"No, I'm not signing anything, now get these bloody things off my ship." A man in a hat and uniform shadows Scotty, holding a PADD and waiting for a signature. "Captain!" Scotty spots Kirk walk into the docking bay with Spock and a woman flanking him.

"Is there a problem Mr. Scott?" Kirk answers with a tired voice.

"Sir. I was just explaining to this gentleman that I cannot authorize any weapons on board this ship without knowing what's inside them."

Spock speaks up. "Mr. Scott raises yet another point-," but Jim interrupted him, handing him a credentials PADD.

"Report to Bridge."

Spock quiets and obediently, yet frustrated, leaves.

You just arrived off of a transporter pod, entering the docking bay to be greeted by the oh so sweet sound of Scotty's voice traveling through the area. You smiled and started to pick up your pace, following his loud voice. Something about classified information. You even hear Sulu at one point.

"Now if you excuse me, sir, I have a Warp Core to prime. Get down!"

You spot Scotty's back as you turned a corner. You calm yourself and walk after him, noticing the Captain with him as well. You look after them in confusion, but you kept on following them.

"Do you know what this is captain?"

"I don't have time for a lecture Scotty,"

"Do you know what this is!?"

Kirk let out an exasperated breath but answered his stubborn chief engineer. "It's a warp core."

"It's a radioactive catastrophe waiting to happen. A subtle shift in magnetic output from say, firing one or more of six dozen torpedoes with an unknown payload, could set off a chain reaction that could kill every living thing on this ship. Letting those torpedoes on The Enterprise is the last straw."

Your eyes widened and you decide to stop a few steps away, watching the interaction heat up between your dear friend and Capetian.

"What was the first straw?"

"What was the-, there were plenty of straws. How about star fleet confiscating my Trans-Warp equation. And now some mad man is using it to hop across the galaxy. Where do you think he got it?"

"We have our orders, Scotty!"

Scotty takes a deep breath and looks at his Captain beseechingly, "That's what scares me. This is clearly a military operation. Is that what we are now? Cause I thought we were explorers."

You raise your eyebrows and nod your head in agreement with the Scotsman.

"I thought we-"

But Captain Kirk had enough. "Sign for the torpedoes, that's an order."

You waited with baited breath to see what Scotty did next.

"Right. Well. You leave me with no choice but to resign my duties."

You felt numb. This can't be happening.

"Oh come on Scotty."

"You have given me no choice sir!"

"You're not giving ME much of a choice!"

"I cannot just standby-"

"Can't you just make an exception and sign for-"

"Will you accept my resignation or not!?"

"I DO!"

The Captain's voice echoed throughout the room and in your ears. You felt cold. You no longer listened as you watched a blob of Scotty hand over his PADD and walk off. You watched as his form leave the docking bay, the Captain standing there in apparent frustration over the situation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You thought about running after him, but you were too conflicted with your own emotions that you don't trust yourself to make a rational decision. Instead, you rush to your station in the Med Bay, reporting to Doctor McCoy. How could he leave you like this? And on our first big mission too. You worked all day to keep tears from falling, but it was Uhura that pulled you aside after your shift, noticing your quiet demeanor and damp eyes.

"I know you are hurt by Scotty leaving, but I am sure he did not mean to do it to hurt you." She looks at you with kind eyes. You nod, rubbing her arm kindly.

"Thank you, Nyota. I know. It's just hard to think that he is gone with all this mess going on." You may not know exactly what is going on, but you know you miss him terribly.

There will be times when working that you would look at the doors, ready to see the happy Scotsman walk through, passively complaining about a stubbed thumb or banged knee just to come see you. You would smile, go along with his act, keeping your voices down as to not attract Bones. Scotty knew exactly what to say and do to lift your spirits and your heart. You smile faintly at a memory of him getting caught by Bones when he kept coming in for no real reason. Doctor McCoy said he would give him a real reason to be in the Med Bay if he didn't stop wasting my time. But we all knew my time was not being wasted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You were walking down one of the halls when you saw Kirk walk down another hall. You hear him mutter Scotty's name and immediately you change direction. You watch as he pulls out his communicator. You find yourself snooping in on another of their conversations.

"Scotty, it's Kirk."

"Well now if it isn't James Tiberius Perfect Hair. Did you hear that I called him perfect hair?"

