Kirk slowly opened his eyes, for a moment he didn't know where he was. He thought for a second he was in somebody else's bed, perhaps a one night stand? Then reality hit him like a freight train and he remembered that A, he was on the Enterprise and B, he had a Girlfriend. He quickly glossed over the fact that he had remembered those things in that order; he really was a dick sometimes.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Kirk turned his head to see Corriene sat by his bedside, in her pale hospital gown and messy hair she looked small and frail but he couldn't think of anything more beautiful to wake up to. Kirk blinked in confusion, counting two plus two and getting five. Corriene smiled at him, waiting for the pieces to fall into place.

"Co?" He whispered, still not really knowing what the hell was going on.

"Yes?" She answered patiently.

"You're alive?" Kirk blinked slowly, trying to pull himself up Corriene stood gingerly and gently pushed him back down, stroking the stray hairs away and off his forehead.

"Apparently so." She gave him a wide-eyed comical look and he couldn't help but laugh.

"God I've missed your face." Corriene became serious all of a sudden and bending over him, gave him a long loving kiss.

"What did you do Jim?" She asked, concern lacing her voice.

"I lost it Co, I thought I'd lost you and I just… lost it." He admitted guiltily.

"You're an idiot." She shook her head but continued to plant small kisses on his forehead and cheeks.

"You are!" He answered childishly.

"Real mature."

"How could you risk your life like that?!"

"Those people wouldn't have got out had I not overridden the mainframe Jim!" She answered, her hands on her hips.

"I don't care!" Kirk shouted, his voice rising. Corriene realised they were both getting upset, their emotions bubbling to the service. She put her finger to his lips and gave him a pleading look.

"I could ask you the same question? How did you think going down to a planet and throwing yourself down a ravine would help matters?"

"I didn't throw myself down a ravine Co!" Kirk rolled his eyes dramatically.

"Jim, Commander Spock nearly relieved you of duty! Christ! If I'm the reason you nearly lost your Captaincy…?" Corriene felt herself losing control, her throat was still sore and her voice was already horse.

"I love you Co, I thought I'd lost you! You're the first real thing in my life I've cared about and I just couldn't stand the idea of losing you." The tears began to fall down Corriene's cheeks, standing from the chair she crawled up onto his bed. Kirk's arms wrapped around her and she closed her eyes instinctively.

"You didn't think that maybe I could have lost you?" Corriene whispered, her throat hurting too much to do anything else.

"I didn't think, full stop." Kirk admitted. "Did you not think of me? Did you not think what it would do to me if you died? Or am I not important?" Kirk was being frankly honest, he was only repeating the questions that had gone round and round in his head since the moment he'd heard what she'd done.

"Of course I thought of you, you were the first and last thing I thought about. But Jim, you know who I am and you knew that getting into this. You yourself told me to never lose that part of me, quite frankly Jim, it's kind of your fault." She was being deadly serious but her last comment showed him she still hadn't lost her sense of humour and she was telling him neither should he.

"Touché Cookie." He mumbled in quiet agreement.

"You can't do that again." She said, coming back to her previous point about him losing control.

"I know."

"You weren't here when I woke up." Those words broke Kirk's heart.

"I know, I'm sorry."

"I stood by your bed in this goddamn Med Bay for nine hours while Doctor McCoy pulled that spear out of your chest and restarted your heart three times!"

"I know Co."

"You have a job to do, so do I."

"I know."

"Do you?"

"Yes! Co please, enough." He watched the back of her head and let his fingers intertwine with hers. "Don't leave Co." He whispered.

"What?" She said after a pause.

"Don't think that you leaving this ship is a good idea, that you'd be keeping me safe and this is all too much." There was another pause and he could tell she was mulling over his words.

"How did you know I was thinking that?" She finally said.

"Because I do know you and I'm asking you not to be the hero this time. You don't need to leave to save me Co, you need to stay." Corriene twisted round to look at him, their foreheads resting together. Smiling she kissed the tip of his nose.

"As long as you promise not to throw all this away if anything happens?"

"I wouldn't want to have worked for you in the private sector, you're a task master aren't you?!" Kirk teased.

"Mister Kirk, you're presuming I would have given you a job in the first place and of course, I got the job done and don't you forget it." Corriene put on her best serious face which made Kirk laugh.

"Yes Ma'am." Corriene started to get off the bed but Kirk's arm round her middle stopped her.

"Jim, come on, I've got to go back to bed and you have to rest. Doctor McCoy will flip if he sees that I've got up." She gave him a pleading look.

"Just one more minute…?"

"There you go again not doing what you're told." As she walked away Kirk stared after her.

"Co! You know those hospital gowns are backless right?" Corriene gave her backside a wiggle in response.

