DISCLAIMER: The Star Trek characters are the property of Twentieth Century Fox, Mutant Enemy, Paramount Studios, Inc and Viacom. The story contents are the creation and property of Djinn and are copyright (c) 2004 by Djinn. This story is Rated PG-13.

The Lost Years: Hellspawn

by Djinn

Kirk stared out his office window, frowning deeply. He was sure he'd forgotten something...again.

"Careful. Your face might freeze that way."

He swiveled in his chair, saw Lori standing at his doorway. "One of the lies our mothers told us?"

Her smiled died. "No. Just a saying. A stupid one." She stepped into his office, carefully, as if she was unsure of her welcome. "Faces don't freeze. Unless they get cold enough."

He didn't answer, just watched her as she came toward him. He was more sure than ever that he was forgetting something, was suddenly hit by an odd sense of vertigo, then got a flash of the carrying case he'd made for his sword.

And the padd. The padd that Carl had made him take--the padd that Lori wanted. He forced his features to not change; no new expression must cross his face or she would know it was here.

He didn't know how he knew that, but he did. He had to keep the padd safe. Protect whatever secrets it held. Secrets he needed to look at. Up until now, he'd forgotten the padd every time he entered his office.

"I ran into your slayer." Lori put an almost mocking emphasis on the possessive.

"And yet you live."

Lori shrugged. "She's not that scary." She leaned forward, her eyes catching and holding his. "She's been bitten, you know."

"I'm aware of that." He leaned back, an unconscious reaction to her nearness.

"Kinky. And dangerous."

"I'm sure you're not one to throw stones on either of those scores."

Lori sighed. "You're making this difficult, Jim."

"Making what difficult, Lori? I don't even know what you want?" He studied her for a moment. When she didn't say anything, he said, "Is this the approach you used with Chris? Because I can't imagine she'd tolerate it for long."

"She didn't." Lori's look turned leering. "She's a great kisser."

He tried to hide his shock, knew he failed when Lori's leer turn mocking.

"Yes, she is," he said as evenly as he could.

She eased up on the mocking. "We're all on the same side, Jim."

He wondered if she'd used that line on Carl. "Sure we are."

"We are. Your slayer has something we want. She listens to you. Convince her to work with us."

"Convince me why I should."

"Because we all love Starfleet, and we'd all die to protect the Federation. And if we work together, then maybe none of us will ever have to die for it."

"Is that a threat?"

She frowned. "No."

He looked away.

She leaned back. "Jim. It's not." She looked down then back at him, seemed to be weighing how much to say. Finally, she leaned in again, said very softly, "Kirsu, Jim. It's the ultimate platform for peace."

"For peace?" He leaned in, shaking his head. "Peace how? And with whom? And what's Kirsu?"

She smiled, as if she didn't believe for a moment that he didn't know what Kirsu was. "Peace for the Federation. For those who want peace. Against those who don't."

"Are you being deliberately vague?"

"We could wage peace anywhere, anytime." Her eyes seemed to become unfocused for a moment, then she stood up. "I have to go. Nogura needs me."

"Who needs communicators when there's magic?"

She shot him a hard look. "You don't understand anything. Don't think your little magics give you any insight into what he's capable of, or what I'm capable of."

He could feel his lips tighten. He bit back the angry retort that he understood all too well what she and Nogura were capable of. He had one less friend because of their magic.

Not that he had any proof of that.

Yet.

She touched his hand, and he felt a jolt. He jerked away; his skin stung where she had touched him.

"If you came here to get me to help you with Chris, you've got a damned odd approach, Lori." He stood up. "I don't trust you."

"I know. But, Jim, you must know how valuable you are. We'd never hurt you." She smiled, this time the look seemed to only hold simple affection and respect.

He didn't smile back.

She shook her head and spun on her heel, heading quickly for the door. "She doesn't trust me either. But she trusts you," she said, not turning around. "Work on her."

He waited a few moments, afraid that she would walk back into the room the moment he headed for the carrying case. Finally, he got up and walked over to where he'd hung it. The thing seemed to shimmer slightly. For some time, he'd forgotten about it. Why was he remembering it now?

He opened the case, reached down carefully and retrieved the padd. He grabbed enough padds to hide Carl's among them and headed out of his office. He had a feeling he shouldn't look at it in his office--they might be watching him.

