Chapter 16 – Safety
Eri had led them to Elene and both were now currently leading them through the temple towards where the women were being held captive. Spock had been fighting his emotions the entire way. They broiled and simmered in his mind, repeating over and over the words Eri spoke of his ashaya. She was all that he thought of...well almost. He did in fact go over various methods of 'paying back' he would expert onto her abusers. He became so wrapped up in these thoughts he almost didn't notice the murals on the wall. They were carved into the marble in the same way the Egyptians carved their hieroglyphic. Despite everything...something made him study them as he hurried on.
The detail was faded with time but distinguishable. One person, a woman, standing in a meadow...three people appear, one heavily pregnant, two adults, and a young child. They turn to leave, the mother promising they would be back. The other woman is alone in the meadow again...then she's show in a blank scene, this time pregnant. Twins, one in each arm. Children playing, one boy one girl. Teenagers, the boy fighting with the woman...then leaving, his back turned to her. The city wall, the temple overlooking the lake, the city slowly coming together. Generations…then the war. Blood, chaos, fires, then peace…the temple ruins. Four men and two women...
Spock almost stopped upon seeing the last painting. It depicted...the landing party; Kirk, Bria, Raiden, McCoy, Sarah, and himself...it was seemingly impossible to predict the future, yet there they were, carved into marble. He...could not ponder over it right now. Bria needed him. There was much more important task right now. His Bria needed him, and he could faintly /feel/ her. He had not tested this theory before, but he believed that when he melded with Bria, the faint bond would become stronger. What he had now was not a mating bond. It was just...a link. He could feel her now...She felt scared...determined...
His pace quickened the more he could feel, even passing the leading women despite their protests. Spock's body reacted now; he ran on his will- his /need/ for his beloved now. The Vulcan rounded a corner connecting to a long hallway. She was so close... A door opened and the captain of the Guard stepped out- clothed in only his tunic, not even wearing shoes. Eri's words whispered in his mind. Akantha had planned Achaz impregnate Bria. Rage filled his being as Achaz turned towards him.
"Spock-" the man never even had the chance to finish after the Vulcan slammed his fist into his jaw. There was a satisfying cracking meaning that his jaw had fractured. It would not be the last. Spock growled as he picked Achaz up and once more made contact with his face via his fist. The others were calling out to him, but it did not matter. He would avenge his beloved for this man's barbaric actions! Strangely enough, Achaz never fought back. He tried protecting himself, yes, but never fighting back. No matter, it was all the more simple to make him pay...
"SPOCK! DON'T KILL HIM!" Bria's voice shouted, muffled by the door, but that meant nothing to his superior hearing.
The Vulcan froze mid-punch, his head snapping towards the door. His Bria...that was his Bria's voice in that room. She...she was stopping him from dealing out his punishment? But...he had... Achaz caused Spock's attention to return to him in all his bloodied mess.
"I...I did...n-nothing...to her...I w-was about...to f-find the keys...t-to free her," he gasped, placing his hands over the one holding his tunic. Unknowingly, this allowed Spock to catch brief emotions: loathing in being forced to be the one to do this, realization that he could not, and the determination to free Bria to right his wrongs. The Vulcan quickly released the soldier as the others caught up.
"Damn it, man! What the hell were you trying to do?!" Bones snapped as he and Ayano set to work on Achaz. He had figured they would need more specialize equipment since this planet had very little technology. "Ayano, give him a shot for his pain while I clean up this blood." he instructed as he slipped on some gloves.
Spock ignored all of this as he burst into the room, "Bria!"
His breath caught in his throat at the sight. His beloved lay on the bed, chained by her hands, and covered in only a thin sheet. At first his rage grew dramatically, this time towards Akantha. /She/ had put his Bria in this position. She. Had. Threatened. The. One. He. Loved.
Then...just as swiftly as the rage grew a new emotion he had not experienced before filled him. /Lust/. Even though she was covered, Bria was there on a bed, naked. Spock would imagine many, /many/ scenarios he /wanted/ to see play out. The Vulcan's hands twitched in need to feel her soft skin, test her firmness of her body with attention to detail. He wanted to rip the sheet away and take her over and over until he could no longer keep himself up. He wanted to bite her, mark her, to show she was his and that /no one/ could have her...He. Wanted. Her.
