A/N: Sorry for the delay. I was super busy this past week; I volunteered and played in a hockey tournament (Hockey Fights MS...my friend founded the tournaments), then helped out with the men's tournament the next weekend, and in between I volunteered to be stage crew for a gigantic music festival held in the area every year. And yesterday was my birthday and I went to Six Flags. Today was the first time I got to relax in 9 days...

Someone (I'm so sorry I can't remember who it was at this point) asked why Lash doesn't have the fighting skills that Khan possesses...she's more brain than brawn. She told Kirk [in the last chapter] that she didn't know hand to hand combat; she could have been lying. *hint, hint* I feel that because of their relationship and who they are, Khan would rather fight (even though he's incredibly intelligent himself) and Lash would rather outwit...maybe resorting to fighting as a last-ditch effort.
Does that make sense? Confusion cleared now? (I'm also taking fanfiction liberties here, because not a lot is known about their people.)

Okay, now let's get on with this chapter (it's fairly dialog heavy). If you'll remember from the last chapter, I left you with a lame cliffhanger where Spock and Kirk came back to the brig with another blue-shirted man...

"This is Doctor McCoy. He'll be taking your blood sample." Kirk explained to Lash as McCoy approached the glass.

Like he did with Khan, he opened a small hole for Lash to put her arm through. "Arm through the hole." The doctor instructed.

Lash looked up at Khan before reluctantly releasing him and doing as the doctor said. He produced a piece of medical equipment that looked like a hypospray. After Lash pushed her sleeve up to her elbow, she made a fist and put her arm through nervously. She winced when McCoy pressed the instrument to her arm (probably a little harder than necessary) and it started taking her blood. When he had collected enough blood to fill the small chamber, he took the instrument away and Lash pulled her arm back towards her. With a small, grumbled 'ow', she rubbed the area. McCoy closed the hole, sending the device off to the side.

Lash watched the doctor watch Khan as he moved towards her. She didn't miss McCoy's raised eyebrow when Khan's arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her to his side.

"I'll let you know if I find anything...again." The doctor said to Kirk before walking away.

"Right. Thanks." Kirk said distractedly, keeping his eyes on the woman in the cell. "Alright, Lash, spill."

Lash took a deep breath before telling Kirk of what she had been up to since Marcus had awoken her two days after Khan. She explained how Marcus used her as blackmail for Khan, even though he didn't know it was actually her, and how she was blackmail for him. She explained that she was given the alias Lieutenant Marla McGivers to keep her and Khan safe and away from suspicion.

"That's where I've seen you." Kirk interrupted her story.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"You're Admiral Marcus' assistant."

"That was the cover, yes."

She then continued on, detailing how Marcus was using her as a spy, while following Khan's movements on the side. She went on to explain that Marcus had her 'transferred' onto the Enterprise so she could disable it.

"I am sorry about that." She cringed. "I had to follow orders if I was ever to see Khan again. Like I said before, Captain: I'm just a woman looking for her husband." Khan squeezed her waist and she placed her hand over his as she looked up at him with a forced smile.

Kirk believed the story, albeit grudgingly, and was about to ask some follow up questions when a communiqué cut him off.

"Proximity alert, sir. There's a ship at warp heading right for us."

"Klingons?" He asked, stupidly.

Lash rolled her eyes. We're only minutes from Kronos. Why would they need warp?

"At warp?" Khan sneered, voicing her thoughts. "No, Captain, we all know who it is."

"No, sir, it's not coming from Kronos."

While Kirk stared at the two of them, slowly piecing together the parts both Khan and Lash had given him, Lash gripped Khan's fingers and squeezed. It was Marcus and she did NOT want to see that man again for fear she would do something regrettable.

Once the light bulb over Kirk's mind clicked on, his eyes widened and he turned from them, running out of the brig, shouting instructions as he went.

"Lieutenant, move Kahn and Lash to med. bay post six and sic security Officers on them."

"Yes, sir." The Officer who was keeping an eye on them replied.

"Hmm…med. bay post six." Lash pondered out loud. "I have a friend stationed near there."

"Friend?" Khan asked skeptically.

"When I say friend..." she grinned at him.

"Ah, my clever wife." He smirked, hugging her around the shoulders. "Getting Marcus' minions to do your dirty work for you."

"Yeah, well, she's a nurse. I thought she might come in handy someday." Lash said with a shrug.

They watched as a team of security Officers assembled outside of the cell, all carrying large guns, ready to fire if necessary. The Lieutenant in the brig lowered the glass keeping Khan and Lash imprisoned.

"Alright, you two, let's go." The Officer closest to them said.

