Kirk poured a drink for himself and sat down beside the fireplace. Spock was already seated cross-legged on the floor, his head tilted to observe Kirk with fascination. Kirk grinned at him, but he was uneasy. Spock could feel the anxiety rolling off him.

"What is troubling you?" he asked.

Kirk looked up in surprise, then took a sip of his drink. "Oh, nothing," he said, trying to sound casual. "I just think it's time to come clean."

"I do not believe there is anything wrong with your personal hygiene." Spock said. His eyes, shining with amusement, betrayed the fact that Kirk had explained this particular metaphor before.

Kirk chuckled. "Do you know how I knew to bring your... soul... to Vulcan?" He asked.

"I do not, although I believe my father had something to do with it."

"He did." It seemed so long ago that he had been talking to Sarek in this very room. "At first he thought I was the one you'd passed it on to."

"A logical assumption, given our relationship." Spock said. His face plainly showed that he did not know why this distressed his lover so much. Kirk was now bound to explain, for the vulcan's curiosity would not let him go.

Kirk shifted uneasily and took another swallow of his ale. He'd have to thank Bones for this in the morning. "He... He did a mind meld to make sure. He went into my mind."

"Logical."

"Yes but..." One more swallow and the glass was empty- Kirk didn't want to stand up and refill it, so he continued speaking. "Spock, you know how you've always told me I need to work on my mental shields? Well I didn't. Not well enough. And so when Sarek went looking for my memories of you he found some that... well... he probably didn't need to."

"Are you implying that my father was a witness to your memories of us having sex?" Spock asked, his eyebrows vanishing beneath his bangs.

"Among other things."

Kirk was well aware of the subtle changes in Spock's face that signified discomfort. All were present. "That is most unfortunate."

Kirk looked away into the fire. "I'm sorry," he said.

"However I must also endeavor to "come clean"."

Kirk's head jerked up. "What?"

"While I was assimilated into Dr. McCoy's consciousness, I was unable to completely control the storage of my memory banks. I found that certain memories had an unsettling habit of revealing themselves in conjunction with a similar thought by the good doctor."

"So, whenever Bones thought of, say, Andorians..."

"My own memories might surface. Correct. And whenever Dr. McCoy was, shall we say, interested in a member of the opposite sex, he found himself witnessing most... unprofessional images of you."

Kirk felt his face heating up in a way that had nothing to do with the fire. "So Bones saw everything?"

"He saw a great deal."

Kirk managed a laugh at the absurdity of the situation. Spock looked at him curiously. "I can't believe it." Kirk said. Although it did explain the deeply disturbed looks Bones had been giving him lately.

Spock frowned, considering. Finally he put his hand over Kirk's in an unusual gesture of affection. "My memories are not completely intact, and I do not wish that on anyone else. I believe that, besides attempting to erase the memories of both parties, there is one way in which we can make the discomfort inconsequential." he said.

Kirk looked up, startled. "What?"

"We can render those memories obsolete." Spock said, looking at Kirk innocently.

Kirk grinned at the implications. "Why Spock," he said. "I do believe that is the most logical course of action."

"Naturally, Jim," Spock said.

"Obsolescence is underrated."