Up a day early because I honestly don't know when I'll be able to update again. Work has become long and irregular, with lots of twelve-hour shifts in the near future, leaving me with little time to eat and sleep, never mind typing! I will try to keep updating, but like I said, it may not happen right away. Sorry!

On a separate note, someone asked me about the stories I referenced and recommended in the last chapter. They are not here. They are located on a site called the KS Archive. Just type in the titles in the search engine and you should find them. Or the author's names, anything written by either of them is worth a read.

Chapter 4

Jim awoke disoriented and incredibly sore. He felt like he had as a teenager after spending long summer days doing odd jobs for the owners of neighboring farms. Though, he thought as he shifted onto his other side, farm labor had never made him sore down there-.

He snapped awake and took in his surroundings. Everything came flooding back to him. The Vulcan lying behind him had begged to be allowed to fuck him, and he had given his consent. It had led to what could only be described as the most intense sexual experience of his life. For a moment, he began to relax against the warm, lean body behind him, before the rest came back to him.

Regardless of how careful, sensual, and incredibly pleasurable it had been, it didn't change the fact that the man behind him had paid the people keeping him here to be able to have sex with him. Then again, he'd stopped when Jim resisted him, and, if what he'd said about Pon Farr or whatever it was had been true, he'd pretty much been begging for his life.

Jim shook his head a bit trying to dispel the conflicting thoughts. He was tired, sore, thirsty, and covered in bruises, dried sweat, and semen that belonged to both him and the other guy asleep on the bed. The arms around him were loose now, and he managed to slip out of them without incident. He winced as he slowly sat up, putting weight on his sore bottom. He made to stand up from the bed, and his legs gave way, sending him to the floor. The impact didn't hurt much, but he couldn't seem to get back up. His arms and legs were very sore from bracing against the bed. He was forced to crawl his way over to the bathroom door which, fortunately for him, was already open from his last use. The soreness of his body was almost enough to distract him from a strange sensation in his head, but not quite. It didn't feel bad really, but it didn't exactly feel good either. It was almost like a buzzing sensation. He ignored it in favor of focusing on his current need to clean himself off.

He got inside and reached the shower/bathtub and managed lift himself inside with shaking arms. He managed to settle himself inside comfortably enough, then realized he'd put himself opposite of the tap. He reached for it with one aching arm, but was unable to lean forward enough without significant pain. He was about to attempt it once more, when a soft voice right next to him made him freeze.

"Allow me to help."

Spock awoke to the sound of a dull thump. He noticed vaguely that it had come from the floor beside the bed. Then he realized three things that caused him to pry his eyes open. First, that he was no longer burning from the inside out, second, that the young man who'd assisted him through his Time was no longer there beside him, in his arms, and third, he was extremely aware of the second fact due to a brand new link between their two minds. As he glanced around quickly, he saw that the man (Jim, he reminded himself) was on the floor, crawling over to an open door nearby. Apparently he was so focused on it that he didn't notice that Spock had been woken by his movement.

He felt a stab of remorse go through his body. He'd been too rough with the human. Prostitute or not, he did not deserve to be in pain now just because Spock's father had paid for his compliance. Even though he had been apprised of the situation, he'd still been very alarmed at first by Spock's excitement, consenting only once Spock had been reduced to tears. He debated whether or not to follow him into the bathroom. He knew he was covered in dried fluids from their activities, and now that he was in complete possession of his faculties again, he rather wanted to clean himself. However, Jim might wish to be alone after his experience.

In the end, Spock's mind was made up the increasing sense of distress that hummed from the connection he'd inadvertently formed between them. It buzzed unpleasantly in his mind, growing with the increasing distance Jim put between them.

As he stood up, he wondered if Jim was also experiencing difficulty because of the link. He scooted to the edge of the bed and stood up, stumbling a bit as his legs took his weight for the first time in…twenty-three hours, according to the clock by the bed. He wasn't sure how much of that time had been spent mating and how much was spent sleeping. Melds, especially ones where one or both partners had little past experience, had a tendency to result in lost time.

