Beyond the Sun Chapter 23: If I Die Tomorrow, a star trek: 2009 fanfic

Jeck: We return once again!
Raxsah: Yes, after a long week, we are back. Anyone else feel totally drained?
Jeck: Yes… completely, totally, and utterly.
Raxsah: College is killing us! We need a vacation from school. I haven't had a mental health day in like… ever.
Jeck: You can have a mental health day. I just need a health day. Or like, a health week. Perhaps a month? Pffft, I just want to come home.
Raxsah: Hmm, Well, enough bitching, we have a story to post. And I'm sure our readers don't need our negative Juju coming out of their computer screens.
Jeck: Right, right. Although, I'm pretty sure half the reason that some of these people keep coming back is to see our rants. We're just that awesome.
Raxsah: Hell yeah we're awesome. We're so cool, we make ice cubes jealous!
Jeck: Hmmmm… dirty thoughts involving ice cubes… :3
Raxsah: I'm not even going to go there. Anyway, we have a small warning label on this chapter, due to the Lemon. Also thanks to everyone sticking with us through these long updates. We is very busy.
Jeck: And we apologize in advance for the cliffhanger! :3 … you know, I love how my dirty ice cube thoughts brought on the lemon warning. :D
Raxsah: Yes well… I actually don't have a reply to that. I heard dirty and thought of sex, which made me think of the lemon. Thought process there. Hahahahaaa
Jeck: I wish my thought processes made half as much sense as that. Anyway, here's the next chapter. ENJOY!

Chapter 23: If I Die Tomorrow

"Is he okay?" Alex asked Rupert from his spot next to Oliver at the dinner table. Rupert shrugged.

"I suppose so. I mean, the nightmare seemed pretty intense, but we all have nightmares from time to time," Rupert explained, pushing his empty tray away and picking up his steaming cup of tea. Oliver giggled from his place next to Alex.

"I had a nightmare last night that Mr. Ruffles with pregnant with my child!" He squealed. Rupert and Alex exchanged glances.

"Um, isn't Mr. Ruffles a boy?" Alex asked. Oliver giggled even harder and looked at the two men.

"That's why it was a nightmare, sillies. Besides, Mr. Ruffles can't have babies," Oliver explained. Rupert placed his cup of tea back down on the table and placed his face in his hands.

"This is supposed to be my vacation and I'm still baby-sitting," he mumbled to himself.

"Back to Liam…" Before Rupert could respond to Alex, none other than Liam stepped into the cafeteria.

"Liam is here," he said as he approached the table, catching Alex's last words.

"Good to see you, buddy. How are you doing? Feeling good today?" Alex asked. Liam glanced at Rupert.

"You told him about the nightmares?" Alex crossed his arms as Liam took a seat next to Rupert.

"Why wouldn't he? I'm your friend and I deserve to know too," Alex defended. Liam sighed.

"It's really not a big deal, guys. It was just a nightmare. I went to see McCoy and he told me everything is fine," he explained. Rupert nodded and turned back to his tea, but Alex wasn't convinced.

"You're lying," he stated, pointing an accusing finger at his former lover. Liam raised an eyebrow.

"No, I'm not. Why would you say that?" Liam asked.

"Because, you blink a lot when you lie," Alex reminded him. Everyone turned to look at Liam, even Oliver who normally couldn't care less.

"Mr. Ruffles can cook you up a sleeping pie if you want," Oliver offered. Liam scratched the back of his head and gave him a sheepish grin.

"Thanks Oliver, but I'm fine. McCoy's just kind of a wreck today and he didn't really check me out. But it was just one stupid nightmare, so I don't know why everyone is making a fuss," Liam replied, his tone getting kind of snappy towards the end. Alex shrugged.

"Maybe because people care about you," he countered. Liam stood up from the table.

"I appreciate it, but I'm fine. I'll see you guys later," he snapped as he left the table. Alex sighed.

"Sorry for caring, asshole."

Ryan took a glance at his girlfriend as they ran in step. He was a little surprised that she was hesitant to run, since she was usually the first to suggest working out. He brushed it off and continued to run, making sure he kept his breath even. Anna, however, was having a harder time than she used to. The past month or so she had noticed it had been harder and harder to work out, and couldn't quite catch her breath. She suddenly began to feel light headed and slowed down, causing Ryan to stop.

"Anna, you alright?" he asked. She attempted to take a deep breath and nodded.

"Yeah… just… I'm just… tired," she wheezed. Ryan's eyebrows furrowed in concern and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Babe…" she shook her head and stood up, still wheezing.

"I'm fine. I just need to breathe," she told him. Ryan led her to a bench and they both sat down. He had finally regained his breath and was now focused on her.

"Anna, you're not fine. What's going on?" he asked. She shook her head and put her hand over her heart. This couldn't be happening. He dad said there was only a small chance that this would happen to her, she never thought it actually would.

"I'm fine, Ryan. Just really tired, work has been stressing me out," she said. Ryan didn't look convinced and gently rubbed her back.

"Okay…" She took a couple deep breaths and her wheezing began to calm down. After a little bit her breathing had calmed down a little bit she stood up and Ryan followed her.

"Alright, we should head back to the room," she suggested. Ryan looked down at her and nodded, giving a small smile.

"Anna, you know you can tell me anything… right?" he asked. She paused then nodded.

"I know, I know… I'm fine… really Ryan," she assured him. He nodded and kissed her quickly.

"I love you," he told her. She smiled and kissed him once more.

"I love you too, race you to the room!"

"Do you need some help setting the table?" Claire asked as she pulled the garlic bread out of the oven. Winona shook her head.

"That's why I keep the men around. Jim? Carl? Sam?" After a few minutes, Jim entered the kitchen.

"What's up, mom?" He asked. Winona pointed to the dishes and Jim nodded. Without a word, he gathered plates, silverware, and napkins all for five. Once he was in the dining room, Claire turned to Winona.

"You've got him trained pretty well, don't you?" Winona chuckled as she stirred the pasta sauce, waiting for the noodles to cook.

"It wasn't easy, but he's a good kid," she simply said. Claire nodded as Jim came back in the room.

"I hope you're talking about me," he said with a smile. Winona said nothing and handed him the salad that Claire had spent so much time to prepare earlier.

"Let's see how nice the table looks in about five minutes and then we'll talk," she said. Claire said nothing as she watched the family display before her. Silently, she wished that Ryan and her could have had something similar to what Jim had. Obviously, Carl wasn't the nicest step-dad, but at least they actually sat down at the table for dinner. Normally, her and Ryan would just eat their dinner wherever they wanted to, except for the nights that they didn't even eat at home at all. Ryan was most definitely the greatest brother ever, but even he couldn't make up for the lack of parents that they had.

"Are you okay, Claire?" Claire looked up to see Winona and Jim giving her concerned looks.

"Yeah, I'm great. Dinner ready?" She asked, covering up her deep thoughts with a smile.

"Almost, why don't you take the wine out to the table," Winona suggested. Claire nodded and grabbed the bottle of white wine and walked into the dinning room. She placed the bottle on the table and smiled at her boyfriend, who just walked into the room to bring out a couple of glasses.

"Hey, I feel like I haven't seen you in hours," Jim said, walking up to her and wrapping his arms around her waist. She turned a little red, realizing they were in his parents house.

"You haven't, you've been busy with… family stuff," she muttered. He sighed and kissed her neck and turned her around.

"I know, I'm sorry. At least you got to meet my mom," he pointed out. She nodded and pulled him into a hug.

"It's alright. Believe me, I know how dysfunctional families can be," she confessed. He nodded and raised a hand to her cheek and smiled lightly.

"I love you," he whispered. She smiled and her grey eyes met his bright blue.

"I love you too," she replied. He leaned down and pressed his lips light onto hers, savoring the feeling. Just as he was about the deepen the kiss, someone walked into the room and gave a cat call. Claire immediately pulled away and looked over. Sam simply chuckled and walked into the room a little more.

"Don't stop on my account, I'm sure it's been… what, three hours since you two have fucked?" he asked. Claire turned bright red and ran a hand through her hair.

"Jesus, Sam… go away," Jim snapped. Sam rolled his eyes and looked over at Claire, who was still thoroughly embarrassed. He didn't even hide the fact that he was currently checking her out. Jim clenched his fists and took a small step toward Claire, as if to show his brother that she was his.

"Hmm, obviously I'm not welcome… I should see if mom needs something," Sam said, walking past the two of them and chuckling lightly. Claire raised an eyebrow and turned toward Jim when he left.

"What was that about?" she asked. Jim sighed and shook his head.

"Back before I joined Starfleet, we would… share girlfriends." Claire raised an eyebrow.

"Share? As in…" she trailed off and he nodded. "Ah…"

"That was a long time ago… it's different now," he assured her. She smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Better be," she replied.

"Can I get you anything else?" Ryan asked. Anna sighed.

"No. And I'm not happy that you've been fetching things for me for the past hour. I told you that I'm fine," she snapped. Ryan nodded.

"Sorry, I'm just worried," he explained, taking a seat next to her on their bed. Anna sighed and closed her eyes, resting her head on his shoulders.

"Please don't worry about me," she asked him, almost pleading with him. His behavior was kind of annoying, but it was just how Ryan was. He just wanted to care for her and protect her. But there wasn't anything that he could do to protect her from this. And perhaps it was better for him not to know. As if reading her thoughts, Ryan turned her face so that he could look at her tired brown eyes.

"Asking me to not worry about you is like asking me not to breathe. You and Claire are my everything. And I'm sorry that sometimes it seems like I care more about her, but I don't mean to. She's just my baby sister. And you're… you're my girlfriend who I know could hold her own in any fight and could keep a level head in any situation. But something is bugging you and no matter what it is, I want to know. Perhaps I can't help, but at least I can support you through whatever it is," Ryan babbled, pausing at the end to take a deep breath. For a moment, neither of them said anything. Anna didn't even move from her spot on the bed, his words barely sinking in. After a few minutes, Ryan pulled her closer. "I mean it, babe. It's going to be okay."

"No, it's not," she replied without thinking. Ryan gave her a puzzled look as a few stray tears fell down her face.

"You can tell me, Anna," he whispered to her, gently pressing his lips to her scalp. She sighed and pulled away from Ryan's embrace to look him in his concerned grey eyes. She had to tell him.

"LIAM!" Liam slowly opened his eyes to see Oliver's bright green eyes starring down at him.

"Oliver, what the hell are you doing in my room!" Liam shouted, scooting over to the opposite side of the bed. Oliver choose not to follow him, but instead smiled wider.

"Mr. Ruffles and I could hear you screaming from our room. Did you have another nightmare?" He inquired. Slowly, Liam nodded.

"Yeah, I did…" Oliver shrugged.

"What was it about? Maybe if you talk about it, the nightmares will stop. That's what Mr. Ruffles thinks," Oliver suggested. Liam just shook his head.

"I'm fine, really. You and Mr. Ruffles should head back to sleep in your own room," Liam offered. Oliver shrugged.

"We could, unless you want us to stay. We're good sleepover buddies," Oliver declared with a grin as Liam forced a smile.