He half expected Lori to be waiting for him in the corridor, hand outstretched for the padd. But she was gone. He hurried out of his wing, heading toward Starfleet Medical. He needed to look at the padd somewhere that she and Nogura wouldn't think to look for him. He was betting that while they might be watching Chris after hours, they probably weren't paying much attention to her when she was leading her non-slayer life. As long as he didn't call her on the comm channel, he'd be okay.

Still, her office was too dangerous a place to try to read the padd in case he was wrong. They needed to find someplace out of the way to look at the information Carl might have died for. But first Kirk needed to find her. He slowed at the reception desk, saw the young man on duty look up in anticipation. Kirk waved him off, walking into the busy main hallway.

Where would Chris be at this hour of the afternoon? And could he find her? Could he call her the way Nogura had called Lori? Or would that be too dangerous? He didn't know how to shield, much less broadcast just to her. And he had no idea where she was.

But he'd found her before. If he wanted to badly enough, he could do it again. He ducked into an empty exam room and closed his eyes, thinking of Chris, of her smile, and her more-frequently-seen frown. He thought of how her blue eyes looked in the sunshine. And how they turned a stormy gray at night, how they seemed dark and mysterious. And beautiful. He sighed.

"Chris, where are you?" he whispered.

He had a flash of her in the immunology department, talking to another doctor. He hurried out of the exam room, took the elevator up, suddenly wondering how he'd known it had been the immunology department.

Magic. He smiled, hoping he was right. As he walked into the immunology anteroom, he saw her through a window in the door that separated him from the labs. Her back was to him.

"Chris," he whispered, thinking it as hard as he could, sure that he could reach her.

She turned around. Her smile was immediate. He wondered if he treasured the expression because she smiled so rarely. Or was he just lost? Lost for a woman he could never have?

A woman he could find simply by thinking of her?

She turned back to the other doctor, said something and then turned and hurried down the hall. He saw another bright smile light up her face, felt his own grin grow larger.

No. He wasn't lost. Not at all.

"Jim?"

"I need to look at this." He showed her the padd, hidden among the others. "Is there someplace we can go? Somewhere busy where we can fade into the noise? Somewhere they won't be watching?"

She didn't ask who they were, just thought for a moment, then nodded. "I know where."

"Lead on," he said, following her out and down the hall to a busy stairwell. They walked down a few flights, then she led him down another hallway and into the adjoining building.

He started to chuckle. Why hadn't he thought of this?

She smiled slyly. "Well, can you think of a busier place than the Academy library?"

"Have I ever told you that you're brilliant, Doctor?"

She laughed. "No, Admiral, I don't believe you have." She nodded toward an empty carrel. "Come on." As they sat down, she said softly, "It's so odd to be called doctor."

He nodded. "I know. Admiral still sounds like it should be anybody else but me." He could feel a frown beginning. "But then you wanted to be a doctor, you're moving forward."

She watched him, waiting for him to finish. He waved her off. Now wasn't the time. He busied himself with accessing the padd's data.

"You'd give anything to have the ship back, wouldn't you? To be a captain again?"

"Not anything." He turned to look at her. "But almost anything."

She nodded, touched him on the arm. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "Moot point now, Chris." He watched as the padd tried to display. Nothing was coming up.

"It's blank, Jim."

"That's impossible." He leaned in, told the padd to de-encrypt and display the data.

"Nothing to display." The message seemed an act of defiance.

He shook his head, leaned in and studied the total lack of results. He'd never actually taken the protection spell off the case, maybe the padd was still affected? Not that he was sure how he'd set the spell, much less how to take it off.

"Jim?"

"What's the opposite of protect?"

"Endanger?"

"Something less negative." He exhaled loudly. "I protect you. I...you. What is the word?"

"Release?"

Yes. That was good. "Release," he whispered to the padd.

The screen was suddenly filled with data.

"Wow. You did that?" She shot him a look of admiration.

He felt a grin starting. "I guess so. And I have no idea in hell how to do it again. I can't believe it's just the word."

"It's not. I said it and nothing happened." She smiled at him. "Intent. That indomitable Kirk will." Her expression grew soft. "And magic. Real magic, Jim." She smiled again, then turned to the screen. "Now, what do we have here?"

They ran through the data. It was as Carl had said. His science team had seemed to be searching subspace for something very specific. It was all there if you knew what you were looking for. And even if you didn't, it still looked damned odd. Kirk turned to Chris, saw that she was staring at the readings, her eyes narrowed.

"Kirsu," he said softly.

She nodded. "They want to use it."

"I know. Lori came to see me just before I came here."

"They'll ensure the peace with it. Or so they say." She shook her head. "And once they've ensured it, then who will they turn their power against?"

