Ok, so I've checked and double checked about four billion times that this is the right chapter. Let's hope it stays the way it looks right now.

Enjoy!

Chapter 4

Home is Where the Heart is

Leonard was both impressed and exasperated by the kid's guts, pulling that wheelie so Spock would hold onto him. Though why anyone would want that green-blooded computer any closer than absolutely necessary was beyond him. Then again the kid couldn't know that Spock had inhuman strength and could most likely, without a conscious thought, squeeze that skinny body in half.

As the antique, and yet not antique vehicle, faded from sight and hearing he gestured for the group to follow him back into the field, just in case someone else happened to drive by. They didn't need another do-gooder and they certainly didn't need any trouble.

Speaking of which, Leonard grabbed Scott's not bleeding arm and pulled him around while reaching into the med bag that Nero had let him keep. He had also left the doctor out of his sick torture game which was both good and awful. Good because he still hurt from the fight to sedate that old Vulcan who'd appeared when Scott had. Old bastard was determined to stay on the ship. Kept ranting about how he was Spock, and Nero really wanted him.

Awful, because they'd made him watch.

Chekov and Uhura they'd left mostly untouched, a few bruises here or there, but there had certainly been some leering which had made Leonard just as uncomfortable as when he watched them bring their fists and whatever else they could find onto Scott, Sulu, and Spock. He felt the bruises on his arms twinge reminding him of their cruel fingers digging into him as he had thrown dignity to the wind and fought to make them stop the senseless torture, not that any type of torture made sense in his mind.

It had almost been a relief when Nero had beamed them down here because no matter where, or when, they were, anywhere was better than in the reach of that monster. Unfortunately Leonard had a sinking feeling that the Romulan bastard was just toying with them while he made repairs on his ship which had somehow survived the trip through time even though the Enterprise had felt about ready to come apart at the seams. When Nero was good and ready, he'd be back and he'd finish what he started and probably take that kid along too just for the fun.

Leonard felt a strong guilty twinge about that just his next glance from Scott's arm to the rapidly emptying med bag told him that he needed to harden his heart just for a little while. Then he could talk Spock into sneaking away in the middle of the night, not that the Vulcan would need much convincing. Another guilty shudder ripped through him at the thought of creeping away in darkness like a common criminal, not that they had anything to pay him with, only gratitude, which, he had a feeling, was as insubstantial a currency in this time as it was in theirs.

The minutes ticked away slowly as he bound Scott's arm and moved onto Sulu who had sunk to the ground and was cradling Chekov as best he could with a recently dislocated shoulder and what looked to be a broken rib or two. McCoy had been sure to realign the should the moment after they had been beamed, but he hadn't been able to do much else. They'd been in the middle of a corn field with seemingly no end in sight and Captain Spock had been adamant about continuing to move until they had at least discovered a road they could follow to a town if not a dwelling itself.

Gently prodding the Russian boy back as far as he would go, Leonard wrapped the ribs with that limited supplies he had left and examined the shoulder again knowing that a many-hours-long walk through a cornfield in the sun was the last thing any healthy person needed much less a wounded one. The second Leonard moved away Chekov was back and though his grip was gentler his tears and rapid-fire Russian came faster believing that he had been hurting the pilot.

Leonard certainly didn't speak Russian, but he got the gist of the mutterings, not that he hadn't already seen it. Even with just knowing those two for a few days, the entire bridge crew had seen the easy way the seemed to flow together and recognized it for what it was. Expect maybe… no definitely… Spock. The Vulcan was either blind or was pretending not to see it and, though he had evidence to the contrary, McCoy was much more likely to believe the first one.

He gave the anxious-looking pilot what he hoped was a reassuring smile, although it felt like a grimace, the Asian man nodded slightly and relaxed so maybe it was a reassuring grimace. Shaking his head Leonard stepped around them with the intent to evaluate Uhura's mental and physical health, only to see that Scott beaten him to it. Finally the exhausted doctor sunk to the ground a very familiar emotion welling up inside him as he watched the happy couple and the happy couple to be: jealousy. He knew that emotion intimately by now, he felt it every time he called his daughter, his beautiful Joanna, and he mother called her away from the screen for some tedious chore or other with the simple intent of cutting his only time with his only child short.

