Smells Like Teen Spirit

by chaletian

AU. There’s no love lost between Riverside High’s basketball captain, Spock, and the player he got kicked off the team for cheating: Jim Kirk. But the team’s slated to play Romulus High in the state championship final, and Jim might be their only option.

Smells Like Teen Spirit

(a Star Trek high school AU)

by Liss Webster

Monday

"Hey, you hear the news?"

Jim Kirk slammed his locker door closed, and looked up to see Christine Chapel. She was wearing one of her usual preppy shirts, not a blonde hair out of place.

"Hey, Chrissie," he said charmingly. "Miss me?"

Christine glared at him. "I told you not to call me that," she said coldly. "What are you doing here anyway? I thought Monday was your day for bunking off school and robbing liquor stores."

Jim smiled again, all teeth this time. "Sometimes I like to reschedule to Tuesdays, just for the kicks."

"What news?" asked Leonard McCoy, deciding it was best to intervene before those two got into it and either (a) Christine broke her perfect behaviour record and never spoke to him again or (b) Jim got suspended. Again. Which was more likely.

"About the basketball team," said Christine, pointedly turning her back on Jim, who just shrugged, and slouched against the lockers.

"What about 'em?"

"Someone ran their bus off the road on the way back from the game in Des Moines on Friday," she elaborated. "Half the team's in the hospital."

"Woah," said Leonard, one eyebrow arching up. "You're kidding me!"

Christine shook her head. "No way. How did you two not hear this? Everyone's talking about it. The state championship final's only a week away, and we're probably gonna have to forfeit."

"Who the fuck cares?" said Jim, levering himself off the lockers and looking moody. "The basketball team's a bunch of jerks anyway. Probably serves them right."

Christine looked at him knowingly. "Don't be such a tool, Kirk. You know you're only sad and bitter because Spock got you kicked off the team in freshman year."

Jim glowered at her, and ignored Leonard banging his head on his locker and saying, "Good God, woman, you just had to go there, didn't you?"

"He accused me of cheating on a test!"

"Newsflash, Kirk: you did cheat on a test!"

"I redefined the parameters of the test!"

Christine smirked. "Too bad Principal Archer didn't see it that way."

"Yeah, well, if Spock hadn't---"

"Give it up, Kirk! That was three years ago. We're seniors, now, and Spock's the captain of the basketball team, and you're a total loser who is never going to graduate. Live with it."

oOo

Coach Pike kicked back in his chair, and watched the captain of his basketball team pace the office. Spock was a little paler than usual, a little more wound up than his restrained personality usually allowed, and had a small dressing on his forehead, but otherwise had escaped unscathed from the bus accident after their Friday game.

"What do you think?" he prompted.

Spock spoke abruptly. "We will simply have to forfeit. There is no alternative. The game is in five days. Puri and Hawkins certainly won't be out of hospital by then. It's unlikely that Robinson or Oyewale will be. We do not have a sufficient number of players."

"Well, that's a big decision, Spock. This is the state championship we're talking about. What about bringing up some of the JV players?"

Spock shook his head. "They're not good enough. Except…" He paused, thoughtful. "There is perhaps one. The freshman from Russia. I believe his name is Pavel."

"Chekov?" Pike considered the young freshman. "He's good. Young, though. Pretty small."

"But he is quick," Spock pointed out. "I watched the JV practice last week ago and I was… impressed. I believe he would be adequate."

"Well, there you go, then."

"He is only one player. We will need at least two more."

"Maybe you should pay JV practice a visit again – see if anyone else catches your eye." Pike stood up, and rounded his desk to clap Spock on the shoulder. "I know you'll find your team – captain."

He patted Spock again, and left his office, Spock following him out, frowning thoughtfully. He hadn't got three yards, when Hikaru Sulu, Riverside High's shooting guard, appeared at his elbow.

"What'd Pikey say?"

"On what subject?"

Hikaru rolled his eyes. "About the team, genius! What're we gonna do on Friday?"

"Coach Pike suggested that we examine the possibility of recruiting players from JV," said Spock. "I believe that Pavel Chekov would be an acceptable choice."

"What, the kid who started high school about a week ago?" asked Hikaru drily. "OK, but then who? We were both there last week – you know he's the only one who'd stand a chance against Romulus High."

"Then we must look elsewhere," said Spock. "I propose we should have a team meeting to discuss the matter."

Hikaru slowed to a halt. "Look, man, don't kill me, all right?" he said hesitantly. "But… you know there's an obvious choice, right?"

Spock's eyes narrowed, and he glared at his teammate. "I am not asking James Kirk to join the basketball team!" he said loudly, and strode off.

