done_in_3 | The Vow au bc I love this plot twist and Aqua/Jim are adorable

The Vow au bc I love this plot twist and Aqua/Jim are adorable

Three years, nearly four, of wedded bliss. Jim was calmer, more focused and honestly a better captain. He had his wife, his beloved Aqua to thank for that, she was his light, his heart, his whole world. She kept him grounded and morally upright and he honestly took fewer stupid risks with his life thanks to her. The crew ran better, the Enterprise had better records, life was good.

Jim had bought them a house for when he was on Shore Leave on Earth, it barely got used but when Enterprise was docked, well they needed to crash somewhere. It was a nice place in San Francisco, in the heart of downtown and worth every penny of the millions it was worth.The property values were sky high but Jim was a veteran captain and got paid accordingly. He used his money on very little else besides charity so he was happy to spoil his wife with a comfortable home. Besides, if and when they had kids... well if their house just happened to be in an ideal school district he wouldn't call it an accident.

Everything was perfect, which begged for it all to come crashing down soon enough. Jim wouldn't remember the crash or the drunk kids in a truck behind him and Aqua on the road, he wouldn't remember that he shouldn't be alive, his wayfinder had saved him....but he doesn't know what this anymore. All he knows is he's laying in bed, he feels numb.. and he's waking up in what sounds and smells like a hospital.

"Mmm... mm." he was so tired and yet his mind was racing with questions. 'Where am I? What happened? Where's my ship?'

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"Don't do that." he sounded irritated instantly.

"Don't put that stupid wall up, just tell me what's going on. Are you leaving because you're mad at me? Because I went out last night? I'm sorry, I fucked up and if it means anything it made me feel worse. Stop... stop looking in the drawers, where are you going?" he really didn't want her going anywhere, he felt afraid of her leaving actually...

It wasn't hard to pick up on the irritation in his voice, but it took everything in Aqua to not snap back at him. So far she had done a good job or keeping her feelings in tact, she could hold out for a little while longer. At least, until Jim opened his mouth and admitted to his faults and asked her where she was going.

"I'm not mad that you went out last night." No, she was upset over the phone call she received from bones and heard the faint sounds of a drunk Jim in the background. She kept going from one drawer to the next.

"I'm...tired, Jim. Of worrying...of a lot of things and ...I'm not sure I should even be here anymore."

"But what ARE you mad about?" he tried to step into the doorway, to indicate she was going to have a hard time if she wanted to leave.

"We were fine two days ago, what happened? You're suddenly done with me? We were trying to work it out. What I get one slip up and I'm out? What are--" he shook his head.

"No, this is a stupid idea. It was stupid when I did it and it's going to be stupid if you do it too. You're pregnant, what are you just going to take that baby away too?" he wasn't having it.

That's it. That was the last straw and the emotions she had in her began to bleed out. She turned to look at Jim with frustration and hurt in her blue eyes.

"We were trying to work it out. We were fine, then we had sex and...when I woke up, you wanted to get away from me as soon as possible. I felt like I messed up, I screwed up, that I wasn't a one night stand for you to sweep under the rug.

I don't want to wake up in bed with you and have you look at me like I don't belong there. That is what's killing me, Jim. That's what I'm angry about."

"Okay, wonderful! Was that so hard?" he threw his hands up, looking at her. "You act like you don't have feelings until you blow up, is this how you were before?" finally he's going to clear the air for himself too.

"I'm trying, I'm making fucking progress, Aqua. I recognize this room, I recognize my house even a little bit but I have a long way to go. This is just how it's gonna be. You can't take my amnesia personally. I don't want to wake up like this either. I don't LIKE feeling like a stranger in my own life..." he sounded frustrated, even weary.

"You don't know how this feels. Even if you lost me, you still remember the house and our friends. You still have your life. I feel like I have nothing, you're my only lifeline but you're mad at me for something I can't control? Fine."

"My life? What life? I left my home, my family to be with you and if I don't have you, I have nothing, Jim." They were best friends, they promised to be there for each other and now here they were about to yell at each other. Or, heck, they were a few seconds away from yelling at each other.

"I'm mad that I was left so suddenly by you! I'm mad that you took off after we had sex! Like...that was all you wanted and after you had it, you were done." She didn't feel used, but she felt she received the cold treatment afterwards.

"I'm doing my best to be understanding! I'm trying to make you feel at home, to go at your pace and not take things personally. But you leave me in bed, when you pull away after you kissed my forehead, how the hell can I not take that personally?"

He winced at her words, they stung, he knew he was in the wrong here. He sat on the bed.

"I...didn't handle that well. I just didn't know how to handle feeling so alienated out of nowhere, it hit me like a brick wall. Everything was fine one second then not fine the next... and you got awkward so I got more awkward, the more I just felt like I didn't belong here."

He ran his hands through his hair frustrated. "Okay so I didn't handle it well. I just..."

He stopped, honestly that was a new behavior he never had for other women. He stopped and what would have been nothing but excuses became an apologetic but enlightened response.

