Warnings: Some strong language and some violence.

Chaos reigns as the Enterprise comes to a full and unexpected stop… or it would have if the stop had indeed been unexpected for everyone but Lester. Scotty had planned the stoppage to the second, cutting the engines quickly but safely. Chekov and Sulu took their hands from the controls in a complete refusal to cooperate with Lester's demands, while Uhura and Darwin worked quickly to shut off all outward communications. Uhura watches as the false Kirk loses his (her, she reminds herself) mind, watches her go crazy. Lester-as-Kirk throws a tantrum, screaming and swearing and threatening the crew. It would be funny if it weren't utterly terrifying.

"You can't do this!" she screeches in Kirk's voice, "You can't do this to me! I am the captain! Goddammit, I am the fucking captain!"

"No, you're really not," a woman's says.

Uhura turns. Spock and McCoy flank a young woman who must be Janice Lester, well, Kirk-as-Lester. Even in the stranger's body, Kirk commands respect, exudes the same confidence he bears in his own. It's in his stance, his eyes, in that damn smirk. This person can only be Jim Kirk. Uhura can't believe she ever doubted it. Lester twists Kirk's face into a raging snarl.

"What did you say to me?" she hisses ferally.

"You heard me. I said you're not the captain," Kirk tells her firmly, "I am, and I don't like the way you've been treating my crew. I'm afraid conduct like that gets you tossed in the brig, Miss Lester."

Lester purples, looking downright apoplectic, and shrieks, "How dare you-!"

"NO!" Kirk bellows, stepping into Lester's personal space forcefully, "How dare you! How dare you come onto my ship and abuse my crew's trust in me? You've been lording over them since you stole my body right out from under me, treating them like a tyrant treats their subjects rather than acting how a captain should act! You tried to terrorize them into loyalty rather than earn it, and I'm not having it anymore! SECURITY!"

Two armed security step up beside him. He tells them, "Take Miss Lester to our finest cell in the brig and make her very comfortable. Oh, and be sure not to harm a hair on my blonde head. I'm going to need that body back, after all."

"You can't do this! This is mutiny! Mutiny!" Lester screams.

"It's not mutiny if you're not really the captain," Kirk smirks, "Instead, this is the captain taking his ship back from a hijacker. Now, follow the nice security off-"

"I'll kill myself! I'll kill myself and leave you in that wretched body!"

"Wretched? I think that's overkill. It's pretty nice actually," Kirk states matter-of-factly, "I honestly don't think it's half-bad myself. Got curves and squishy bits in all the right places. You'd be very pretty if your personality wasn't shit. Perhaps we need the good doctor here to sedate you so you'll go quietly and won't do anything stupid. What do you think, Bones?"

"I think it may do her a world of good, Jim."

Uhura watches in fascination. Kirk is cool and calm and collected in the face of this raging psychopath who happens to be wearing his body. Lester-as-Kirk looks ready to have a stroke and a coronary all at once, the face purpled with rage, veins popping in various places. She does not like seeing the captain like that. Lester is all wrong in his body, and she can finally see it perfectly, like having the last few pieces to a puzzle. It's easy to be sure they've switched bodies when she can see Kirk standing there, bold as brass in someone else's skin.

She watches without moving. There is definitely more to Kirk's plan.

xXxXx

It's very interesting for Kirk to see how he would look if he completely lost his mind one day. Veins in his neck and forehead are pulsing so hard he fears they may burst and kill his body before he can get it back. He can only imagine what she's doing to his blood pressure. McCoy will have him on some meds for that soon, thanks to her.

"Now, listen, Janice," Kirk says firmly, "you've got two options here. You can either go with the nice security officers peacefully, or I can have Bones sedate you and strap you to a bed until we can drop you off somewhere. Your choice."

There is a very pregnant pause in which they stare each other down. Lester launches at Kirk, teeth bared in a feral snarl. She does not get far. Spock steps between them, swiftly deflects Lester's grab for Kirk's throat, and administers a quick neck pinch, sending Lester crashing to the floor.

"Forgot about that third option," Kirk deadpans.

McCoy groans softly beside him at the snark, then says, "Well, I reckon I better get her down to sickbay and tie her down 'til she wakes up."

"I agree. I'll be down in a minute. I wanna talk to Dr. Coleman, if he's available."

"I do believe he's awake again. I'll let him know you're comin'."