Feeling more exhausted than before he sat down Leonard dropped his chin to his head and focused intently on the moonlight that sparkled off the line of asphalt not too far away. After he didn't know how long of watching the glistening of what his freed imagination believed to be glistening gemstones hidden within the hideous scar of a road across the land, he heard the sound of an engine coming down the street from the direction Spock and the kid had gone.

He stood slowly and almost ran out to the edge of the pavement watching the glow of approaching headlights as if they were angels. The truck pulled off the side of the road and he could tell that it was exactly everything the kid, what was his name-Jake, Josh, John?- had said. The engine didn't exactly purr but there wasn't any sputtering indicating a long term dirt nap for the car and those inside it. However, it was what stepped out of the passenger's side of the cab that brought Leonard McCoy to tears. The kid, that beautiful kid, had found something other than the helmet to cover Spock's ears. It was a white winter had with two pink puff balls hanging down from the earmuffs and a purple bunny depicted on the side. Spock turned one of his not glares on the kid who ducked his head and blushed brightly.

"I'm sorry ok! I have different ones at my house, but that's the only one my parents had and you even said you'd rather wear it than the helmet!" Spock did not reply. Instead he moved with unconscious grace and conscious dignity to complete the tasks of the currently incapacitated doctor

After many poorly hidden giggles, and a few moments of hysteria, Scott and Sulu were situated in the backseat while Chekov and Uhura, with a sympathetic look from the driver, climbed into the bed. After an argument that even made Jim roll his eyes…

"Doctor it is only logical that you ride in the front seat, to be nearer those injured."

"Dammit, Spock you are injured."

"I assure you Doctor, I am in perfect health." Spitefully McCoy had poked his chest hard and, to everyone's surprise, Spock had flinched.

"Your actions are exceedingly childish, Doctor McCoy."

"If you think I give a damn about that we need to check on that computer running beneath that bunny." Spock stiffened and Jim had turned away pretending he hadn't been listening. McCoy smiled slyly. "At least your ears are in good company." Spock got in the front seat.

… they started off again with Jim being incredibly careful not to hit anymore bumps than necessary, swerving constantly over the road to avoid potholes and the like and cursing quietly every time there was one he couldn't avoid. It was also a brilliant distraction from the man sitting next to him, so brilliant, in fact, that he didn't realize Spock was staring at him until he spoke.

"Is this method of driving typical of this… area or simply this vehicle, for I do not recall you driving so during our first excursion." Jim had jumped when Spock spoke and, in consequence, had hit a large, unnecessary, bump. Someone groaned in pain and Spock felt his own injuries twinge uncomfortably, but he didn't show it. To his surprise and fascination, Jim winced when Lieutenant Sulu groaned before focusing back on the road intently. One oddly angled eyebrow quirked upward.

"You are attempting to avoid causing more pain to those who have sustained injuries." Jim nodded curtly and Spock's fascination grew. How long had they, collectively, known this man. Ten minutes, maybe fifteen? This was still considered stupid and dangerous to invite those you did not know into your home, your vehicle, or offer them assistance even in the future, most likely even more so in this time period. And yet, this young man, easily outnumbered, had done all three of these things.

"Why?" Spock asked, his simple question layered with deeper meanings that Jim seemed to understand somehow. His hands tightened on the wheel into white-knuckled fists and the line of his body became tense even as his piercing blue eyes remained resolutely focused on the road. Slowly, quietly, he bit out an answer, the whisper strangely loud in the silence of the cab.

"I don't know."

They passed through the small town quickly, so quickly in fact that Spock was given the illogical impression that if he had blinked he would have missed the town entirely. The residences seemed almost… haunted in their emptiness. The only evidence that intelligent beings still occupied this place were the rusty streetlamps whose yellow lights cast tightly bound circles of gold into the velvet darkness, barely serving to illuminate the land they shone directly above.

Leaving the disturbing area behind they passed back into the night. An odd lump of darkness, blacker than the night surrounding it, alerted Spock that they would soon reach their very temporary, dwelling place. With a skill that bespoke of much practice, Jim pulled into the unlit driveway and halted the vehicle. He turned to Spock, his eyes somehow glowing in the black.

