Disclaimer: I do not own anything Star Trek, it is all property of Gene Roddenberry, J.J. Abrams, and whoever else owns the right to this franchise. I am not making any profit from this in any way, shape, or form.
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In Truth There is Love
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Dr. Leonard McCoy had just finished loading the last of a fresh batch of hyposprays when the doors to Sickbay opened with a soft hiss. The doctor looked up in time to see a very unhappy, almost irate looking Captain James T. Kirk all but stomp into Sickbay. McCoy, or Bones as Jim affectionately called him, set down the hypospray in his hand don on a nearby medical tray and eyed Jim with a knowing look as the younger man came to stand before him with a thunderous look on his normally cheerful face.
" My office?" Suggested Bones as he gestured to said place.
"As long as you got a tall glass of Saurian brandy ready" Grumbled Jim as he and Bones began walking through Sickbay to Bones's office.
Once the two of them were inside, Bones pressed a button on the wall panel to close and lock the door. Once that was out of the way, Bones made his way over to his desk and pulled one of the drawers open. Bones reached in and pulled out a medium sized bottle of greenish-amber liquid, and a small glass. Bones swiftly unscrewed the cap and poured some of the bottles contents into the glass and then held it out to Jim. Jim all but snatched the glass from Bones and tossed the strong alcohol back in a single gulp. Groaning lightly at the burn as it made its way down his throat, Jim handed the glass back to Bones before he made his way over to the blue sofa Bones kept against the wall across from his desk and all but collapsed onto it.
" What did that green-blooded hobgoblin do now?" Sighed Bones knowingly.
" Oh, the usual Bones." Began Jim in a mock-calm tone. " Questioning my every decision in front of the crew, in a very logical manner I might add. It's like he goes out of his way to make me look as incompetent as he possibly can."
Then Jim growled low from the back of his throat and pinched the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb, as though he was in pain.
" He hates my guts Bones." Sighed Jim tiredly as he leaned back against the sofa. " That's the honest truth."
Bones let out a small noise of protest before he made his way around his desk and took a seat next to Jim.
" Jim, Spock's a Vulcan, which naturally means that he's a stuck-up prick." Muttered Bones as he eyed his weary friend.
" Bones, he's my first officer. We're supposed to be a solid team." Said Jim as he scrubbed wearily at his face. "But ever since we started this mission, it's like me and him are back at the Academy, only now he seems to want me out of the command chair.
" Jim, don't you think that's a little extreme, even for Spock?" Asked Bones.
" No Bones, in no way am I exaggerating." Said Jim as he shook his head. " I have apologized over and over for emotionally compromising him in front of everyone during the whole Narada fiasco. I've tried to reach out to him in ever single way I could think of."
Jim sat up and looked at Bones with angry eyes as he continued his venting.
" I've suggest that we do our paperwork together, and he tells me that he's already got all his paperwork finished. I asked him if he wanted to join me for a drink, he tells me he doesn't drink. I even asked him is he wanted to play a friendly game of chess with me since I've seen him play against the computer in the rec-room every now and then. Instead, he tells me that he doesn't want to waste his time one something as illogical as a game when he has more important matters to attend to. He said no simply because I was the one who asked him to a match. I guess it's clear that he doesn't think I'm worthy of his time in anyway, even when we're on duty."
Jim sat back and crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head while he clenched his jaw tightly in anger, and maybe even a little bit of hurt as well.
" Jim, it's clear that the over-grown elf can't see past what happened before." Said Bones. " If you ask me, I think he's the one who's unworthy. It's his loss for being such an ass and not seeing how lucky anyone would be to have you as a friend."
The quiet conviction in Bones's voice and his eyes warmed Jim's heart.
" Thanks Bones." Said Jim with a smile that was tinged with sadness. " You're probably one of the only people I know who thinks that."
" Hey now, don't say such stupid things." Said Bones sternly. " Cause you know that's not true. Spock might be blind, but I know for a fact that the rest of the crew are glad that you're their Captain, even Uhura."
Jim chuckled at that as he thought of his beautiful Communications officer. Sure, they had started off on the wrong foot, but after they had saved Earth from Nero's madness, the two of them had buried the hatchet in a way so that they had a rather amicable professional and person relationship. Jim had even been there for her when she and Spock had parted ways. He'd been there for her in a quiet and respectful way that had solidified the end of the animosity between them.
He may not have had any further romantic inclinations towards Uhura, but he really liked her a lot as a person, and it seemed that she held him in the same regard once she moved beyond the past.
Feeling ten-times better than when he had first walked in, Jim and Bones slowly settled into a nice, easy conversation about the happenings of the ship, but in no way was a certain pointy-eared individual mentioned. But in the back of his mind, Jim hoped that somehow, things between him and Spock wold get better, or at the very least, bearable for Jim.
Almost a full month later...
" Pointy-eared ass." Thought Jim as he swiftly entered the conference room where Spock had called a meeting with the senior staff, without informing Jim, the Captain himself, first.
" Please forgive my lateness." Said Jim as his eyes darted between the faces of Uhura, Chekov, Scotty, Sulu, and Bones as he strode across the room and took his seat at the head of the conference table. As he sat, Jim shot Spock a subtle, withering glare as he spoke.
" It seems I didn't get the memo as quickly as the rest of you."
Hell, Jim wouldn't have even known about the meeting if Uhura hadn't paged him to ask him why he wasn't there yet.
Spock for his part, stared back at Jim with his now usual cool indifference as he spoke.
" Be that as it may, now that you have finally arrives Captain, we may now proceed with this meeting."
It took everything Jim had in him not to get up and deck Spock across the face, or at the very least give the Vulcan a solid kick to his shin under the conference table, if he wanted to indulge in a momentary loss of maturity. Thankfully, Jim managed to avoid making a spectacle of himself and kept his temper from exploding. The meeting went on without a hitch as the newest orders from Starfleet were discussed. The Enterprise was to go to a newly discovered M-class planet do a bit of exploring, it was an adequate opportunity for the Science department, as Spock put it. Thankfully, the meeting wrapped up soon as the senior crew members all rose to leave.
" Commander, a word please." Said Jim from where he still sat at the head of the table, not looking at Spock.