Kirk thanks him and watches him take his own unconscious body into the turbolift. Once the doors shut, he springs into action, taking up his rightful seat in the chair once more. He throws open a channel for a ship-wide announcement, saying, "Kirk to Enterprise crew, you will be happy to know that we have successfully taken back our ship from the imposter posing as me. We'll be reversing course as soon as we get the ship's engines up and running again, course to be determined. You all performed admirably today, and over the course of the imposter's hijacking. I am very proud.

"As you have guessed by now, there is still a major hurdle to overcome, and that is the fact that the imposter still has my body. We are doing all we can to remedy the situation, and I will notify you when I have it back. Again, I am very proud of you all. Kirk out."

Even just on the bridge, the crew's relief is palpable. Kirk flips another switch on his console, calling, "Scotty, my miracle worker! You did a great job stopping us, but how about starting us up again?"

"I'll need at least half an hour to get everything up and running safely, cap'n," he reports over the sound of cheering in the engine room.

"Works for me, Mr. Scott. I know you'll do it."

Kirk shuts it all off and rises from the chair, heading for the turbolift.

"Mr. Sulu, Mr. Chekov, when Scotty gets the engines back online, I want a course laid in for Camus II. Lt. Uhura, open up a channel and call the Potemkin. Apologize for our delay and ask if they can wait at Beta Aurigae for another day. We should be there by then. Sulu, you'll have the conn. Spock, with me. We need to have a chat with Dr. Coleman."

Spock quickly obeys, spinning his chair and standing up in one fluid motion. Together, they board the turbolift and head for Medical.

"What insight do you hope to gain from a conversation with Dr. Coleman, captain?" Spock asks.

"Anything," Kirk replies tersely, "He was there for the experiments, probably helped Lester with them. He must know something about how that machine works, if it wears off, how to reverse the process. I need something to work with, Spock. Taking back the Enterprise was only half the battle."

Spock looks pensive, which admittedly is his usual expression. He remains quiet, and Kirk finds the silence irritating, so he ventures, "What are you thinking, Spock?"

"What if Coleman refuses to offer assistance? He has shown a great deal of devotion to Miss Lester. It is, therefore, logical to assume he will not wish to indict her in any way by admitting she has committed any wrongs."

"I think he was afraid of her, to be honest. Fear can masquerade as loyalty and devotion until the fear is gone. After that, there's nothing left but resentment and a desire for revenge. Now does Coleman want revenge on Lester? I don't think so, but he may still give up some information."

"What are your thoughts on the matter?"

"I think he had both, fear and real devotion, but I also think that devotion will be the thing that makes him talk. He wants to help her, and that's why he'll tell us what we wanna know. That's what I'm banking on, Spock."

"But if you are mistaken, captain, if his loyalty is true, what will you do then? We do not-"

"Goddamm-! I don't know, Spock! I'll research it! We'll go back to Camus II and tear the lab apart until we find something that helps!" Kirk snaps, "We'll get some damn truth serum and pump Coleman full of it until he cooperates and tells us what he knows! I'm sure not gonna sit around with my thumb up my ass, just waiting for something to happen though! I'll figure it out! I'll do work!"

Spock's expression is as close to chastised as he gets. Kirk's getting pretty good at knowing how Spock feels… but he thinks there's something else. He sighs, saying, "Look, Spock, I'm sorry I snapped. I just… this isn't exactly easy. I'm stressed."

The two exit into the corridor and stand in silence for a moment. Kirk feels embarrassed, and he wonders if it's all his own.

"Come on, Spock. Dr. Coleman's waiting."

The old scientist sits outside the private room for Lester, looking somehow more haggard than when they first met. He wrings his gnarled hands when Kirk and Spock approach.

"Captain, I heard you when you spoke to your crew," he says, his voice tremulous, "You said that you overthrew Janice. Please… is she alright? She wasn't hurt? I saw… she was unconscious when they brought her in."

Kirk's stomach lurches slightly. Maybe Spock was right. Maybe Coleman won't help them, won't talk to them. He answers the old archaeologist, "She's fine, just knocked out. Trust me, I'm not doing any damage to my own body."

Coleman seems to cheer up a bit at that, muttering, "Oh yes, that's good, good," then addresses Kirk and Spock, "You know she's very ill, Janice, very ill. Poor girl never recovered from her ordeal all those years ago. They tortured her, you know, her kidnappers."

