DISCLAIMER: The Star Trek characters are the property of 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 R.

Returning Heroes

by Djinn

Kirk stepped off the transporter pad at Space Dock, saw Chris waiting for him. She was leaning up against the wall, arms crossed. He wondered how many seconds it had taken her to convince the transporter techs to let her stay and wait. Normally, they didn't do that.

Normally, they didn't have to deal with Commander Chapel when she wanted to see him.

She straightened. Smiled wryly as he set down his bag and walked toward her.

"Is there nothing you won't do for fame?" she asked.

He shrugged. Shot her a sheepish grin and caught her up, pulling her close. They kissed.

For a very long time.

"It wasn't my idea to end up on Rura Penthe," he said.

"No? You weren't looking for retirement property?" Her eyes were bright, her voice broke a bit.

He shook his head.

"Do I even want to know how many alien women you had to kiss to get out of this one?"

He laughed. "One. And I'm not sure she was really a woman."

"Well, that's all right then." Her words were teasing, but her voice was flat, and her eyes were even more suspiciously shiny.

"Come on." He led her to the pad, noticed she was staring at the floor. "You okay?"

She nodded tightly. "Let's just go home, all right?"

"Sure." He pulled her closer.

She leaned into him, both arms around him, head on his shoulder. It was completely unlike her to be so demonstrative in public. It told him all he needed to know about how she was feeling.

"It's all right, Chris. Everything is all right."

She nodded, didn't look up as she pulled away from him, took her place on the pad next to him. Kirk gave the tech their station.

"Energizing, sir."

Kirk nodded, waited as the room disappeared, was replaced by the transporter pad near their apartment. They walked the few short blocks to their building, kept running into people they knew, people who had seen the trial and the later news reports, who wanted to stop and talk and congratulate him.

Finally, they got home. As he closed the door, she started to walk away, and he pulled her back. "Chris."

When she turned, her expression was unreadable. But her eyes were full of tears.

"Oh, Chris. I'm sorry." He pulled her close.

"I thought I'd lost you. That I'd never see you again." She sobbed against him. "Damn it, Jim. I hate it when I'm like this." Her arms tightened around him.

He smiled. "Well, I like it. It beats the hell out of disinterest." He pulled her face up, kissed her tears away roughly.

"I could never be disinterested. Not when it's you, when it's us."

Her mouth found his. Frantic. Desperate. He met her fully, didn't try to stop her or calm her. Pushing her up against the wall, his hands running up and down her body, he kissed her the way they had that first scotch-fueled time they'd made love.

Only they hadn't realized at the time that they were doing anything other than having sex.

She finally pulled away. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I love you."

"I love you too."

"Then we have no problem, do we?" He kissed her again.

She pulled away then tugged at his hand, leading him out of the hall, through the living room, and into the bedroom.

"Something you had in mind?" he asked with a small grin as she stripped his clothes off.

His grin grew even larger when she pushed him down onto the bed, took off her own clothes, and crawled on top of him. She didn't wait, saw he was ready for her and sank down onto him. He gasped as he filled her, moaned as she began to move.

She leaned down, kissed him again, this time not so frantically, but possessively, as if she was marking him, making him hers. She didn't need to do that--he was hers and nobody else's. He had been hers for such a long time.

She began to move faster, sat up and arched back, every touch of her body on his a pleasure--one that in his darker moments on Rura Penthe he too had thought he'd lost. He ran his hands up and down her body, touching her everywhere, pinching gently and stroking until she came loud and long, her body clamping down on his, sending him over the edge.

He came just as loud.

She collapsed onto his chest and lay there. The room was silent except for their harsh breaths as they lay still, neither of them willing to move, to make their bodies come apart.

"I thought I'd lost you, Jim. That you'd die and I'd never see you again." She kissed his chest, worked her way up to his neck. "I was going to kill Spock."

He laughed softly. "Spock got me back."

"You wouldn't have been out there if he hadn't volunteered you."

He nodded. She had a point.

She had her face buried in his neck as she said, "I love you. The thought of life without you..."

He pulled her face up, kissed her. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. I'll be retired in three months and we'll live happily ever after until we're old and decrepit."

She smiled. "You promise?"

He nodded. "I promise." He kissed her, softly, slowly. Lovingly. God, how he loved this woman. "I'm not going anywhere, Chris. You'll see."

FIN