"I'm sure you are, but I think I'm good. Thanks anyway." Oliver nodded and left the room. Once he got to the door, he turned to his right.

"Come on, Mr. Ruffles. You can make me some gumbo. I love gumbo at midnight!" Liam ran a hand through his hair as Oliver disappeared out of sight.

"I wonder if I'm still dreaming…"

Anna walked through San Francisco, her boyfriend walking next to her. She stopped to glance at a shopping window and Ryan stopped with her, his hand in hers.

"That's cute… don't you think?" she asked. Ryan shrugged.

"I'm not sure… I don't do the shopping thing," he replied. She laughed and they continued to walk down the street.

"I know, it's something Liam and your sister turned me onto. I never really did shop before I met them," she said. Ryan nodded and turned her toward him, smiling down at her.

"Well, either way, I'm sure the top would look beautiful on you. Just like everything else does," he told her. She chuckled and pulled him close to her, kissing him lightly.

"Annalisa Maria Elena Guadalupe Lopez!" Anna broke away from her boyfriend and turned toward the voice, and her eyes went wide.

"Antonio!" she cried, running away from Ryan and jumping into the mans arms. He laughed and pulled away, smiling down at her.

"Hola hermana, que ha sido demasiado largo!" he said. She chuckled and kissed his cheek.

"What are you doing in San Francisco?" she asked.

"I came to see you. Yet, I find you making out with some random guy," he replied. She rolled her eyes and took a hold of his hand, dragging him to Ryan.

"Antonio, this is Ryan… my boyfriend. Ryan, this Antonio… he is my oldest brother," she introduced. Ryan felt himself go pale and reached his hand out.

"Pleasure to meet you, Anna has told me a lot about you," he said. Antonio raised an eyebrow.

"Same here. Aunque se le olvidó mencionar que eran de raza blanca," he said, finishing in Spanish.

"Qué tiene eso que ver con nada?" she hissed. Antonio shrugged his shoulders and looked back at Ryan.

"Nice to meet you." Ryan nodded and tried to rake his brain for the right words in Spanish.

"Lamento que usted no aprueba," Ryan tried to reply, causing both Anna and Antonio to burst out laughing.

"You mean disappoint, white-boy?" Antonio asked with a wicked grin.

"Leave him alone, Antonio. At least he made an effort," Anna snapped at him, punching him in the shoulder.

"You teaching your man Spanish?" Antonio asked, rubbing his shoulder in pain. Ryan scratch his head in embarrassment.

"I'm picking up things here and there, mostly when Anna yells at me," Ryan explained. Anna turned to him and punched him in the shoulder.

"She's a violent little screamer, isn't she? I'm sure you know all about that though, big man," Antonio replied. Anna threw her arms up in frustration.

"I don't know what's more fun for you two, picking at each other or picking at me!" She snapped. Antonio just smirked at her.

"Papá sabe de él todavía?" He asked. Anna sighed.

"What is your problem with my boyfriend? And yes, dad is aware. I talked to him not too long ago," Anna explained. Antonio's cocky face turned dark as he furrowed his eyebrows.

"So you know about Horatio then." Anna said nothing, but nodded. Ryan shoved his hands into his pockets and watched the scene between the siblings in front of him. He had a little sister, so he understood the big brother tough attitude. Although, it really sucked being on the receiving end of it.

"So Antonio, care to join us for lunch?" Ryan interjected, trying to ease some of the tension between them.

"Yes, I would actually love to. We have a lot to discuss." Anna shot him a look and walked up to Ryan, slipping her hand in his. Antonio just watched the scene and got a sly smile.

"So… where should we eat?" Ryan asked.

"I know a wonderful little Mexican place. They have the best salsa around," Antonio told him.

"I thought you guys were Spanish?" Ryan asked Anna. She chuckled lightly and shook her head.

"We still eat a lot of Mexican food. We do live in California." Ryan nodded and they made their way down the street.

"You in Starfleet as well?" Antonio asked.

"Yes… I'm the Enterprise's Chief of Security," Ryan said proudly. Antonio raised an eyebrow.

"And you are Anna's boss?" he asked. Anna turned toward him and shot a look.

"I know what you are thinking, and no… it's not like that," she snapped. Antonio chuckled lightly and ran a hand over his dark hair.

"Just thought I'd ask. You enjoy working in Starfleet?" He asked.

"I do… it's something I wanted to do since I was a teenager."

"Then why didn't you sigh up earlier? I heard you can do shit like that…" Ryan gave a nod and looked at him.

"I thought about it, but I had things to take care of at home," Ryan confessed.

"What, like a girlfriend?" Antonio asked, a few chuckles escaping his lips.

"No… I had to take care of my sister." Antonio frowned and looked at the man.

"I didn't know… that is very honorable of you," he said. Ryan shrugged and looked at Anna, who was looking up at him.

"I did what I had to do."

Claire walked into the kitchen where Winona was washing dishes, and placed her own down.

"Here, I'll do it," she offered.

"I don't mind honey," Winona said. Claire shrugged and offered her a smile.

"You made dinner, it's the least I could do," she said. Winona smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you dear… I better try and break up the fight anyway," she said. Claire nodded and watched her leave the room and head toward the living room, where Jim and Carl were fighting, again. She wasn't sure how it happened, but in the middle of dinner, Carl said something to Jim, which caused him to stand up and leave the table. Carl followed him and a fight was soon heard through the house.

She turned to the sink and began the dishes, and ignored the two men. Winona had assured her that this didn't happen on a daily basis, but it was only happening because Jim hadn't been home in so long. She heard a dish clank into the sink and she turned to see Sam standing next to her.

"Need a hand?" He asked, flashing her a cocky grin. Claire nodded and passed him a clean dish.

"Here," she said.

"Much appreciated. So you love my brother?" Sam asked as he began toweling down the wet plate. Claire momentarily paused before rinsing out a pot.

"I do. You seem to be pretty straight to the point, just like Jim," Claire stated. Sam chuckled.

"He's more like me. I'm the oldest, so I had the traits first,"

"That's not necessarily true. I'm younger than my brother, Ryan, but when we were younger, he was really shy and withdrawn. When I started becoming a bit outgoing, he did as well," Claire explained. Sam nodded and shrugged.

"Touché, Ms. Conaway." For the next couple of minutes, Claire continued washing the dishes with a small smile on her face. She always enjoyed being right and proving Sam wrong did nothing, but fuel her competitive nature.

"So, should we be expecting a baby Kirk/Conaway anytime soon?" Without thinking, Claire dropped the glass she was washing on the floor.

"What?"

"Liam, why are you in my office again?" McCoy asked. Liam unconsciously rubbed his elbow and sighed.

"I had the nightmare again and I'm losing a lot of sleep," Liam explained. McCoy, who was once again face down on his desk, looked up with his usual glare.

"It's a nightmare, boy. Man up. If worse comes to worse, go talk to a Starfleet consular," he snapped.

"Why are you so… bitchy lately?" Liam asked.

"My wife is on my ass about the damn divorce and won't let me see my kid. What's your excuse?" he asked. Liam was silent for a moment before sighing and sitting down.

"Please… I don't know what to do. Can you just… give me a hand?" he asked. McCoy sighed and wrote him a prescription.

"This will help for a couple of days… but you should see someone about this," he said. Liam nodded and took the prescription.

"Thank you," he said. McCoy nodded and went back to work. Liam took the prescription and walked out of the office, almost running into Alex on the way out.

"Sorry," Alex said. Liam shrugged.

"No big deal… what are you here to see McCoy for?" he asked.

"Oh… some lady is at the front desk giving everyone a hard time, saying she needs to see him. I was sent to go get him," he replied. Liam nodded and they stood in silence for a moment.

"So… I should go get this prescription filled out," he said.

"A prescription for what?" Alex asked.

"Oh… sleeping medication. To help me sleep," Liam replied. Alex frowned and looked at his former boyfriend.

"Be careful with that, Claire almost got hooked on those things," he reminded him. Liam nodded and looked down.

"I'll be fine… you don't have to worry about me so much," he said.

"I'm sorry… I can't help it. I don't want to see you hurt," he confessed. Liam shot him a look, but Alex just ignored it.

"I'll be fine, it's just a couple of dreams," he confessed. Alex reached out and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Look, You should really find help. I'm saying this to you as your friend, not your ex-lover. Please… be careful." Liam nodded and walked out the door.

"So… how did you two meet?" Antonio asked, taking a sip of his iced tea.

"Ryan was Chief of Security, and he stopped a fight between me and another officer." Antonio chuckled and shook his head.

"Always the little fighter, huh Anna?" she rolled her eyes and took a bite of her taco.

"Yeah, ever since that she's been one of the top security officers on the ship. She's really impressive," Ryan said.

"I'm sure she is. Anna always was an overachiever." Anna blushed and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah well, I was very competitive, growing up with six brothers," she said. Antonio chuckled and nodded.

"I guess you had to be. How many siblings do you have?" Antonio asked.

"Just my sister… she's in Starfleet as well." Antonio nodded.

"Is she hot?" Anna glared at him and punched him.

"Antonio Rodriguez Pablo Jorge Lopez!" Ryan felt his eye twitch at the comment, but merely bit his tongue and thought about his next words carefully.

"I wouldn't know, I don't look at her that way, but she's taken so it doesn't matter," he said slowly, still fighting for the right words. Anna sent him a small proud smile and turned back to her taco. Antonio shrugged, infuriating Ryan even more. At that moment, his distaste for James T. Kirk lessened and he was actually glad that Claire was with him.

"Doesn't matter anyway, Juanita and I are getting married in the middle of fall. I'm off limits," he said with a cocky smile. Anna quickly dropped her taco and wiped at her mouth with her napkin.

"You two tied the knot?" She asked, trying to swallow her food as fast as she could. If it was possibly, it appeared as if Antonio's smile widened even more.

"About time, right? I was saving up for her ring and popped the question last month," he explained. Anna practically dove over the table and tackled her brother in a hug.

"I'm so happy for you!" She squealed out. Ryan placed his burrito back down on his plate and reached across the table.

"Congratulations," he said, holding out his hand for a handshake. Antonio merely nodded at it and looked Ryan in the eyes.

"So, you planning on popping the question to Anna anytime soon?" Anna turned to look at her boyfriend to find that all of the color in his face had drained away.

"Uh… I-I… um…" Antonio chuckled as Anna returned to her seat.

"It's kind of soon for us, hermano mayor. We don't want to rush into anything," she explained calmly. Ryan merely nodded, his face still as white as a ghost.

"You don't know how much time you've got left, hermanita," Antonio reminded her. Anna shoved her face in her hands as Ryan scooted his chair closer to her and wrap an arm around her.

"I was really hoping you wouldn't bring that up…" Anna mumbled. Antonio looked from Anna to Ryan and then back to his sister.

"Did you tell him yet?" Anna said nothing, so Ryan nodded.

"She told me about it last night," he replied. Antonio nodded as he also scooted his chair closer to his sister.

"The family has a history of cardiomyopathy. Our younger brother was just diagnosed with it, so my father asked Anna to go to sickbay and get checked out," Antonio explained. Ryan nodded as he looked down at his girlfriend.