"I'm sorry. I know you're trying. You're being amazing.... I just panicked... there isn't an excuse. I shouldn't have left, I should have handled it better." he looked at her honestly

"Please don't leave."

Aqua watched Jim sit on the bed, but didn't dare move any closer. They needed some physical space as they aired out their feelings. She loosely crossed her arms over her chest, shifting her weight from one foot to the next.

"We're both trying and maybe...maybe we just need some space. Are you asking me to stay because...we're married, or because you really don't want me to?" There was no point in being around him if he doing out of responsibility to her as her husband. Their titles meant little to a man with no memory of their life together.

"Because I don't want you to go." he said instantly. "Because.... if you go I know it'll be with hurt feelings. I don't want you to hurt... please... I want to fix it." he was hurting so deeply, something inside him was crying in pain from all this, something was twisting and he wanted to cry. Why? Was this his old self peeking through?

She was ready to walk out and she should be. He didn't deserve her. She was better than him. He hung his head.

"Maybe Terra was right."

Aqua weighed his words, but when he admitted Terra was right, that took her aback. She never thought he'd admit to that, but once he did...she felt her heart ache for him. Quietly, she moved from her spot to sit next to him and lightly placed her hand on top of his lap.

"...I only want to be around if you want me to. I don't...want to be around because you feel obligated to, but...if you want me to stay. I will stay..." she whispered the last three words to him, leaning in so she could rest her forehead on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry too. Its hard to figure out how to be around you at times. If...I should be close or an arm's length away."

He covered her hand with his, suddenly desperate for her company. He listened and nodded, his eyes welled up, he started to breath shallow and erratic.

"I don't feel obligated. You're different... I want to figure you out, I want to figure us out... I just..." tears started falling and he wiped them away looking embarrassed.

"What's wrong with me?" he's having mood swings which is perfectly normal considering...

Aqua looked up in time to see him wipe away his tears. Her eyes started to prick, tears of her own welling up. She reached up with her free hand to rest on his cheek, hoping her touch would offer some comfort.

"We're overwhelmed. We're trying to figure things out and...we're both acting stupid over little things..." And doing stupider things like leaving the other behind. An idea struck her then, causing her to slowly lower herself and him down onto their bed until they were laying down. From there she wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly.

"...Hold me. It'll make both of us feel better..."

He was easily led to lay down and at her command he coiled his arms around her and pressed his face under her chin, against her neck. He did the most pathetic thing ever then. He wept. It just came naturally, in sobs and quiet whimpers.... he felt safe with her enough to cry. He needed to, both tears of frustration and sadness.

Then when it was over he grew quiet but he didn't let go of her. He just laid in comfortable silence, not quite awake or asleep.

Whenever Jim had a bad day he would come home and climb into bed with Aqua. He would hold her, staying quiet and simply take in her presence. She wouldn't ask about anything, not until he made the first move or spoke. It was his way of dealing with any of the hardships of the day. She thought it would be a way for both of them to reconnect, or at least make the both of them feel better.

When Jim started to cry, she fell silent and cried too. Her hand rubbed his back, trying to be as comforting as possible. They were tired, frustrated and sad for their own reasons, but at least this way, they were together.

By the time both of them stopped she didn't say anything, continuing to hold Jim as tightly as she could.

He drifted off to sleep of course, crying and a warm pair of breasts did that to a man. Aqua's were very cushy, he can imagine he spent a lot of time laying on them for their own sake. He liked boobs like any man but it wasn't something Aqua seemed to resent when it wasn't sexual. He felt safe like that too, her guarding him... and he didn't feel weak or ashamed that a woman was in the guardian position.

When he wakes up he feels calm again, but also like he just wants to sleep forever or watch a movie. From this spot, not getting up.

It was normal for Jim to want to lay down with her whenever he had a lot on his mind. It didn't matter what Aqua was doing, she'd stop long enough for Jim to crawl on top of her and hold her. In a way, it was another form of bonding between them. At least Jim sort of remembered that. As she held him, she began to drift to sleep too.

It would be a while until she woke up. Suddenly she felt extremely tired from playing around with her husband and dealing with the stress of his amnesia. Or maybe the baby was making her more tired than before. Whatever the case, she was content with holding Jim as she slept.

Or a combination of both. She had a lot on her plate, Jim wasn't surprised she was succumbing to exhaustion. He tried to be there for her in any capacity he could. He cooked her plenty of 'cheating' food. Cakes, cookies, cheesy delicacies and perfectly roasted vegetables.

Over the course of a few days though, his dreams got darker. He didn't normally have recurring dreams b when he did they were usually nasty. Within days he was visualizing a woman, an assassin, a warrior come to slay him and the Enterprise. And Aqua was gone... had the woman taken her? No.... no Aqua WAS the woman. She had been taken and returned in this state. His mind twisted at the thought of her being the enemy... but his dream focused on her being gone then, gone and no clue to follow her with.

He dreamed about being powerless and needing his wife home. About his terror that she was dead or worse... and his despair deepening each night.

Ewach night in bed he'd toss and turn until he woke himself up and went back to sleep. This time though he was calling out, moaning her name, grabbing the sheets and kicking them off.