"...ock! SPOCK! God damn it, can you be professional for two minutes and unchain me?!" Bria snapped at him, anger and embarrassment filling her. She had hoped he wouldn't find her like this; that Achaz would be able to get the keys and come back to her before he burst through the room. She brought her knees up, pinning the hem of the sheet against her chest for privacy, glaring at him. "Now!" She held back the tears, sniffing and stiffening her shoulders in protest of her own feelings. She was so, so very thankful that she wasn't naked, and Achaz had been kind enough to cover her. It was bad enough she saw the thick bulge in his pants in the midst of all of this. She just wanted to be freed in order to get dressed.
Her eyes...Locking his jaw into place, Spock forced down his body's reactions like one would food that was lodged in the throat. Taking a hesitant step forward, The Vulcan set to work at breaking the chains. As soon as that task was completed, he found her clothes folded on a nearby table. He couldn't bring himself to say anything as he handed her the much needed coverage and turned his back to her.
How could he have acted like that? The answer was simple, but it did not excuse him from the fact that he thought of...He had almost lost control. He would have followed through with those emotions like a savage beast looking to fulfill his own desires. Bria...his beautiful Bria would have not been defiled by the soldier, Achaz...she would have been defiled by himself. Was this how he would act when...? Surely not, he was half human...yet that worried him. His control of his emotions were not as strong as a full Vulcan's. When his Time came, he would not be able to hold back his needs, his desires...and his Bria would suffer for that...
Simply putting on the dress she had before, leaving the material loose around her, Bria slipped out of the bed. The phaser had been able to burn right through the metal of the chains and she rubbed he wrists, "Thank you, Spock…" she reached for him, but he flinched. Grumbling, she took a firmer grasp and stepped around him to his front, then wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest, "Don't shut away from me right now. I was almost raped, Spock…whatever it is that's making you act like this, rein it in and hold me. Just…hold me, I want to feel safe." She couldn't keep herself together…she sniffed and her body quaked with a shuddering breath, and she choked on a sob. Spock had been in a lot of turmoil; she felt it through whatever link had alerted her that he was near. She was pretty sure neither of them was okay, yet were both relieved to see the other.
Spock wrapped his arms around Bria tightly as he buried his nose into her dark hair. She was safe and unharmed and in his arms...That was all he needed to calm down dramatically from his state of mind. He almost felt in complete control as he had before his emotions began acting up. "Bria...I am sorry. I should have prevented Akantha from taking you. I had been selfish by focusing on the match instead of you...and I...wished to carry out...other things while you were chained. How can you feel safe around me when the facts state that I cannot protect you?" He wanted to pull away, to spare her from the dangers he possessed, yet his body would not allow him. His arms were locked in place, and only Bria held the key to releasing their hold. "Perhaps you would be safer if...we were not together..."
"NO!" Bria gasped, looking up at him, her cheeks wet, his shirt damp, "No, please…don't do that," she gripped him tightly, her breathing increased sharply, and her eyes wide with panic, "I need you. I love you. Please…" her throat felt constricted, but she managed to add, "I can't handle another heartbreak," the tears came in a fresh burst, faster this time as well, "We just got together, Spock, don't leave me. J-Jim's your responsibility, too. I was carel-less and didn't even th-think about why I felt strange, why I-hic-was suddenly so-hic-grog-gy…" She was hiccupping! She was having a panic attack and hiccupping! She sobbed harder. No…no…he couldn't be doing this to her…
Spock's eyes widened at her erratic reaction to his proposal. Leaning down, the Vulcan swiftly joined their lips to calm his Bria, holding her closer. Only when her shaking still did he pull away. "If you do not wish for me to, I will not, Bria...Please calm down. I merely proposed that as an option. In the future...I may harm you. I do not wish to bind you to such a fate without offering you a chance to leave...I fear I am dangerous for you." He reached up to gently caress her face and wipe away her tears. His heart ached at the pain and fear he caused her to feel. She needed him and he offered to end their relations...as Jim would say, 'smooth'.
