. . . January 1st, 2260. . .

. . . Romulus. . .

Khan was conducting experiments on Romulans, legally, so finding him made it much easier for Reaper. There was one thing that should not be crossed and that is hurting his family. A few months ago Nurse Chapel was fatally injured by a man matching the description of a wanted man known as 'John Harrison' with a phaser and M'Benga was there. M'Benga was also a victim of the attack, and he didn't make it. Reaper was lucky that Jim and Spock were not there.

Spock must have heard that Reaper had lived.

Only two viles were mailed to Reaper on another planet called 'Dochos'.

The other three remained with Spock.

Reaper trusted the Vulcan.

Reaper made a deadly version of the vile.

Chromosone-25.

Brought mutation and eventual death.

Khan had broken a straw.

Khan will not continue to live this day onward or the day after that or the day after that or the day after that. We see a scene briefly where Nyota is listing various reasons why not to inject her with something. She looked at great pain at the subject then back to Spock, shook her head, and walked away. Spock looked over toward the item on the desk then he placed it into a container. Our scene transformed into a long gray hall.

Reaper stepped forward holding a needle in his hand.

He went down the hall, carefully, not making a sound.

His hands had not a sign of burn marks and he seemed to have genetically changed his appearance. He had Romulan characteristics. He had on Romulan attire and he had done extensive research regarding them. He went under the identity T'Grimm on this planet. Reaper had a friend who could undo the affects after this. He would personally come back and finish the kill. Lock the door. Turn the lights off. Get himself prepared for what could be the most terrifying four hours he will ever have. Grenades. Assault rifle. Knife. Shotgun. Chainsaw. He had a backpack prepared with this stuff. He would go in mainly with the assault rifle in his arms. How would he get into a locked facility? This building had a security system that relied on hand prints. Reaper had decided to live as a Romulan for almost a year.

He had quickly become a well known and respected military figure by acting paranoid and with his enhanced intellect out smarted his opponents.

It was quite fun, really.

Reaper came into a open room.

"Please!" The young Romulan plead. "Please don't inject me."

Khan approached the young boy on the table.

"Oh, I will." Khan said.

Was it going to be this easy?

Hell yes.

The young Romulan looked over in the direction of Reaper, out of fear, and tried to squirm. Since Romulans lacked the inner emotional control that Vulcans had, they didn't have those super abilities. He was crying. He had been taken out of the juvenile system. He had a tattoo on his dark wrist. This young Romulan was a African American one. Khan held the needle up squirting out some of the contents. Khan had a grin on his face that wasn't the one a man should be trusted with.

"No!" The Romulan cried.

Reaper jabbed the needle into Khan's back.

Khan dropped the needle.

"Your reign of terror is over, Khan." Reaper said, in a deep growl.

Khan turned in his direction. Reaper, today, had come prepared. He took off the cloak stepping back to reveal he had the gun. He could see several caged mutants in cells lining the room. Khan was generally pissed off. Reaper shot at the binds keeping the young Romulan boy down, then shouted in Romulan language, "Get your butt out of here!" and the reply was, "Yes,T'Grimm!" He skampered off into the darkness. "And shut the door behind you!" Khan lunged forward followed by a swift dodge.

"This is mine." Khan said.

"Congratulations," Reaper said. "You have been injected with the C-25."

"There is no Chromosome 25!" Khan said.

"There is now." Reaper replied.

"You . . . You . . . You arrogant selfish little asshole." Khan said.

"Actually, I am a human who's kicking your ass," Reaper said. "Step back and die with grace."

Khan's hands started to become larger.

"I will kill you!"

"Try killing me in the dark, and in four hours, you and your creations will be dead."

"We'll see about that!"

Reaper shot into the lights.

And Reaper, in the end, killed Khan and his creations.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

. . . January 20th, 2260. . .

. . .The Lesson. . .

When the Enterprise landing party arrived to help, they only found a man who resembled a good friend of theirs aiding the wounded aboard a Romulan spaceship. He had human ears, but, he was referred to as T'Grimm by the people even though he was human. Jim stood there, melted at the sight of Reaper who was forcing down a stubborn security officer in order to help him, where else Spock did not seem to be the least surprised. Jim turned around then took Spock in private.

"He's been with the Romulans this entire time and you didn't bother to tell me?" Jim asked.