"How do you know that?" Kirk asks.

"She told me. I never had children of my own, so I treated her as I would a daughter, and I am proud to say she felt comfortable opening up to me about what happened. Told me how she was tortured by those people that kidnapped her. Oh, she wasn't specific, but I could guess. They did awful things to her. She came to believe that if she were a man none of that would have happened to her. I wasn't too worried about that, figured it was pretty common thinking for someone in her situation.

"Then we were sent to Camus II and found that machine. It took us a while to figure out what it did, but once she'd translated the texts about it, she went mad with power. She used each of the men onsite in turn, experimenting with how long she could wear their bodies before it wore off, and when it did, she killed them with celebium. You must understand, gentlemen, I wanted no part of it. I'm just an archaeologist, but… but she was so ill of mind. I only wanted her to be happy. Can you understand that?"

Kirk looks over the hunched old scientist. His expression is so sincere, so worn, so paternal, and Kirk finds he can't fault him for being terrified of the young woman he loved as a daughter. He nods at him, saying, "I do, Dr. Coleman, but now we need your help, and so does Janice. I need your help to get my body back. When me and Janice are both set right, we can get Janice the help she needs. Please, Dr. Coleman…"

He steps forward and rests one of the delicate hands on the old man's shoulder, half-hoping his love for Janice would give Kirk an advantage while he was in her body. Coleman looks torn between seeing Janice's face and knowing who's behind it. He takes several minutes to come to terms with whatever decision he's making.

"What would you like to know, captain?"

xXxXx

Spock listens carefully as Coleman explains the strange machine more in depth. They at first believed it to be a defunct medical or recording device, as they had only texts in an alien language to tell them what it did. Lester's main job onsite was to translate the texts they found, so she simply added the presumed instructions to her list. After figuring out how to translate the language of glyphs into Standard, she figured out what the machine was used for.

"I'm not sure she knows exactly how to use it, though. See, when she did it the first time, using a man named Seguin, they switched right back after a little over a day. The longest was just over a week, and she wasn't as hurried as she was with you."

Spock feels his stomach give a small flip. Could the problem possibly solve itself?

"Did she ever experiment on you, doctor?" Kirk asks.

"No… no," he replies with a sad smile, "Why would she want to be in the body of a hunched old man who aches all the time? No, I was just her assistant. Nothing more."

"Is there any other way to reverse it? Or do we just have to wait?"

"I suppose the machine is capable of reversing the process, but I suspect you'll switch back soon enough. It's already been a few days, hasn't it?"

"It's been four day-, no five. Five days, just about."

"Yep, you'll switch back in due time. Just wait… and keep Janice sedated."

They thank Dr. Coleman for his time and cooperation, and they advise him to remain in sickbay for his own safety. McCoy promises to keep them and Coleman updated on Lester's condition, though McCoy does follow Kirk and Spock to Kirk's quarters for a break. Kirk tells him what Coleman told them. McCoy does not appear pleased by the information.

"So it's the waitin' game, huh? Ain't exactly your favorite, Jim."

"Don't I know it," he grumbles, scrubbing at the feminine face with his hands.

The three friends fall silent. Spock can feel Kirk's mind dancing along the thin tendril of their quickly formed bond, impatient and annoyed and mildly angry. The thread tugs at his mind like a child at his mother's skirts, begging for attention. It makes his muscles twitch under his skin at his shoulder blades and up around his neck. After about forty-five minutes or so, McCoy heaves a sigh and announces that he is returning to sickbay where he can keep an eye on Lester. Kirk bids him farewell with a flip of a hand. The irritation ratchets up, crawling under his skin more intently, scratching at the walls of his mind. He isn't sure he understands why Kirk is so annoyed. While it is true that they cannot be sure when he will return to his body, Coleman has said he will in due time. They will simply have to be patient. The thought makes the irritation claw harder at his mind.

"Captain, you are most upset right now," Spock states, "I thought that Coleman's cooperation and truthfulness would ease your stress, but that does not appear to be the case."

"He told the truth, but the truth fucking sucks," Kirk responds, "I don't just wanna sit around and wait to magically switch back. I wanna do something about it, Spock."

"Would you find a distraction agreeable? We have not played chess since the incident began, and I think a game or two would calm you."

Kirk quirks the lips into a smile, saying, "Sure, Spock. Let's play some chess."

