Two weeks after the Battle of Earth and the Destruction of the Narada

"Excuse me, Nyota?" Captain James T. Kirk asked.

Nyota Uhura sighed and cast a laser-like glare at Spock at his science station. The Vulcan's only reply was the raise of an eyebrow. She turned in her chair at her communications station.

"Yes, Captain?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"Could you patch me through to Scotty in engineering, please?" The Captain said in a mock-sweet voice, grinning broadly.

Uhura glowered at him darkly. "Why certainly, Captain." Kirk's grin got even wider. "Thanks, Nyota."

She swung back to her station, pony-tail swishing wildly, cursing the Captain in a hundred different languages, and cursing Spock in a hundred more for allowing her first name to slip. Kirk hadn't stopped saying her first name for the past two weeks, increasingly getting on her last nerves.

"Bridge to Mister Scott," she said after turning to the correct freq.

"Scott here, Lieutenant."

"Urgent message for you from the Captain," she said sardonically.

"Aye?"

Kirk glanced at her. "Well I didn't say urgent."

Uhura gave him a deadly smile. "Your tone of voice implied it, Captain." Kirk chuckled and flashed that cocky grin of his that annoyed Uhura so much.

"Mister Scott," Kirk said loudly.

"Aye, Captain," Montgomery Scott said.

"Are the engines okay?" Kirk asked. There was silence on the other end. "Uh, er, aye sir, they are." Kirk shrugged. "Okay then, keep up the good work." Scotty gave a puzzled reply and signed off.

Uhura glared at Kirk. "That was it?" she asked, her voice bordering a shout.

Kirk looked at her innocently. "Of course...Nyota."

Uhura stood suddenly, as did Spock. Before Uhura could reach the grinning Kirk, Spock intercepted her.

"Lieutenant, what you are about to do would not be logical," the Vulcan.

"It may not be logical, but it'd sure as hell feel good," she growled, glaring at Kirk over Spock's shoulder.

"Perhaps," Spock said close to her ear, "if you ignore him, he'll go away."

Uhura's anger at Kirk was momentarily put on hold while she regarded Spock. "Mister Spock, did you just make a joke?" she asked, smiling and crossing her arms.

Spock raised an eyebrow and the corner of his mouth twitched. "I am uncertain. Did I?"

Uhura broke out into a full grin. "Yes, you did. And it was funny."

"Joke-telling. It is one human activity that continuously evades me." Uhura took a step closer, "Yet you are half-human, you should be able to grasp it," she said. Spock leaned down slightly. "Indeed. And there are some certain human activities I am quite fond of."

James T. Kirk had noticed how considerably closer his communications officer and his executive officer had gotten to each other and he had enough of it. The bridge was no place for this kind of thing. Or was that jealousy speaking?

"Mister Spock," Kirk said. Suddenly going from playful to captain of the USS Enterprise.

Spock instantly remembered where he was and stood erect. He straightened his uniform before turning around. "Yes, Captain?"

"You got work?" Kirk nearly growled.

"Yes sir."

"Get to it, then." Spock dipped his head and walked by Uhura toward the science station. Kirk gave Uhura a stern glare. She turned on her heel and sat gracefully in her seat. "Mister Sulu," Kirk said on his way back to the command chair, "prepare to disengage from spacedock." Sulu typed a command into his console. "Yessir."

"One quarter impulse."

All movement on the bridge stopped for a split second. "Um, Captain Kirk," Sulu said. "the regulations regarding leaving spacedock—"

Kirk smiled. "I know the regulations, Mister Sulu. Oh, and make sure to disengage the exterior inertial dampener," Kirk said with a wink.

Sulu felt his face go burn red. On the Enterprise's maiden voyage—to assist Vulcan defend itself against the Narada—he'd accidentally forgotten to disengage the exterior dampener.

"Duly noted, Captain Kirk," Sulu said, still radiating embarrassment.

For the second time, the USS Enterprise disengaged from the spacedock above Earth. Sulu brought her about on Kirk's order and gave the bridge crew a breathtaking view of the Federation capital.

"Beautiful," Spock commented.