"Doctor McCoy explicitly told me--" Spock started but is cut off by Jim.

"Don't Doctor McCoy me!" Jim said. "Say. His. Name."

"John told me, explicitly, that he alone must face Khan, and that he will not return to space until he has accomplished that. He also requested that no one gets involved, he didn't want to lose another member of his family," Spock explained. "M'Benga was a unfortunate loss. Nurse Chapel was lucky to have survived."

"Then he is dead." Jim said.

"It appears so." Spock said.

"Where did you leave . . . John?" Jim asked.

"Earth," Spock said. "The last letter I received from him last year stated he used a machine called the Ark. I have only received one message from him. I assume that was how he made his travels and kept his word."

Jim flipped out his communicator, visibly hurt, then requested to be beamed back.

"Captain?" Spock asked.

"You can handle this,Spock." Jim said.

"Did I hurt your feelings?" Spock asked.

Spock did not get a reply as the captain vanished in a haze of gold. Spock stood there, confused, then he returned to the Romulan version of a med bay. Reaper was still busy, at least in his mind set, trying to help a stubborn Romulan.

"Sit down and let me help you, damn it!" Reaper spoke in Romulan.

"I am perfectly fine!" The Romulan said.

"The hell you are not!" Reaper said, then he applied a hypo to the Romulan guard's neck.

The Romulan collapsed.

"You have not lost your touch, Doctor McCoy." Spock said.

Reaper sighed.

"You are too attached to my old life," Reaper said. "To Star Fleet, Leonard H McCoy is dead."

"But you are not dead," Spock said. "Logically, if you are alive, why not return?"

"You know what they did to me. I told you in the letter. I am never going to that rerun happen again," Reaper said. "If you like. . . You can call me John."

"We can find a way to prevent anyone from asking questions." Spock said.

"You can't erase memories and information, there is a hole left behind, and that is where people will start digging," Reaper said, his attention fixated on the patient he was treating. "I am not coming back, Spock." Spock stepped forward toward Reaper. "I can't."

Spock turned the man's head toward his direction.

"The humans miss you." Spock said, letting go of Reaper's chin.

"I get that on a lot of people." Reaper said, then he frowned.

It was strange.

He noticed something different about the Vulcan.

"Spock, what did you do?" Reaper asked.

"It was logical at the time." Spock said.

"Spock, oh please don't tell me!" Reaper's face twisted up. "No, you didn't!" He stepped back in horror. "Did you?" His mouth fell to a complete 'o'. "You just. . .Do you even know what this means for you?" Reaper put one hand on his chest. "You never age. You never die!" He had certain hand gestures. "Jim is going to notice, Spock. Nyota is going to notice. Your Prime self is going to notice. Your father is going to notice."

"I already offered Nyota." Spock said.

"Tell me she did decline." Reaper said, his face pale.

"We broke up. She declined." Spock said.

"Why . . . Why did you do this, Spock?" Reaper asked.

Spock looked down toward his hands then back up toward Reaper.

"The needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many." Spock said.

"In English, Spock!" Reaper said.

"I love you." Spock said.

Reaper stared, half in shock, half in surprise, half in amusement, half in . . . horror.

"You realize . . ." Reaper said. "Taking this step means you will see everyone we know: die."

"I am not leaving without you." Spock said.

"Spock, I am never going back." Reaper said.

"Then I am not going back." Spock said, firmly.

"You are a Star Fleet officer, Spock," Reaper said. "I am not. I don't have a duty to make sure the infant doesn't get reckless and doesn't die!"

"Then he will just need to get a new first officer and science officer." Spock said.

"You are really serious about this." Reaper said.

Spock nodded.

"Affirmative."

"Spock, are you ready to face the universe as a wanted man due to what is in your blood?"

"Affirmative."

"Are you aware that you are not always going to have a home?"

"Affirmative."

"Are you aware that you are going to drive me mad?"

Spock grabbed the doctor into a kiss where the man relaxed and his tension filled shoulders lowered. Spock broke the kiss.

"It seems we are both mad, Doctor Grimm." Spock said.

"Call me John, damn it!" Reaper said.

The Vulcan smirked.

Spock. Smirked.

Why that was a surprise for Reaper.

"Until we go back, together, to the federation, there is a zero point zero-zero chance I will call you by your first name." Spock said.