"Where are you?" Music could be heard drifting through the communicator.

"Where are you?"

"Are you drunk?

"What I do in my private time is my business, Jim."

"I need you to help me out with something. Will you take these coordinates down? 23, 17, 46, 11."

"Hmm."

"Are you writing?"

"What? You don't think I can remember four numbers? Ohhhho," he chuckles with a hint of offense, causing you to smile a bit sadly, "ye of little faith. What was the third one?"

"46. I don't know exactly what you will be looking for, but I have a feeling you will know once you see it." You smirked as you watched Kirk make a decision to mention the torpedoes. "You may have been right about those torpedoes."

"I will consider that an apology. And I'll consider that an apology."

"You are the one that quit."

"You made me quit!"

"Mr. Scott? Fuuuuuu....Scott? Guhhhh." You watch as Kirk shuts his communicator in frustration. You run after him and snatch it from his hands. "Hey!"

You hold up one finger as you open the communicator with your other hand, calling Scotty back. "One second Sir, it will be just a moment." You hold the communicator out anxiously waiting for his voice to come through.

"You know kirk, if I wasn't so good at what I do, I wouldn't be helping you." You laugh out loud, making sure he heard. "Lass? Is that you? I had no idea you were assigned to the Enterprise for this mission. I would have made sure you left with me." He started out sounding happy and surprised, but his tone quickly hinted at a bit of fear and worry.

"Yeah well, you have some doctor appointments you need to make up for."

"You know, you are right. As soon as Captain Blondie lets me back up on the ship without questioning me." You roll your eyes. Looking back at the Blond Captain himself, but found him gone. Perfect.

"Scotty?"

"Ah oh. She's gone serious. You can yell at me for leaving when I get back, cause I will be back, that man needs me more than he is willing to admit. There was one time-"

"Scotty, honey. I just wanted to tell you something." You look up, trying to dry your eyes. "I may not know what is going on exactly, but I do know that your life is on the line. As most lives are when on this ship it seems. But you happen to mean a bit more to me. Just...just be sure to take care of yourself. I don't know what I would do if-"

"Stop right there, lassie. You won't need to worry about anything for too much longer. I'll be fine. Who has ever heard of a Scotsman letting a bit of a scandal get under his skin?" You laugh nervously. "In all honestly (Y/n), I have been more worried about you than myself. But knowing that you are on the Enterprise, I am not sure if I am glad you are with my crewmates again or worried that you are in the line of fire. Just know that I plan on keeping you close when I get back."

A warm feeling filled you from your middle to your fingers and toes. You let a happy tear fall. "Thank you, Scotty. Stay safe."

"I will Lass. You too."

"I will. Love you."

Your eyes widen and your breath hitches. You didn't mean to say it but it kind of just slipped out. You nervously waited for his response. You hear him take a deep breath and let out a nervous laugh.

"I love you too Lass. I will see you soon."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You found yourself running from injured person to injured person, trying your best to not collapse from your own injuries. Since Khan's awakening, the attack from General Markus, and now the apparent death of your Captain, you have drowned yourself in helping people. You don't even know if Scotty is alive or alright. You didn't even try to hide your tears as you focused on wrapping the leg of your seventh patient in a row. You were about to turn to another ailing officer when you felt arms wrap around you from behind. You froze. You took a deep breath and let out a sob.

"Nurse, I believe I have sprained my wrist a wee bit when I secured myself to not be sucked out into space." You let out a choked laugh, turning in his arms, wrapping your own around him tightly.

"You know, that is the most pathetic excuse I have heard yet."

Scotty laughed deeply and held you tighter, kissing you lightly on the top of your head. "Anything to see you."

You pulled away slightly, looking up at him. No words could express how happy you were to see him, to hear his accent grace your ears. Without warning, Scotty leaned down capturing your lips with his. You smile and react immediately, your patients completely forgotten. Your lips moved together as both of your feelings took over. Scotty pulled away slightly to look at you and smile. He started to kiss you lightly all over your face, causing you to giggle. He wrapped you in his arms again, swaying the both of you slightly from side to side.

"By my side from now on Lass. From now on." He whispered in your ear as you smiled and breathed in his scent. You nodded your head, finally letting yourself relax in his arms.