Like the Tantalus Field that his alter ego had used against his enemies in the mirror universe. Such a powerful weapon in the wrong hands. Or even in the right hands once there were no more enemies to fight.

They couldn't let Nogura have Kirsu.

"It's theirs, Jim. The slayers. It belongs to them now."

He nodded. "I know, Chris. We won't give away Kirsu." He closed down the padd and whispered, "Protect." He felt a shiver as something flowed out of him into the padd. He thought that this time he could probably wear it around his neck and Lori wouldn't notice it.

"But they don't need to know that we're not going to play." Her look was deadly serious.

"No. Let them think we might. It's safer for everyone."

She nodded. "And they aren't the only ones that want it. Silver does too. For the watchers." She shook her head. "At this point, David's the only one who doesn't want it."

"Seen him lately?" Kirk said as casually as he could.

She laughed. "Since I saw you at dinner on Saturday, you mean?" She leaned in, touched his hand. "No. I haven't. Maybe he's lost interest in me?"

Kirk let his eyebrows rise. "I doubt it. I wouldn't if I were David." His hand tingled where Chris touched him. It was a good feeling, nothing like the jolt of Lori's touch. He thought of her odd comment. "So, Lori mentioned that you were somewhat skilled in the kissing department."

She looked away.

"You're blushing, Chris." He turned his hand, twined his fingers with hers, a possessive move that he knew he should resist. "Something you want to tell me?"

"Just power games. Pack behavior." She shrugged. "It was nothing."

"Sweetheart, I've never seen wolves kiss."

They both seemed to realize what he'd called her at the same time. He looked away, but not before he saw a small smile cross her face.

"You've obviously been watching the wrong wolves, my friend."

"Obviously." He squeezed her hand, thanking her for taking them back to the ground he'd been the one to insist was safer. Friends--not sweethearts. He let go of her hand. "So what's next?"

She frowned. "I need to talk to LaVelle...and take her something. But I need to get to her from someplace that isn't crawling with watchers and werewolves."

"Weasel could probably shield you."

"I don't know him. And neither do you--at least, not well enough to trust with this." She smiled gently as she shook her head, taking the sting out of her words. She seemed to think of something. "But Tolvar already knows about the Kirsu slayers. He might be able to help."

"Yes, he might. He seems powerful. Weasel speaks highly of him."

"He just needs to help me find a place they can't spy on me." She began to smile evilly. "On the other hand, I have the bodyguard from hell. David isn't going to like anyone else following me. Odd to think that for once I'm safer at night with him around then during the day." She shot Kirk a funny look. "Why aren't you arguing?"

He took a deep breath. "I sort of ran into him."

"And it just slipped your mind? Are you insane?" Her voice was rising, causing the cadet at the next carrel to glare at them. "David could hurt you and I'd never--"

He stopped her with a gentle finger on her lips. "That's exactly why he won't hurt me. Because you'd never." He shook his head. "If you go up against him, he'll fight you. But for now, he'll leave you alone. And me too. And yes, I agree that he'll protect you."

"What did he say to you?"

"It's not important right now. Do you want me to keep Lori occupied tonight?"

Chris' eyebrows nearly disappeared into her hair.

He laughed, earning them another glare from the cadet. "I didn't mean like that."

"I hope not. Besides, she'll only be suspicious of your timing." She seemed to sigh. Then she leaned in and said softly, "I didn't tell you the other night, but Emma told me that Nogura--his family, I mean--was involved in Kirsu's manifestation in our dimension."

Kirk frowned. Why were they keeping secrets from each other?

She seemed to be reading his mind. She shook her head slowly. "We're telling each other now, Jim. Don't think of them as secrets. Just as things we haven't had a chance to say yet."

"All right. But we can't let things go unsaid for too long or they will become secrets." He thought of Spock, how their friendship had been torn apart--all because of the secret he'd kept from his best friend.

She still seemed to be on the same wavelength. "It's always about him, isn't it?" She got up, put her hand on his shoulder. "I have to get back to rounds."

He reached up, laid his hand on top of hers. "Be careful tonight."

She nodded. "I always am."

He looked up at her, saw that she was unconsciously touching the bite marks that had healed but left a scar on her neck. He touched his own reminders of being bitten and shot her a wry grin. Quite the pair. He wasn't sure either of them knew how to be careful.

"See you," she said, easing her hand away from his.

"Let me know when you get back."

She nodded, walked away toward the doors they'd come in by. He waited a few moments, then walked through the library and headed back to Command.

