Sometimes, life in the fleet was really and truly perfect, Jim Kirk thought as he let the buzz of his commanding officer's report drone through his head like white noise. The ship herself was in tip-top shape, the crew had handily beaten the visiting team of the USS Orson in a friendly contest of Federation-rules football, and now they were about to enjoy a combination of a shore leave, an away mission and a restocking and refuelling pause at the satellite above Tarsus Three that meant everyone had the chance to stretch and breathe some natural air.

For Kirk, though, the visit onto the satellite held a particular significance and it was becoming harder and harder to keep that reason of why he was so excited to himself. He couldn't stand the idea he was essentially lying to those he considered his family, but there was ample reason as to why he had to stay mum about this one particular detail of his life.

Still, there was enough to distract him in the day to day that he didn't turn into some dreamy-eyed idiot when his crew was relying on him to get them through this part of space - the Tarsus system was known to be home to some shady characters on all of its five planets, save for Tarsus Three. The capital of the system was located there, Syzonna, and it was known to be a beacon of peace and prosperity for an otherwise troubled region. They were especially known for their theatrical performances and their audience involvement, a great callback to The Living Theatre of Earth in the nineteen-sixties and seventies.

Kirk wondered if he'd be able to perhaps purchase two tickets to one such performance; he knew she didn't get out much and it would be a great way to spend some time together after so long apart. Okay, maybe almost-six months wasn't so bad - after all, Sulu and Bones spent that much or longer away from their children - but given things that had transpired on the ship in a romantic way since the middle of April for his friends, it certainly begun to feel like an eternity to Kirk.

'Captain?'

He felt the poke of the bony finger in his shoulder and was pulled out of his swirling thoughts by the gesture from his first officer. 'Sorry, Mister Spock, thanks for your report, was there anything else you needed?'

'Lieutenant Allen in Engineering has requested to bring her son with the away mission,' Spock replied, folding his slender hands at his waist. 'I informed her I would relay that request to you and you would make the final decision.'

'Right.' Kirk gently rubbed his hand over his eyes as he cleared away his far-off plans from his mind, at least for the moment. 'Refresh me again-'

'Jenna Allen, she is an equipment specialist in Engineering. Her partner, Doctor Malcolm MacTaggart is a physician stationed on the Tarsus satellite along with her son Oliver. She has been selected by Mister Scott to be part of the Engineering division's representation on the away mission, and has requested her family be given guest status to accompany her when we attend the diplomatic dinner hosted by the governor of the system.'

'Denied.'

'Captain-'

'Sorry Mister Spock but the rules for state dinners are very clear.' Kirk paused on a moment, feeling rather guilty at his own abruptness. 'However, there is going to be a Star Fleet reception on the satellite for the Tarsian dignitaries once the away mission is concluded, we can invite them to that one.'

'Very well, Captain, I shall relay the information to Lieutenant Allen at once.'

'Talk to Uhura, she'll be drawing up the guest list as part of her duties.'

'That should not be a challenge, sir,' Spock replied with a quick purse of his lips that Kirk knew to be a means of suppressing a specific type of smile. He'd seen it when his first officer had gone through the pon-farr just a few short months ago and he'd put all that raging blood-fire to good use, as Uhura had termed it. Still, Kirk knew that his friend liked to keep personal things personal and took the high road, despite knowing he'd catch grief from Bones later for not taking the opportunity to needle Spock.

'You guys have plans later?'

'Indeed, we are scheduled for a social engagement approximately sixty minutes after Nyota's duty shift is complete.' Spock paused, knowing the social protocols dictated a reciprocal inquiry. 'Will your agenda be comprised of a similar engagement, sir? I have noticed of late that your interest in what the lieutenant terms flirting has lessened of recent weeks.'

Kirk swallowed tightly, hesitating only a moment in his answer. 'When you're the captain, it's easier to do things like that off the ship.'

'Understood,' Spock told him with a slight bob of the head that said to Kirk his human-Vulcan hybrid mind really did get what he meant.

Picking up his PADD, he dismissed himself back to his console on the bridge, leaving Kirk once again with his thoughts, but not for long, as his communicator beeped. 'Kirk here.'

'Jim, dammit, I've been trying to raise you for an hour, can you come down to medical?'

'I don't need a check-up, Bones.'

'It's not you I'm worried about.'

'Very well, on my way. Kirk out.'

Kirk informed Sulu he had the con, took the turbo lift straight down to what he thought of as Bones' house of horrors. Despite all the time he'd been forced to spend there as a patient, Kirk had never been totally comfortable being in doctor's offices as a visitor; his discomfort was covered up by a slight embarrassment when he pulled up short at the entry into medical to see Bones and his senior nurse-slash-girlfriend Christine Chapel in a rather heated discussion.

'I don't understand why you won't just take the damn stuff, Chris!'

'Because I don't like how it interacts with my sleep meds! It makes me dream weird shit, which I can already do on my own thanks to the occasional lingering PTSD episode and then when I am awake, it makes me feel foggy. No pain meds!'

'So you'd rather suffer-'

'No, I'd rather sleep it off!'

'At least let me give you something for the nausea.'

'No!'

'You realize how much like a cranky toddler you sound like right now?'

'Yes, and it's because I need some freaking sleep!'

