Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek or any of its characters or ideas, I'm just borrowing them, but Alex is mine. Several scenes are based on the 2009 Star Trek movie and they are not my own.

A/N: See? Update almost within a week! I hope you like it!

Thank you so much for all the reviews and support!

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Before she knew it they were on their way again, having just sent Jim in an escape pod to the nearby ice planet.

"Warp three sir," Sulu reported as the ship settled into warp.

"Course 1-5-1 marked in, Lorenchian system sir," Chekov followed, his voice quiet as he addressed Spock. Captain Spock, she reminded herself. She had to keep doing that so that she didn't get up and attempt to tear his head off. Even though she'd assented to sending Jim off ship, she was already regretting that decision heavily.

"Thank you gentleman," Spock said in that voice that was becoming irritatingly calm.

"You wanted to see me," came a familiar and grumpy voice from behind them. Alex spun in her chair to see McCoy glaring down at the Captain, looking the farthest from pleased that she'd seen him in a while.

"Yes, Doctor," Spock acknowledged. He rose from his seat and they started to walk away when Spock stopped and turned to look directly at her. "Lieutenant, if you would join us?"

She stared at him for half a second before rising from her seat and falling into step with the two men.

"I am aware that James Kirk is a friend of yours," Spock began, addressing them both. "I recognize that supporting me as you did must have been difficult." Alex suppressed the need to throw her hands in the air and shout obviously!, and instead allowed McCoy to lead.

"Is that a thank you?" Bones asked, looking annoyed.

"I am simply acknowledging your difficulties," Spock replied, ignoring the sarcasm.

"Well, thanks for that." Alex laid in her own sarcasm, suddenly aware that she'd been spending too much time with Bones.

"Permission to speak freely sir," Bones requested, cutting over her insubordination swiftly.

"I welcome it," Spock replied, while shooting Alex what she could only assume was a warning glance. It was hard to tell because it looked like all his other glances.

"Do you? Ok then... Are you out of your Vulcan mind?" Bones snarled.

Spock's reaction was almost priceless as he looked at McCoy with a quizzical expression.

"Are you making the logical choice, sending Kirk away, probably. But the right one? You know, back home we got a saying, if you're going to ride in the Kentucky derby you don't leave your prized stallion in the stable." McCoy was right in Spock's face at this point, anger making his words sharp.

"A curious metaphor Doctor, as a stallion must first be broken, before it can reach its potential," Spock replied easily. If she didn't know better, and she was pretty sure she did know better, she'd say he was making a joke.

"My god man, you could at least act like it was a hard decision!" Bones looked disgusted and furious.

"I intend to assist in the effort to re-establish communication with Starfleet. However, if crew moral is better served by my roaming the halls weeping, I will gladly defer to your medical expertise." The doors to the bridge hissed open, and Alex turned to see a Vulcan that she understood to be Spock's father step through them. "Excuse me," Spock said, effectively ending the conversation, before she could respond with yes, that seems like it would help.

"Green blooded hobgoblin," McCoy muttered under his breath, turning away.

"Is it wrong that I just want to kick him, even after everything that's happened?" Alex questioned, staring after their acting Captain.

"Probably," McCoy replied. "But then, you have been hanging out with Jim and I for quite some time. Doing the wrong thing should be second nature to you by now."

Alex cracked a half smile at him, before her mood sobered again. "Be safe," she whispered, squeezing his arm before heading back to her station.

"You too kid."

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She spent the next few hours resisting the urge to get up and pace. She didn't have much to do since they were at warp, and at this point she'd already checked the weapons systems three times in the last fifteen minutes, which was way more often than regulation stipulated was necessary.

Their communications still hadn't been restored, and Alex was starting to fear the worst. The longer it took to contact Starfleet, the longer they took to get anywhere, the smaller the chance that she'd see her father alive again.

She was brought out of her internal conflict and worry by Chekov alerting the Captain to unauthorized access in one of the turbine sections. She watched with the rest of the crew as Sulu pulled up video of the area.

