Expectations: Begin Again Part 3 of 4
Series Expectations
Adventure Fifteen: Begin Again, Part 3 of 4
Author: Aquariuslover
Pairings: KyuWook, Yunjae, Various
Rating: R
Genre: Crossover, Romance, Science Fiction, Adventure
Length: Chaptered
Beta: tahoeturquoise
A/N: This story is inspired by Star Trek and the Kpop community.
Summary: The cycle of life continues as alliances are made, love moves forward, a beloved infant is born, and the journey of two souls inch closer and closer to the evitable end.
Prior Adventures
Ensign Henry slumped against the power console as the computer stopped the countdown to the ship’s total destruction. “I think I need a hug.”
Woohyun quickly hugged Sunggyu, who was standing beside him, and then rushed toward Ensign Henry and engulfed him in a hug, too.
Sunggyu remained frozen in place, allowing himself a moment to come to terms with what had just happened.
“I almost wet myself, no lie,” Woohyun informed the others as he tightly embraced Ensign Henry.
“I think I did,” Henry gasped, hugging the doctor back.
Sunggyu collected himself, walked over and patted Ensign Henry on the back. He awkwardly told the engineering prodigy, “You saved the ship. You saved us…you saved the ship.”
“You did,” Woohyun agreed as he released Henry, bent over, placed his hands on his knees, and tried to calm his racing heart. “I still can’t believe it. I don’t know you that well…but I love you, man. I really love you.”
Henry shook his head amused. “I still can’t believe it worked.”
“It did work,” Sunggyu confirmed. “You saved us…you saved the ship.”
“I didn’t do it alone.”
Sunggyu stopped patting Henry and placed a hand on Woohyun’s back. “Well, Woohyun helped…by knocking Commander Ji-Hoon unconscious. I knew if I went for the phaser he was going to blow this ship to pieces…there wasn’t anything I could do. You two totally saved the ship.”
Woohyun disagreed, “No, you saved the ship. If it hadn’t been for you…both Henry and I would have been safe on the planet with everyone else. If it hadn’t been for your bravery the ship would be gone.”
“You give me too much credit.”
“You do give him too much credit,” Henry said, agreeing with Sunggyu, while grinning. “It wasn’t bravery; it was fucking stupidity…only an idiot stays for a warp core breach.”
Sunggyu chuckled and nodded his head. “Then I guess we three are all idiots.”
“Most definitely,” Henry concurred.
“Hey!” Woohyun protested. “At least we are brave idiots.”
“So shouldn’t we inform the others the ship wasn’t destroyed?” Henry asked, looking around the empty engineering department.
Sunggyu, who had a calculating look in his eyes, shook his head. “Not just yet…there are a few things I want to do first.”
Henry and Woohyun shared a concerned glance with each other.
“Hey, wouldn’t it be wrong not to take advantage of this situation?” Sunggyu asked after seeing their shared look. “There are a few things I am curious about, but I will need your assistance.”
“You know I will help you do anything,” Woohyun assured Sunggyu.
“Me too,” Henry agreed.
Sunggyu rubbed his hands together, looking almost gleeful. “We better get busy then. We don’t have much time and we have to completely cover our tracks.”
“Covering our tracks is made infinitely easier by the fact we are the only people on the ship…but we can’t maintain the ship for long,” Henry reminded the other ensign.
“I know,” Sunggyu stated. “It won’t take long.”
“Is there anything in particular you want us to do?” Woohyun asked.
“Actually, there is.”
******************************
“I can’t take another step.”
Yunho looked down at his mate who was sitting on the ground. “Jaejoong, please just bear with me a little longer.”
“My legs are killing me.”
Yunho, who was in perfect physical shape, knelt down beside his very pregnant mate and said encouragingly, “Just a little bit farther.”
Jaejoong, who was squeezing the calves of his legs, whined, “I can’t help it. I am pregnant!”
“I know.”
“Then why did you insist I climb up this fucking volcano with you, then? You are the worst bondmate in the history of bondmates!”
Yunho rolled his eyes at his lover, took a deep breath, and looked out at the amazing view. To the south and the west there were grasslands and forest and to the east and north there was an ocean with dark purple waters.
“It’s too high,” Jaejoong whined.
“We are not going to the top.”
“And it’s hot”
“It’s nice.”
“Nice?” Jaejoong hissed as he wiped sweat from his neck. “I don’t even sweat and I am drenched with sweat!”
“Just a little farther.”
“I can’t do it.”
“You are a Joong-a superior race; surely some extra poundage hasn’t incapacitated such a great being as yourself.”
“I am going to decapitate you if you don’t shut up!”
Yunho stood back up and folded his arms. “I just wanted you to see something…to share a moment with you…forgive me for including you.”
Jaejoong folded his arms mocking Yunho. “No, I won’t.”
“It’s just a little farther…”
“I can’t,” Jaejoong whined. “I know I am a superior being…but look at me! I am not immune to my physical state.”
Yunho extended his hand. “Then I will carry you.”
Jaejoong looked up at his lover, surprised. “Really?”
“Yes, I really want your opinion on something…and I don’t mind carrying you.”
The Joong took the extended hand and slowly stood up. “You aren’t just carrying me.”
“It is fine,” Yunho assured Jaejoong. “Do you want me to carry you princess style or piggyback?”
Jaejoong tilted his head and pondered the question. “I shall always go with the royal selection.”
Yunho laughed. “Of course, what was I thinking?”
“I don’t think piggyback would work in my current condition,” Jaejoong explained. “It would be uncomfortable, but it would be easier for you.”
“Jaejoong,” Yunho replied as he gently lifted the other man up his arms, “are you forgetting the bond?”
“No,” Jaejoong confessed. “I remember the bond, and I know because of it I weigh practically nothing. I was going to allow you to indulge your noble, self-sacrificing hang-ups.”
“They are not hang-ups,” Yunho told Jaejoong with a chuckle and started back up the volcano. “They are what makes me, me.”
Jaejoong grinned up at his mate, his arms draped around Yunho’s neck. “It’s been a long time since you carried me.”
“Has it been?”
“It feels like it…I don’t think I have ever carried you.”
“No.”
“I could.”
“Really…you can’t take another step but you could carry me.”
“I didn’t say now!”
Yunho chuckled and leaned forward to kiss Jaejoong on the forehead.
Jaejoong beamed up at his bondmate and proclaimed, “I love you.”
“You better.”
“I do…” Jaejoong paused as a perplexed look appeared on his face.
“What?”
“I just feel…”
“You feel what?” Yunho asked anxiously. “Did your water break…does your water even break?”
“No, my water is fine…” Jaejoong answered, shaking his head. “I just felt a strong sense of déjà vu…still feel it.”
Yunho took a few more steps before replying, “I have been feeling that too.”
“When did it start?”
“Not too long ago, I think it began when you started whining and bitching about not making it any farther.”
“I started sensing it the minute we started climbing.”
“What do you think it is?”
“It’s like another life…another reality leaking through…”
“Is that possible?”
“It is.”
Yunho shrugged and continued on his journey. “I wonder if I had to carry you around in that life, too.”
