Gestalt Theory

James sighed in reflexive frustration. Morning had come again and he still felt the disorienting wrongness of waking up in his room aboard the Enterprise. His eyes were still groggy from the night as they took in the alien walls surrounding him. For a brief second the room seemed to contract with a newness that made him feel vaguely claustrophobic. He shook it off knowing that the alien nature of his new home, and more pressingly, his new position as captain would wear off eventually. It just took time.

He rolled out of bed and hurried to get ready. During his first days as captain he had been uncharacteristically worried about his appearance. Now however, he had reverted back to his normal flippant behavior. He threw on his clothes and gave his messy hair a cursory glance before making his way to the cafeteria nearest his quarters.

He sighed in relief when he noticed that the cafeteria was nearly empty. Normally it was bustling with activity since meals were on a carefully organized schedule of rotations. The dining area was the one spot that could never be found without at least a dozen people. All of which would fall silent when Jim stepped in. Jim praised his own foresightedness to wake up early in the dead time of the morning that was to late too be a night shift and too early to be the day shift.

He loaded his plate up with an unhealthy (certainly not obscene….) amount of refined white bread and sugar and quickly made his way to the coffee pot.

"Captain." said a familiar voice. Jim turned to take in his first officer. Spock was standing coolly behind him. Jim waited but quickly realized after a long awkward pause that Spock was not going to forthcoming.

"Yes?" He prodded a bit impatiently. He wondered if he was noticing a flash of annoyance in Spock's eyes but it was gone as quickly as it came. He quickly reigned in his desire to obnoxious and confrontational. Spock wasn't like the rest of the crew. Their relationship, although mending, was unstable. Spock was simply being formal, possibly to an annoying degree but in a well intentioned way nonetheless.

"You're needed on the bridge." Spock recited smoothly. James had a strong urge to whine about the wasted coffee he was brewing. Somehow he though Spock would not be receptive to his plea to finish his breakfast in the relative quiet of the cafeteria. Sighing he picked up his plate of cinnamon rolls and scones.

"Don't you know breakfast is the most important meal of the day?"

This time he was sure there was a look of brief annoyance and amusement in Spock's eyes. "Quite. That it why it is often appropriate to eat food with nutritional value. I have been told eggs and orange juice is a popular human staple."

Jim's eyes snapped up in surprise. "Are you cracking a joke with me Spock?" His tone incredulous. Spocks face betrayed a slight confusion as he translated Jims thoroughly human phrase.

"Simply pointing out your odd choice of food, Captain."

"I suppose Vulcan's only eat broccoli and tofu in the morning to prepare for the day." Jim sniped as they made their way to the bridge.

"It would be a logical choice. Both are very sustaining items--" He was cut off.

"Try it." Jim turned to Spock with a sudden impossible, impulsive urge.

"I do not understand."

Jim could only laugh internally as he watched as Spock's eyes widened as he shoved a fork laden with cinnamon roll in front of Spock's eyes. "Try it. " he repeated. "You'll love it."

"I doubt that. My tastes are very different from your own. It would be highly inappropriate if I were to eat your breakfast Captain."

Jim just stood there his plate and fork outstretched imploringly. "No--"

"Just try it! You can't knock what you don't know!" Spock's eyes showed confusion yet again at the odd human phrase.

Jim saw a brief wavering in the refusal in Spock's eyes and waited patiently. "Well if you insist, perhaps." Jim smiled resting the cinnamon roll in Spock's surprised hands.

"I'll see you on the bridge." He did not think he would be able to keep a straight face if he waited to see Spock eat his breakfast. The improbable thought of Captain Kirk feeding his first officer was too humorous to contemplate. Instead he turned and walked to the door to the bridge and stepped in as it slid seamlessly upward. Because of this he missed the inscrutable expression forming on his first officer's face as he watched him go.

Stepping onto the bridge he glanced over the heads of his crew feeling an odd mix of joy and fear at the sight of their faces. He would never admit to it, but the idea of taking care of these people, his coworkers and sometimes his friends, daunted him. It infused him with a sense of overwhelming responsibility. When on earth he had never taken care of someone other than himself and had often done all in power to do exactly the opposite. He was a creator of chaos and discontent. Not the pillar of support that a captain was supposed to be.

"What's up Sulu, Chekov?" His eyes swept over to is communications officer. "Uhura?"

Instead it was Scotty's voice that gave him an answer. "Captain, we are experiencing some unaccounted for complications with the engine." Jim's stomach sank with something akin to fear. His face remained placid. "How serious is it?"

"Hard to tell actually. The issue isn't obvious just…odd. There are some abnormalities with the readings. If I could describe it…" Scotty trailed off searching for the right words. "… I would say it's hiccupping."

"A strange explanation. Certainly worth getting examined." For the second time today Jim turned at the sound of his first officer's voice behind him. Turning back to where Scotty's face was being pulled on the screen Jim spoke. "Would you suggest landing?"

"…" Scotty looked at something on a screen in front of him and slowly nodded. "Yeah. I'd say that would be the safest route. I mean it is the engine. I could try taking it apart as we're flying…" He voice held a bit of reckless excitement at the prospect. Jim winced at the thought. Images of the ship exploding in a glorious ball of fire and falling like a meteor through deep space flashed before his eyes. Certainly not the spectacular end he was hoping for.

"That would not be advisable." Spock stated with finality.

"Where's the nearest landing spot, Sulu?" James asked.

"Earth."

Jim's heart lept uncomfortably into his throat. He had been to Earth for the awards ceremony but that had only been a day of formality. Now would be his first extended visit outside the confines of the Starfleet academy. He knew the Enterprise would have to return at some point. He'd just hoped it wouldn't be so soon.

Authors Note

This is intended to be continued. However I don't just want to churn chapters out at random. Hopefully it won't turn into complete crap because sometimes I leap into things without planning. This will eventually be K/S but don't be too impatient about it.