Jim waited until Uhura, Chekov, Sulu, Scotty, and Bones had all filed out of the room before he finally turned cold, ice-blue eyes onto his first officer.
" Mr. Spock, would you please explain to me what all of this was exactly?" Asked Jim with a calmness he didn't feel in the least.
" May ask to what it is that you are referring to sir?" Asked Spock as he stood with his hands held behind his back.
" Oh don't play dumb with me Mr. Spock." Scoffed Jim as he swiftly rose from his seat and stepped forward so that he was standing face to face with Spock. " You know exactly what I am talking about."
Spock already thin lips seemed to thin further as he quirked one of his slanted brows and gazed at Jim with hard, dark brown eyes.
" Rest assured Captain, Vulcan's do not 'play dumb' as you have so put it. You are clearly displeased with me about something I have done, so please enlighten me." Said Spock coldly.
" Fine, let me spell it out for you. Where the Hell do you get off in issuing orders to the rest of the crew without first informing me Spock?" Said Jim tightly.
" I do not believe that I have done anything wrong. I simply called a meeting to discuss our newest orders from Starfleet." Explained Spock.
" Yeah, you did all that, but you didn't really go out of your way to inform me, your Captain, of this meeting now did you. I had to hear it from Uhura when she commed me to ask me why the Hell I wasn't at the meeting." Growled Jim before he made a small noise of disgust and took a step away from Spock, shaking his head before he continued. " Damn it Spock, why do you always do this?"
" Do what Captain?" Asked Spock in a tone that served only to infuriate Jim even more.
" Oh, don't think I don't see it Spock." Smirked Jim humorlessly. " I know how much you hate me, it's why you're always so keen on undermining my authority every chance you get."
" Sir, I have done no such thing." Countered Spock as he stepped forward, eying Jim intensely. " Clearly you are being illogical."
" You'd love for that to be the case, wouldn't you Spock." Sneered Jim. " But I'm not blind. You question me at every turn in front of the crew. Hell, you're not as good at hiding your emotions as you claim, I can see you disdain whenever you look at me Spock."
" You are wrong Captain, I am simply fulfilling my duties as your First Officer." Said Spock.
" No Spock, I'm not wrong." Said Jim as sadness began to seep in through the red haze of anger. " First Officers don't conduct themselves the way you've been conducting yourself with me. But then again, most First Officers actually respect their Captain. You... You don't."
Jim shook his head before he stepped closer to Spock and looked the Vulcan square in the eye as he spoke.
" I get it Spock, you still think of me as that cadet who cheated on your Goddamn Kobayashi Maru test." Said Jim quietly. " You can't stand the fact that that same cadet, who you wanted to have expelled is now your commanding officer."
" Captain, please refrain from making these outlandish accusations." Said Spock neutrally. " They are unbecoming."
" I don't give a damn what they are." Spat Jim. " The truth isn't always an aesthetically appealing thing."
" You are a sentient being Captain." Said Spock. " You are free to think whatever it is you want to be the truth."
" Yeah, I am. What I told you is my truth Commander." Said Jim. " Maybe now that you have heard it, you will adjust your currently unbecoming attitude accordingly."
Spock opened his mouth to speak, But Jim was having none of it.
" Because Commander, if you don't." Said Jim, cutting Spock off. " I will have no problems putting in a request for a different First Officer. One who will accept me as their captain and actually show me as much respect as I have given them. Is that understood Commander?"
Jim thought he saw Spock's jaw tic, but quickly chalked it up to his imagination as Spock stood rigid before him and spoke while gazing at some point on the wall past Jim's head.
" Understood sir." Said Spock. " Will that be all Captain?"
" Yes that will be all." Said Jim. " You are dismissed Commander."
" Yes sir." Said Spock curtly before he turned smartly on his heels and strode out of the conference room.
As Jim watched Spock retreating form, he could see the tense, rigid lines of Spock's back and shoulders and that the Vulcan's hands were clenched tightly into fists before he disappeared through the conference room door.
This left Jim all alone in the now silent conference room. Jim let out a long, shaky breath before he turned and made his way over to the windows of the conference room. As he stared out at the many bright and twinkling stars that lazily passed by as the Enterprise cruised smoothly through space, Jim felt the rest of his anger ebb aware, leaving only a profound emptiness. Trying his hardest to hold himself together for a few seconds longer, Jim leaned forward till his forehead was pressed against the cool glass. Jim brought both his hands up so that they too were pressed lightly against the glass. The young Captain inhaled a deep breath and then released it in a shaky exhale as he felt his vision blur with the onset of tears. Jim blinked his eyed rapidly, battling back the tell-tale sting of the bitter saline that was accumulating in his eyes. But for all his efforts, Jim couldn't keep one solitary tear from escaping. Jim screwed his eyes tightly shut as the single drop carved a glistening trail down his pale cheek until it reached the edge of his jaw and fell away, lightly splashing onto the window sill below.
As Jim silently battled to regain his composure, he couldn't help but ask himself a question.
Out of all the people within the known universe, why had he fallen in love with Spock, the one being who would never, ever love him back, because he was straight as they came, and barely tolerated him on a good day?
A few days later...
The Enterprise was currently holding orbit around a planet that greatly resembled Earth in both size and appearance from up above.
" Sir, we are now in orbit around Elaysia I." Said Lt. Hikaru Sulu from where he sat at his station at the ship's helm.
" Excellent work Mr. Sulu, and you too Mr. Chekov." Said Captain Kirk from where he sat in the command chair.
Sulu smiled widely while Chekov practically beamed at their captain's compliments on their piloting and navigational skills. Jim smiled warmly at his two helmsmen before a familiar baritone voice sounded, instantly making the smile evaporate from Jim's face.
" Captain, now that we are in orbit around Elaysia Prime, permission to proceed in preparing an away team." Said Spock flatly, not really looking at Jim as he spoke.
This was how it was now, on the plus side, Spock had stopped questioning Jim's every move. But now, the Vulcan seemed to go out of his way to avoid engaging in any conversation with Jim. Jim and Spock only saw each other when they were on duty, other than during this time, they avoided each other like the plague. The situation was only made worse because their personal quarters were right next to each others, and they had to share a bathroom.
" Permission granted Mr. Spock." Said Jim with very little enthusiasm.
