#startrekimagine

You lifted your eyes and he gave you a knowing, pointed look before turning and striding back to his spot in the Bridge.  

You took a shaky breath and pressed your cool fingers to your burning cheeks as you thought of the grumpy doctor.  

Leonard was one of your closest friends, having met him back in the Academy in your Xenobiology class when he spilt coffee all over your notebook half-way through the year. “Fucking hell” was the first thing you ever said to him, and you’d spent the rest of the week with him, copying his notes to replace all of yours.  You’d been friends ever since, ecstatic when you’d been placed on the Enterprise with him, and you had a weekly drink and movie night.

But you didn’t have a crush on him.  You thought. There was one time when you’d been watching a movie next to him on the couch, and you’d been shoulder to shoulder, and he turned his head and so did you, and for a second you’d thought he was going to kiss you, and you could feel his breath on your face, and for a second you’d hope he’d kiss you and…

A ping from your PADD woke you from your memories, and you could feel your pulse pounding in your ears.  

Looking down, you saw two messages that made your heart drop in your chest.

Leonard: Have to cancel drinks tonight. Busy medbay.

Leonard: Sorry.

Damn.  You cursed yourself internally at how disappointed you felt.

Y/N: It’s all good.  Stay sane.

‘Stay sane’ was something you always said to each other when things got crazy.  It meant a million things, like ‘don’t work to hard’, and ‘I’m here if you need me’, and ‘don’t do anything stupid’.

Part of you was excited to have a night to do whatever you wanted, the other part of you had been looking forward to having something to do on Valentine’s Day.   But most of you had been excited to spend time with Leonard.

But whatever.

That was all over now.

You finished your shift without any issues, and when you made it back to your room, you decided to throw together a batch of cookies for a treat.  

You just happened to make the kind that were Leonard’s favourite.

And you just happened to pile them into a container and head out the door towards the medbay.

I’m just being nice to my friend who has to work late, that’s all, you thought to yourself as you rounded the big glass doors.

“Hey, Y/N.” Someone called, and you spun to see one of your friends, Amy, who was a nurse.

“Hey,” you responded, “is Dr. McCoy here?”

“Nope, his shift ended about an hour ago.” She said, tucking the PADD in her hands under her arm.

“Oh.” You chewed on your lip and self-consciously held the box of cookies tighter.

You were just about to say something else when your com pinged.  

Hikaru: Botany lab.  SOS.

Shit.

“Gotta go! See you later, Amy!” You called over your shoulder as you dashed back out the doors.

A million things were going through your mind. What was the SOS about?  Was Hikaru alright?  Why did Leonard lie to you about having to work late?  Did he have a Valentine’s date he didn’t tell you about?

You were ashamed at how disappointed and stupid that made you felt.  

It took you a good 5 minutes of fast walking/jogging to make it to the botany lab, and you had broken out in a light sweat by the time you got there.

You rounded the corner quickly and nearly slammed into another person.

“Oh!” You jumped back, almost dropping the box of cookies.

It was Leonard.

“Y/N!” He exclaimed, looking particularly flushed and disoriented by the sight of you.

“Hi, umm, is everything alright?  Sulu sent me an SOS.” You tried to peek over Leonard’s shoulders to see into the lab, but he stood awkwardly in the way.

“He did?” Leonard asked, looking perplexed then annoyed, turning his head to the side and muttering something that sounded like ‘fucker’ under his breath. 

“He just left for the Bridge.” Leonard looked back to you, his hair falling onto his forehead, and a frown pulled at the corners of his lips.  He shuffled just a bit and it was the first time you noticed his hand tucked behind his back, as if he was hiding something.

“Wha-?” You started.

“Are those the cookies I like?” Leonard interrupted, squinting down at the container.

“What, these?” You stammered, tucking the box under you arm. “Well… yes.  But-but they were for Hikaru.”

Leonard’s brows furrowed and he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “I thought Sulu was vegan. Don’t those have eggs in them?” He questioned.

You felt your eyes widen, and you tried to control your facial expression as you responded, “Y-yea…nnno…maybe…” You tucked the box further under your arm. “What’ve you got there?” You asked, pointing to his hidden hand, trying desperately to change the subject.

He looked hesitant for a moment, before withdrawing his hand and producing a magnificent bouquet of flowers. There were white roses mixed in with full-bloom peony heads in a soft pink, interwoven with white baby’s breath and contrasted with dark green ivy.

“Wow.” You breathed. Peonies were your favourite.  You could smell them from here.

Leonard didn’t say anything, just held the bouquet awkwardly in front of him.

There were several beats of silence, and you felt your disappointment grow with each passing second. “You could have just told me you had a date,” you said softly, dropping your eyes to the floor, “I wouldn’t have cared.”

“No, it’s not- it’s just- I…” Leonard was stammering, more flustered than you’d ever seen him before.

“It’s fine, I get it,” you defended, turning to leave, “I should go find Hikaru.”

“Y/N, wait.” Leonard’s hand found your elbow and spun you around, not letting go. He took a breath and squeezed his eyes shut before he continued, “They’re for you.”

You blinked at him, shrugging off his hand on you and stepping back, “No, you don’t have to give them to me just because you don’t want to tell me you’re going on a date. I don’t want your pity flowers.”

To your surprise, Leonard held your gaze, and you watched as his face softened, just a little.  “I’m not giving them to you out of pity, smartass,” he grunted , “they were for you the whole time.  I was bringing them to you as a surprise, for Valentine’s Day.  I know they’re your favourite and I just- I thought… yeah I guess it was pretty dumb.” He dropped the flowers to his side, and you watched a few peony petals glide to the floor.

It took you a second to process everything he said. “You-you’re being serious?”

Leonard lifted his gaze to you and nodded.

“I’m an idiot.” You huffed.

He shook his head, “No, you’re not…”

You pointed your finger at him and grinned, “I’m an idiot.  You’re an idiot.  We’re the co-presidents of Club idiot.”

That made him chuckle and you could almost feel the tension dissolving between the two of you.  What was left was a softer, gentler feeling, something from deep inside you.

“Sulu helped me pick them,” Leonard explained, “The amount of flowers that man grows should be illegal.”

Now it was your turn to chuckle.  

You took the container of cookies out from under your arm and let it hang between your fingertips. “I did make these for you.  I swung by the medbay to bring them to you because you were working late.”

“That was really thoughtful of you.” The softness in his tone surprised you, and you met his hazel eyes, seeing something flash behind them that you hadn’t seen since…

“Do you remember that night you made me watch ‘The Princess Bride?” Leonard asked, leaning against the wall, and you moved to join him, leaning to face him.

That was the night you thought he was going to kiss you.

“Of course. The night you cried because you thought Wesley and Buttercup weren’t going to be together.”

“Ha ha.” He smirked, then let his features soften. “Well, I don’t know if you would remember this, it was a while ago, but when we were on the couch, and… well…”

“I remember.” You said, and his gaze snapped to yours.

“You do?”

“Mhmm.” You licked your lips and looked up at him, taking in the face you knew so well, framed by dark, slightly tousled hair, the lines around his eyes and mouth soft, and the space between his eyebrows was smooth, though you knew his brows seemed permanently furrowed when he was stressed.

“I wish I had done what I had wanted to do then…” He said, his gaze flicking between your eyes and your lips.

“Which was…”

“Kiss you.”

The fingers that you were drumming on the top of the container of cookies stopped, and your mouth fell slightly open.

You chose your words carefully. “So, why didn’t you?”

He exhaled. “I didn’t think it was the right time.”

“Ah,” you nodded, looking down. “So, when is the right time going to be?”

A soft smile ever so slightly pulled at the corner of his lips.  “You only know it’s the right time when it is the right time.”