Khan released Lash, then held his arm out in front of them, indicating that she should move first. She did, but reached back and grabbed Khan's hand so he couldn't be separated from her.

The two were surrounded by security as the troop marched them through the Enterprise to the med. bay. They were led to an out-of-the-way medical table and told to sit.

"I've been sitting for a few hours, I'd rather stand." Lash said crossing her arms under her ample breasts, standing next to Khan's legs as he lifted himself onto the edge of the table.

"Fine. Just don't go anywhere." The Officer replied.

"I'm not stupid." Lash rolled her eyes.

"My dear, your witticism will get you in trouble one of these days." Khan said with a straight face.

"It hasn't so far." She quipped back, sending him a wink.

Khan shook his head minutely before watching his wife. On the outside, she may have seemed calm, but he knew her better; she was worried about what Marcus would do if he got a hold of them. She was worried about what Starfleet would do if they got a hold of them.

Within minutes of them being shuffled along into the med. bay, they felt the ship vibrate as Marcus' unmarked USS Vengeance pulled out of warp…the ship Khan had designed for him. Seconds later, Kirk ordered his conversation with Marcus to be broadcasted ship-wide. Lash and Khan could hear their conversation clearly.

"Captain Kirk." Marcus greeted.

"Admiral Marcus." Kirk almost sounded relieved. "I wasn't expecting you. That's a hell of a ship you got there."

Lash glanced at Khan, who smirked ever so softly. She smirked back.

"And I wasn't expecting to get word that you had taken Harrison into custody in violation of your orders."

Lash frowned. Marcus knew that Kirk wasn't going to kill Khan. There wasn't a need for him to act surprised...he had to be faking it.

"Well, we, uh...we had to improvise when our warp core unexpectedly malfunctioned." She grinned to herself. "But you already knew that, didn't you, sir?"

"I don't take your meaning."

"Liar." Lash muttered. He knew exactly what happened. Now she knew he was faking this conversation.

"Well, that's why you're here, isn't it? To assist with our repairs? Why else would the head of Starfleet personally come to the edge of the neutral zone?"

"To make sure we're dead." She mumbled to Khan, who nodded once.

There was a long pause before Kirk continued. "Is there something I can help you find, sir?"

"Where's your prisoner, Kirk?"

Lash unconsciously stepped closer to Khan, placing her hand on his thigh.

"Per Starfleet regulation, I'm planning on returning Khan to Earth to stand trial."

"Well, shit...you talked to him. You know about Lash, too, then?"

"Yes sir. Found her as well."

"This is exactly what I was hoping to spare you from. I took a tactical risk and woke that bastard up," Lash frowned and clenched her free hand, leaving half-moon indents in her palms. "believing that his superior intelligence would help us protect ourselves from whatever came at us next. I also believed that Lash had the ability predict an oncoming attack from our enemies."

"Oh, bullshit." Lash growled. Khan reached up and took her hand from off of his leg, holding it in his larger one. She looked over to him. "He's a selfish dick." Khan didn't respond, but she saw the twinkle in his eyes that indicated he was amused.

"But I made a mistake and now the blood of everybody he's killed is on my hands. So I'm asking you...give him, and Lash, to me so I can end what I started."

"And what exactly would you like me to do with the rest of their crew, sir? Fire them at the Klingons? End seventy-one lives? Start a war in the process?"

Lash looked at Khan, saw the fear in her eyes reflected back in his. She squeezed his hand.

"Khan put those people in those torpedoes and I simply didn't want to burden you with what was inside of 'em. You saw what this man can do by himself. Can you imagine what Lash would be able to accomplish with him? Can you imagine what would happen if we woke up the rest of their crew? What else did they tell you? That they're peacekeepers? They're playing you, son, don't you see that?"

If Lash ever got her hands on that man, he was going to regret he ever picked up their ship and woke her and Khan up. She could feel her nails break the skin of her palm.

"Khan and his crew were condemned to death as war criminals and now it's our duty to carry out that sentencing before anybody else dies because of them."

That, both Lash and Khan knew, was a lie.

Khan was an excellent strategist and leader, so during the Eugenics Wars of the mid 1990's, Khan grew to power, taking over more than a quarter of Earth's populated countries. He may have ruled his subjects with an iron fist, but during his reign, there were no massacres or internal wars. It was when other nations started to push back that he got in trouble. The best thing they could do was flee to escape death at the hands of other tyrants. So with seventy-one faithful followers (seventy-two when including Lash), they forced themselves into exile. They boarded the SS Botany Bay and flew out to space before putting themselves in cryostasis until they could find a more habitable planet to flourish on...but Marcus found them first.

