Hey all, I bet you are all surprised to hear from me. I am sorry it took so long, but there is the sequel.

And oh, here is the disclaimer, I do not own Star Trek or make any money off this. So don't sue me. :)

And just to let you know:

There is about a year time jump and this sequel will take place just before the Second Movie. It will go into the events of the movies.

This is where Jim and Spock will eventually get back together, though it won't be easy or quick. That might be an underestimate, but they will have to build trust and that will be a battle. Won't be easy, but if it was easy, it wouldn't be fun.

Anyhow, here you go. Tell me if you like it.

The Absolution of the Innocent

Chapter One:

The Stress of Growth

"Captain Kirk, is it at all possible for you to keep a First Officer?" Admiral Barnett gave Jim a stern look, almost daring him to open his mouth. "How many does that make in less than a year? What do you do to these fine officers to make them run screaming for the hills?" The expression on the Admiral was one of both annoyance and amusement.

Holding his jaw tight, Jim stared at the video monitor for a moment, wondering if Barnett really wanted an answer. At the time of the call, he wasn't sure if the Admiral just wanted to yell at him, which was why he had chosen to take the call in his quarters. He didn't need the whole ship listening to Barnett lecture him.

Barnett let out a sigh. "What do you do to these men?" he asked.

"Hey, it's not my fault that none of these guys can keep up with me."

"You can barely keep one for two months without them resigning. What am I supposed to do with you?"

Jim waved him off. "Who needs a First Officer?" he asked. Deep down he knew why he was having trouble keeping a First Officer. Even if he refused to admit it to himself, he knew he had been unfairly comparing all of them to Spock. Though the Half-Vulcan wasn't completely human, and it was a horrible metaphor, Spock was inhuman at his job. He was able to complete the tasks of two people, and still lend a helping hand when needed. "Commander Scott and I have it covered."

"If the Commander is so helpful, why don't you make him your First Officer?"

Montgomery Scott was the first person that popped into Jim's mind when thinking about a potential First Offer, but he didn't make him the offer. Scotty was at home in the engine room and had stated numerous times that he wouldn't want to be anywhere else. He had no interest of being anywhere else, and Jim wasn't going to make him leave. He knew if he asked, Scotty would agree to take the post, despite it taking him away from engineering. "But then I'll scare him off!" he said, trying to make a joke. "That post is cursed."

"How does Admiral Pike put up with you?"

Jim laughed. "I have no clue, but you could send the Providence away on that five year mission that I keep hearing about. That would get me out of your hair."

Barnett's eyebrows rose. "We're still in discussion about that, and a ship with no First Officer is not in that discussion."

"Ouch," Jim replied, try to act hurt. "Is that why you called me? To hurt my feelings?"

"No, I'm putting a deadline on you, Kirk. Get a First Officer and he or she better last more than three months," he replied, giving a stern look. "And if you can't do that, I'll appoint one and you won't like the one I select."

"You have little faith, and besides, I'll probably scare that person away too."

"Captain Kirk, this is not a joke. Find a First Officer or else. If you can't work well with others, some might question why you're a Captain."

"Sir!" Jim uttered, shocked at what the Admiral had said. Sure, he was glad the Admirals had finally stopped pitying him and started to treat him like every other Captain. He craved the chance to prove he had earned the rank. Now he couldn't understand why they couldn't see why this decision was so difficult for him. "In all due respect-"

The Admiral interrupted Jim with a harsh look. "And since you can't seem to pick a First Officer, Captain, you'll do everything without help from Commander Scott for now on. Barnett out," he replied as the screen turned black, not giving Jim any time to respond.

For a few seconds, Jim just stared at the black screen, cursing himself. He was screwed six ways from Sunday with Scotty helping him, but now, he had fallen off the cliff. How did the Admiral expect him to do all of this paperwork by himself? Jim had thought that he was going crazy before Scotty had started to help. There was no possible way he could keep up with the extreme workload. "Dammit," he cursed.

Jim took a deep breath as he turned from the monitor. He was angry at himself for being so difficult. Why did he have to be so stubborn? Why was it so hard to keep a First Officer? What was it about each of the potential candidates that annoyed him? It didn't matter the person, Jim always found something wrong with them.

With another deep breath, Jim rotated back to the monitor and clicked open a long list of candidates. He had seen so many profiles that the names had begun to blur, yet he had been surprised to see so many. By now they must have heard how difficult he could be. Why would any of them want to deal with such a hardheaded Captain? Even with the growing list of failed prospects, it didn't stop Commanders from applying with two more adding their names to the list since he started reading.