“Perhaps…perhaps you were my precious pet that carried me everywhere.”
Yunho growled, instantly recalling the memory. “So not funny.”
“Or perhaps, we had huge tiger cats that carried me around.”
“You need to stop.”
“Although, in the tiger reality…I would have probably carried you.”
“I am going to drop you,” Yunho warned.
Jaejoong tilted his head back and let out a hearty laugh. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“True,” Yunho agreed. “I’d never drop Changmin.”
“Hey!”
“But you are another story,” Yunho informed his mate as he carefully lowered him to the ground.
“Wait, don’t stop,” Jaejoong yelped, finding himself standing again. “You are way too sensitive!”
“No, I’m not,” Yunho responded as he pointed out at the scenery. “We have arrived.”
Jaejoong peered out at the view and then turned back to his mate. “It looks just like it did five minutes ago.”
“No, this is a better view.”
“Okay…” Jaejoong replied, looking skeptically back at the landscape. “Why was it so important that I see this?”
Yunho reached out, took Jaejoong by the hand and explained, “Somewhere on this planet is a Guardian of Time. It knows we are here, but it isn’t going to bring us to it…we are going to have to find it.”
Jaejoong slowly nodded his head. “Yes, we knew this.”
“You won’t be able to sense it till after Changmin is born.”
“Correct.”
“We can’t afford to wait that long. It took all of Ryeowook’s skills to save Junsu…next time it might not be enough.”
“We don’t have a choice but to wait.”
Yunho shook his head and squeezed Jaejoong’s hand. “I don’t believe that. The Guardian wouldn’t make the journey to it impossible…it wants to be found.”
“But Yunho…I have no idea where it is.”
“But maybe together…we can find it. I have powerful gut instincts…we are stranded here because I ignored those instincts for too long…because I let protocol and Star Fleet orders guide me. I should never have given Leeteuk control of my ship, but I can’t dwell on that any longer. I have to get my ship back.”
“And you will.”
“I will,” Yunho concurred. “I want to start working on getting it back, right now.”
“How?”
“We have it in us to find the Guardian…the three of us.”
“Three of us?”
“Changmin is with us…your telepathic powers are not gone, he is just monopolizing them...we just need to focus on finding the Guardian.”
A dubious Jaejoong asked, “Did you eat something…something you probably shouldn’t have? One of those red berries, perhaps? Do I need to heal you?”
“Jaejoong, I am not drugged…just try to feel the Guardian,” Yunho pleaded as he closed his eyes. “Just try to feel it. Please, for me.”
“Okay,” Jaejoong reluctantly agreed. He closed his eyes and held on to Yunho’s hand tightly. He pushed all the other thoughts out of his head. He cleared his mind and had just begun to meditate when his eyes flew open. “It’s on an island surrounded by the sea.”
Yunho smiled wide and reached out his hand and pointed toward the north. “That way.”
“Yes,” an amazed Jaejoong responded. “How did you know?”
“I didn’t, I just…I just felt it.”
“Why, aren’t you just full of surprises,” Jaejoong stated as he looked at his mate, full of admiration.
Yunho gazed back at his lover and nodded his head. “I have to be…not just anybody gets to be bonded with you.”
“Very true; so what are you going to do now?”
The former captain rubbed his hands together with enthusiasm. “We have to build a ship. There are a lot of islands off in that direction and I am sure the Guardian is on one of them.”
“Build a boat?”
“We can’t swim.”
Jaejoong frowned. “I am pregnant, I can’t do any manual labor.”
“If you weren’t pregnant you wouldn’t do manual labor.”
“Not true.”
Yunho gave Jaejoong an incredulous look. “Really, you….the Prince of Joong would build a boat?”
The Joong grinned as he grabbed Yunho by his uniform and pulled him closer. “If we were apart, I would build a boat or swim across an ocean to be with you.”
“So sappy,” Yunho teased as he ran a hand through Jaejoong’s blond strands of hair.
“You better enjoy it while it lasts.”
“Oh, I will.”
“Kiss me,” Jaejoong ordered with a twinkle in his eyes.
“Yes, your royal highness,” Yunho replied and happily obeyed.
*********************
Woohyun was sitting alone in the mess hall when Eunhyuk walked up to him. “Want some company for lunch?”
“Sure,” Woohyun said, accepting the offer. “I always like company.”
Eunhyuk sat down across from the other man at the table. “So I heard Sunggyu is a lieutenant now.”
“Yep.”
Eunhyuk just shook his head in amazement. “That is some kind of promotion…never graduated the academy and now he is a lieutenant.”
Sungmin, who had appeared unexpectedly, sat down beside Eunhyuk and questioned, “Do you have a problem with him being made a lieutenant?”
“No,” Eunhyuk denied. “I just…it’s just kind of a big deal.”
Sungmin situated his plate on the table and explained, “He’s actually just an acting lieutenant. The captain needed someone trustworthy and dependable running engineering and an ensign can not be the head of a department. Ensign Henry is by far the superior engineer, but he lacks the necessary leadership abilities.”
“I know this,” Eunhyuk insisted. “Believe it or not, I am not jealous. I know he is extremely capable…and you, Yesung, and Donghae don’t know anything about engineering.”
Sungmin took a drink of his milk and set it back down. “Very true, I guess I am just surprised you aren’t jealous.”
“Now, that…that Junsu is dead I am actually taking his words of wisdom to heart.”
The security chief reached out and patted Eunhyuk’s hand. “I know exactly what you mean. Junsu chewed me out good for not appreciating you enough before he died. Thanks to him I see things much clearer now.”
Eunhyuk paled. “What…what did he say?”
“He just pointed out what a lousy friend I had been to you. You are always worrying about me and he didn’t think I showed you the same consideration. He was very insistent about it.”
Well…that’s nice, I suppose,” Eunhyuk replied nervously as he focused his attention on Woohyun and asked, “So how is Commander Ji-Hoon doing?”
“He’s been back in stasis for the last week, but he has no brain function,” Woohyun answered. “Dr. Kim says his mind is completely gone.”
“That is too bad,” Sungmin commented. “Really sad.”
Eunhyuk frowned. “I hope it doesn’t eventually happen to Dr. Kim and the captain.”
Sungmin instantly blustered, “Why would you say that? The captain is absolutely fine. There is nothing wrong with him. He is in-Woohyun, what is wrong?”
Eunhyuk turned around following Woohyun’s darkened gaze and noticed that Sunggyu and SooYoung had just entered the mess hall. “Ouch.”
Sungmin frowned and sympathetically told the doctor, “That has to be hard on you.”
Woohyun forced his eyes away from Sunggyu and stared down at his food. “It’s really hard…harder than I ever would have imagined.”
“You just…you just need to let him go,” Eunhyuk offered weakly.
Sungmin, who had failed repeatedly to get Siwon to forgive him or even hear him out, bristled immediately and scolded his friend, “That is a lot easier said than done.”
“I never thought I could love anyone as much as I love him-I’d die for him,” Woohyun admitted, still avoiding their glances.