-----------------------

Christine doubled back for the third time as she headed down toward the piers and Tolvar. Tonight she had to be sure that no one was following her. She turned on every slayer sense she had, focused on anything that seemed the least bit unusual. It took her a very long time to cover the distance. To the casual observer she might have seemed a bit erratic, but she didn't care.

Finally satisfied that there was no one following her, she hurried down to the water. Tolvar was reading cards for a customer when she arrived. He looked up at her and nodded slightly, then went back to his reading. She ducked into the alley, waiting in the shadows, staying out of sight.

"It's been a long time, Slayer." Tolvar stretched as he walked into the alley. "Weasel tells me your friend is even more powerful than we thought. And he learns quickly."

That didn't surprise her but she hadn't come to talk about Jim. "I need your help."

He leaned against the wall. "What can a humble fortune teller do for you?"

"I need to talk to our mutual slayer friends."

"Ah." He frowned. "I don't believe I know how to reach them."

She smiled. "Oh, I know how to reach them. I just need a private place to place the call. One where I won't be disturbed...or observed. Can you help me?"

He nodded. He took her arm and guided her down the alley. Taking a key out of his pocket, he opened one of the doors. It was a storeroom, a variety of mystical objects were on the shelves. She recognized some of the things he sold when he wasn't reading fortunes. She made a face. The smell of incense in the small room was overwhelming.

He smiled. "It's nauseating, I know, but it hides the smell of other things." He pointed down to the door frame, where a strange symbol had been carved. She knelt down, dipped her finger in the wet substance that had been rubbed on it. It felt oily, but it smelled like--she turned her face away, making another face. "Urine?"

"Gremlin urine. The best way for a quick and easy barrier. And difficult to fake. The smell is quite distinctive, don't you think?"

She nodded and took the moistened wipe he handed her. She was surprised that the smell came off, but whatever was on the towel was more powerful than monster pee.

"I need a new line of work," she said as she handed him back the towel.

He laughed. "Here. Bring it back when you're done." He dropped the key in her hand and left. The door locked behind him.

She reverently touched Laura's portal ring, which she'd jammed onto her little finger. It was one of the five lost by the Noguras--ancient now. Ancient and dangerous. But necessary. Christine had never tried to use it. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do.

Jim had said that Weasel told him to keep it simple when he did magic. It was probably good advice for her too. She touched the stone, and said softly, "Kirsu. Take me there."

Nothing happened.

"Damn it." Would it have killed LaVelle to give her better instructions? She probably had deliberately not told her some crucial step. Christine and she were going to have a little talk when she figured out how to get to Kirsu.

A portal appeared in front of her.

Christine smiled as she stepped in. Whatever worked. She couldn't call up Kirsu, but she had no problem calling up her annoying fellow slayer--LaVelle didn't even have to be in the same dimension to piss her off.

The opening closed, and a surge of panic filled her. She felt as if the space jerked, and she lost her balance and fell down into a crouch, trying to catch her breath. She was being suffocated in this dank, cramped place--

She forced herself to breathe slowly. This wasn't the sewers. She was safe. She was fine.

"Kirsu," she muttered over and over until the portal opened and she threw herself out, landing on soft grass. She pushed herself up, feeling warm sunshine beating down on her. The air smelled of green herbs and a distant shore.

"Who are you?" A young girl backed away from her.

"It's okay. I'm Christine. I'm here to see LaVelle."

"It's all right, Magda. She's a friend." LaVelle walked down the stairs, her face not at all welcoming. "Not my friend, mind you."

"How've you been?" Christine walked past the younger slayer, invading LaVelle's personal space. "You miss me?"

"Not at all." LaVelle moved even closer.

Neither blinked, neither moved. Christine realized that they probably looked immensely silly to the young girl watching them. Some role models.

She took a step back and walked around LaVelle. "Can I come in?" she smirked as she bounded up the stairs and into the house.

She heard LaVelle call out, "Make yourself at home."

She turned around, waited for the other slayer to catch up. "Actually, I've brought something home." She pulled the amulet out from under her shirt, gently undid the clasp and slipped it off her silver chain. She handed the amulet to LaVelle, fastening the chain back around her neck.

"What is it?"

"According to the watchers, it's what keeps Kirsu tied to our dimension."

LaVelle glared at her. "The watchers? You asked them?"

Christine forced herself not to snap. "No. They volunteered the information. They're trying to get me to work with them." She touched the amulet's main stone. "Two people have already died for this. It's valuable and too dangerous to keep in my dimension."

