"Artemis." Bones tsked. "You do realize how easy of a fix this would have been if to you had come straight here." I frowned and blushed slightly as he helped me out of my blood-stained clothes. I grimaced as the torn, blood stained dress was pulled from my body. A scab had begun to form and as he pulled, I began bleeding more. He looked me over and frowned. "You've lost a lot of blood. Come on, let's get you cleaned up and see what the damage is."

He pulled me off of the bed and had I stand, raising my arms above my head. Just then, Jim pushed through the 'privacy curtain' and turned an insane shade of red. I frowned. "Jim, the curtain was up for a reason."

"What happened to you?" He asked as Dr. McCoy began washing the wound with an alcohol wipe.

I grimaced. "Fell on a knife." I shrugged, "It's an easy fix."

Bones grunted. "I said it would have been an easy fix, but you've lost a lot of blood. Due to your…origins, I wouldn't feel comfortable giving you a transfusion. So it'll be bed rest while your body regenerates." I winced as the wipe hit the open flesh. "You will have a scar." He added.

Jim looked my body over, either checking for other injuries or just…looking. I blushed as he spoke. "Spock and I are going to the Romulan ship. We are getting Pike back. I just thought I'd let you…" He sighed. "Both of you know. " I opened my mouth to protest, but he held up a finger. "I will be back, we can talk then. I need to go." And with that he turned around and strode out of the room.

"He's got it bad." Bones murmured, motioning for me to sit back on the table.

"Hmmm?" I asked, looking down at the man.

The doctor stood and raised an eyebrow. "It doesn't take a doctor to diagnose what lover boy's got."

I felt my face redden as I protested. "No, we've been, he just…" I shook my head, giving up. "It's complicated."

"I get it." Bones said. "You're holding out for someone who has long since passed." He sighed. "Sorry, I know you had a life, but there is no way to back."

"But what if there was?" I asked as Bones fished around for the correct medical tool. I almost slipped up out the elder Spock; however I found a way that I could ask the same question. "If the Romulans could destroy a whole planet with a singularity, isn't possible that they have some form of dark matter and can open a rip in space and time. Also, they came here from the future, so I'm not the only person to survive time-travel."

Bones frowned. "You've been here for five years. You've become a member or Starfleet; you've made your own family, what's so bad here?"

I frowned, not sure about the answer. "I don't belong. I've altered the course of all of your lives, why should I stay? How don't I know that I'm not the one who caused Nero to be here just because I came through a wormhole?"

"Did you ever think about how your friend got the dark matter?" Bones asked, running a tool along my side. I grimaced as the skin came back together, but welcomed the relief. "We didn't learn how to harvest it until 2187. How the hell did it show up in 2017?"

"I'm not sure." I admitted.

"Someone had to go back and give it to him." Bones said, examining the healed skin. "Someone else altered our lives; it's not entirely your fault."

"Thanks." I grunted. "Let me go and grab you a uniform. " Bones said, "What size?"

"Actually I think I want to wear the men's uniform now." I smiled slightly. "After being marooned on an ice planet, having to climb a 10 foot ice wall, taking down Romulan solider and running from a bloody thirsty creature I think it's best if I have pants."

Bones chuckled. "Alright." I gave him my measurements and he returned after a few minutes with a uniform matching his. "Here you go." He handed the outfit to me. "Once you get dressed, we can go to the transporter room and wait for Jim and Spock."

I nodded he stepped out giving me some privacy. I got dressed quickly and stepped out from behind the curtain. He led me down to the transporter room just as Jim, Spock and Pike appeared on the ship. Just as I was about to breathe a side of relief, they ran past me, and out of the room. We quickly followed and made it just as Jim began speaking. "Hail them now."

"Aye." Chekov nodded.

Just then Nero, captain of the rogue Romulan ship from the future appeared onscreen. He looked livid, however Jim spoke calmly. "This is Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise. Your ship is compromised. You're too close to the singularity to escape without assistance, which we will provide.

Spock leaned towards Jim. "Captain, what are you doing? "

"You show them compassion may be the only way to earn peace with Romulus." Jim replied in a hushed tone. "It's logic, Spock. Thought you'd like that."

"No," Spock replied. "Not really. Not this time."

Nero sneered at the pair. "I would rather suffer the end of Romulus a thousand times. I would rather die in agony than accept assistance from you."

"You got it." Jim smiled brightly. "Arm phasers, fire everything we got."

"Yes, sir." Sulu said and we locked onto the enemy ship. Sulu's face remained void of expression; however I knew he was as satisfied as everyone onboard when the Enterprise sent the Romulans far, far away from here.

"Sulu," Jim boasted. "Let's go home!"