Jim knew his service record spoke for itself and anyone would jump at the chance to serve under him. He might be hard on his First Officers, but the rest of the crew trusted and loved him. Unlike his final days onboard the Enterprise, there were no complaints from the crew and the ship ran smoothly. It reminded him of his earlier days on the Enterprise, and the one time where he didn't know if he could be any happier. Right now, he wished he could complete the task of selecting the right First Officer.

The door to his quarters dinged, snapping his mind back to reality. Jim stared at it for a second, wondering who it could be. "Come in," he said.

The door opened a second later, revealing his current number two in command. Montgomery Scott gave him a look of concern before speaking. "Cap, don't take this the wrong way, but you look like shit," he said through his thick Scottish accent. Despite being barely able to understand him at times, Jim was really fond of Scotty's accent.

"Aw, thanks," Jim said, playing hurt. He eyed the tray in his commander's hands, not able to make out anything from the green objects piled on it. If McCoy had his way, it would be something low fat with no taste.

Scotty laughed as he walked across the room, carefully stepping as not to spill the food. "You're welcome, Sir."

Jim laughed. "Anything good?" he asked, hoping that the Chief Engineer was able to sneak in a hamburger or something remotely tasty.

He gave Jim a look as he set the tray down on the desk. "Why don't you tell me, Sir?" he said with a chuckle.

Jim glanced at the many resumes in front of him, unable to feel anything besides defeat. Why was it so difficult for him to find someone? Taking a deep breath, Jim reached for the monitor to turn it off. He needed a break or else he would go crazy. "Oh, great, Bones is on a green kick," he said, with a sigh. "I'm going to turn green from all of this shit."

"He's only trying to look after you," Scotty said, laughing.

"If you say so," Jim replied, pulling it to him. He poked at the salad, knowing he should be grateful. It could have been a lot worse. His mind briefly thought back to all of the liquid foods he could barely keep down after his last major surgery.

Scotty eyed his Captain for a few seconds. With a deep sigh, he took a seat across from Jim, who was poking at his food. "Can I ask you something?"

Jim looked up and smiled slightly. "Scotty, you know you can ask me anything." His Chief Engineer was one of the few people left that he trusted, and he refused to lie to him.

"Why have you never asked me?" he asked.

Jim gave him a questioning look. "Never asked you what?" he asked, trying to think of everything that his friend could possibly ask him.

"About being your First Officer," Scotty replied. "I know I ain't the ideal choice, but I can do it, Sir. I'll give it my all, and it would be an honor."

Shock filled Jim as Scotty waited for his answer. He had never expected him to mention it. He never expected the engineer to willingly want to leave the ship's engines. He expected the man to be buried deep in the wiring as it was all that mattered to him. It was the only thing the Engineer loved, often referring to the ship as his 'baby'. "I thought you hated paperwork," he said, trying to play it off.

"I hate a lot of things, Sir, but I would be honored to be your First Officer."

Jim took a deep breath. "Scotty."

Scott eyed his Captain, knowing that look all too well. "Sir, I can handle it. Heck, I'm already doing half the paperwork anyhow. Give me a chance, Jim, and I'll show you."

The pleading look in his friend's eyes burned through Jim, and it made him wonder why he was having a difficult time saying yes. He knew Scotty wouldn't let him down and would do an excellent job as his First Officer, but he couldn't say yes. He wasn't sure why, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. The very word was trapped in his throat. "So you're willing to give up your dream post of Chief Engineer for a mountain of paperwork?"

"Yes, Sir. I can do this."

As Jim stared at his Chief Engineer, he found himself struggling. He wanted… no… needed to say yes, but something was stopping him. Guilt was tearing at him. He knew Scotty could easily handle being a First Officer, but even with one of his best friends, something deep inside him refused to accept anything other than a certain Half-Vulcan as his First Officer. "Are you sure about this? There's no going back, Commander, and this won't be easy," he replied.

"I know, Captain, and if you give me a chance, I'll show you," he replied.

"Let me think about it, Scotty," he answered. It nearly killed him to see the fallen expression on his comrade's face. "This is not a no answer. It's a 'let me think about it'. I want to make sure you don't regret this. I want to make sure this is right for everyone. I don't want you to leave the position that you love for something you'll hate."

"I'm a space explorer, Jim, and as long as I'm doing that, I am happy."