“Men are so stupid sometimes. Half the time I am ashamed to be one,” Sungmin stated. “She didn’t risk her life to save him when the ship was about to blow up, did she? Did she even give him a thought when she beamed down to the planet? No, it was you who went to engineering to help him.”
“But…if he prefers her…would it be fair to pretend otherwise just because he felt like he owed you?” Eunhyuk questioned, playing the devil’s advocate.
Both Woohyun and Sungmin glared at Eunhyuk.
“I am just saying…you can’t help who you like…or love,” Eunhyuk said in his defense as he cast a glance at the couple. “They look really intense…maybe you should take Sungmin up on his offer to move you to different quarters.”
Sungmin winced and confessed, “That really isn’t necessary anymore…is it?”
Woohyun shook his head.
Eunhyuk took turns looking at the two men. “Why? Did you already move to other quarters?”
“Sunggyu…has been staying with her,” Woohyun explained. “They are now living together.”
Eunhyuk opened his mouth and then promptly shut it.
********************************
“What are you looking at so intently?”
Junsu looked up to find Yoochun looking down at him. Junsu was outside the cave, leaning against it. “I saw the giant birds again.”
Yoochun groaned as he sat down by Junsu. “Did Ryeowook give you some good drugs?”
Junsu, who was feeling much better, grinned. “No, there aren’t any good drugs here…well, there are the red berries.”
Yoochun shook his head. “No, with them comes the shits, and my ass is just starting to feel better. You better just remind me not to get hurt.”
“Don’t get hurt.”
“So you saw your imaginary birds again.”
“They are not imaginary. I really did see them. There was a flock above the trees for just a few seconds.”
“How can you be sure?”
“I have prefect vision.”
“It’s weird that nobody else has seen them.”
“I know what I saw,” Junsu maintained, meeting Yoochun’s gaze.
Yoochun studied Junsu closely. “You look a lot healthier.”
“I feel a lot better.”
“Good.”
“I thought you were going with Kyuhyun and Ryeowook to search for suitable lumber.”
Yoochun stretched his arms out above his head and yawned. “They got up too early for me. Plus, who do you think is going to be the mastermind when it comes to actually building that boat? It will be me, so for now I am going to be lazy.”
Junsu looked away from Yoochun and back toward the forest. “Are you sure that is the only reason?”
Yoochun, whose gaze had never left Junsu, questioned, “Are you suggesting I was actually being nice and giving them alone time?”
Junsu nodded his head and immediately winced.
“Hey, you have hole in your throat,” Yoochun said scolding the other man. “You can talk now, so talk. No nodding or shaking your head.”
“I just forgot,” Junsu explained as he reached up and placed his hand over the bandage covering his “I don’t even want to know what Ryeowook stitched me up with.”
“No, you don’t…you really don’t.”
Junsu closed his eyes and confessed, “The business of surviving isn’t for the faint hearted, is it?”
“No,” Yoochun agreed. “Surviving is hard. You can’t afford to be too faint or kind hearted.”
“But…but you were nice today.”
“Giving the Chos time to fuck is a favor to all of us, believe me. Ryeowook is a lot less bossy after he rides Kyuhyun’s cock.”
Junsu fidgeted slightly at Yoochun’s bluntness, but he didn’t deny it. “They deserve to be happy.”
Yoochun looked away from Junsu and toward the forest. “Perhaps they do…they have been miserable for a long time.”
“Way too long.”
“Speaking of unhappy…Jaejoong is scary as hell today, and that is saying a lot considering how fucking scary he usually is.”
“He is definitely in a mood,” Junsu agreed.
“Yunho can’t even please him. Hell, I almost went with the Chos just to spare myself the agony of having to be in the same vicinity as the moody mother to be from hell.”
“He has been…” Junsu paused not wanting to talk ill about the Joong. “He has been very vocal today…maybe he’s about to go into labor.”
Yoochun brightened. “I hope so, and then we can get off this wretched planet. I can only imagine what that dumbass Ji-Hoon has done to my engines.”
************
“The crew grows uneasy at our extended stay here,” Heechul stated as he approached Leeteuk, who stood in ten forward looking down on the planet Zilax from orbit. “They do not understand why we continue to orbit this planet.”
“I am respecting the mourning process.”
“You are doing no such thing.”
“They don’t know that.”
Heechul looked critically at Leeteuk and pronounced, “This search is useless. The Key Ad Vitam will not reveal itself to us.”
Leeteuk kept his gaze locked on the planet. “I have not come this far to give up now.”
“You will have to give up when Jaejoong returns to this ship.”
“He hasn’t returned yet.”
“He will return in time, the Guardian will not refuse him forever, especially not with a babe in his arms.”
Leeteuk looked at Heechul and corrected him, “Guardians are unpredictable at best. You do not know how it will react, no one does.”
“Have the Guardians not proved helpful to this crew in the past?”
“Yes, to an extent, but they can be rather stingy when it comes to their favorites. We have time.”
“Are you so certain? A Joong…a royal Joong…and especially that Joong, will have no difficulty subduing us. I would not be surprised if he is not able to push our consciousnesses out of these bodies.”
“He is not that highly trained.”
“How do you know? Joongs are instinctively secretive and especially him. Have you not read the files? He has been lying…withholding truths since he arrived on this ship.”
Leeteuk pondered over Heechul’s words for only a short moment. “I will not give up the search for it.”
“We have the ferro interficere ; it is enough.”
“No, it is not.”
“It is for me.”
“We are not even sure it will work. We will only get three tries.”
“Three is all we need. If it works…it will be enough for me.”
“Are you becoming so soft?” Leeteuk questioned, suspiciously. “How can you say it is enough? It isn’t enough-it’s not nearly enough.”
Heechul stiffened at Leeteuk’s accusing words, and said defensively, “They will never allow you your revenge.”
Leeteuk sneered and stated in a voice full of loathing, “They do not care…they do not bother themselves with this realm.”
“Then why seek revenge?”
“Why? You know why! How can you ask such a question?”
Heechul looked back down at the planet, while maintaining calm in other man’s presence. “If they will not be aware of our revenge…what sense of resolution is there to seek?”
“Revenge is its own resolution…a goal much desired.”
“I still do not believe they will allow it.”
“In their omnipotence they have reached a level of ambivalence that will prove beneficial to us.”
“Are you so certain of their ambivalence?”
“Yes, I am certain.”
“Then why can’t you find it?”
“Because…when they did still care…they made sure it was protected against the likes of us…but against their precious Earthlings…I think not.”
“Then why have you not had the members of this crew search for it?”
“Because unlike the Guardians, who filter and protect time from ignorance and the likes of us…it has no such filter.”
“Isn’t that why you want it?”
“Yes, but if an Earthling accidentally activated it and it transported them before we could claim it…it would be most unfortunate.”
*************************
“Sir!”
“Don’t Sir me! I was just a lowly ensign like you two losers,” a very drunk Kangin bitterly shouted at the two young ensigns trailing after him. “I am resigning from the fleet and there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it!”
“Si-Kangin, you are a still a member of Star Fleet,” Ensign Dongwoo insisted as he followed the older man through the crowded street. “Please don’t leave. You are great! We all look up to you.”