His kiss was what reassured her that he wouldn't leave her behind, "The-hic-thought o-of being parted from you scares…/terrifies me/ m-more than anything-hic-else," she sniffed, "I'm sorry if this-hic-is too fast, too clingy of me…but just like you…the way you get uptight and anxious wh-hic-en I'm not in your sights, I feel the same way. Don't offer again. I'll decide for my-hic-self if y-you're 'too dangerous' for me, Spock," she pressed her face into his chest again, heaving a heavy, shuddering sigh. A minute past, and as soon as she was sure the hiccups had stopped, she said, "You're too careful around me. I know you don't want to hurt me, but I'm not human. I'm a Fylakas and I want you to stop treating me like I'm made of glass. Max did that, and it irritated the hell out of me. Don't do the same. I want to be your equal, Spock."
Her words were curious, but the Vulcan nodded nevertheless. Jim had said something similar back at the ruins. They both had logical points. Bria was not human, and he was in fact training her. She was not weak and helpless. In fact, she was quite the opposite. He just...he feared that he would lose her, especially when she was taken. "I am sorry," Spock murmured as he gently stroked her hair. "I will do my best to do as you ask. If I fall short, I will require being reminded. I merely act as a protector...perhaps I act as such too strongly."
"A little bit," Bria pulled back to look at him, considerably calmer than before. "I understand, though. It's natural for a guy to want to make sure their lover is safe and happy. I expect no less from a Vulcan, however...unemotional they may seem to be," she reached up and touched his cheek, "I want to go home, Spock." The Enterprise was home for all of them, and she like having a place to /call/ home.
The Vulcan did not bother to tell her that the Enterprise was not a house, merely a ship on which they were quartered, but he knew it would be pointless. She would argue with him, and he did not have the energy to offer up his logical points. "As you wish," he murmured, keeping her wrapped in his arms as he guided her to and out of the door.
X
Outside, Elene was by her lover's side while she heard Bria bitching at Spock, "Achaz, my love, it's okay now. Thank god," she got behind him so Bones and Ayano could do their jobs as healers and she stroked his dusty brown hair, relieved tears in her eyes, and one slipped down her cheek.
Achaz smiled weakly as the doctor mended his jaw fracture with one of the strange devices. Reaching up, he wiped Elene's cheek free from the tear. He could not speak at the moment, but he knew he didn't need to. After so long...they could finally be together again. He could marry her, raise a family together. All the things he had ever wanted for them. She could finally be his once more. His beloved golden haired warrior.
"There," Bones nodded to himself, "That's the last of it. You'll still feel sore, but at least you're alive. Lucky thing Bria was able to stop him or else you wouldn't be breathing right now."
"I would," Achaz protested, his brows furrowing, "I would because I wanted to see my Elene again..." he turned towards her now with a sorrowed look. He...he felt so ashamed of himself for what he had been prepared to do. "I am sorry, Elene...I was ready to follow the Oracle's orders to the letter. If you do not wish to be with me, I will understand...I do not deserve your affections after all of this...for not fighting for us when I had the chance long ago."
"Achaz, I want to be with you, /we/ want you with /us/," Elene tilted her head into his hand, "I'm pregnant, Achaz...with your child. I'm the one Akantha talked about. I have the Sight. I ordered the men to stand down tonight. They have more respect and loyalty to you, for your safety and well-being, than they do the King's orders," she shifted so he could sit up and look at her, and she carefully touched his face, not wanting to hurt him, "I love you."
Achaz looked down with wide eyes at Elene's stomach, the breath leaving him. She...she carried a child within her- /Their/ child. That night...They had conceived a child the night they made love for the first time. A smile grew on the man's lips as he pulled his beloved closer to kiss her with passion that he had longed to feel again. When he had been chosen to be Eri's husband, Achaz had shut out his feelings for Elene to a mere respected, friendship. It was too painful and risky to try to have continued their relations when he was betrothed to another. Now he could indulge in her as he had wanted to all along. "I love too, Elene...I love only you."