Hikaru sighed and watched him leave.

"I'm guessing he didnae go for it," came a voice from behind him. He shook his head.

"Not yet. But Scotty – I'm pretty sure he'll have to. We don't have any other choice."

oOo

"So, your boy Spock seems all angsty today," said Gaila, leaning forward to get a better look in the girls' room mirror as she applied her lipstick. "Guess the whole bus crash thing's been hard."

"No kidding," said Nyota Uhura drily as she brushed her hair with quick, neat strokes, then pinned it up with a red ribbon to match her cheerleader uniform. "Bad enough half his team's in hospital, but with state coming up…" She shook her head. "Timing could not be worse. A bunch of them have scholarships riding on it, as well. It sucks so much."

"I hear they've asked that kid Pavel," said Gaila, moving on to mascara. "He's so cute, I just want to eat him up."

"Gaaaila," said Uhura warningly, and Gaila smiled innocently.

"What?"

"Down, girl! He's about fourteen!"

"So? He's adorable! But it doesn't matter. Guess who I've been hooking up with!"

Uhura groaned. "God, I am about 95% sure I don't want to know."

Gaila grinned. "Jim Kirk."

Uhura's eyes widened. "Jim Kirk! Are you kidding? He is so… skanky!"

"Actually, he's pretty cute. And, boy, he is good in bed!" She fanned herself, and Uhura laughed helplessly.

"Well, yeah, but… come on, Gaila, you can do better than Kirk. He gets into fights, he's failing most of his classes, he sleeps around… you know what his reputation's like!"

Gaila sobered, and turned slightly to meet Uhura's gaze directly. "Yeah, I do. And you know what? I know what my reputation's like, too. It's not like I'm going to marry him, Uhura. We're just having some fun. He's a nice guy, under all that don't-care rebel-without-a-cause crap." She hesitated, then cast a sly sideways glance at her roommate. "And according to the Riverside High grapevine, he's the only chance the basketball team has at state."

oOo

Jim Kirk sat on the abandoned bleachers of Riverside's municipal basketball court, a brown-paper-wrapped bottle hanging loosely from one hand. The sun was just starting to set, and he stared sightlessly at the ragged basketball hoop. A noise distracted him, and he looked over.

"Hey, Bones."

"Jimbo," said Leonard, climbing up the bleachers to sit next to his best friend, swinging his backpack round to rest between his feet.

Jim cringed. "Jeez, Bones, you know I hate that."

Leonard shrugged. "Yeah, cuz I love being called 'Bones' so much. You gonna drink that, or is it just for decoration?"

Jim handed over the bottle, and bumped shoulders companionably. "Why'd you stick around?" he asked. Leonard raised an eyebrow.

"Guess I'm the only can stand being around your sorry ass," he said, and Jim smiled bitterly.

"That sounds about right." He took the bottle back, and drank. They sat in silence for a while, taking turns with the bottle as the sun settled behind the horizon. Leonard glanced across at his friend.

"Your mom off again?" he asked after a while. Jim shrugged.

"Yeah, some science project. I don't even know."

"Frank?"

Jim laughed. "Frank. Right. I dunno. You know him and mom: on again, off again. I think they're off at the moment. Haven't seen him in a few weeks, anyway."

"You wanna crash at my place," offered Leonard, but Jim shook his head.

"Nah, it's cool. Freedom to party, right?"

"Right," said Leonard dubiously. "So, I heard something today. About the basketball team."

Jim's expression turned sullen. "I don't care about the fucking basketball team, Bones," he said.

"Sure you do. Look, Christine got it from Janice, who got it from that girl who's been going out with Hikaru Sulu. If they don't want to forfeit state, Spock's gonna have to ask you to be on the team."

Jim didn't say anything for a minute, then he propped his elbows on his knees and looked down. "I know," he admitted. "Gaila told me."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

Leonard sighed impatiently. "What will you say? When he asks you?"

Jim looked at him, and Leonard was taken aback by the self-loathing that marred Jim's usually cocky features. "He's not going to ask me, Bones. I guarantee it. That pointy-eared bastard is never going to ask me to on his stupid team."

Tuesday

"They don't have it!" Montgomery Scott's voice was muffled as he pulled off his uniform, but his words were unmistakable. "Admit it, Spock, they're nae good."

"Perhaps with more practice," began Spock stubbornly, only for Hikaru to interrupt.

"Spock, we don't have time for that! The game's on Friday!" He slid the towel from round his neck and dumped it on the bench in the middle of the locker room. "We need someone now."

They were still arguing about it when they emerged, showered and dressed, ready for the afternoon's classes.

"What's up?" asked Uhura, sliding her arm round Spock's waist.