Alex's heart skipped a beat as she caught a glimpse of blond hair before two men ran off screen. She knew it was Jim and, though she couldn't explain it, she felt a sudden surge of hope and relief. She had no idea how it was possible for him to be back on board, but she had no doubt he'd gone to great lengths to accomplish it. And if he could do that, maybe he could fix this mess they were in.

It was only a few minutes later when security came onto the bridge escorting two men. One was Jim as she thought, and she was pleased that he looked to be in one piece. Usually when he was out of her sight, especially when he was out of McCoy's, he tended to get himself into major trouble. But while she recognized the man before her as her friend, she didn't miss the confident way he held himself, the way he seemed to command attention. It was a state he hadn't been in when he'd last been on the bridge.

Beside him was a man she also recognized, but only because she'd seen the files on the incident with her grandfather's dog. How Jim had met up with Montgomery Scott and found his way back to the Enterprise was a question that begged an answer, and apparently Spock thought the same.

"We are travelling at warp speed. How did you manage to beam aboard this ship?"

"You're the genius, you figure it out," Jim answered smoothly, a cocky and uncooperative look on his face. She stared at him open mouthed. This was an even higher level of insubordination then he'd shown earlier.

"As acting Captain of this vessel I order you to answer the question," Spock commanded. Alex was pretty sure that fact wasn't going to get him anywhere, not after what he'd just done to Jim.

"Well I'm not telling, acting Captain," Jim returned. "What now, that doesn't frustrate you now does it? My lack of cooperation, that doesn't make you angry?" Alex had no idea where he was going with this, but the manner at which he addressed Spock was clearly an antagonizing one. He was attempting to get a rise out of Spock.

Spock apparently wasn't in the mood to play this game, so he turned to Scott. "Are you a member of Starfleet?"

"Um... yes. Can I get a towel please?" Scott was soaked with water, a fact Alex cataloged in the back of her mind for later.

"Under penalty of court marshal I order you to explain to me how you were able to beam aboard this ship well moving at warp."

"Well-" Scott started to explain.

"Don't answer him," Jim cut him off, his eyes never leaving Spock's.

"You will answer me," Spock ordered, leaning forward.

Scott seemed to consider for a moment, and despite the slightly aggressive Vulcan in front of him, did the admirable thing. "I'd rather no take sides."

Jim seemed to take this as the moment to step in and enact whatever plan was spinning through his head. "What is it with you Spock?" He asked, getting right into the Captain's space. "Your planet was just destroyed, your mother murdered, and you're not even upset?"

Alex found herself rising from her chair without thinking, a spark of anger igniting within her. No matter what Jim's plan was, he had no right to ask those kind of questions. He of all people should know not to ask that question.

"If you are presuming that these experiences in any way impede my ability to command this ship you are mistaken." Spock seemed completed unmoved by the comments, whereas Alex would have already been motivated to physical violence.

"And yet you were the one who said fear was necessary for command. Did you see his ship? Do you see what he did?"

"Yes, of course I did." Spock's voice softened slightly, a crack in the barrier.

"So are you afraid or aren't you?"

"I will not allow you to lecture me about the merits of emotion."

"Then why don't you stop me?"

"Step away from me Mr. Kirk." Jim didn't listen, instead plunging forward. Alex found herself suddenly near the two men, sensing that this wasn't going to end well, though she had no idea what she could do to stop it.

"What is it like not to feel anger? Or heartbreak? Or the need to stop at nothing to avenge the woman who gave birth to you?"

"Back away from me."

"You feel nothing! It must not even compute for you. You never loved her!"

Everything froze as Spock let out a primal scream and plunged forward, hitting Jim square in the mouth. Before anyone knew it they were spinning around the bridge, trading blow for blow. Everyone stood frozen in horror, unable to act or stop the fight. If they were thinking like she was, it was because they were hesitant to step in and defend Jim after he'd said such terrible things. But Alex knew Jim, she knew he wouldn't say those things normally. He had been pushing for something, and she expected that this was it.

