Hello everyone! Firstly the important thing -

Disclaimer - I do not own these characters. Nor am I making any profit over them.

Now... To new beginnings... **cheers**

James T. Kirk, captain of the Enterprise and known to his friends as Jim, fell to his knees gasping for air. But even the lack of air and sheer exhaustion and pain could not wipe out the smile from his face; showing that he was wrecked but not defeated… never defeated.

He had done it; saved his crew, his family. The Enterprise had been falling to Earth but somehow he had managed to restore power to the warp drive at the last possible minute. Exposing himself to radiation in order to save the ship was a small price to pay.

'A very small price…'

He felt more than heard Spock arrive and focused his eyes upon him. Spock crouched and then their eyes were on level with one another. "Spock," Jim whispered.

They were parted by a glass door but it felt as if they were closer than ever. "How's our ship?" he managed to gasp out.

"Out of danger," came Spock's reply, precise and exactly what Jim wanted to hear. He smiled at his perfect Vulcan, "Good…"

Jim gasped once again, trying to force air inside his unwilling lungs and saw Spock's eyes fill with anguish.

"You saved the crew," Spock said after a moment.

'Yes, my crew is alive… you are alive,' Jim thought. But out loud he said, "You used what he wanted against him. That's a nice move."

"It is what you would have done," Spock replied, his voice hoarser than usual.

Jim grinned weakly, "And this... this is what you would have done. It was only logical."

His grin vanished as he felt his heart struggling to keep on beating. And it was then he acknowledged to himself that he really was dying. Not even Bones would be able to pull out a miracle from thin air and save him this time. It was terror gripped him then.

"I'm scared, Spock. Help me not be. How do you choose not to feel?" he asked. Like a child seeking for comfort.

Spock made a small, strangled sound and replied, "I do not know. Right now, I am failing." And with that he reached out with his hands and laid it on the glass, his fingers arranged in the Vulcan salute.

Jim blinked as he noticed his own lying directly opposite it. They would have been touching if not for the glass and suddenly he wanted the glass to disappear. 'Just once.' But even he, the one who did not believe in no-win-scenarios, knew the wish to be futile. He knew that he only had a few more seconds left. He could feel his heart beating in a desperate, unsynchronized rhythm; nearly giving out.

'A few more seconds… hold on…'

There was one last thing he had to tell Spock before… before he died, "I want you to know why I couldn't let you die... why I went back for you…," Jim gasped unable to breathe, unable to complete what he was saying.

"Because you are my friend," Spock completed it for him.

'Yes, my friend, my brother, mine… SPOCK…'

Jim felt the last breath leave his body.

xXxXxXxXx

Spock looked down at the pleasure flushed face of Nyota as he slowly entered her. The sensation of being inside her was adequately pleasurable, he thought while lying perfectly still over her and letting her adjust to his size.

Soon enough, both of them wanted more. It was rather obvious by the way Nyota was clutching his shoulders and telling him to move. Or rather, ordering him to do so.

"Move Spock… now, now!" Nyota gasped out.

For approximately 3.253 seconds Spock let his mind dwell on why the lack of submissiveness on her part did not trouble him. Vulcan males by nature were mostly dominant and so they needed submission from their bond mates. He believed it to be an evolutionary trait as during Pon farr the Vulcan males lost every semblance of their logic and control. They became, to use a terran word, feral. Anything other than complete submission from their bond mates would increase the chances of them being severely injured or even dead by 75.128 percent.

Accordingly, the ease with which he could control his dominant nature with Nyota was… troubling. It would become a problem if Nyota wished to bond with him.

"Spock…," Nyota hissed and Spock started moving. He thrust inside her tight, heated channel… building his pace… harder… faster… the pleasure building with his every stroke…

Nyota screamed his name as she orgasmed and soon Spock followed her.

Breathing a bit erratically, Spock rolled away from Nyota to the other side of the bed. Turning towards her, he found her smiling at him.

"That was amazing Spock," saying so Nyota moved closer and wrapped her arms around him. When Spock stiffened at the contact, Nyota moved away after laying a chaste kiss upon his lips.

This was one the things which made having a relationship with Nyota so easy. She understood that being a Vulcan he did not enjoy casual touches and thus she refrained from doing so. She also respected his cultural boundaries and rarely initiated contact when in public. He, therefore, held a high regard for her.

"I believe both of us have been sufficiently satisfied," Spock replied. It was the truth after all. He was satisfied with Nyota. She was logical, beautiful, intelligent, had a calm demeanour and respected his cultural boundaries. There was no logical reason why he should not be satisfied with their relationship.

None at all.

No matter what his older self tried to so subtly insist.

"Spock what are you thinking about?" Nyota captured his attention once again.

He was about to answer when he heard it. It was too faint to be heard by human ears but his sensitive Vulcan ears caught the sound easily… "SPOCK".