"Still trying to make up the team," said Hikaru. "Talk to him, Uhura. We have, like, one chance here, and he won't do it."

Uhura grimaced. "The Jim Kirk thing? I dunno, Hikaru, he's basically a douche."

"Oh, what would you know about him?" said Gaila loudly. "Spock, stop being such a dick! Jim's a great player, everyone knows that. But if your stupid pride is more important than the team…" She trailed off. Everyone looked expectantly at Spock, and he glared at Gaila.

"You are hardly unbiased in this situation," he said loftily, but Gaila just shrugged.

"Yeah, well, bitch all you like, it doesn't change the facts. You need him." She sashayed off.

Spock looked mutinously at Uhura. "I do not believe she is a good influence," he said. Uhura sighed.

"Don't be like. She's a nice girl. And if my parents hadn't taken her in, who knows where she'd've ended up."

"And she's got a point," said Hikaru.

"He's got a point about her point," added Scotty. "Spock, lad, just ask him." He took in Spock's expression and sighed. "Aye, well. Whatever. I'll see you at practice later; I've got Shop now." He sketched a quick goodbye, and Hikaru followed behind him, leaving Spock and Uhura alone in the corridor as the bell rang.

"This is proving most worrying," said Spock, and Uhura put her arms round him.

"Aw, baby, it'll be OK."

"Their arguments are logical," said Spock unexpectedly, and she leaned back to look at him. "James Kirk is an… exceptional basketball player. It is irrational for me to disregard him for personal reasons."

"Does that mean you're going to ask him?" she asked.

Spock considered this for a moment, then nodded. "Yes." He leant down to kiss her briefly, then consulted his watch. "We have AP Latin," he said. "We will be late."

Uhura smiled mischievously, and pulled his head back down. "Screw AP Latin," she murmured.

oOo

"No."

"I beg your pardon?" said Spock coldly.

Jim sneered. "What, that wasn't clear enough for you? No. Fucking. Way. I wouldn't play with you if we were the last two guys on earth."

Spock's lips pinched. "Very well, Kirk." He turned on his heel and walked off. Jim watched him go, and, for want of a better expression of his frustration, slammed his fist into the bank of lockers.

oOo

The rattle of chains echoed in the twilit silence as the Jim tossed the ball through the hoop from the faded three-point line.

"That's a good shot you've got there, son." Jim spun round to see Coach Pike behind him. "Your father had one similar."

Jim frowned, off balance. "You knew my dad?"

Pike nodded. "Yeah. He was a good man. I played with him, his last year in high school." He sauntered over and collected the ball from the side of court, and passed it to Jim. "Can you do that again?"

"Why?"

Pike shrugged. "Just curious. Figured I might have had you on my team. Course, Spock says you turned him down."

Jim shot again, the chains clinking angrily. "Yeah, well, I was surprised he asked, given how keen he was to get me kicked off the team in the first place," he said.

Pike smiled. "Well, Spock has a very… rigid sense of morality." Jim fetched the ball back, and bounced it to Pike.

"No kidding."

Pike began dribbling casually. "So, Jim, what are your plans after high school?"

Jim laughed shortly. "Uh, guess I haven't really thought that far. Leaving here."

"You thought about college?" Jim laughed again.

"Yeah, this is Jim Kirk you're talking too, not your precious Spock."

Pike began to edge towards the hoop; automatically, Jim moved to block him. "The principal says your test scores have always been high. He thinks you could do better."

Jim paused, surprised. "Archer? I thought he hated me."

Pike paused too, bounced the ball, once, twice, deliberately. "Oh, I think he just hates seeing potential wasted," he said mildly. "He knew your dad too, you know."

Jim made for the ball; Pike blocked him. "Gee, seems everyone knew my dad except me."

Pike catches the ball and stands still, expression serious as he took in Jim's angry face, the remains of a bruise still apparent on one cheekbone; a scrape along his temple, remainders of a recent fight.

"Yeah, I guess they do. Because you don't seem to have any idea of what kind of man he was, or what kind of man you could be. You think he'd want this, Jim? His son failing out of high school, even if he's one of the brightest students his teachers have ever known? Not willing to meet anyone halfway? Not willing to take a chance? To have a dream? You can be better than this, Jim." He bounces the ball to Jim, who catches it instinctively, and points a finger at him. "I dare you to be better."

oOo

The Riverside High basketball team was just breaking up its practice when Jim Kirk appeared at the side of the court. He walked up to Spock, looked him in the eye, and said, "I'll play."