Spock gave Jim a curt nod and turned with the intent of proceeding to the turbo-lift when Jim's voice rang out.
" Mr. Sulu, you have the con." Ordered Jim as he swiftly rose from the command chair and stepped past Spock.
" Aye sir." Said Sulu before he dutifully rose from his station and took a seat in the chair Jim had just vacated.
Spock quickly strode to catch up with Jim and the two of them boarded the turbo-lift.
" Captain, may I inquire as to where you are going?" Asked Spock.
" I'm going on this away mission with you." Said Jim simple.
" Captain I must-" Spock began as means of protest when Jim swiftly cut him off.
" Commander, I am well aware that you are about to cite Starfleet regulation on how I should not be joining this away mission." Said Jim. " Your protest is duly noted. Now let out proceed with this mission as ordered by Starfleet."
Spock was silent for a beat, he and Jim staring at each other, almost like they were at a stand-off before Spock broke the tense silence.
" Yes sir, let us proceed." He said flatly before he turned his gaze forward and did not look at Jim again for the duration of the turbo-lift ride.
Spock got off on the deck where the Science department was located, while Jim continued on the lift till he reached the deck where the transporter rooms were. When Jim walked through the doors of the transporter room, he found that members of Lt. Giaotto's a.k.a. Cupcake's security team were already there getting ready for the away mission.
" Hey Scotty." Greeted Jim when he saw the Enterprise's Chief Engineer standing at the transporter controls.
" Hello Captain." Replied Scotty with a grin. " I trus' tha' you are beamin' down to the planet as well then?"
" Yup." Answered Jim before he made his way over to where the security personnel were strapping on their mandatory utility belts.
Jim picked a belt up for himself and strapped it snug around his waist. A quick check to make sure that he had a communicator, a tricorder, and a phaser, and Jim was ready. About five or six minutes later, Spock strode into the transporter room accompanied by two members of his science staff. Jim watched from where he and the two security officers were already standing on the transporter pad as Spock smoothly picked up a utility belt and put it on. Much to Jim's chagrin, he found himself silently admiring the graceful way Spock moved, the practiced efficiency with which he did the clasps of his utility belt, and just how slender and elegantly built Spock himself was. Jim quickly forced himself to stop this nonsense and shifted his eyes so that he stared at the doors of the transporter room instead. Spock and the other two officers stepped onto the remaining spaces of the transporter pad.
" Is ev'ryone set?" Asked Scotty.
" Yes we are." Smiled Jim before he glanced at a stone-faced Spock and continued. " Energize Mr. Scott."
" Aye sir." Said Scotty as he activated the transporter. " Energizin', and do be careful once your down there sir."
Jim smiled and nodded before he, Spock, and the rest of the away team were engulf by the bright, swirling particles of the transporter as they dematerialized off of the ship. A few moments later, the six members of the away team were materializing on Elaysia Prime's surface. When the swirling particles finally dissipated, Jim looked around and took in his surroundings. They were in a clearing surrounded by what looked almost like the evergreen trees found on Earth, only the branches and trunks of these trees looked more like deep red sinews instead of wood. Jim turned to the rest of the away team and spoke.
" Alright, let's do some exploring." He said. " But lets stay close to each other, we don't know what we might encounter here."
There was a small chorus of " Aye sirs" save for Spock who nodded curtly and began to walk towards the other side of the clearing with his head down and his scanner out. Jim shook his head in mild irritation before he quickly moved with the rest of the group. The away team move carefully out of the clearing and into the forest of evergreen like trees. As they moved deeper and deeper into the forest, Jim did his best to avoid Spock, but he did converse with the other two science officers whenever they found anything of interest. The landing party continued to move with the two security officers constantly vigilant. The party moved until they came across another clearing, and in this clearing they found themselves in the presence of a beautiful waterfall. It was an awe invoking sight. At the base of the waterfall, the water fell into a large, oval-shaped pond surrounded by boulders and native vegetation. As Jim looked more closely, he caught sight of what appeared to be a small cave entrance a few feet away from the powerful cascade of crystalline water that was feeding the pond.
" Well, let's take a closer look people." Said Jim with a bright grin.
" Captain, please take the necessary precautions." Said Spock sternly, earning a small glower from Jim.
Jim nodded and began to walk towards the edge of the pond without as much exuberance as he had initially started out with.
" Alright, let's get a few scans out of the way." Ordered Jim as he stood by a large boulder and lean over to look that the clear water of the pond.
There was a small chorus of acknowledgments to Jim's orders before the away team spread out a little bit and proceeded to study the area.
Jim had just kneels down to run his scanner over what looked like a lily-pad, only it was orange in color when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Jim looked up in time to catch a brief flash of dark, coffee brown eyes staring intensely at him before they were gone. Jim watch in slight confusion as he eyed Spock where the Vulcan was taking some dirt samples. Jim shook his head and turned his gaze back to the plant he had been examining.
A full half hour passed by without any kind of incident. Jim made his rounds with all of the members of his away team, until he finally came to stand by Spock.
" Have you found anything interesting Commander?" Asked Jim, taking a complete leap of faith, and hoping he could have at least one civil conversation with his First Officer during this away mission.
Spock was silent for a beat before he mutely nodded.
" Indeed Captain." Said Spock neutrally. " There are several compounds in the samples I have procured that are very unique to this planet."
" Really?" Asked Jim, his interest peaked. " What compounds did you find?"
To Jim's silent surprise, Spock held out his scanner for Jim to see before he began a long explanation of his discoveries. Jim listened with rapt attention, his eyes everyone once in a while darting to Spock's perfect lips as the Vulcan talk in his academic and almost clinical manner about what he had found with his scanner.
The moment was broken when Jim's communicator suddenly beeped and vibrated.
" Excuse me." Said Jim as he stepped away from Spock, albeit a little reluctantly.
Jim flipped open his communicator and responded to the page.
" Kirk here."
" Captain." Came Scotty's disembodied voice.
" Go ahead Scotty." Acknowledged Jim.
" I hate to cut the mission short, bu' scanners indicate tha' a storm is fast approachin' your location." Answered Scotty with urgency tinting his voice.
No sooner had Scotty said this, there was a loud rumble from up above as angry looking magenta colored clouds began to accumulate across the once clear blue sky.
