Coming Home

Waking up was becoming a longer and longer proposition every year, but to Leonard McCoy, there was no rush. Hell, he was fast coming up on his one hundred and seventieth birthday. If he took until noon to get up, what did it matter? Not like he had places to go or people to see.

~Doctor, are you aware that you have come to snore far louder than you did when you were in your sixties?~

The eyes, still the same vivid blue as they ever were, snapped open as Leonard looked around the room for the source of the voice that was as familiar to him as his own.

"Spock? When did you get back? Where are -"

Then Leonard's voice caught in his throat and nearly choked him as the truth hit him. The voice had been in his head and that meant that Spock was . . . was . .

~Dead. Yes, I am afraid so. However, considering the circumstances I found myself in, this was the most agreeable alternative. Doctor . . . Leonard . . .~

Spock gave up trying to speak as his old friend dissolved into tears, grief overwhelming the man. From this unique vantage point, Spock could see the weight of the years pressing down on the frail human shell. Jim was lost to them all nearly ninety-five years ago. Uhura, Sulu, Scotty, Chapel, even Chekov were all gone as well. McCoy had attended the funerals and memorials for each of the old crew, feeling his age a little more with each one. His own daughter had preceded him in death ten years ago - her doctor telling him, without meaning the irony, that his baby girl had died from complications associated with old age. Now that Spock was dead as well, there was no-one left. No-one but one very old and very tired country doctor.

The mourning for the death of his last contemporary lasted quite awhile, but McCoy slowly pulled himself back together, climbed out of bed and headed to the bathroom to take care of his needs and clean up. He decided to go ahead and speak to Spock aloud. Not like there was anyone else around to question his sanity.

"So, care to tell me what happened? Last I knew, you were off on a humanitarian mission in Romulan space."

~First, I feel I must apologize to you for the rather flippant way that I treated the time that you and the others were forced to spend in what Jim termed the Mirror Universe. Being around a few individuals from that world is a far different experience to being surrounded by them.~

"Are you saying you ended up there?"

The very sincere distress Leonard seemed to feel on his behalf regarding that both surprised and touched Spock. He had assumed that his sparring partner for hundreds of debates would have considered Spock ending up in the Mirror Universe as poetic justice for having called those people a refreshing change.

"I can hear it when you think too hard, you know. I still have the occasional nightmare about that place, so no, I wouldn't have wished going there on you. Or anyone."

~I did not just go between universes, Leonard. I went back in time. I truly feared that not only my body, but my katra as well would be trapped there.~

"Back in time? So you didn't encounter the other versions of us?"

~No, I did. But you were far younger than I ever knew you to be. You and Jim attended the Academy together. You were both near graduation, but the destruction of Vulcan . . . ~

It was Spock's turn to become overwhelmed by the rush of emotions. Leonard found his own tears flowing in response, but he certainly didn't begrudge giving his oldest friend the outlet he was able to provide for him.

"Hey - I don't know what all happened there, but here? Here, Vulcan is fine. In fact, guess I need to make travel arrangements. You and I have to go pay a visit to Mount Seleya."

Regaining control of himself, Spock became embarrassed by his outburst, but Leonard headed off any apologies. During Spock's short breakdown, Leonard had watched the scene through Spock's eyes.

"My body's about worn out, but my mind is still in working order. Mighta been over a hundred years ago, but I remember very clearly what it felt like to see Earth about to be destroyed before we figured out a way to go back and get those whales. And I was just having to imagine it happening - I didn't have to see it. Cut yourself some slack."

Getting dressed, Leonard made his way over to the computer and looked up transportation to Vulcan. The quickest way there was to request to accompany a Starfleet ship going there. Age and rank still had its privileges. His authorization came back within an hour and someone would come by to take him to the ship.

Spock began to grow worried over the amount of times Leonard had to stop and rest from just packing a small bag. The climate on Vulcan was difficult for even a human in their prime to bear for long. How would a human of Leonard's advanced years -?

"Didn't I already mention I can hear you when you think too loud? Don't worry none about little ol' me. When Death finally gets off his butt and comes for me, I plan to ask him what took so damn long. Man shouldn't outlive his own child."

Pausing in the hall, Leonard looked over the images he had on the wall, hand reaching out to rest on the oldest picture of the ones there - a far younger Leonard holding a newborn Joanna in his arms. After a moment, he pulled his hand back and wiped at his eye.

"Sentimental old fool - that's all I am now. I don't mind making this trip to Vulcan for you, so just hush up about that, Spock. Haven't had anything that I'd call useful to do for some time."