“I don’t give a shit. I told you I quit,” Kangin yelled as he stopped long enough to sling the heavy bag he was carrying to his other shoulder. “I know you look up to me, kid…but I can’t stay on this sham of a ship. It is a disgrace to Star Fleet and the Federation.”
Ensign Myungsoo, who stood beside the panicked Dongwoo, suggested, “Will you allow us to take you to Lieutenant Sunggyu first…before you make any rash decisions?”
Kangin swung around to face the two younger men, and seethed, “No, I have nothing to say to that…that slimy dog! Yunho had so much faith in him…and I should have known Yunho was wrong when he let that pompous ass take credit for a dead man’s deed…my friend’s deed…my dead friend’s deed! Ensign Sunggyu…excuse me-Lieutenant Sunggyu knows how to handle his superiors…knows how to manipulate them! I will give him credit for that…hell, if we were still in Federation space he’d be an admiral by now.”
“What about Lieutenant SooYoung?” Dongwoo questioned quickly. “Will you talk to her?”
“No!” Kangin shouted. “I don’t want to talk to anyone! I want to leave! I am going to be making it on my own from now on. Although, if I ever see that lily-white coward posing as a star ship captain again, I’d love to tell him a few things…the first being to kiss my ass!”
“Please, don’t leave,” Dongwoo pleaded.
“I won’t be part of a crew where the captain turns tail and runs at the first sign of trouble! That isn’t what I signed up for!”
Myungsoo saw an opening and quickly took advantage of it. “But Lieutenant Sunggyu did not turn tail and run did he? He stayed and saved the ship…so just maybe you should hear what he has to say.”
“Ugh…” Kangin paused as his intoxicated mind failed to find a proper response. Unable to find an excuse that sounded rational in his own mind, he went with an irrational one. “Yeah…well, he couldn’t very well get a promoted to lieutenant if we didn’t have a ship…it might have been his plan all along. I can’t be a-”
“Ensign Kangin!”
The two younger ensigns and the very drunk Kangin all turned around to find a very irritated looking Lieutenant Sunggyu glaring at them.
Kangin pointed his finger at the young lieutenant and accused, “I don’t give a fuck if you are the Chief Admiral of Star Fleet, you can’t command-”
Sunggyu quickly interrupted the older man and questioned, “Were Commander Yoochun and Captain Yunho not your two oldest and dearest friends?”
“Umm…yeah, but you are no-”
“Did those two great men not show great faith in me?”
“Yeah, but they were wrong. I will give you credit, because it’s the rare man that could hoodwink both of them.”
“So you believe them both to be fools?”
“No…that isn’t…I didn’t say that.”
“Do you have such a low opinion of their judgment that you can not spare me five minutes of your time?”
Before Kangin could answer Sunggyu turned around, motioned them all to follow, and took off in the direction of one of the brothels.
For a moment Kangin did not move or say a word, but after only a few seconds he grudgingly followed after the irritated lieutenant; even inebriated…his loyalty to his lost friends demanded that he follow.
*******************************************
“It’s a very good morning, Mr. Cho.”
“Indeed it is, Dr. Cho.”
The happily married couple was resting on a bed of leaves inside a hollowed out log; both were naked.
Ryeowook leisurely stretched out his arms. “Wonderful morning.”
Kyuhyun grinned as he reached out and took one of Ryeowook’s extended hands, brought it to his mouth and gently kissed it. “And you haven’t delivered any babies so I am confidant I am the only reason behind your good mood.”
Ryeowook shifted to his side and grinned back at his husband. “Confidant, are you?”
Kyuhyun winked. “I shall start boasting any minute.”
“Boast away.”
“I shall.”
“I don’t mind…I am feeling pretty boastful myself,” Ryeowook informed his husband, winking back at him.
Kyuhyun inhaled a deep breath and blurted out, “I love you so much.”
Ryeowook propped himself up with one arm, leaned in and whispered in Kyuhyun’s ear, “I never get tired of hearing you say that, never.”
“It’s the truth.”
“I know, and I love you just as much…you’re my love, my kiss-”
“My heart,” Kyuhyun interrupted to finish as he pulled Ryeowook into a warm embrace. They kissed slowly and tenderly.
Ryeowook pulled away from the kiss, groaned, and buried his face in Kyuhyun’s chest. “It’s getting warm.”
Kyuhyun ran his hands gently down Ryeowook’s backside. “Too warm…and we failed to find suitable timber.”
“I think they will forgive us,” Ryeowook stated as he reluctantly sat up. “Although, they probably won’t-”
“What is…” Kyuhyun paused, noticing his husband tense. The commander turned and followed Ryeowook’s gaze; he was startled to see a creature that both resembled a monkey and large bird of prey staring back at them as it held the phaser that Kyuhyun had set down earlier beside his clothes.
Before Kyuhyun could utter a word or jump for the phaser the creature took flight while still clutching it
An amazed Ryeowook watched the creature fly away as he proclaimed, “It’s like a flying monkey straight out of The Wizard of Oz.”
Kyuhyun got up quickly and started putting his uniform back on. “That was our only defense…our only weapon…and what is The Wizard of Oz?”
“A very old book,” Ryeowook answered as he started to get dressed. “Yunho is going to kill us…if Yoochun doesn’t kill us first.”
“We will deserve it,” Kyuhyun replied, letting his own disappointment show. “I don’t know what I was thinking…well, actually I do know what I was thinking…but I shouldn’t have-I behaved like some green cadet and not a commander on a star ship. My mother would have me demoted back down to ensign for this.”
“We both acted recklessly,” Ryeowook conceded. “But we can regret this all later…the dinosaur creatures will be out shortly…if they aren’t already out and we have no defense against them.”
Kyuhyun grabbed Ryeowook’s hand and took off in the direction of the cave. “We could top this day off by getting eaten by a dinosaur, but still…”
“Still what?”
“It would still be a wonderful day.”
Ryeowook chuckled at his husband, but before he could agree his combadge went off. The doctor reached up to tap it, not slowing down. “Yes.”
A very frantic Junsu shouted over the link, “Dr. Cho! Dr. Cho, you have to get back here, now!”
“What’s wrong?”
“Jaejoong is in labor!”
Ryeowook smiled, but quickened his pace. “That’s great news!”
“No! It isn’t,” Junsu immediately responded. “He’s really mean. The captain is bleeding!”
“Bleeding?” A puzzled Ryeowook repeated. “Why would Yunho be bleeding?”
“Jaejoong hit him. Can you hear them?”
Ryeowook and Kyuhyun both listened carefully and sure enough they could hear Jaejoong, Yunho and Yoochun in the background.
“Where are you?” Ryeowook asked the ensign.
“I am hiding outside of the cave…no way am I going in there.”
Kyuhyun asked, “Why on earth is Yoochun in there?”
“The captain demanded it…said if they were really best friends,” Junsu answered. “I think he is scared of Jaejoong.”
Ryeowook and Kyuhyun shared a perplexed look before the loud voice of Commander Yoochun could be heard screaming, “I AM AN ENGINEER, NOT A FUCKING MIDWIFE!”