Seven Months Later

"Where's your hat?" Kirk asked as the pair walked towards the outskirts of the city.

"I forgot it." Corriene answered quickly.

"Co!"

"Jim!" She mimicked.

"I'm going to have to make sure we only visit ice planets from now on." Kirk commented absentmindedly.

"Oh and that went so well last time." She gave him a sarcastic thumbs up. "Go do your thing, I'll see you later." She blew him a kiss and started off in another direction, leaving Kirk stood smirking.

"I don't see what there is to be smiling about Jim, the place is one big dust bowl." Kirk looked to McCoy who was sporting his typical sour look.

"Oh I don't know Bones, it has a sort of Wild West charm to it don't you think?"

"I do not think! Damned hell hole if you ask me." With a dismissive wave of his hand McCoy sulked off.

"Captain Kirk?" He turned to see that he'd been accompanied by a woman, one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen.

"Yes?" He gulped.

"My name is El'ra." Her voice was like honey, Kirk had to stop himself from staring. Her hair was mercury-red and tumbled over her shoulders, blossom soft lips sat under a petite nose and shrewd chocolate eyes. She knew she was beautiful Kirk thought to himself, she knew the effect she had over men and women. He'd have to watch himself with this one.

"Nice to meet you El'ra." He extended his hand formally but when she chose to ignore it and kiss him on the lips he took a step back and smiled politely.

"You don't greet one another like that Captain?" She asked all innocence and light. Oh boy was he going to have to watch himself with this one!

"That 'greeting' is a little more intimate where I come from." Kirk replied, she seemed to consider his words for a moment and then smiled.

"My apologies Captain, shall we meet the rest of the assembly?" Extending a lithe arm Kirk nodded and followed.

Corriene was shattered; she was shattered, filthy and hot. Wiping the back of her hand over her forehead she smeared the engine oil that was all over her hands onto her face, she grimaced at the feel of her hair plastered to the back of her neck with sweat. It wasn't long enough to pull up into a ponytail or bun so when she pulled it all from her neck it just stuck out more in its characteristically chaotic way. She'd also burnt her nose, Jim was going to give her a right earful.

"Good work today Evans." She commented as her friend sidled up beside her.

"Thanks Boss." He answered glibly. "Where you going now?"

"I'm meeting Jim." She answered, throwing the last of her tools into her bag.

"How's that working for you?" Evans asked, crossing his arms.

"How is what working for me?" She asked as she stretched her back and watched Evans pack his own stuff away.

"Dating the Captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise?" Corriene rolled her eyes.

"Well for one thing I don't call him that when we're sat eating dinner or having sex, if that helps."

"Ha ha." Evans deadpanned. "Seriously Lees, you two seem to be doing well considering you've nearly died twice, I would have dumped you by now!"

"Good job we're not together then isn't it!" Corriene countered, "What does Emily even see in you Evans?!"

"Good looks, charm…"

"Send me a postcode from fantasy island will ya?!" Picking up her tools she said goodbye to Evans and made her way to the public building Kirk was holding his talks in. The building was one large piece of glass and as she walked towards the main entrance she caught sight of her reflection and frowned, with a shrug of her shoulders though she pulled at her tunic and pushed at the glass door leaving an oily hand print.

When she walked through the doors the clean cool air made her instantly feel better, the large trees planted in the foyer gave off a floral aroma and the sound of the water fountains made Corriene instantly feel relaxed. It was a far cry from the dark, dusty and dingy engine room she'd been working in all day. Looking around and seeing all the men and women in their long flowing dresses and tunics Corriene smiled to herself finding it comical at how much she was at odds with the surroundings. As she started to try and work out where she needed to head an eruption of laughter and giggles caught her attention. Turning, she folded her arms across her chest and cocked her hip as she watched Jim Kirk walk towards her, a woman hanging off each arm. He hadn't spotted her yet so Corriene watched bemused as the red head and blonde hung off his every word, stroking his arm and jokingly slapping his chest as he seemingly said something risqué.

Corriene chose that moment to drop her tool bag, making a loud clanging sound on the marble floor. Kirk's eyes shot up and at once made contact with her. Daintily wiggling her fingers at him in acknowledgement, her eyebrow arched expressively. Kirk waved back gingerly and tried, unsuccessfully, to pry his arms away from the two women. As they approached Corriene kept up the façade.

"Captain Kirk." She addressed him formally, he was seemingly at a loss for words and Corriene was loving every moment of it. "Please would you introduce me to your new acquaintances?"

"Of course, this is El'ra and… umm…?" The woman stared at him blankly.

"Ty'la" She offered.

