A/N: You can blame the lateness of this chapter on Spock. He did NOT want to be written...and I had a hard time actually writing him for some reason (maybe because I like to give my characters emotions and Spock just doesn't show them? I dunno).

You can also blame Castiel from 'Supernatural' for the lateness 'cause he was like: "You're going to be obsessed with me now!" and I was like: "Okay!"
So yeah...but it's here now.

For this chapter, and probably the next one, I'll have some time jumps. They will be identifiable like so: 00000000000000

Enjoy!

Lash paused right inside of the doorway while McCoy went over to Khan's side. She surveyed her husband, checking for anything wrong; she could only see a few scrapes and bruises. She took slow steps to the side of the bed that McCoy was not on and looked down into Khan's face.

"What happened?" She whispered.

"Spock knocked his lights out." McCoy responded clinically.

Lash's head whipped up. "What?"

"I thought you listened." He stated.

Lash rolled her eyes gently. "To Starfleet communications, not everything in the world. That'd be impossible."

"Spock'll be up soon. He can explain everything." The Doctor said. "In the mean time, take a seat. I need your blood."

Lash nodded, feeling that she wasn't going to get much more information out of McCoy at the present time. Turning, she found a chair in the corner of the room. She went over to it and awkwardly moved the stiff-backed chair next to Khan's bed (her cuffed hands making hard to grip the chair). As she sat, and McCoy gathered materials needed to gain her blood, she reached up with both hands to pull her cap off of her head, letting her hair flow down her back; she tossed the cap onto the floor near her feet. Lash rested her arms on the edge of the bed, taking Khan's hand in between her own. Feeling his pulse and warmth, she relaxed. McCoy then approached her and began the process of taking her blood.

"You know what will most likely happen to him right?" He asked her quietly. "And you?"

"Yes, Doctor. If not death, like the rest of our crew, then cryo forever." Lash replied on a sigh.

"Crew's not dead." McCoy rumbled, keeping his eyes focused on what he was doing.

Lash almost gave herself whiplash, she turned her head so fast. "What?" She breathed.

"Your crew's safe. Spock took them out of the torpedoes before handing them over to Khan. They're currently on the Enterprise, but will be moved to safe keeping, under lock and key, until it's decided on what to do with them." He explained.

Lash's heart beat faster, making her a little woozy since her blood was still being siphoned off.

"That's...a very big relief." She said quietly. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me." He said, taking the needle out of her arm and placing a bandage over the spot where a little blood was seeping out.

Lash stayed exactly where she was as McCoy cleaned up the area. As he was leaving, a security Officer walked into the room carrying a large weapon and stood next to the door, eyes on Lash. With a sigh, Lash bent her arms on the bed and lowered her head to them; her eyes kept watch on Khan.

A little more than an hour and a half later, Spock walked into the room flanked by two Starfleet personnel in gold shirts. Lash lifted her head to watch him walk in and stop on the opposite side of the bed (leaving a good five foot gap between him and Khan). Spock clasped his hands behind his back, then looked at her for a long moment before shifting his unemotional gaze to the unconscious Khan.

"What happened?" Lash finally asked softly, breaking the silence.

Spock turned his attention back to her, a stern almost hostile look on his face. She then noticed the small cut near the bridge of his nose and under his left eye. She frowned.

"Where would you like me to begin?" He asked.

Was that sarcasm? Lash thought, lifting an eyebrow slightly.

"How about from when you blew up the torpedoes." Lash grumbled.

"Your crew is alive." Spock said.

"I'm aware." She spat, glaring and frowning at the Commander. "Doctor McCoy informed me earlier." She paused before feeling herself start on a rant. "Do you have any idea what that felt like? To be under the impression that your family was murdered by a Starfleet Officer?...Of course you wouldn't, you emotionless Vulcan...I have NEVER seen Khan react the way he did. I have never seen him so furious; not even during the War when we were running for our lives daily."

"If you're looking for sympathy—"

"No. I'm not." Lash cut in aggressively. "I'm trying to understand. I'm trying to see it from both sides of the coin, not just ours."

There was silence in the room, with the exception of Khan's monitors.