Adventure Fifteen: Begin Again, Part 3 of 4
Author: Aquariuslover
Pairings: KyuWook, Yunjae, Various
Rating: R
Genre: Crossover, Romance, Science Fiction, Adventure
Length: Chaptered
Beta: tahoeturquoise
A/N: This story is inspired by Star Trek and the Kpop community.
Summary: The cycle of life continues as alliances are made, love moves forward, a beloved infant is born, and the journey of two souls inch closer and closer to the evitable end.
Prior Adventures
Ensign Henry slumped against the power console as the computer stopped the countdown to the ship’s total destruction. “I think I need a hug.”
Woohyun quickly hugged Sunggyu, who was standing beside him, and then rushed toward Ensign Henry and engulfed him in a hug, too.
Sunggyu remained frozen in place, allowing himself a moment to come to terms with what had just happened.
“I almost wet myself, no lie,” Woohyun informed the others as he tightly embraced Ensign Henry.
“I think I did,” Henry gasped, hugging the doctor back.
Sunggyu collected himself, walked over and patted Ensign Henry on the back. He awkwardly told the engineering prodigy, “You saved the ship. You saved us…you saved the ship.”
“You did,” Woohyun agreed as he released Henry, bent over, placed his hands on his knees, and tried to calm his racing heart. “I still can’t believe it. I don’t know you that well…but I love you, man. I really love you.”
Henry shook his head amused. “I still can’t believe it worked.”
“It did work,” Sunggyu confirmed. “You saved us…you saved the ship.”
“I didn’t do it alone.”
Sunggyu stopped patting Henry and placed a hand on Woohyun’s back. “Well, Woohyun helped…by knocking Commander Ji-Hoon unconscious. I knew if I went for the phaser he was going to blow this ship to pieces…there wasn’t anything I could do. You two totally saved the ship.”
Woohyun disagreed, “No, you saved the ship. If it hadn’t been for you…both Henry and I would have been safe on the planet with everyone else. If it hadn’t been for your bravery the ship would be gone.”
“You give me too much credit.”
“You do give him too much credit,” Henry said, agreeing with Sunggyu, while grinning. “It wasn’t bravery; it was fucking stupidity…only an idiot stays for a warp core breach.”
Sunggyu chuckled and nodded his head. “Then I guess we three are all idiots.”
“Most definitely,” Henry concurred.
“Hey!” Woohyun protested. “At least we are brave idiots.”
“So shouldn’t we inform the others the ship wasn’t destroyed?” Henry asked, looking around the empty engineering department.
Sunggyu, who had a calculating look in his eyes, shook his head. “Not just yet…there are a few things I want to do first.”
Henry and Woohyun shared a concerned glance with each other.
“Hey, wouldn’t it be wrong not to take advantage of this situation?” Sunggyu asked after seeing their shared look. “There are a few things I am curious about, but I will need your assistance.”
“You know I will help you do anything,” Woohyun assured Sunggyu.
“Me too,” Henry agreed.
Sunggyu rubbed his hands together, looking almost gleeful. “We better get busy then. We don’t have much time and we have to completely cover our tracks.”
“Covering our tracks is made infinitely easier by the fact we are the only people on the ship…but we can’t maintain the ship for long,” Henry reminded the other ensign.
“I know,” Sunggyu stated. “It won’t take long.”
“Is there anything in particular you want us to do?” Woohyun asked.
“Actually, there is.”
******************************
“I can’t take another step.”
Yunho looked down at his mate who was sitting on the ground. “Jaejoong, please just bear with me a little longer.”
“My legs are killing me.”
Yunho, who was in perfect physical shape, knelt down beside his very pregnant mate and said encouragingly, “Just a little bit farther.”
Jaejoong, who was squeezing the calves of his legs, whined, “I can’t help it. I am pregnant!”
“I know.”
“Then why did you insist I climb up this fucking volcano with you, then? You are the worst bondmate in the history of bondmates!”
Yunho rolled his eyes at his lover, took a deep breath, and looked out at the amazing view. To the south and the west there were grasslands and forest and to the east and north there was an ocean with dark purple waters.
“It’s too high,” Jaejoong whined.
“We are not going to the top.”
“And it’s hot”
“It’s nice.”
“Nice?” Jaejoong hissed as he wiped sweat from his neck. “I don’t even sweat and I am drenched with sweat!”
“Just a little farther.”
“I can’t do it.”
“You are a Joong-a superior race; surely some extra poundage hasn’t incapacitated such a great being as yourself.”
“I am going to decapitate you if you don’t shut up!”
Yunho stood back up and folded his arms. “I just wanted you to see something…to share a moment with you…forgive me for including you.”
Jaejoong folded his arms mocking Yunho. “No, I won’t.”
“It’s just a little farther…”
“I can’t,” Jaejoong whined. “I know I am a superior being…but look at me! I am not immune to my physical state.”
Yunho extended his hand. “Then I will carry you.”
Jaejoong looked up at his lover, surprised. “Really?”
“Yes, I really want your opinion on something…and I don’t mind carrying you.”
The Joong took the extended hand and slowly stood up. “You aren’t just carrying me.”
“It is fine,” Yunho assured Jaejoong. “Do you want me to carry you princess style or piggyback?”
Jaejoong tilted his head and pondered the question. “I shall always go with the royal selection.”
Yunho laughed. “Of course, what was I thinking?”
“I don’t think piggyback would work in my current condition,” Jaejoong explained. “It would be uncomfortable, but it would be easier for you.”
“Jaejoong,” Yunho replied as he gently lifted the other man up his arms, “are you forgetting the bond?”
“No,” Jaejoong confessed. “I remember the bond, and I know because of it I weigh practically nothing. I was going to allow you to indulge your noble, self-sacrificing hang-ups.”
“They are not hang-ups,” Yunho told Jaejoong with a chuckle and started back up the volcano. “They are what makes me, me.”
Jaejoong grinned up at his mate, his arms draped around Yunho’s neck. “It’s been a long time since you carried me.”
“Has it been?”
“It feels like it…I don’t think I have ever carried you.”
“No.”
“I could.”
“Really…you can’t take another step but you could carry me.”
“I didn’t say now!”
Yunho chuckled and leaned forward to kiss Jaejoong on the forehead.
Jaejoong beamed up at his bondmate and proclaimed, “I love you.”
“You better.”
“I do…” Jaejoong paused as a perplexed look appeared on his face.
“What?”
“I just feel…”
“You feel what?” Yunho asked anxiously. “Did your water break…does your water even break?”
“No, my water is fine…” Jaejoong answered, shaking his head. “I just felt a strong sense of déjà vu…still feel it.”
Yunho took a few more steps before replying, “I have been feeling that too.”
“When did it start?”
“Not too long ago, I think it began when you started whining and bitching about not making it any farther.”
“I started sensing it the minute we started climbing.”
“What do you think it is?”
“It’s like another life…another reality leaking through…”
“Is that possible?”
“It is.”
Yunho shrugged and continued on his journey. “I wonder if I had to carry you around in that life, too.”