Wednesday

The atmosphere in the gym was tense. Practice hadn't gone well, the early spirit of optimism dissipating as Spock and Jim locked horns. The rest of the team had tried to defuse them as much as possible, Hikaru and Scotty pulling Spock back and Leonard – who had mysteriously found himself on the team by virtue of the hours he'd put in playing Jim at the municipal court – doing the same with Jim, but it had only done so much.

"Clearly," said Spock, "the best attack is--- "

"If you would just listen to me!" interrupted Jim, frustration clearly showing.

"When I wish for you insights into the game, Kirk, I will ask for them," replied Spock, for once deigning to look at the newest member of his team. "Until then, please remember that I am the captain and…"

Jim threw up his hands in disgust. "Oh, I am not staying here to listen to this bullshit!" he said, and started to head to the side of the court. All at once a cacophony arose, as every member of the team started to air his opinion (with the exception of Pavel Chekov, who still looked shellshocked by the fact that he was there at all and who had mostly just been trying to stay off everyone's radar), until they were silenced by a shrill whistle.

"THAT'S ENOUGH, LADIES!" bellowed Coach Pike, finally coming down to the court from his watchful eyrie in the bleachers. "I don't give a tinker's damn what your issues are with each other, but you all have the game of your lives to play in two days' time, a game that has the power to redefine all your futures, so you can bitchslap each other all you like in your own time, but in here, right now, you will play together as a team. Kirk – stop being a princess and get back on court. Spock – listen to your team. Now I want you to run drills for fifteen, and then we're going to carry straight on. You understand me?"

There was a ragged chorus of, "Yes, Coach," and Kirk shot him a rebellious stare, but he got back on the court, and joined the others as they ran from one end of the court to the other. Pike watched them, and sighed. One way or another, those young men were going to have to come together. And boy, it was gonna be interesting.

oOo

"It was a bad idea," said Spock as he climbed out of his car and looked across the roof to Uhura.

"It was the only idea," Uhura reminded him.

"You were there at practice today."

"Okay, so it didn't go that well," she admitted, then laughed at Spock's expression. "Fine. Understatement! But look, it got better, right?"

"Marginally," Spock said. "Our current standard will not be a threat for Romulus High, however."

They walked up the driveway to Spock's house, and Uhura slid her hand into his. "Come on, Spock. It was either take Kirk and hope for the best, or just go ahead and forfeit. This way, we've got a chance at least, right?"

"You are correct," conceded Spock. "However, I had not counted on Kirk being so… so damned annoying!" His voice rose in frustration as they entered the house.

"Spock! Moderate your tone and your language." Spock froze for a second, then stiffened his spine, and turned to the study door.

"My apologies, Father," he said. "I shall not speak in such a way again."

"Please ensure that is the case," said Sarek coldly. "Good evening, Nyota."

"Good evening, sir," said Uhura quietly. Spock had let go of her hand as soon as he heard his father's voice, and she felt out of her depth in Sarek's presence.

"Will the two of you be undertaking your homework?" asked Sarek.

"Yes, Father," said Spock. "We have Latin, English and Mathematics."

Sarek nodded. "Very good. I shall be working all evening." He disappeared back into the study, and Uhura grimaced at the heavy wooden door as Spock pulled her through to the kitchen.

"Jeez, your dad's scary!" she whispered, keeping one eye on the door.

Spock shrugged. "He is always more… difficult when my mother is away," he said.

"When's she back?" asked Uhura curiously, sitting at one of the bar stools, and reaching for the cookie jar that Amanda Grayson always kept stocked.

"Friday," said Spock, sitting beside her, and pulling out his textbooks.

"In time for the game?" He nodded. "Cool." She began to talk about her day as she got her own books out, but Spock couldn't concentrate, and eventually he interrupted her.

"The team cannot function properly if Kirk and I cannot reach a degree of concord," he said suddenly. "The tension between us is too disruptive."

Uhura stared at him. "Well, how are you gonna fix that in two days?" she asked.

Spock cocked his head to one side. "I do not know," he said slowly. "But any attempt to find a commonality between us must begin with communication." He looked at her, determined. "Do you know where he lives?"

Uhura's eyes widened. "Um, I think the Kirk place is out past that bar. But I don't think he spends much time there. Gaila says he mostly hangs out with Leonard McCoy at the basketball court in town."

Spock nodded decisively. "Then that is where I shall go." He looked a little more uncertain. "My curfew…" he began, and Uhura grinned.