You smiled and rolled your eyes. “You’re such a romantic, Leonard McCoy.”

His eyes glinted with amusement as he smiled fully now, and your heart overflowed with love at the sight.  He dropped your gaze and played with the petals of one flower between his fingertips, rolling it between his thumb and index when it plucked free.

You gathered up all your courage and inched closer to him. “What if I told you right now was the right time?”

He stopped playing with the flower and looked at you, his expression unreadable. “That’s not how it works, Y/N.”

“Oh shut up.” You quipped, cocking your head to the side and taking a confident step forward, a sudden bout of nervous excitement causing butterflies to take flight in your stomach.

His whole face softened, and he was looking at you with an expression of such admiration that you wished you could capture it with a camera.  He leaned into you, now having to drop the bouquet at his side so he could stay facing you.  His free hand lifted and his fingers grazed your cheek, bringing with it a strong scent of peonies and roses.  

“Kiss me.” You sighed, your eyes fluttering closed as he pulled you closer, and you could feel his breath against your lips, just the same as that night watching that movie.

He paused for a second, and you became suddenly aware of your pounding pulse and your impending anticipation.

“As you wish.” He breathed, the words fanning over your mouth before he covered your lips with his.

His lips were firm and warm against yours, the taste of him immediately intoxicating you and you kissed him back with an equal fervor.  You slung one of your arms around his neck, awkwardly dropping the box of cookie to your side in order to draw him closer.  

The kiss was everything you had hoped for and more, and as his hand dropped to your waist, you felt your chest fill with desire.

You broke the kiss breathlessly, not straying far from him, holding him firm by the fingers entangled in the hair at the back of his neck.

“How ‘bout we take that bouquet and these cookies back to my room?  Hm?” You asked, pecking his lips softly before continuing, “we can have those drinks you cancelled on me from earlier.”

Leonard laughed and shook his head, his nose rubbing against yours.  “Sounds like a plan to me.”

But before you could lead him away, he kissed you breathless again, pulling away to tip his forehead against yours. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Y/N.”

You smiled, “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

-Thanks for reading!  I hope you liked it!-

He dropped your gaze for a moment before looking back at you solemnly through his brows.  The look on his face was a thinly veiled mask over an expression of worry, and you were so focused on it that you jumped a little when he took your hand, giving it a quick squeeze between his thumb and fingers.

He dropped your hand as the aliens emerged from the stairs, and you felt yourself longing for more of his reassuring touch. 

You were taken into the arena again, this time the room already filled with the dark aliens, and the cacophony of sounds was deafening.  Your eyes fell instantly to the platform in the center, however, this time noting a large wooden chair on top of it, rather than the glass box. 

Your heart clenched as Leonard was dragged and pushed onto it, his arms and legs being strapped down to it. 

SNAP! The sound of Ch’al’s cane hitting the ground made you spin around and silenced the entire room.

“Welcome back, Sweet.” Ch’al’s taunting voice echoed across the arena.

Your mouth went dry and mind went blank at what to say.

“Are you going to cooperate today?  Hmmm?” He hummed. “Shall I ask you again?  I suppose I shall.  Tell me everything you know about your father.  Tell me where the Artifact is.”

You exhaled and set your jaw.  You had thought about what to say this time, wracking your brain for anything regarding your father. 

“He was an explorer.  Or at least that’s what my grandmother said when she was still alive.  She was the only one that would talk about him to me.  She said he explored the galaxies, searching for new things and new life.  I vaguely remember seeing a picture of him once in a Starfleet uniform. But that’s all I can remember.  I swear to you that’s all I know.”

Ch’al regarded you with an even gaze, and you could hear your heart pounding in your ears. 

“Where did he go?” Ch’al asked.

“Pardon?”

“When you were a child.  Where did he disappear to?”

You blinked. “I-I don’t know.  My mom picked me up from school one day and just said that he wasn’t coming home.  She wouldn’t tell me where he went.”

“So you don’t know.”

Panic started building in your chest, and your hands started trembling. “No, she never told me where he went.”

Ch’al snapped his talons.

You spun to Leonard, gasping when you saw a dark figure approach him from behind.  It was in the same shape as the aliens, but cloaked in long, dark robes from head to toe. Leonard was craning his neck to see it, but as soon as it centered behind him, his eyes squeezed closed, and he dropped his head, as if he was in pain.

“What are you doing to him?” You asked, your voice shaky.

“Maliika here is trained in the art of entering minds.” Ch’al responded. “And she may be able to add a few things or two if she feels like it.

Leonard shook his head side-to-side, as if he was trying to get water out of his ears, before he looked up to you.

“So, Sweet, you were saying your mother knows where your father went?” Ch’al sung, and you turned slowly back to him.

“I don’t know.” You said slowly, carefully. “I think she did, at one point.”

Ch’al gripped the arms of his chair tightly and snapped, “You are wasting my time.  Explain, human.”

“She-she was diagnosed with schizophrenia when I was 18.  It’s a… a human disease of the mind… that-that makes you see and hear things that aren’t there.  It can make you have delusions, or symptoms of depression.  Before I went to the Academy I got her placed in a psychiatric home, to have full time care.  She still recognizes me, but her attention and memory are… spotty at best.”

Ch’al seemed to consider this for a moment, though his posture stayed rigid and tense.

“I do not understand this ‘disease of the mind’.” He said flatly. “I believe you are lying.”

Then he snapped.

It was not as dramatic as before, with the water rushing into the glass chamber, but still you spun to face Leonard, who was not looking around, not with a pained expression, but with one of confusion.

“Joanna?” The name left his lips as his eyes tracked something near the large doors. “Joanna, what are you doing here?”

You frowned deeply and rubbed your hands over your face in dread.  You had no idea who Joanna was, but you knew this couldn’t be good.

“Let her go!” Leonard shouted, looking pained, his eyes fixed on a point behind you.

“Your mother must have told you where your father went.  You cannot keep that secret from a child forever.” It was Ch’al’s voice now.

“I already told you, she never did.  All I know is that he was an explorer and…”

“ENOUGH!” He yelled, snapping his fingers again.

“Jo?  You monsters! Let her go!” Leonard was the one yelling now, and you turned to see him fighting against the restraints.

“Leonard, it’s not real,” you said, stepping towards him.

His eyes tracked an invisible object and seemed to land on you.

“Y/N?” He asked, and you thought for a second maybe you had gotten through. “Answer him. Tell him the truth.  Please,” he begged. “That’s my daughter!”

Your heart dropped. “I am telling the truth. It’s not real, Leonard.”

“I don’t understand,” he said, and you could see the sweat dripping off his brow.  “Why are you doing this?” He was fighting against the restraints even harder, pure panic filling his features. “NO!” He shouted, “LET HER GO!  THAT’S MY DAUGHTER!”

“Tell me the truth and this all stops.” Ch’al’s voice cut through Leonard’s yelling. “Tell me where your father is.  Tell me where the Artifact is.”

You turned slowly to face Ch’al, keeping your voice as steady and even as you could, “I’ve told you all I know.”

“PLEASE!” Leonard yelled from behind you.

A tear inadvertently snuck down your cheek. “I would tell you if I did, because it sounds really important to you, your species, and your planet, but I don’t know where my father or the Artifact is.”

Ch’al’s dark eyes bored into yours, and you swore he smiled as snapped his fingers.

“Oh, god.” Leonard’s voice was strained.

You pinched your eyes shut for a moment as you turned around, squeezing a few more tears down your cheeks.  Leonard was staring at a spot a few feet away from you, his expression more desperate than you had seen on anyone, ever. 

“Y/N.  Please.  Stop them!”  He yelled, straining so hard against the restraints that he shook the chair. “They have a knife, oh god!  Joanna!  Let her go!  Take me instead!”