“Perhaps…perhaps you were my precious pet that carried me everywhere.”
Yunho growled, instantly recalling the memory. “So not funny.”
“Or perhaps, we had huge tiger cats that carried me around.”
“You need to stop.”
“Although, in the tiger reality…I would have probably carried you.”
“I am going to drop you,” Yunho warned.
Jaejoong tilted his head back and let out a hearty laugh. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“True,” Yunho agreed. “I’d never drop Changmin.”
“Hey!”
“But you are another story,” Yunho informed his mate as he carefully lowered him to the ground.
“Wait, don’t stop,” Jaejoong yelped, finding himself standing again. “You are way too sensitive!”
“No, I’m not,” Yunho responded as he pointed out at the scenery. “We have arrived.”
Jaejoong peered out at the view and then turned back to his mate. “It looks just like it did five minutes ago.”
“No, this is a better view.”
“Okay…” Jaejoong replied, looking skeptically back at the landscape. “Why was it so important that I see this?”
Yunho reached out, took Jaejoong by the hand and explained, “Somewhere on this planet is a Guardian of Time. It knows we are here, but it isn’t going to bring us to it…we are going to have to find it.”
Jaejoong slowly nodded his head. “Yes, we knew this.”
“You won’t be able to sense it till after Changmin is born.”
“Correct.”
“We can’t afford to wait that long. It took all of Ryeowook’s skills to save Junsu…next time it might not be enough.”
“We don’t have a choice but to wait.”
Yunho shook his head and squeezed Jaejoong’s hand. “I don’t believe that. The Guardian wouldn’t make the journey to it impossible…it wants to be found.”
“But Yunho…I have no idea where it is.”
“But maybe together…we can find it. I have powerful gut instincts…we are stranded here because I ignored those instincts for too long…because I let protocol and Star Fleet orders guide me. I should never have given Leeteuk control of my ship, but I can’t dwell on that any longer. I have to get my ship back.”
“And you will.”
“I will,” Yunho concurred. “I want to start working on getting it back, right now.”
“How?”
“We have it in us to find the Guardian…the three of us.”
“Three of us?”
“Changmin is with us…your telepathic powers are not gone, he is just monopolizing them...we just need to focus on finding the Guardian.”
A dubious Jaejoong asked, “Did you eat something…something you probably shouldn’t have? One of those red berries, perhaps? Do I need to heal you?”
“Jaejoong, I am not drugged…just try to feel the Guardian,” Yunho pleaded as he closed his eyes. “Just try to feel it. Please, for me.”
“Okay,” Jaejoong reluctantly agreed. He closed his eyes and held on to Yunho’s hand tightly. He pushed all the other thoughts out of his head. He cleared his mind and had just begun to meditate when his eyes flew open. “It’s on an island surrounded by the sea.”
Yunho smiled wide and reached out his hand and pointed toward the north. “That way.”
“Yes,” an amazed Jaejoong responded. “How did you know?”
“I didn’t, I just…I just felt it.”
“Why, aren’t you just full of surprises,” Jaejoong stated as he looked at his mate, full of admiration.
Yunho gazed back at his lover and nodded his head. “I have to be…not just anybody gets to be bonded with you.”
“Very true; so what are you going to do now?”
The former captain rubbed his hands together with enthusiasm. “We have to build a ship. There are a lot of islands off in that direction and I am sure the Guardian is on one of them.”
“Build a boat?”
“We can’t swim.”
Jaejoong frowned. “I am pregnant, I can’t do any manual labor.”
“If you weren’t pregnant you wouldn’t do manual labor.”
“Not true.”
Yunho gave Jaejoong an incredulous look. “Really, you….the Prince of Joong would build a boat?”
The Joong grinned as he grabbed Yunho by his uniform and pulled him closer. “If we were apart, I would build a boat or swim across an ocean to be with you.”
“So sappy,” Yunho teased as he ran a hand through Jaejoong’s blond strands of hair.
“You better enjoy it while it lasts.”
“Oh, I will.”
“Kiss me,” Jaejoong ordered with a twinkle in his eyes.
“Yes, your royal highness,” Yunho replied and happily obeyed.
*********************
Woohyun was sitting alone in the mess hall when Eunhyuk walked up to him. “Want some company for lunch?”
“Sure,” Woohyun said, accepting the offer. “I always like company.”
Eunhyuk sat down across from the other man at the table. “So I heard Sunggyu is a lieutenant now.”
“Yep.”
Eunhyuk just shook his head in amazement. “That is some kind of promotion…never graduated the academy and now he is a lieutenant.”
Sungmin, who had appeared unexpectedly, sat down beside Eunhyuk and questioned, “Do you have a problem with him being made a lieutenant?”
“No,” Eunhyuk denied. “I just…it’s just kind of a big deal.”
Sungmin situated his plate on the table and explained, “He’s actually just an acting lieutenant. The captain needed someone trustworthy and dependable running engineering and an ensign can not be the head of a department. Ensign Henry is by far the superior engineer, but he lacks the necessary leadership abilities.”
“I know this,” Eunhyuk insisted. “Believe it or not, I am not jealous. I know he is extremely capable…and you, Yesung, and Donghae don’t know anything about engineering.”
Sungmin took a drink of his milk and set it back down. “Very true, I guess I am just surprised you aren’t jealous.”
“Now, that…that Junsu is dead I am actually taking his words of wisdom to heart.”
The security chief reached out and patted Eunhyuk’s hand. “I know exactly what you mean. Junsu chewed me out good for not appreciating you enough before he died. Thanks to him I see things much clearer now.”
Eunhyuk paled. “What…what did he say?”
“He just pointed out what a lousy friend I had been to you. You are always worrying about me and he didn’t think I showed you the same consideration. He was very insistent about it.”
Well…that’s nice, I suppose,” Eunhyuk replied nervously as he focused his attention on Woohyun and asked, “So how is Commander Ji-Hoon doing?”
“He’s been back in stasis for the last week, but he has no brain function,” Woohyun answered. “Dr. Kim says his mind is completely gone.”
“That is too bad,” Sungmin commented. “Really sad.”
Eunhyuk frowned. “I hope it doesn’t eventually happen to Dr. Kim and the captain.”
Sungmin instantly blustered, “Why would you say that? The captain is absolutely fine. There is nothing wrong with him. He is in-Woohyun, what is wrong?”
Eunhyuk turned around following Woohyun’s darkened gaze and noticed that Sunggyu and SooYoung had just entered the mess hall. “Ouch.”
Sungmin frowned and sympathetically told the doctor, “That has to be hard on you.”
Woohyun forced his eyes away from Sunggyu and stared down at his food. “It’s really hard…harder than I ever would have imagined.”
“You just…you just need to let him go,” Eunhyuk offered weakly.
Sungmin, who had failed repeatedly to get Siwon to forgive him or even hear him out, bristled immediately and scolded his friend, “That is a lot easier said than done.”
“I never thought I could love anyone as much as I love him-I’d die for him,” Woohyun admitted, still avoiding their glances.