They were suddenly spinning over Alex's station and settling onto Sulu's. Spock had his hand around Jim's neck, choking the life out of him. Jim was struggling weakly as he chocked and gasped for air. Somewhere in the back of her mind the fact that Vulcan's were much stronger then human's flashed by, and she was abruptly terrified. He would kill him.

"Stop!" Alex started to run forward, unsure of what to do and unsure why no one else was acting. Everyone was looking at each other uncertainly, as though the expected the other to take action. She reached out to pull Spock back, only to be shoved away roughly. He didn't even look at her, but used his free hand send her back several paces. She stumbled into Sulu, who caught her smoothly but had a stunned look on his face. Then a loud and commanding voice split through the silence.

"Spock!"

She spun and stared as Spock's father watched his son choking the life out of another man. It took another moment, but Spock finally pulled back, giving Jim the space to breathe.

She was entranced by Spock as he seemed to reconnect with himself, gathering his calm and composure. He looked to his father, and the only sound that could be heard on the bridge was Jim's laboured breathing. Alex moved forward to support Jim as he sat up and Spock walked away from them.

"Doctor I am no longer... fit for duty. I hereby relinquish my command based on the fact that I have been... emotionally compromised. Please note the time and date in the ships log."

Spock then exited the bridge, his father following after taking a moment to survey the Enterprise's command crew. His expression was unreadable, but Alex understood his discontent with the situation.

Everyone stood in stunned silence. There was no standard on how to react after an event like that, and no one seemed to know what to do.

"I like this ship!" Scott's voice rang through the stillness, surprising everyone. "You know, it's exciting!" He smiled, trying to convey his meaning, but was almost entirely ignored.

"Well, congratulations Jim, we've got no Captain and no god damn first officer to replace him." Bones looked angry and Alex could see disappointment in Jim in his eyes. He, like everyone else on the bridge, had no idea what had just happened.

Jim took a second to catch his breath, leaning into her as she supported him. "Yeah we do," he finally said, the whispers of a grin spreading over his face. He looked relieved and triumphant.

He gave her a smile and a nod of thanks before stepping away from her and heading for the Captain's chair.

"What?" Bones asked, clearly at a loss. Alex knew though, and Sulu voiced her thoughts.

"Pike made him first officer," Sulu replied, looking a little shocked.

"I can confirm that," Alex seconded, watching Jim with curiosity. He wouldn't have just done all of this to get in the Captain's seat. He really did have a plan.

"You gotta be kidding me," Bones said incredulously.

"Thanks for the support," was Jim's sarcastic response as he settled into the chair.

Uhura moved up beside him, looking displeased. "I sure hope you know what you're doing, Captain."

"So do I," Jim responded, and for a moment he looked like the vulnerable and young cadet that he was.

The look passed, and Jim began to make his first address to the crew as Captain of the Enterprise. "Attention crew of the Enterprise, this is James Kirk. Mr. Spock has resigned commission and advanced me to acting captain. I know you were all expecting to regroup with the fleet, but I'm ordering a pursuit course of the enemy ship to Earth. I want all departments and battle stations ready in ten minutes. Either we're going down, or they are. Kirk out."

For another moment everyone stood staring at the new Captain, they're faces showing uncertainty. The switch of leader and change of plans had happened in the space of five minutes, and everyone was still processing. Alex couldn't even imagine what the rest of the crew, who hadn't been privy to Spock and Kirk's showdown, thought of the sudden changes. Sensing they needed a push, she moved quickly to her station, which was fortunately intact even after having a Vulcan-thrown human smash into it, and scanned the screens, before reporting, "Weapon's systems are green, Captain. We're ready for anything that comes at us." Her voice carried a tone of confidence with an edge excitement, which seemed to spur the rest of the bridge crew into action. Status reports were suddenly being reported from all parts of the ship.

She glanced back at Jim and he shot her a grateful look before focusing on the results coming at him.

A few minutes later, once things had settled, she rose from her seat and approached the chair, hoping for a slightly private conversation.

"Lieutenant?" Jim said, a slight smile pulling at the side of him mouth, obviously enjoying being able to address her in such a matter.