That damn near broke your heart, and had to close your eyes and look away from him.  You couldn’t watch him face whatever he was facing. 

“NOOOOOO!” A scream tore from his throat so feral and so raw that you knew he believed every second of whatever he was hallucinating. 

Leonard went quiet now, and you peeked your eyes open to see him, limp on the chair.  Head drooped down, everything about his posture defeated. 

“Take them back.” Ch’al commanded.

You heard the restraints unlatch from Leonard’s chair, and he was marched off the platform, trudging past you, escorted by guards, without glancing in your direction.

You followed, escorted by your own guards, and soon returned to the cell, void of your empty food trays and blankets, you noticed, as the guards left. 

Leonard was facing the back wall, completely rigid, not moving except for his shoulder heaving with each breath.

“Why didn’t you tell him the truth?” Leonard’s voice was low and gravely.

“I did. I told him everything I know.”

“Your lies killed my daughter.”

Oh.

“Leonard, that wasn’t real. Your daughter’s not dead.” You said carefully, staring at the spot between his shoulder blades.

“But-“ he faltered for a second, “but I saw her die.  You gave them the knife.”

“It was an illusion.  A hallucination.  Someone was in your head.”

“YOU’RE LYING!” He roared, but stayed immobile, breaths quickening.

“Please, Leonard.  You have to believe me.  If your daughter was there, I would have done everything to save her.  I would have sacrificed myself to save her.”

He didn’t move.  Stayed silent.

“Please.” You breathed, stepping up close behind him and reaching out to rest a hand on his shoulder.

Without warning he spun, knocking your hand away and shoving you to the ground, hard.  The suddenness of the landing knocked the wind out of you, but nothing hurt more than knowing that he was still in pain, still believed the hallucination.

He had stalked to the far end of the cell now, grabbing shakily onto the bars before it looked like his knees gave out and he sank to the floor.  It sounded like he was sobbing, or having a panic attack, his breath ragged, his body trembling.  He stuffed the heel of his hands into his eyes and folded over in defeat.

You wanted to comfort him, you really did, but something about him shoving you to the ground scared you.  You knew that when the mind lies it can really affect someone.  You knew it better than anyone, especially, with your mom having schizophrenia.

Leonard stayed like that for some time, folded over, defeated, but you didn’t approach him.  You tucked yourself into the opposite corner and stayed quiet.  To give him his time to process everything.

Wishing you still had that blanket, you curled into the bars, shivering at the cool contact of the metal against your skin. At some point you dozed off, in a fitful, cool sleep, filled with dark, evil creatures and little girls with Leonard’s eyes.

-Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it!- 

Tag list (let me know if you want to be added/removed):@emmkolenn @harley-with-gegs-quinn@feelmyroarrrr @jefferson-in-the-tardis@anyakinamidala@fandomheadrush@kirkaholic123@im-the-nerdiest-of-them-a11@pinkamour1588@to-pick-ourselves-up-7@starmission@destielismymothership @curiosity-killed-the-speedster@mccoymostly@yoshiepic@anotherotter@daytimemaniac@super–who–locked@sparkedupsilver @stupidhawkass @startled-seastar@dirajunara @the-space-goddess-16 @mysteriously-lost-forever @lauuerodz @kirkaholic123 @space-helen@annathewitch@releasethefreaks @bubblegum-star-trek

"Why are we here?" Leonard demanded. 

"You will come with us." The alien shouted again, and one of them stepped towards the cell with a giant key. 

"We're not going anywhere." Leonard took a step back, closing the gap between you and him and extending a hand that crossed over your front and gently touched your hip protectively. 

"You will come with us." Three aliens entered the cell and advanced towards you and Leonard. 

Leonard's grip on your hip tightened as they neared, and he stepped back, taking you with him.  They smelt of sea water and the stench of rotting plants, and it only made your panic spike. 

One of the aliens grabbed at Leonard, it’s taloned hands ripping him forwards and away from you.  In the tightness of his jaw and the stiff steps Leonard took, you could tell that he wanted to fight back, but when he flipped around in the alien's grip to face you, you could tell he'd made a decision.  To not fight back, to be docile in order not to get hurt.  And his gaze he was telling you to do the same.  

You gritted your teeth as the next alien grabbed you and held your hands to your back tightly.  

Sharp talons were digging into your upper arms as you were escorted out of the cell and through the winding stone corridors.  You climbed up several sets of wide stairs until you ended up at a large set of double doors.  They swung slowly open with loud resounding creaks as you approached, and it made you want to put your hands over your ears.  

The doors opened to a vastly large room, with towering ceilings and tall stone pillars.  It became clear as you entered that is was more of an arena, with stone stadium seats lining the room, with larger, separated seats at each far end of the stadium.  The ground was a fine gravel, almost sand, under your feet, and it made a soft crunching sound under your feet.  

A barely perceptible cool breeze brushed across your bare skin and made you shiver.  For a room with only high windows for light, it was surprisingly bright but the shadows that streaked across the room were very ominous.  

You were pushed into the center of the arena, where there was a platform in the center of the room with a large glass box sitting on top of it.  It was taller than it was wide, looking like the size of a stand-alone shower.

"Hey!"

You snapped your head around to see Leonard being shoved towards the platform.  He was trying to wrench his hands free, digging his heels into the sand, but ended up being forced up onto the platform. 

“What are you doing?  Stop!” You yelled, trying to get free yourself, but you were no match for the alien’s grip.  

Leonard was shoved into the glass box, which was quickly closed and sealed behind him, trapping him inside.  He pressed his palms against the glass before slamming a fist against it with a bang, and you could see his shoulders rising and falling with heavy breaths.  

His eyes found their way to you and he looked like he wanted to say something, and you wanted to say something too, but you had no idea what was going on.  No idea what was going to happen. 

With your attention focused on Leonard, you were distracted when two cold metal bracelets were clicked onto your wrists and you were released, arms falling separate at your sides.  

Suddenly, there was a resounding siren echoing through the room.  And without warning the empty stadium was suddenly full, the rows of empty stadium seats filled with aliens in a flash.  The echoing silence quickly turned into an uproar of screams, hoots, and hollers.  

Your heart was hammering in your chest and you felt panic and dread dripping through your system when there was a loud slam, like the bottom of a cane hitting the ground, and the entire room fell silent. 

You spun towards the sound, and you could have almost laughed.  It looked like one of those old medieval movies, where the king was sat on a throne, his guards standing at attention on either side.  The larger alien in the middle held a long staff, with a sharp golden point at the top, and had on similar armour to the rest of the aliens, except his were more ornate, a deep green and purple, with gold accents.  On his head was a line of gold that looked like a thin chain necklace draped over his forehead.  

"Welcome humans!" The alien's voice resounded, loud and echoing through the large room. His English was much smoother and easier to understand than the other alien's language. 

"I am Ch'al, the leader of this species." At that, the entire stadium erupted in applause and cheers.  

Once it died down, he continued. "You look frightened.  What ever is the matter?" 

You stared up at him, teeth clenched tightly together, feeling your knees shake slightly out of fear.  

His mouth curved into a sickening smile, sharp rows of teeth appearing behind his curled lips. "Speak, human!" He demanded, clicking his cane again, the sound resounding across the room. 

Your tongue sat thick in your mouth and you blinked heavily before forcing the words out of your mouth. "Why-why are we here?"

"Very good," he taunted. "You are here, human, because of the Artifact." He said it with such reverence that the words resounded in your brain and shook you to your core.  

What the hell was he talking about?

You curled and uncurled your fists at your side before raising your voice shakily, "What artifact?"

