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?'

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[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."

[watersacrificed]

There was a nod of her head. Yes, she made a way finder for him. To keep him safe when she wasn't around. Just in case his life was put in danger. She didn't want him to die...she didn't want to lose anyone else.

"Yes, that's right. I gave that to you...and did I enchant it?"

[done_in_3]

"You did, it was to protect me. I kept it on my person for a long time but then I hung it up in my window when you went away... You had to go back to exploring other worlds and I missed you so bad. I didn't want to lose it somehow. I was afraid you'd never come back. When you did you were... different." evil. She'd been corrupted by someone, made to believe she was his enemy.

[watersacrificed]

"Yes...I was different." Her voice grew soft then, recalling the time she was his enemy. His true of enemy, someone who was suppose to kill him and break her. He already knew the rest of that tale. How he kissed her and brought her memories back.

"But, we got through it. We talked about getting a house after that. That, the next time we had a shore day that we'd find a place or build one from scratch. Do...do you remember that?" How she was anxious about finding a place, whether or not they would find something that day or not.

[done_in_3]

"Yeah, I knew it'd be hard finding a place in San Fransisco but I get priority over other buyers since I'm in Starfleet. We found this place and fell in love. I put an aggressive offer on it since I don't spend my credits in space. We bought this place that day, the seller was so impressed.

"You were so nervous we wouldn't find a place but I had faith. We saw a bunch of places that didn't work but when we came here I knew it was the one. I didn't leave it without putting in an offer. And we moved in and it's been great and then began my secret mission to make a baby."

[watersacrificed]

"Impressed or stunned?" she asked with a teasing tone to her voice. The seller was surprised they were willing to pay for everything in one go, no monthly installments or down payment. They were ready to play for everything with credits.

There was another slow nod of her head. Yes, his baby making mission began right after they purchased their home.

"How long we were together before we started that mission?" Not within their first year of marriage of course, no, they waited a few years before then. But even with waiting they still talked about it. Kids, maybe a dog, but a big enough home to accommodate all of them.

[done_in_3]

"A little of both. I don't think they expected to sell on the first day." He leaned in to nuzzle her while he stroked his thumb across the back of her hand.
"Three years. I used to think I'd die alone and childless but here you are..." He put his hand over her belly
"Here you both are"

[watersacrificed]

Aqua's heart was on the verge of bursting in her chest. He was saying all the right things. He was retelling their lives when days before he only had a handful of memories. Her lower lip was quivering, holding back tears.

"Yeah, we're both here..." She leaned into him, pressing her forehead into his for a brief moment until her arms came over him to hug him tight.

"We're all home...together."

[done_in_3]

He smiled as he pulled her in close. Her bump kept him from pulling her flush against him. He would pull her into his lap but this chair was... oh forget that. He lifted her out of her seat and placed her on his lap. Much better here.

"I feel so much better now, I... think it came back. All of it. Or at least the parts that matter... Aqua, I'm so sorry." he kissed her face. "I didn't mean to leave you alone. You know that. I was terrible to you. Can you forgive me?"

He's still shaking from all this, his brain was still going through a lot, he wasn't done with the revival of his memory.

[watersacrificed]

Aqua didn't resist being pulled into her husband, sitting on his lap with her arms around his shoulders. She shut her eyes letting a few tears fall. Her heart was filled with so much joy to have her husband, just before they would welcome their daughter into the world.

Her lower lip was trembling when he kissed her, holding back the overwhelming urge to sob. Her husband was finally back. He remembered her, their life together, and after months of being apart from him, it was overwhelming to finally have him back in her life.

"I know you didn't mean to. I wouldn't hold it against you, I'm just....I'm so happy you're back, Jim," her voice was so small then, trying to make sure each word came out clearly.