"Captain," she returned with a nod of her head, keeping her hands clasped behind her back and her stance upright. "A word?"

"Of course," he stood and closed the space between them so they could speak quietly. She could see the wounds around his eye from their foray on the drilling platform had calmed slightly but they were still red and painful looking. That would be soon complimented by the marks around his throat that she could all ready see forming where Spock had gripped him. She also noticed that he'd taken off the bandage around his hand, and she was sure it wasn't because it was feeling better. He was clenching and unclenching it almost subconsciously, and she could see the small sparks of pain in his eyes as he moved.

"Are you ok?" She asked quietly, her eyes roaming the rest of his body in concern.

"I'm fine," he replied, with his usual Kirk stubbornness. At least that was expected.

"You're going to fill me in on how the hell you got back here right?" Changing the subject because she knew he wasn't going to budge on the subject of his health.

"It's a long story, and probably requires a beer or three, but yeah, if we get out of this I'll tell you everything," he answered. Alex chose to ignore his if we get out of this comment.

Her hand found its way to his shoulder without her specifically asking it to do so. Disregarding all her mixed feelings these past few months and her decision to keep him as a distance, she let the relief and happiness of actually feeling him alive and well flow through her. "I am really glad you're ok. And really glad you're here." She tried to stop the burning in the back of her eyes.

He returned her grip, smiling reassuringly. "We're going to fix this. We're going to save Earth, and we're going to save your dad."

"How can you know that?" Her voice was broken, the mention of her dad cracking the barriers she'd worked so hard to maintain.

"You trust me right?"

"Of course."

"Good, cause I've got a plan." His grin was slightly crazed and she found her face stretching to match it, despite her next comment.

"Not sure I'm going to like where this is going."

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Before Alex knew it they were set to enact Jim's plan. And as it turned out, she really didn't like it, which she told him as they hurried down the hall to the transporter room.

"It's going to work," he said firmly, nodding at some crewman as they sped by.

"It might work. But it will put you in considerable danger. I don't like it," she replied, keeping pace with him.

"You already said that. It's happening Alex. Sulu is getting us into position now. It's the best way to stop Nero and save Earth. And your dad. I'm doing this." They reached the transporter room and she grabbed his arm to stop him from going in.

"I should be going with you," she practically begged.

"You will be more help here. I trust you behind our weapons, and the smaller our boarding party, the better chance that we aren't noticed. This is the way it's going to happen. Now give me a kiss for good luck and get back to your station Lieutenant," he said with a cocky grin, motioning to his lips.

"You wish," she replied, rolling her eyes. However, she did lean forward on her tip toes and kiss him on the cheek. "Good luck," she whispered.

He moved away before she could see his reaction, and she knew it was because they were out of time.

"How are we Scotty?" He questioned their newest crew member, who wore the red colors of engineering.

"Unbelievably sir, the ship is in position," Scott reported back.

Jim leaned in and hit to comm button to the bridge, watching her steadily as he spoke. "Whatever happens Mr. Sulu, Miss Pike, if you think you have the tactical advantage you fire on that ship. Even if we're still on board. That's an order."

A moment passed before Sulu responded, and in that moment she looked back at Jim, matching his control.

"Yes sir," Sulu finally responded, sounded defeated and unhappy.

"Yes sir," Alex echoed, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"Otherwise we'll contact the Enterprise when we're ready to be beamed back," Jim finished, forcing a smile of confidence for her benefit.

"Good luck," came Sulu's voice.

She returned Jim's smile and turned to head back to the bridge, but did a double take when Uhura and Spock caught her eye. They were definitely kissing. Definitely.

"Interesting..." she muttered to herself before running back to her post.

She slid into her seat moments before the Narada began their attack.

"Zey have actiwated the drill," Chekov reported, his hands working quickly to manage the data before him.

"Damn it, it's right over San Francisco," Alex growled, tension on the bridge rising as they all realized how close it was to the academy.

