Caught in the Crossfire: Epilogue

"Come on in, Spock."

The Vulcan stood in the corridor, hands clasped tightly behind his back. "Thank you, Captain."

"We're off duty, Spock. You can call me 'Jim'." Spock scowled as Kirk ushered his First Officer into his cabin and motioned for him to sit on the couch. "So, how was the bridge today? Anything interesting happen?"

Spock sat stoically on the edge of the cushions, back straight, while Kirk eased himself down onto the loveseat across from him, cradling his slung arm against his chest. "If you are attempting to gain information pertaining to the daily occurrences of the ship, I am afraid you will be displeased. Doctor McCoy informed me not to divulge information of that nature to you."

Kirk sighed. "I figured he'd get to you before you came by."

"He is looking out for you, Captain. He does not want to cause you undue stress."

Kirk nodded. "I know, I'm just going out of my mind with boredom."

"Would you like to play chess? I would be more than willing to begin a match."

Kirk's eyes lit up. "Really? I mean, don't you have somewhere to be? Or someone to be with?"

"If you are referring to Lieutenant Uhura, she has already committed to spending her evening with our guest, Mak'ai. As for myself, I had no activities planned. If you would like to play, I have ample time to spare."

Kirk smirked slightly. "Well, she's a good lady, Spock. Hang on to her tight."

"I intend to."

Kirk smiled briefly, then allowed his expression to soften. "Look, I…" He tapped his fingers nervously on his lap. "…I know that you know about me and Bones." Spock quirked an eyebrow. "He told me. And, I hope that you'll…keep it between us for the time being. It might be hard for the crew to understand right now. Besides, we're still trying to figure it out for ourselves."

"No one, including myself, should take any interest in your relationship beyond your mutual happiness. It is not my place to judge, nor would I. Furthermore, I would never divulge any personal information about you or your personal life without your permission."

Kirk nodded thankfully. "I know, Spock. Thanks."

"There is no need to offer acknowledgments. What one does in their own time, whether they are an Ensign or Captain, should not be of any concern to other members of the crew."

Kirk's expression turned contemplative. "Can I ask you something?"

"Certainly."

Kirk shifted his weight on the couch and sat forward. "On Xentia, while doctor McCoy was, well…you know, working on me? Was he…okay?"

Spock thought on his answer for a moment before replying. "If you are referring to his emotional state at the time of your initial treatment, he performed above and beyond his duties. He had very little to work with and still managed to save your life on multiple occasions."

Kirk frowned with frustration. "That's not what I meant. I know he saved me, I'm right here." He tapped his chest and exhaled deeply. "What I meant was, was he okay?"

"I am afraid I do not understand your meaning. Your inflection of the word 'okay' seems to indicate another significance, but I am not certain I comprehend what you are trying to convey."

Kirk huffed exasperatedly. "Was he afraid?"

"I could ascertain from his body language that he was fearful as he worked, but nonetheless toiled feverishly to stabilize you. While he has the tendency to let his emotions illogically bubble over and explode, he did an exemplary job of containing them. No one else could have saved your life, Captain. I will admit that I am still unsure why you felt the need to enquire about his emotional state."

Kirk sat back into the plush cushions. "Call it morbid curiosity, I guess."

"The need for humans to explore emotions on this level is very perplexing."

Kirk chuckled. "Tell me about it. I guess I owe you some 'thank you's' as well."

"It was only logical that I offered my assistance to Doctor McCoy, as there were no other medical professionals available on the surface of the planet."

Kirk nodded. "You make it seem so routine. If it hadn't have been for you or Mak'ai, Doctor McCoy would have had a much bigger battle to fight. Just take the thanks, Spock."

"Of course, Captain. You are welcome."

Kirk smiled, chewing on his bottom lip. "Say, one more thing about Xentia. Remember when you said you were going to have to record everything in your log? You know, about me being illogical and running out into that atrium after being advised not to?"

"I have decided that the injuries you sustained shall serve as a better reminder not to act in such an impulsive manner again. Much more so than information logged in the computer. Recording a log would only be redundant."

Kirk offered a sheepish grin. "Thanks, I think. Still up for a chess match?" Spock nodded, and Kirk rose to get his chess set, and was stopped by the door chime. "I'm just a popular guy tonight."

