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

[done_in_3]

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?'

Comments

And then I stepped away without warning

[done_in_3]

Food cured a lot, and it was stopping the tears right? He smiled at her.

"Let's go find some then. I may have seen a bit in the freezer." he was thinking about baking something for her but that would take forever. He can just as easily make a shake out of that ice cream or just serve it to her solid. With fudge and whipped cream on it because he must embellish for her. Why..... why does he feel that need to make everything better for her?

[watersacrificed]

Regular, solid ice cream would have been perfect at the moment. Jim didn't need to do anything to it, aside from scooping some out and putting it into a bowl for her. She never asked him for much, but he always wanted to do more for her. It was something she still had a hard time accepting, but wasn't as stubborn about it as before.

"Okay..." Aqua muttered, getting up with him to go to the kitchen.

There would be a carton of chocolate and vanilla ice cream in the freezer and Aqua would insist he had some too.

[done_in_3]

He just wanted to spoil her or somehow please her more than she expected.

So downstairs there was plain ice cream in cups and they both had some. Happy? He... kinda was. Ice cream was always nice, even when it was overly indulgent.

"Okay so...who picked these flavors?"

[watersacrificed]

They sort of balanced each other that way; one being rarely indulgent, the other being overly indulgent. Aqua followed Jim down to the kitchen, getting out the spoons and bowls for them.

"We did, the last time we went out to the grocery store.." she told him with a sniffle, still trying to reign back in her emotions.

That moment wouldn't be the only one where she was close to spilling tears. When her belly started to swell up, proof that there was life growing inside of her, she started to cry. It took more than ice cream for her to calm down. When they started to go over how the nursery looked--only pictures and blueprints of ideas, she started to get teary eyed. Over the course of months, Aqua tried to keep a handle on her emotions, but there were moments where it was too great for her to hold them back. Especially when she was happy.

Or in some cases, when days were bittersweet.

Today she was six months pregnant, working with Jim on painting the nursery walls. The walls were painted with trees and tall grass in the back. It reminded Aqua of the forest she met Snow White; whimsical, charming and enchanted. There were a few wild flowers painted in too. She never thought they would be able to create something so cute and unique. Though she was happy with the design and the little accents they were adding, there was something else.

Today was their wedding anniversary.

It was meant to be a happy day, but Aqua wanted to forget about it. She had been doing well with being Jim's rock and his wife, but she was having a hard time concentrating when she felt sad. Today she should be spending it with him, enjoying the day that marked their union as man and wife, and she couldn't make herself bring up the topic. So, she shifted her attention to the nursery.

She wore old jeans, a faded shirt and had her hair tied back and covered with a bandanna. There was a paint smear on her cheek, but the bluenette didn't care.

"...I think we're just about done here. I don't see anything else we could add to the walls."

[done_in_3]

He'd liked their time together, he'd come to really like this woman. Her being pregnant made things more complicated of course, he didn't exactly know how to handle the tears or the rest of the emotional rollercoaster that came with her being with child and him having amnesia. But he kept reminding her it could be worse, right?

"Maybe silhouettes? A princess here.... a castle in the background there... a knight, a dragon, some dwarves.... uh.... what else.... I dunno, that sound ok?" he smiled at her. He hadn't forgotten it was their anniversary. He looked it up, they had some old invitations lying around in a box in a drawer in a storage closet. You know, just out in the open.

He had gotten her a gift but he hoped he could make the rest of the day nice. Painting the nursery was fun for them both. He'd get the crip assembled and the obligatory bookshelves.

"That might be too much for today actually, we should just let it dry and see what we think later." he stepped over to her.

"You got paint on your cheek ma'am. Hey I got you aromatherapy stuff for the bathroom. And bubbles. You know to... help you relax. You want me to pour you a bath? Or rub your feet or your back?" he is plenty nice about it, but he's trying to get a foothold here.

"I'm making dinner tonight too." as she must know, he's only announced it like five times this week.

[watersacrificed]

It hadn't occurred to the bluenette to actually bring up how important the date was to her. She didn't want to dredge up the fact that they were celebrating a date where he couldn't remember it. In a way, today made Aqua miss her husband more than ever.