"She told me. She asked McCoy to check her out and then keep it a secret. She needs a new heart," he stated. Anna couldn't hide her tears any longer as she let them flow. Both men pulled her close and held on tight. For the first time that day, Ryan felt a small connection to Antonio. They might not have liked each other all that much, but they both cared about Anna.

"You going to stick around then?" Antonio asked. The cocky tone was still in his voice, but his eyes were cold and serious.

"Of course. I wouldn't still be here if I wasn't going to," he replied. The arrogant and cocky look on Antonio's face disappeared as Anna continued to let the tears fall.

"Good, because otherwise I'd have to kick your ass," he replied with a genuine smile. Not knowing what else to say, Ryan just smiled back.

Liam frowned as he saw one of the assignments he was supposed to take care of soon. He picked up the data pad and walked into McCoy's office, frowning at the older doctor.

"Doctor McCoy… I just saw the new assignment, and I saw that Anna Lopez is on the list for a heart transplant," He said. McCoy nodded and looked up from his computer.

"Yes, I am aware," he said. Liam was relieved to see the doctor was not drunk, nor hung over.

"Well… why? If her heart is damaged then shouldn't we just be able to go in and repair it?" he asked. McCoy shook his head.

"She's been ignoring it for the past year or so, only recently has it effected her life. We didn't catch it till recently. Her heart is too damaged to repair. I'm surprised she's doing as well as she is." Liam frowned and gave a heavy sigh.

"You think she'll die? I don't think Ryan would make it if she died," Liam pointed out. McCoy pressed his lips together and leaned forward.

"I don't know. You can never tell with these things, you just have to try your hardest," he said. Liam nodded and looked down at his chart.

"This isn't going to be easy. I've never done a transplant. I'm not even that skilled of a surgeon," McCoy nodded and stood up.

"Claire will be there to help you." Liam raised an eyebrow.

"She's never done a transplant, how could she know?"

"I've had her do a couple of simulations, she should be fine. I'll be there for the hardest part, not to mention we'll have a couple of specialists. You will do just fine," he assured him. Liam nodded but frowned slightly.

"Doctor McCoy… Anna… she's my friend. I don't know if I should do this…" McCoy gave a nod and walked up to him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Doctor Peterson… you might think you are a general doctor, but you were meant for cardio. Ensign Lopez asked for you specifically." Liam nodded and looked down.

"Thank you doctor McCoy, I should probably do some research," Liam said. McCoy nodded his head and sat back at his desk.

"Remember I need someone to cover the academy sickbay tonight, since Claire is not available, I need you and Chambers to do it," he said. Liam nodded.

"Yes sir."

The sun shone through the baby blue curtains hanging on the window and Claire groaned in protest of getting up. For a guest bed, it was one of the comfiest beds she'd ever had the pleasure of sleeping in. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd slept that well without sleeping in Jim's arms.

"Clare dear, are you awake?" Claire recognized the voice immediately as Winona and shot up in bed.

"I just woke up," she called back, glancing over to the side table to see the clock blinking 8:01 back at her.

"Good, I'll have breakfast ready in about twenty-nine minutes," Winona told her before her footsteps began to fade down the hall. Claire smiled at how timely Jim's mother was before dragging herself out of bed and over to her suitcase. Winona insisted that she should unpack her stuff into the dresser drawers, but Claire preferred wearing her clothes straight from her bag. Just as she grabbed the hem of her navy blue tee-shirt, at knock fell upon the door.

"Who is it?" Claire called out, letting go of her shirt. Instead of an answer, the door opened slightly and Jim poked his head in.

"Morning, babe," he said with a smile. Claire rolled her eyes.

"I could have been in the middle of changing," she snapped playfully. Jim merely gave her a wicked smile.

"That's exactly what I was hoping for," he told her in a sly voice. Before Claire could respond, Jim's head was yanked out of the door and the similar face of Sam replaced it.

"I'll take Jimmy downstairs and let you get changed. If he wanted some action, he should have snuck in last night," Sam said with a sneer. Claire said nothing as the door closed and the sound of the bickering brothers echoed through the hall. Claire sighed before crossing the room and locking the door. For a moment, Claire thanked the heavens for bringing her into this world as a girl, not a boy. Her and Ryan probably wouldn't have made it as far as they have if they were both boys.

She quickly slipped off her pajama shirt off and placed a bra on before anyone else interrupted. Once she was changed into her jeans and navy blue tee-shirt. Debated on tying her hair back, but thought better of it when she realized it was just going to fall out anyway.

"Ugh, stupid short hair," she muttered, running a hand through it. Jim might have liked it, but she hated it.

"Claire, breakfast is ready. You should probably come down and eat before the boys eat it all," Winona said. Claire nodded and walked to the door and opened it.

"Sorry, I was fussing with my hair," she confessed. Winona chuckled and walked with her downstairs and to the kitchen table.

"Well, it looks fine in my opinion," Winona told her. Claire chuckled lightly and sat down at the table. Jim looked up from his plate of food next to him and smiled at his girlfriend.

"You sleep well?" he asked. She nodded and took the plate from Winona.

"Yeah, that guest bed is very comfortable. Better than the ones on the ship," she said. Jim shot her a look and chuckled lightly.

"Well, it doesn't hurt to sleep in a nice warm bed every now and then," Winona told her, sitting next to her husband.

"I'm sure she has no problem finding a warm bed," Sam commented. Claire turned bright red and took a long sip of her coffee, while Jim shot his older brother a look.

"Sam, that was uncalled for," Carl snapped. Sam rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. You two should hit the local bar with me tonight. Get out of this place for a couple of hours," Sam said. Claire went to answer but Jim cut her off.

"We have plans," he said. Claire turned toward him and raised an eyebrow.

"We do?" she asked. He smiled and nodded.

"Yes, we do. Don't worry about it," he said. Claire paused and pressed her lips together, realizing this was another one of his surprises. Winona looked at the two of them together before chuckling lightly and taking a bite of her bacon.

"Jim, maybe you could show Claire the barn later. Have you ever been on a ranch or on a farm before?" Winona asked. Claire turned light pink and shook her head.

"No Ma'am, I'm from the city," she confessed.

"Which city?" Carl asked, speaking to her for the first time.

"New York, sir…" Sam's head perked up a bit.

"Really? Were you one of those girls who had to work to pay rent before entering Starfleet. I met a girl who had to do something like that. She's a hooker now," Sam said.

"Sam!" Winona snapped. Claire shook her head and let her fingers trace over her coffee cup.

"Uh… no… I was pretty well off. My parents did pretty well in the business department," she told him. Jim cleared his throat and tried to change the subject. The last thing Claire wanted to talk about was her family, and he didn't want to make her more uncomfortable than she had to be.

"I'll take her to the barn later, we should probably finish eating breakfast first," Jim said, shooting Claire and appreciative look.

"That sounds like good idea," Winona agreed, passing more eggs around the table.

"Don't do anything nasty with your bitch in my barn. I won't stand for it!" Carl snapped, grabbing his plate and raising from the table.

"Carl! Come sit back down with the family!" Winona ordered, but Carl rounded on her.

"These people are not my family. Sam is a fucking man-whore and Jim brought his rich bitch to a fucking farm," Carl snapped, tossing his plate against the wall and heading into the kitchen, probably to grab another beer.

"I love how it's not even nine yet and he's already drinking himself into a coma," Sam mumbled. Winona sighed and turned to Claire, grabbing her hand.

"I'm so sorry that you have to see this, honey," she apologized, releasing Claire's hand and going to clean up the mess. Before she could get to the broken glass, but Jim rose from his seat and put his hand out.

"I'll take care of it, mom."

"Liam?" For what felt like the millionth time, Liam arose from yet another troubling nightmare. However, it was Alex who was there to wake him from his slumber.

"Alex?" Liam rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Alex nodded and took a seat next to Liam on the bed.

"Yeah, I know normally Rupert or Oliver come to check on you, but McCoy asked me to come check out your vitals," Alex explained, pulling his scanner out. Liam nodded as he let out a heavy sigh.

"This is the fifth night in a row I've had these stupid goddamn nightmares," Liam mumbled as Alex ran the scanner across his body. Liam regretted going to bed without his shirt because of the heat. He swore his heart stopped when Alex's knuckle accidentally brushed against his chest, his very exposed chest.

"Nothing out of the ordinary. Your pulse is accelerated, but you're fine otherwise," Alex told him, looking over the scanner's readings. Liam nodded.

"That doesn't surprise me," he mumbled. Alex sighed as he put his scanner away.

"Until the nightmares stop, McCoy told you to take a vacation. He doesn't want you coming to work exhausted," Alex told him. Liam grunted and fell back into his pillow.

"Fuck, this is ruining my life!" He muttered, his eyes still snapped shut.

"Have you tried talking to someone yet?" Alex asked.

"No, I don't think it's a big deal," he replied, sitting up in bed and starring at Alex.

"It obviously is since McCoy's sleeping pills didn't work at all," he replied. Liam shrugged.

"It's still so stupid," he said, placing his face in his hands. Alex gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder.

"If you don't want to talk to a ship's consular, I'm here for you too," Alex suggested.

"Thanks," Liam replied, looking down and fiddling with his sheet. The two of them were alone in his room and here Alex was, trying to help him. Without thinking, he moved forward and pressed his lips against his ex-boyfriend's. Alex froze for a moment but kissed back, enjoying the feeling of Liam's lips against his. He instinctively moved forward and pinned Liam to the bed, Liam simply moaned into his mouth and ran his hands through Alex's hair. Alex groaned and instantly ran his hand down Liam's toned chest, causing his ex-boyfriend to arch his back.

"Alex," Liam moaned. Alex leaned down and placed his lips on Liam's sweet spot and began to suck gently. Liam shivered and reached his hands up to lift up Alex's shirt. Alex complied and leaned back down to meet Liam's lips. Liam met the feverish kiss and reached down to Alex's pants, only to give a moan of disappointment when Alex pulled away.

"Liam, wait…" he said, pulling away. Liam just grabbed the back of his head and pulled his lips back to his and flipped them.

"We'll deal with the repercussions later," he whispered huskily and reached for his former boyfriend's pants.

Anna gave a content sigh as she cuddled into her boyfriends warmth. They were both enjoying the feeling of being close with her boyfriend and not having a care in the world. Ryan pulled her closer and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"You comfortable?" Ryan asked. Anna nodded and closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of being safe in Ryan's arms.

"I am very comfortable, but very tired too," she told him. He frowned slightly after looking at the clock and realized she hadn't been up for very long after sleeping in till two.

"I'm glad your comfortable," he said, pulling her close. She nodded and snuggled closer, enjoying the scent of his cologne. Ryan leaned down and placed another sensual kiss on her forehead.

"Ryan, what are you doing?" Anna asked as his fingers played with the buttons on her light purple blouse. Ryan shrugged as he buried his face in her neck, tenderly kissing one of her most sensitive spots. Anna moaned at the feeling as a wave of heat came over her and was channeled in between her legs. Upon hearing her moan, Ryan moved so he was on top of her, pinning her against the bed as his hand began to slowly undo her buttons. He looked up to see Anna's reaction and noticed her breathing had sped up at an alarming rate, more so than usual.

