A/N: TREKKIE! I love seeing your name in my e-mail, thanks for reading, sweetiepie :3 I'm glad you liked Chapter 28, it's seriously the favorite out of all the ones I've written. And to anyone reading but not saying anything, thanks! I know you're supporting me, even though you're not reviewing. I CAN FEEL YOUR LOVE TRUST IN THAT.

Interstellar Academy

32: Ultimatum

Nova watched as a few guards left and the others stayed. She prayed this meant they were going to free Jim. She wanted to set her hands alight, but that would simply melt his; sure, he wouldn't have the ability to use his hands, but what else could be in his arsenal? She didn't want to do anything to set him off.

Charlotte slowly approached them, shaking.

"Charlotte, no, stay back-"

Stav took a hard, silver hand against Nova's face, not strong enough to crack her jaw, but it made sparks fly through her head. The girl's face hardened and she glared at him, gritting her sore teeth.

"Stav, you didn't have to do that. But why? Why would you do such a horrible thing?" Charlotte looked so feeble and small.

"Because I wanted your attention. And what a better way than to take away someone close to you, like, say, someone you mentored?"

"But Sierra was totally innocent with this! I told you, I'm not interested, why won't you just let it go!"

Nova began to realize that Stav's behavior, already strange for a robot, was almost obsessive. He acted this way with her as well, pushy and angry. Something about Charlotte's rejection must have pushed him over the edge.

"Because it's not fair. And you know what?" Stav shifted his free hand into a flintlock and pointed right under Nova's chin. Nova had to restrain herself from hurting him; one false move, and he could bring harm to someone else other than her. She wouldn't forgive herself if that happened. "I'll blow her head off if you don't give me a chance."

"Stav!" It was Jim's heavenly voice, and Nova searched frantically for his beautiful face. Unshaven with scruffy hair, she still felt safe knowing he was nearby. "Don't take it out on her, let Nova go!"

"Oh no. See, I kill two birds with one stone. Not only will this break Charlotte's heart, but also yours!" Stav cackled, pushing Nova onto the ground, still pointing the gun at her face. "Unless… Charlotte wants to give us a try?"

Jim's fists curled, his nails digging into his palms. Charlotte simply stood there, still stunned by the events unfolding before her eyes.

"What about the other girls?" Jim called out. "Where are they?"

"Locked up, hood rat," Stav said, waving the question away. "And once Charlotte agrees to my terms, I'll gladly let them go. But refuse, and I'll rid of them, starting with… this one." Nova tried to crawl backwards, but Stav kicked her, making her double over.

"No, please, stop!" Charlotte cried, holding her chest as if she were in dire pain. "Look, I-I'll do whatever you want. I'll give us a chance. Just don't hurt anyone else, please!" Tears ran down her green cheeks, her black eyes shining as bright as a dying star.

"You don't mean that…" Stav sighed, tapping his gun to his forehead. "You know what? I don't feel like games. I want to see if you're serious." His hand searched the crowd, finding a small freshmen boy. He screeched whenever the gun pointed at him.

"NO!"

Nova stopped thinking altogether, and tackled Stav to the ground. The gun shot off, and everything went still for awhile. Stav's bright eyes were wide as he rolled Nova off of him, revealing the wound he'd created. It bled profusely, and she uselessly held her hands to it, as if they were enough to stop the blood.

The authorities used this opportunity to shoot Stav down. His wiring protruded from his shell, and he fell right beside Nova.

"I know you didn't want to hurt anyone," Nova said softly, a trickle of blood running out of her mouth and onto the ground. "I know you're just heartbroken, and you didn't know how to deal."

Stav just stared at her, though she was positive he heard her.

"How do you do that? How do you feel? Can you tell me?"

His mouth moved slowly, and his mechanical brain was trying hard to function at this point. Then he said, "My master… he programmed me to feel and react like a human does. B-but, I've seen him heartbroken and… and he did this. He hurt others because he- he hurt."

"I'm sorry, Star Navigator," Nova said through a cough. "I'm sorry, but that's wrong."