"Come," Eri looked at Kirk, Raiden attached to her hip, "Sarah's not much further. They others will be okay."
Kirk hesitated, watching the door to the bedchamber close with a stiff-backed Vulcan the last thing his saw. Fuck...had Bria not said anything, Achaz would be lifeless in Elene's arms instead of bloodied up and breathing. He nodded and they turned to continue down the hallway. They got closer and Eri pointed to the correct door, "There! That's my mother's room."
Kirk nodded and jogged ahead, opening the door just as there was a /thump/ and the whimpered "I'm so sorry...so sorry..." reached his ears. Opening it further, he saw Akantha lying on the ground, a paring knife sticking out of her chest where her heart would be, and blood pooled around the wound, "Holy..." his eyes trained a little further and he saw his girlfriend curled up against the wall, sobbing, "Sarah, baby!" he darted to her, kneeling down and he winced. The first kill was always the worst. Reaching out he pulled her into his arms, "It's okay, it's okay, shhh...I'm here."
"No!" Sarah cried out, fighting against her Captain. "Not it's not alright! I...I didn't mean to! I told her to...to take me to Bria...she...she would...a-and she kept coming closer...I told her to stop...but /she wouldn't listen/. I killed her! I /killed/ her! I just...I just..." When he wouldn't release her, Sarah collapsed into his arms, clinging to his body as she sobbed into his shoulder. She had taken a life. She had /killed/. It was justified, but a kill never the less. Sarah was a murderer. There had to have been other ways that she could have handled this. There /had/ to have been...but they took the cowardly way and killed Akantha... "I just want to go home..."
"Bria was nearly raped because of this woman. She had you two kidnapped. Akantha was /evil/, Sarah. You stopped her from doing more damage. You're not a murderer, baby." Kirk rocked her from side to side, "Shhh...I love you...I'm here. I'll take you back to the Enterprise, safe in your room. No, mine, so I can hold you, and kiss you, and help you forget about it. I love you so much, I'm so sorry..." If he hadn't been so gun-ho to be in the competition...he should've stayed with the group, watched the games as they were, /none/ of this would've happened. He put the girls in danger, made Spock violently anxious and so insane with rage that he almost killed a man just to find Bria. This was his entire fault. Slipping his arm under her knees and supporting her back with his other, he lifted her up, "You and Bria are safe now," he soothed.
A gasp came from the woman, but not from being lifted. Pulling back she stared at Kirk with her tear stained face and redden eyes. Her mouth gaped slightly was she tried to form words in her mouth. "You…" she whispered, resulting in Jim stopping with a concerned glance, "You said...that you loved me...Y-you never...said that before..." Her mouth trembled, tugging at the corners of her lips. He...he loved her. Even after all of this, what she had done...Jim loved her.
Jim blinked at her a moment, confused, and then his eyes widened and the brightest red blush crossed his cheeks. It had just rolled right off his tongue, he didn't even realize he said it, "Yes….yes I did say that, and I meant it. We'll talk more when we get home, okay?" he promised, and he coaxed her to put her head in the crook of his neck, "I'm so sorry about all of this, baby." He walked them out of the room, not giving two shits about the woman on the floor, and nodded to Eri and Raiden, who sighed in relief, "Let's go see how the others are."
The science officer shook in Kirk's arms as her mind settled into a dull show of her previous emotions. Now that she wasn't so focused on what she had done, the body reminded her of the how cold it was. She slid one arm up to hook around his shoulder while she tried to warm the other side by curling it between their bodies.
X
Bones looked down the hall where he found the others making their way back. He patted Achaz's shoulder before going over to Jim and Sarah. "How is she?" he asked the Captain softly since the said woman looked pretty torn up. Seeing her wrist, he reached out to pull it closer for him to examine. "Did you do this, Sarah?" She merely nodded, averting her eyes as Bones turned to Ayano, "Well need a disinfectant just in case."
