The Black Shirt

Author's Note: I decided to write something short again and play a little with parallel universes. Can be read as a stand alone or as a kind of sequel to "The Hypospray Surprise".

James Tiberius Kirk materialized in the transporter room of the Enterprise and exhaled in relief. His shirt was torn and his phaser had no energy left. But he was safe now. On the run from some very nasty creatures he'd found a cave in the last minute and he was really glad that he'd been able to contact the ship. Although there had been some interferences. Scotty had sounded weird - and the look the chief engineer gave the captain right now was also strange.

"Uhm... Captain?" Scotty managed barely to get out and just stared at him, then at something next to him.

"Scotty, what hap-" Jim Kirk turned his head to the left and suddenly stopped.

A woman was standing next to him. Her cerulean blue eyes looked curiously at him. Long blonde hair was floating over a golden uniform dress that was as torn as his own tunic. And she had a damaged phaser.

They stared at each other for a moment, then both rolled their eyes when the realized who the other was.

Jim glanced back at Scotty and looked to the woman again. "Okay, since he's looking at me like that, this must be your reality and I somehow ended up here when my Scotty tried to beam me up."

The female captain took a look at Scotty and smiled at the man in the torn uniform next to her. "Yep. Welcome on board. Scotty, is this something similar than last month with the other female me? Can we send him home right away?"

Scotty snapped out of his surprise and his fingers flew over the computer console. "Hmmm..." he made. "I don't think so. Sorry, lassie. Something did meddle with the transporter beam, but I'll need a little bit of time. I guess, it could have been the minerals in the cave. We had some strange readings when you commed us. I'll just..." he gestured towards the computer.

She nodded. "Alright. Take your time."

"Last month?" Jim asked.

"Ion storm. I ended up in another reality and another female me materialized here. Kind of an evil twin. Very disturbing. Didn't that happen where you come from?"

"No..."

"Huh..."

"But a few months ago I met a female me. Jamie."

"Jamie. Hm." She tilted her head.

"Not your name, I take it?"

"No."

"Jane, perhaps?"

She chuckled. "No."

He also laughed. "Are you making me guess further? Not Jane or Jamie... Did your parents really stray that far from James? Have you not be named after your grandfather?"

"Which one?" she asked amused and gestured him to start walking. "Come on, let's go to my quarters. You can freshen up a little. Me, too. I think we can also find you some shirt to put on."

He eyed her and winked. "I don't think we're the same size."

She laughed and they left the transporter room together. "Don't worry, we'll find something."

"So..." Jim tried again. "Are you really going to make your first name a secret?"

"Still waiting on the answer which grandfather you meant."

"Both actually. James and Tiberius."

"We'll, the T is definitely is from Grandpa Tiberius. The J is a little stretched. Must be one of those things that puts the alternative in alternative universe." She smiled and stopped in front of a familiar door. "Jemma Tiberia Kirk."

"Jemma", he repeated and smiled. "Nice to meet you."

She keyed in her code and the doors slid open.

The interior looked much like Jim's quarters. More feminine, of course. And there were some items that were somehow familiar, but he but couldn't quite put things together.

Jemma went straight for the sleeping area and opened a drawer.

Jim followed her and surveyed the room.

"Here." She handed him a black male Starfleet issued undershirt.

He took it and held it against his upper body to see if it would fit. "Okay, why do you have male clothing in your drawers?"

She chuckled and went to the wardrobe. "Really? You're not living together in your reality?" She slid the door open.

Jim's mouth fell open and he lowered the shirt he was holding. In the wardrobe he saw golden uniform dresses and some female pants and uniform tunics hanging on the left side and male uniform pants and blue shirts on the other side.

Before either of the could say anything the doors slid open and a furious Doctor Leonard McCoy entered, carrying a med kit. "Dammit, Jemma. Why didn't you come straight to sickbay? I know you were in a fight, Darlin'. You can't keep ignoring your check-ups after away-missions. Especially the ones like this", he rambled until he saw Jemma - and Jim.

Jemma smiled at Leonard and, ignoring Jim for a few moments, went to him and kissed him. "I'm fine, Bones. Just ripped my uniform. And so did Jim. I gave him one of you black undershirts. Hope you don't mind?"

The doctor slid an arm around her waist, looked at Jim and rolled his eyes. "Again?"

"Ripped shirt or parallel universe?" Jim asked coolly, trying to manage his shock about seeing another female version of himself and Bones as a couple. He had a déjà-vu at the visitors on his Enterprise a few months back.

"Both, I guess", Leonard replied dryly and gestured that it was okay to keep the shirt.

Jemma giggled, realizing what was going on. "Oh dear, you're one of us who hasn't figured out the Kirk-McCoy-thing yet, hm?"

Jim threw his hands in the air. "What is it with you female Kirks being married to Bones?"

Leonard's eyes grew wide and Jamie held her hands up turning them so Jim saw the fingers were empty. "Not married. Not engaged", she said. "Just madly in love and living together."

"So you and your McCoy are not...?" The doctor asked.

Jim shook his head.

Jamie sighed meaningfully and leant against Leonard. "Oh, you're really missing out on something."

Leonard blushed a little and before Jim could reply the com beeped.

"Scott to Kirk", the engineer's voice sounded.

She went to the com panel and pressed a button. "Kirk here."

"I figured it out. We can send the other Captain Kirk home anytime."

"Thanks, Scotty." Jamie ended the connection and smiled.

"So..." Jim started, giving in into his curiosity. "But you're not pregnant, right?"

"Pardon me?"

He chuckled. "The other female me I met was heavily pregnant."

"Oh wow", Jemma replied and Leonard raised an eyebrow.

Jim shrugged. "Yeah... So another difference in the female-Kirk-universes, I guess."

A smile appeared on Jemma's lips and grew into a happy grin. "Well... I didn't say that I'm not pregnant."

Jim's jaw dropped.

Leonard gave her a stunned look. "What?"