Spock nodded almost imperceptively and explained to Lash what happened after the torpedoes detonated. He described what happened to Kirk, but left out details, ending by informing her that the doctors didn't know when he would wake up...or if he even would. But they had every confidence in his struggle for consciousness.

"That's why McCoy needed my blood. To flush out Kirk's own radioactive blood." Lash clarified.

"Essentially. Yes."

Spock then went on to explain how he chased down Khan on foot through the busy streets of San Francisco onto a garbage vessel, where they fought. Spock eventually punched Khan unconscious, ending the fight.

"So why hasn't he woken up? He should have by now." Lash asked, glancing down at her husband.

"Doctor McCoy took a lot of blood." One of the Officers behind Spock glared.

Lash glanced at him briefly, then nodded. There were several more moments of silence.

"There will be a trial once he wakes up." Spock motioned vaguely towards Khan. "You will be put on trial as well for aligning yourself with him. Do you wish for a separate trial?"

"No. His sentence is my sentence." She replied firmly.

Spock paused for a moment. The only tell that he was uncertain was a slight tightening of his lips. "It is possible you will both be sentenced to death."

"So be it." Lash said softly, defiantly.

With a nod, Spock turned on his heel and exited the room, followed by the two gold-shirted Officers. Before he left the vicinity, she heard Spock say to both of the security Officers guarding the room to let him and the new Admiral know when Khan awoke.

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Lash had been seated at Khan's side for three days, only getting up to stretch her legs and use the restroom.

It was approaching nightfall when Lash heard Khan inhale deeply. Picking her head up from where it rested on his thigh, she looked up at her husband's face. His eyes were slowly opening and glancing about the room. Lash stood so she was in his eye line and smiled softly down at him.

"You're awake." She whispered. "I was getting worried."

"What—" Khan started, but had to stop to clear his throat.

Lash glanced over to the security Officer at the door, who was watching her intently. "Could some water be brought in, please?" She asked quietly.

The Officer looked at her for a long moment before nodding once and sticking his head out of the door to flag down a doctor or nurse. Lash nodded her thanks to the Officer before turning her attention back to Khan, reaching for his hand.

"You're in a hospital. Do you remember what happened?" She asked him, retaking her seat.

He nodded. "Commander Spock and I fought. He knocked me unconscious."

Lash nodded. "That's what he said. Doctor McCoy took a lot of your blood, too." She paused before continuing. "You've been out for three days."

The information must not have shocked Khan all that much. The only sign he was even slightly surprised at the information was a gentle lifting of his eyebrow.

"Why are you here? I told you to stay at your apartment." He eventually said.

"I know. And I'm sorry, but when I heard that you were taken, I had to find you. The communications I overheard led me here." She held up her shackled wrists. "Apparently, I'm under arrest, too. Just for being with you." She smiled to alleviate some of the seriousness of the situation.

"Lash." Khan whispered. "You'll be tried for anything I have done. You'll share in my transgressions."

"I know. I don't care." She replied, leaning towards him. "If I'm not with you, what's the point. I said I'd follow you wherever you went. And I'm still going to following." She lowered her head to kiss him.

When she pulled back several long seconds later, Khan whispered ever so softly: "I love you."

Lash whispered back: "Always." She moved his hair out of his eyes before she continued. "Good news, though...our crew is safe."

Khan's eyes widened, then he frowned. "What? How?"

"McCoy and Spock explained to me that they took the crew out of the torpedoes before handing them over to you. They're still in cryo, safely tucked away." She elaborated, squeezing his hand gently.

Khan tilted his head back into the pillows and took a deep breath in and out through his nose. "That's good then." He mumbled, squeezing Lash's hand in response.

Within the next several minutes, the room was in a flurry of activity. At least four doctors and nurses came into the room, checking on Khan, making sure he was okay to be taken off of their machines and monitors. (One nurse brought in the cup of water Lash asked for.) They came to the conclusion that Khan was healthy and they unhooked him from all monitors and machines.

The medical team left in a hurry when Spock reentered the room. With just one look, everyone vacated except for Doctor McCoy and the security at the door.

Khan sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed to face the Commander. Lash walked around the bed to stand next to Khan's legs, her cuffed hands clasped together in front of her, almost making it look like a natural stance.