LaVelle stroked the stone. "Does it work like the rings?"

Christine shrugged. "Maybe if you're a magician--it was sorcerers who made it. I think it's more of a focus. Some kind of link between the worlds."

LaVelle sighed. "I'm sick to death of magic. Orbs and amulets and links."

"Kirsu is magic. Are you sick of it?" Christine smiled grimly. "Because there are a lot of people who would like to take it off your hands."

LaVelle shot her a look. "If they try, it will be the last thing they ever do."

"It's easy to say that, LaVelle. But these are watchers. And powerful people in Starfleet. They have firepower--both conventional and magical--at their beck and call. You have to be careful. Stay here unless it's absolutely necessary to leave."

"We won't let a slayer die when we can save her."

Christine nodded. "I know. Just don't take any extra chances, okay?"

"I might almost think you care." LaVelle smiled, the expression a bit friendlier than her usual glare.

"God knows why." Christine nodded at the amulet. "You have somewhere you can keep it safe?"

LaVelle nodded. She led Christine into an adjoining room, moved a carpet aside and lifted a trapdoor. "This has been here since the time of Helene the founder."

"And Nogura the original owner." At LaVelle's look, Christine pointed up to the carvings that ran around the wall. "Kanji symbols. It's Japanese. Put there by Tachikawa and Nogura, the men who conjured up the bridge to this place. Don't forget that at the end of the day you're squatters."

LaVelle tossed her a lightstick. "Fortunately, possession is still nine-tenths of the law."

"At the moment, it's ten-tenths, and there is no law here except what we make." Christine followed her down the steps. A small storeroom opened up into hallways that ran both ways. "This runs under the house?"

LaVelle nodded. "Comes out in two places. I guess your magicians felt a few bolt holes might be a good addition to their magic?"

Christine nodded. "I've got to bolt. I don't want anyone to wonder where I've gone." She hurried up the stairs. "Don't tell anyone about the amulet. Except Marion, I mean."

"Your will is my command, your highness."

Christine turned. "You could say thank you. Or would it kill you?"

LaVelle's lips tightened. "One of these days, you and I are going to have to figure out who's the boss."

"Fine. One of these days we will. But not now. We don't have time for this." Christine turned her back on LaVelle, hurried upstairs, and touched her ring. She thought of the storeroom, the reek of incense, the carved symbols. When the portal opened, she stepped in and closed her eyes until she sensed the portal opening again. She turned and dashed out; the portal closed behind her.

She looked at the ring. She felt safer with it close to her, but it was too conspicuous to try to wear. She couldn't continue to hide it in her apartment. Maybe Jim could help her fnd a better way to hide it? A magical way?

She pulled the door shut behind her and fished the key out of her pocket, handing it to Tolvar.

He smiled. "That was a quick call."

She made a face. "And LaVelle can still irritate me."

"She's not so bad. If you'd just quit challenging her."

"Me?" Christine turned away. "I'm not the problem."

He laughed. "Of course not, my dear. Give my best to Emma, won't you?"

"You've never told her about the slayers, have you?"

He shook his head.

"Why not? You and Emma seem close."

"We are. I love her dearly." He looked down. "But she is a watcher. You must never forget that. Not when it comes to our mutual friends."

"Are you saying I can't trust her?"

He shook his head. "She's a good woman. You can trust her in all things...except this." He caught and held her gaze. "You already know that or you'd have told her by now."

She smiled. "You're probably right. Thank you. For everything."

He waved her away as a young tourist wandered by. "Tell your fortune, pretty lady?"

Christine walked quickly away from the piers and back up toward her apartment. She kept looking around as she walked, not so much for anyone following her, but for something, anything she could fight. Damn LaVelle. Would it have killed her to be gracious for once?

Christine turned and walked up the hill, realized she was heading for Jim's. He had told her to let him know she was back, she might as well do it in person. She nodded at the doorman, rode the elevator up, and walked to Jim's door. It suddenly struck her that she didn't even know if he was alone. It also struck her that she didn't care. She rang the chime.

It took him so long to get the door that she almost gave up.

He opened the door and smiled when he saw her. "This is a pleasant surprise."

She sniffed. Was that sulfur? "What are you doing?"

"Magic?" He pulled her in. "Weasel gave me an exercise to try at home and I'm just not getting it."

She followed him into his study where smoke was still swirling. He had the windows open to air out the room.

"It's like a nightmare chem lab."

"You're not wrong." He shook his head. "I'm trying to make a ball of fire."