"Are you alright?" He asking, forcing himself off of his girlfriend, but Anna grabbed his collar and pulled him back down.

"I'm… fine… let's keep going," she said between breaths. Ryan thought perhaps she was lying, but the painful throbbing from his crotch was silently clouding his thought process. He wasted no time in dipping down and capturing her lips, running his tongue across her lips, begging for entrance. Anna obliged and the battle for dominance began. Almost as soon as it started, Anna pulled away wheezing for air.

"Anna!" Ryan pulled away once again as Anna shot up in bed.

"Can't… breathe…" Ryan tugged Anna towards the side of the bed. He gently forced her to lean forward and put her head below her heart to help her catch her breath.

"Any better?" Anna nodded as her breathing slowed.

"Yeah, I think so. I'm kind of dizzy though," she replied. Ryan nodded as she eased herself back on the bed.

"Okay, that's fine. Why don't you try to get some more rest?" Ryan suggested. Anna nodded, but her focus was drawn to his crotch.

"What about you?" She asked, gesturing to the tent in his pants. Ryan shifted uncomfortably, but shook his head.

"Don't worry about it, I'll take care of it. Just get some rest," he told her. She frowned and placed her hand on his cheek.

"Ryan, I'm sorry," she whispered. Ryan shook his head and kissed her gently.

"Don't be sorry. You can't help it," he said. She frowned and pressed her forehead against his.

"I can, I should have taken care of this earlier. I'm so sorry," She whispered. Ryan pulled her onto his lap, his boner now gone.

"Anna, it's alright. Just calm down, it's going to be okay," he whispered. Anna simply frowned and let a few tears fall down her cheeks. Ryan wiped them away and kissed her forehead.

"I need to take care of this, now," she told him. He nodded and pulled her closer.

"You just have to wait for Claire to come back, and then they medical team will take care of everything. I promise."

"You pack your bag?" Jim asked, walking into the room. Claire nodded and grabbed the backpack.

"Yes, though I don't understand why. Where are we going for a night that I'll need to pack?" she asked. Jim smiled slyly and took a hold of her hand.

"You'll see… it's a surprise," he told her. Claire scrunched her nose and pouted her lips.

"I-"

"Hate surprises… I know, But I love surprising you." She rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Fine. We're not leaving on the bike, are we?" she asked. He laughed and pulled her closer.

"No…we're not. I would tell you if we were." She nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Are you going to be a sickly sweet romantic again?" she asked. He smiled and let his forehead rest on hers.

"You don't like me being romantic?" he asked.

"I do, I just never pictured you for the romantic type," she confessed.

"Me neither… I like impressing you though. It helps my ego." She laughed and let her fingers run through his hair.

"Well, as long as it helps your ego," she said softly. He nodded and leaned in to press his lips onto hers. The kiss was short and sweet, but we enough to keep them both wanting more. A couple days and almost a month of no sex was taking it's toll on both of them.

"Come on, we better get going," he said. She nodded and took his hand, walking out of the room and down the stairs.

"Are you two leaving?" Winona asked. Jim turned to her and smiled.

"Just for the night, we'll be back tomorrow." Winona nodded and gave him a knowing look.

"Be careful now…" He chuckled and nodded.

"Don't wait up!" Claire rolled her eyes and followed him out into the back yard and to the barn, where she stopped in front of the door and raised an eyebrow.

"What are we doing?" she asked.

"Riding a horse," he stated, as if it was the most obvious thing ever.

"Really? To where?" she asked.

"That's for me to know, and you to know later," he told her, taking her hand and leading her into the barn. Claire laughed lightly and let him lead her to a white horse, with a grey spots around it's eyes and other places on his fur. It was already saddled up, and looked ready to go.

"He's beautiful," she whispered. Jim nodded and looked down at her.

"Do you know how to ride a horse?" he asked. She paused and then smiled widely.

"I do, actually… my parents signed me up for lessons when I was younger. I know the basics," she told him. He smiled and walked over to his own dark brown horse.

"Alright then, just follow me, and don't get lost," he said. She nodded and pulled herself up onto the white stallion. After a minute of getting adjusted, she turned to him and smiled.

"Well… lead away farm boy," she joked. He chuckled and led his horse forward.

"Keep up, city girl."

"Is everything going according to plan?" Griffin looked up as Riley walked into the room.

"So far, so good," he replied nonchalantly. Riley crossed the room and towered above his accomplice.

"Do you have the timeline worked out?" He asked in a stern voice. Griffin nodded and showed him the plan he just drew up. Riley looked over the plan, allowing his eyes scan a few interesting parts.

"Good, good. We're just missing one piece," Riley informed him. Griffin nodded and leaned back in his chair.

"I'm aware. I had a few ideas, but I wanted to discuss them with you first," he explained. Before Riley could press Griffin for his ideas, the door to the planning room swung open and Nuhir entered the room.

"Captain, I need to speak with you immediately," he said quickly, stopping their conversation in it's tracks.

"Quickly, Nuhir. I'm having an important conversation right now," Riley snapped. Nuhir nodded and held a piece of paper out.

"Sir, I believe I've come up with a better plan. A fully developed plan that has a ninety-eight percent chance of working. That's a whole five percent higher than Lieutenant Commander Griffin's plan," he informed them. Griffin narrowed his eyes at the Romulan before turning back to Riley.

"What do you think?" Riley didn't answer him right away, but instead looked over Nuhir's plan with thorough eyes. After a few minutes of scanning the plan, Riley looked up.

"I believe that this just might be the plan we've been looking for. Nuhir, this is pure genius," Riley said, proudly slapping the man on the shoulder. Nuhir felt the corners of his mouth twitch into a wicked sneer.

"I just want to please you, captain," Nuhir told him. Griffin felt his anger slowly begin to rise, but ignored it. If he lost his temper, there would be hell to pay. In the short amount of time that Griffin had known him, Riley was a broken man going down a twisted road and no one was going to get in his way of revenge. Riley turned to Griffin and handed him the piece of paper.

"I want you to study this tonight. Tomorrow, we're going to start putting this plan into action," he order. Griffin nodded, but noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Nuhir was glaring hard at Griffin; his beady little Romulan eyes seemed to pierce right through Griffin's skull.

"What about me, captain?" Nuhir asked, wiping the glare off his face as Riley turned to face him.

"Take the night off," Riley order. Reluctantly, Nuhir nodded and backed out of the room. Riley then turned back to Griffin.

"He's a little suck up, but the man had a good idea," Riley explained. Griffin said nothing as Riley walked out of the room.

Alex gave a yawn as he felt himself emerge from sleep, though the moment they did, he wished he was back asleep. He felt like he had one hour of sleep, and like someone stuck a cucumber up his ass. He rolled over on his side and paused when he felt a warm body right in front of him. It was then the memories of the night before resurfaced and he shot out of bed.

"Fuck," he whispered. The sudden noise caused Liam to jump and he turned toward Alex, his eyes growing wide and his face turning red.

"Oh my God," he muttered. Alex quickly turned around and grabbed his boxers and pants and pulled them up to cover himself.

"Shit, Liam… I'm so sorry," Alex said, not bothering to face him. Liam buried his face in his hands and tried to think what could have caused him to act like this.

"Fuck… what were we thinking?" Liam asked. Alex gave a light cough and began to search around for his shirt.

"We weren't obviously…" Alex said. Liam got out of bed and quickly pulled up his boxers before Alex saw anything, not that it wouldn't have been the first time.

"So… are you going to get in trouble. I know you were supposed to be working for McCoy last night." Alex shrugged.

"No clue… I should probably check in. Liam, I really am so sorry," he muttered. Liam shook his head.

"It takes two people to have sex, it wasn't just your fault," he replied. Alex nodded and tried to keep his mind clean of any dirty thoughts about the half naked man in front of him, searching around for his pants.

"That's funny, that's the same thing I said to Claire after we…" The room went deathly silent as Alex realized what he had just said as Liam narrowed his eyes at the man.

"Did you really just say that?" Liam snapped, crossing his arms.

"Liam, you must know by now that my foot pretty much lives in my mouth at this point," Alex said in his defense, but Liam's angry look didn't even waver.

"Alex, get out," Liam snapped. Alex opened his mouth to try to talk Liam down, but he wouldn't here it. He wasted no time in shoving the doctor out of his room and slamming the door behind him. Alex sighed and turned to make his way back to his room. Just as he was about five feet away from Liam's room, he paused and cursed.

"Fuck, I left my socks and shoes in there."

Ryan finished packing his suitcase and turned around to Anna who was laying down on the bed. A washcloth was resting on her forehead and her eyes were closed. Ryan got up from the floor and crossed the room to sit next to her on the bed.

"Are you ready, babe?" He asked, shaking her gently. Anna jumped slightly as she came to her senses.

"I think so, the dizzy spell just passed," she replied, slowly sitting up in bed. Ryan held her arm to steady her as she turned to the side of the bed and rose to her feet. Ryan walked around behind her and pulled her close.

"I know that past couple of days have been pretty rough, but we're going to get you back to the Enterprise and get you taken care of, Anna," he promised as she leaned into his embrace.

"Yeah, but even then it's only temporary. Claire and Jim don't come back from Iowa for another two days." Ryan sighed and brushed some of her hair out of her face.

"Just a few more days, then everything will be alright. I promise," he told her.

"How do you know that?" she asked.

"Because you have the best doctors in Starfleet taking care of you, and I won't let anything happen. I'll make sure you are safe," he whispered.

"I don't think you can take care of this, Ryan," she muttered. Ryan frowned and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"I can sure as hell try."

Kirk/Claire Lemon

"How much further?" Claire asked, taking a look up at the sky. Jim paused and shrugged his shoulders.

"Not much further, why?" he inquired. Claire shrugged.

"It's getting a little dark, and I still have no idea where we are going, or why we are here," she told him. He laughed and paused, glancing at an area in front of him. He then smiled and turned toward her.

"You see that small group of tree's up ahead?" Jim asked. Claire squinted but eventually saw it.

"Yeah… why?" she asked.

"I'll race you to it." She laughed and shot him a look, but inched her horse forward.

"Beat you there!" she shouted, rushing him forward and passing him by. Jim laughed and followed after her. Claire couldn't help the giggles that escaped her lips as she felt the freedom of moving with her horse to the small group of trees. Eventually they reached the trees and she turned toward him just as he jumped off his horse and turned toward her.

"I think I totally won," she told him, letting her hands brush over the horses mane. Jim walked up to her and held his arms out to help her down from her horse.

"You did win, would you like your prize?" he asked. She slid off her horse and into his arms, enjoying the feeling of being so close to him.

"Hmm… depends on who is giving it," she told him slyly. He chuckled and placed his hand on her cheek and leaned down, kissing her deeply. She sighed in content and pulled away.

"Well, I believe I have a dinner for us," he said, taking her hand and leading her away from the horses.

"You do?" Jim nodded and took her through the tree's, pausing when they reached the break in the forest. Claire's eyes went wide when she saw a small lake in front of them, and a blanket and basket not too far.

