Author's notes: So I'll be busy this afternoon so I decided to get this chapter posted early. I think it might be time to get the away team back to the Enterprise ;)

Disclaimer: Obviously I do not own nor have had any input in this series that started a cultural movement. I'm just a huge fan that got inspiration from another artist.

As she looked on old faces Serena suddenly found that her legs had turned to liquid as she collapsed to her knees, the relief was too intense for her to catch herself. Spock immediately lowered his weapon and bent down beside her, McCoy coming to her other side. "I-I'm sorry…I just…" Serena stammered wanting to laugh and cry at the same time. McCoy patted her on the back. "It's alright girl, we got ya now." McCoy said beaming at her. Spock stood up and straightened in front of the Captain. Both Sharick and Dalera hesitated but Serena introduced them.

"We lost contact with you and immediately sent a search party for you." Kirk explained as McCoy looked over all of them. While Serena insisted that he double checked her treatment of the others first McCoy didn't listen and checked her first. "We found indications of disruptors where you were supposed to meet these two and we put two and two together and assumed the Romulans' had you. We weren't sure if you were alive." Kirk scanned the faces. "Lieutenant Getty?" "Unfortunately deceased, disruptor point blank during capture." Spock reported. A flash of pain went through the Captain's eyes but was quickly covered. "Well let's get you all home." Kirk said clasping Spock's shoulder and giving him a knowing smile.

"If you will Captain, there are matters that need to be concluded here sir. There is advance technology in the camp that needs to be destroyed before we can leave. Please allow me to go complete this task while you take the others to transporter range." Serena got up at that. "I am coming too." She quickly added. Kirk nodded and turned to start giving out orders for the transportation of Dalera and Sharick. Spock turned on her and spoke low but his tone was steely and almost dangerous. "You will not come." Spock ordered. Serena's defenses immediately went up and her stance straightened, a stance that was slowly becoming an indicator of her stubborn 'just try and stop me' attitude that she was starting to gain thanks to Spock. "I will come. I know the layout to this place almost as well as you do. You're not going to keep me from coming." Serena snapped back. Spock grabbed her by both shoulders and shoved her around the corner out of the other's view and into the wall. Serena gasped but the action wasn't harmful, just more surprising. "You will not come." He repeated anger radiating from him. "Where was this anger coming from?" she thought but she didn't allow the question to stop her from replying "And I said I am. Stop fighting it Spock and let's just get this done." Spock's grip on her shoulders tightened to where it started to hurt but she raised her chin in stubborn pride rather than flinch as most would when confronted with Vulcan fury. "I will not lose you Serena." Spock stated firmly. That threw a wrench in her own growing anger. Immediately the need to soften crept into her but she held onto that need to be by Spock's side through the rest of this mission so instead of buckling she responded, "Then don't lose me. The more you delay the more risk you are adding to the mission. Use that logic you crave, just how long before they lock down the device you want to destroy." Spock looked away but she moved her head to gain his attention again. "How long Spock?" she repeated trying to drive the point home. "Stop arguing with me and let's go." Spock's grip loosened some. "I want you safe…" he said his voice getting softer. Serena held his gaze, her hand itching to reach out for him. "Then let's get this over with. Please Spock, let's finish our objective and go home." Spock released her but didn't return her gaze.

When Spock returned to the others McCoy raised an eyebrow at him and then looked at Serena in question. Serena just shrugged and twirled her finger around her head behind Spock's back as if he was crazy. That got McCoy chuckling and off the topic, Serena on the other hand was a little shaken, her courage now deflated after facing Spock's fury dead on. She was lucky she had snuck out of it although for the life of her she didn't know how she had. Most of the security officers and McCoy split off to take Sharick and Dalera to safety, not before McCoy threatened her that if she didn't return to the ship he'd destroy all her precious experiments.