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?" Reaper asked.

"Jim will have Galia and other women, if I were to live another day without my doctor, I wouldn't be straight. . ." Spock said. "Doctor Grimm,do you know what T'hy'la means?"

Reaper raised a quizzical eyebrow then he lowered it.

"No. . . Never heard of it."

"It means brother, friend, and . . . lover."

Reaper had a 'you are shitting me' kind of look on his face.

"Let me guess, you are going to use it as a term of endearment."

"Ashayam is the term for endearment."

"Then what the hell does T'hy'la serve as?"

"It presents . . . sole mates. Katra mates. T'hy'la are where our other half lies. ."

"Surprising. . . I thought that would be in Jim, not me."

Spock had his arms around the doctor's back.

"I may be like a lizard to you," Spock said. "But lizards never leave their companions side."

Reaper glared a hole into Spock's forehead.

"Did you make that up?" Reaper asked.

"Negative." Spock said.

Now Reaper was the one who initiated the kiss between the two and he broke it.

"Spock, I have to deal with this patient's injury," Reaper said. Spock let go of the man's back. "Now if you'll like to be some help . . . Track down those Romulans with injuries!"

Spock looked over toward Romulan then back toward Reaper.

"Affirmative," Spock said. "And I will send my resignation."

Spock walked out of the room.

"Two immortals, one galaxy," Reaper said. "We are going to make this galaxy kick the can."

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

. . . 2260. . .

. . . The Enterprise. . .

"Captain," Nyota caught up with Jim. "Where is Spock? Shouldn't he come back?"

Jim stopped in his tracks then looked over toward Nyota.

"Spock left." Jim said.

Nyota was baffled.

"He left?" Nyota asked.

"He didn't come back for his belongings," Jim said. "I don't know what got into him."

Nyota sighed,

"Captain, he injected himself with C-24." Nyota said.

"That makes sense," Jim said. "But it is between us. Us alone. Agreed?"

Nyota had a look of disbelief and concern.

"Captain, did you allow him to stay?" Nyota asked.

"I left him there." Jim said.

"Jim, what are you saying? You knew he had feelings for McCoy?" Nyota asked.

Jim raised an eyebrow.

"That's a first I heard of it," Jim said. "I expected him to come back without Reaper . . ."

"He may be someone else, but he is still Doctor McCoy to me." Nyota said.

"That's the hard part," Jim said. "He isn't who I knew. I never was told anything what happened to him afterwards. He's . . . not the same man I knew."

Jim resumed walking down with his head lowered.

"This never happened to Spock Prime and his Jim." Jim said.

Nyota turned away and went the opposite direction. Things wouldn't be the same without Spock and McCoy. Nothing was, really, it was like thrown into a alternate universe. But he soldiered on with his new CMO, First Officer, and Science officer. They were nothing like the men he knew. Perhaps, just perhaps, one day he will meet them out in space one of these days. Though Jim had a feeling, as he sat down into his chair, that he never will see the two again in his lifetime. Some days he hoped they would come across one another.

It was only a fantasy he played with.

There was viles, one day, he came across, in Spock's former room.

On it was en-scrawled 'C-24'.

Jim sighed, he knew better.

This was the source of all hell Reaper went through. A major reason why Spock left. No one had been assigned Spock's former quarters in months. It was a damn miracle that someone hadn't came in and stole them. So he took the two viles that had remained. He would be their protector until there was a way discovered to get rid of them both without being exposed. Jim was the one to inform Spock Prime of the recent detour in their fates. It was shocking to Spock Prime. Though Jim could not tell if he was really shocked or pretending to be shocked due to his stoic reaction.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////

. . . 2260. . .

. . . August 2nd . . .

"Keptain?" Chekov noticed Jim was leaning against the wall,covering his side.

This was on a random alien planet they were exploring.

So much for 'exploring'.

Now they had to mark it no-go.

Jim collapsed to the ground.

"Keptain!" Chekov flipped out his communicator. "Chekov to Enterprise,zwo zo beam up!"

Jim could have sworn he saw two pointy ears and Reaper's figure from behind some rocks.

"Spock . . ." Jim said, shortly losing consciousness. "Bones."

And his eyes closed, his hand still covering the excessive bleeding.