" I see what you mean Scotty." Said Jim as he looked up at the sky with worried blue eyes.
" Fascinating." Said Spock as he too looked up.
" Scotty, be ready to beam us back up immediately." Said Jim as he started to move.
" Aye sir, standin by." Answered Scotty.
Jim then turned to the rest of the away team.
" Alright people, let's move!" He ordered loudly.
His team didn't need to be told twice as everyone began running back to the clearing where they had beamed in. As they all ran through the forest, there was a loud clap of thunder as neon-green lightening shot across the angry sky.
" Holy crap!" Swore Jim as he bore witness to the awesome display of nature happening above him.
" Captain, I fail to see what religious significance feces has in accordance with out current situation." Said Spock as he ran along side Jim.
Jim was so taken aback by Spock words that he could only laugh loudly as he ran. The away team reached the beam in sight where Jim immediately flipped open his communicator.
" Mr. Scott?" Yelled Jim as a gale force wind suddenly picked up around them.
" Yes Captain." Came Scotty's reply.
" Beam us up right freakin now!" Cried Jim.
" You bet your ass Captain!" Said Scotty from where he was all the way back up on the ship. As fast as he could, Scotty activated the transporter and locked onto the away team's signals.
" Energizin!" Yelled Scotty, hopping he could get the away team off the planet because what was happening down on the planet was seriously messing with the instruments.
Back down on the planet, Jim felt relief wash over him as the familiar white particles of the transporter beam suddenly materialized and swirled all around them. Jim felt his entire body tingle as he and the others began to dematerialize off of the surface of the planet.
Scotty felt relief flood him as well as the transporter was illuminated with bright light. Scotty waited for the particles to clear and the light to fade. But when the light dissipated, everyone in the transporter room simultaneously felt their hearts slam to a cold, hard stop inside their chest.
" Oh my God no." Whispered Scotty as he looked at the transporter, where the away team stood with two empty spots where Captain Kirk and Commander Spock were supposed to be standing.
Back down on the planet, Jim looked around in confusion. What the Hell just happened? Why wasn't he standing in the transporter room of his ship? This and many other disoriented thoughts filled Jim's mind before Spock materialized in front of him.
" Captain, are you alright?" Asked Spock loudly over the din of the storm.
" Y-Yeah, I'm okay." Answered Jim. " What the Hell just happened Spock?"
" It would appear that the storm has interfered with out signals." Surmised Spock. " It had effectively barred up from beaming back on board the ship, but Mr. Scott was successfully in beaming back the rest of the away team."
" That's good." Said Jim as he screwed his eyes shut against the biting wind that seemed to be attacking him and Spock from all sides. " At least all of us didn't get stranded."
" Captain, we must find shelter quickly." Yelled Spock.
" I get that Spock." Said Jim, then he remembered the cave by the waterfall. " C'mon Spock, I know a place where we can go."
Jim took of running back towards the waterfall with Spock right beside him. The two made quick work of running through the windswept forest until they reached the clearing where the waterfall stood.
" Over there!" Yelled Jim as he pointed to the cave he had seen earlier.
" Captain, there might be dangerous indigenous wild-life inhabiting that cave." Reasoned Spock.
" Spock, look around you." Said Jim as he gestured angrily to the chaos that was happening all round them. " We don't have the luxury of of being picky about shelter at the moment. NOW COME ON!"
With that, Jim and Spock rushed across the clearing and climbed up onto the rocky cliff-face where the cave stood.
As Jim stood at the mouth of the cave, he flipped open his communicator and spoke.
" Enterprise, come in Enterprise." He said. " Scotty can you here me."
At first there was a great deal of white noise and then Scotty's garbled voice came over the line.
" Cap..an, are you and... Mis..er Spock al...ight?"
" Yes Scotty, where both uninjured." Answered Jim. " We're currently holed up in a cave about a hundred meters from the beam in sight."
" Sir... your... sig..als are very... weak. I can..no... lock...on." Came Scotty's halted voice.
" I understand that Mr. Scott." Nodded Jim. " It looks like we're gonna have to wait for the storm to clear first."
" Aye...sir." Came Scotty's voice.
" Alright, Kirk out." Sighed Jim before he flipped his communicator shut.
Jim then turned and saw Spock standing a little further up ahead with his scanner out.
" Are we trespassing on anyone Mr. Spock?" Asked Jim as he made his way over to his First Officer.
" Negative." Replied Spock. " It would appear that this cave is in fact, deserted."
" Thank God." Said Jim. " That's one less thing we hand to deal with."
Jim and Spock then began carefully walking further into the cave.
" We should really get some light in here." Said Jim as he held up his tricorder, which did very little to help against the darkness of the cave.
" That would be ideal." Said Spock.
The two of them walked further into the cave until they came across something very unexpected. There at the very heard of the cave was a deep looking pool of dark blue water that was being fed by a small stream coming in from somewhere outside the cave. Beautiful prism-like stalactites jutted out of the cave's ceiling above the pool, condensation lightly dripping off them. On the cave floor around the pool, there was a think and soft looking dark green moss covering everything.
" Fascinating." Stated Spock.
" Yeah." Agreed Jim before he started looking around for anything they could use to get a fire going.
" Captain, may I ask what you are doing?" Asked Spock.
" What does it look like I am doing?" Countered Jim.
" Captain, that is not an adequate answer because you have instead asked me a redundant question." Said Spock flatly.
" I'm looking for raw materials to get a fire started." Said Jim, rolling his eyes in annoyance.
" Wait here." Said Jim suddenly as he made to leave the cave.
" Captain, as your First Officer I must protest to your going outside with the weather conditions being what they are." Said Spock.
" Your protests are duly noted Mr. Spock." Said Jim as he felt his irritation rising. " But I won't be out there for very long, I just need to get some tree branches for a fire."
Then, before Spock could open his mouth to voice another protest, Jim rapidly retreated towards the cave's entrance. Spock quickly followed after his Captain, feeling his own irritation towards the illogical human, especially since said human had gone back out it the storm that was still raging outside. Spock came to a halt at the mouth of the cave and watched as Jim made a swift B-line for tall, reed-like plants that were near the edge of the pond outside. Jim grabbed large hand-fulls of these dry stocks and uprooted them. He kept doing this until he had gathered a large enough pile before he hurried back to the cave. Jim barely spared Spock a glance as he walked past with his arms full of the reed-like plants. Spock's lips thinned as he followed after his captain.