"Aqua... Aqua... no.No! NO!" he bolted upright with a gasp and a cold sweat.

The next couple of days were an interesting bunch. They were still navigating the waters of his amnesia and her pregnancy, but Aqua tried not to think too much about it. If anything, she tried to think about it as them going back to dating. There was some flirting, some bantering and Jim made some of the best food she ever had.

She had no idea about his nightmares, but she sensed there was something wrong. Whenever she asked him if he was okay, she hoped he would tell her more, but nothing. She didn't press him into telling her anything he wasn't ready to divulge.

They were in bed again, sleeping through the night when she felt Jim start to toss and turn. At first Aqua tried to ignore it, but when he sat up calling out her name, she was instantly awake. She pulled down the sheets and sat right up. Her hand went to rest on his before drawing him in to hold him. She could only guess what he was dreaming about, but he was awake now. the dream wasn't real and she would chase any fragments of it away.

"Shhh, I'm here, Jim. I'm here."

He hadn't wanted to stress her even more but when she was having to hold him to calm him down the words just spilled out. He was shaking, breathing heavily, trying to form words while his arms snaked around her tight as could be. As if letting go would mean she disappeared forever.

"Y-you were..... you were gone... I couldn't find you... y-you c-c-came back as... an enemy, tried to kill us. I.... I couldn't sleep. I would just pace until I passed out from exhaustion. I needed to know where you were. I.... god I was terrified."

Aqua stayed quiet as he spoke, cradling him as best and as tightly as she could. Her mind went back to those days when she was locked in a cell, staring at Jim without a clue to who he was. How...angry she was whenever she looked at him and how she wanted nothing more than to have his blood on her hands. She never wanted to harm anyone like that before. But that's what she was brainwashed to believe.

Silence rolled in after he was done talking with Aqua trying to find the right words to comfort him with. Her heart ached for him, suddenly remembering one of the worst times in his life.

"...I'm sorry I made you go through that, Jim... I never wanted to hurt you like that." Aqua pressed a kiss to his temple.

"But you brought me back. You got through to me and I have yet to leave your side...and I never will."

"Y-you didn't force me through it, it happened to you. I failed you. I..." he buried his head in her chest, still shaking, just needing for the nightmare to leave the reality to set in. He was at home, he had his wife and their baby, they were safe and well.

"I... remember bringing you back... You were so stubborn." he smiled "You always have been."

"No. You did not fail me." She was quick to cut him off then, looking right at him as she said it. At the time it had been her choice to leave, to fend off more of the attackers so the Enterprise could get away. She wanted his crew and him to get away safely, not in pieces and bits. Neither of them failed each other. What happened afterwards, her kidnapping and brainwashing, that was beyond both of their controls.

The topic switching to her stubborn trait brought a faint smile to her lips.

"Think it's what attracted me to you in the first place. I could be just as stubborn as you."

"We can be stubborn together then..." he supposed that's what they were doing right now. Her trying to hold the house together while he intended to remember his life on his own without help or pity from her. It wasn't the most cohesive strategy and in fact he could now see how it was costing her physically.

"Is that your type then? A man as stubborn as you? That's all I ever had to be? So sad these killer good looks and charm were worthless." he smiled faintly. He remembered so much now that he was coming around. His feverish nightmares while she was missing, the pacing, the impatience, being literally sick with grief over losing her, Spock noting that as each day passed they'd more likely find her remains than her.

He hugged her tight.

"I don't remember how we first met... what's your side of that story?"

Aqua returned her husband's tight embrace, hoping he was finding some comfort in her arms. After a moment she loosened her hug in favor of letting her fingers run through his hair. They were both stubborn to the point where it was a wonder neither of them ever tried to kill one another. Though it didn't help Jim could be arrogant at times.

"I never knew I had a type until you came along. Believe it or not, your charms...your looks, they all went over my head," she began, a faint smile creeping over her lips.

"I was accidentally beamed onto the Enterprise. I was wearing my armor, so no one knew I was human, or female apparently. I surrendered myself and placed in a cell. Then you and Spock came along...I tried to explain myself as best as I could without revealing too much. You didn't believe me...but, I tried leaving the ship and each time I failed. Eventually you took pity on me, I think, and let me stay on the Enterprise. I locked myself away for a few days in the room you gave me, pouring over text, digital and paper, to find a way off your ship...

"I suppose things just fell into place after that."

"Sounds...uncomfortable for us both at first. It makes sense though." he believes her of course, he's just trying to step into his past self's head and feel the confusion he knew he had and the defense for his ship, the need to understand if she was a threat to his crew.

"So the charms and good look ARE useless. I can just stop shaving now?" he smirked. He might let it grow out, he kinda liked the stubbly 5 o'clock shadow look but he didn't know how Aqua felt about it. Whiskers weren't the nicest things to kiss with.

"I do remember one thing.... you... spinning. You had light glowing all around you, bluish swirls in a cone over your head. You looked like a ballerina but you were taking out enemies like they were nothing. I had thought we were screwed. You called it Spell...something. I just remember I had to pick my jaw off the floor when you were done."

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