"I-I-I know." Sparks flew out of him, and he finally shut down.

"Nova!" Charlotte knelt over her, taking off her blazer and pressing it against Nova's abdomen.

"AH!" Nova tried to push Charlotte's hand away but the very idea of moving caused to cringe. "N-not so hard."

Jim joined them, tearing off his shirt and taking Charlotte's place. "Dammit, why do you have to save everyone?"

"I get it from you." Even though she felt like her insides were ready to explode, she still managed to smile up at her partner. "A-and you cursed."

"I do it all the time, stupid, you're just not around."

Paramedics forced Jim and Charlotte to leave Nova's side so they could treat her. They rushed her to the hospital, where the blood she lost was replaced and she was patched up, though they were convinced they almost lost her.

In her room, Jim had fallen asleep holding her hand, and there was a table piled with gifts, a rather nicely wrapped one from the freshman she'd saved. She shook Jim awake, and he muttered some obscenities before looking up at her with a lazy smile.

"Hi, Sunshine." She stroked his cheek, now clean shaven and soft. "If I'm not sleeping, neither are you."

"That's not even fair." He switched from the chair to her bed, one hand placed on her other side, the other under her chin. "I've been lying awake for hours, hoping you'd be OK. I get no rest for my worry?"

"Not unless it's together."

"You drive a hard bargain, Finn." He leaned in close to press his lips against hers. She received him positively, clinging to his shirt to keep him close. He pulled away when she flinched, afraid he'd hurt her.

"I'm fine," she huffed, though the way she repositioned herself proved otherwise.

"Quit being stubborn. If you act that way, you won't heal quickly." He took the water from her bedside table and handed it to her. She grudgingly took it and drank it greedily. "What have you been doing?"

"Watching you." She looked embarrassed, and stared at her hands fidgeting with her glass to avoid his gaze.

He was silent as he observed her, then he said, "You scared the shit out of me."

She glared at him, silently nagging him for cursing.

"You did. I was frightened I'd lost you. And if that happened I-" He stopped, not sure how to continue. "I couldn't live with myself, if I couldn't protect you-"

"That's not your job, Jim." She made him look into her eyes, her hand pressed against his cheek.

"Even so… I don't know how to function without you. Like I told your father, being with you is like breathing."

They stayed quiet for some time, basking in each other's company. He fiddled with her fingers with one hand, unable to speak. She didn't seem to have a response to what he confessed, which worried him and made him feel a little insecure.

"The most frightening moment for me," she said softly, not looking up from their finger play, "was when we were on Treasure Planet. And when you risked your life to save the crew by solar surfing through explosions and almost got consumed by the planet's molten core. Watching you narrowly miss danger, knowing that any second I could witness death taking you… it broke my heart."

She'd never admit to this before, and he stared at her, surprised. She looked back at him, her expression sweet and sober.

"I know the feeling. Every time a pillar just about hit you in the face, I stopped breathing. That was also when I knew just how much I cared about this human I just met. In a short amount of time, you went from my hero to something more. You meant more to me than I dared to admit at the time. I loved you then, and I love you now. Which is why I go through all this trouble."

As the words hung above them, it was like the air in the room became thick and heavy. Jim crashed into her then, his lips dominating hers. She tilted her head, wrapping her left arm- her good arm, since her right hung over her wound- around his neck to pull him down toward her. He tried something new- he nibbled at her lower lip, begging for her to allow him in. She agreed, opening her mouth and moaning as his tongue collided with hers. He tried his best to be careful and mindful of her, but his brain was turning into liquid as the kiss continued and deepened. She pressed her chest against his, and the thin fabric of her hospital gown left little to the imagination. He hovered over her, pushing her back into her bed and placing his hands on either side of her head. She reluctantly pulled away, air having left her lungs completely, and she was desperately trying to get some back.

"S-sorry," he said breathlessly.

"No! Don't be. It- I mean… I'm happy." She rested her head on his shoulder, turning it against his neck to leave a flutter of butterfly kisses. She giggled when he shuttered, pleased. "Very… very happy."