"Dinner is served," he told her. Claire smiled and took his hand and leaned against him. She sighed and looked up at him.

"Thank you, this is so sweet," she told him. He nodded and kissed her temple.

"You're welcome. Thank you for coming to meet my family," he whispered. She smiled and let him lead her to the blanket.

"So, what do we have for dinner?" she asked. Jim sat down and pulled her down next to him.

"A couple of plates of shrimp and pasta. My mom took the left over pasta, and I found the shrimp," Jim told her. She smiled and took the plate from him.

"You sound so proud of yourself," she commented. He laughed and poured her a glass of wine. The two of them ate dinner with light conversation and ended with a small toast.

"To… meeting families for the first time," Jim said. Claire chuckled and lightly tapped his glass

"Sounds good to me," she replied. She took a sip of her wine and laid back on the blanket and took a look at the dark Iowa sky. Jim moved a few things out of the way and laid down next to her. She put her glass down and moved so she was resting against him, causing him to wrap and arm around her.

"God, it feels good to have a moment alone," he whispered. She nodded and let her hand tangle in his.

"Yeah, no parents to walk in, nor brothers to interrupt," she agreed.

"That's true on both accounts," he pointed out. Claire chuckled and turned toward him, her body moving closer to him.

"I'm glad I met your family though." He smiled and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer.

"I'm glad you did too… I really don't want to talk about our families at the moment though," he whispered, rolling so he was on top of her. She smiled and let her hands run through his hair.

"Really, what would you like to talk about?" she asked softly. He smirked and leaned down, pressing his lips onto hers. They moved their lips together in sync before he pulled away and leaned down to press his lips onto her neck.

"I don't want to talk," he growled, his hand reaching up her shirt to gently cup her breast. Claire moaned in response and arched her back. She quickly reached down and pulled his shirt over his head, running her manicured nails down his chest in the process. Jim groaned and pulled her own shirt off and kissed down her body to the hem of her jeans. Before he could go further, Claire pulled his head up and kissed him feverishly, pulling away and kissed his lips sensually before pulling away to look in his eyes.

"I love you," she breathed, kissing him deeply and wrapping her legs around his waist and pulled herself closer to him. Jim groaned at her pushing her pelvis into his and broke away from the kiss.

"I love you too," he replied in a throaty voice. His fingers fumbled slightly with her light blue lacy bra, but he quickly undid the clasp and the bra fell away, revealing her B cup breasts.

"A little trouble there, Jim?" Claire asked in a breathless voice as Jim leaned down to take her left nipple in his mouth. He didn't reply, but she could feel him smile into her chest as he ran his tongue over her increasingly hard nipple. Claire moaned and gripped the blanket they were laying on as one of Jim's free hands moved down to the button of her jeans. Teasingly, he dipped his finger into the waistband of her jeans and traced random little shapes on her lower stomach. Claire released her grip on the blanket and moved her hands to his back. She raked her nails down his back, causing him to groan in response as his back twitched at the touch.

"I almost forgot how sensitive your back was," she chuckled. Jim pulled away from her chest and focused his hands attention on unbuttoning the thick denim separating him from his goal as he starred at her in the eyes. The lustful blue met the playful grey as the button snapped off and her zipper was down before she even realized it. Her jeans soon joined the rest of their clothes on the floor and all that was left was her cotton panties.

"You've found my sensitive spot, so let's see if I can find your's," he whispered, thrusting his hips forward into the thin layer of her panties. Claire bit her lip as she let her head roll back, trying not to cry out in pure ecstasy. He smirked and rammed his hips into hers once more, making her grip on his back tighten, leaving a couple of marks in his skin. His lips found a sweet spot on her collar bone and lightly bit down, causing her to moan in pleasure.

Not being able to take anymore, she reached down and un-zipped his jeans, helping him pull his jeans and boxers down. Jim chuckled and reached his hand down toward her womanhood and circled his fingers around her center, causing her to stifle a moan. His mouth traveled down and rested on her overly sensitive nipples as his fingers passed her panties and enter slowly. At this, she couldn't hold back the moan as she lightly thrusted her hips into his hand.

"J-J-Jim, please…" she pleaded. He nodded and pulled her panties down, leaving her naked to the night air, and him. He positioned himself on top of her and leaned down to kiss her deeply, his tongue entering her mouth and taking in her taste. While in the middle of their battle of tongues, Jim took the time to enter her painstakingly slow, causing Claire to cry out into his mouth.

Jim let out a low groan as he was still for a moment, letting her get used to him. After a couple of minutes he slowly began to move, getting up to a pace suitable for the both of them. Claire ran her hands through his hair and pulled him close to crash her lips onto hers. Jim responded immediately and began to go harder and faster. Claire stifled a moan as she worked to keep up. Jim smirked at the fact her body was writhing in pleasure, and pulled out almost completely, only to slam right back into her.

"Oh, Fuck!" Claire shouted, a moan escaping her lips as a wave of pleasure rippled through her body. Jim smirked and repeated the action.

"That's what I'm doing," he replied. Claire growled and wrapped her legs around him, forcing him to go deeper into her. "Shit!" Jim groaned. Claire smirked and repeated the action, feeling the pressure in her lower body beginning to increase as they sped up. Sweat rolled off their bodies, and Claire was thankful they were on a blanket.

Her mind focused back on him when she felt him suddenly slow down the pace, causing her to give a groan of frustration.

"What… what are you doing?" she groaned. He kissed down her neck and left a small bite mark on her breast before pulling away to look at her.

"Teasing," he confessed, a sly smile on his lips. She glared at him and tried to speed up the pace, only to have his hands grasp her waist and control the speed himself.

"Oh God, you jerk," she hissed. Jim laughed and went a little faster, but still slow enough to drive her crazy. He leaned down and kissed her deeply, his tongue lightly flicking hers. Claire moaned at the sensation and tried to increase their speed, but Jim was having too much fun making her writhe under him. In an effort to convince him to pick up the pace, she used her legs to pull him closer and pulled him as deep as he could go.

"Shit!" he hissed into her mouth. He pulled away and buried his face in her chest.

"Still feel like teasing, James?" she asked, a smirk now on her lips. He growled and began working up to their previous pace, his lips making their way to her breasts and let his tongue tend to them. Claire let out a loud moan as the pressure in her lower abdomen came back and they moved against each other quicker. Their breath became labored as they both came closer to their release, and soon is was too much for Claire to handle.

"Jim!" she cried, arching her back and digging her nails into his back. He groaned as he felt her walls clench around him, and shot his seed deep into her core.

"Claire," he groaned, his voice low and almost animalistic. He gave a few more thrusts before falling limp on top of her. Both of them began to regain their breath, and Jim gently kissed her neck.

"I love you, Claire…" he whispered. She smiled and kissed the top of his sweaty head.

"I love you too."

Alex wanted nothing more than to go hand to hand with a Klingon warrior than be working in sickbay, alone. Of course Jim and Claire got a few extra days for their leave, but everyone else was back to work. With the exception of Liam, of course, although McCoy informed him that Liam had a good night's sleep.

"You seem glum, chum," Spike said in a sing-song voice as Alex went through the patient charts for the day.

"Get to work, Spike. I'm not in the mood at all," Alex snapped as he pulled out Anna's chart. His eyes scanned over the report as Spike eyed Alex up and down.

"You look like you got some," he stated. Alex looked up from the report and glared at the British player.

"What part of shut up didn't you understand." For a moment, no one said anything. Alex turned back to Anna's report and tried to make sense of everything.

"Oh, but you didn't tell me to shut up, you told me to get to work. I can talk and work at the same time," Spike stated after a minute, recalling Alex's exact words. Alex dropped Anna's chart and turned to face the grinning blonde Brit.

"Spike, I don't want to hear your voice for the next eight hour shift," he shouted, causing Spike to flinch. Again, not a word was said. Alex debated on reading more of Anna's chart, but decided he'd just ask Ryan later. Spike disappeared around the corner, but was back to annoy in less than thirty seconds.

"Aren't you working a forty-eight hour ship today as punishment for skipping work and sleeping with your ex?" He asked. Alex's left eye twitched and he gripped the edge of his shirt so as not to strangle the intern before him.

"And you have an eight hour shift today. Work, now," he ordered, his knuckles turning white. Spike stuck his tongue out, but returned back to his post. Alex grunted angrily and leaned against a nearby table.

"Why does all the shit in my life happen at one time?"

Anna slowly made her way into the sickbay and gave a heavy sigh. She was not used to being in her, and especially being a patient in here. The fact that she was checking herself in, just made that fact more and awkward.

"Anna, there you are," Liam said upon seeing her. Anna smiled and walked over to him.

"Hey… do I get my own bed?" she asked. Liam chuckled and nodded.

"Yeah, we just need you to sign in." She nodded and followed the gay man to the main desk and waited for him to give her the chart.

"So… how long do you think I will be in here?" she asked. Liam shrugged and handed her the chart.

"A few days, a few weeks. If all goes well it should be a quick recovery," he told her. She nodded and signed it and sighed heavily.

"Alright… let's get this started," she said.

Claire gave a light giggle as they made their way to the barn, they had decided to have their horses gallop back in order to beat the rain. Jim was a bit ahead of her, and she gave her horse a light kick to make him go faster. The horse only made it to the field to stop and jump to it's hind legs, causing her to fall of.

"Shit!" she screamed, falling into a bush and rolling off. After pausing to realize that she had just fallen off her horse, she sat up to see her horse running into the barn, next to Jim's.

"Fuck. You alright?" Jim asked, kneeling down next to her. She nodded and began laughing.

"I can't believe I fell off the damn horse!" she cried, her laughter echoing through the meadow. Jim shook his head and leaned down to press his lips onto hers in a quick, but sensual, kiss. She kissed back and wrapped her arms around his neck, not caring who saw them at the moment. Before they could deepen the kiss, a clash of lightning lit the sky, and thunder echoed through the sky. Claire broke away from Jim just as the rain began to pour, and she gave a light squeal.

"Inside!" Jim said, grabbing her hand and pulling her up. She complied and they both ran into the barn and tried to catch their breath.

"Aww, I had to wear a white shirt," Claire whispered. Jim glanced at her and smiled wickedly. He moved forward and trapped her between himself and wood pillar in the barn. He leaned down and let his lips hover above hers.

"I don't mind this look on you," he said. She rolled her eyes and smiled.

"You wouldn't, would you?" he laughed and leaned down to capture her lips, pulling her closer to him. Once again, before he could deepen the kiss, he was interrupted. This time, but a mans voice.

"Jim, mom is looking for you. So pull yourself off your girlfriend, will you?" Sam asked, putting the horse Claire used into a stall. Jim sighed and left a quick kiss on Claire's lips before walking out of the barn, and leaving Claire alone with his older brother.

"Nice rack," he stated, nodding towards her chest. Claire crossed her arms and scurried into the house, but not before Sam reached out and grabbed her ass through her soaking wet jeans. Claire made sure to take the fastest route to her room without having to talk to Sam again. She knew Sam was a pervert, but his actions just made her skin crawl. A knock fell upon her door, causing her to practically jump out of her skin. Before she could answer, Jim walked into the room without permission.