"Yes, sir!" Sulu pressed a few buttons, and then pushed the lever up. Despite this, we drew closer and closer to the wormhole.

"Why aren't we at warp?" Jim demanded, making the blood in my body go cold.

"We are, sir. " Chekov clarified.

Jim leaned down and pressed a button on screen. "Kirk to engineering. Get us out of here, Scotty."

"You bet your arse, Captain." Scotty said over the intercom. A moment later he came back on. "Captain the gravity, well, has got us!"

"Go to maximum warp. Push it!" Jim said as I internally face palmed. Did he really think Scotty wasn't trying?

"I'm giving her all that she's got, Captain!" Scotty shouted back.

The bridge began cracking and shaking. I grasped the console in front of me." All she's got isn't good enough." Jim said, stating the obvious. "What else you got?"

"Okay." Scotty was silent for a moment. "If we eject the core and detonate, the blast could be enough to push us away! I cannot promise anything, though!"

The bridge shook even more. "Do it, do it, do it!" Jim shouted.

It was silent and unchanging for a moment. Then suddenly we shook once more and debris shot around us. I felt us be thrown forward; causing almost everyone to stumble as we finally escaped the gravity pull and shot off back to Earth.

Once we got our bearings, we didn't have a restful moment, despite doctor's orders for me. We had to repair most of the computers and much of the floors. I assisted with the mechanical repairs and before I knew it we were back on Earth. Jim and I went to our old house; I fell asleep on the ride and woke up in my old bed.

Confused, I stood and walked over to the duffel bag on the floor. I pulled out my white nightgown changing quickly. I then noticed ajar door and made my way over to it. Peeking my head out, I saw an empty house. I pushed the door open the rest of the way and stepped out silently. I silently padded down to the master bedroom and pushed the door open Jim was fast asleep, bare chest rising and falling evenly. I watched him for a moment, then knocked on the door. He snored loudly, then jumped up. "Artemis, my god, you almost put me into cardiac arrest."

"I'm sorry," I stepped into the room. "I was just…" I shrugged. "It was jarring to wakeup back here. SO much has happened."

Jim sat up and rubbed his eyes. "I know, trust me." He chuckled. "When did you fall on a knife?"

"Somewhere on Delta Vega. I'm not too sure when fell on it, I only know that when we were in the cave, I was bleeding." I walked closer and leaned on the bedframe. "I'm sorry I didn't mention it before."

"Come here." Jim said, sleep still filling his voice. I honored his request and walked closer. "It has been a long few days,"

"You're right." I said. "Captain."

He chuckled. "It has a ring to it. But we need to speak."

I raised an eyebrow. "About?"

"The other Spock, the black hole, your role, time travel…" He paused and took a breath. "Us."

I took a shaky breath. "Well now I know I'm not the only one who survived time travel and is stuck here. The other Spock made no mention of trying to get back to his time or even, making an attempt." I shook my head. "What would my life had been if I hadn't been sent here? What would your life be like? Have I ruined your life?"

He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me even closer. I smelt a tinge of alcohol on his breath. "You haven't ruined anything. You've enhanced it." He tried to pull me into bed and I pulled back.

"Jim, you've been drinking."

"Just smidge. I promise, I'm just a little buzzed." He smiled. "Please, come closer. When I was on that ship, I almost died. You were my one regret. The fact that I….we…." He trailed off. "I am very good at sleeping with women, but not speaking to someone I actually…"

He trailed off and I let him pull me into his lap. He stopped trying to tell me what he thought, and just leaned in and placed the ghost of a kiss on my lips. "Jim," I breathed. "Are you sure you want to start something?"

"Are you?" He countered in a whispered.

I felt something pull at my heart. I wasn't sure if it was guilt, nerves, or what I leaned in and we kissed again. This time it wasn't soft and tender, it was hungry and searching for more. I wrapped my arms around his neck, I pulled him closer, and he wrapped his arms tighter around me. His teeth found my lower lip and my body tightened. "Jim," I breathed, "As much as I want this," I took a breath as he kissed my neck. "I can't have sex with you right now." I forced out while my wits were still about me.

"Then just stay." He murmured, his lips finding mine once again. "Stay here, we can have our night alone before we have to go back to our lives."

He pulled me deeper into the bed, and I went. Once we finally broke the kiss, I laid my head his bare chest and he played with my hair. "Jim?" I asked.

"Hmm?" He replied and I felt his chest rumble.

"Why did this happen to me?" I asked. "Why did I get thrown through space, almost get run over by you and end up here?"

"At this point, is it a bad thing?" Jim asked, kissing the top of my head.

"No." I murmured. "Just suspicions."

I waited for a response, but all I received was a light snore in response.

I smiled, and settled in next to Jim, not worrying about shipping back out tomorrow, just enjoying tonight.