3. If he was human, he would say he would be annoyed to find it happens yet again, on Earth this time, if it wasn't so darn cute. And the aggressor is not someone he would ever consider, endearing though it may be. (Even Spock can admit to being charmed.)
It is shore leave, and of course, the Enterprise's primarily human crew is delighted to find they are able to take it at home. Jim is fiercely apologetic towards Spock-needlessly- and-still needlessly-offers to find some way to get Spock to Vulcan for their four weeks of shore leave while the Enterprise undergoes some repairs and some cleanup from their misadventures. Spock- again, if he were human-would say he was touched by the gesture, but assures Jim there is no cause to do so, he is quiet content to entertain himself on Earth. He has, after all, been there before, for some time, and relatively comfortable there, all things taken into consideration.
In the end, he discovers that McCoy and Jim intend to spend the time together themselves- Jim has some grand secret that he is being horribly bad at hiding and being patient about, a surprise for McCoy, and decides that Spock should tag along.
"You don't have anywhere better to be, do you, Spock?" He asks, and Spock must admit that no, he has no plans nor companions he intends to meet with while here, and doctor McCoy has no complaints to his presence (besides his obligatory growls).
McCoy's daughter, Joanna, is waiting for them when they get to earth, and Spock is treated to a side of him that Jim has seen on occasion but Spock is new to- he grins broadly, honestly, and drops to his knees, arms open wide, gathering the eight year old in his arms as she runs to him with an ear-splitting squeal of "Daddy!" Then, minutes later, "Hi, Uncle Jim, hihihi!" As Jim scoops her up and spins her around dizzily. She instantly goes shy when she sees Spock, ducking behind her father's legs, but McCoy pushes her forward gently. "This is Mr. Spock." He tells her gently, and his accent is thicker then Spock believes he has ever heard. "He's your daddy and Uncle Jim's friend."
Spock wonders if he has ever heard McCoy call him friend openly before. Interesting.
"Why does he have funny ears?" She whispers in the way of all children, which is not a whisper at all but a spittle-laden hiss more then loud enough for anyone near to hear. McCoy snickers, tries not to. "He's a Vulcan, Jo. To him your ears are funny." And he tweaks one, which makes her giggle and squirm.
That is the last Joanna McCoy has to say on the subject, and the shore leave passes quite peacefully. The three men and little girl enjoy each other for the most part- there are a few tense moments, but nothing explosive- but Spock becomes increasingly aware of the fact that Joanna has an absolute fascination with him. She spends every waking moment she's not with her father or Jim with him- she's constantly dragging him off to see a new toy, or the dress her daddy bought her; once they get to McCoy's small ranch home, she's a bouncing ball of enthusiasm to find a place to take them all for a horseback ride and once they do, stays right at the flank of Spock's horse and will not be silent. She's fond of dragging him behind her by the sleeve, and Jim makes more then one comment about it looking like a Chihuahua ordering around a pit bull. But then, Joanna seems to have that ability with all of them; reducing the crew of the Enterprise to big puppy dogs.
It is the day before they are meant to return to space that it happens.
Joanna is giving Jim and her father big good-bye hugs and kisses, while her mother waits in a vehicle in the background. When she gets around to Spock, she flings her arms around his neck. He permits it; she's a child, and therefore all he gets from physical contact is a general sense of affection and playful sweetness, and it's subtle and young enough that it's not unpleasant. But he does see her fierce blush when she pulls back, and suddenly she reaches up to touch the shell of his ear, eyes widening as if she expects it to twitch or move under the touch- then she squeals, shoves a piece of paper in his hands, and runs. While her touch is not painful, the sound is, and he absently brings one hand to his sensitive ear, giving his head a little shake. Jim shoots him an amused look, watching where McCoy and Joanna are, a few feet away, saying soft goodbyes.
"He really misses her." Jim muses softly, his golden eyes far away. "Sometimes, I wonder…." But he lets his voice trail off, turns back to Spock and in an instant the insecurity and sadness that has no place on Jim's face- least of all when they both know that McCoy would not give up his place at Jim's side no matter how much he snarls- is gone. "What do you have there?"
Spock glances down at the folded paper in his hands. "Joanna gave it to me." He says, which is not an answer. He knows it is not an answer; and Jim continues to watch him until he opens it.
'Dear mister Spock', it reads, though spelt not quiet as well as all that. 'Thank you very much for coming to spend time with my pappa and uncle Jim. I had a lot of fun with you. You have pretty ears and pretty hair, and when I am older I will come be on the ship with you and you can be my husband.'
And there is a drawing of exactly that; of all of them as stick figures, on what must be the Enterprise-or some spaceship, anyway- with Jim (a stick figure scribbled gold) 'marrying' himself and a taller Joanna, with McCoy off to her right.
His ears burn green, and no amount of Vulcan control can make them stop.
Especially not when Jim snatches it away from him like a child. He's always like this on Shore Leave, playful and frisky and mischievous, taking every moment he does not have to be Captain and using it to the fullest.
There is a brief wrestling match, which Spock will later deny ever being a part of, and with his superior height and strength he could easily have won. But Jim is not afraid to fight dirty, knows how to fight dirty, and when he slips from trained combat- which he is skilled at, as well- to 'street fighting' it's nothing Spock is prepared for and within minutes Jim is triumphantly dancing backwards with the paper in hand while Spock shakes out a rather viciously twisted wrist.
Entirely unnecessary.
Jim's laughter is throaty and deep, and it continues when McCoy returns; he shows the paper over (Spock doesn't even bother trying to intercept it) and soon the doctor is laughing, too. The sound mingles with Jim's, a sharply contrasting harmony, and Spock tolerates it because if he's being perfectly honest with himself their laughter is one of his favorite sounds.
"Seems my Jo got herself a little bit of a crush." McCoy chuckles, when he can speak again. "Can't imagine why- thought she had more common sense then that."
"Seems to be the ears." Jim quips, and when he looks over at Spock there is something he can't put his finger on glittering in the golden hazel eyes.
Later, on the ship, over the usual chess game, Jim speaks. "It's usually rough for him, having to leave her again." He says quietly. "That helped. Thanks for being a good sport." He glances up, daring Spock to make a comment on the colloquialism, but Spock is quiet, watching with patient eyes. "My tolerance of your antics?…."
"It made him laugh." Jim shrugs. "Never an easy trick. Especially then. Hey," He says then, with a laugh, "I noticed earlies you kept the love-letter."
"It was not a love-letter, Jim."
He only smirks. "You still kept it. No logic in that, is there?" He's teasing, the words are gentle, and so Spock does not bristle.
"Indeed there is. If Joanna is ever allowed visitation on the Enterprise, which is known to occur on starships when situations permit it, and she realizes I have discarded the note, she will be displeased and unpleasant to have around. Furthermore, there is no reason to throw away a gift given in friendship."
"You didn't want to hurt her," Jim says, but his voice is gentle, eyes warm, and Spock can not, once again bristle at the words. "Or him." He adds, even more gently, even more softly. "You had to know Bones'd find out somehow if you got rid of it; and even if he didn't, you didn't want to chance it." He's grinning impishly, but Spock doesn't look away; holds his eyes are the smile gentles, softens around the edges.
"You're a good brother, Spock." He says, and when the eyebrow arches skyward, he simply chuckles and goes back to the game.