When the two of them were back at the moss-covered area where the cave-pool was located, Spock stood by and watched as Jim began the arduous task of getting a fire going.
" Do you require any assistance Captain?" Asked Spock.
" Thanks but no thanks Spock." Answered Jim quickly, not looking at the Vulcan as he squatted down on the moss. " I got this."
" Very well Captain." Said Spock before he walked towards the cave-pool, where he flipped open his tricorder and started running some scans of the pool area.
When soft grunts filled Spock's sensitive ears, the Vulcan turned around to see Jim where he knelt on the floor, pulling out large chunks of the green-moss like vegetation. This left the stone floor beneath the moss exposed. As though he were feeling eyes Spock's eyes on him, Jim paused in getting rid of some of the moss to meet Spock's gaze head on with deviance.
" Is there something on my face?" Asked Jim.
" I beg you pardon Captain?" Asked Spock.
" I mean, you're openly staring at me." Said Jim flatly. " I'm just asking if there was something stuck to my face that was the reason behind it."
Spock was silent for a moment and then quirked one of his slanted eyebrows. He surmised that Jim was being insolent and sarcastic. Spock decided that he would not contend with such a thing.
" No Captain, there is nothing on your face." Replied Spock. " I am merely observing you as you work to build the fire you claimed you could initiate."
Jim Kirk could see a challenge, even if it was veiled beneath neutral words. Jim wordlessly vowed to knock that infuriating, know-it-all, irritating,... absolutely gorgeous over-grown jack-rabbit down a few pegs if it was the last thing he ever did. But not wanting to let on how riled up Spock had him, Jim remained outwardly calm and collected as he spoke.
" Okay, you just keep on observing then." He said before he went back to clearing away the moss.
After a few minutes Jim deemed that he had cleared away enough of the moss, so he set about gathering the next necessary items. Spock watched on in silence and veiled curiosity as his captain started darting every which way, picking up every available stone he came across. Once Jim had acquired a moderately large amount, he set about forming a circle of stones around the area he had clear away. He used large rocks on the outer edge of the circle and used the smaller stones to fill it up. Once that was done, Jim stood up and grabbed some of the reed-like plants he had gathered from outside. Using some of the long leaves that were attached to the reed-plants stems, Jim tied the leaved around the top end of a bunch of the reed-plant.
Spock watched in silent, but rapt attention as Jim then set the tied reed-plants aside and picked up the small pile of the green-moss plant that he had cleared away earlier. Jim set the chunks of green-moss down at the center of the rock circle he had made earlier. Then Jim picked up the tied cylinder of reed-plants and did something Spock did not expect. Spock watched as Jim carefully held the tired end of the reed-plant cylinder in one hand, and then began to gently twisted along its length with his other hand. This caused the reeds to open up almost like an umbrella. Thankfully, the reed-plant's leaved that Jim had used to tied off one end seemed to stretch with the movement instead of breaking. By the end, Jim had the reed-plants shaped almost like a tee pee of sorts. Once Jim had judged that the reed-plant tee-pee was wide enough, he carefully lowered it over the pile of moss at the center of the stone circle and pushed the open ends of the reed-plant stems into the rock, jamming it all into place.
When Jim took his hands away, he was pleased beyond words to see the reed-plant tee pee stay exactly where he hand placed it. With a small glance at Spock, Jim got ready from the big finish.
" I suggest we stand back Mr. Spock." Said Jim as he eyed his First Officer.
" Yes sir." Said Spock before he moved a few steps away and waited to see what Jim was going to do next.
Jim took a few steps back himself before he reached for the phaser at his hip.
" Sir, I do not think that is wise." Piped up Spock.
" Your opinion is noted commander." Said Jim with a small sigh. " Give me a little credit here, I'm not as incompetent as you would like to believe."
" Captain, may I remind you that I am Vulcan." Said Spock flatly. " Vulcan do not like to believe in anything. I am merely stating my opinion as you pointed out."
Jim gave Spock a non-committal grunt before he focused his attention in the power setting on his phaser. Once Jim was satisfied that he had lowered it enough, he aimed for a small space between the reed-plants that made up the tee pee structure and fired a low, uniform stream. Jim's aim was true and within moments, the energy from the phaser ignited the moss within the tee pee structure and also heated up the rocks that were beneath it. Everything held it's ground, and now the sight of a small but strong fire.
" In your face you pointy-eared prick." Thought Jim as he sent Spock a smug look of triumph.
Spock was silent for a long moment, his eyed going from the bright, bluish-orange fire, to his Captain standing tall and proud a few feet away from it.
" Truly impressive sir." Said Spock finally.
Jim felt his triumph dim a little bit from the way Spock had said these words. To Jim it was like it actually pained Spock to give him his well-earned compliments for a job well-done.
" Thank you Commander." Said Jim neutrally. " Now come sit by the fire and get yourself warmed up."
" Yes sir." Said Spock without really looking at Jim as he stepped forward and gracefully knelt a few feet away from the fire.
Jim let out a small sigh of his own before he too sank down onto the moss-covered cave floor and enjoyed the warmth of a fire that was the fruit if his ingenuity and skill. What followed after was probably one of the longest and most awkward silences Jim Kirk would ever experience in his entire life.
Jim valiantly endured this silence for a full two hours before he finally could not stand it any longer.
" So Mr. Spock, how would you evaluate this mission?" Asked Jim pleasantly enough as he took off his utility belt and set it aside, neatly folded.
Spock looked up to meet Jim's gaze, and he seemed to contemplate the question for a moment before he spoke.
" I shall have to say that initially, the mission was proceeding adequately well, until this unusual storm that had stranded us came into play." He said neutrally.
" I will have to agree with you on that." Said Jim with a small smile as he sat cross-legged on the moss.
There was another beat of silence before Spock suddenly spoke.
" Captain, it is my expressed opinion that you should not have beamed down onto this planet along with me and the rest of the landing party." He said in a matter-of-fact tone.