"I'll cover you, babe," she said, and she grabbed his shirt and kissed him. "Go fix your team." He drew away, and she caught his hand. "I'm proud of you, Spock."

oOo

Spock pulled over a few yards from the entrance to the basketball court, and sat in his car, watching Jim Kirk playing in the near-dark. Moonlight glinted off dark blonde hair, and Spock had to admit the other player was in good shape – most likely due to the number of fights in which he allegedly engaged. But just because he could play, didn't mean Kirk was right for the team. He didn't understand how a team worked – Spock cut off the traitorous voice in his head that pointed out he was the one who had made sure Kirk wouldn't get to play on a team in the first place – didn't take any of this seriously.

Spock sighed, and opened the door. Right or not, Kirk was on the team, and if Riverside was to have a chance at the championship, he needed to make some kind of peace.

The night was warm. Spock headed for the court, registering without really noticing the car crawling down the road behind him. The gate clanged open, and Kirk looked up, startled, his expression quickly turning cocky.

"Well, well, well," he drawled. "What have we here? Riverside's one and only basketball captain. You slumming, Spock?"

"We should talk," said Spock stiffly.

Kirk bounced the ball viciously towards him. "If you've come to ride me about today, I'm not in the mood."

Spock scooped up the ball, and held it under one arm, watching Kirk curiously. "You are always very angry," he said eventually.

Kirk looked a little taken aback, but then his jaw set. "Hey, I'm Riverside's favourite teen rebel," he said nonchalantly. "It's all part of my charm."

Spock raised an eyebrow. "Ah, that's what that is? It is as well you clarified the matter." He hesitated. "Kirk, I know that your father was…" Before he could get any further, Kirk had come flying at him, grabbed his jacket, and slammed him against the chain fence.

"You don't know anything about my father!" he shouted. "Just shut the fuck up already!"

"I know he was the basketball captain," said Spock, pushing back. "I know he led his team to win the state championship. I know that when he died, he saved dozens of people." His voice softened slightly. "I know he was a hero. Why wouldn't you want to hon…"

"What use is a dead hero?" demanded Kirk, pushing Spock away and letting go. "Huh?"

Before Spock could answer, the gate to the court clanked again, and before either boy could react, three darkly-clad men hurled themselves onto them. It was short, sharp and brutal, and would have been worse had Jim Kirk not been a veteran of many such brawls and Spock not been stronger than he looked.

"Fuck," swore Kirk, spitting out blood as he leant over, hands on his knees. "What was that?"

"I do not know," gasped Spock, cradling his left side. He looked up in the direction the men had taken, and nodded towards his car. "But they appear to have slashed my tires."

Kirk straightened with a wince, and reached out to grab Spock's shoulder, whether to support or be supported, neither was quite sure. "Guess we're walking to the ER, then."

They both headed for the exit, as Spock said, "That is a long walk."

Kirk tightened his hold. "Hey, at least there's two of us. You can tell me all about how hot your girlfriend is."

"I do not believe that would be appropriate," said Spock drily, and Kirk let out a little huff of laughter.

"Whatever, dude. Tell me about Romulus High. What can we expect from them on Friday?"

Thursday

"Look, don't worry about it," Hikaru said casually, leaning against the locker next to Pavel Chekov's and watching the rest of the school go by. "It's gonna be a crazy game, and if we lose, well, hey, that's the way it goes."

"I do not want to lose," said Pavel determinedly, tumbling books into his bag and slamming his locker shut.

Hikaru shrugged. "I'm just saying, it's not the end of the world, specially for you. You've got three more years of this, dude!"

Pavel was about to speak, when one of the sophomore girls waved at him. "Hey, Pavel," she said, smiling at him, then giggling with her friends as they passed by. Pavel's eyes widened, and he looked over at Hikaru.

"Does that happen a lot?" he asked, and Hikaru grinned broadly.

"It surely does, brother." He slung his arm round Pavel's shoulders and steered him down the corridor. "Call it one of the perks of the job."

They were nearly level with Pavel's homeroom, when Spock and Jim Kirk appeared round the corner, both looking considerably more bruised and battered than they had done the previous day.

"Hey, guys!" said Jim brightly.

"Uh---" said Pavel.

"Hey," said Hikaru weakly, watching as Jim clapped Spock on the shoulder, and said, "See you at practice, bro."

"Indeed," said Spock, and went his separate way.

Pavel and Hikaru stared after them.

"I do not quite understand," said Pavel, after a moment or two had passed. "I thought they hated each other, no?"

"Uh, yeah, pretty much," said Hikaru.

"Then, what…"

Hikaru just looked at him, bewildered. "Well, I'd say they just beat on each other until they became friends, but that's not exactly Spock's style. So, I have no idea. But about now, I guess the devil's ice-skating."

oOo

"Hey, Bones," said Jim cheerfully, pulling open his locker and trying to remember what class he was supposed to have next.

"Christ, Jim, what happened to you?" exclaimed Leonard, taking in Jim's battered look.