'Trouble in paradise?' Kirk inquired in what he hoped was a light tone, that had the pretty blonde nurse looking over and all but snarling at him as she lifted her index finger and jabbed in his direction.

'No uterus, no opinion, sir,' she snapped, then turned back to Bones, her face going from annoyed to tired. 'You still coming over tonight?'

'Of course, darlin',' Bones replied and gave her brow a quick kiss, then sighed in gratitude as Christine beat a hasty exit past Kirk; he sank into the chair at the in-take desk, rubbed his temples. 'I love her but today it's hard to like her.'

'What-'

'Feminine issues,' was all Bones said, and all that needed to be said on the matter in his mind. 'Hasn't changed since the dawn of time, has it?'

Kirk did some mental math, breathed a quiet sigh of relief he wouldn't be running into this problem once on leave. 'Not an ounce.'

'She's got sleep medication and all I did was offer to give her some pain meds to go along with it, suddenly I'm a condescending asshole. Like I know her biology better than hers when she lives with it, was her argument.'

'Bones, do yourself a favour, stop grinding on it and just show up with some of that Cygnusian ice cream she likes as an apology and she'll still be in love with you for it.'

'That's mature sounding advice.' Bones gave him a look. 'Who are you?'

'Funny. Now what's the big emergency?'

'We have an outbreak of Korvellian syph-'

'Shit.' Kirk sat down on the edge of the desk, shook his head before Bones could even finish saying it. 'How many cases so far?'

'Four yesterday-'

'That's not really an outbreak.'

'And another eleven today. As usual, first person seen was-'

'Chekov,' Kirk finished, then frowned in thought. 'Wait, I thought he was exclusive with Sayuri?'

'He is, and the two of them are patient zero.' Bones walked Kirk through the story of some tainted massage oil one of them had purchased when they'd done a check-in at Korvell Station Nine and how Sayuri had sung its praises to a friend who'd insisted on borrowing it for date night. 'So now we've got some interesting patients coming in, people you'd never suspect.'

'Like?'

'Doctor-patient privilege, Jim, I can only share so much.'

'Fair enough.'

'That being said,' Bones went on, 'I've once again been forced to compile a list of appointments for everyone on board the ship to be checked for symptoms and treated.'

'Oh come on-'

'It's standard protocol, Cap, no choice. KS isn't just an STD, it can be something as simple as a handshake that transfers it from skin to skin.'

'Alright, well, since I am here, you want to bend me over your table half naked?'

'It sounds so much better when Christine says it,' Bones sighed, making Kirk laugh richly.

'You've got it bad, my friend.'

'Not as bad as some others have it right now. Come on, we'll get it over with.'

Kirk swallowed tightly; he'd been mostly joking about needing the injection but now he was filled with even more dread than catching the infection itself. It was a part of himself that he liked to keep hidden but Kirk knew himself well enough to know there was a reason he'd steered clear of anything beyond the mandatory science courses at the Academy - he'd deal with the headaches of command with a sunny smile on his face, and leave the squishy, squelching weird gooey activities to people like Bones and Christine.

Bones tapped the door panel behind him, discreetly concentrating on filling the subcutaneous hypospray vial with the preventative medication. 'You know the routine, Jim.'

'Yeah, yeah,' Kirk muttered, hitching up his tunic and tugging at his regulation pants and undershorts to reveal the fleshiest part of his flank. 'So, any big plans with Christine on shore leave?'

'Might check out a concert or two. Turns out she's pretty musically inclined so that's an option, and a tame one at that if the rumours of what parts of the Tarsus system are like.'

'Yeah, no kidding. I heard on Tarsus Four there's a place with live sex shows.'

'Maybe so, but there are licensed sex clubs on Tarsus One.' Bones shot Kirk a look. 'The kind where you can take a date dancing, then go upstairs for some private time.'

'Really bad. Never figured you for the kind who'd- ow! Jesus!'

'Quit bitching.' Bones released his thumb from the plunger of the injector he'd used in the sneak-attack to dose his captain who had a phobia of needles. 'And to answer your question in a very weird conversation, Christine brings out that adventurous side in me.'

'Good to know.' Kirk adjusted his clothes, forced himself not to massage the injection site. 'I'll remember to start knocking when I come to your office, just in case you and Christine are going at it on your desk.'

When Bones said nothing, simply turned red as the medicine he'd just administered to his friend, Kirk laughed richly and shook his head. 'Oh Bones, you animal.'

'Again, sounds so much better when Christine says it.'

Luckily before he could discover anymore of Bones' sexual bingo-card locations, the communicator in his hand beeped and Kirk flipped it open to take the call.

'Kirk here.'

Incoming transmission from Tarsus satellite, Applied Sciences division. Accept? The electronic voice intoned and Kirk felt his centre go warm.

'Transfer to captain's quarters and hold for ten minutes.'

'Acknowledge.'

Kirk turned to Bones, who was already inputting the data from the impromptu appointment and tuning him out; satisfied he wouldn't be jabbed anymore, he headed for his ready room where the yellow hold light blinked on his desk comm-screen. Toeing off his boots, Kirk plunked down in front of the screen and tapped the icon.

'Tarsus satellite, this is Captain Kirk, to what do I owe the honour from Applied Sciences?'

'So formal, Jim, thought we'd passed after you saw me in my underwear.'