"Hey, are you okay? You look kind of pale," he said, the smile he entered with replaced with a worried look. He reached out and placed a hand on her forehead as she shook her head.

"Your b-brother…" she stuttered, swallowing hard as she recalled the lustful look upon his face.

"What happened?" he asked, his face now filled with worry. She shook her head and buried her face in his chest and took a deep breath. Regardless of how much of a pig Sam was she didn't want to cause trouble. After a couple of minutes she pulled away and took a deep breath.

"I'm alright," she muttered.

"No you're not… what happened?" he asked. She ran a hand through her hair and sighed.

"It's… nothing. Just a little too friendly grope," she mumbled. She was half hoping Jim didn't hear her, but that was not the case.

"He grabbed you?" he asked. She nodded but took a hold of his shirt, as if to keep him there.

"It was nothing I haven't had before, it just… it reminded me of Nuhir… just for a moment," she whispered. Jim's frown increased as he realized who she was talking about.

"I'm going to kill him," he snapped. He walked out the door and Claire took a hold of his arm.

"Please, Jim… just wait," she said, trying to pull him back into the room. Jim was already out into the hallway and turned to leave, but stopped when he saw his brother.

"Sam…" he hissed. Claire moved so she was in front of him and put her hands on his chest.

"Jim, wait, please just wait for a minute. I don't want to start any trouble," she pleaded with him.

"He's the one starting trouble. Why are you even here, Sam?" he hissed. Sam rolled his eyes and crossed his arm.

"What, your little girlfriend come running to you? Way to tell on me," he said, a small smirk on his face. Claire had her back to him, but even then she could tell he was checking out her bra, which was showing due to the fact she was still wearing the wet tee shirt.

"Jeez Sam, you're like one stranger away from becoming a rapist," she snapped, but Jim put a hand on her shoulder.

"Let me take care of this. Why don't you go get changed ," he whispered to her. Claire nodded, Sam's eyes still tracing over her wet figure.

"Please, just don't fight him or anything," Claire pleaded. Jim nodded as she left to two men alone. She wasn't gone but five minutes when she heard a loud crash.

"YOU STUPID SON OF A BITCH! I'm a different man now and Claire is special to me, not like those whores you hook up with every other nights," Jim's voice snapped. Claire ran out to where the two brothers were fighting, expecting to see blood and fists flying, but the one thing at the scene was a broken vase.

"That used to be you too, Jim. We had the time of our lives picking up pretty girls with no strings attached. Claire's a pretty girl," Sam snapped back. Claire watched Jim lung forward and shove his older brother against a wall, his arm pressing down on Sam's windpipes.

"Don't ever talk about her like that. Don't ever look at her like you look at every other woman. Claire isn't just any woman, she's mine and I will kick your ass if you try to pull some shit like that again," he hissed. Claire quickly walked over and put a hand on Jim's arm. She saw the pressure on his brothers windpipes increase, and she began to worry for Sam's life. He may have been a pig, but he was still Jim's brother.

"Jim, stop… please, you're going to kill him!" she cried. Jim paused before letting go of him and watching his older brother fall to the floor and wheeze. Claire immediately kneeled down and checked his throat, her medical training getting the best of her.

"Asshole!" Sam snapped, though his voice was raspy, and didn't quite come out correctly.

"You're the asshole. I don't know what happened to you, Sam. We used to be best friends, but until you grow up and learn to be an adult, I can't even look at you," Jim snapped, turning around and walking into Claire's room. Claire sighed and looked back at Sam and at his throat.

"You should be fine… if your throat hurts, see if some tea will help it," she told him, standing up.

"Yeah, whatever," Sam snapped. Claire sighed and walked into her room, where Jim was laying on the bed. Claire frowned and turned toward her suitcase and grabbing a sun dress. The two of them were silent as Claire closed her door and changed into her dry clothes, not bothering to put a bra back on. After a minute, she walked to the bed and lightly tapped on his leg.

"Jim…" she said softly. When he said nothing she crawled so she was straddling his waist, causing him to look up at her. His hands immediately when to her waist and she tried to smile down at him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Sorry for what?" he asked. She let her manicured fingers trace over his abs.

"For causing the fight between you and Sam. I know you said you hate arguing with your brother," she told him. He shrugged and smiled up at her.

"Don't worry about it. I'm a different guy than I used to be, Sam… hasn't changed a bit," he said. Claire nodded but frowned.

"I still feel bad," she admitted. Jim moved so he was sitting up, but made sure he kept Claire on his lap.

"Well, it is kind of your fault," he agreed. She scrunched her nose and smacked his shoulder, causing him to laugh.

"Way to be mean, you jerk." He laughed once more and kissed her scrunched up nose.

"I love you," he told her, leaning down and kissing her lips.

"So I've heard."

Anna sighed as she had blood taken for what felt like the hundredth time that night.

"You okay?" Anna looked up as Liam walked into the room. She sighed and leaned back against her pillow.

"I feel like a voodoo doll, getting prick and prodded all day," she mumbled. Liam nodded and took the seat next to her bed.

"I feel like a teenager in love again," he mumbled. Anna raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, not to sound like a bitch or anything, but I'm pretty sure I'm in a worse boat then you and Alex," she said. Liam nodded.

"Sorry, I just really haven't had anyone to talk to and you've been sitting here by yourself for awhile… I just figured we could both talk about our feelings and such," he said. After hearing his words, Anna couldn't help, but burst out laughing. "What?"

"You should like such a girl, it's kind of funny," Anna pointed out. Liam shrugged.

"It came along with the craving for penis and the superior sense of style," he admitted. This time both of them burst out into laughter.

"So what's new in the soap opera of gay men," Anna asked once they settled down again. Liam leaned back in his chair and sighed.

"We slept together." Anna waited for Liam to say more, but more never came.

"Care to elaborate?"

"I don't know… it's just I've been having these dreams for almost a week now and Alex was there when I woke up and then… things just happened," he explained. Anna chuckled and leaned back against her pillow.

"Did he trip and his penis just happen to fall in your mouth?" She inquired. Liam shrugged.

"No, more like he tripped and his penis magically got covered in lube and he fucked the shit out of my ass, but it felt so heavenly." Anna furrowed her eyebrows.

"Sorry, but I don't see the appeal of anal sex. I'll take your word for it and say it's heavenly… if you're into that sort of thing," she said. Liam shrugged and looked down at the deathly pale woman in front of him.

"How are you feeling?" he asked. Anna sighed and shrugged.

"Fine… I guess. I've felt better before," she confessed. Liam frowned and took a hold of her hand.

"Just hang on, Claire will be back tomorrow, and then we'll get the procedure going as soon as we can," he assured her.

"I know… I just feel bad for Ryan. He's been trying so hard to put on a happy face and I know this is really tough for him. He's already lost Colleen, I don't know if he'll be able to lose me too," she said. Liam shrugged and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"He's not going to lose you. You are going to make it through this surgery. Neither, I nor Claire will let that happen to you." Anna sighed and laid back into the bed.

"I hope not."

"God, I haven't been here in a while…" Jim muttered. Winona chuckled and looked around the old bar and grill. Before she met her current husband, she brought her boys here every so often. Then, after she had gotten married, she took them here on special occasions. Tonight was one such occasion.

"It's been a while since I was here as well…" she confessed. He nodded and took sip of his beer. He had been a bit skeptical about coming here with his mom, especially about leaving Claire alone with his brother and his step-father. Yet, he knew that his mother asked him here for a reason, and was not about to question her.

"Has the menu changed at all?" Jim asked, taking a glance at it.

"No, it's the same. Just like everything else around here," she told him. He gave a small chuckle, remembering using similar words in a similar conversation.

"I guess I'm getting a steak then…" Winona nodded.

"I suppose the food in Starfleet is a bit lack luster compared to good old Iowa food, huh?" She said. Jim chuckled and shrugged, his fingers tapping the table lightly.

"I guess… we have a couple of really good chefs around. Plus there is a place for officers to cook themselves," he explained.

"So, do you and Claire cook?" she inquired. Jim smiled and looked up at his mother. His bright blue eyes meeting her pale blue irises.

"Sometimes… nothing fancy. Just basic food, burgers, fries, pasta, chicken… she does make a mean steak though." Winona chuckled and nodded.

"So… what does Leonard think of her?" she asked.

"He likes her well enough. You know how Leo has been ever since his wife won full custody over Joanna. He doesn't really like anyone, let alone new doctors. He was… is, difficult with them for a while. He says she has great potential. He's even gone as far to say that she's one of the best doctors he's ever seen." Winona smiled and nodded, taking a sip of her cool drink.

"Yes, she seems to be very dedicated to her work. Even being so far away from it you can tell. The way she speaks of he work is remarkable, especially for someone so young. I can see her going so far as to running her own sickbay, being the CMO of her own ship. Very promising indeed," Winona told him. Jim frowned upon hearing her words and pressed his lips together. The thought of Claire leaving to another ship disturbed him, but he didn't dwell on it.

"She's amazing," he replied. Winona watched as her youngest son smiled into the flame of a candle between them.

"She's very young… only twenty-three."

"Maybe, but she's been through a lot. I hardly notice the difference." Winona gave a small sigh, but had a smile on her face.

"She's very lucky to have you so devoted to her," she commented.

"I think I'm the lucky one. Even after everything we've been through, all the stuff I've done to her. She has stuck with me through the hardest times, and she's helped me to a better future. I was never a romantic until I met her…" Winona's smile simply widened. Her husband had gone through the same thing. Before she could reply, their food was set in front of them. They ate in silence before she spoke once more.

"Jim… what are your plans for the future?" she asked. He shrugged.

"Continue to captain my ship, maybe make history a few more times, and try not to get killed," he explained.

"And Claire?" Jim paused and looked up at his mother.

"Hopefully, she'll be there with me." Winona nodded and reached into her purse and placed a box on the table, and slid it over to him.

"Here…" she whispered. Jim wiped his hands on the napkin and picked up the box. His stomach clenched when he realized it was a ring box. He paused before opening it, and took a deep breath. He knew this ring well.

"This is your engagement ring… the one dad gave you," he whispered. Winona smiled and nodded. The ring was a platinum silver, and have three large diamonds, with much smaller diamonds embedded on the band. His mother had adored this ring, and he could see why. It was magnificent.

"Your great-grandfather gave this to your great-grandmother, and he gave it to your father after she died. It would have probably gone to Sam's first son… but Sam does not seem to be having a child anytime soon, and well… since I no longer have need of it, it's going to you," she explained. Jim pressed his lips together and placed the box down.

"Mom… I can't-"

"Jim… I'm not saying you need to get married tomorrow, ask her tomorrow, or even think about asking her tomorrow. Look… I know what it's like on a ship. One minute, you're just looking for a good time, the next, you're asking the captain to marry you and your fiancé on the bridge. I just want you to be ready. I know your father would have wanted you to give that to her when you are ready," she said. Jim gave a small nod and placed the ring in his pocket.