Spock sets up the board, and the two of them play several rounds, each one winning every other round. It is a pleasant way to pass the time, though Kirk is still fidgeting and annoyed; Spock feels it itching under skin. Emotions are quite complicated. He wishes this whole ordeal would just end, that Kirk and Lester would just return to their own bodies so business could return to normal.

"There is something else still bothering you, captain," Spock says evenly, "I have heard that humans often talk to one another to relieve their emotional burdens. I believe the euphemism is 'a burden shared'."

"Well, aside from the fact that I have to sit here and wait for something to happen to me that I can't control," Kirk huffs, "I don't really have much to worry about, except that I have to worry about exactly when I'm gonna get my damn body back and what's happening to it in the meantime. Forgive me if I'm on edge."

"I do not believe that is all that is troubling you."

"I'm the captain. There's a lot that troubles me."

Spock falls silent and is beginning to regroup when Kirk quietly asks, "What's troubling you, Mr. Spock?"

He cocks his head at Kirk and lifts an eyebrow.

"Sir, I do not-"

"Oh, don't 'sir' me right now, Spock," he snaps back, "You think your skin's crawling from my emotions, but I know that yours are-"

"How do you know that?" Spock interrupts, his pulse rising.

"Don't you remember? You left a little piece of yourself inside my head when you were there, when you went in to find me," his tone now calmer, "I guess you thought only you could feel it, that little tug, the hint of something else there that doesn't quite belong but doesn't really feel wrong either. I can assure you it's a two way street. Come on, tell me what's bothering you."

"There is nothing-"

"Don't lie to me, Spock."

The hybrid stalls, his mind kicking into overdrive. Never once had he thought Kirk would be able to feel the barely there bond as he could. He wasn't aware Kirk was psychic enough to do so, but as usual, Kirk has surprised him. A mild panic bubbles up in his chest, and he is quickly made aware of the symbiotic nature of the bond. Kirk responds to Spock's feelings of alarm by relaxing and sending a wave of reassurance down the psychic tendril that connects them. Spock appreciates the efforts, but his panic remains. If Kirk could feel his emotions, then what else does he know? Did he know of Spock's thoughts concerning their bond, that he has pondered deepening it, that he sometimes wishes their friendship were a little more?

The captain leans in close to him, whispering, "Please, Spock, tell me what's wrong. I want to help."

Spock takes a moment to compose his whirling thoughts.

"I have been thinking of the things my counterpart showed you on Delta Vega, things he did not make me aware of. While I believe he did so unintentionally, the fact still remains that he did. I am of the opinion that he never should have melded with you."

"Why?" Kirk asks.

"He has seen a great many things in his lifetime, has lost a great deal. He should have known such an emotional transference was not only possible but probable where such deep emotions are concerned. A verbal explanation would have sufficed, whatever his thoughts on the matter."

"To which emotions are you referring, Spock? There were a lot of 'em."

"All of them. Grief, sadness, helplessness, fear… and love."

He finally looks to Kirk, whose eyes he has been avoiding, and finds the unfamiliar face a bright shade of pink. Kirk is blushing. That is a foreign notion. He has never known Kirk to blush. Spock decides to continue, treading carefully now, beginning to understand why humans like to share their problems.

"Are you aware of the meanings of the Vulcan words heard in our meld?" he asks quietly.

"I can't say that I expressly heard any Vulcan… except the word you used, ne ki'ne, and only because you told me what it meant."

Spock averts his eyes once more, wanting to choose his words carefully where such a delicate subject is concerned. He feels curiosity rolling off Kirk in waves, their thread vibrating with interest.

"Some of the terms are in common use among Vulcans, such as ne ki'ne and besu, the latter of which refers to a traveling companion or one often in one's company," Spock says slowly, "Those are words that, until very recently, I used to describe the relationship that we have."

"And now?"

Kirk's voice is low and heavy with questions he won't ask, and Spock thinks he hears a hint of disappointment mirrored in the slight change in the thread's vibrations.

"The other words are more… personal. They are not used lightly and denote a deeper feeling of friendship, comradeship, and love, very deep love. T'hy'la is used for one who could be called friend, brother, or lover, and is somewhat more common than some of the other terms. I will not say them now, but they are used by Vulcans when speaking of the one to whom they have been bonded."

He chances another look at Kirk. The unfamiliar green eyes are wide as Spock continues, "They are akin to the Terran idea of a soulmate."