The entire stadium erupted in shouts of laughter, and you looked around, your breath ragged in your chest, dread soaking your nerves. 

"Oh ignorant one," Ch'al taunted, "the Artifact that was stolen from us!  The one that you came here to help us retrieve!" There was more sharp laughter, and it grated against your ear. 

"We came here to retrieve a crashed ship." You said.

"Ah yes," he grinned, "we'll just call that a 'happy accident' that brought you to us, young one."

"What do you want from us?" You shouted, and the crowd fell into a sudden silence. 

"Oh, I don't want anything from him." The alien gestured with his head towards Leonard, who was standing stoic when you looked over your shoulder at him. "I just want you."

Your heart pounded in your chest, and your palms grew sweaty. "What do you want from me?" You asked, not feeling prepared for what the answer was going to be. 

"I want information."

Well that wasn't what you were expecting. 

Ch'al looked down his nose at you, cocking his head slightly to the side before continuing. "We'll start from the beginning.”

The crowd fell into a silence again and a cool drip of sweat snuck down the back of your neck and made you shiver. 

“Tell us everything you know about your father."

Your mouth went dry.  A shiver drew down your spine. "M-my father?" You stammered, swaying slightly on your feet. 

Ch'al's gaze was even and undeterred by your fright as he waited for you to continue. 

"I barely knew my father," you gulped, "he left when I was six.  I was raised by my mother."

"Child, you test my patience." His tone had suddenly switched from taunting to icy, and the crowd started shifting excitedly in their seats. "Let me show you what happens when you test me." He clicked his talons together as you would snap your finger and there was a sudden gurgling and gushing sound. 

You spun around to follow the sound, and your heart contracted painfully in your chest.  The sound was coming from the box that Leonard was trapped in, now about a foot of water soaking Leonard's calves.  You saw true panic in his eyes as you both realized what was happening, and Leonard slammed his fist on the side of the box, shouting something that was muffled through the glass box. 

"Let him go." You demanded, spinning back to Ch'al, fury and true fear sparking in your veins. "You don't want to do this."

"I don't?" Ch'al's voice was back to taunting. "I want information, Sweet, and this is how I'm going to get it."

It was then everything seemed to swirl in slow motion as realization hit you.  This wasn't just a hostage situation.  They weren't just going to hold you and Leonard captive until you were rescued.  They wanted something.  Something you were going to have give them.  Something you didn't have.  And they were going to torture Leonard for it.  

-Thanks for reading!  I hope you liked it!-

Tag list (let me know if you want to be added/removed):@emmkolenn @harley-with-gegs-quinn@feelmyroarrrr @jefferson-in-the-tardis@anyakinamidala@fandomheadrush@kirkaholic123@im-the-nerdiest-of-them-a11@pinkamour1588@to-pick-ourselves-up-7@starmission@destielismymothership @curiosity-killed-the-speedster@mccoymostly@yoshiepic@anotherotter@daytimemaniac@super–who–locked@sparkedupsilver @stupidhawkass @startled-seastar@dirajunara @the-space-goddess-16 @mysteriously-lost-forever @lauuerodz @kirkaholic123 @space-helen @annathewitch @releasethefreaks

“Back to the medbay?” You inquired as you offered a hand to help him stand, “You a doctor or something?”

He smoothed his hands over his unruly t-shirt as he regained his balance, “Yes, actually.  CMO, if you like formalities.”

Your eyes widened, “You’re Dr. McCoy?”

“The one and only, darlin’.” He squinted and took a quick look around the room before focusing back on you, hands on hips. 

“I haven’t had my initial physical yet.  Guess you’re my guy.”

“Guess so.” He grinned at you quickly before grimacing when it moved the tender skin of his injured cheekbone. 

There was a few moments where his heated gaze stayed locked to yours before he spoke again, “Well I better let you get back to work, seems some people still have lots to learn.” 

He gave a pointed look at Chekov, who cowered behind the slender Asian man beside him.  

With one last look in your direction, sending butterflies aflutter in your stomach, Dr. McCoy turned on his heel and strode out of the room.  

The class was silent as you watched him exit, and you felt all of their stares on you.  Realizing quickly that you probably had a stupid grin on your face, you traded it for a look of pointed exasperation. 

“Pair off, let’s go.” You instructed sharply, “Chirpov, you’re with me.  Don’t want you giving anyone else a concussion.” 

“I’m here to see Dr. McCoy?  I have a physical scheduled.” You wrung your hands around your workout towel, trying to rid yourself of the feeling of jittery nervousness that made you bounce on your toes. 

“I’ll let him know you’re here, go ahead and wait in room 6, he’ll be right in.” The nurse instructed, giving you a warm smile before turning back to your work. 

Skirting into the room she indicated, you dropped your bag next to the wall and hopped up onto the examination table.  

You had been thinking about this day since the class where Dr. McCoy had gotten injured.  You willed your racing heart to chill out a little so you wouldn’t make a fool out of yourself in front of him. 

The few minutes that you had spent trying to calm your nerves were quickly wasted when finally the door swung open.  Your heart decided to pump overtime as you took in Dr. McCoy, now clad in a white medical tunic, which made his tanned skin and dark hair stand out even more.  You could almost have wept when he looked up from his PADD, his lips stretching into a smile. 

“Y/N, it’s nice to see you again.” The door hissed shut behind him and he moved to sit on the little wheely stool at the side of the examination table. 

“Same to you, Dr. McCoy.  How’s that cheek?”

“Nothing a few hypos couldn’t fix.”

Your laugh was high and chirpy in response, and you cursed yourself for being so on-edge around him. 

“So I’m just going to check a few things, ask you a few questions, and you’ll be on your merry way, if that sounds alright.”

“Sounds just fine to me.” You agreed, but a sudden bout of nervousness struck you, this time not just from being near Dr. McCoy. 

You had always been a bigger woman, bigger than most, and though you knew a lot of it was muscle, thanks to years of combat training, most people were quick to judge.  You were no stranger to the “how can you still be overweight if you workout so much” type questions, so you generally avoided the topic of your health.  Some people could be pretty nasty, pretty insensitive. 

“So what brings you aboard the ship?” He started, his PADD rested on his knees. 

“Starfleet sent me out here because there have been several injuries related to lack of combat knowledge, and thought I could remedy that.”

“Well, if Chekov was any indication, you can probably tell we need it.” Dr. McCoy huffed, making you laugh. 

The rest of the physical went smoothly, with no terribly awkward questions and no mention of your weight, other than him taking it.  

“Alright, looks like we’re all done here.  Go ahead and change and I’ll meet you outside.” He instructed, and you nodded as he stepped out of the room. 

Quickly gathering your uniform, you changed as best you could with shaking hands, still a little jittery from the feeling of his hands on you.  Gently assessing you, quick touches of skilled fingertips.  And the best part was that it didn’t make you feel self-conscious at all, the way he looked at you, and talked to you, his eyes...

You shook your head, dispelling the thoughts.  He was your doctor, nothing more.  Beside, he would never want you back.  You were you, and he was well, him, and you doubted anything would ever come of it.  

A soft knock at the door broke your train of thought, “Y’allright in there?”

You threw your shirt over your head, giving a quick tousle to your hair before heading to the door, reaching for the panel, but as you did, the door swung open prematurely, catching the elbow of the hand you still had in your hair. 

“Agh!” You yelped and pulled your elbow to your chest, rubbing at the skin. 

“Oh, damnit, I’m so sorry, Y/N.  You were taking a while, and I didn’t want- I wanted to make sure you were okay.” Dr. McCoy was rubbing at the back of his neck, and it was then when you realize how close he had been to the door, like he was nearly leaning against it. 

“It’s okay, just a little lost in thought.  Guess the price to pay for that is a bruised elbow.” You chuckled. 