He managed to adjust quickly enough. He already felt better than he had in days. He was hungry now, and thirsty. He had not been able to eat or drink much in the past few days, taking only bits of what his father and Healer Fer'at attempted to convince him to eat. He moved over to the door, looking inside. What he saw was a bathroom, and Jim was settling himself in the tub. He wondered if he should simply wait here, out of sight, when he saw Jim reaching for the water controls, his face scrunched up in pain. Another flash of guilt stabbed through him, and he made up his mind. He walked in and, unnoticed by Jim, knelt down next to the tub.

"Allow me to help." Jim started, turning toward him and wincing, his startling blue eyes shutting briefly. It seemed like every move he made was causing him some amount of pain. Spock could understand why; he'd left marks all over him. There was no broken skin, but there was a significant amount of bruising marring the lightly tanned skin, especially around the hips. Spock almost visibly winced as he realized how tightly he must have gripped them in his eagerness. He also felt a wave of shame when he saw the teeth marks standing out on the skin at the juncture of Jim's neck and shoulder, as well as the fingerprint bruises mapping the meld points on his face. He was shaken out of his guilt ridden thoughts as Jim spoke, his voice raspy.

"Okay." Spock nodded, and reached for the tap. He turned it to a warm temperature, but not so warm that it would aggravate Jim's bruises. He saw Jim beginning to relax, so he looked around the room, searching out anything that might help him make the human more comfortable. There was a cup sitting on the sink counter. He stood up and picked it up, filling it with cool water from the sink's faucet. He knelt down again and handed it to Jim. He took it, his hands a little shaky, and took sips until the cup was half empty. "Thanks." He whispered. He held the cup out to Spock. "You want some? Spock actually felt a lump rising in his throat. The young man before him was tired and in pain, and he was still trying to accommodate Spock's needs. He took the cup, hoping Jim wouldn't be able to tell what affect the gesture was having on him.

"Thank you." He said quietly, taking only a few sips from it. He set the cup back on the edge of the sink, in case Jim wanted it again. He looked around the room again, and spotted a small closet. He opened it and found some washcloths and other things. He returned to Jim's side and found a bottle of liquid soap on the tub by the wall. The tub was halfway full by then, so he shut off the water. He then quickly lathered up the cloth and, going slowly so as not alarm Jim, he began wiping at his abdominal area, removing the remnants of their coupling from his skin. He reached lower to Jim's pelvic area, and felt him tense minutely. He pulled back, moving over to start wiping the cloth across his shoulders and working his way downward, not going any further than the small of his back. He felt the tense muscles begin to relax under his hands, and the sense of nervousness he was feeling from the other man began to abate. Jim was still exhausted, he realized, and fighting to stay awake. He quickly rinsed out the washcloth and began removing the soap from Jim's skin. Then he moved back, setting the cloth aside. Jim looked at him, questioningly, the wariness in his eyes somewhat lessened. "You are still very fatigued." He said quietly. "Perhaps you should wait until you have rested more before you attempt to bathe yourself more thoroughly." Jim nodded slowly, and Spock reached down to pull the plug to let the water out.

"I guess you're right." He seemed to hesitate. "Would you mind- there's some robes in the closet there." He paused. "Unless, you still want…" he trailed off.

"No." Said Spock. Jim flinched a bit, and he realized how sharp he'd sounded. He couldn't really help it. Jim seemed to be dreading the possibility that he might want to mate with him again. Even if he was just a temporary mate, it bothered Spock to think he'd traumatized him so much that he would not accept his touch again. Such a thing was a great shame for a Vulcan male. He softened his tone. "You have already done more than enough." He stood and went back to the closet.

As he reached for a robe, he abruptly became very aware of the fact that he too was still completely nude. In his concern for Jim, he'd completely forgotten. Or perhaps it was simply the contentment of being so near his mate that had caused his lack of awareness. He quickly pulled the first robe on, then pulled out a second, along with a large towel. He set them both on the sink counter and held his hands out to Jim. He hesitated before taking them, struggling a bit as Spock helped him to his feet and out of the tub. He gently maneuvered him so that he could sit on the closed toilet seat and handed him the towel.

