IMPORTANT A/N AT THE END!!! Read it pretty please :-* thanks!

You took a deep breath as you secured the pulley to your volcanic suit, blinking hard to keep your raging emotions at bay. Uhura looked at you with worry as she helped you get ready to drop.

Sulu turned in his seat. "It's now or never. We are burning up."

You nodded and looked straight ahead. "I am prepared."

Sulu nodded and Uhura stepped away from the opening floor. The shuttle shook violently and she fell forward but you caught her, helping her stand. You keep your hand on her arm and she looks at you.

You look at her with pleading eyes. "Please tell the captain that it was an honor working for him."

Your friend's eyes widened and before she could say anything you dropped into the growingly active volcano. You closed your eyes for a moment to collect yourself then opened them with new found determination, the smile of your proud captain giving you the boost you needed.

Back on the shuttle, Kirk's voice came over the intercom asking if you landed safely and deployed the neutralizer. Uhura was about to answer back when the cable helping you decent snapped and the shuttle rocked hard.

"Sulu what is going on in there? Is everything alright."

"Sorry captain, but the cable just snapped. We can't take much more of this, we just lost one of our engines."

"Is (Y/l/n) alright?!"

Uhura piped up. "Her vitals are alright. I'm working on getting her comms to connect." She hit a few buttons and then tried to contact you. "(Y/l/n), are you alright."

You slowly picked yourself up off the surface of some solid volcanic rock. "Affirmative." You heard a collective sigh through your comms unit.

The captain's voice comes over. "Can you detonate the bomb?"

You searched for the box, finding it a few meters away. "I am starting it now. Stand by."

Sulu suddenly sounded very worried. "We have to leave now. I am having trouble controlling the shuttle sir."

You pipe up. "Go on. This is more important."

"No, we are not leaving you." Kirk sounded distressed.

"Captain, it is in the best interest of the the many that they leave."

"I have to agree with her sir." Sulu voiced.

"Fine, head back. We are not going to leave you stranded. Don't detonate that neutralizer yet."

"That will not be wise sir. The volcanic activity is accelerating and we cannot risk the young species to see us."

Kirk ran his hands over his face then through is hair. "Bones, what would she do if she were in my position?" He whispered to his best friend, hoping to get a different answer than what was already forming in his brain.

"She would let you die." Bones answered with a hint of frustration.

Kirk looked at the projection of your body and vital signs on the front screen. Sacrificing yourself is out of the question. He leaned forward and spoke into the comm unit. "We are coming to get you (Y/l/n). Don't do anything stupid."

You scoffed. "It is your stupidity that you should be worried about. I cannot let you risk jeopardizing the Prime Directive in hopes of saving my life. They have yet to learn of the wheel. I suggest-" You were cut off by the captain.

"Oh just shut up! Forget the Prime Directive, I am not letting you die."

Lava splashed against your dwindling rock. You shook your head as you got the bomb ready to activate. You took a deep breath before you pushed the button, letting the last thing you thought of escape your lips. "Forgive me, Jim," You whispered as you started the timer. The volcano shook and you closed your eyes as you leaned your head back and raised your arms, ready to accept your fate.

Kirk rushed into the transporter room, still dripping from his watery entrance from earlier. He let out a breath as he saw your resigned figure materialize before him. You opened your eyes and looked around. Bones came bounding up behind Kirk, holding his medical supplies.

"Is she alright?"

You stood and marched up to Kirk, trying your best not to slap him right there. "You violated the Prime Directive!"

"Oh, she's fine." Kirk rolled his eyes and started to walk away.

Bones and the rest of the crew forgotten, you rushed after him, not done with expressing how you felt, despite your Vulcan heritage. You stripped off the think suit piece by piece as you caught up to him.

"How could you do that?" You stopped in the middle of the hallway, grabbed his arm and turned him to look at you.

"Oh, I don't know, because you are part of my crew and we had the ability to save you. How could you just think I was just going to let you die?" He looked at you with a mixture of hurt and frustration.

You crossed your arms, now free of the troublesome suit. "I was doing as directed. If the loss of my life was necessary to carry out the task then so be it. A life lost for the betterment of many is an honorable death."

Kirk rolled his eyes and stepped forward, running his hand through his hair. "And how do you think we would have felt about it?" His voice going soft.

"You would have grieved for a moment but I would not think it would hinder your performance as captain and crew of this ship."

"No, (Y/n), how do you think I  would feel?" He stepped closer.

You stepped back, hitting the wall behind you. You looked into his blue eyes and swallowed, answering him quietly. "You would have found someone new to take my position. But due to the fact that I am here and alive you will not need to." You let out a frustrated sigh and let your arms relax at your side. "I just wish you had not acted to drastically. Now those creatures will be forever altered due to your inability to-"

"Oh, just shut up already and say thank you," Kirk growled as he closed the small gap between you two, capturing your lips with his in a sudden kiss.

You froze as you felt one of his arms wrap around you, his other hand holding your cheek tenderly. Slowly your eyes closed. His kiss started out long and soft but then turned to short kisses as you wrapped your own arms around him, pulling him closer. You could feel a wetness on your cheeks but knew that it wasn't coming from you. You slowly pulled away, but only slightly.

"I am so sorry Jim. I had no idea-"

The crying captain smiled and pecked your lips. "Well, now you do."

Tears threatened to fall from your own eyes as you wiped his cheeks. To stop from letting them fall you wrapped your arms around his neck and kissed him soundly, silently berating yourself for thinking that your death would be a painless sacrifice. Jim pulled away and started to place small kisses all around your face, causing you to giggle, something you didn't do often at all.

Jim pulled back and smiled, brushing your cheek with the back of his fingers. "You need to do that more. Laugh, giggle, smile. You are too much like your brother."

You couldn't help but smile. "I suppose it won't hurt." You leaned in again, kissing him and loving the feeling of him smiling into the kiss.

Bones turned the corner and cleared his throat, shyly smiling at the two of you in each other's arms, almost surprised his friend still had his shirt on. "I hate to break up the warm welcome, but I need to make sure Miss Selfless is doing alright after her close shave with death."

Jim pulled away and turned to look at Bones. "I think she is doing just fine."

You rolled your eyes and slapped his chest lightly and kissed him on the cheek. "I will talk to you later."

"Only if talking is one of the things you want to do later." He winked at you.

You blushed and shook your head as you followed the laughing doctor, a smile never leaving your face during the check up. You have never thought you would ever look forward to being alone with the captain.

HEY GUYS! Ok so, first of I am SO sorry for not updating for a couple of days, work has been crazy aaaaaaannnnnnnddddddd I HAVE NEW BOOKS! Keep your eyes out for them as I slowly update. So I will be probably limiting my updates to one chapter per book per week. Meaning I will be updating every day just for different books each day....if that makes any logical sense at all. You all are wonderful and thank you for the 10k reads! Ya'll know what to do ;) Kisses!