Uhura flew onto the bridge seconds later. "Communications and transport are inoperative," she reported. "Sulu, please tell me you have them, otherwise we won't be able to beam them back."

The helmsman slammed his hand down in frustration. "Kirk and Spock are on their own now."

Alex tried to remind herself that Jim was capable of anything, and they could do this, but she felt her hope dwindling as the minutes passed. She kept a close eye on her instruments, almost vibrating with apprehension, as she waited for their moment to act.

"A ship just blew its way out of the Narada!" Sulu suddenly exclaimed.

"It is wery small, I do not recognize the make," Chekov replied.

"It's gotta be Spock or Kirk," Alex added, her apprehension spiking to real stress as she watched the readings. The ship went straight for the drilling device and fired.

She along with the rest of the bridge crew let out a cheer of triumph when the drill took a direct hit.

"Uhura! Do we have communications? Transport?" She called out, swivelling in her chair to connect with the communications officer.

"Both are back up and functioning! They did it!" She reported back, her face stretching into a smile.

"All right, let's look at getting them back on board. Mr. Scott, can you locate the Captain and Mr. Spock? Uhura, can we confirm they are ready to beam out?" Sulu questioned, already beginning to pilot the ship towards Earth.

Before either could reply, the smaller ship on their radar jumped into warp, narrowly escaping several missiles fired its way, followed seconds later by the Narada.

"Sulu, we need to –" she started.

"I'm on it! Going to warp, Chekov get me a destination!"

She tuned them out momentarily as she started to activate their weapons systems. She needed to be ready when they got out of warp.

"Leaving warp in three..." Sulu reported. They were close enough in those last seconds for her to get readings on the two ships they were chasing. Her eyes widened as she realized the smaller ship was on a suicide run, and the larger had fired several missiles at the oncoming shop.

"Chekov!" She cried, hoping he saw what she did and knew what she intended.

He did. Together they triggered all of their offensive systems as they came out of warp, and destroyed the missiles before they could reach their intended target, leaving a clear path.

Moments later she heard the words she'd been waiting desperately to hear. "Enterprise now!" Jim's voice echoed through their systems, and she heard Scott's affirmative.

They all waited, barely breathing, for the confirmation that their Captain had made it on board.

"Three successfully transported!" came Scott's report. Alex slumped back in her chair in utter relief. She hadn't fully let herself realize how tense she was until that moment. They're safe.

Moments later Spock and Jim came running on to the bridge.

"Captain! The enemy ship is lozing power, zer shields are down sir," Chekov reported dutifully.

"Hail them now," Jim ordered, his face clear of emotion as he moved to stand in front of the view port, Spock at his side.

The feeling of relief Alex felt at seeing Jim safe was instantly replaced with fear when she looked at the readings on her station again.

"What is that?" She questioned, not fully understanding. He was staring out at the viewport in front of them, at the Narada where small explosions that were beginning around the area of impact from the small ship.

"The red matter... is igniting," Chekov said softly, his voice holding awe.

She watched as a black hole suddenly ripped through the ship, effectively cutting it in half, though she had no way to see the state of the other side. The rest of the crew seemed relieved still, in the knowledge that they had won. But she couldn't help the filling of unease that was creeping over her.

"Sulu, we need to –" she started, throwing him a worried glance.

"I'm trying to maintain a safe distance," he replied through gritted teeth.

At the moment the view screen lit up with Nero's face.

"This is Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise. Your ship is compromised. You're too close to the singularity to survive without assistance, which we are willing to provide." She felt a flash of pride at his professional tone and offer. After everything that had happened, she wasn't sure she'd have the control to offer such help.

She watched as Spock turned to hold a private conversation with Jim. She couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but was surprised at the look they shared. She couldn't decipher it, but it was something of an understanding shared between them.

"I would rather suffer the end of Romulus a thousand times. I would rather die in agony then accept assistance from you," Nero replied, his voice dripping with anger and disdain.

"You got it," Jim replied swiftly, turning away. The view screen flickered out to reveal the black hole expanding before them.

"Lieutenant Pike, arm phasers, fire everything we've got," Jim order before taking his seat in the Captain's chair.