He took your arm in his hands and observed the skin, and, once realizing you weren’t going to bleed to death, he released it. 

Before he could apologize again, you spoke, “So, am I fine?” Damnit, those words didn’t come out in the order you wanted, but the blush that formed on his cheeks made it worth it. 

“You?... Fine?  I mean... you are...”

You decided to put him out of his misery, “Sorry, I meant, did everything check out okay, with my physical?”

He seemed to regain some composure, “Oh!  Yep, fit as a fiddle, darlin’.”

The term of endearment made you smile, “Do you call everyone darlin’, or just those who you’ve injured in some way?”

“It’s only for the people who I know could kick my ass for being a flustered idiot.” He rubbed at the back of his neck. 

You laughed, “Guess that ruins my plan.”

“For what?” He looked at you quizzically. 

“For kicking your ass, you flustered idiot.” You teased, but he only smiled down at you. 

“Sorry, that was bad.” You groaned and rubbed a hand down your face, but a soft touch to your arm stopped you. 

“No worries, darlin’.” The way he was looking at you made butterflies go crazy in your stomach. 

“So I’ll see you around?” You asked, toeing at the ground. 

He smiled, “Yeah.  Actually...” He started, but was cut off by a loud shout of “Bones!” followed by the captain and a blond-haired woman dashing into the medbay. 

You stepped out of the way as they approached, yelling about some torpedoes and Khan, Dr. McCoy’s skilled hands somehow a big factor in this. 

“Ok fine, I’ll do it.” Dr. McCoy’s gentle, sweet expression was quickly traded for a sour look of exasperation. 

You were surprised when his eyes met yours quickly, his look apologetic before being dragged along by the blond-haired woman out of the medbay.

Deciding you better get going, you made your way to the medbay doors, your thoughts still spinning with a certain set of dark hair and hazel eyes. 

“Shit.” You swore when you realized you forgot your gym bag. 

Quickly returning to the room, you scooped it up, your eye catching on the PADD that Dr. McCoy seemed to have forgotten on the examination table.  

Maybe... You thought to yourself as you hesitated just inside the doorway, No, you shouldn’t.  You turned to leave.

But you definitely hadn’t imagined the way he smiled at you or been flustered by your flirting.  

Before you knew it you had his PADD in your hands.  Like a sign from the universe it was still unlocked.  Then, without thinking about it too hard, you opened up a note app and quickly typed out: 

Drinks sometime? Rec Room tomorrow at 7? I’ll buy the first round. - Y/N.

With your heart racing, you dropped the PADD back on the table and dashed out of the room before you could give it a second thought.  

Your class that evening had been especially distracted, and finally you asked what was making everyone so chatty. 

“Didn’t you hear?  Dr. McCoy and Dr. Marcus are going to try to defuse one of the torpedoes.” One of your students said. 

“What?  That’s really risky.” Your heart started racing again at the thought of Dr. McCoy in danger. 

“Yeah, they’re doing it right now, here’s the video feed.” 

Suddenly one of the walls of the training rooms was taken up with a projection of the video feed from someone’s PADD. 

Sure enough, it was the blonde-haired woman from before, Dr. Marcus, you assumed, knelt next to one of the torpedoes. 

“Bones, thanks for helping out. Dr. Marcus asked for the steadiest hands on the ship.” You recognized the voice as Captain Kirk’s. 

“You know, when I dreamt about being stuck on a deserted planet with a gorgeous woman, there was no torpedo!” It was Dr. McCoy’s voice now, but he seemed to still be inside the shuttle. 

“Dr. McCoy, may I remind you that you're not there to flirt.”

“So how can these legendary hands help you, Dr. Marcus?” Dr. McCoy’s head appeared in the door to the ship, and he carried a box as he walked towards the torpedo and Dr. Marcus. 

How could I have been so stupid. You thought to yourself, ignoring the video feed for a moment.  

Of course he would have a type.  Blonde, skinny, intelligent. You felt tears press at your eyes as you tuned back into the video. 

“Sweetheart, I once performed an emergency C-section on a pregnant Gorn. Octuplets, and let me tell you, those little bastards bite. I think I can work some magic on your missile.“ It was Dr. McCoy again, setting down his box of supplies. 

That really tipped you over the edge.  This man who you thought had been so nice to you, very flirty and flustered... you must have misread him.  

“Uhh... class dismissed for today, you can, keep watching here if you want.” You stammered, the class not seeming to have acknowledged your words as you retreated out the door.  

Stupid, stupid, stupid. You chanted to yourself as you strode back to your quarters, shame and embarrassment filling your veins. 

Well at least you knew now, rather than after you got even more emotionally involved. 

Too bad you were already in pretty deep. 

The next day you didn’t have any classes, so you spent the day in bed reading and catching up on sleep.  

You had just gotten dressed after your post-workout shower when a knock sounded on your door. Treading lightly on the carpet, you made your way over to the door and pressed the panel. 

Standing just outside your door was Dr. McCoy, one arm tucked into a sling, the other grasped around a bottle of liquor and two plastic cups. 

“Doctor... what are you doing here?” You sputtered, heart flaring at the sight of him. 

“I saw your note and went to the rec room, but you never showed, so I thought you might be here.  And you can call me Leonard, darlin’.” He looked a little flustered again, and it drew you right back in. 

“I- you- okay, come in.” You took the cups and bottle from his hand and moved back into your room. 

“What happened to your arm?” You asked, setting the bottle and cups down on the coffee table. 

“You haven’t heard?” He tilted his head, and you shook yours. 

“The damn torpedo closed in on my arm when we were trying to disarm it.  Almost got blown up for it, but Dr. Marcus stopped it at the last second.” He explained, and you found yourself becoming in-drawn at the mention of Dr. Marcus. 

“That must have been scary.” You mused. 

There were a few moments of tense silence before you spoke again, “So you saw my message.” Your voice was small. 

“I did.  It made almost getting blown up a little less awful.”

That really made you blush, but you built up the courage to look him in the eyes, “So, Leonard, shall we?” You gestured to the drinks. 

His smile nearly made your heart stop. 

"And that's how I got Jim banned from the biology labs for a week."

You were in tears with laughter, gasping, and you heard Leonard chuckle along with you. 

The both of you had ended up on your bed, a cup of whiskey each, just chatting.  Friendly chatting, you told yourself, that must be what he thinks as well, though with the way he was leaning towards you and the way he was flirting, you would have thought otherwise. 

"That’s an excellent story.  Beats mine by a mile." You laughed. 

"Nah, I thought the story of how your brother set your hair on fire was hilarious, yet very dangerous," He tipped his cup towards you. 

"Oh, Dr. McCoy, you need to live a little." 

"I live just enough to stay away from getting my hair from being set on fire, thank you very much."

You chuckled and leaned back into the headboard, smirking at him as he copied your posture.  

"Alright.” You were feeling much more brave thanks to the whiskey, “We don’t know much about each other, so ask me anything.  Anything at all." You set your empty cup on the side-table and crossed your legs under you. 

"Anything?" He raised an eyebrow at you. 

"Anything."

He exhaled and leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees and holding his cup between his fingers.  

"Favourite colour?" 

"Purple."

"Childhood pets?"

"None, no matter how hard we begged.  Well we had a few fish once, but they all died within a week."

He chuckled, "Within a week?!"

"Hence the no other childhood pets." You insisted, flashing him a smile. 

"That's fair, I guess." He took another sip of tea, "Worst relationship ever?"

You huffed and pulled your knees to your chest, "I've had my fair share of bad relationships, so it's hard to pick the worst one."

Leonard nodded in understanding. 

