Enterprise Bridge

After a short period of relaxing meditation, Pock departed her Quarters, making her way down the hall, up the turbolift, and to the Bridge, where the Alpha Shift awaited her.

She stepped out and greeted a young ensign immediately. A yeoman handed her a PADD to sign, and she did.

Pock moved away from the yeoman when her administrative requirements were complete, taking her place at her station. She adjusted the proper dials and took in the information.

When that was complete, all that remained was to await the Captain's arrival.

Jim walked onto the bridge, and was immediately accosted by an angry Janice Rand. He sent Pock a helpless look as he was frogmarched to his Chair, where he was forced to sign report after report after report.

In doing so, he missed the exchange of a few credits between Pavel and Hikaru.

"And next time," Janice hissed at him, "don't let these go so long!"

"Yes, ma'am," Jim said, half meekly. He did value his neck after all.

Pock lifted an eyebrow at the spectacle. She withdrew her own PADD that required signing, then stepped up to the Captain's chair, extending it to Jim along with the stylus.

"I remind you, Captain," she said, her eyes twinkling with mischief, "that I told you not to put off your administrative responsibilities."

Jim gave her a bewildered glare. "You're freaking kidding, aren't you?" he asked, accepting the stylus and PADD.

He shook his head as he signed the PADD. "There you are, Commander." He gave her a small smile like he normally would. Maybe it was a degree or two warmer.

Again, he missed even more money changing hands between Pavel and Hikaru and Nyota mouthing 'Finally!' behind them.

Pock, on the other hand, missed nothing.

She cast a glare towards the helmsman and the navigator, lifting an eyebrow as if to ask, "And what exactly do you think you're doing?" They quickly looked forward, blushing and pretending nothing was wrong. Satisfied, she moved back to her position.

"All readings normal, Captain," she said, her voice even. "Ship is in stable orbit of the planet, no complications."

Jim nodded. "Good. Is the security portion of the away team ready to beam down?" he asked. He looked over at Uhura. "You're coming down with us, Uhura. I want a linguistics person down with us, and one who has decent fighting skills."

She nodded to him. "Yes, sir."

Pock replied with, "Affirmative, Captain. All personnel are standing by to be beamed to the surface. Awaiting our arrival in the transporter room."

She pressed a few keys on her console, then stood. Her duty was relieved by a lower officer.

She turned to Jim. "Are you ready to beam down, Captain?"

Jim nodded. "Yes, Commander." He made his way over to the turbo lift. Once in with Pock and Uhura, Jim pressed the button that would take them to the deck with the transporter room where the away team would be meeting them.

((New Thread))

Jim stepped up on the bridge. "Why are we needed?" he asked, taking a seat in his chair.

Uhura looked over at him, taking in his slightly mussed hair, slightly wrinkled shirt, and slightly swollen lips and smirked. "Admiral Archer is on the line."

"Put him up."

"Yes, sir."

Pock stood beside her Captain and watched as the face flickered onto the screen.

Immediately, her eyes were locked with those of Admiral Archer, their commanding officer and friend. The older man laughed warmly, nodding at Pock genially before turning to Jim. "Pleasure to see you two again," Archer chuckled. "It's always good to reassure myself that you haven't gotten yourselves abducted by Klingons again."

"It was one time, Admiral," Jim said, a laugh in his voice, "one time." He grinned. "What do you need, sir?" he asked, voice warm.

"I need the Enterprise to pick up Ambassador Pax from New Vulcan," Archer said. "The old bat's been making progress with the Romulans, believe it or not, and the new Empress sent an ambassador to meet with Pax on Delta I-9. I need you to give her a lift so the Federation can get cozy with Ael and the rest of the Romulan Empire. It'll aid our front with the Klingons by a mile if she can pull it off."

Jim bit his lip to keep from laughing. As it was, he was sure that his eyes were laughing far too much for his own good. "Understood, Admiral," he said, nodding. The Admiral had a wonderful sense of humor. But calling Ambassador Pax 'the old bat' was wonderful. He would normally say that made his day, but his conversation with Pock had done that earlier.