Spock recognized the voice calling his name. He would recognize the voice anywhere. It belonged to one of the very few people he cherished. Perhaps even the most…

'Jim.'

xxx

Spock was out of the bed in the blink of an eye which left Nyota sputtering. "Spock… what? What is the matter?" she asked, watching him don his meditation robe hastily. His face was completely blank of any expression but his eyes were blazing.

Alarmed, she jumped out of the bed and put on another of Spock's robes. She was still fumbling with the sleeves when she watched Spock open the door to his bathroom and enter it. Finally, putting the robe on successfully she ran to catch up with Spock.

She found that Spock had already opened the door which led to the Captain's chambers through their connecting bathroom.

'Of course,' Uhura thought bitterly, 'I should have guessed.'

xxx

As soon as the door opened, Spock sought out the Captain. But the first thing his eyes landed upon was Dr. Carol Marcus. She was unclothed, covered only by a bed sheet and leaning over the Captain anxiously.

Spock felt something bitter swell within him at the sight of the blonde woman but he did not pause to examine what it was.

"Dr. Marcus," Spock snapped which made her squeak and turn towards him. She immediately pulled up the sheet higher and burst out nervously, "Oh, Commander! Jim… umm… he's not well, I think. I was about to comm Dr. McCoy and…"

Spock walked towards the bed and got his first look at Jim.

Jim was trembling in his sleep caught in a nightmare. And Spock did not have to infer which. It was most certainly the same one which had been repeatedly plaguing Jim after the Khan incident. The nightmare in which he was surrounded by death and destruction.

Jim's face was wet with tears and he was gasping for air.

Spock felt something tight squeezing his heart and he visibly clenched his teeth. He had failed to save Jim that one time but he would not fail him again. He would allow nothing and no one to hurt him; and certainly not some nightmares.

Spock took a seat beside Jim on the bed and laid the flat of his hand on his forehead. He ran his thumb across Jim's forehead gently, right over his brows.

"Jim," Spock called out in a soft voice, "wake up." It came out as half a plea and half an order.

The nightmare slowly loosened its clutch upon Jim and Spock kept up his ministrations all throughout it. "Jim," Spock called out once more and Jim finally opened his eyes.

As Jim blinked the sleep, fear, pain and panic from his eyes, Spock took in the tears clinging on Jim's eyelashes. He took in those stunning blue eyes which looked like twin oceans right now… and his breath hitched.

'Most illogical.'

xxx

'Holy crap, it was just a stupid dream,' taking deep breaths Jim tried reassuring himself that he was alive and Spock was actually there with him. "Spock," Jim whispered and saw a small smile lifting Spock's lips.

Spock's fingers were gliding through his hair gently and he sighed in pleasure.

Finally he woke up enough to notice the two scantily clad women standing beside his bed and staring at him and Spock. But apparently the similarities ended there. Carol had a bed sheet wrapped around her, his bed sheet, and her expression was a mixture of hurt and concern. While Uhura wore Spock's robes and was openly glaring.

Being the genius that he was, he easily put two and two together and came to realize what must have happened…

Uhura and Carol had witnessed his weakness. They had witnessed his breakdown.

'Damn it,' he thought vehemently, 'should have never taken up Carol's offer tonight.'

His face burnt hot with humiliation and he childishly buried his face against Spock's thighs.

xxx

Spock almost growled at the two women who had put that particular look on Jim's face. But he restrained… barely. Instead he gave them a cold look and told them to depart.

"But I think I should stay with Jim, Commander…" Dr. Marcus trailed off, intimidated into silence by his cold glare.

"Yes, that's a good idea," Uhura pitched in, ignoring Spock. "You are his girlfriend… of course you should stay. I and Spock will just be leaving. Right, Spock?"

"Wrong Nyota," Spock replied in a dangerously even voice and saw Nyota's expression change into one of wariness. "I will be staying here with Jim while you will accompany Dr. Marcus to my room wherein both of you will don your respective attires and then proceed to your respective quarters."

When the women simply stood gaping at him he added, "I think the instructions were clearly not comprehendible to you both. Hence I will repeat myself…"

xxx

'Oh God, did he just insult both our girlfriends? At the same time?'

"Spock…," Jim swatted his thighs and then sat up, looking torn between mirth and horror. The sheet covering him pooled around his hips revealing his naked torso to all individuals present in the room.

This made Spock raise his brow disapprovingly to which Jim rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Aww… come on Spock. It's nothing the ladies have not seen before," Jim winked at Uhura and Carol, trying to lower the tension in the room. But at the same time he did pull up the sheet higher, covering his torso with it.

Spock simply got up and fetched a t-shirt for him.

Jim sighed exaggeratedly before accepting it from Spock and putting it on. He then turned his attention back towards the women.

Carol gave him a tentative smile while Uhura's poisonous glare made him wince.

"Umm…," darting a glance at Spock, Carol asked him nervously, "shall I stay then?"

Before Spock could intervene with a scathing remark, Jim replied, "Nah… your and Uhura's sleep has been disturbed enough for tonight. Both of you go and get some rest. Okay?"

Carol nodded reluctantly and then collected her clothes before leaving via the bathroom door connecting his and Spock's quarters. Uhura followed… quietly seething.

