#tsfs

if looks could kill...

Enterprise arriving at Spacedock in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) Enterprise-D arriving at Starbase 74 in TNG's "11001001" (1988)

Bonus: Excelsior & Enterprise-D

"What's this?" the Captain asked, taking it.

"It's a wee schematic I was hopin' you'd approve, sir. For the Enterprise," Scotty said. He tried not to look too evasive, but acting was never one of his strong suits, and Kirk had long since grown wise to his tells, so he wasn't terribly optimistic.

Sure enough, "I can see that, Scotty," Kirk said, raising both his eyebrows in mild amusement. "I'd like to know what it's for."

For a moment, Scotty was silent, debating how to broach the topic. The Captain was much improved now, after Spock's return (and the return of the bulk of his memory), but for a while there-

Well.

Scotty could understand how the death of a husband could tear someone to pieces. The wound was still raw; too recent and too fresh. That kind of grief didn't just up and disappear, even if the cause for it did. It lingered. If one paid attention - as the crew of the Enterprise did - it was easy to catch the deep weariness that crept into Kirk's eyes when he thought no one was looking, or the way he tensed up every time Spock was out of sight.

He'd been avoiding Engineering, too.

Scotty could understand. Sometimes, he wanted to, too, when the memories rose too close to the surface. So many good officers had died down there over the years, and Captain Spock was the best of them all.

Still, as sensitive as the subject may be, this was important.

"It's a proposal for changes to the warp core," he said. He kept his voice steady, hoping it would keep Kirk steady, too. "To make it safer."

For a moment, the Captain just stared at him, a tangle of emotion just barely visible past that mask of command he so often wore.

"This-" Kirk's voice wavered, and he swallowed before continuing. "This is... for Spock?"

"Aye, sir," Scotty said. He'd started work on it the very night of the Captain's death. "No one will e'er have to suffer the same fate. The fact that it happened in the first place-" Scotty shook his head, mournful. "I could hardly forgive myself. I should 'ave seen the risk."

"Scotty," Kirk breathed, "this is..." Awe and gratitude filled his face as he paged through the files on the PADD. His gaze snapped upwards, meeting Scotty's. "Approved, Captain," he said, clapping Scotty warmly on the shoulder. "And... thank you."

If the Captain's eyes were brimming with unshed tears, Scotty politely ignored them.