"I was sort of kidding about that whole throwing lightning bolts business." She grinned, touched his shirt where it was singed. "Although it looks like you got part of it."

He nodded, snuffing out the incense that was burning around the room in the bowls of sand that held the sticks upright. Without the incense's sweet smell, the reek of sulfur intensified.

"So what have you learned to do?"

"Well, I'm hell on wheels with that protection spell. Of course, it's only one word and a whole lot of fear, so that's not so hard."

She smiled.

"I learned to ground today." He shook his head. "It's like any power circuit really. Only I have to think of myself as the vessel it's passing through, which is not what I'd want to be if it were real current."

"Did it work?"

He looked up at her as he dug through the closet for something. "Yeah, it did. It's strange stuff, Chris. It's as if I always knew how to do it; I just needed someone to remind me of that." He wrinkled his nose. "Big stinky sulfur balls notwithstanding." He grinned and pulled out a padded case that he tossed to her. "I finished this finally. I bet you forgot all about it."

She shot him a puzzled look and opened the case, laughing as she pulled out her new, improved, folding crossbow. "I had forgotten about this." She assembled it quickly and held it up. "I've missed this. Can we go kill something?"

"Bad day at the mystical office, hon?" He was already walking toward the door. "Come on. I'd love to let it air out for a while." He pulled the door shut behind them.

"LaVelle was her normal charming self, so yeah, I'm a little tense." She shook her head. "But mission accomplished. Except..." She held out her finger. "Can you help me hide this?"

"Hide it?"

"Like you did the padd. Only more so. I want it invisible."

He smiled. "I think that might take more power than I have."

She grinned. "Use mine. I've got plenty."

"I can try. You want to wear it?" He touched her chain. "It might be safer on this? Easier to hide?"

When she nodded, he stepped behind her and undid the chain. His hands seemed to linger on her neck and she shivered.

"The ring?"

"Oh." She pulled it off and handed it to him.

He slid it onto the chain and refastened it around her neck. Then he sighed, "I'm not sure I can do this, Chris. Invisible?"

"Sure you can." She wasn't sure why she did it but she reached up for his right hand, pulled it down, and around her waist. He moved closer, his hand on her necklace. She set her hands on his, pushing down slightly.

"Weasel says breath is key." Jim began to breathe slowly. He pushed against her as he inhaled, pulled away as he exhaled. She tried to synch her breathing to his, but something was off.

"From here," he said, as he pushed on her stomach. "Not from your throat. Don't move your shoulders. Keep your mouth closed."

She leaned back against him and closed her eyes, tried to breathe low from her stomach, from where his hand pushed down on her. In and out and in and out. She suddenly felt lightheaded, felt her body moving in perfect time with his, their breaths joining as they inhaled and exhaled. Without knowing why she did it, she began to pause longer and longer after each exhale, not taking a breath just sitting empty as she waited to breathe. Jim did the same thing, his hand moving a bit, pulling her closer.

She felt an energy beginning very low down and traveling up her belly into her lungs and up past her throat, past her forehead, out the top of her head.

"Let it ground," she thought she heard, but she didn't know how Jim could have spoken when he was breathing in such perfect rhythm with her.

The energy continued to flow out of her and she let it go, imagined it pouring back into the ground, then rushing back up through them, through their feet, their legs, their groins, back to their bellies.

Jim grasped the necklace. "Protect," he whispered.

She felt a tingling begin where the chain lay against her skin.

"Hide."

The tingling increased.

"By our will," he whispered in her ear, and she echoed it back.

The tingling increased, moving through her until she thought her legs would collapse. Jim's hand jerked against her and she lost the rhythm of their breath, opening her eyes as she seemed to fall even though she hadn't moved.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Why?" His lips touched her neck, so softly that if she hadn't been so in tune with him she'd have never noticed it. "We did it, Chris." He turned her so she could see their reflection in the window.

The necklace that she was running her fingers over was invisible. She smiled and turned to him.

His pupils were dilated. She thought her own probably were too.

"You're really good."

"I had the slayer booster pack." He grinned, then he looked down where the necklace should have been. "But damn. We are good."

She laughed. Tried to come down from the place the magic had sent her. She wanted to touch him so badly. Needed to touch him, to hold him and kiss--.

She grabbed the crossbow. "I think we should go now." She didn't wait for him to follow, nearly ran out of the apartment.

He was right behind her, pulling his sword case over his head.. "So you think there'll be lots of things to kill?"

She was obviously not the only one who found doing magic together a powerful aphrodisiac.