"Thanks mom…"

Ryan entered sickbay with a plate of food. Claire was coming back with Jim today and Anna hadn't been doing so well the past twenty-four hours. It was killing him to see her so sick and so miserable, but he'd been trying his best to keep her happy. He'd brought her bed sheets to her room, some of her favorite clothes, and now he was bringing her favorite meal to her.

"And where are you going with that, Lieutenant Commander Conaway." Ryan looked to his right to see McCoy standing outside Anna's room. Ryan shrugged.

"Nothing."

"Bringing unhealthy food to a patient before her surgery later today?" He asked. Ryan nodded and looked down at the floor with sad eyes. He just wanted to see her smile again, even if it was tired and weak. McCoy sighed and moved out of Ryan's way.

"Just make sure she drinks a lot of water." Without another word, he left. Ryan wasn't sure what to say, but he continued into Anna's room regardless. Alex was standing next to her bed, checking her vitals.

"Hey Ryan," Alex greeted, finishing his scanning. Ryan looked over at his girlfriend and almost cringed when he saw her. Her eyes were bloodshot and black bags clung under her eyes.

"Hey. Anna, how are you feeling today?" Ryan asked, taking a seat next to her. Alex quietly backed out of the room, leaving the couple alone. Anna turned her head to look at Ryan and noticed the tray in his hands.

"Is that for me?" She asked. She sounded as if she was only semi-conscious, but Ryan nodded and pressed on.

"I did. I wanted to do something nice for you before the surgery, so I made you a burrito," he explained, passing her the tray.

"Thank you." Anna smiled and went to go eat, but froze and leaned back, closing her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Ryan asked, moving forward in his seat and grabbing her hand. Anna didn't open her eyes, but merely laid there.

"I'm just really dizzy," she said in a breathless voice. Ryan felt tears welling up in his eyes, watching Anna suffer the way she was.

"Just hang on, babe. Claire and Jim will be back soon."

"Mom, you didn't have to come all the way from Iowa to see us off," Jim said, looking down at his mother.

"I wanted to. I didn't want a tense goodbye," Winona said. Jim smiled and leaned down to press a kiss on her forehead.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean for things to get this far," he apologized. Winona smiled and shook her head.

"Nothing much you can do about it. Just promise me you'll be safe, and let me know before you… use that box," she said, giving him a wink. Jim turned red and rolled his eyes.

"I will… if that happens," he muttered. Winona smiled and turned next to him, where she saw Claire walk up, already in her Starfleet uniform.

"Hello, Mrs. Kirk…" she said, though the smile on her face was obviously forced.

"Hello, dear. In a hurry to get to the ship?" The older woman asked. Claire frowned.

"I actually have an assignment as soon as we board, which is why I'm here. I need to beam aboard now," she told him. Jim frowned and nodded.

"Okay, I'll see you on the ship?" he asked. She nodded and quickly reached up to give him a quick kiss before smiling and pulling away.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Kirk," Claire said. Before she could give the older woman a hand shake, Winona pulled her in for a hug and startled her.

"The pleasure was ours. Come back anytime," she told her. Claire pulled away and smiled.

"Thank you. We'll visit as soon as we can," Claire assured her. Winona nodded as Claire walked towards the transporter pad.

"Scotty, this is Claire. I'm ready to get beamed up," Claire said, speaking into her communicator. From where Jim was standing, he could hear the loud and overbearing voice of his Scottish friend. The words were jumbled, but seconds later Claire vanished from her spot.

"Busy girl. Any idea what her assignment is?" Winona asked as she turned her attention away from the empty transporter pad and back to her son.

"Of course I do, mom. I'm only captain of the ship," he said with a confident and cocky voice. Winona chuckled.

"My mistake." Jim nodded, but his face darkened.

"Sadly, Claire is returning to the ship because her brother's girlfriend has cardiomyopathy and she needs to perform surgery today in order to save her life," Jim explained. Winona's normally smiling face lost it's smile as her eyes grew sad.

"That's such a shame. Claire was such a nice girl, I'm sure her brother is just as kind," Winona pondered.

"Yeah… he's… cool." Winona raised an eyebrow.

"Not causing any trouble, are you?" she asked. Jim shrugged.

"He's not a big fan of me. Claire and I… we've been through a lot. It's a bit of a miracle we're still together. Her brother thinks she's better off without me. I'm just glad he hasn't convinced her to break up with me," Jim muttered. Winona raised an eyebrow.

"Jesus, Jim… what happened?" Jim sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Not much… just the overprotective older brother thing. Not to mention the first time we met he punched me in the face." Winona shook her head and lightly smacked him.

"You are an idiot. I love you anyway," she said. He smiled and hugged her once more.

"I love you too, I need to get going though." Winona nodded and gave a small smile.

"Be safe, please…" he nodded and kissed her cheek.

"You know me," he chuckled. She rolled her eyes and pinched his cheek.

"Yeah… I know alright."

Claire walked up to Anna and looked over her chart, trying her hardest not to frown.

"That bad, huh?" Anna asked, her voice week and raspy. Claire sat on the bed and frowned down at her friend.

"Not bad… just scary. I've never seen cardiomyopathy get so bad." Anna nodded and frowned heavily.

"I know… I should have seen the signs, they were there the whole time. They only just got bad near the end," she muttered. Claire took hold of her hand and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of you. I'm not about to let one of my best friends die, just trust me," Claire said, her voice full of confidence. Anna gave her a weak smile.

"Well that's good, cause I really don't want to die," she replied.

"I don't want you to die either." Claire and Anna turned to the door to see Ryan standing there. Claire immediately ran into her brother's arms, who pulled her close to his chest. Claire wouldn't admit it, but she'd been worrying about her brother ever since she heard the news. And by the look of his disheveled appearance, she had every right to worry.

"Hey, how you handling things?" She asked in a quiet voice. Ryan merely looked down at her and mouthed the word 'later' to her. Claire nodded and they both walked back over to Anna's bed.

"You know, I was starting to think that Ryan and I were attached by the hip there for awhile," Anna said, trying to make a joke. The siblings laughed nervously, but found it hard to let themselves really enjoy the joke. Anna was dying. Claire cleared her throat and picked her chart back up.

"Well, the two of you should say good-bye for a bit now. We'll be taking Anna into surgery within the next ten minutes," Claire explained. Ryan nodded as Claire leaned down and grabbed her friend's hand.

"I'll give you two some privacy, but I'll be back soon. I promise." Anna nodded. Claire smiled at her brother and gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder before leaving the two of them alone. Ryan sighed and sat next to her, his grey eyes a little dark.

"How you feeling?" he asked. She frowned.

"Like hell… and you?" He sighed and took a hold of her hand and gripped it tightly.

"Pretty close to hell, but not quite there yet." She nodded and attempted to sit up, only to fall back down.

"God damnit… I can't even sit up to kiss my fucking boyfriend," she cried. Ryan frowned and placed a hand on her cheek.

"You don't need to sit up," he assured her. He leaned down and placed his lips onto hers, enjoying the feeling of her lips responding to his. After a couple of minutes he pulled away and sighed.

"I love you, you know that right?" she asked. He nodded and kissed her again.

"I know. I love you too. Please, please don't die in there," he pleaded.

"I'll try my hardest to stay alive," she told him. He smiled and leaned down and kissed her again.

"Ryan," a voice called. He broke away and turned around, his eyes meeting his concerned sisters. "We need to get her in there," she told him. He nodded and turned back to Anna, who forced a smile.

"I'll be waiting right here when you get out, babe. Right here," he swore. Anna nodded as Alex appeared in the doorway.

"Come with me, Ryan," he said, offering his hand. Ryan took it and allowed the man to lead him out of the room. Liam watched his ex-boyfriend lead Ryan out of the room and entered after them.

"Are we ready then?"

Claire double checked all of her equipment before glancing over at Anna. She was laying down on the metal table in the middle of the room as Alex injected a few needles into her arms.

"You might want to start counting backwards from one hundred now," Alex told her as he secured the last needle into her arm. Claire crossed the room and grabbed Anna's hand. Her grey eyes met the glazed over brown and Anna smiled.

"You have pretty eyes… like this cute guy I know…" she mumbled and Claire smiled as she gave Anna a gentle pat on the top of her head.

"Well, we'll take good care of you so you can go see that cute guy, okay?" Claire whispered. Anna nodded and closed her eyes, her lids growing heavy by the second. Alex turned to the machine regulating the anesthetics and pushed a few buttons.

"She'll be completely under in about twenty-seconds. Where is Liam and McCoy?" He asked. Claire opened her mouth to reply, but the two doctors entered the room before she could reply.

"Is she ready?" McCoy asked, pulling his mask up to cover his face. Claire nodded as she followed the suit. Liam moved towards her equipment as McCoy stood next to Anna on the opposite side that Claire was.

"Wow, I can't believe I'm about to give her a new heart…" Claire whispered to herself, completely in awe at the situation. McCoy nodded.

"It's a new experience, but it's as simple as riding a bike," he told her as Liam passed her a scalpel.

"Because giving someone a heart transplant is the simplest thing in the world," Alex muttered from his spot at the monitors. McCoy had done a coin toss to decide who would sit at the monitors and who would be Claire's equipment bitch for the day. Honestly, Alex was just sad that he wasn't getting in on the action.

"Kicking someone out of the OR is just as simple," McCoy snapped. Claire rolled her eyes.

"Can you guys not fight while I slice one of my best friends slash my brother's girlfriend open?" She snapped at them both. Alex fell silent, but McCoy furrowed his eyebrows.

"And why haven't you made the first cut yet? Are you a little rusty after your little vacation with Jim and Winona?" He asked, though his voice wasn't filled with as much anger as she thought it would. Claire gave him a nasty smirk.

"Perhaps you have that problem, but I'm fucking amazing!" She declared. McCoy rolled his eyes while Liam chuckled at her outburst.

"Let's just get to work while the heart we've got is still good," McCoy instructed. Claire nodded and looked down at the bare chest before her. Hesitantly, she lowered the scalpel down to the exposed flesh and drug the small blade down her chest. With the first cut out of the way, she let out a sigh of relief.

"So do you know Winona well?" Claire asked, her nervousness disappearing completely as she went to work. McCoy raised an eyebrow.

"Are you talking to me?" He asked curiously.

"Well, unless you think I'm talking to the two awkward gay lovers in the room," Claire countered with an amused smile. Liam snorted.

"I'm not awkward, just really gay," he said in his defense. Alex shrugged from the corner he was in.

"And I'm not even that gay, just for one guy," Alex added. The two men exchanged looks from across the room before their cheeks went red and they turned away.

"Back to my question…" Claire interjected, bringing the conversation back to her and McCoy. The head doctor shrugged.

"Well enough. My wife took everything from me on Earth, so Jim lets me stay with him when we're on shore leave. Winona kind of thinks of me like another son," he explained. Claire nodded as she outstretched her hand to Liam.

"Suction," she demanded. Liam passed her a small thin tube and flipped a switch to turn it on. Claire went back to work as McCoy folded his arms.

"So why do you ask?" He asked her. Claire handed the mini vacuum back to Liam as she continued her work on Anna's chest cavity.