“Men are so stupid sometimes. Half the time I am ashamed to be one,” Sungmin stated. “She didn’t risk her life to save him when the ship was about to blow up, did she? Did she even give him a thought when she beamed down to the planet? No, it was you who went to engineering to help him.”
“But…if he prefers her…would it be fair to pretend otherwise just because he felt like he owed you?” Eunhyuk questioned, playing the devil’s advocate.
Both Woohyun and Sungmin glared at Eunhyuk.
“I am just saying…you can’t help who you like…or love,” Eunhyuk said in his defense as he cast a glance at the couple. “They look really intense…maybe you should take Sungmin up on his offer to move you to different quarters.”
Sungmin winced and confessed, “That really isn’t necessary anymore…is it?”
Woohyun shook his head.
Eunhyuk took turns looking at the two men. “Why? Did you already move to other quarters?”
“Sunggyu…has been staying with her,” Woohyun explained. “They are now living together.”
Eunhyuk opened his mouth and then promptly shut it.
********************************
“What are you looking at so intently?”
Junsu looked up to find Yoochun looking down at him. Junsu was outside the cave, leaning against it. “I saw the giant birds again.”
Yoochun groaned as he sat down by Junsu. “Did Ryeowook give you some good drugs?”
Junsu, who was feeling much better, grinned. “No, there aren’t any good drugs here…well, there are the red berries.”
Yoochun shook his head. “No, with them comes the shits, and my ass is just starting to feel better. You better just remind me not to get hurt.”
“Don’t get hurt.”
“So you saw your imaginary birds again.”
“They are not imaginary. I really did see them. There was a flock above the trees for just a few seconds.”
“How can you be sure?”
“I have prefect vision.”
“It’s weird that nobody else has seen them.”
“I know what I saw,” Junsu maintained, meeting Yoochun’s gaze.
Yoochun studied Junsu closely. “You look a lot healthier.”
“I feel a lot better.”
“Good.”
“I thought you were going with Kyuhyun and Ryeowook to search for suitable lumber.”
Yoochun stretched his arms out above his head and yawned. “They got up too early for me. Plus, who do you think is going to be the mastermind when it comes to actually building that boat? It will be me, so for now I am going to be lazy.”
Junsu looked away from Yoochun and back toward the forest. “Are you sure that is the only reason?”
Yoochun, whose gaze had never left Junsu, questioned, “Are you suggesting I was actually being nice and giving them alone time?”
Junsu nodded his head and immediately winced.
“Hey, you have hole in your throat,” Yoochun said scolding the other man. “You can talk now, so talk. No nodding or shaking your head.”
“I just forgot,” Junsu explained as he reached up and placed his hand over the bandage covering his “I don’t even want to know what Ryeowook stitched me up with.”
“No, you don’t…you really don’t.”
Junsu closed his eyes and confessed, “The business of surviving isn’t for the faint hearted, is it?”
“No,” Yoochun agreed. “Surviving is hard. You can’t afford to be too faint or kind hearted.”
“But…but you were nice today.”
“Giving the Chos time to fuck is a favor to all of us, believe me. Ryeowook is a lot less bossy after he rides Kyuhyun’s cock.”
Junsu fidgeted slightly at Yoochun’s bluntness, but he didn’t deny it. “They deserve to be happy.”
Yoochun looked away from Junsu and toward the forest. “Perhaps they do…they have been miserable for a long time.”
“Way too long.”
“Speaking of unhappy…Jaejoong is scary as hell today, and that is saying a lot considering how fucking scary he usually is.”
“He is definitely in a mood,” Junsu agreed.
“Yunho can’t even please him. Hell, I almost went with the Chos just to spare myself the agony of having to be in the same vicinity as the moody mother to be from hell.”
“He has been…” Junsu paused not wanting to talk ill about the Joong. “He has been very vocal today…maybe he’s about to go into labor.”
Yoochun brightened. “I hope so, and then we can get off this wretched planet. I can only imagine what that dumbass Ji-Hoon has done to my engines.”
************
“The crew grows uneasy at our extended stay here,” Heechul stated as he approached Leeteuk, who stood in ten forward looking down on the planet Zilax from orbit. “They do not understand why we continue to orbit this planet.”
“I am respecting the mourning process.”
“You are doing no such thing.”
“They don’t know that.”
Heechul looked critically at Leeteuk and pronounced, “This search is useless. The Key Ad Vitam will not reveal itself to us.”
Leeteuk kept his gaze locked on the planet. “I have not come this far to give up now.”
“You will have to give up when Jaejoong returns to this ship.”
“He hasn’t returned yet.”
“He will return in time, the Guardian will not refuse him forever, especially not with a babe in his arms.”
Leeteuk looked at Heechul and corrected him, “Guardians are unpredictable at best. You do not know how it will react, no one does.”
“Have the Guardians not proved helpful to this crew in the past?”
“Yes, to an extent, but they can be rather stingy when it comes to their favorites. We have time.”
“Are you so certain? A Joong…a royal Joong…and especially that Joong, will have no difficulty subduing us. I would not be surprised if he is not able to push our consciousnesses out of these bodies.”
“He is not that highly trained.”
“How do you know? Joongs are instinctively secretive and especially him. Have you not read the files? He has been lying…withholding truths since he arrived on this ship.”
Leeteuk pondered over Heechul’s words for only a short moment. “I will not give up the search for it.”
“We have the ferro interficere ; it is enough.”
“No, it is not.”
“It is for me.”
“We are not even sure it will work. We will only get three tries.”
“Three is all we need. If it works…it will be enough for me.”
“Are you becoming so soft?” Leeteuk questioned, suspiciously. “How can you say it is enough? It isn’t enough-it’s not nearly enough.”
Heechul stiffened at Leeteuk’s accusing words, and said defensively, “They will never allow you your revenge.”
Leeteuk sneered and stated in a voice full of loathing, “They do not care…they do not bother themselves with this realm.”
“Then why seek revenge?”
“Why? You know why! How can you ask such a question?”
Heechul looked back down at the planet, while maintaining calm in other man’s presence. “If they will not be aware of our revenge…what sense of resolution is there to seek?”
“Revenge is its own resolution…a goal much desired.”
“I still do not believe they will allow it.”
“In their omnipotence they have reached a level of ambivalence that will prove beneficial to us.”
“Are you so certain of their ambivalence?”
“Yes, I am certain.”
“Then why can’t you find it?”
“Because…when they did still care…they made sure it was protected against the likes of us…but against their precious Earthlings…I think not.”
“Then why have you not had the members of this crew search for it?”
“Because unlike the Guardians, who filter and protect time from ignorance and the likes of us…it has no such filter.”
“Isn’t that why you want it?”
“Yes, but if an Earthling accidentally activated it and it transported them before we could claim it…it would be most unfortunate.”
*************************
“Sir!”
“Don’t Sir me! I was just a lowly ensign like you two losers,” a very drunk Kangin bitterly shouted at the two young ensigns trailing after him. “I am resigning from the fleet and there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it!”
“Si-Kangin, you are a still a member of Star Fleet,” Ensign Dongwoo insisted as he followed the older man through the crowded street. “Please don’t leave. You are great! We all look up to you.”