She heard the excitement in his voice as he gave more suggestions on what to do for the wall. The ideas were nice, but she didn't want the room to be too busy. More pictures might make it feel that way.

"Why not keep it as is? It looks great enough and..." her gaze moved over to another tree painted in the furthest corner. "We could turn one of the trees into a family tree of sorts..." Another idea they could think over later. Right now she wanted to get out of her painting clothes and into something more comfortable.

"Yeah we can let it dry..." she told him softly, bringing her hand up to try and wipe the paint on her cheek.

"Ahh, a bath would be nice and yes, I know you're making dinner. I'm not allowed in the kitchen today, I know....and did I get the paint off?" She was told it would be a surprise, so she obliged Jim and wouldn't step inside the kitchen unless she really had to.

"I don't think it came off...it's too stubborn. Did we really buy stubborn paint?"

[done_in_3]

"A family tree sounds awesome!" he smiled at her, eager to draw that out on paper. "Maybe each fruit on the tree can be a face." he sets the paint away, covering it so it won't dry in the can. Then he looks at her face, seeing some paint still on it. "Lemme...." he reached in and stroked it away.

"Got it. We did buy stubborn paint, I want it to have that 'just painted' look for years." he stepped out of the room. "Bath time mademouselle." he headed to their bath and drew warm water with a nice bath bomb and some candles. Maybe relaxing meditation music too.

"Alright, I'm gonna start food, so... don't mind me. And take your time."

[watersacrificed]

Aqua wasn't sure about the 'fruit face' idea, but she wasn't about to dash Jim's good intentions. If anything they could do different leaves with initials or dates. It was just an idea she had in her head. They still had some time before the baby came to decide on what they wanted for their home.

"Huh? Oh..." she stayed still, letting him take care of her, getting rid of the left over paint on her skin.

"Thanks.." she gave him a soft smile and sort of perked up hearing about a bath.

"Thank you again.." she leaned in for a kiss to the cheek before stepping away to unwind and enjoy her bubble bath. As nice of a gesture as it was, it didn't take away from the fact that it was their anniversary and it had been months since the accident. Today, she wanted to spend it with her husband, who was there, but didn't remember anything. It was hitting her hard that their child was going to arrive soon and she didn't have the Jim she knew and loved so much.

She'd spend the next hour or so in the tub, trying to calm down and not break down.

[done_in_3]

Well little does she know, while Aqua has her little sulk, her husband is whipping up a cake and a delicious meal. He's trying wifey, he is trying very hard. He'll get to making homemade ice cream too. Cookies and cream.

Whenever Aqua emerges from her bath he's got some presents set out for her. Books, and a set of plans for an add-on to the house, a library. He had found it among his things and wanted to make her happy.

[watersacrificed]

Aqua only stays an hour in the tub, sulking, letting herself be honest with her feelings before putting them away. She finished up her bath by taking the time to dry herself off, go through her normal routine until she comes out of their room dressed in a loose button down shirt and jeans. Maternity clothes weren't her thing, nor could she ever find something that looked good on her.

Whatever the case, she left the room and found the books he left out for her, along with blue prints. She didn't look at the blue prints first, going over each title of each book. Aqua tucked one under her arm before following her nose to the kitchen.

"Jim? What are these doing here?" He didn't buy them for her....did he?

[done_in_3]

"Hm?" he poked his head out the kitchen. "Oh! I bought them, Happy Anniversary!" he stepped over to kiss her quickly. "Bet you though I didn't know." he brought out some water for them to drink.

"Do you like them?" he eyed the book under her arm. He hoped that was a good sign.

"I found something else for you, if you want... consider it another present."

[watersacrificed]

Aqua was stunned to learn Jim knew what day it was. She could barely blink or return the kiss he so lovingly gave her. How in the world did he know? She didn't leave anything around like an old invitation or dropped hints. He either found out on his own or...did he remember? It was too much for her to hope for the latter, so she assumed Bones told him. When she finally came out of her stupor she gave him a sheepish smile.

"I didn't think you would know....and I like it." Really, any book he gave, whether or not she already had it in her collection was still special to her.