Lash was pissed and she was sure Khan was as well. It would be a fight between the two to decide who got to kill Marcus if they ever got the chance.

"Now, I'm gonna ask you again, one last time, son. Lower your shields, tell me where they are."

Lash held her breath, hoping Kirk wouldn't give them away. She didn't think he would, but there was still a chance.

"They're in engineering, sir. But I'll have them moved to the transporter room right away."

"I'll take it from here."

The communication cut off and Lash watched as Doctor McCoy and Marcus' daughter entered the med. bay.

Lash didn't know what sort of plan or ploy Kirk had in mind, but knowing that the Captain was sticking to Starfleet regulations, she knew that he wasn't going to easily hand them over to Marcus.

Less than a minute after Kirk and Marcus spoke, everyone could feel that the Enterprise jumped into a warp. Lash let out a small breath of relief, but noticed that Khan didn't even move a muscle. Something told her they weren't out of harm's way yet.

Carol Marcus walked over to the pair and stood in front of them, attempting to stare them down; Lash found this amusing, coming from the petite woman. When the younger woman's eyes landed on Lash, she squinted at her for a moment.

"I know you." She almost said to herself.

"You only think you do." Lash grumbled back.

Marcus' daughter scoffed and rolled her eyes childishly before she ventured to stare down Khan again.

McCoy shambled over to the husband and wife, carrying medical scanners. "Well, seems we're moving again." He muttered as he held the scanner up to Khan.

Khan, who had been looking straight ahead at nothing, shifted his eyes towards the doctor. "If you think you're safe at warp, you're wrong." He said, eyes leaving the doctor to stare at whatever he was before.

McCoy slowly lowered the scanner as he glanced at Lash. She only stared back, hoping the doctors would come to their own conclusions. It appeared they did (and faster than Lash thought they would). McCoy looked to Marcus, who then caught on and ran out of the med. bay to warn Kirk.

"This can wait." McCoy muttered to himself as he walked over to a desk scattered with equipment, PADDs, and experiments.

Lash watched the doctor before glancing back at Khan, who was watching her. She stared deeply into his stormy eyes, looking for the calm she knew he possessed. The calm he could show better than she could.

Lash didn't know how much time had passed before the Enterprise shook. The movement would have sent her flying backwards if it wasn't for Khan's quick reflexes. He released her hand only to catch her round the waist and bring her in between his legs, where he trapped her with his well-muscled thighs. His hand slid around her back, holding her against him, while his other hand grabbed the edge of the table and held tight, leaving large indents in the metal. Lash wrapped her arms around his shoulders, burying her face in his neck.

"Marcus might just try to kill us all." Khan said in her ear.

Lash absently nodded her agreement. She was, however, more concentrated on keeping her feet. She could feel the ship spin out before coming to a stand-still. The red emergency lights flashed around them.

"And now he's knocked us out of warp." Lash said, lifting her head enough to rest her chin on Khan's shoulder and watch the chaos around them.

Khan relaxed his hold on the table, but didn't let go completely. He knew Marcus had more up his sleeves. He also relaxed his legs around his wife, but did not allow her to move away...not that she was trying to leave his embrace. The ship took a few more hits before the Vengeance stopped firing all together.

"Does Marcus know his daughter's on board?" Lash asked him as she pulled her head back enough to search Khan's face.

"I do not believe so." He said, staring into her moss-colored eyes. "He wouldn't have fired on the ship otherwise."

She nodded, then shifted her eyes down to his chest. "He's going to transport her over and take out the Enterprise anyway." She said softly after a moment, understanding.

"Most likely. That ship has the capability to transport from anywhere. She doesn't have to be on the transport pad to be beamed over." He explained.

Lash let out a mirthless laugh. "I love you, but we really need to work on your delivery of bad news."

Khan released the table to reach up and tilt her chin so she was looking into his eyes again. "I've always loved you." He said with as much emotion as he could, letting his hand drop to her hip. "Never forget that."

Lash gazed into his eyes for a moment longer before she leaned in and kissed him, thoroughly. Her arms slid around his shoulders to his neck, where she sank her fingers into his hair. His arm tightened around her back, pulling her closer to him as his other hand flexed around her hip.

A/N: Brownie points if you spotted the Sherlock reference...I didn't do it on purpose, though...it just happened.

And you gotta love pirated movie websites...even though the one I found wasn't that great. That's how I got the dialog you recognize, so that doesn't belong to me. I'm just borrowing and tweaking it for fun.

Don't forget to drop me a review! :-)

Thanks to all of you who have read, alerted, reviewed, and favored!