“I don’t give a shit. I told you I quit,” Kangin yelled as he stopped long enough to sling the heavy bag he was carrying to his other shoulder. “I know you look up to me, kid…but I can’t stay on this sham of a ship. It is a disgrace to Star Fleet and the Federation.”
Ensign Myungsoo, who stood beside the panicked Dongwoo, suggested, “Will you allow us to take you to Lieutenant Sunggyu first…before you make any rash decisions?”
Kangin swung around to face the two younger men, and seethed, “No, I have nothing to say to that…that slimy dog! Yunho had so much faith in him…and I should have known Yunho was wrong when he let that pompous ass take credit for a dead man’s deed…my friend’s deed…my dead friend’s deed! Ensign Sunggyu…excuse me-Lieutenant Sunggyu knows how to handle his superiors…knows how to manipulate them! I will give him credit for that…hell, if we were still in Federation space he’d be an admiral by now.”
“What about Lieutenant SooYoung?” Dongwoo questioned quickly. “Will you talk to her?”
“No!” Kangin shouted. “I don’t want to talk to anyone! I want to leave! I am going to be making it on my own from now on. Although, if I ever see that lily-white coward posing as a star ship captain again, I’d love to tell him a few things…the first being to kiss my ass!”
“Please, don’t leave,” Dongwoo pleaded.
“I won’t be part of a crew where the captain turns tail and runs at the first sign of trouble! That isn’t what I signed up for!”
Myungsoo saw an opening and quickly took advantage of it. “But Lieutenant Sunggyu did not turn tail and run did he? He stayed and saved the ship…so just maybe you should hear what he has to say.”
“Ugh…” Kangin paused as his intoxicated mind failed to find a proper response. Unable to find an excuse that sounded rational in his own mind, he went with an irrational one. “Yeah…well, he couldn’t very well get a promoted to lieutenant if we didn’t have a ship…it might have been his plan all along. I can’t be a-”
“Ensign Kangin!”
The two younger ensigns and the very drunk Kangin all turned around to find a very irritated looking Lieutenant Sunggyu glaring at them.
Kangin pointed his finger at the young lieutenant and accused, “I don’t give a fuck if you are the Chief Admiral of Star Fleet, you can’t command-”
Sunggyu quickly interrupted the older man and questioned, “Were Commander Yoochun and Captain Yunho not your two oldest and dearest friends?”
“Umm…yeah, but you are no-”
“Did those two great men not show great faith in me?”
“Yeah, but they were wrong. I will give you credit, because it’s the rare man that could hoodwink both of them.”
“So you believe them both to be fools?”
“No…that isn’t…I didn’t say that.”
“Do you have such a low opinion of their judgment that you can not spare me five minutes of your time?”
Before Kangin could answer Sunggyu turned around, motioned them all to follow, and took off in the direction of one of the brothels.
For a moment Kangin did not move or say a word, but after only a few seconds he grudgingly followed after the irritated lieutenant; even inebriated…his loyalty to his lost friends demanded that he follow.
*******************************************
“It’s a very good morning, Mr. Cho.”
“Indeed it is, Dr. Cho.”
The happily married couple was resting on a bed of leaves inside a hollowed out log; both were naked.
Ryeowook leisurely stretched out his arms. “Wonderful morning.”
Kyuhyun grinned as he reached out and took one of Ryeowook’s extended hands, brought it to his mouth and gently kissed it. “And you haven’t delivered any babies so I am confidant I am the only reason behind your good mood.”
Ryeowook shifted to his side and grinned back at his husband. “Confidant, are you?”
Kyuhyun winked. “I shall start boasting any minute.”
“Boast away.”
“I shall.”
“I don’t mind…I am feeling pretty boastful myself,” Ryeowook informed his husband, winking back at him.
Kyuhyun inhaled a deep breath and blurted out, “I love you so much.”
Ryeowook propped himself up with one arm, leaned in and whispered in Kyuhyun’s ear, “I never get tired of hearing you say that, never.”
“It’s the truth.”
“I know, and I love you just as much…you’re my love, my kiss-”
“My heart,” Kyuhyun interrupted to finish as he pulled Ryeowook into a warm embrace. They kissed slowly and tenderly.
Ryeowook pulled away from the kiss, groaned, and buried his face in Kyuhyun’s chest. “It’s getting warm.”
Kyuhyun ran his hands gently down Ryeowook’s backside. “Too warm…and we failed to find suitable timber.”
“I think they will forgive us,” Ryeowook stated as he reluctantly sat up. “Although, they probably won’t-”
“What is…” Kyuhyun paused, noticing his husband tense. The commander turned and followed Ryeowook’s gaze; he was startled to see a creature that both resembled a monkey and large bird of prey staring back at them as it held the phaser that Kyuhyun had set down earlier beside his clothes.
Before Kyuhyun could utter a word or jump for the phaser the creature took flight while still clutching it
An amazed Ryeowook watched the creature fly away as he proclaimed, “It’s like a flying monkey straight out of The Wizard of Oz.”
Kyuhyun got up quickly and started putting his uniform back on. “That was our only defense…our only weapon…and what is The Wizard of Oz?”
“A very old book,” Ryeowook answered as he started to get dressed. “Yunho is going to kill us…if Yoochun doesn’t kill us first.”
“We will deserve it,” Kyuhyun replied, letting his own disappointment show. “I don’t know what I was thinking…well, actually I do know what I was thinking…but I shouldn’t have-I behaved like some green cadet and not a commander on a star ship. My mother would have me demoted back down to ensign for this.”
“We both acted recklessly,” Ryeowook conceded. “But we can regret this all later…the dinosaur creatures will be out shortly…if they aren’t already out and we have no defense against them.”
Kyuhyun grabbed Ryeowook’s hand and took off in the direction of the cave. “We could top this day off by getting eaten by a dinosaur, but still…”
“Still what?”
“It would still be a wonderful day.”
Ryeowook chuckled at his husband, but before he could agree his combadge went off. The doctor reached up to tap it, not slowing down. “Yes.”
A very frantic Junsu shouted over the link, “Dr. Cho! Dr. Cho, you have to get back here, now!”
“What’s wrong?”
“Jaejoong is in labor!”
Ryeowook smiled, but quickened his pace. “That’s great news!”
“No! It isn’t,” Junsu immediately responded. “He’s really mean. The captain is bleeding!”
“Bleeding?” A puzzled Ryeowook repeated. “Why would Yunho be bleeding?”
“Jaejoong hit him. Can you hear them?”
Ryeowook and Kyuhyun both listened carefully and sure enough they could hear Jaejoong, Yunho and Yoochun in the background.
“Where are you?” Ryeowook asked the ensign.
“I am hiding outside of the cave…no way am I going in there.”
Kyuhyun asked, “Why on earth is Yoochun in there?”
“The captain demanded it…said if they were really best friends,” Junsu answered. “I think he is scared of Jaejoong.”
Ryeowook and Kyuhyun shared a perplexed look before the loud voice of Commander Yoochun could be heard screaming, “I AM AN ENGINEER, NOT A FUCKING MIDWIFE!”