Admiral Archer winked at Jim, recognizing the laughter in the younger man's eyes. Pock looked appalled. Then again, Pock looked appalled 99% of the time Archer opened his mouth, so what was new? His eyes twinkled in her direction. "Excellent!" Archer boomed happily in Jim's direction. "So, pick up Pax in New ShiKahr soon as you can, then lemme know. Got it, kid?"

Jim finally trusted himself to speak. "Yes sir. We will," he said, laughter in his voice. "Kirk out." He motioned for Uhura to cut the feed and she did so. The screen reverted to space and he looked up at his partner, an amused look on his face. "I guess we're off to New Vulcan, then."

Pock watched Archer's face slip away. She turned to her partner, who was staring at her with amusement painted across his features. It made the corner of her own lips turn upwards. "It would appear so, Captain," she said dutifully.

Jim grinned before turning to the helm. "Plot a course to New Vulcan. Let us know when we get there. When will we get there?"

The navigator on duty nodded. "Yes sir, and roughly... 16 hours, sir," she said, starting to input the proper math.

Jim stood. "Daniels, you have the conn. And I am off duty until we get to New Vulcan."

((NEW THREAD))

Jim and the two Vulcans stepped onto the Bridge. He looked at Uhura, who nodded and the Admiral appeared on the screen. "Yes, Admiral, what is it? It's not something that couldn't wait until we got to Earth?"

Admiral Archer shook his head. "Not exactly, Jim." He looked at a PADD in front of them, then looked back up. "We've got someone here who came to our attention through...let's say unorthodox means. He claims that Ambassador Pax can verify his identity for us. We're hoping he's right."

Jim glanced over at Pock and Pax. "His identity, sir?" he asked, slightly confused.

Admiral Archer pinched the bridge of his nose. "Trust me, kid, you don't want to know. This is the biggest headache I've had since Ambassador Pax tried to explain the Nero thing to me. And that's saying something." He sighed. "Okay. Is the Vulcan there?"

Pax stepped forward. "Indeed, Admiral. I am very curious as to whom might request me to verify their identity."

"Well," Archer said, "apparently, your husband."

A face that Jim knew well appeared on the screen. "Pock!" he said, voice relieved. "Tell them I'm Jim Kirk."

"Uh, hate to break it to you, but I'm Jim Kirk," Jim said, slightly confused.

Pock's lips slipped open. "I - I am sorry, sir, but I do not believe I have priorly made your - " Realization crossed over her face. She turned to Pax. "Ambassador?"

Her eyes fell on her elder counterpart, and immediately she saw the impossible sadness etched into the crevices of the older woman. Vulcans were taught from birth and trained for all their lives to keep every feeling from their features, but that was the kind of sadness that couldn't be hidden. It was the kind of sadness that lived and breathed like the monster under your bed, always there in the shadows, always waiting in the corner of your eye. It was the voice in the night that kept you awake and the space that filled the silence in your mind. Sadness like that - real, bone-breaking, heart-shattering sadness - couldn't just be filed away. It was just as much a part of you as your lungs or your mind.

Looking older than she ever had, Pax drew a deep, shaky breath. She did not blink.

"So is he, Captain," she said slowly. "That man does resemble my late husband, Admiral, for that I will vouch on good faith. I must point out, however, that my husband is dead. Of that I am also painfully certain."

The hazel eyed man on the screen frowned. "Pock..." the man on the screen said, "What will it take to convince you I am who I say I am?"

Jim's forehead crinkled in a frown of his own. If this man really was the Jim Kirk of the other universe, how the hell was he here?

"Do you want me to say something I only ever told you? Because I will," James said, hurt clearly written on his face.

Pax met his eyes. "That may suffice to at least convince me that you are not merely a shapeshifter or something of that nature," she said. "Tell me something only my husband would know. Tell me something personal, though if you are my husband, I must remind you, not too personal." There was a hint of laughter to her eyes, though it was so stained with the sadness of nostalgia that it was barely visible.