Jim let out a sigh. "I understand, but I-"

Scotty interrupted him, "Okay, and I'll let you be so you can think." Scotty put on a smile and stepped toward the door.

The Captain didn't say anything as he watched the Commander stepped out the door. He sat in silence as the door slid shut, and he would remain that way for the remainder of the morning.

*O*O*

"Whatta ya doing?" Jim asked, stepping into Dr. McCoy's office. He smiled as he stared at Bones, who was fast approaching the best friend zone again.

The Chief Medical Officer looked up from his desk, eyeing blazing. "Paperwork that you created! Do you know how many forms I have to fill out when a First Officer just gets up and quits?" The Doctor paused for a few seconds, waiting for Jim to say something. "Let me tell you, a lot."

Jim laughed as he mindlessly walked along the office wall, his finger tracing the binding of the books on the shelves. "Look at it as an instrument to keep your mind sharp."

"Don't make me hypo you into a coma or something."

"But you love me, and you would never do that to me," he said, stopping in the corner. As if it had a mind of its own, Jim's hand reached for a snow globe, a gift from McCoy's daughter, Joanne, and shook it. From the corner of his eyes, he watched the fake snow fall upon the tiny fake city.

"If you break that, I will break you," he said, eyeing the globe in the Captain's hand.

"Relax, Bones, I won't break it," Jim said, setting the globe down on the table next to him.

McCoy gave him a sneak eye. "You say that about everything before you break it," he replied, looking away from the monitor. He took a deep breath as he pushed himself back from the desk.

"Hey now, I do not," he replied.

The Doctor laughed as he swirled in the chair. "Do I need to list everything?" he asked, waving to his office around him. This office was bigger than the one he had on the Enterprise, much like many of the other offices aboard the Providence.

"Geez, you have little faith," Jim replied, eyeing the globe. The water and fake snow were still swirling, and Jim couldn't take his eyes off it.

"Well you're the one who broke that alien Idol on the Providence's first mission," McCoy replied, as he stepped to the snow globe. "You know they don't make them like this anymore, not in a long time. Wood and glass. The craftsmanship on this is amazing." He picked it up and ran his fingers over wood engravings.

Jim let out sigh. "You know it isn't my fault that the idol broke. I can't help it if it fell apart by me just looking at it." He turned to Bones, who was a few inches from him. "And I know how hard Joanne looked for that."

"You're just lucky their Chief faith healer took a fancy to you," Bones said, setting the globe onto the corner table. Unlike the dark grain of the wood, the table was white, much like the rest of the medical bay. "I do miss Joanne. I get to see her for a day once we dock on Earth."

"I'm glad that you're able to spend more time with her, she's such a great kid…Well she does have an amazing uncle, so she couldn't have turned out too bad," he said with a smile.

"So full of yourself," McCoy replied. "I wonder what that healer saw in you. She must've been insane for liking you."

Jim let out a chuckling sigh. "Hey!" he protested. "Be nice."

"And I don't even want to know what you two did together in that room," his friend added.

"Oh, don't be jealous," Jim replied with a smile. "And you should be bowing to my negotiation skills. Think of all the instances where it saved us."

McCoy sighed as he stepped to his desk. He ran his hands over his desk where the touch screen keyboard was built into the top of it. The monitor flipped on and flipped through the paperwork that he had been working on. "And what about our lack of a First Officer?"

It was a subject that Jim didn't want to talk about, although he would rather talk about his lack of a decision then those hours he spent in a room alone with the faith healer. "First Officer? Who needs a first Officer?"

"How can you handle all of the paperwork without one? Mr. Scott can only do so much," he answered, giving him a look that told Jim that he was no longer kidding. "And I can guess that the Admirals aren't too happy with you and your track record with First Officers."

Jim pushed off the corner table and crossed to the front of the office. He reached for a panel on the wall, a few feet from the door. He ran his hand over the touchscreen panel, hitting the button for the window on the front wall. In an instant, the window changed from its dark reflectiveness to crystal clear, revealing the rest of the medical bay to them.

For a few long seconds, the Captain watched as the medical staff worked. With no patients in the bay, he watched as the nurses did inventory. His focus was on Nurse Chapel, who looked like a conductor in total control of the medical bay. Even if Bones was the Chief Medical Officer, there was no doubt that Nurse Chapel could take charge if she had too. Dr. McCoy truly respected her.

For a few minutes, McCoy watched Jim as he watched the staff. It wasn't until Jim rested his head against the glass that McCoy spoke. "Jim, what is it?"