When his eyes opened again he saw Doctor Chapel reading a padd. She smiled, asked if he were okay. He felt better than okay. He felt energized, brilliant, and . . . he could hear more clearly. He could hear his science officer arguing with his first officer regarding the use of two viles they had discovered in his quarters.

"We betrayed his trust, Sam!"

"We saved his life."

"We don't know what that shit has done to him."

"Jack, it is nothing more than a life saving drug."

"Did you read the hell what it said?"

"It read life saver."

"IT READ C-24! That could be a bad thing!"

"Oh shut up. Don't get everyone alarmed."

"Everyone should know what you did, Sam!"

"Hey, you brought my attention to it."

"Do you know what it is?"

"It saves lives."

"Yeah, and who told you that?"

"A friend."

"Who again?"

"A friend."

"What friend?"

"A friend who is vastly better at reading people's faces than yours!"

The two bickering men came into the room where their argument stopped. Jim pushed himself upright,there was anger on his face. The nurse told him he had been out for at least a entire day. Hours maybe. He felt strength that wasn't his coursing through his veins. What the hell did they do? Now they have three people like Reaper.

"Sam," Jim said. "What the hell did you do?"

"I allowed Doctor Chapel to administrate a life saving drug." Sam said.

"Give me the last vile." Jim said, holding his hand out.

Sam handed the vile to Jim.

And Jim proceeded to drink it then tossed it over his shoulder.

"Captain--"

"Now it is over, no more C-24. I do not want you to speak of this,ever, again."

"Captain, that will be difficult as--"

"Jack, if you want your career in tact for Star Fleet then you better not. speak. of. this. again."

Chapel looked over toward the captain, concerned.

"From now on, I will not age. I will not die. I will heal instantly. And I will have to make a new life, and you two, actually three, will take this knowledge to your grave."

"Chekov knows."

"Does he know what she administered?"

"No."

"Does he know I survived through extraordinary means?"

"Yes."

Later Jim was in his chair. There wasn't that 'hopeless' feeling in his mind. There was hope in his mind. He stopped rubbing the side of his face. He grinned. Oh yes, Jim thought, I will find them. Some where. . . out there. He watched the stars pass the Enterprise. Until then. . .His face turned into a frown. He wasn't happy about the idea but . . . Exploring was something that was in the Kirk family. He had to do this for as long as he could.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Captain's log: Due to the C-24 being administered, I have now become immortal. This is my last log. I was administered this drug ten years ago. I am in my second deep space five year mission. Now it has finally occurred and become proven that if I stay any longer than Admiral John Blake will request my presence to Earth and do a series of tests. I don't want the mess to happen again, not like Olduvia. . . So I am leaving Star Fleet after today. It has been fun and rather honoring to serve as the captain of the Enterprise. It hasn't been the same since Bones left. Since Spock left as well. . . There has been a void in my life that has been empty for quite some time.

The shape of a shuttle landed on a sandy planet.

I cannot continue my tenure as captain of the Enterprise.

The back end opened.

I have a duty to the federation.

There were tents all over the place. A familiar figure came out with a hood. The person apparently hadn't been expecting visitors and here this shuttle landed in his goddamn back yard. He felt obligated to investigate, request they get off his property, and find some other place to land. The figure shielded his eyes from the sand that had become unsettled as the two landing gears came down to the barren ground with a clad. From behind him there was a even taller figure from inside the large tent looking out with a raised arched eyebrow.

And as such . . .

Smoke drifted out.

Per the knowledge of a friend I once knew. . .

A figure came out of the shuttle.

To protect this federation. . .

"Who are you and why are you on my property?" Came Reaper.

I will continue that duty by staying out of the spot light.

The figure walked down the platform then lowered his hood.

"Any name other than James T. Kirk." Jim said.

This is Captain James T. Kirk signing off.

"Jim!" Reaper was more than happy to see a old friend that he brought him into a hug.

End Log.

And they cried. Spock's unchanged tall figure came out of the tent. For so long Reaper believed that if the Enterprise was attacked then everyone except for him would die and he would be left free floating in space. Now, he didn't have to worry about it. What Reaper did have to worry about was the federation searching for him and his two companions. Spock came out of the tent. Through the blur of tears Jim could see Spock's familiar figure. Well,actually he guessed, so Jim grabbed Spock into the hug.

"I missed you two." Jim said.

And he wouldn't let go.

The End.