Drifters
by Rob Morris

Peter Kirk's eyes glowed as never before.

"WE'RE......past."

Jim grabbed his son's faltering form, and helped him to sit down.

"Peter--what did we almost hit?"

"Delta Prime, Captain."

"But--we're nowhere near that position."

"Dad--Delta Prime is gone. That was a fragment of its western continent. I suspected as much when poor Ilia fainted. Here, let me shield her from---"

This time, the exhausted would-be dragonslayer fell truly unconscious. Captain Kirk saw that his daughter/daughter-in-law held her hand at the junction of Peter's neck.

"I thought that didn't work on him."

"A wife knows, Pop. I know his every nerve cluster. Kaidith."

Living on the Bridge was difficult, but it was a secure area, heavily fortified against the shockwave that was like the mourning cry of The Klingon Empire, destroyed by King Ghidorah. At McCoy's urging, they all went back to sleep, so as not to rouse Peter, whose telekinetic talent was an enormously draining one to use--for himself, for Saavik, and for their unborn child. 'Bond' was not merely a Vulcan term for marriage, after all. It was a term for that which has no term.

But Saavik could not sleep, for worries that she would have nightmares of The Ancient Destroyer stalking her child. As she stroked her husband's hair, she saw her 'Pop'--The Captain--doing the same to Uhura. That--and lightly singing as Nyta lay sleeping. She could hear every word clearly, and felt like a little girl again, when Jim would sing to cheer her up, those times when Spock was away. Spock was always away.

"When The Night--Has Come--And The Land Is Dark--And The Moon--Is The Only Light We'll See--I Won't Cry--I Won't Cry--No, I Won't Shed A Tear--Just As Long As You Stand By Me; If The Skies - That We Look Upon - Should Tumble And Fall - And The Mountains Crumble To The Sea – I Won't Be Afraid - No I Won't Be Afraid - Just As Long As You Stand By Me; Oh Darling, Darling, Stand-By Me."

Saavik wasn't surprised that she was crying. But she was surprised that she wasn't surprised. She knew, then, and asked herself a question.

"Saavik, are Thee Vulcan? Are Thee Romulan? Or, Are Thee....."

She let the thought go, and continued listening to Jim's efforts to recreate Ben E. King at a time when The Skies really were falling. Again, she held her man tight, and went to sleep. Her dreams were of her family, together through it all--as it should be.