" You are entitled to your opinion Mr. Spock." Said Jim. " But I chose to come on this away mission, the fact that we are now stranded due to a freaky storm kicking up has nothing to do with that decision."
" Yes, but now we, the two highest ranking officers of the Enterprise, are now both stranded on this planet." Countered Spock.
" I have faith in the rest of the senior-staff Mr. Spock." Replied Jim, his voice and gaze hard. " I know that they will get us out once the storm clears."
" Be that as it may, as Captain you should not have allowed yourself to get into this situation in the first place." Said Spock flatly, the light from the fire dancing across his pale features.
" Well, as Captain it was my decision to make." Said Jim as the fire-light danced across his face as well.
" Yes, and as Captain you must realize now just how poor a decision you made." Said Spock flatly.
" I don't feel that my decision was in any way poor." Challenged Jim, trying his best not to let Spock rile him up. " I wished to see the planet for myself. How were any of us to know that a storm would suddenly kick up and interfere with the transporter?"
" I highly recommended that you not beam down to the planet sir." Said Spock.
" Well what do you want me to about it Spock?" Asked Jim in frustration. " Fine Mr. Spock, you were right and I was wrong. Fat lot of help this admission does with our current situation."
Jim shook his head, and then gave in to the urge to send Spock a final verbal barb.
" But your ego is getting a huge boost from my admission, isn't it Spock?" Smirked Jim humorlessly.
" Please refrain from yet again making outlandish accusations Captain." Said Spock flatly. " They are-"
" Unbecoming, I know." Said Jim, cutting Spock off.
" And cutting a fellow officer while he is speaking is a clear sign of immaturity." Continued Spock. " And blatantly rude in fact."
" Well I am in good company because you have been nothing but rude to me every since this mission began." Said Jim loudly.
" I beg your pardon sir?" Asked Spock.
" Don't give me that Spock." Scoffed Jim. " I know full well that you have not forgotten my words back in the conference room almost a month ago."
Spock's jaw gave the tiniest tic before he spoke.
" Captain, with all due respect, I am finished with this conversation." He said as he effectively turned away from Jim's angry, blue eyed gaze.
Spock may have wanted an end to the conversation, but Jim was far from finished. Now that he and Spock no longer on board the Enterprise, he was going to get some straight answers from Spock, even if Jim had to reach down the insufferable ass's throat and pull them out himself.
" That's where you're wrong Commander." Said Jim as he slowly rose to his feet. " We are in no way finished with this conversation."
Spock looked up and met his Captain's striking pale blue eyes, clearly seeing what he knew to be grim determination swirling within their icy depths. Without saying a word, Spock too rose to his feet. The human and the Vulcan stood facing each other with the small fire crackling between them. It was Jim who finally broke the silence.
" Spock, you and I have some very serious issues we going to deal with right here and right now." He said with resolve.
" To what issues are you referring to Captain?" Asked Spock.
" The animosity you still harbor toward me for starters." Answered Jim. " I want to know why. I want to hear your reasons directly from you Commander."
" Captain, as I have told you before, I do not harbor any feelings of animosity toward you." Said Spock with steely resolve.
" Now that's where I know that you aren't being truthful with me Spock." Said Jim before he shook his head in frustration and continued. " In the beginning, you found fault with everything I did, every decision I made. Now you barely acknowledge my presence what so ever. Every single time I extended any kind of invitation to you, you outright refused. It's like I disgust you so much that you can't even bare to be in the same room with me any longer than what's absolutely necessary."
At this point Jim felt all the Hellish emotions he had been valiantly bottling up for the past few months rapidly bubbling up to the surface. Jim took a moment to battle back the maelstrom back before he spoke again.
" Spock just tell me why you've been treating me the way you have. Please tell me what I did to make you act this way toward me."
Jim's plea for answers was met with dead silence as Spock just stared at the human with unreadable dark eyes.
" Just say something, please." Thought Jim as he stared back at Spock.
Jim was also rapidly thinking of his own reasons for why Spock had treated him like he had. He had already cited the Kobayashi Maru debacle during the confrontation in the conference room, and that hadn't really gotten him anywhere. This left Jim searching through his mind for any, any other possible reason. It was just as Spock finally parted his lips to speak that a new, terrible realization suddenly dawned on Jim as a possible reason why Spock kept pushing him away.
" Captain I..." Spock began, but he trailed off when he caught sight of Jim's expression.
The sheer, horrified realization that was painted across every line of Jim's face actually had Spock concerned.
" Captain?" Asked Spock as he took a small step forward.
Jim seemed not to hear him as he stared unseeingly past his First Officer at some point on the cave wall and spoke.
" Oh my God... Oh my God... I get it Spock. I finally get it." Said Jim softly as he blinked owlishly.
" What Captain?" Asked Spock. " What is it that you finally get, as you so put it?"
There was a long beat of charged silence before Jim slowly turned to look Spock dead in the eye.
" The reason why you hate me Spock." Said Jim, his voice so hollow and devoid of anything, it actually could have satisfied a Vulcan.
To Spock it was deeply unnerving, but the next words that came out of his Captain's mouth had Spock's heart slamming to a cold stop where it resided in his side.
" Spock, you hate me because of what happened during the Narada incident. You hate me because I didn't destroy that insane Romulan bastard's drill fast enough." Said Jim in horrified, shell shocked wonder. " You hate me because I didn't stop Nero from destroying Vulcan."
Spock was frozen where he stood, his eyes wide and actually having a hard time comprehending what Jim had just said.
The Vulcan watched as Jim finally tore his own wide-eyed gaze away from Spock and slowly turned away from the fire. Spock watched on in silence as Jim walked almost zombie-like across the moss and then sank down onto one of the boulders by the edge of the cave pool.
" It all make so much sense now." Whispered Jim. " Every single thing."
There was a silence that seemed to stretch on for an eternity before Jim did something that actually chilled Spock to his very core.
He started to laugh. A jagged, hysterical laugh as tears began to spill down his pale cheeks. The sound was grating to Spock's ears, and the sight was something straight out of a nightmare. This was what finally broke the paralysis that had been gripping Spock. Jim was so lost in his devastation and hysteria that he didn't see the blur of blue that was his First Officer as Spock rushed to his side. Jim still kept on laughing hysterically as he dimly felt hands grip his uppers arms hard enough to bruise and roughly hauled him up onto his feet.