After another moment of hesitation, Leonard took down two of the pictures = one was the picture of himself and Joanna as a baby. The other was one of that Jim had ordered taken of his Bridge crew, though both Leonard as well as Christine Chapel were there as well - also at Jim's insistence.

With those two pictures being added to the bag, it was becoming clearer to Spock that Leonard didn't believe he would be coming back. But while his old friend had made his choice quite clear, Spock knew the choice wouldn't have had to be made if not for him.

"Spock. Let it be. I've lived here for quite some time, but only because I couldn't live by myself at the old house in Georgia any longer. I wanted my independence more than I wanted the house, but - hell - this has never been home. Don't bother me to leave it behind any more than leaving behind an old jacket that don't fit any more."

A knock on the door came and Leonard moved to open it, pleased to see he recognized the young lieutenant.

"I'll get my bag and we can go."

"Let me get that for you, Admiral McCoy."

Once onboard, Leonard requested and was granted permission to spend his time in Sickbay as they traveled to Vulcan. Nervous at first to be around the famous doctor behind so many vaccines and surgical procedures, they soon began to open up and Spock found himself impressed by the sheer amount of knowledge Leonard still carried and willingly passed on to the newest generation of Starfleet doctors. The questions went from specific techniques at first to asking for tales from the days when Captain Kirk stood on the Bridge of the Enterprise.

How Leonard managed to make Jim sound both heroic and very human was something Spock couldn't understand, but he had to admit that Leonard's tales conveyed the essence of their mutual friend better than anyone ever had. Spock also humbly acknowledged that Leonard spoke fondly of him and portrayed him in a more flattering light than he would have done for himself. It wasn't due to his presence either - while in the midst of a story, Leonard seemed to forget all about him to the point of being startled if he spoke.

When they were nearly to Vulcan, Leonard requested a private line to Vulcan and contacted Perrin, Sarek's widow. It didn't take long to fill her in on the reason for the journey to Vulcan and she agreed to make the arrangement for the priestesses immediately.

The doctors onboard did their best to try and persuade Leonard not to go down to the surface, but the best they could do in the end was to contact Vulcan and gain permission to teleport him far closer to the temple than would normally be allowed. To Leonard's amusement, there was even a litter waiting on him to carry him the rest of the way. Since just standing the Vulcan atmosphere was making it hard for him to breath, he didn't object.

The priestess awaiting them at the temple greeted Leonard formally.

"Leonard, son of David - thou are welcome among us once more. Lady Perrin has informed us that thou once more bring the katra of Spock, son of Sarek, back to his home."

"I do."

The priestess heard the strain from speaking only two words and quickly ordered attendants to bring cloth to provide shade and water. Then she settled softly as a falling flower petal by his side.

"It was my lady mother who assisted thee in the fal-tor-pan. Will thou allow me to meld with thee?"

"You have my permission."

Spock felt the delicate, skilled probing of the priestess and waited for her to speak.

"Leonard, son of David - in the recorded history of our people, it has never been known for one keeper to carry the same katra more than once. The bond is too strong. There can be no separation between the two of thee."

"No - there has to be a way."

"There is, but thou are human."

"What does me being human have to do with it?"

"Spock's katra is part of thee and thou are part of Spock's katra. The only way that his katra can join with those of his ancestors is if thou are with him as well."

"You mean, that when I die, I will end up going with him?"

"Or he with thee."

After a moment, the priestess spoke softly.

"I will call thy ship to take thee back. The strain of our world is too much for thee."

"Please. Allow me to stay."

~Leonard.~

"Spock, please. Don't argue. You know what I feel when I'm here?"

Seeing his friend's thoughts, Spock knew that there was no point in arguing further.

~You feel as if you have come home. Rest then, Leonard. We will stay.~

Still connected, the priestess heard them both and nodded her own consent to the decision even as she felt the life-force beneath her fingers waning. Keeping her right hand in position, the priestess signaled one of her assistants to approach with a vre'katra. She spread the fingers of her left hand over the globe and as Leonard's lungs struggled, then failed in the thin atmosphere, she eased the joint katra from its fleshy housing and inserted it into the waiting vessel. Then, at the age of 169 years and 234 days, the form of Admiral Leonard McCoy released a final sigh and expired.

As a note of some possible interest : it was said that, in the past, the Hall of Ancient Thought had been a quiet place where each katra contemplated the mysteries of the universe in meditative solitude. However after the year 2387, those who gained permission to enter found the living essences of their ancestors engaged in (pardon the pun) spirited debates ranging on everything from the meaning of existence to the proper amount of a seasoning in a perfect plomeek soup. And always at the center was a katra unlike any other in the Hall - the joint one of human and hybrid.