Jim mumbled his thanks again and began drying himself off. He almost seemed to be in a daze. Once he was dry enough, Spock gently removed the towel and assisted him in putting on the robe, wincing internally as Jim's face showed his pain while strained to maneuver his arms into the sleeves and pulled the knee-length robe around himself as much as he could while seated. As Jim closed the robe, Spock hesitated briefly before kneeling before him and taking both his hands again. Jim looked at him, startled.

"Jim," he said quietly, "I am alive and well because of you. There is nothing I can do to repay what you have done for me. However, I wish to try. I am a member of one of the oldest and most powerful clans on Vulcan. Ask anything you wish of me. If it is within my power to give you what you wish, I will." Jim stared at him, almost uncomprehendingly. Then, his head dropped down. Spock waited for him to say something, anything. He raised his head again, and Spock was alarmed to see tears shining in his blue eyes.

"Please," he whispered as they began to fall, "please get me out of here." He hunched over, his shoulders shaking and his breath hitching as he cried. Spock was very worried now. Even more upsetting than the sight of Jim in tears before him was the anguish and fear he felt pouring from the link between them. Not knowing what else he could do, he released Jim's hands, stood, and gently lifted him up, bridle style, and carried him out of the bathroom to the bed. Setting him down, but keeping one supporting arm around his waist, he pulled back the covers on the bed. The comforter, due to their earlier…activities, was quite soiled, but it was mostly on the surface and the sheets underneath were clean and dry. As he placed Jim flat on the bed and pulled up the comforter and sheet, he realized that Jim had one fist clenched in the sleeve of his robe. He was still shaking with silent tears. Spock thought of what his mother would do in such a situation.

"Hush." He said gently, stroking his free hand through Jim's hair. "Rest now. Everything will be fine when you wake." Jim stared up at him, his eyelids beginning to droop as exhaustion won out. Finally, they shut, and his breathing evened out, signaling sleep. Spock gently removed his hand from the sleeve of his robe. He then sat down at the edge of the bed and studied the young man.

Why had he asked for help leaving? Had he perhaps been forced to turn to prostitution as a last resort, a way to make ends meet? Perhaps he wanted money, enough to start a new life. His reaction though, his tears, made it all seem more complicated and serious than that. Spock considered something.

The link they now shared would make it incredibly easy for him to meld with Jim while he was unconscious and see just how serious the situation was. However, he would be violating the other man's privacy in the worst possible way known to his people. Was it worth adding to his already great offense to find out what was going on? He remembered the tears in Jim's eyes. Perhaps it was the link that caused it, but he desperately wanted to know the cause of Jim's grief. He matched his fingers to Jim's meld points, closed his eyes, and dove in, momentarily reveling in the contact with the incredibly compatible mind, searching for memories specifically connected to his request. Moments later, his eyes snapped open and he jerked back in horror.

He immediately walked over to where his clothes lay on the floor. He went through the pockets of his slightly ripped tunic. He was almost certain he'd felt…there! He pulled out the comm unit that his father had slipped into his pocket, probably so that he could tell him when he was ready to leave, and they could make a discreet exit. He immediately opened it and placed a call. Sarek answered immediately.

"Spock?"

"Yes, Father." He replied. "Can you speak freely?" He couldn't tell Sarek what he knew if he wasn't alone.

"Of course." Said Sarek, understanding what he meant. "I did not expect to hear from you so soon. I take it that you are well?"

"Indeed." Said Spock. "My human blood may have had an unforeseen effect on this part of my life after all."

"Yes," agreed Sarek, "however I requested three days. You have been in the room for less than twenty-four hours. Shall I tell the managers that you will not need the remaining forty-eight?"

"I believe you should use that time to formulate a plan for removing Jim from this place, for I cannot leave without him." There was a long pause before Sarek spoke again.