"I need something to talk about while I work," she stated. McCoy nodded and went silent for a moment as he watched over Claire's work.

"Winona talk about me?" He asked after what felt like forever. Claire nodded.

"She said you don't call nearly enough. Like you said, she thinks of you as her son," she told him. McCoy chuckled.

"I'm obviously a shitty son, just like I was a shitty husband," he mumbled in a dark tone of voice. Claire placed her scalpel down and held out her hand to Liam once again.

"Don't get all emo on me, Dr. McCoy. Life just dealt you a shitty hand, but you've been doing alright so far. Forceps," she demanded. McCoy shrugged as Claire set up the cardiopulmonary bypass to keep Anna stable.

"True. Winona always did like me more than Spock though," he pondered out loud. Claire raised her eyebrow as she grabbed for the scalpel again.

"She never mentioned him… why doesn't she like him?" She asked as she finished hooking up the cardiopulmonary bypass and began to cut the old heart out.

"How much do you really like the pointy-eared bastard?" McCoy asked as he leaned forward slightly to oversee Claire's moments.

"Well, I don't dislike. I'm kind of indifferent towards him," she told him as she carefully cut the heart out of Anna's chest cavity.

"I like him, unless he takes my pudding. By the way, Anna's heart rate has slowed a bit," Alex pointed out. McCoy nodded as Claire froze up.

"That's fine, the cardiopulmonary bypass is only supposed to keep her stable while Claire replaces the old heart," he explained. Alex nodded and turned back to the screens while Claire resumed her work.

"I was scared there for a second," she admitted.

"It's okay. I was terrified during my first heart transplant. Just keep going, I'll let you know if you did something wrong," he reassured her. The room went silent while Claire continued to work. As the last vein was cut, Claire gently placed her hands within Anna's chest and lifted the diseased heart as well as her left atrium out of her chest. Liam was ready to take the old heart as McCoy grabbed the cooler containing the new heart.

"Peterson, take this to Claire," McCoy instructed. From his corner, Alex chuckled.

"What?" Liam snapped.

"He called you Peterson and he calls Claire by her first name. I do believe I smell favoritism," he stated. McCoy whirled around.

"Chambers, go trade with Dr. Giles. I will not having you harassing Dr. Peterson in the middle of the procedure," McCoy snapped. Alex sighed and rose from his chair.

"Spike, get scrubbed in and go take my post," he snapped to the player. Spike smiled.

"How about we just head back to my place?" He asked with a devious smile. Alex groaned and walked into the waiting room. McCoy glared at the intern.

"Take Chambers spot at the monitors and shut your mouth," he snapped as Liam passed the new heart to Claire. Claire lowered the heart into Anna's chest and began repairing the damage she had done to Anna's chest.

"Easy, Claire. You don't want to send the new heart into shock before we even start it up," Liam warned. Claire glared at him.

"I know what I'm doing," she snapped. McCoy turned around to Liam.

"Peterson, shut your mouth and stop distracting her," he demanded. Instead of fighting with McCoy, Liam did what he was told and fell silent. Claire felt beads of sweat building on her forehead as she worked to repaired the great vessels with her suture.

"Almost… there!" Claire said enthusiastically. McCoy looked down and nodded.

"Good job. And now all that's left is to restart her heart and wean her off the cardiopulmonary bypass. Liam will close the chest cavity when you're done," McCoy explained. Claire nodded as tried to get Anna's new heart pumping, but it didn't respond.

"Dr. McCoy, it's not beating on it's own yet," Claire said as she continued to try to start the heart. McCoy scratched his chin.

"That's not good. Claire, use your hand to try to get the heart pumping on it's own," McCoy instructed. Claire nodded and gently grabbed onto the small limp muscle. She tried to get the heart beating, but to no avail.

"Okay, Liam, I want you to wean Anna off the cardiopulmonary bypass. Perhaps the heart will start on it's own from there," McCoy instructed. Liam nodded and slowly took Anna off the cardiopulmonary bypass while Claire let go of the heart, but it still didn't start. Without thinking, Claire reached for the heart again and began pumping it on her own.

"Claire…" Liam whispered, but Claire ignored his words. McCoy's faced darkened as he continued to watch Claire.

"Giles, the monitors?" He asked. Spike frowned.

"She's dead, mate," he stated. McCoy sighed.

"Claire, stop. She's dead."

REVIEW REPLY TIME!

Parallel Days
Jeck: It's all good, don't beat yourself up about it. Trust me, I know how bad college sucks now. I'm pretty sure that pretending you're in Starfleet Academy is pretty badass, I'm not gonna lie. Yeah, we kinda knew we were going to do that early on too, but we were waiting for the perfect time. It's okay, distract your RA like I do to mine. "What are you doing?" "Um… Cara, did you know someone took a shit in the shower?" "WHAT?" :3 True story. We hope you enjoyed your side story!
Raxsah: College does suck. I am very jealous that you have the luxury of pretending you are at Starfleet academy. I have no such luck. Grrr, shoulda applied to Towson, or actually gone to bumble-fuck PA with Jeck. Anyway, yeah, the Iowa thing was something I secretly wanted to do for a while. Hopefully it turned out alright. Review soon!

SWfangirl21
Raxsah: Happy belated birthday, I can see why you don't like hospitals. I will pray for your dad to get better. I hope everything works out for you! It seems like it has been a very up and down week. Hopefully Jeck will be coming home soon enough, I miss her! I'm going crazy without my BFFF!
Griffin is a confusing character. Like we said in the beginning, he was never supposed to be evil, it just happened. We let him go and this is what we got. The end result shall be interesting, we only hope that you enjoy it. Liam is going through a phase, hopefully he will break out of it soon enough! Even I hate seeing them apart, they are one of my favorite couples to write. They are just too outrageous not to like. I think they are only beat out by Jim and Claire because, let's face it, Jim's freaking hot! Don't worry, you weren't missing anything, we did not foreshadow this so it's probably not one hundred percent accurate. Don't worry, it pretty much just jumped out and said "Here I am!" hahahahahahaa. My favorite dog is a German Sheppard. I used to have one when I was little, Sheba, was he name. She pinned a guy against the back door and went for his neck. She also chased after some guy who flipped her off, and her chain got tangled into the grill, so not only did we have to buy a new chain, but a new grill too. I'm sorry your doggy died, it's always sad when your puppies pass on. I think Rupert and Claire have a very silent and quiet friendship. They aren't close, but she's his best friend's little sister, there is a weird connection there somehow. I think Rupert Grint is so cute! I love that little red head! Not going to lie, I would totally date Jim's brother. Even after all of this. He seems like a creeper, but he's really just a hard core Jim BC (Before Claire, see how I did that? Hahahahaaa) Oliver is the creative genius work of Jeck, he's just so fucking funny. I'm glad Jim/Claire are your favorite Jim/OC. Ahh, you are a classic car fan. Classic cars are nice, but I want a newer car. A Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera. It is sooo sexy, and it's in lime green! Very expensive as well. It's either that, or the Bat Mobile from the Dark Knight. Hahahahahaaaa. Review soon.
Jeck: This past week certainty did bring many surprises… I'm glad to hear your grandma is getting better, I'm always happy to hear that best friends made up, and HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY! Mine was the 5th of this month! I wish your dad the best. I went to the hospital Monday and was told that I have to get surgery to remove my gallbladder. It's been killing me since October 3rd (long time, huh?) and I haven't been eating a lot, I vomit a lot, and sometimes it hurts so bad that I couldn't get out of bed. They told me I was going to have surgery and return home to do it, but now it looks like I get to keep it (not that I want it anymore). I have a build up of very large gallstones in it. If we let it go, the doctor said there's a chance I could develop cancer. Well, I'm not going to let it go because if they don't do something quick, the girl on the other side of my dorm hallway said she'll take it out with an knife! :D It hurts THAT bad. So that's my week… and since no surgery, it means I won't be returning home. So I can't see Raxsah… and that makes me just as sad… D:
We were always up in the air with what we wanted to do with Griffin. But once we get to the end, I think you'll be pleased with the outcome. Yeah, Alex and Liam are my favorite couple. Seeing them apart is saddening, but I'm sure you somewhat enjoyed their short reunion in this chapter. You probably hate us for the cliffhanger in this chapter concerning Anna… :3 I thought it would be appropriate. If my dog Ricky had babies with Raxsah's dog Zoë, I would hope the dog would come out like Rocky. Although, he is more like Raxsah's dog since my dog is a Rottweiler and Beagle mix (yeah, I don't even know how that one happened…) Rupert and Spike are actually references to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Lol And Alex is supposed to look like Alex Karev from Grey's Anatomy. :3 We're just awesome like that. Raxsah mainly did the things with Jim, Claire, and his family. It's all from her imagination. Oliver is a special kind of crazy. :3 Wow, I'm really glad you like Claire and Jim. The problem writers always facing is getting people to like their own characters, but I guess we don't have a problem there! :D Adam and Spock? You mean Alex and Spock? Raxsah doesn't like the name Adam. We found this out as we were name brainstorming. Lol And the car talk once again came from Raxsah. She likes cars. I like motorcycles! Anyway, I always enjoy your reviews! Again, good luck to your dad!

amberhathaway
Jeck: You're still stuck with us for a little while yet. Trust me, you'll know when we're getting close to the end. :D
Raxsah: Maybe not two... I'll let you know when we definitely have the chapters worked out. I thought this chapter was going to be longer. Don't worry, we'll drag it out as much as we can. The epiloge is proof of this.

Raxsah: Well, we have come to the end of our little chapter. Only a few more chapters to go I think.
Jeck: Yeah, and then the long ass epilogue. Which might be the longest chapter out of them all.
Raxsah: That's because we never wanted it to end. Hahahahaaa. I'm sad that it has ended. We need to start writing it again. Hahahahaa
Jeck: Yeah… if we don't get a new project soon, we very well might. Lol
Raxsah: Beyond the Sun the Sequel! Let's not… Hahahahaaaa. Maybe try a different category… we shall see.
Jeck: Yeah, not that I don't love Star Trek, but we should expand ourselves. Besides, we've probably got some more Star Trek stories in the future for our contest winners.
Raxsah: If they review. Come on guys, just click da little button and write a few words. Not as much as SWfangirl21, but a few words will be nice. We're also excluding Parallel Days from future contests for this story, due to the fact that she already won. So everyone else, let's hop to it!
Jeck: Yeah, don't you guys want more Jeck and Raxsah goodness? I do. :D
Raxsah: Hellz yeah! And this time, it won't take us so long to write it. Due to the fact that we've finally got a system going on. Told ya we'd eventually figure it out.
Jeck: It took a little bit, but we've got our nice little system going on now. And you guys probably hate us a little now because of the cliffhanger… we totally accept death threats via reviews. :D
Raxsah: For the record, it was Jeck's idea. But please don't kill her, I need someone to call when bitches be driving me crazy.
Jeck: And how else is she going to hide the bodies? Bumblefuck is the perfect place!
Raxsah: Exactly! Anyway, review and let us know how displeased you are with this cliffhanger, we appreciate the reviews! Till next time!
Jeck: ZOMBIE SEX FACE! :D