Kirk, Sulu, Spock, Serena and one security officer made their way through the cave system following the path Serena and Spock had come up with to reach the room where they had tested the machine out on Spock. The going seemed so slow, every step feeling like it took twice as long. She knew that this was all psychological, this was adrenaline and nerves making time seem to go by slowly. They came by few patrols of officers. Sulu had set off a few explosives that he had placed in other passageways as they had infiltrated the camp to help draw attention away from where they were going. They met little resistance when reaching the target area and Spock and Kirk quickly stunned the guards they came across. Serena noted that Spock was in front of her each time they encountered anyone. He might've let her join them but he wasn't about to let her fight with them it would seem. She let it pass. She would rather just be the medic then a soldier.

They entered the room Spock had described to her and he went over to one of the consoles. Serena looked around the room in awe. The place was completely overhauled. Every inch had tech carefully arranged in an intricate network. Serena couldn't even begin to understand what all of it was and how it all worked. The wires all went to one chair and a shiver ran up her spine as she stared at the seat Spock must've been tied down to being forced to test this machine. Her eyes went to Spock. He was busy hacking into the console, his nimble fingers moving faster than a human's. The rest were searching the area, the security officer was holding the door in case someone came in. Spock back off and fired his disruptor at the console. "The device is set to self-destroy; I highly suggest we get out of here." Spock said moving over to the Captain. "For once Spock, I think you're right." Kirk said clasping the man on his shoulder.

Kirk went for the door but as he walked out the door a Romulan attacked him. Serena got to see her Captain and First Officer in action. Kirk immediately dodged the first attack and nailed the Romulan in the face with a well-aimed punch. Spock was immediately behind the Romulan and put the attacker to sleep with a pinch on the shoulder. "I'm serious; you really need to teach me that." Kirk said as he straightened his uniform. They all filed out of the room and made their way through the cave system. They were no longer going off of Serena's and Spock's layout but by the rescue party's previous path to get to them.

"There they are!" shouted a Romulan in front of them that had just turned down their hallway. Their group split in two as they dodged and ducked into the intersecting hall, Spock grabbing Serena and rolling her with him. Disruptors and phasers alike went off. Serena would've loved to help but Spock had an arm over her keeping her pinned to the wall as he shot off phaser rounds when there was a pause in disruptor fire. The security officer went down on the other side of the hall. Serena's eyes went to his still form. "Don't you dare." Spock said his arm almost seemed more solid than it had before as if knowing she was planning to make her way over to him. Serena struggled against him but the Vulcan was stronger and kept her pinned as if it was nothing. "Spock, let me go." She said through clenched teeth as she continued the struggle. Spock ignored her so she caught him off guard and jabbed him right in the side where she knew he would be vulnerable. The attack took him by surprise and he loosened his grip just enough for her to drop to the ground and escape his grasp. She rolled over around the corner just enough for her to shoot off a few phaser rounds herself and as the opposing side took cover she jumped over to the other side. More phaser shots resounded through the hallway as she rolled to safety and she knew Spock had shot more covering fire. The look Spock gave her when she looked up at him told her she was in so much shit when they were done with this. She actually was afraid this time.

Shaking off the need to laugh out of nerves for the future fight she did what she would be getting in trouble for later, she took care of the security officer. To her dismay the officer was dead before she could even do anything. She tried to revive him three times with the kit McCoy had left for her but it was useless. When she had to give up the last of the Romulans had gone down. Kirk bent down beside her and she looked at him. "I'm sorry Captain..." was all she could say. Kirk put a hand on her shoulder and then picked up the man himself. "Even dead we will not leave a man behind." Kirk said as they made their way again Sulu and Spock leading them.

When they made it to the entrance daylight greeted them. Serena actually had to shield her eyes; it was so bright compared to the lighting she had grown accustomed to these last two days. Sulu immediately got out his communicator and called up to Scotty to beam them up. Serena closed her eyes as she felt the usual tingling as they were transported. McCoy was there in the transporter room and immediately went to Kirk and the dead security officer but when Kirk shook his head he then went to Serena. Serena didn't put up any fuss when McCoy took her to Sickbay. Luckily she didn't have to drag Spock along, McCoy made sure the Vulcan followed. Once in Sickbay McCoy immediately knocked her out, preparing her for immediate surgery to try and fix what had been done. The last thing she saw was Spock sitting on the bed next to her, the anger still had his body stiff but as she started to fade something seemed to soften him before her world turned to black.