"Indeed," Kirk said softly. He glanced at his first in command. Kirk still had his home planet. Spock had lost his—and his mother—in a black hole. Although Spock's face remained impassive, Kirk could almost see the turmoil the Vulcan was feeling in his eyes. Spock felt Kirk staring at him and turned his gaze upon him. Their eyes locked and they stayed like that.

Kirk felt deep, genuine sorrow for the Vulcan, and he hoped it showed in his eyes. Finally, Spock nodded, and turned back to his station.

Kirk turned back to the viewport, took a final glance, and sat in his chair. "Lieutenant Sulu," Kirk said, "Bring us about."

A week prior, Kirk had received specific orders to escort a group of Miranda-class starships to the planet of Veridian Four, the new Vulcan colony. They also had specific orders to pick up Spock Prime, as he referred to himself, and return to Starfleet Command immediately thereafter.

"Mister Sulu, rendezvous with the supply ships," Kirk ordered. "Mister Chekov," Kirk said to Pavel Chekov at navigation. The seventeen year old looked up. "Aye, Keptin?"

"Plot in a course for Veridian Three," Kirk said. "Aye, sir."

It took only a few more minutes to rendezvous with the supply ships. "Warp Factor Five, Mister Sulu," Kirk said.

The ships blasted off into warp.

Light years away, on the M-Class planet Veridian Four, Spock Prime sucked in a lungful of the clean, fresh air in the dawn light. He turned on the hill where he stood to look down at the Vulcan colony that he and the Federation had established here. Civilians milled about, also coming out to enjoy the beautiful sunrise. He turned to look at the ever-lightening sky and allowed himself a brief smile. Yes, he had chosen the colony planet in a good location. The very planet where James T. Kirk of the Prime Universe had died was literally right next door in both this universe and the Prime.

Spock was suddenly stabbed with sensation of loss and sadness.

The planet Vulcan was not supposed to be destroyed—the Vulcan people were not supposed to be a nearly extinct race.

Spock missed everything he had left behind in the Prime Universe.. His friends aboard the Enterprise-E and the Titan, the friends he had made on Romulus and Remus, Admiral Akaar...the list went on and on.

True, depending on how long his life spanned, he could see all these people again in the next hundred years or so, albeit they'd be alternate and younger versions of the ones he had known.

He also missed his friends aboard the Enterprise of this timeline. James T. Kirk was alive and well in this universe, and perhaps Spock Prime could keep it that way.

But that would not be logical, would it? Would that alter the timeline further? But would it really matter, since this was a separate timeline altogether?

A few weeks ago, the Federation council of this timeline had come to him with a special request: to tell them of the coming dangers in the years to come.

Spock had refused them immediately, feeling it would do more harm than good. The Federation would become arrogant, feeling as if it could stand up to anyone and anything thrown in its path, thus becoming an Empire, of sorts.

Although Spock desperately wanted to save the lives he knew would be lost in the disasters of the future—The V'Ger, The Whale Probe, the Borg, the Dominion War—he knew he could not.

His thoughts turned back to the Vulcan-Romulan Unification of the Prime Universe—which had been untimely cut off when Romulus was destroyed by the star that went super-nova right next door.

Perhaps, Spock mused, the Unification will be easier in this universe. After all, the Vulcan race was nearly extinguished, and the Romulans now knew of their planet's destruction in the future. The two races could rely on one another. The Romulans could give the Vulcans a place to live, and the Vulcans would work with the Romulans to prevent the disaster from happening.

He planned on bringing the Unification project to the Federation Council and ask them to endorse it, but he knew that most of them would turn a deaf ear to him unless he did not answer their question about future wars and disasters.

Spock started down the hill. His second in command of sorts, T'Salim walked up to him. "Ambassador, three Miranda-class starships have entered the system with more supplies. They are awaiting your orders as to where to beam down."

Spock gave her the coordinates. Before she turned away, she said, "Oh, and Ambassador?" Spock nodded for her to continue. "The ah, USS Enterprise is in orbit awaiting your signal, sir."

Spock nearly choked on his own saliva. Clearing his throat, he raised an eyebrow and said, "I beg your pardon?"

"The Enterprise escorted the supply ships here, sir. Captain Kirk has requested your presence aboard the ship."

Spock thought that over for a moment. "Of course I will. Tell the good Captain that I am ready and waiting to be beamed aboard."