"You should see the other guys," said Jim.

"Well, who were the other guys?" demanded Leonard, tilting his friend's chin to examine the black eye more closely.

"Actually, I have no idea," admitted Jim. "They jumped me and Spock down at the…"

"Wait, you and Spock? What the hell?"

Jim launched into an explanation of the unexpected events of the evening, only to be interrupted with Leonard's cellphone beeped insistently.

"It's Em," said Leonard, checking the message. "She wants to see me."

"I thought you two broke up," said Jim. "I mean, for good, this time."

Leonard frowned. "We did. Look, I'd better see what she wants. See you later?"

"Later," said Jim, and headed for class.

oOo

They were still in the locker rooms changing for practice when Coach Pike came in, a grave look on his face.

"Listen up," he said, unable to suppress a quick smile as the expectant faces of the boys – no, young men – who made up the team looked towards him. "I've just got off the phone with the Chief of Police, and it seems the incident after last Friday's game wasn't an accident."

"What, someone tried to push us off the road?" demanded Hikaru indignantly. "What the f-frack?"

Pike sighed. "I don't know anything more at the moment. I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything. But for the time being, please be careful. I don't want to have to cobble together a basketball team from the Chess Club."

He left, and the team carried on changing, but Jim shifted closer to Spock. "Hey," he said quietly. "You think what happened last night has anything to do with this?"

Spock paused, his shirt in his hands, and raised an eyebrow. "It is the logical assumption," he said.

Jim considered this. "Huh. Romulus High?"

Spock's face betrayed his uncertainty. "I am not sure," he said eventually. "I have never known them to do this before." He pulled his shirt on, hair miraculously remaining unruffled. "But since the police are already investigating, further speculation on our part would be useless."

Jim shrugged. "Whatever, dude." He ambled onto the court, automatically catching a ball that was aimed in his direction.

"Where is Leonard McCoy?" demanded Spock before practice began properly.

As always happened with such a request, everyone started looking around them as if the missing person might suddenly appear out of nowhere, until Jim remembered that Bones had said he had to go and see Em again.

"He had a… thing," he said, waving a vague hand. "He'll be here any minute."

Spock frowned disapprovingly, his mouth tight, and Jim, unusually, resisted the urge to tell him to lighten up. This close to state, he figured anything approaching levity towards basketball might make Spock's head explode, and then they were definitely screwed.

Practice began and, for whatever reason, it went far better than the previous evening. Better, at least, until halfway through when McCoy appeared looking harassed, shirt still not quite on straight.

"You are late," Spock pointed out unnecessarily.

"Yeah," said McCoy. "Sorry." He didn't sound particularly sorry.

"You may not be aware," continued Spock, "but the state championship is tomorrow. It may be that this has little meaning for you, but for those on the team who have been striving towards thi---"

"I GET IT!" shouted McCoy, face flushed with anger. "Big game tomorrow. I get it! But you know what, Spock? It's a fucking game. It doesn't matter! In the scheme of life, and the world and the fucking universe, IT DOESN'T MATTER!"

He stood by the entrance to the court, angry and, Jim realised, a little bit panicky.

"Dude," he began, "what's---"

"Em's pregnant," said McCoy baldly. "She's pregnant."

The court was silent. Jim glanced behind him to see everyone staring at McCoy, Chekov's eyes so wide it looked like they might actually pop out. He turned back, to see McCoy stooping to scoop up a ball, which he tossed at Spock, a challenge in the tilt of his eyebrows.

"We playing or what?" he said, and Spock acquiesced with a slight incline of his head.

"We are playing," he said. And so they played.

Friday

Spock sat in his car in the school parking lot, both hands clenched nervously on the wheel.

"Hey," said Uhura softly, reaching out one hand to lay over his, "it's going to be fine."

"We are likely to lose," Spock pointed out.

"You don't know that," said Uhura. "And practice last night was great, you know it was." She grinned. "Plus, y'know, you'll have the best cheerleaders."

Spock allowed himself a small smile. "That is true," he said, and Uhura leaned over to kiss him, before grabbing her bag and opening the door.

"Look, I've got to go – I said I'd help Mr Barrett set up the languages display for parent-teacher night," she said. "Don't worry about this afternoon – it'll go fine."

She slid out, and headed towards the school building, Spock following her more slowly, only to pause at the thud of footsteps behind him, which turned out to be Jim Kirk.

"You ready for today?" said Kirk, grinning.

"I have been ready for quite some time," said Spock, and Kirk just grinned more widely. "How is McCoy?"

Kirk shrugged, and fell in step. "OK, I guess. He's freaking out some, which is totally not surprising. He'll be fine for the game, if that's what you mean."