"But there was one guy, who I would have to say topped the bad of the bad.  I met him in the Academy, second year, and we dated for a while, a few months, I'd say, before he started to try to change me."

"Change you?" He tilted his head and turned slightly towards you, and you admired his form in the dim lighting for a while before focusing your attention back on your knees. 

"At first it was little things.  Ordering for me at restaurants, only salads and low-calorie options, to 'keep my figure', as he would say.  Then it was forcing me to buy a gym membership, which actually was a blessing in disguise because I signed up for a self-defense class and fell in love, hence my career today.  But he insisted I quit and go jogging with him, do 'slimming' exercises.  Then it got verbal.  'Wouldn't you love to get rid of those love handles?' and 'That dress looks a little tight on you.' and flat out 'I would love you so much more if you were thin, because it means you love yourself'."

"God, that's awful.  Tell me you dumped his sorry ass." Leonard had tipped his head back against the wall and was watching you intently, and you could have sworn you saw admiration in his eyes. 

"No, actually.  I was a lot dumber back then, a lot more gullible.  So I did what he said.  I took his words to heart, and I tried everything.  I starved myself and went jogging for hours everyday but it was never enough.  And I was so unhappy, Leonard, it was unbelievable.  But I stuck with him, because I was desperate for his love.  For any love."

Leonard had shifted closer, and his knee bumped yours lightly.  

You continued, "And then one day I was coming back from a late night class and walked into his room, like usual and, well let's just say he got what he wanted, a much thinner woman between his legs.  Two actually."

Leonard choked on his whiskey at that and sputtered a few laughs, "Oh my god.  What a little shithead."

You let out a loud laugh and covered you mouth with your hand as Leonard set his cup on the side-table. 

"For the record I do not think you need to lose a single pound.  You are beautiful, strong, and brilliant, and if he couldn't see that, then it's his loss."

You felt your cheeks heat up and you couldn't stop a smile, "Then you are a much better man then he is."

"Thank you, darlin', and you deserve someone much better than him." 

"Maybe I should date someone like you, then." You teased, but his face remained serious. 

"Maybe you should." His eyes met yours.

Your heart stopped in your chest and time seemed to slow as you looked over at him. 

Thankfully, he was the one to speak first, "I don't know if this is the right time to tell you, since we’ve only known each other for a few days, but I've been meaning to ask you, and I've never been good at this stuff, I'm a little rusty since the divorce is all..."

"You're serious?" You sat up, pressing your knee into his.  

"Why wouldn't I be?" His gaze wasn't accusatory, more quizzical, and his fingers that were on his knee slid to rest on yours. 

"Well it's just, with Dr. Marcus, and the whole torpedo thing, and she is so pretty and thin, and I thought that was your type..."

"My type?" He looked hurt. 

"Agh, I'm sorry, I've messed this all up." You pulled away and slid off the bed, padding towards the bathroom. 

"Messed what up, darlin'?  You haven't messed anything up."  You heard him shifting on top of the bed and his footsteps neared behind you. 

"I assumed... that you... I misjudged, I guess..." You spun around to face him now, close to crying, "and it's just with the way I look, and the way you look..."

"Stop.  Just stop right now." He cut you off and stepped closer, "Did I not just make it abundantly clear that that doesn't matter to me?"

"Yes, but..." 

"No buts."  He was terribly close now, and you couldn't resist those hazel eyes that you had dreamed about for what seems like forever. 

"Yes, buts, lots of buts, a pretty large butt right here." You raised your eyebrow up at him and pulled at his wrist, placing his uninjured hand on your hip.  

"Real cheeky, darlin’." A playful smile pulled at his lips and he slid his hand around to your back. 

"I've got lots more where that came from."

"I'm betting on it."

You smiled and grabbed onto the front of his uniform, pulling him down so your lips met in a hard kiss.  You felt your back hit the wall and he pressed you into it, and usually you would be self-conscious about his body against yours, but this time, you couldn't find it in yourself to care.

-Thanks for reading!  I hope you liked it-

Tag List (let me know if you’d like to be added/removed: @feelmyroarrrr  @jefferson-in-the-tardis @anyakinamidala @digitalmoonhowell @fandomheadrush @kirkaholic123 @im-the-nerdiest-of-them-a11 @pinkamour1588 @to-pick-ourselves-up-7 @starmission @destielismymothership @curiosity-killed-the-speedster@mccoymostly @yoshiepic

“What the hell?” You tried to mumble but found your mouth dry and blocked, by a piece of fabric of some sort, tied as a gag around your mouth.  

Slowly and painfully you sat up, pain lancing through your skull, joints aching from your restrained position.  You were able to slide your hands under your feet and bring your arms around to your front, quickly ridding yourself of the gag and the blindfold that you found over your eyes.  

The room wasn’t much brighter than the blindfold, and as you glanced around, you saw nothing but a dark room of black marble stone, nothing but a door off to one side to let a little light in.  

Where the hell were you? You shivered as panic started to set into you. 

What the hell happened?

"Captain, I see your logic in the dangers of this plan, but I have calculated it..."

"Spock, damnit, I have told you a million times you are not going down there."

"You have only told me six times, and this is the only way to rescue Lieutenant Y/L/N..."

"Really?  Do you really think you can convince me you are being totally subjective about this just because you won't even call her, one of your closest friends, by her first name?"

"I am being subjective, do you not think if it were any other crewman down there I would not try to save them as well?"

"No, because for as long as I have know you, you have never gone with a plan that has less than 40% chance of success, because, as you say, 'logic dictates'..."

"Jim, taunting me at such time is a very bad idea."

"Yeah?  Whatcha gonna do?  Hit me?"

"Possibly..."

"ALRIGHT ALRIGHT!" Bones stormed onto the bridge to see the two, Jim and Spock, near inches from the other, anger and fury in both their gazes. 

"Will you two stop trying to kill each other for a second and consider how idiotic you two are being?" Bones flicked his gaze between the two men, his hands waving in furious movements, "Jim," He turned to Jim, "I am surprised at you not even considering a plan that would save a crewman's life.  And, Spock." He turned to Spock, "I am very surprised that you have not recognized your own emotional investment in this situation and deemed yourself unfit for this mission."

They both blinked at Bones, both processing their own accusations, and they both seemed to relax their shoulders. 

Incoming transmission.  Incoming transmission. 

"Captain, it's from Hexon-V." Uhura's voice came from her station. 

"Open communication channels, and display video." Jim ordered. 

A sharp hiss escaped Spock as what was displayed was not just the face of Hexon-V's leader, but of you, blindfolded, gagged, and in his firm grip that he held around your jaw.  

"Captain Kirk.  Commander Spock.  Dr. McCoy.  Glad to have all of your attention.  I am called Hex, the leader of my planet, on which this little thing has trespassed." His voice was a hiss, a lull, a washing sound and Spock stepped forward instinctively. 

"Release her." His words were short, clipped, not a request, a demand. 

"Ah, ah, ah, Mr. Spock, so much emotion, I am astounded.  Is she your little pet?  Your little thing?  So pretty." He squeezed your jaw tighter with his words and a little whimpered "Spock" left  your lips. 

"Release her."  Again a demand, but his voice almost broke, almost cracked.

"Oh, that, Mr. Spock, is up to you.  See, I want to keep her around for a little while because I want something from her.  I want to play a game."

"This isn't a game, Hex." This time it was Jim to speak, to step up.  

"But, you see, to me it is." Hex reached behind your head and tugged the blindfold off, and you were finally able to see again, "Take a look here, pretty one, because this is the last you're ever going to see of your precious Vulcan lover-boy, if he doesn't comply to my game." 

Spock's gaze roamed your bruised, bloodied and terrified face and he actually felt a pang of fear flash through him, "What are your conditions?"