"You didn't have to do this, but...thank you. What else did you find?"

[done_in_3]

Sorry dear, he just figured it out. He has yummy food though? He could explain it later if Aqua wanted. In the meantime he reached for a few pages he found in his things.

"Well it's.... a plan I made a while back for an addition to the house and I wanted to offer it to you, I think I made it just for you actually..."

he handed them over, plans for a library, built-in shelves and a window seat large enough to double as a bed, a desk and big chairs.

"Happy Anniversary."

[watersacrificed]

Aqua took the plans from Jim, looking them over with genuine interest. Her eyes started to well up again, finding herself missing the man who drew up those plans. A big library for both of them to enjoy, even their child. Jim just gave her the best anniversary present and it broke her heart.

Without saying anything, the pregnant woman bridged the gap between them to hug him tightly. She kissed his temple and buried her face in the crook of his neck.

"Happy Anniversary."

[done_in_3]

He smiled and looped an arm around her back. She was sad, he could tell that but he hoped maybe he brought some joy today. He didn't know how to fix their situation but he wouldn't stop trying. Aqua was an amazing woman who he wasn't sure he deserved. Actually. he was quite sure he didn't deserve her. He used to think that all the time and when he did, he just did something thoughtful for her. He wanted to be a better man for her, she inspired something in him he didn't know he had.

"I remember our last anniversary, I was already drumming this idea up. I wanted to have it done for today but things got... well like this." he shrugged with a smile. "I didn't expect to forget... wait." he paused.

"Did I just... no.... did I always know that?" he reflected on his own thoughts. They were so clear like they just happened but they were old. It was like remembering a word he was trying to find.

"I... wanted to make this room a surprise... I was drawing the plans in secret. I thought it would be fun to just build it as a surprise but I knew that was wrong... you never told me that. I did that on my own, right?"

[watersacrificed]

To be given a gift that Jim had no recollection of giving her was bitter sweet. This was a gift from the man who married and loved her, and the man who gave it to her was still unsure of their relationship. He was trying to get better, she knew, but it wasn't the same. At times they were barely hanging on by a thread, and other times they were...friends with benefits? Day by day he got better, but there was still a huge part of her that missed the Captain she fell in love with.

She continued to hold him only to stiffen when he started talking about their anniversary from last year. She never spoke about that. She almost didn't bring up their wedding anniversary was today. Slowly, she pulled back from him, looking at him with shock and trying not to get her hopes up.

"I had no idea you were building anything. I know we talked about a library but never as an actual thing to build." Sure, they discussed how many books they had and where they were going to put them. They didn't want to buy too many bookshelves and make it seem like they had no wall space at all. Nor did they want to leave any books in storage...

"Jim....are you...?" Remembering things?

[done_in_3]

"Uh... I don't know. Help me." he had his arm around her still. He dropped his arm and took her hands in his. He felt more grounded that way.

"I was... making something... I baked a cherry cobbler I think. I was trying to seduce you with sweets then." he chuckled. "I was trying to land you pregnant in the worst way. I was embarrassed to admit how bad, I just wanted it to happen on its own. I was going to use strawberries but the store was totally out that day and apparently there was a disease on the farms that wiped out most of the crop and the girl at the store was so rude. I was kind of mad when I got home..." he's rambling but his eyes were bright. He was doing it, he was remembering!

"And I came back and I said we'll make the most of it, you had no idea it wasn't supposed to be cherry anyway. So I just went with it." it was all coming back, those memories were connected to others. The errand he ran before that, the anniversary they had after that, the day after, the morning after, the weekend after. The week, the month, the year following all that.

"I think I need to sit... but ask me something, it's coming back. Just... ask me anything, I think it'll trigger new stuff."

[watersacrificed]

Help him? How? Throwing random trivial at him? Or just let him continue on and hope something would come up. There was a soft kick from the baby, seemingly agreeing with Aqua's second thought. Her hands held his, lacing her fingers with his.

She listened to his tale of the strawberry pie he was trying to make her. She had no idea it was originally going to be cherry pie. Aqua just thought he wanted to make her a dessert, something sweet to show he loved her. Listening him to talk, she was starting to get teary eyed.