Spock glanced over. "It was not," he said simply.

They continued towards the school, but hadn't got more than a couple of steps before two men suddenly appeared in front of them.

"Hey," said one. "Boss wants to talk to you."

"Too bad," replied Kirk glibly. "We're don't want to talk to him." He made to go around, but one of the men grabbed him by the arms, and the other got Spock, and before they knew where they were, they were inside a black SUV parked by the side of the road leading to the school, and a large man with a tattooed face was smiling benevolently at them.

"Hi, Spock," the man said. "I'm Nero."

oOo

"We cannot play," said Spock definitely.

"Wait--- what?" said Jim, head jerking up, surprised. "What do you mean we can't play?"

One of Spock's eyebrows rose condescendingly. "I would have thought the answer to that was obvious," he said. "If we play this afternoon, Nero has made his response perfectly clear."

"What, that he's gonna kill us all" scoffed Jim. "Come on!"

Pavel Chekov raised a tentative hand. "I am not liking sound of this," he said.

"Tell me about it!" said McCoy. "The man must be insane! We should call the police."

Spock nodded. "I believe this to the best course of action," he said. "It is our duty to…"

"It's our duty to win the game!" said Jim strongly. "This Nero, he's just some jumped-up card shark who thinks he can win a bundle on Romulus High winning state – are we just gonna hand it to him on a plate?"

"He's got a point," said Hikaru.

"Aye," agreed Scotty. "And if we report it, they'll suspend the match altogether."

"We've got to play," urged Jim.

Spock's expression was stony. "I will not risk the safety of the team," he said. "As McCoy said yesterday, it is merely a game."

"For you, maybe!" burst out Hikaru. "Some of us need the scholarship, man."

Something that might have been anger glinted in Spock's dark eyes. "And you think I don't?" he demanded.

"Dude, everyone knows mommy and daddy will send you wherever you like," said Hikaru.

"My father will send me where he wants," corrected Spock. "I need this chance as much as any of you. But this man already put half the team in the hospital…"

"Which is all the more reason why we have to play," said Jim stubbornly. "Spock! We can't back down! We can't let him win."

"And I can't allow us to risk it!" replied Spock. "Kirk- Jim. You must see this."

"Well now, I reckon it's not just a decision for you, captain," said Scotty suddenly. "We should take a vote."

Spock's lips tightened and he looked away. "Very well. All those in favour of reporting this morning's incident to the police, raise your hand."

He raised his hand and, after a moment's consideration, McCoy did likewise, ignoring the look of betrayal Kirk shot in his direction, knowing he'd get over it. Everyone else remained as they were, and Spock nodded stiffly. "Very well." He gathered up his belongings.

"Wait, what are you doing?" demanded Jim, jumping up. Spock looked at him, surprised.

"Clearly, I cannot captain the team under these circumstances," he said simply. "I believe you should just have a sufficient number to play without me." He hooked his bag over his shoulder and left the locker room, his team staring at his retreating back.

"Fuck," said Jim eventually.

"Aye," said Scotty faintly.

Hikaru slumped against the lockers. "Great. What are we going to do now?"

Jim's jaw set. "We're gonna play. And we're gonna win."

oOo

The gymnasium where they were playing was packed and noisy and smelt of sweat and soda and floor polish and excitement. And they weren't winning.

"Jeez, they're good," panted Jim, gulping down water as they huddled on the side of the court.

"They're all over us," agreed Hikaru, wiping sweat off his face. Jim followed suit, using his shirt, fingers lingering over the C, seeing once again Uhura's face as he walked past her, hearing her say, "I hope you know what you're doing," and knowing that, no, he pretty much had no idea.

"You need to tighten up defence," Pike was saying, illustrating his point with his hands. "Olsen, their shooting guard is all over you, you need to be blocking him more." He carried on in this vein, but Jim had stopped paying attention because a figure had emerged from behind the hanging banners that led to the locker rooms.

It was Spock. Uniform neat, face set, he walked over to join the- his team.

"Perhaps another player might be of use," he said, and Jim's hand returned to the C.

"You should…" he began, but Spock shook his head.

"You keep it," he said. "After all, you are the reason we are here." He smiled: a small smile, true, but a smile nonetheless. "It was selfish of me to leave," he said to the team. "I hope you will forgive me."

