jim paused and waited until no one was near. "Doctor, I'm fine."

Blue eyes met hazel ones and the two men stared one another down. Jim's blue eyes did not waver and Bones finally dropped his. Jim turned and walked up the ramp leading into the shuttle. Bones pursed his lips and followed. It wasn't often Jim went "alpha" on Bones. Leonard had noticed that since meeting with Marcus and regaining his command, Jim had been on edge and their bond had thrummed with anticipation and not a little uncertainty.

Settling in behind Jim, Leonard decided he was going to do what scans he could on his captain and alpha. Intent on the data displayed on his padd, Bones nearly missed Spock's comment about long-range torpedoes.

"What? Wait a minute … we're firing torpedoes at the Klingons?" Leonard asked.

Kirk's low growl silenced Leonard and Spock continued. "Regulations aside, this action is morally wrong."

"Regulations aside, pulling your ass out of a volcano was morally right. I didn't win any points for that," Kirk snapped.

Bones murmured, "Whoa, Jim … calm down."

"Bones, I'm not going to take ethics lessons from a robot!" Jim said fiercely.

Bones winced at his mate's tone. The alpha was definitely pushing through Jim's control. His irritation with the situation was bleeding into their bond. Pike's death had affected Jim far deeper than Leonard had suspected.

"Reverting to name calling suggests that you are defensive and therefore find my opinion valid," Spock said softly.

"I wasn't asking for your opinion," Jim stated before snarling, "Bones, get that thing off my face."

Bones frowned again and sat back, checking his readings and extrapolating where he could. As he did so, Leonard caught an unusual spike of attraction from Jim that made him look up. A very pretty blonde stood in front of Jim introducing herself in a lovely lilting British accent.

"Captain Kirk — Science Officer Wallace. I've been assigned to the Enterprise by Admiral Marcus."

Bones complained sometimes about Jim's possessive streak that tended to make him growl at any random alpha saying 'hello' to Leonard whenever they were on shore leave. He really didn't mind … Leonard found it a turn-on. At the moment, however, Bones thought that perhaps he understood Jim's motivations and perhaps they weren't unreasonable after all. It took all of his control not to put himself between Carol Wallace and his mate. His instincts were telling him to make damn sure she understood he wasn't about to share his alpha with some twig of a Beta half Leonard's age. He did not miss the considering look she gave him when Jim signed her on board and allowed her to sit between himself and Spock. Bones stared at his padd data without really seeing it.

As the shuttle took off, Jim made small talk with the new science officer. This was nothing new … Leonard knew Jim was a flirt and always would be – his alpha always came home to him. Commander Wallace, however, was putting out her own attraction pheromones and Bones had to bite the inside of his mouth to keep from growling. Betas had the weakest scents but that didn't mean they couldn't attract a mate when so driven. Jim's scent was responding which had Leonard's stomach in knots - surely Jim was aware of his omega's distress? His actions couldn't be on purpose … could they?

Usually, during shuttle flights, Bones would reach out along their bond to reassure himself. Jim would send a wave of comfort along the link and smile at his mate in a way that made Leonard forget — however briefly — that only a thin layer of metal stood between himself and obliteration. Today there was no smile and the bond sat empty between them. A cold weight settled in Leonard's heart. He held onto the armrests and tried to control his panic and his growing uneasiness for the remainder of the flight.

After disembarking aboard the Enterprise, Bones waited not so patiently while Jim argued with Scotty. Today was apparently an off-the-rails day – he'd never seen Jim argue with any of his crew so fervently. It hurt to watch. Afterward, as Jim headed to follow Scotty, Bones tried one last time to intercept him.

"Jim, your vitals are way off –"

Jim's frustration with Scotty drove him to anger and he rounded on his mate before he could reign himself in. "Back off, omega - report to the med bay."

All expression fled from Bones' face. The command in Jim's voice went straight to his subconscious and he was moving away from the alpha before he realized what he was doing. A dark frown settled between Leonard's eyes.

"Aye, aye … alpha," Bones snarled.

Jim sighed and started to apologize but Leonard gave him no opportunity. He stalked off, weaving angrily between crew members. Jim groaned. He did not have time to chase his mate down to apologize and yet he knew that's what he needed to do.

Leonard loathed alphas that abused the involuntary responses of an omega. Jim had witnessed it happen to Leonard once at the Academy and his friend hadn't spoken to him or any alpha for a week afterward. Jim made every effort not to cross the line except in mutually enjoyable situations. After all, it was Bones' independent nature and outright stubbornness that had attracted Jim from the start – his mate was no delicate flower of an omega and Jim loved that. Bones would tell him in no uncertain terms what he thought about any given subject. It was exactly what he'd been doing now – trying to get Jim to calm down so he could think and operate clearly in the mission ahead. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Fucking omega bitch-fits," Jim cursed under his breath.