Spock glanced at both of them in turn. Both were incredibly apathetic, but only Lash showed any sort of emotion in her eyes. The Vulcan could classify the emotion as anxiety even if he never showed it himself. Spock, a being of no-nonsense, spoke directly.

"You will stay the night here. In the morning, you are both to be transferred to a holding cell, where you will remain until Captain Kirk awakens." He explained, constantly shifting his eyes from one to the other. "When the Captain does awake (and Doctor McCoy has informed me that he will) you will both be put on trial, led by the Admiral, for your actions. Whatever your outcome may be, it will be carried out immediately following said trail." He paused. "Understood?"

"Yes." Khan grumbled, staring down the Commander.

Lash let her eyes drop to the floor momentarily before looking back up at Spock, who was watching her intently. "Yes." She answered softly.

With a sharp nod, Spock turned and left the room, Doctor McCoy following behind. The Doctor, however, stopped at the door. He spoke to the security Officer, who then walked up to Lash with the key to her handcuffs. He motioned for her to hold out her hands, and when she did, he took the cuffs off of her, then turned and marched out of the room. When the Officer was gone, McCoy held the sliding door back as he turned and looked back at the couple.

"You can have the next few hours to yourselves. However, if you try to escape, you will be taken down with heavy sedatives at the least. Alright?"

Khan and Lash both nodded. "Thank you, Doctor McCoy." Lash called to him.

"I told you not to thank me." He gruffly replied.

"I'm doing it anyway."

McCoy rolled his eyes, then let the door close as he left. The couple could hear the door being locked when it sealed.

"That was generous." Lash mumbled, still looking at the door.

Khan didn't say anything, only turned his head to look his wife over. "Are you alright?" He eventually asked, still scrutinizing her.

Lash turned towards Khan. If that's not a loaded question, I don't know what is. She thought. "I'll be fine." She replied.

His sea-colored eyes gazed directly into her moss-colored orbs. "I don't believe you." He said, reaching out to wrap his arm around her waist.

Lash forced a grin. "And I don't believe you're entirely okay with the situation either."

Khan grunted in response as he pulled her body in between his thighs. "Doesn't really matter anymore, though, does it?" He asked, lowering his lips towards hers.

"Guess not." She managed to reply before Khan's lips captured hers almost desperately.

While they kissed, they maneuvered themselves onto the bed, clothes being tugged off as they moved. And for the next few hours they had alone, Khan and Lash were finally able to reunite the way a husband and wife should be reunited after a long absence.

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Early the next morning, Spock and a large team of security Officers with large weapons came to collect Lash and Khan. (The two anticipated the arrival and redressed roughly a half hour earlier.) The couple stood casually and stoically next to each other as they were put into handcuffs, then lead from the room lead by Spock and closely surrounded on all sides by security.

After reaching the ground floor and exiting the hospital (via a back door to prevent any unwanted attention), they were shoved into transports and taken away to a holding cell beneath Starfleet Headquarters. The cell reminded both Lash and Khan of the brig on the Enterprise; the oval, glass sheet being the only way in and out, a small cot just big enough for both of them to fit on off to the left, and a ledge to step up on to get to said cot. Before entering the cell, Khan's handcuffs were removed first and he was unceremoniously shoved into the cell, then Lash's handcuffs were removed and she was nudged into the cell.

Well, if that didn't show favoritism...Lash thought as she rubbed her wrists.

The couple looked at each other before turning to face the security Officers. The watched as the glass slid back into place, sealing them in, and glared down the Officers as they walked away.

Once the Officers were out of sight, Lash sighed and turned to sit on the ledge, elbows resting on her knees, and head hung low.

"Now we wait." She muttered.

Khan sighed as he sat down closely next to his wife, wrapping an arm loosely around her waist. Lash rested her head against his shoulder. "And now we wait." He agreed, lowly.

A/N:Damnit Spock! Why'd you have to be so awkward to write?!

Well, there ya go! One more chapter down in the books...and only one more to go! That's right, ladies (and gents?), the next chapter will be the last one.

Let me repeat that in all caps: THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE THE LAST CHAPTER! So enjoy it all while you can.

Big thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, alerted, and/or favored!