Hex's face stretched in a gruesome smile, "I want you, Spock, down here in one hour or your pretty little plaything will die." He gave a squish to your cheeks roughly, "Got it?  Good."

The last thing Spock saw before the channel shut off was your eyes. 

You were afraid that the last thing you would see of Spock would be that desperate, terrible look on his face, his eyes searching yours as if you had all the answers.  But you didn't.  You had nothing.  

Hex still had you by a death grip around your jaw and he turned your head so you were forced to look at him.  

"Let's hope Mr. Spock is smart enough to play by my rules, or his name will be the last thing on your lips before we tear you limb-from-limb." Hex's words sent droplets of spit flying into your face and you would have given anything to reach up and wipe them off. 

"Let's get her prepped."

You gulped as best you could with the gag in your mouth.

“You are an absolute menace, the most disgusting being I have ever met, do you not think Spock is smarter than you?  Because he is, quite a bit so actually, and he will smush you, like a bug.  Because that’s what you are.  A bug.” The gag had left your lips only seconds before you started spewing insults at Hex, who had a tight grip on your arm, your hands still tied behind your back. 

He didn’t respond to your taunts so you continued, “You do realize that Spock isn’t going to come down here alone, right?  He’s going to come down here with an army of angry Starfleet officers and kill you all.”

Hex’s next words were whispered into your ear, his rank breath brushing over your skin, “And when he does, I will kill you instantly.  Is that what you want?  Is that what you’re prepared for, little one?”

He moved beside you, resting a hand on your neck, and dismissing the rest of his guard.  He undid the blindfold over your eyes and the light in the room was blinding.  Hex had moved you to a massive room, the ceiling tall and towering, light streaming in through windows at the top of the stone arches that lined the walls.  

Then, out of the corner your eye you saw something in his hand and you froze. Between his fingers he spun a long silver needle with an orange liquid loaded into it.  

Panic consumed you, grasped you tightly, left you breathless. 

It was cut short by a familiar whooshing sound, followed by the sparkly gold lights of a transporter beam.  

"Looks like your knight on a white horse is coming for you, love." 

Spock appeared seconds later, and you nearly fell forward as you called out for him, but Hex's grip was tight on your neck. 

"Welcome, Mr. Spock.  Glad you could join us.  Now let's see who's going to emerge from this little game alive." Hex laughed. 

As soon his words ended a sharp pain shot into your neck as he pressed the needle in.  You squeezed your eyes shut and cried out, Spock stepping forward as the liquid was injected. 

It was mere seconds before pain enveloped your entire body and the world went black. 

Spock watched as the needle pierced your skin and the orange liquid disappeared.  You lurched forward and screamed before Hex withdrew the needle and released you.  You blinked hard, still bent over for a few seconds before you stood up straight and stood at Hex’s side. 

"What did you do to her?" Spock questioned. 

Something was wrong with your eyes.  Spock found that your eyes held a great deal of emotion, and there always seemed have a happy lilt to them.  But right now they were blank, dead, empty as you stared straight ahead.  

Hex undid your shackles and you didn't run to Spock, didn't turn around and knock Hex flat, like Spock knew you could, you just stood there, staring straight ahead.  

"What. Did. You. Do. To. Her." Spock demanded. 

Hex smiled that evil smile again and stepped around your eerily un-moving form towards Spock, hands clasped behind his back, "Like I said, I wanted to play a little game.  And like I said, if you came down her, she would live. Because what I just gave her, was a little serum I developed myself.  It makes the person bend to my commands, without question." 

Hex turned his back to Spock, "So I can say, Y/N, touch your nose."

You did. 

"Hop up and down." 

You did. 

"Isn't this great?" Hex laughed, "You see, Spock, what I am going to ask her to do next is going to be the start of our little game.  And whoever makes it out of our little game will get to go home, safe and sound, scout's honour."

Spock stepped forward warily, every muscle tensed with caution, "What are you going to ask her to do?"

"I am going to ask her to kill you." 

His words seemed to resound through out the large room. 

Hex continued, "So you will have no choice to fight to the death.  She kills you or you kill her.  Easy as pie."

Spock's eyes darkened, "Why are you doing this?" His voice was quiet. 

"Because I want to see you dead, Spock." Hex was suddenly serious. 

"Then why not just kill me?  Why the game?"

Hex let out a loud laugh and clapped his hands together, and it almost made Spock started with how on edge he was, "Because it's more fun.  Now, this is boring me.  Let's begin."

Spock was about to let out a "no", but Hex continued, pulling out a large silver broadsword from his holster. 

"Y/N.  Kill him.  Kill Spock."

Spock watched in horror as you turned your empty gaze onto him, taking the broadsword from Hex without looking at him and weighing it in your hand. 

"Begin." The one word from Hex's lips and you lunged forward, towards Spock, without hesitation. 

Spock reeled back in surprise at the sudden attack and turned to follow Hex, but he was quickly retreating out the door, which slid shut with a loud thunk behind him. 

Spock didn't have much time to contemplate the situation before you were on him again, swinging the sword with a strength and purpose that he had never seen in you before.  

"Y/N." He gasped as he dodged your next swing, and barely had time to say, "stop", before you were swinging again. 

And again and again and again, and if Spock weren't Vulcan you would have probably taken him down by now, but he was able to evade the blade save for catching the broad side on his forearms a couple times, knocking it away. 

"Y/N." He hissed as you nicked his elbow with the blade.  

Your dead eyes seemed un-seeing as you attacked, and your face was frozen in a serious frown.

Finally, Spock was able to get behind you and he laced one arm across your chest and the other grabbed your wrist, hard, so you called out and dropped the sword to the floor with a clatter. 

Spock took your elbow to his gut, hard enough to make him lean back and you stomped on his foot before spinning away from his grasp.  

"Y/N, stop.  You are under influence of his drug.  Stop." Spock tried, but you lunged for him again.  

His forearms blocked your swinging kicks, but Spock was surprised by your fist connecting with his jaw.  As he reeled backwards, he watched you scramble for the sword again, his stomach dropping as you wielded it again.  

Spock's mind was running at a mile a minute, trying to think of solutions, of antidotes, of a way to at least incapacitate you without killing you, long enough to get you back aboard the Enterprise.  But he couldn't get close enough to Vulcan pinch you, and couldn't get a good swing in.  

He barely had time to pull out of the way when a sharp pain rippled down his forearm as he returned his focus to you, who had swung the sword with a great amount of force. 

Spock stepped backwards with each subsequent swing, until his back hit the stone wall.  At that moment he decided what he was going to have to do. Using his Vulcan speed and strength, he caught your upper arms as you swung again and threw his body weight forward, spinning you around so you were now against the wall, and he was pressing you into it.  

Spock struggled to hold you there, as you resisted hard, and the sword was still poised between your bodies.  You tried to raise it to get at his neck, and Spock was able to deflect it so it dug into the skin of his shoulder instead.  

"Y/N." He gritted his teeth as he pressed his whole body into yours.  

The sword dug deeper as you resisted more, and Spock saw you up close, the sweat glistening off your forehead, your blank eyes, your angry frown.  It wasn't you.  It wasn't right.  And that feeling of wrongness spurred him on to press you harder into the wall.  This pressed the sword more into the muscle of his shoulder, but he couldn't focus on that now. 

"Y/N." He reached for the skin of your face, trying to keep you pinned with his body, "Stop." He breathed. 

Finally his fingers brushed your cheek and he was able to connect with you. The instant he felt the connection he pushed a memory into you, a feeling. 

"Commander Spock, you cannot just come in here and start demanding things like you own the place, I will not stand for it."

"You do not need to stand for anything, lieutenant, for I have superiority in this situation and don not need your permission."