Jim lightly banged his head off the window before he turned around. "You're right about the Admirals. They aren't too pleased with my inability to keep a First Officer."

"Jim." McCoy's voice was safe and calming.

"They say it doesn't reflect well on me, and they're right."

"Jim," he called again. "You'll find one. It just takes time to find the right one."

The Captain wasn't sure about that. If it had been that simple, he would have found someone already, but he knew the real reason. There must be something wrong with him if he couldn't make such an important command decision. "Scotty asked me to take him into consideration."

McCoy eyed Jim. "Really? I didn't think Mr. Scott would want that post. I didn't think he would ever leave the safety of the Engine room."

"Yea, me neither," Jim responded as he stepped from the door.

"You don't seem happy or relaxed about this."

"Well, you know what happens with my First Officers," Jim stated with a weak smile.

Bones gave him a look, holding back his laugher. "I know there is more to this then just that."

Jim let out a sigh, because he was right. There was so much more, but he didn't want to talk about it. He had other things to worry about like his ship and his crew. "There is, but my shift starts in a few and I can't be late."

The Chief Medical Officer gave the Captain a serious look. "You're going to work yourself to death! Do you sleep? Wait, don't answer that. I already know you don't."

Not looking at McCoy, Jim turned to the door, reaching for the door panel. "Well, I have no First Officer so I have no choice," he said as the door opened. There was also the fact that even now, inside this new ship, surrounded by friends and great security officers, he still had a hard time sleeping. He refused to admit that he still felt unease whenever he closed his eyes to rest. With some help from both Bones and others, he had moved from sleeping on the floor to a more comfortable bed. That had to count for something.

"Okay, Jim, but if you're brought in for exhaustion, I'm kicking your butt and don't expect Chapel to save you."

"Bones, don't lie. She can totally take you," Jim replied as he made his way out of the lab. He could have sworn that Nurse Chapel had given him a knowing smile as he walked out. Damn, that woman could get to him.

*O*O*

"Kaptain on the Bridge," Chekov yelled as everyone got to their feet and turned to acknowledge their Captain.

"At ease," Jim said quickly, smiling at his Russian Ensign. No matter what he was feeling, being on the bridge felt like heaven, and there was no other place that he would rather be. Each and every time that he stepped onto the bridge, he wondered how he had ever resigned in the first place. Just being here made him feel like he was on top of the world.

"Anything on radar, Lieutenant Saavik?" Jim asked, as he glanced toward the science station.

The Vulcan rotated in her chair to face Jim. "Nothing, Sir. Everything is clear. There are no signs of the abnormality that we faced earlier, Captain."

If Jim didn't know better, he could have sworn his Science Officer was upset, which he knew shouldn't surprise him. She was a Vulcan, and they looked at everything as a learning experience. "Did you get any data out of it?" he asked, as he stepped to his beloved Captain's chair. He loved everything about the chair, right down to the fabric.

Saavik turned back to her monitor. "I have, Captain, but I will not know until I study it."

He glanced back, staring at her for a moment, before sitting his chair. He wasn't quite sure about his new Science Officer. He had nearly passed her up for another equally promising officer. He wasn't sure that having another Vulcan as his Science Officer was a good idea, but Sarek had sold him on the idea. The Ambassador had recommended her above all others for reasons that Jim did not know, but he trusted him. "Let me know if you find anything," he said, turning forward.

"Yes, Captain."

Jim could practically feel her eyes on him, as he faced forward. It wasn't the first time that he felt her stare, and he was sure it wouldn't be the last. He didn't know what she was looking for, but he was positive it wasn't important. There was a part of him that was wondered if he was imagining it. "Is the away team back, Ensign Vil?" Jim asked, whirling slightly.

The Ensign sitting at the communication station turned slightly to answer him. "Yes, Sir. All officers are aboard the Providence with no incident," He replied.

"The team got everything they needed?" Kirk asked, looking forward again. His eyes rested on the planet below. No matter how many planets they visited, space never lost it appeal to him. He could stare at the stars for hours.

"Yes, Captain, and the items are being examined as we speak."

Jim nodded with a smile on his face. It was a simple mission but it had important consequences for Starfleet, who hoped to study the collected items. Plus, it was always a good feeling when his crew returned in one piece. His crew was like a family to him, and he didn't want anything to happen to them. "Chekov, do you have our course set in?"

"Yes, Sir. Ve ready to go," the Russian replied.