"Yes sir!" She replied, and triggered the commands to do just that. At her command, the Enterprise lashed out at the Narada with everything she had, firing phasers and torpedoes into the massive ship. Each hit stuck it's mark, slowing tear the Narada to pieces. The long tentacle like parts of the ship, a well know image from their history, seemed to snap apart and fly into the black hole. Their attack hastened the process, and within seconds all of the terrifying ship had been engulfed by the singularity.

She couldn't help but glance back at Jim, who was staring at the event intently. He didn't look triumphant, but she saw something in his eyes, in the way he was so entirely focused. It meant something very important that he'd just destroyed the ship that had taken his father from him.

Alarm bells started ringing, pulling her own focus back to her instruments. The gravity well from the singularity was pulling them in.

"Sulu, let's go home!" Their Captain demanded.

"Yes sir!" Sulu responded, and she saw his jaw clench as her began to steer the ship around. The feeling of dread began screaming in the back of her mind. They were too close. She'd thought they were a safe distance away, but the hole had expanded faster and larger than any of them had thought possible.

"Why aren't we at warp?" Kirk questioned, calm and controlled as he should be.

"We are sir," Chekov replied. Alex met Jim's eyes and shook her head. They didn't have enough power.

"Kirk to engineering, get us out of here Scotty!"

"You bet your ass Captain!" Came Scott's frenzied reply. "Captain we're got in a gravity well, it's got us!"

"Go to maximum warp! Push it!"

"I'm giving her all she's got Captain!"

The ceiling suddenly cracked above them as the ship fought against the pull of the singularity. Several of the crew members cried out in surprise and fear. At this rate they'd be torn to pieces just like the Narada.

"All she's got isn't good enough! What else you got?"

"Um, ok,aye if we eject the core and detonate it, the blast could be enough to push us away, I cannae promise anything though!"

The viewport in front of them suddenly cracked and they all watched in horror.

"DO IT DO IT DO IT!" Jim screamed, echoing the urgency and fear felt by the entire crew.

The ejections read successful on her screen and for a tense moment all they could do was wait. Then the detonation occurred, and they were flung back in their seats. Alex gripped her seat and stopped breathing as she waited for them to break free. She trusted Sulu to pilot them out, but she feared the blast wouldn't be enough.

Her fears were dashed when they suddenly pulled free, speeding away from the explosion and singularity. For a moment they all sat frozen, unable to believe or comprehend how closely they had brushed death.

Then they all began to breathe a sigh of relief and several laughs and smiles filled the bridge. Alex realized she'd been clutching Chekov's hand up until that exact moment. She met his eyes and saw her own relief reflected in his eyes. Despite the fact that they barely knew each other, she was in no way embarrassed by their contact. She squeezed his hand briefly, and then ran her hands over her face and through her hair as she laughed quietly, her eyes almost burning with tears of relief.

Seconds later Jim made an announcement to the rest of the crew, explaining what had occurred and their current status. Alex could only imagine their level of worry and panic, not having been privy to the information that they were.

"Sulu, how long until we arrive back at Earth?" Jim asked as he finished his address.

"At our current speed, and without warp, it looks like close to 23 hours Captain."

"Uhura, do we have communications with Earth?" Was Jim's next question as he took in the information.

"Negative Captain, our long range communications are still under repair."

"Understood. Please keep on them and send a hail to Starfleet as soon as possible."

"Aye Captain," Uhura responded, turning back to her station. Alex wasn't surprised that her voice held true sincerity and respect. Jim had just proven himself entirely capable of his current position.

Jim continued to check in with each of the department, gather information and status reports. Now that they were out of danger, and they'd all had a chance to catch their breath, their excitement was dimming as they each checked their respective departments and reported the damages and prepared to start repairs. And Alex was eager to get a status on her father, but there were more important things to take care of. If he was in a serious condition she trusted Jim would have her relieved.