"We're just glad to have you back," said Hikaru. "And, look, I'm sorry for what…"

"Enough chitter chatter, ladies!" interrupted Coach Pike. "Keep it clean, keep it tight, keep it quick, and let's kick some Romulan High ass!"

oOo

It had been as if something were missing, as if something wasn't right, as if that something had been mended with Spock's return, and the team was complete, even missing its usual members, even with Kirk and McCoy and Chekov in their place. It was if, someone said later, waxing lyrical, that was how the team was meant to be. They played fluidly and, under Jim Kirk's direction, more aggressively than usual, and when the final buzzer rang, Riverside High were the Iowa state champions.

oOo

At Monty Scott's parents' place that night, Jim and Bones sat, their feet dangling into the pool, beer in hand.

"How's Em?" asked Jim.

Bones shrugged. "Don't know. She's not speaking to me again." He sighed. "Guess we're gonna have to talk properly sooner or later."

"What are you going to do?"

"I have no idea." He took a pull of his beer. "I have a place at Northwestern to do Pre-med, but… I dunno. We'll just have to see what happens."

Jim nodded, and punched him lightly on the arm. "Hey, Bones? You know I'm here, right? For… whatever."

Bones cracked a grin, one eyebrow raising. "Yeah? How are you at changing diapers?"

They both laughed a little, and sat in companionable silence for a while. A movement in the darkness ahead caught their attention, and they watched as Uhura, still in her cheerleading uniform, pulled Spock's head down to kiss him.

"Who knew that cold-blooded hobgoblin would turn out to be not so bad," commented Bones, and Jim shrugged.

"He's not so bad, I guess." He hesitated. "It was good of him to come back. Took some balls."

"Mm," agreed Bones. "And look… I don't necessarily think he was wrong. What he said. About telling someone. I mean, I know you don't agree, but…"

"It was probably the right thing," said Jim unexpectedly. "But I just couldn't, y'know? Let that guy Nero win like that. No way."

"As well the police already knew about him, though," Bones pointed out. "Otherwise we might not be here right now."

Jim grinned. "But hey, it did all work out, right?" They clinked bottles, and tried not to consider how badly it could have turned out.

In the gloom, Uhura slipped away, and Jim waved his beer. "Hey, Spock! Over here!"

Spock joined them, shaking his head as Bones held out a bottle in invitation. He sat cross-legged on the other side of the pool corner, and leaned back on his hands.

"How does it feel to be state champion?" asked Jim.

Spock considered the question. "It feels… good," he said. "Kirk – Jim – I wanted to say…" He broke off, clearly unsure about exactly what it was he wanted to say, and McCoy jumped up, swiping Jim on the shoulder.

"Hey, I'm gonna see how the guys are doing at getting the kid drunk," he said. "I'll see you later, Jim. Spock." He clapped the latter on the shoulder lightly as he went past and disappeared in the direction of the house.

"I hear he will be attending Northwestern in the fall," said Spock.

Jim nodded. "Yeah. Funny to think high school's over, huh? What about you?"

"Coach Pike called me to say I've been offered a scholarship to Duke," he said. "I plan to major in Physics."

Jim laughed. "Physics? You're kidding!"

Spock looked confused. "I do not see how that is humorous," he said, and Jim laughed again, and opened another beer.

"Just don't see you as a science geek," he said.

"What will you do?" asked Spock.

"I didn't exactly have any cast-iron after-high-school plans," said Jim, shrugging. "The coach said I might get some calls – and my test scores are good. GPA's shot to hell thought." He hesitated, glancing across at Spock, not sure if he wanted to tell him his plan. He ploughed on anyway. "I've been thinking about repeating senior year, y'know? Get some stuff sorted out. Think about my future." He ducked his head down, picked at the label on the bottle. "Probably what my old man would want, right?"

Spock was silent for a moment before he spoke. "I think it is what any parent would want," he said.

"What about yours?" asked Jim, looking up again. "What you said in the locker room, about your dad…"

"He will accept my path," said Spock. "He will not approve, at least at first, but he will not stop me." A small smile emerged. "And my mother will not permit that his disapproval last for too long."

"Awesome," said Jim, and he scrambled to his feet. He looked down at where Spock was sitting. "Looks like we're all set." He held out a hand, and after a moment, Spock put his in it, and allowed himself to be hauled up. Jim slung his arm round Spock's shoulders and started steering him towards the Scott house.

"The night is young," he said, "there's booze and music and we have hot girlfriends."

"And good futures," added Spock.

"I'll drink to that," said Kirk, suiting action to word.

"And you will, of course, be on the team next year, correct?" asked Spock.

Jim cast him a sly glance. "Even though I cheated on that test in freshman year?" he said.

Spock raised a quelling eyebrow. "As I understand it, you merely redefined the test's parameters," he said, and Jim's grin grew wide.

"Dude," he said, and that was all that was needed. They walked to the house, where lights and music and friends beckoned, and the warm, sweet evening air closed around them.

THE END