He doesn't have time to say anything else. Kirk withdraws back into his mind, letting their thread go slack and leaving a strange loneliness in Spock's mind. Kirk blurts quickly, "I don't wanna talk about this now, Spock."

"You were just saying earlier-"

"I know what I said before, and I take it back," he bites out, "I don't wanna talk about that. Not right now."

Spock wishes he understood human better. They have such trouble making up their minds and sticking with their decision.

"If not now, when? I feel this is something we must discuss."

"Later."

"I must ask for more specific parameters."

"When I'm back in my right body, how's that?"

"That is agreeable," Spock replies calmly, wanting to diffuse the situation, "Would you care for another round of chess? It may ease the undue stress I have caused you."

Kirk lets out a huff Spock recognizes as a laugh, saying, "Why not? Let's play."

xXxXx

Kirk is honestly a bit shocked and hurt that Spock didn't realize he could feel their bond, no matter how small it was. He admits it had been strange to feel the hint of another being inside his head, to feel a slow trickle of emotions not his own filtering through his thoughts. It was startling at first, to know someone else could feel him at the same time, though he quickly found Spock's constant presence comforting and calming, and he isn't sure what he would do if the presence were to go away. He wonders if Spock feels the same.

He hid his emotions from Spock as best he could when he ended their conversation. He did not want to deal with ideas of love when he was in someone else's body, especially not when there's too much else for him to worry about. He hated pushing Spock out like that, but he didn't want him to know the truth… not yet.

When he lets Spock back in, he finds contentment sitting comfortably in the middle of their thread, and it feels like being bathed in warm light. Kirk feels bad for snapping earlier and shutting himself down, letting the hurt simmer just under the surface of his mind. Spock's eyebrows knit almost imperceptibly, just enough for Kirk to notice. The warm glow sitting between them shudders and moves toward him at Spock's gentle nudge. It makes Kirk smile, makes him feel happy, and he knows Spock can feel it. His happiness settles the contentment comfortably between once more.

They play two more games, winning one a piece, and Kirk stifles a yawn, saying, "Well, Spock, I think that's it for me. I'm gonna try and get some shut-eye before I gotta be on the bridge tomorrow. You should do the same."

"I do not require rest, captain, though I appreciate your concern."

Kirk smirks at him, saying, "Oh, come on, you're tired. I can feel it. Just lay down for a bi-"

"Jim! Jim, you better git down here quick!" McCoy shouts over the comm.

Kirk wastes no time, sprinting out of his quarters and down to sickbay, Spock on his heels. McCoy is waiting for them outside, his face red and agitated.

"What is it, Bones? What happened?"

"Crazy, Jim! She's fuckin' crazy! Ya gotta do somethin'!" McCoy shouts, his accent thickening with his anger, "Toss her in the brig! Ya gotta do somethin'!"

"What did Lester do?" Spock asks.

"She attacked my nurses, goddammit!" McCoy howls, "She busted outta her restraints and snatched up one of my nurses and's holding a damn scalpel to her neck!"

Kirk enters the medical bay slowly, not wanting to spook Lester and have her harm the nurse. Lester has his eyes huge and crazed, the pupils blown wide. Sweat covers the face and neck, making the shirt stick to the torso. Tiny muscles twitch under the skin. Kirk is forcibly reminded of how poorly she wears his body. Nurse Kellye looks terrified but is very still, not wanting the scalpel any closer to her throat.

"Kellye? You okay?" Kirk asks softly.

She squeaks out an affirmative. Kirk focuses his attention on Lester.

"Janice, let her go," he says authoritatively, "This is between us. You wanna hurt someone? Hurt me. Just let her go."

"Why? This hurts you plenty," she snarls.

"You don't really want to hurt Kellye. You want to hurt me! A real captain doesn't take out their anger on the innocent! They take it out on the people that deserve it, the ones they want! You wanna hurt me? Come and get me!"

He hears Spock and McCoy voice protests behind him, but he ignores them. Lester had gone too far, and this needs to end. She wanted his attention? She has that and more. Lester tosses Kellye to the floor, and the nurse scrambles to get back to McCoy. Kirk settles into a fighting stance. Lester snarls at him. He readies himself for a fight.

He sees his own body launching at him, feels his own hands close around his throat and hot breath on his face. Kirk is struggling wildly against the hold when he is incapacitated by a blinding headache.

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