----------------------------

Kirk breathed deeply, trying to suck in as much as he could of the fresh night air. He felt as if every cell in his body was boiling over, as if the only thing that could cool him down was the woman who was hurrying ahead of him.

It had been one hell of a spell. He'd have to ask Weasel what exactly he and Chris had done. He had a feeling it was probably not something he should have done with a woman he was desperately trying to keep his hands off of.

He could still feel her pressed tightly against him, her breath in perfect union with his. He'd felt her power bubbling up. Her energy was different. Not targeted, not focused. Just there. For him to use if she let him. And she'd given it freely.

When he'd touched the necklace, he'd known there was no way they could fail. Together they were so powerful. Together...god if only they could be--

But they couldn't. He was glad when they arrived at the cemetery, hoped they'd run into a whole nest of vampires. He felt as if he could take them all on himself. And still have more tension to work off.

She slowed and turned to him. "You okay?"

"I will be. How about you?"

She shook her head, a slow grin beginning. "My god, Jim. That was better than some sex I've had."

"I know. Imagine how good sex would be." He was instantly sorry he'd said that.

She just laughed. "I'm having a hard time thinking about anything but. Hopefully we'll find some big nasties to fight. Sublimation is a good thing." She loaded her crossbow.

"No stake?"

She patted her jacket pocket. "Never leave home without one."

He patted his pocket too.

"Good boy." She tugged at his jacket and he let her pull him to her. Her look was suddenly much less playful. "Jim. I want you so --"

"--I smell food," something yelled behind them.

Her smile was feral; he wondered if his own mirrored it.

They turned as one, as if they were still in the hold of the spell. The vampire looked confused as they advanced on him.

"What's the matter, big guy?" Chris asked. "Were you under the impression you were the scariest kid in the playground?" She lifted the crossbow, then put it down. "Nyah. Too easy." She grinned at Kirk. "It's not for close-in fighting, anyway."

Kirk drew his sword, laughing at her idiotic bravado. She kicked out at the vampire, hitting him solidly, knocking him back. The vampire scrambled to keep his feet, then he turned and ran.

"No way." Chris lifted the crossbow, took aim, and let the bolt fly. It was a perfect shot; the vampire exploded into dust.

"Well, that was unsporting of him," Kirk said as he pushed his sword back into the case.

"I'll say." She pushed the crossbow behind her back and walked with him toward the middle of the cemetery.

They strolled along in silence for a while, and he was glad to just get his bearings again, to come down from the high place that the magic had taken them.

"Can I tell you something?" she asked.

"You can tell me anything."

She took a deep breath. "Today...in the portal. I sort of panicked."

He slowed. "Well, you didn't know if it would work."

She shook her head. "It wasn't that. It was like being trapped...have I ever told you what happened to me in the sewers?"

"No. But David did." At her startled look, he said, "I need to tell you the truth about that. Not because it is the truth, but because David is going to pull it out and use it against you. And I want you to be prepared for it."

"How does he know about it?"

"Let's sit." He guided her to a bench, took a deep breath and told her what David had told him about the Cruciamentum, about her own watcher's role in the trial. He told her everything he could remember, didn't spare her.

She stared at him through the telling, barely blinking. He thought at first she didn't believe him, but then he saw the tears in her eyes. She believed. She knew. Maybe she'd always known, just hadn't been able to admit it to herself.

"I'm sorry, Chris."

"Roger did that to me." She blinked and a cascade of tears fell down her cheeks. She blinked again but no more tears fell. She smiled instead, a bitter, angry smile. "I shouldn't be surprised. Look at what his android self did to you. He might have done that to me too. In time. Made me into a proper mate." She looked away. "They're monsters. The watchers."

Kirk wasn't sure what to say.

"And they're still doing it."

He nodded, even though he knew it hadn't been a question.

"We'll stop them. Somehow." She seemed to shudder. "No more. No more of this." She gave him a hard look. "You knew and you didn't tell me."

"I was going to tell you."

She nodded, her face hard.

"Chris." He touched her arm, but she pulled it away. Not a jerk, just a gentle tugging, moving inexorably away from him.

"No." He pulled her to him, felt her tense. "No, I was just waiting for the right time. Stop it. Think of what we did tonight. Together." His fingers found her necklace, rubbed between it and her skin. "You want to pull away just because I was having trouble finding the right time to tell you something I knew would hurt you?"

She stopped pulling away, looked up at him. Her eyes were hurt and lost. "Why? Why do they do this to us? We're just kids when they find us. When they turn us into killers. How can they do it to us?"