"Spock," he said in a surprisingly gentle voice, "I understand that engaging in such an intimate act may lead to certain emotional impulses, but you do not know this young man. He is involved in a profession that our people would find most distasteful, and whatever you feel you shared with him, to him what has happened between the two of you is simply part of his business. Whatever connection that may have been forged between your minds can be broken from afar by Healer Fer'at."

"I melded with him, just moments ago." Said Spock quietly. "He is not here of his own free will."

"Are you certain of this?" Asked Sarek.

"I am." He replied. "He was traveling on a private merchant ship that was raided by Ferengi pirates. They abducted him and sold him to this establishment. I am the first 'client' they have sent to him." He paused here. I am also the first male he had ever been sexually intimate with, he thought, though he didn't say it aloud. He refocused on the issue of Jim's captivity. "He is wearing an ankle cuff that delivers a painful electric shock to his system if he is disobedient. He in no way chose to be here, doing this. And it is very possible that many others did not either."

"This is quite serious." Said Sarek gravely. "I will see what I can do. Should I involve the authorities, I will make sure to leave our names out of it."

"Do not attempt to spare my reputation." Said Spock sharply. "You may tell everyone that I came here alone if you wish, but I will not allow pride and fear of what my fellow Vulcans think affect any sentient beings chance at freedom from sexual slavery."

"I understand." Replied Sarek, having the decency to sound apologetic. "I am currently in the office we first met the two managers in. I will see what I can do. For now, you will have to remain in that room with your companion."

"His name is Jim." Interjected Spock, rather tersely.

"Jim." Sarek conceded. "You will have to remain with him, perhaps for the duration of the time we have paid for. If we need more time, I shall tell them as much. I will just not mention what we need more time for. Will you be alright staying with him?"

"I believe so." Replied Spock. "He was considerably calm when I first tried to explain my condition to him. I believe he will be able to move past any emotional discomfort." There was a pause before Sarek responded.

"Good." He said. "I will contact you again when I have more information."

"Understood." Replied Spock, breaking the connection. He began picking up his clothing to fold it and place it somewhere out of the way, when he felt something thump against him. He reached into another pocket and pulled out a small handheld object. It was a dermal mender, used for healing superficial injuries such as bruises and cuts. Apparently his father had considered the possibility that he or his partner would need it. Spock ignored his embarrassment over the fact that his father had planned for the aftereffects of his first sexual experience in favor of gratitude for his foresight. He placed it and the comm on top of his folded clothing on the countertop. He would offer it to Jim when he woke again.

He then returned to the bathroom, took off the robe, and began wiping himself off with the same cloth he'd used on Jim, rinsing it out thoroughly in the sink first. Once he was finished, he put the robe back on and left the bathroom, feeling oddly bereft. He looked at Jim on the bed. He saw that he was shivering a bit. For the first time, he noticed that the room was rather chilly, even by human standards. He hesitated. Were they actual bondmates, he would have immediately crawled under the covers with Jim, to hold him close and share warmth with him.

Jim had seemed to understand the urgency of his situation. It was one of the reasons that he had allowed Spock to mate with him, in spite of his apprehension. Perhaps he would demonstrate understanding about this as well. The only thing Spock could really focus on, though, was that he didn't like seeing him shivering there like that. He could also feel the link urging him to be closer to his mate. He gave in and approached the bed, pulling back the comforter to let himself in. He moved as close as close to Jim as he dared and reached out a hand to touch his hair again. To his surprise, Jim turned into his embrace and his shivering abated. He allowed himself a slight quirk of the lips, then leaned his head down closer to Jim's so that his cheek was pressed against that soft hair, wrapping his arms around him securely, and waited for sleep again, hoping he would wake to good news from his father regarding this strange and unfortunate situation. For now, he felt oddly content to lie here, feeling Jim's body relaxed against his, listening to his steady breathing as he allowed himself to drift off.

I know this was mostly Spock, but it just happened that way. It was also to make up for the fact that it was all Jim last time. Again, sorry about whatever may happen, but work has to come first!