The sharp inhale behind him made Jim's heart fall into his boots. He turned to see Bones standing just behind him. The look of hurt that flitted across his mate's face was quickly replaced by a dark cloud of anger. "Sorry to bother you again … captain. I'll just be in medical."

"Bones …"

Leonard looked at his mate and Jim could see the rage burning behind the hazel eyes. "Don't even try, Jim. Go run your ship with the pretty new science officer."

Jim winced as the bond between them went eerily silent. His day just kept getting better.

Jim pressed two fingers between his eyes. A steadily growing headache was blossoming into a full-fledged migraine. His chief engineer and close friend had just resigned, Keenser had accompanied him and Spock had him doubting what had, up until the shuttle flight, been a very clear-cut mission. Add to that Bones' justifiable anger and his day was over before it truly began.

Kirk, thy name is idiot. Jim thought miserably as he replayed his thoughtless comment earlier.

To refer to an omega as a 'bitch' was a near unforgiveable insult. Jim wondered if Bones was ever going to forgive him – worse, he wondered if Bones actually believed Jim thought about him that way. Caught up in self-recrimination, Jim didn't notice Uhura fall into step beside him until she spoke.

"I was so sorry to hear about Admiral Pike, captain."

Jim nodded absently. "We all are."

"Are you okay?"

Jim sighed. "Fine, thank you Lieutenant." He could hear Bones' saying, The hell you are.

The beta made a disbelieving sound as they entered the turbo lift. Jim sighed again.

"Actually … Scotty just quit and I made a mess of things with Bones." Jim said softly. "Your boyfriend is also second-guessing me every chance he gets."

Jim paused and glanced over at Uhura. He shook his head.

Get your act together, Kirk … you're still captain .

"I'm sorry … that was inappropriate." Jim said. "It's just that sometimes I want to rip the … bangs off his forehead …"

Bangs? Really? God, Bones would be – Jim winced remembering the hurt in Leonard's eyes at Jim's comment.

"Maybe it's just me," Jim said tiredly. After today's events he was beginning to think he might be the problem for a great many things.

"It's not you," Uhura said softly.

Jim looked over at her. He recognized the dismay on her face and body language – he probably mirrored it right now.

"Wait … are you two fighting?" Jim asked.

"I'd rather not talk about it, captain," Uhura replied unhappily.

Jim blinked. His own fights with Bones were not pretty – this latest one was shaping up to be very ugly indeed – but he had no idea how you had a fight with someone who showed no emotion and was hardwired to consider everything 'logically'. Jim thought he'd rather chew glass.

"Oh my gods … what is that even like?" Jim asked just as the turbo lift came to a halt.

Spock was waiting just outside the lift when the doors slid open. He blinked and regarded Uhura and Jim. Their body language indicated that he was probably the topic of conversation and not in a complimentary way based on how quickly they fell silent. Uhura reinforced this suspicion when she stepped out with no glance at Spock and went directly to her station. Jim watched amused and followed her, his own irritation getting the better of him.

"Ears burning?" Jim snarked as he walked past.

Spock watched his captain walk to his chair and wondered if he was ever going to understand the humans he served with and cared about. He was grateful Vulcans had long lifespans … Spock had a feeling it would take the better part of his existence.

In medical, Bones' staff was giving him a wide berth as they went about their normal tasks of prepping for the mission ahead. Leonard's dark visage and curt responses told his team something was seriously wrong between the CMO and his captain.

Bones' knew he wasn't being fair to those around him and that he shouldn't be allowing his personal issues to affect his professional life. It didn't ease the crushing sensation in his chest that made every breath hard to take. It didn't ease the blurring of his vision by damnable wetness. In fact, knowing that he wasn't being reasonable did absolutely nothing but make him feel worse about everything.

Leonard had been called 'omega bitch' before – the name was nothing new. Ignorance bred ignorance and while he'd grown up in the more genteel South, there was no shortage of morons who thought they were witty. 'Knot-slut' and 'breeder' were two other favorites for the Neanderthals he'd endured in his lifetime.

The pain came because he'd never heard Jim use that sort of language before. Jim had treated him no differently from any other cadet when they'd met even after he'd learned of Bones' designation. It had been refreshing not to be either the object of uninvited lust or unwanted coddling.

Bones took off his collar and stared at it. It was a smooth titanium band with a hidden lock to preserve the continuous look – nothing too overt. It hadn't been off Leonard's neck more than a handful of times since the night Jim gave it to him. Bones knew it was the stress Jim was under. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew his mate hadn't meant the cruel words nor did Jim truly think that way – but right now the pain was too raw and his anger too real for him to apply damnable logic to the situation.

Placing the collar in his desk, Leonard locked the drawer and went back out into sickbay to perform one last inspection before they went to warp. He tried to ignore the stares and also how very naked and alone he felt.

"Damn it, Jim," Bones said softly.