"Give me a minute to go turn on some lights, alright. Wouldn't want anyone slipping on the stairs or tripping over a rug." Spock simply nodded in agreement, and somehow Jim must have seen it because he exited the truck and walk around to the back, presumably to tell Doctor McCoy the same thing. There was a patter of footsteps on stone and the faint jingle of keys in a lock and one by one invisible windows were illuminated revealing the true size of the structure.

A wide porch protruded from the front and, Spock assumed, the back of the house. There seemed to be two stories with wide windows on the bottom and slightly smaller replicas above them. Trees surrounded the dwelling unusual, as far as he could tell, for this area, but very effective in providing a thick leafy privacy screen. Jim returned across the porch, jumping over the five steps between the wooden structure and the ground, and waved a small black box at the area in front of them before climbing back into the truck.

Spock jumped ever so slightly at the grating noise that the door emitted as it moved. Nothing like the hangar doors he was used to that always opened silently. Jim started the vehicle again and edged into the open space behind the door before removing his keys and closing the door once again with his portable opener. Spock glanced around the garage briefly as he stepped from the truck, noticing that everything had a place and seemed to be in it. It was neat and tidy, and also very clean.

His eyes passed over a wall of tools, they appeared very well-used, the handles on some had even been worn down, but under the bright fluorescent lights, they sparkled like new. Spock turned quickly at the sound of Dr. McCoy berating someone who had attempted to move from the vehicle without his express permission, most likely Mr. Scott. The glare of the Georgia doctor was turned on Spock when he stepped forward to inquire as to where his assistance would be most useful.

"You Mr. Spock, at this precise moment, would be the most useful lying in a bed, with heavy painkillers, and wrapped up in super strong bandages." They eyebrow rose and Jim sniggered.

"Kinky." He managed between chuckles. Everyone laughed save the two involved, but Sulu's quickly turned into a coughing fit which made Jim's smile fade quickly. "Come on," he gestured toward the back of the garage where an unassuming white door stood. "I'll show you where you can sleep."

They entered, slowly, and Jim pointed out the kitchen, the staircase, the two bathrooms and the three guest bedrooms. Uhura wrapped her arm around Scott's waist and led him toward the first one while Chekov and Sulu claimed the second after the pilot sent a despairing look at the stairs. McCoy proclaimed that he needed to be near his patients and stepped into the third. They all gave him numerous 'Thank You's before saying goodnight.

"Oh, Doc." Jim called out as McCoy was about to enter one of the other rooms for checkups. "There's some first-aid stuff in the kitchen, third drawer down, on the right, on this side of the island. Help yourself ok?" Leonard agreed, thanking him once again, before disappearing.

Jim turned to look a Spock and released an unconscious sniggered. The dark-haired man just quirked one eyebrow until Jim tugged gently on one of the puff balls. Eyes widening Spock ripped the offensive hat away and all but threw it onto a nearby table. Jim struggled to speak through his giggles.

"I'll find you another one tomorrow, a manly one." He grinned and glanced at the stairs. "Guess you'll be up there, unless you want to sleep on the couch." Assuming that was not the case and expecting Spock to follow Jim started up. They came to a hallway with three doors along it and another short staircase at the end, Spock reasoned that it led to the attic.

"Ok, so you can pick whichever you like, the bathroom's over there," he pointed to one of the doors on the right, "And uh, goodnight I guess." Spock was confused and his eyebrows furrowed unconsciously. Jim thought it was cute.

"Which of these sleeping areas it yours, sir? I would not wish to intrude so much as to take your bed from you." Jim threw his head back and laughed a full belly laugh. When it finally subsided he spoke.

"First of all please, Please, PLEASE don't call me sir, its Jim. And second my room is actually up there." He gestured to the second staircase. Both Spock's eyebrows rose, and Jim began to babble his justifications. "Well it's got this really awesome window where I can look out and watch the stars all the time and I can even crawl out on the roof and lay on my back until I feel like I'm part of them…" He trailed off realizing that he had revealed something that not even his parents knew to a complete and total stranger.

"Indeed." Jim blushed hotly and turned for the stairs. On the bottom step he turned slightly.

"Goodnight Spock." He said quietly before continuing up. Just out of his hearing there came a whispered reply.

"Goodnight Jim."

I realize that everybody, especially Spock, is a bit AU in this chapter, so before anyone reviews to tell me that I just want to say that it will be addressed. It was done on purpose!

But review to tell me other stuff, K?

See ya next week.

Silver Dragon, Out