She sobbed and he pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her and holding her as she cried. Strange, broken sobs came from her, as if she was still trying to hold it all in.

"It's all right. I've got you."

Her arms tightened around him almost painfully but he didn't make a sound, even as his ribs protested.

"I don't know why they do it, Chris. We'll stop it. Somehow, we will."

She let up on his ribs and he sighed in relief.

"Oh, Jim, I'm sorry." She smiled sheepishly.

"It's okay." He kissed her, a soft, gentle kiss that had nothing to do with sex and everything to do with trying to tell the scared little girl she'd probably never been allowed to be that it was all right. That he was there and nothing bad would get her. Ever.

She closed her eyes. When she opened them again, his Chris was back. But she looked older and terribly tired.

"Who do we trust, Jim?"

"Each other. We trust each other." He wiped her cheeks. "I'll never hurt you."

"Spock said that too. So did Roger. The words mean less each time." She looked away.

He tugged her chin gently until she looked at him. "I've never said them to you. They mean everything to me."

She sighed. Then she looked past him. "We've got company. Humans I think. Stupid ones."

He turned around and felt his heart catch in his throat. He turned quickly and grabbed Chris, pulling her close.

"Jim, what?"

"Just don't move. Not till they've gone by." He ran his hands down her back as if they were two lovers too hungry for each other to find a room.

As soon as he heard footsteps pass, he pulled away. He watched the two people walking down the path, the light falling on their blonde heads. Carol. And David.

"You know them."

He nodded.

Chris studied them. "Tell me."

He shook his head, an instinctive reaction. But not the right one. He'd kept this inside for so long. Only McCoy knew. And Spock. No one else. No one else but Carol and she didn't care how much Kirk hurt.

"That's my son," he said softly.

"Your son?" She stood, pulled him up.

"We can't. I promised I'd stay away." He felt an odd sense of panic fill him. His son was so close. And he had to stay away.

She forced him to look at her. "Jim. We're in the cemetery at night. They need us to follow them."

God, how could he have forgotten that? They were helpless. Alone. With the vampires and the werewolves and other ghastly things he'd learned really did go bump in the night. "They can't be a part of this."

"Look at me." When he didn't, she shook him. "Look at me, Jim."

It hurt. He looked at her. "Chris. My son. We have to protect him."

"We will. Come on." She pulled him, and they hurried down the path, following Carol and David.

When Carol and David turned off toward a row of graves, Chris led him into the bushes. They slowly worked their way closer, then she turned and looked him in the eye as if taking his measure.

He touched her arm. "I'm okay," he said softly. "I just didn't expect to see them. They've been offworld for so long."

"Well, they should have stayed offworld a while longer. This cemetery is far too busy these days."

She nodded past Carol and his son, to where a vampire was emerging out of the bushes.

"No." The word came out as a moan, a prayer.

Chris swung the crossbow around and sighted. "They'll never know he was there, Jim. Trust me." She let the bolt fly.

He smiled. He did trust her. She hit the vampire dead in the heart. He didn't make a sound, just stared at the bolt sticking out of him in confusion, then burst into a cloud of dust. Carol and David never even turned around.

She looked at him. "See. Nothing to fear. I'll take care of your son."

He nodded.

She took his hand in hers. "We'll make sure they get home okay."

He squeezed her hand back. In all his time with Carol, he'd never trusted her the way he did the woman standing next to him. The woman who had just saved his son.

"Your son has a name?"

"David."

"Popular name these days." She smiled tentatively, the expression growing bigger when he nodded and smiled too. She turned to watch Carol and David. "What's he like?"

"I don't know."

She turned and shot him a startled look. "You don't?"

"She wanted me to stay away."

"That's not fair," she said quickly.

He shook his head. "She wanted me to stay with her. Stay here, on the ground. Not be in space."

"But we're Starfleet. That's where we work."

He nodded. "I couldn't promise I'd stay with her. So I had to promise I'd stay away."

Her hand tightened in his. "I'm sorry, Jim."

"I know you are."

They stood in silence for a long time. Then she whispered, "So much pain. It's what marks us and molds us, isn't it? Not the good times." She shook her head. "They're so hard to remember. The good times."

"I know."

She looked over at him. "Do you know that most of the ones I remember now have to do with you?"

He squeezed her hand. "That's nice to say."

"Just the truth." She pushed him farther back into the bushes. "They're coming this way."

They stood still in the shadows as the woman he'd once loved and the son who he'd never had the chance to lov