An hour passed and Alex kept glancing back at Jim, because he looked worse and worse each time she did. He was still in command, and still making orders and listening to reports, but she could tell he was in pain. She had no idea what had happened on the Narada but she knew he'd taken a beating.

She rose from her station and approached him. He glanced up at her, his eyes clear and bright despite his otherwise haggard appearance. She'd already given her status report, so he knew she was there for other reasons.

"Lieutenant, I can have you relieved if you'd like to go to medbay and check in on the Captain," he said, entirely professional. She got the sense that he already knew she had a dual motive for approaching him.

"Thank you Captain, I think I'll take you up on that," she replied, equally as professional but a bit absently. She was distracted by assessing his condition up close. She could see fresh bruising on his neck, something more then what Spock had done to him she was sure. And his face showed fresh wounds, along with his own knuckles. She was surprised to find herself aching to reach out and grab his hand, to try and heal his hurts.

"I think you should come with me," she said after a moment.

"I'm fine," he said tightly, already preparing himself to fight her on the subject. He was always like this when it came to seeking medical attention. Even if it was McCoy that he was visiting.

"You're bleeding," she replied, eyeing his various wounds.

"It's fine, I'm needed here," he looked like he was about to turn away so she reached out and grabbed his arm, keeping him faced towards her.

"Since you're the Captain, I'm sure it'll be a quick trip," she reasoned. "They'll fix you up right away sir." As she spoke she caught Spock approaching from his station, clearly having noticed her physical contact with the Captain and the dirty look his was giving her in response.

"I'm fine here Lieutenant," he growled, pulled away gently.

"Captain, if I may, I do believe you should accompany the Lieutenant to see a Doctor, as you have many wounds and we have a long journey ahead. Your state of health is important if you are to perform your duties."

"Oh not you too Spock! Why don't you go to medical? You were out there same as me!" Jim looked annoyed now, but Alex ignored him and shot Spock a grateful look. She recognized that he was only doing the logical thing, and not just trying to help her cause, she was still thankful for his assistance.

"I was not injured during our mission. You clearly were. I can stay here, and alert you of any issue that arise."

"I-" He still looked ready to protest again, so Alex took matters into her own hands and rather insubordinately grabbed his hand and dragged him with her towards the nearest door, shouting a "Thanks Commander!" over her shoulder.

"Alex! Come on!" Jim sounded pissed, but he wasn't putting up a fight as she dragged him along, and she knew he could have.

"Just get it over with. Bones'll probably be busy, so you can just get a quick once over from one of the nurses. In and out. You need to look cleaned up for the crew. A bloody and bruised Captain doesn't inspire a ton of confidence."

"Maybe to you," he grumbled, but caught up and kept pace with her. She let his hand go and hit the turbo lift to the med level.

They rode in silence for a moment before Jim said, "So... this was all a bit insane right?"

She laughed slightly. "Understatement."

Another moment of silence passed before she suddenly turned to him. "I didn't say thank you yet, for saving my dad."

"You don't have to," he replied, refusing to meet her eyes.

She grabbed his chin and tilted his face towards her. "I really do. Thank you Jim. I don't know what I'd do without him, and you saved him. Thank you."

He looked a bit uncomfortable with her level of sincerity, but flashed hera grin in spite of it.

"Now come on, let's go see-" she stopped midsentence as they rounded the corner into the medbay and were met with a heart stopping sight. She had expected to see her father, alive and well, chatting with the nurses and getting updates on the ships status. She was met with the opposite circumstance.

Her father lay on one of the beds, and looked like a ghost of himself. He was unconscious, and had been intubated. There was a nurse hovering beside his bed taking readings and looking entirely too anxious for Alex's liking. Bones stood in a heated discussion with another doctor, gesturing angrily towards her father's bed.

She stood frozen, unsure how to comprehend what was happening. He was supposed to be ok. They'd hadn't told her he wasn't ok. Now he looked like he was dying. She barely registering Jim's hand as it gripped her shoulder tightly.

"Bones?"

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Sorry guys, bit of a cliffie. I promise I've almost got the next part ready to go so I'll update very soon! Stay tuned in the next week or two!