"You...yeah, I had no idea it was supposed to be cherry," she told him, leading him over to a chair by the table. She pulled it out for him, letting him sit down and stood by him. Her hand moved to rest on his shoulder while the other reached for his hand, holding on and hoping more memories were coming back to him.

"Anything?" she asked, unsure if that was a wise idea. What if he didn't remember? Well...there was only one way to find out.

"Who said I love you first?"

[done_in_3]

He sat down but he pushed the next chair out with his foot and tugged her over to sit in it. They could still hold hands this way.

"Uh, who said I love you first..." he blushed a bit. "I was so embarrassed, I said it so stupid, I sounded like I was talking to my mom or something, there was no presentation to it. I was sick with the flu and I was in my cabin on the Enterprise. You came to check on me, I was half asleep and you were leaving, I just said it like a casual farewell. Like I was about to hang up the phone with my mom... I didn't even realize until later after I'd napped that I'd even said it. I convinced myself it was a dream for a while. I couldn't believe I'd had that little panache."

[watersacrificed]

Aqua was going to say no, that she didn't need to sit down. But then, he would be focusing more on her rather than trying to recall his past with her.

In hindsight, it probably was for the best. Her knees would've given out when he correctly and accurately retold that story. She squeezed his hands tightly, blinking rapidly as she tried not to let a single tear fall on her face.

"And I was caught off guard, unsure if that's what you really meant...and I didn't bring it up during that time." She paused, collecting herself. One more question.

"When did I say I loved you back?"

[done_in_3]

He felt her hands, really let that sensation sink in, it felt like they hadn't held hands in ages.

"But I did mean it and worse, I had rehearsed how to deliver those words to you in my head, I had all these smooth romantic ways to say it and I blew it." he sighed.

"Oh. That was..." he laughed then. "I was trying to explain Valentine's Day to you and you were poking holes in the logic, saying that lovers should honor every day and I was struggling to make a point that valentine's had some historical significance. Finally I gave up and said it was for people who loved each other and you said that was good that I loved you too." he paused.

"I was still kind of anxious that you didn't return my feelings. I think I'd have cried then."

[watersacrificed]

It was starting to feel like Jim was coming back to her. Not in bits and pieces, but rushing back to him, almost as thought the accident didn't happen. The man who wanted to build a family with her, who would move heaven and earth for them to be together, was coming back.

Aqua found herself laughing, not at him, but at the memory he was bringing up. How she continued to poke holes in his logic, unable to comprehend a holiday that she didn't have growing up. A holiday that was meant to celebrate love only on ONE day of the year, rather every day.

"Of course I returned your feelings, I was just....unsure of how to say it. Or know the best way to say it..." she told him, pulling one hand back to dab at the corners of her eyes. There was a light sniffle as she looked up at him.

"You've gotten every question right, Jim."

[done_in_3]

He noticed her tears and looked around for tissues. He pulled a napkin from the center of their table and dabbed her eyes for her. His voice was soft.

"Hey hey, it's okay... this is good. This is great... I want to keep going. Do you think you can handle that or do you want a break?" she only asked two questions but they were big questions and the implications were huge. She had so much riding on this... she'd been without him for months, and with their child. Oh Aqua, he couldn't appreciate the joy of pregnancy with her in his amnesiac state. He wanted to make up for that.

But this was taking a toll on him too. He was trembling as if in shock.

[watersacrificed]

Aqua was trying to wave the tissue away, but gave up within a second. This was one of the times she should let him take care of her. It was just overwhelming and exciting...and she wanted to keep going.

"I can handle it.." she held his hands again, squeezing them tightly before taking in a deep breath. So much was riding on this, but she needed to know. She needed to have her husband back.

"What did I get get you for your birthday when we were first dating?"

[done_in_3]

He was relieved when she took the tissue, and proud when she wanted to continue. Aqua was so strong, no matter what anyone might say. She was the toughest human he knew.

"Thanks... okay. When we first started dating... a keychain. A star shaped one, you made it for me. It was a way for you to always find me and come back. It's gold... I have it in my cabin on the Enterprise."