"Insufferable." Spock heard you mumble as you stalked away. 

That was the first time you met.

Spock broke from the memory as you tried to kick at his ankles, but he knew what he was doing now, and he pressed tighter.  He sent you another memory. 

“I can’t believe you’ve never been surfing, Spock.  Well, actually I can believe it, but still.” 

Spock watched as you extended your hand to him, and he hesitated. 

“C’mon, let’s catch some waves.  I promise it’s fun!” 

You wiggled your fingers at Spock, and something to do with that, the sparkle in your eyes and that coaxing smile on your lips, made Spock reach forward and take your hand. 

That’s the first time you kissed, and you didn’t even know it. 

The pain grew in Spock's shoulder, but the pressure decreased as you seemed to falter, your eyes blinking a few times, but you remained under the influence of the serum. 

"Y/N, please." Spock begged and forced another memory into your brain. 

“Can’t we just stay here forever?”

Spock peered down at your head, where it was leaned against his chest. 

“If we do, we will be either eaten by coyotes, or develop 3rd degree sunburns on our exposed skin and become so dehydrated that we die.”

“You’re no fun.” You teased and smacked Spock’s stomach lightly. 

Spock dared at that moment to stroke his fingers down your back gently, and you responded by nuzzling deeper into his chest.  He wondered if there was any possible way you had feelings of affection for him, because he sure had feelings of affection for you. 

That was the happiest that Spock's ever been.

The sword hit the ground with a clatter.  Spock could feel your muscles clenching and then unclenching as if you were trying to decide whether to attack or not, and he watched as your eyes focused and unfocused.  

"Y/N.  Ashau nash-veh du." Spock breathed, grabbing your hands and snapping them up beside your head, pinning you there, “Y/N, stop, please.”

He pressed his open palms into yours tightly, taking the feelings that these memories elicited in him and forcing them into you.  Happiness, affection, love, anger as he fought with you, fear at the thought of losing you.  Everything.  

And with a sudden jerk and gritted teeth your head hit the wall behind you, your eyes squeezing shut.  Finally you stopped fighting against Spock, your breathing heavy and laboured.  Eventually, you opened your eyes and met Spock’s gaze, and your expression was no longer blank or empty, it was you again.  

“Spock.” The word escaped your mouth and you sighed in relief. 

Spock kept you pressed into the wall for a few moments more before he tilted forward and pressed his forehead to yours, “We must get back to the Enterprise.”

You met his eyes, which were only inches from your own, and nodded as you entwined your fingers in his. 

Dr. McCoy had let you into Spock’s room to wait for him while he was treated and gave an official report.  You contemplated lying down and trying to get some rest while you waited for him, but decided against it.  So you stayed perched on the edge of Spock’s bed, trying to recall exactly what had happened, and not remembering a second of it.  

The last thing you remembered as the look on Spock’s face when the video link was cut off.  How Spock rescued you, or why he was in the medbay for so long was lost to you, though you tried with all of your might to remember.  

Your answers would soon come to you, as when Spock walked through the door of his quarters and stopped just inside the room, his eyes on you curiously, everything came back.  

You stood and cautiously made your way over to Spock, and noticed a bandage over his shoulder and his elbow, as well as a fading bruise on his jaw. His regular uniform blues had been traded for a soft grey t-shirt. 

“I did this to you.” You reached your fingertips up to touch his injured arm, but decided against it, moving to touch the bruise on his jaw instead. 

“You were under the influence of the serum, it is not your fault.” Spock’s voice was cool, calculated, but his gaze was full of some emotion you couldn’t place. 

“I hurt you, Spock, I remember hurting you.” 

“It is not your fault.” He used to fingers to move your hand away from his face softly.

You searched his face, looking for any sort of anger, or hatred, but finding none, only that same look that you couldn’t place. 

“I’m sorry.” He let you say, not that he needed to hear it, but more for you to say it.  

A moment passed before he reached out to hold your upper arm, much like just before the mission, but this time it was skin on skin, and you could swear you felt your heart beating in your throat. 

“You’re crying.  Y/N, you don’t need to cry, I am “all in one piece” as you say.”

You wiped at the tears that collected on your cheeks and sighed, nodding up at him before a troublesome feeling overtook you, “All I can remember is fighting you.  Oh, Spock.  I can remember how much I wanted to kill you.  The desire was in my veins, in my brain, everywhere.  I would have killed you.  You would have let me kill you.”

Sobs wracked your body and you felt like you were only being held up by Spock’s hand on your arm.  He seemed to be sending you waves of assurance, of calm, through his skin and into yours. 

“That’s not of importance anymore.  We are both out alive.” He seemed to draw nearer to you, and you wanted nothing more than to curl into the warmth of his chest. 

“How did I get out of the influence of the serum?  I remember fighting you, and then waking up, but that’s it.” 

Like this.

The words seemed to resonate in your brain, and you quickly realized it was Spock speaking through your skin-to-skin connection.  You guessed he could sense your confusion and so he spoke again. 

I sent you memories and feelings.  To remind you of yourself.

The idea of forgetting yourself terrified you, and you were thankful when Spock sent another feeling of assurance into you.  

“So what memories did you send?” Your voice was barely a whisper. 

The images of the first time you met Spock flashed through your brain and you laughed, remembering how much you hated him at first. 

Then, from your first shore leave as friends, and you had gone to the beach together.  Spock was actually very good at surfing.  

Then, from the time you got stranded on the top of a mountain of a foreign planet together and spent two days up there, talking and trying to stay alive until help came. 

What surprised you most about the memories was the emotions that went along with them.   You had always felt this connection with Spock, ever since you met, but you never thought he would return your feelings.  Ever. 

Another tear slipped down your cheek, and you let out a watery laugh before you spoke, “So Vulcan’s kiss with their fingertips?”

Spock hummed in response, low and soft, and it made you melt a little. 

“Will you show me?” Your voice was barely a whisper. 

Spock’s dark eyes met yours now and he tilted his head to the side slightly. 

Raising your hand between you, you felt your breath hitch when his fingers released your arm and brushed against your own.  

The flow of your tears stopped as his fingertips pressed more insistently into yours, and you gasped at the feeling of affection that enveloped you.  You exhaled and sent him a wave of your own affection.  He seemed to shudder in response.  

Sliding your fingers in between his, you felt the wave of emotion subside, and you dropped your connected hands between you.  

“You told me you loved me.” You breathed, staring at his chest, “When you were trying to stop me, you told me you loved me.”

“I did not think you would remember it.” His words brushed across your forehead, “I did not think you would understand it, as it was in Vulcan.”

You let out a soft laugh, daring a quick look up at him, “I learned how to say I love you in Vulcan.  Last week, actually.  Nyota taught me.” You dropped your eyes sheepishly. 

Fingers pushed your chin up and gently rested there, keeping you in place with the hand of his injured arm. 

“I find that is pleasing to hear, Y/N.”

You felt a soft smile pull at your lips, “So you meant it?”

The corner of his mouth turned up, and you found yourself staring at the curve of his lips, “I did.” His fingers crooked behind your ear and pulled you closer, “I do.”

“Will you stay with me tonight, Spock?”

“As this is my room, I believe that I should be asking that question.”

You laughed and shook your head softly, reaching up on your tiptoes so your face was more level with his.  

“Will you let me stay with you tonight?” Your gaze slipped back and forth between his eyes. 

Spock’s untangled his fingers from yours and slipped his arm around your back, pulling your chests flush together.  

“Of course, Y/N, please stay.”

Your face broke into a smile, leaning in and pressing your lips to his softly. 

“If you insist.” 

-Thanks for reading!  I hope you liked it!-

Once again this was for Trek Fest 2017!