" Jim stop this!" Cried Spock as he gave Jim a firm shake.
Jim flopped around in Spock grip, the hysterical laughter slowly fading into shaky gasps as Jim stared vacantly at Spock. Spock then let go of Jim's arms, wrapping one of his arms tightly around Jim's waist, pulling the human flush against him. With his other hand Spock reached up and cradled the back of Jim's head, his pale fingers splayed amidst the golden locks. Jim had enough time to blink owlishly at Spock before the Vulcan leaned in and roughly sealed his mouth over Jim's colorless lips.
At first Jim just hung limp in Spock's arms, not responding at all. But after a few moments, the realization of what Spock was currently doing finally broke through the haze of hysteria and shock that had enshrouded Jim. The young man's tearful eyes widened to the size of satellite dishes as it finally hit him that his First Officer, the man who had shown only contempt towards him in almost all the time that he had known him, was kissing him like a man starved for weeks.
All at once, Jim felt everything inside him shatter. What cruel trick of the Universe was this?
Spock felt Jim go rigid in his hold, and the prepared himself accordingly as Jim began to struggle wildly.
" MMMMmph!" Yelled Jim loudly against Spock's lips as he tried to thrash about and break Spock's hold.
Jim tried to pull away, he tried to shove Spock off, he even pounded on the Vulcan's chest with his fists. He did all that he could to pry Spock off, but his efforts were fruitless because Spock's grip was like a steel trap around Jim. Spock just wasn't going to let go. Instead, the Vulcan deepened the kiss, adding more pressure and tightening his hold around Jim so that the human couldn't struggle as wildly anymore. To Jim's silent horror, he began to feel his resolve to resist crumbling with each second that passed until finally, he could no longer deny himself. Spock felt a small surge of relief and triumph as Jim seemed to almost melt into his arms and began to respond to him.
Jim and Spock kissed like they were trying to equally devour each other whole. When the need for air became to much for Jim to ignore, he reached up and squeezed Spock's shoulder tightly before he wrenched his mouth away from Spock's with a harsh gasp. Jim barely had time to take a few mush needed gulps of air before he found his head in an almost vice-like grip and Spock held the human's face between he pale hands. Spock used his thumbs to wipe away the tear-tracks that stained Jim's cheeks before he finally spoke.
" Please Jim, just stop." Said Spock softly as he gazed at Jim with soul-searing eyes.
" Spock... Spock why did you just do that?" Whispered Jim. " Why did you just kiss me?"
" To stop the sheer madness that gripped you." Said Spock harshly. " And because I am finished with denying myself that which I have desired with every fiber of my being."
Jim blinked and stared at Spock, feeling terror course through him for he did dare hope that what he saw within Spock's dark, expressive eyes was what he thought it was.
" Spock I-" Jim began to say when Spock cut him off.
" Jim with all due respect, shut up." Growled Spock sternly before he leaned in and sealed his mouth over Jim once more.
Though he was still massively confused, Jim put up no struggle against Spock as the Vulcan kissed him deeply. After a few moments of not responding, Jim let his eyes flutter shut and allowed himself to melt completely against Spock. As he kissed Spock back, Jim felt a profound, warm ecstasy flood his entire being. The low moan that escaped Jim made Spock's copper-based blood boil. Jim was dimly aware of Spock slowly pulling him away from the boulder he had been sitting on and taking him closer to the fire. Jim felt a small jolt go through him as Spock gently dragged him down onto his knee and then pushed him back so that he was laying on the soft, moss-covered cave floor, all without breaking the kiss they were sharing.
When they finally did break apart, Jim stared up at Spock with wide blue eyed. To put it simple, Spock looked absolutely breath-taking as he loomed over Jim. The human and the Vulcan simply stared at each other for several longs moments before Jim finally broke the silence.
" S-Spock... What are you doing?" He whispered.
" I am about to proceed in alleviating your inaccurate assumptions that I harbor feelings of hatred toward you Jim." Said Spock before he leaned in close so that mere centimeters separated his face from Jim as he continued. " Now, please cease in any further speaking. We shall have ample time to converse later."
With that said, Spock proceeded to shed his duty uniform. Jim could only lay there and watch in wide-eyed wonder as the Vulcan undressed himself before his very eyes. Jim let out a soft gasp when Spock was finally naked before him. Never in all his life had Jim seen a being so strong and absolutely breath-taking as Spock looked at that moment.
But Jim's admiring was abruptly cut short when Spock seemed to almost pound on him and began, for all intents and purposes, attacking the human's clothing. Jim let out a surprised cry but wisely didn't fight against Spock as the Vulcan all but tore the gold uniform tunic, the black undershirt from his upper body, the regulation boots and socks from his feet, and finally the black slacks from his lower body, leaving Jim clad only in his underwear. It was here that Spock paused, and loomed over Jim, his dark eyes steadily meeting Jim's pale blue orbs with a silent question while his pale hand hovered over the waist-band of Jim's boxer-briefs.
Jim realized what this was. This was Spock wordlessly asking Jim for his permission to remove the final physical barrier between them. Feeling his heart racing at warp speed within his chest, Jim licked his suddenly dry lips and then gave Spock a slow nod before he lifted his hips a few inches off of the moss-covered ground. Spock nodded in return and then gently hooked his thumb under the elastic waist-band of Jim's underwear. With a gentleness that calmed Jim's heart somewhat, Spock slowly pulled downward, sliding Jim's underwear off of his hips and down his legs till he pulled them all the way off and lightly tossed them in the general direction where the rest of there discarded clothing lay in a semi-pile. Jim let out a shaky breath as he lay completely bare before an equally bare Spock.
There was no turning back now.
Jim let out a loud cry when Spock promptly draped himself over Jim like a living blanket. Jim's eyes almost rolled into the back of his head when his skin came into contact with Spock's. The Vulcan's higher body temperature made Spock feel almost like a furnace on top of Jim. Jim let a slow groan that Spock silenced by sealing his mouth over Jim's. Two sets of hand soon began greedily stealing molten hot caresses. Soon, low groan and harsh cries were echoing through the vast expanse of the heart of the cave as two souls that would not be denied any longer, finally came together.