"Let's punch it then," Jim said with smile.

*O*O*

Jim put on a smile as he stepped through the halls of his beloved ship. He loved everything about this ship right down to the smell, and he wouldn't change it for anything else, even if there was a part of him that missed the Enterprise. There was a part of him that missed his former crew, who had accepted him for all of his quirks. It wasn't like his new crew didn't respect him. They just weren't used to all his quirks yet. In time, he knew they would be completely comfortable around him to the point that he could play a few games in the rec room with some of them. In the meantime, he would show them how crazy he could be, and hopefully they would enjoy it.

"Captain Kirk."

His name echoed down hall stopping Jim in his tracks, and he turned to face the owner of the voice. "Lieutenant Saavik," he greeted with a smile. "How can I help you?" he asked in a cheerful voice.

"You told me you wanted to be informed when there were results," she said, standing perfectly still with a tablet in her hand.

Jim stared at her for a moment, amazed her ridged posture. He never understood how Vulcans could stand so still without flinching. "You found something?" he asked, stepping toward her.

"Yes, Captain. The cloud the Providence flew through possessed polar qualities. It was creating an electrowave, pulling apart the compounds around us."

He gave her a look as he took another step toward her. "I figured as much, judging by what it did to the ship," he said. "However, the Providence appears to be in one piece. Commander Scott did notice a disruption in the core, but it returned to normal once we were a safe distance away."

"Yes, according to my observation, it could have been worse, Captain. If the ship had stayed in the cloud for any longer, it is possible that the core could have become unstable and could have exploded," she replied.

"Shit," Jim quietly cursed, thinking back to that moment. At the time, he had no idea what was happening to the ship, but he didn't want to stick around to find out. Unable to use warp speed, they had to use impulse power. He had ordered Scotty to shut down any unnecessary system in order to get enough energy to get them out of there. "Do you have the readings from inside there?" he asked, pointing to the tablet in her hand.

"Yes, Sir," the Vulcan Science Officer said handling him the P.A.D.D.

Jim reached for it, trying to avoid touching her hand. At the same moment she shifted slightly, knocking her hand into his. It was a brief contact, but he felt a warm shock travel through his arm from her hand. He could feel her, and it took his very breath away. For a long second, it felt like time had stopped, and his mind had quit working.

"Damn," he yelled, finally coming to his senses. He quickly pulled his arm back as he jumped back from her. "I'm so sorry, Saavik." It was by some miracle that he was able to keep a hold on the tablet.

She gave him a look as she folded her arms behind her back. "It is alright, Captain. There was no harm."

No harm? He thought to himself. He felt her, which was usual, and if he compared it to all of the times that he touched Spock, it was even stranger. "Are you sure? I know how sensitive a Vulcan's hands are. I know how intimate a touch like that can be, and I don't-"

"It is fine, Captain," she said, cutting him off. "I know you did not mean any offense"

Jim squeezed the tablet in his hand, feeling stupid. How could he have been so careless? He just assaulted one of his officers. "It won't happen again."

"It was an accident, Captain," she restated. "No need to chastise yourself." She gave him another look before she added, "You seemed very knowledgeable in the Vulcan way."

He glanced down at the P.A.D.D. in his hand. "I am. I previously dated a Vulcan and thought it would be wise to learn as much as I could about the Vulcan race," he replied, not interested in going into the finer details. However, he doubted that she would pry, and he was grateful for that. Even now, he didn't want to talk about his past relationship with Spock. "I even attempted to learn the language, but that proved to be very difficult. I was only to master the basics in the amount of time I had."

"I was aware of your previous relationship." she said, "I am also aware that Ambassador Sarek thinks highly of you."

Jim stared at her, catching her eyes again. For some reason, he couldn't look away. "Yea, it's my curse. Ex-partners' parents love me," he replied, trying to laugh it off. The intensity of her Vulcan eyes nearly drew him back to her.

"He also told me about your…humor," she said in a deadpan style.

"That he loves it?" he asked, knowing that most Vulcans did not approve of his humor. He forced himself to look away and down to the tablet. His hand still tingled from where they touched.

"That is not the word he used," she replied. "There was another word, which would not be too pleasant."

Jim laughed as he forced himself to stare at the readings of the abnormally. "Well they say Vulcans don't like to joke," he said, sliding through the tablet.

"It is illogical."

Daring to look at her, he looked up and smiled. "So why are you aboard the Providence?" he asked. "I'm probably one of the most illogical humans there is. You can ask Sarek about that one."