"Of course! My apologies." Kirk went quiet again and stared between the three women.

"My name is Corriene Lees." Corriene ended up introducing herself, holding out her hand. El'ra approached and took her hand softly.

"I have learnt that this is how you greet one another from Captain Kirk, I'm afraid I made the mistake of using our own customary greeting when we first me." The woman smiled sweetly.

"Oh? What's that?" As soon as she asked the question she saw Kirk wince in anticipation.

"We kiss." El'ra answered, Corriene slowly looked from Kirk back to the woman.

"I don't think an apology is necessary, I'm sure Captain Kirk muddled through somehow."

When they had finished their very pleasant conversation about what exactly Corriene did on the Enterprise, the talks between the Federation and their planet and an invitation to dinner Kirk and Corriene made their way out of the building.

"So, how was your day?" Kirk's voice was nervous, he still wasn't sure what kind of woman Corriene was when it came to some of the basics. He'd never given thought to the prospect of her being a jealous woman, she'd never acted in that way but he wondered whether or not they had been in a scenario where that side of her character could perhaps come out? When he had spotted her she was displaying signs of possessiveness and annoyance, but the cocked brow and wry smile made him think she was just mocking him.

"Not as good as yours it would appear?!" Corriene answered, purposely clipped.

"They're a very…" Kirk searched for the right word, "Sociable people." Corriene had had her fun, turning and stopping she laughed at him and pinched the tip of his nose.

"You're a tart Jim Kirk."

"A what?" Kirk looked at her in shock, but relieved that she was obviously not the slightest bit bothered with the fact that he had had two beautiful women hanging off his arms moments earlier. When he'd seen her, covered in dirt and oil and looking strong and capable and beautiful he had fallen in love with her even more than he thought possible.

"A tart, a flirt." Corriene explained.

"I do not flirt!" Corriene barked with laughter.

"Whatever you say Captain Kirk, you do realise I was warned against you months before we got together?"

"I honestly don't know where this preconception of me came from?" Kirk shook his head seriously.

"Jim, you're kidding me right?! Even I heard the folklore tales of one James T Kirk at the Academy. You're a legend." Kirk's face turned from insulted to the biggest beaming smile she'd ever seen.

"A legend?" He repeated, clearly happy with the moniker.

"Oh shit! I'm never going to hear the end of this am I?" Corriene closed her eyes in despair, Kirk wrapped his arm round her shoulders and pulled her in to his side.

"A legend." Kirk repeated after maybe ten minutes of them walking in silence.

"Dick."

As Corriene got out of the very long shower she had just taken she gratefully took the towel Kirk was holding out to her as he leant against the doorway.

"Thank you." She stepped out and squeezed her hair of excess water with her hand. "When did you get back?"

"About twenty minutes ago."

"You've been stood there the whole time?"

"Long enough." Kirk answered as he handed her a smaller towel for her hair.

"Thank you." Corriene repeated, looking at him suspiciously.

"Anytime." He replied, his eyes growing dark with desire. She purposely didn't wrap the towel around her, instead choosing the slowly pat her skin dry with one corner of the material. Looking up through her lashes she smiled flirtatiously at him.

"Can I help you with something?" She asked innocently, as his arms enveloped her and brought her whole body flush against him he pulled the towels from her hand and let them drop to the floor. Her still wet hair was leaving little droplets on his shirt and Corriene watched as the water seeped into the yellow material.

"You drive me crazy you know that?" He said as the pair gazed at one another.

"I do know that, you tell me every day!" Corriene answered, not really missing the true intention of his statement.

"You know I don't mean it like that, you know exactly what I mean." Kirk collided into her, relishing the feel of her wet skin and hair.

"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me Jim Kirk." Corriene told him as he lined her collarbone with small kisses. Kirk just hummed in response and as he knelt down in front of her, grabbing her behind and bringing her to his mouth Corriene whistled. "Definitely the best thing to ever happen to me."

"After this mission, what do you think you'll do? There's no doubt in my mind you could be Chief Engineer Co?" Corriene turned her head on her pillow to look at Kirk who was already facing her.

"I don't know? I haven't really given it much thought; I haven't given any of it much thought since the day I enlisted. I do know that I wouldn't change it for the world, what about you?"

"Being Captain of a Star Ship is in my blood, I started out on a dare but now, now I couldn't think of anything else I'd rather do."

"Your Father would be proud Jim." Kirk looked at her lovingly.

"Thanks Co." Stroking a curl behind her ear Kirk looked at her tenderly. "What about us?"

"We'll make it work." Kirk just nodded, they really didn't need to say any more than that. They both knew that no matter what the future held, wherever in the Universe they ended up, they'd make it work.

The End

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