"You were too rude Spock," Jim murmured. "And Uhura is going to give you some serious shit over this tomorrow."

Spock threw him an unimpressive look, saying, "It was perfectly logical to deduce that for some reason they were both unable to comprehend my orders as they stood gaping at me instead of following them."

That brought out a chuckle out of Jim and he regarded Spock with a fond and impish smile. Spock's eyes turned into twin pools of molten chocolate.

"Temper, temper…," Jim teased. "We have to do something about that temper of yours. You are seriously infected with one of those seven deadly sins Mr. Vulcan having absolutely no feelings at all. Guess what, it's called… 'wrath'. "

Jim laughed as Spock's eyebrows twitched in a way which totally meant that he had once again riled him successfully. He mentally patted himself in the back.

"Aww… don't pout Spock. Look at me… I am super awesome and amazing but still have one of my own. You know which?" he asked grinning.

xxx

Spock smiled (the Vulcan way, of course) upon seeing Jim return to their usual playful banter. Jim was most probably unaware of the fact that all throughout it he had been leaning against Spock's side.

To answer Jim's earlier question, Spock replied drily, "I believe the answer to be 'vanity'. It would be well justified as you seemingly possess a copious amount of it."

Jim gave him a mock glare which disappeared as Spock adjusted their poses and pulled him in his arms securely.

Jim buried his nose in the junction of Spock's throat and neck and sighed with pleasure. He went boneless in Spock's arms as his fatigue and residual panic from the nightmare faded away in the warmth and security of Spock's embrace.

Jim murmured a quiet 'thank you'; hearing which Spock bestowed Jim with a look filled with fond exasperation, "Jim, as I have already stated 43 times in the past, your gratitude is appreciated but unnecessary. To care for you is…"

"If you say logical," Jim interrupted him, "I'll sic Winona on you."

Spock growled like always when that woman's name came up. Jim had recently begun telling him all about his appalling childhood. It was a slow, ongoing process as reviving those memories were downright painful for Jim, especially the memories of Tarsus IV. But with his unconditional support and Dr. McCoy's gentle guidance, Jim was able to talk about his past more and more easily every other day.

It was going to prove to be advantageous as Winona Kirk, Jim's biological mother, had grown more bitter and angry with her advancing age; and she had made it her life's mission to hound Jim wherever he went. Therefore Spock was very sure that she would be present in the Starfleet's Annual Celebrations which would be held in two months time.

"I'll most certainly look forward to it. Now, go to sleep. I'll stay with you till then."

Jim sighed and closed his eyes. There was blissful silence for a minute and a half before Jim interrupted it with, "Spock?"

"Yes, Jim."

"Is the Vulcan tendency to boss other people natural? Or do you all stand in front of the mirrors for hours and hours and practice how to appear all stuffy and intimidating?"

Spock sighed but answered dutifully, "Most Vulcan males are by nature dominant. Though there are submissive Vulcan males present, they are very few."

"Oh."

There was another bout of silence. But knowing Jim as well as he did, Spock could see that Jim appeared restless.

"Jim, what is the matter?" he asked softly.

Jim sighed wearily and told him 'nothing'. Seeing his disbelieving look though Jim smiled and added, "I am a bit… anxious to go back to sleep. I hate the fucking nightmares. Perhaps I should take a mild sedative."

"I disagree," Spock proclaimed. "You are getting addicted to those."

Jim snarled at him then, moving out of the circle of his arms. "Well, fuck off Spock. Don't tell me what to do. I'll take as many sedatives as I like. And if you do not like it either give me a better alternative or shut the hell up. I have a ship to run and I will not risk my crew because I can't sleep as I am afraid of some damn nightmares."

Spock kept his face impassive and his body still when his hands were itching to shake some sense into Jim. But it would be illogical and serve no purpose.

In its place, he let Jim see his implacable resolve of not letting him have a sedative. Jim would not be taking any more of those drugs.

Jim sighed tiredly. He did not have the energy to fight with Spock right then. So he sequestered himself back in Spock's arms and said, "Fine, let's compromise. Do the Vulcan nerve pinch thing."

Spock relaxed as his anger quickly transformed into amusement, "The Vulcan nerve pinch is more detrimental than sedatives if used on a regular basis. I believe I have a better solution."

Jim gasped and looked at him with eyes huge with excitement, "Really? What is it? Come on Spock, don't make me have to kill you…"

"Killing me would not serve the purpose of…"

"Spock!" Jim hit him with a pillow.

"You might think of it to be slightly invasive. But if you allow me to perform a meld with you then I believe my presence in your mind would successfully keep the nightmares away."

Jim stared at him for a moment before saying a resounding yes. "Lord, you're brilliant."

Spock gave him a small smile.

"Of course, being the genius that I am, I recognized your brilliance instantly and bagged you as my First Officer."

"Jim…"

"What?"

"I have reconsidered and decided to proceed with the nerve pinch."

Hope you all liked it. Please review... I would love to hear what you all think... :)