"I have my medical kit, I'm glad I remembered to grab it again," Ayano smiled, reaching into her bag and pulling it out. She popped the lid and grabbed the disinfectant and cotton balls, "This is going to hurt like a bitch," she warned, "You're going to have to hold still."
Jim set Sarah on her feet, and wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder, "You look gorgeous in that outfit by the way, Sarah. I had been looking forward to seeing it up close after I first saw you in the Royal seating. I did win, by the way."
Eri looked at Raiden and smiled at him, "It looks like everyone is with their /proper/ lovers now. I'm happy for them."
Sarah forced a smile as she tilted her head against his while holding her wrists out to Ayano. "I'm glad to hear that...it would have been a letdown if you hadn't." She was trying to be light and somewhat humorous like always, after all she believed that dark time just needed something to laugh at to get through it all.
"Yeah..." Raiden sighed, looking down at the beauty, "Yeah they are." Bringing his hand up, the Toran gently rubbed her cheek. They would be leaving soon, especially after all that happened here. No one particularly wanted to stay. So his time was short... "Eri...I don't know how to ask this...but will you allow me to be your first challenger? For your affections that is. I...I don't want to see rash, but...I only have a limited time with you, and I don't want to regret not saying that."
Ayano easily held her wrists still as she cleaned them. Elene and Achaz had long since stood up and Kirk looked at them, "Now we have the girls, no harm will come to the city and its people. We can establish the trade agreement tomorrow."
Elene nodded her head, and they bowed to Kirk in military respect, "We will relay the information to the King. Farewell, and we are deeply sorry for the trouble that was caused today." She looked at Eri, "Do it."
"All is forgiven," Kirk promised, and watched them leave, then looked at Eri and Raiden curiously.
Eri blinked and then realization donned on her face before she looked at Raiden, "Yes...yes you can. Actually," she looked at Kirk with a hopefully expression, "Captain...may I request permission to come aboard and be the ship's cook? Or...something. I want to come with you."
"Hah," Kirk snickered at Raiden's face as Eri said this, "Permission granted. Welcome to the family." Yaaayy paperwork…but if it meant Raiden wouldn't mope around then he'd deal with it.
Just as they exited, Spock was nearly pushed aside as Sarah latched onto her sister leaving Ayano and Kirk behind. "Sis! Please tell me you're alright...please..."
Raiden stared down at Eri with wide eyes, "You...you're going to go with us?" A grin spread across his face as he scooped her up in a hug. His tail flicked happily around while pulled back enough to press his lips against hers. She was going to go with them! He couldn't believe it, but that didn't matter because she was doing it anyway.
Bria 'omph'ed softly at the force her sister hugged her, but she returned it, "I'm okay now..." she said softly, and then she felt it. The crack in her sister's aura, which had remained untainted all this time. "Oh sis..." she murmured softly hugging her tighter, "I had hoped you wouldn't have to experience this pain." She understood all too well...
Eri made a surprised noise and didn't respond right away. She hadn't expected this...but after she got over her shock, she returned the kiss. There were tingling sensations and her body bloomed with warmth she had never experienced before. So this...was what it felt like to kiss? Her first one...it made her happy and she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Raiden grinned as he pulled away a bit, "Sorry...I couldn't help myself..." His tail wrapped around Eri's waist as a rumbling noise emitted from his chest. Torans knew who their mate would be; it was biological. Eri was his mate, and he would not have to leave her behind. They could be together now...
Sarah sniffed and bit her lip as she fought back her tears as she nuzzled her head against her shoulder. She never even had to say anything, Bria just knew. It...actually was something that she was grateful for because Sarah wasn't sure if she had the ability to tell her beloved sister that she had...even though Bria had...It just was too fresh of a wound to talk about now. Pulling away after feeling the Vulcan beside her get fidgety, Sarah gave a small smile before she returned to Kirk and Ayano.
Spock raised a brow, but remained silent as he felt his Bria's thoughts turn negative. Wrapping his arms around her once more, he held her close and in a comforting manner. He sent soft waves of calm and love to her, noting with satisfactions as she relaxed. The Vulcan male continued this as he and the others made their way to the extraction point. She was safe now...safe and in his arms...