Saavik had not moved from her spot and was still staring at him. "Yes, he has warned me of your nonsensical jests, but he believes we will be a good match." She remained unflinching.

"Does he?" Jim asked, as he started to walk. He wasn't surprised when she followed him.

"He does," she replied, following close.

Jim paused as he took a deep breath. "Well, let's see if Sarek is correct, though he's never wrong it seems," He said, as he carefully handed back the tablet, making sure that he did not touch her again. He still felt like an idiot from the mistake. "And again, I'm sorry."

"Apologies are illogical," she said, taking it back. Her eyes drifted to his hands, as she took the device. "And it was an error on my part as well, Captain."

He looked at his Science Officer, still trying to read her. "Very well, then. I guess we're good," he replied. "And keep looking into this. It might be helpful if we ever come against it again."

"I shall, Sir," She said as she turned from him.

Jim sidestepped and watched her leave, wondering about her. He knew she would make a fine Science Officer, but he wasn't sure of what to do make of her. At the moment, she had left him confused, and their brief touch had his mind whirling a bit. He was at a loss for words, as he wondered how to act around her.

*O*O*

Jim took a deep breath as he stepped into the transporter room. He was exhausted, having just finished a double shift, but he didn't have time to rest. He had somewhere to be in twenty minutes and there was no time to rest. Though he was always pushing the limits, this was the one thing he knew he could not miss. He had no interest in pushing his luck. He was very grateful for everything that he had and wasn't willing to risk losing it again.

At the moment, the Providence was docked at one of the many space docks surrounding Earth. It had just finished going through the final docking protocols, and the nonessential crew were allowed to take breaks on the planet when their shifts were over. Even if Jim was over hoping, this could be their last time on Earth for the near future if they were given the five-year mission, and he wanted to give them as much time as possible.

"Everything is ready for you, Captain."

The sound of Scotty's voice snapped Jim from his thoughts. "Good," the Captain replied with a smile as he stepped to the transporter pad. "And Commander, you're in charge while I'm gone."

"Aye, Captain," he said, stepping out from behind the controls. "Sir, do you want me to look at anything while you're gone? I got some free time in between shifts."

Jim held back his flinch as he stepped onto the pad. He didn't have the heart to tell Scotty that he was forbidden in giving him any paperwork to do. It was his punishment for chasing all of his first officers away, and he didn't want to tell Scotty as the man would only push harder for the position. "Thanks, Scotty, but I'm good. Got it all under control," Jim lied, trying to hide his exhaustion.

The current Second Officer gave him a concerned glance. It was clear he didn't believe him but chose to stay quiet. "Aye, Captain."

"Just keep her steady, Scotty."

"You can count on me, Sir."

"I kno-"

The door to the transporter room swished open, silencing the room. With a smile and a bag over his shoulders, McCoy walked in. "Geez, Jim, going to leave without me?"

Jim laughed as Bones stepped toward him. "I'm sure you can find your way without me, Bones," he said, teasing. "Unless you need me to hold your hand."

"Ha ha," McCoy replied. "Very funny. You should do stand up."

"I should, shouldn't I?"

Scotty laughed. "Oh, how I love this banter."

Before anyone could respond, the door slid open once again, and this time, it was the Vulcan Science Officer, who walked into the room. Within seconds, she was focused on Jim. "Captain."

"Lieutenant Saavik," Jim greeted. "Did you have something?" Why couldn't he figure her out? Why couldn't he tell what she wanted? It was driving him crazy.

"I have found something else, Sir," she said, stepping to the pad.

Jim glanced toward Bones, wondering if the Doctor was noticing the Vulcan's strange behavior too…Or maybe, it was just him. He chalked it up to exhaustion, hoping to get some rest during his time on Earth. "Send it to me, Lieutenant. I don't have time to look at it now. I have a date."

"Sir?" she asked.

"Jim," Leonard uttered, clearly irritated.

Without a beat, Jim turned back to Scotty. "Energize, Scotty."

Scotty simply nodded as he started the transport. It took only seconds before McCoy and Kirk disappeared, leaving the Chief Engineer and Science Officer staring at the empty pads.

The end for now.

Author note: With Saavik, I am only going off what was in the original movies and not in the books, which people are fighting about being Canon or not. Granted, the originally story is nothing like the reboot so I don't think that mattered. However, I am letting you know.

And did Jim just say he had a date? O_O

Until next time...and just a reminder, I am a slow updater.