T'Salim hurried away to relay the message. A few minutes later, the shimmer of beaming enveloped Spock and he was suddenly aboard the Enterprise in the transporter room, and standing before he was his younger, alternate, self, and the young Captain Kirk.

Spock Prime stepped down from the transporter pad and gave the Vulcan salute to both the younger Spock and the captain.

Kirk, with a big grin, stepped up to Spock and gave him a vigorous hand-shake. "Good to see you again, Mister Ambassador."

Spock raised his eyebrow and returned the greeting. Kirk stepped out of the way to the two Spock could see one another again.

The Spock of this universe stepped forward and offered the Vulcan salute, but did not say the accompanying words. Both Spocks felt it would be self-serving, and therefore not the Vulcan way.

"It is nice to see me again," Spock said. Spock Prime raised an eyebrow. His alternate self had a sense of humor that had been absent to Spock Prime at that age.

"Indeed," Spock Prime agreed, his lips twitching. He then turned to Kirk, had had been watching the exchange with barely a barely constrained grin. "Captain Kirk, my aide told me you have a matter to discuss with me?"

Kirk slightly cocked his head to the right. "Well, not really. I mean, unless you need some help moving your bags, I'd be happy to send some men down to—"

"Bags? What are you talking about?" Spock Prime interrupted.

A look of confusion passed over Kirk's normally cocky face. "Mister Ambassador, you do know we were ordered to pick you up and bring you back to San Francisco, correct?"

Spock Prime stood up straighter. "I was aware of no such thing."

Jim and Spock glanced at each other. Spock stepped forward. "Mister...Ambassador," Spock began. It was evident that Spock did not know what to call his other self. "We were giving specific orders to escort the supply ships to Veridian Four. Before we returned to the Terran system, we are to pick you up and bring you back for an indefinite amount of time. Captain Kirk and I assumed you were aware of this."

"The only thing assuming does is make an ass out of you, and me," a voice came from the door.

Kirk looked over and saw his CMO, Doctor Leonard "Bones" McCoy standing there with his arms crossed.

"Doctor," Spock said, "I do not recall the captain or myself requesting your presence."

McCoy shrugged. "Well, it was a nice day so I decided to go for a little stroll." Spock Prime could tell his younger self was getting irritated, albeit he hid it extremely well.

"Doctor, I hope you realize the stupidity of your statement."

McCoy drilled Spock with a glare. "Of course I do, it's called a joke. Ever hear of it?"

Spock turned back to Spock Prime, seemingly writing off Bones as little more than a nuisance that could be ignored.

"We have our orders, Ambassador."

Spock Prime that it over. Technically, he could ignore the Starfleet order and go back to his work on the planet below, if it suited him. Then again, he could go see what Starfleet wanted with him that was so important they didn't dare call him on an open comm, and had to send the Federation flagship to come get him. But he had work to do here, the Vulcans needed him, especially now. Then again, T'Salim could take over the project in his short absence, she'd already proven she could do that much and more.

Spock Prime made his decision. "Alright, gentlemen, if you would allow me to beam back down to the planet," he began. Kirk's face fell. He really didn't want to pull rank on the Ambassador. But Spock Prime continued, "I will be happy to pack my clothes and beam right back up."

The tension evaporated instantly and Kirk grinned. Bones lightly smacked him on the back, and the younger Spock raised both eyebrows.

Spock turned to the doctor. "Doctor McCoy, since you're available, why don't you go down and help the Ambassador get his things?"

Bones' mouth fell open a quarter of an inch, then he smacked it closed. Kirk wisely left the room, saying something about being on the bridge.

"Well, as you know, Mister Spock, I have duties to attend to in sick bay."

"Oh?" Spock said, and a padd seemed to materialize in his hands. He was suddenly looking at it very thoroughly. "According to this, you only have one patient suffering from an up-set stomach, and another requesting pain killers for a faulty knee. Both tasks can easily be accomplished by one of your aids. Perhaps Ensign Rand—"

Bones threw up his hands. "Fine, fine. I'll go, I'm going!"

He stepped onto the transporter pad next to Spock Prime, who was barely restraining his laughter. Only years of practice ensured he kept a straight face.

Spock turned to the transporter chief. "Energize," he ordered. The Vulcan and human vanished in the shower of beaming.