Outside, the winds howls and the neon-green lightening crackled through the sky filled with angry dark magenta clouds. It was when the awesome crash of thunder ripped across the chaotic sky that Jim's loud, pain-laced scream of pleasure echoed off of the walls of the cave as Spock joined their bodies and claimed Jim to his very soul. The light from the fire cast shadows against the wall, catching fleeting instances of movement from Jim and Spock were they lay close by the fire and casting them in black against the dark stone of the cave-wall.
As the storm raged on in full force outside, thunder roaring and bright green lightening crackling as it lanced across the sky, mutual passion erupted within the cave Jim and Spock had sought shelter in.
The pain gave way to pleasure that seemed to go on for hours and hours until finally, everything shattered in Jim. A finally, powerful scream echoed through the cave for several long moments until Jim fell silent. A few moments later a soft, strangled groan sounded and then there was silence within the cave, save for the soft crackling of the small fire Jim had struck.
Outside, the gale force winds were slowly losing there strength. The neon-green lightening was flickering and growing weaker. The thunder once roaring, was slowly becoming a distant rumble as the magenta clouds up above began to slowly break apart.
" Sounds like the storm is clearing up." Said Jim, his voice ragged, and almost a whispered as he lay on his front on top of the soft, moss-like plant that covered the cave floor.
" Yes Jim, so it would seem." Said Spock, his voice a deep, low rumble against the back of Jim's neck as he lay half draped across the human's smooth and pale back.
" Mmm." Moaned Jim softly as he felt one of Spock's hands travel up the entire length of his back before softly gliding over his shoulder, and then down the length his arm until it came to cover Jim's hand, and his long, powerful fingers entwined with Jim and squeezed. Jim in turn, squeezed Spock's hand back as he spoke.
" We should really clean ourselves up." He said with a soft groan as Spock lightly bit his shoulder. " Scotty's probably gonna call any second now that the storm is clear."
" I agree with you Jim, we must make ourselves presentable before we return to the ship." Said Spock. " And afterward, you and I must converse in private about what has transpired here. I shall also take it as an opportunity to apologize for the way that I have behaved towards you Jim."
" Yes, we'll definitely need to talk once we get back." Agreed Jim, then with a small groan and a great deal of reluctance, the human slowly rolled out from under his lover. But Jim didn't let go of Spock's hand as he moved, instead he pulled the Vulcan up with him as he climbed to his feet with a small wince.
Together, Jim and Spock proceeded to cleanse away as much of the evidence of their coupling as they could, with the help of the giant pool of water within the cave and the spongy moss-like plant from the cave floor. In the span of a few minutes, Jim and Spock had cleaned themselves sufficiently enough. They also killed the fire so that only dying embers remained. They then proceeded to get dressed, but when Jim tried to reach down to get his clothes, an already half-dressed Spock materialized at his side and stopped him with a simple look. Jim bit back the urge to grin like a idiot and instead smiled warmly at the Vulcan and watched as Spock proceeded to pick up all of Jim's clothing from the cave floor. Once he had everything, Spock proceeded to hand Jim his clothes one by one. Jim understandably had a bit of difficulty moving, but he gritted through the discomfort and was soon fully dressed.
" Thanks." Said Jim softly before he leaned up and pressed his lips to Spock's in a chaste kiss, one that Spock returned.
" You are most welcome Jim." Said Spock softly when they drew apart. With a nod, Spock stepped away to finish getting dressed himself.
About a minute later, Jim's communicator beep from where it was hook to the utility belt around his waist. Feeling relieved that the signal got through, Jim reached for the communicator and flipped it open.
" Kirk here." Answered Jim.
" Jim, thank God!" Came the relieved voice of Dr. Leonard McCoy from back up on the Enterprise.
" Hey Bones." Beamed Jim as Spock came to stand next to him, a solid and warm presence.
" Don't you 'hey Bones' me!" Growled Bones from where he stood in the transporter room next to a smiling Scotty. " Who the Hell told you to beam down onto the planet for this mission huh? Just wait till we beam you back on board."
Jim just grinned as he heard his best friend's promise unpleasantness.
" Good old Bones." Thought Jim as he spoke.
" Bones, me and Spock are perfectly alright, we holed up in a cave while the storm was raging. Right now tell Scotty to beam us up ASAP, Mr. Spock and I have had enough adventure for one day." He said, really wanting to get back to his ship, his shower, and his bed, which he might share with his First Officer in the very near future.
" Aye sir, I'll lock onto your signal jus' as soon as you and Commander Spock step out of the cave yer holed up in." Came Scotty's cheerful, deeply accented voice through the line.
" Will do Mr. Scott. I'll page you once we're out of the cave." Said Jim as his smiled up at Spock, who gazed back at him with warmth in his dark eyes.
" Aye sir." Acknowledged Scotty.
" Kirk out." Said Jim before he flipped the communicator shut and placed it back onto his belt. He then turned to Spock and spoke.
" Shall we Mr. Spock." He said with a smile.
" Yes Captain." Nodded Spock.
Together Jim and Spock began walking out of the cave where they had reached a profound turning point in their relationship. They would have to keep this change in their relationship a secret for the time being, and also work a few things out still, but they knew that things were going to be different from now on. They were going to be better. When the two reached the mouth of the cave, they were met with the sight of the serene calmness that came after the storm, with the Elaysia Prime sun shining brightly and sparkling over the crystalline waters of the waterfall and the pond.
Meanwhile, back up in space where the Enterprise was in orbit around the planet, Bones stood next to Scotty, eagerly awaiting Jim's page. But as he stood there, the CMO couldn't help but wonder what had happened down there.
He couldn't help but wonder why Jim and Spock were both alright, and why the other hadn't killed each other over the many hours since they had been stranded.
One thing was clear to Bones. Something was up, and he was meaning to find out when Enterprise had her Captain and First Officer safely back aboard.
About five minutes later, Scotty finally received Jim's page and proceeded to lock onto Jim and Spock's signals. Once he hand the controls set, Scotty activated the transporter.
" Energizin'" Called Scotty.
A few seconds later the transporter pad was filled with bright light as two swirling columns of white particles began to materialize.
.
The End