He opened the door, finding McCoy, a small backpack slung over his shoulder. Spock stood, straightening his uniform top. "I shall take my leave, Captain. Perhaps we can engage in a chess match another time. Enjoy your evening."

The two men watched the First Officer leave, the door hissing shut behind him. Kirk eyed McCoy suspiciously. "What's with the knapsack? Sleeping over?"

"You'll see." McCoy moved in close, dumping the bag on the couch. He stopped in front of Kirk and adjusted the sling around the younger man's neck. "You need to keep this tighter, Jim. Your shoulder won't heal if you don't."

Kirk pouted. "And here I thought you were going to sweep me off my feet or something."

"I'm tryin' to take care of you, dammit. I mean it—don't let this thing get loose or I'll hog tie it on you." He wrapped his arms loosely around Kirk's waist, pulling him close. The two men rested their foreheads against one another's until Kirk closed the gap, kissing his doctor gently. When they finally broke, Jim tugged McCoy down onto the couch.

"C'mon, show me what's in the bag. And it had better not be sex toys. I don't think I'm recovered enough for such energetic activities."

McCoy rolled his eyes. "You're such a juvenile, you know that?" He reached for the backpack and unzipped it. Jim's eyes lit up as he produced a handful of holo chips, each one containing one of the Captain's favorite movies from Earth. "I need to keep you relatively still while that arm heals. 'Figured this would do the trick." He smiled wryly as he pulled out two bottles of beer.

Jim's mouth hung open. "Where'd you get that?"

"I have my secret suppliers, just like you do." He handed Kirk a frosted bottle.

"You're letting me have a beer? Even with the pain meds?"

McCoy grunted. "Just don't tell M'Benga, got it? Besides, I think we both deserve a cold one after this last week, don't you agree?"

Kirk sat back into the plush couch as he twisted the cap off. He took a long draught, tipping his head back as he swallowed, an expression of sheer joy on his face. "I think we're gonna need more beer if we want to decompress, Bones."

"Let's just start with one, alright, darlin'? The last thing you need right now is a hangover."

Kirk chuckled and took another swig. "Wanna replicate some popcorn?"

McCoy stood and went to the replicator, and within seconds, returned with a steaming bowl of kernels, complete with butter and salt. "What do you say we get comfortable and fry our brains with meaningless violence and explosions?"

Kirk beamed. "You know me too well, Bones. Start it up."

Hours later, well into the third film, Jim was curled into McCoy's body, sleeping soundly. The doctor switched the holo-player off and basked in the silence of the cabin. He thought back to the awful week they had just survived. Too many times had Jim scared the shit out of him, made him cry out with frustration and anger. McCoy knew that the war with Ka'al was just beginning, and that Kirk would once again be cast into the fray. Even though it frightened him beyond belief, he felt somewhat at ease knowing that if Jim needed help, at least he would be the one to offer assistance. The battle would be intense and probably not without casualties, but deep down he knew it had to be fought.

But for right now, millions of miles away from Xentia, he could concentrate on Jim.

On them.

Kirk stirred slightly on the couch, nuzzling his cheek into McCoy's chest. He could feel the warm tickle of every exhale from Jim's lungs as they absorbed into his shirt. McCoy smiled in the darkness, the eerie glow of the blackness of space illuminating the room. He slid down against the cushions of the couch, allowing for his back to stretch out. He wrapped his arms around Jim and laid his cheek on the Captain's hair.

"I love you, darlin'."

Allowing his eyes to close, McCoy's dreams were peaceful as he slept.

XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX

Author's notes:

So, here we are. This one is in the books. Thank you to everyone who has read/reviewed/favorited and alerted. I'm so glad that you all enjoyed my work. Look for a sequel (yes, you read that right!) soon.

A huge shout out to my beta, QuietRaine. We met through a love of Final Fantasy, and our friendship has blossomed so much in the past several years. I just love it. I love that we share a mutual love for Trek, our kids, and the nerdy things in life. Thank you for all your hard work in helping me make this fic a success. Love you, lady!

Another shout out to my friends Saber Wing and TwinLance. Both of you offered very valuable opinions and advice on how to make our heroes and their damn emotions—or lack thereof—behave in this story. Thanks a million, gals!

Off to the next adventure…see you soon.

-Bebedora