Chapter 6

"He's engaged?!" Kirk exclaimed, and Bones glared at him, glancing around "Keep your voice down!"

"He's engaged?!" He repeated, not-at-all quieter, "As in, due to be married? He's got a woman waiting for him back home?!"

"Man".

"What?"

"His fiancé is a man" Bones explained, "And yes, he was due to be married. Not that any of it was his choice, though".

"... An arranged marriage?"

"Looks like it" He replied, "And from what I could weasel out of him, he wasn't exactly happy about it either. Apparently, it's a tradition on Vulcan".

"It was a tradition on Earth too, three hundred years ago!" Kirk snapped, "It's outdated, revolting, barbaric, disgusting-"

"Yea, yea, I get the idea, you hate arranged marriages, fine! The problem is, so does Spock!"

"... You think that's why he left?"

Bones sighed and glanced over at the others on the bridge, trying to make sure that they weren't able to hear him.

"Honestly, Jim? I think his fiancé a right bastard".

He frowned, "Spock told you this?"

"Not in so many words, no. But the way he acted last night... He answered everything I asked of him. Not because he wanted to... but because he was terrified not to. Almost like he'd get in trouble if he didn't tell me".

Kirk swallowed nervously, easily seeing where this was going.

"Said he'd been on the run for three months now. Went from cargo ship to supply vessel to cargo ship... He didn't say what he bartered them with" Bones continued, eyes darkening, "But I've got a pretty damn good idea".

"You think they-? That he-? That he used his..." Kirk trailed off, unable, unwilling, to continue.

"... He's a looker, Jim. You've got to give the kid that" the Doctor replied quietly, "You know yourself the effect he has on people... Chances are, those ship captains knew too".

"... They had no right to take advantage".

"And you think his future husband did?" Bones snapped, and Kirk's head snapped up, "What?! No! I didn't even- I didn't think that- I never-"

"I know, I know, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..." McCoy trailed off, "... I don't think that kid had a great family, Jim".

"You think they... hurt him?"

Bones slowly nodded, "In some ways, yea. Growing up half human, half Vulcan... That couldn't have been easy. I wouldn't be surprised if the oh-so-logical Vulcans thought him different. Weird. A freak... Though whether they lashed out mentally or physically, I'm still trying to work out".

Jim swore quietly and shook his head, "I knew... I mean, I guessed that... that something was wrong. That something was just... off about him. But I never thought that..."

"Neither did I until last night" He replied honestly, "But whatever it is... We'll figure it out, some way or another".


Kirk looked up as Spock stepped onto the bridge. Spinning around in his chair to face the Vulcan, he grinned, "Well good morning there, sleeping beauty! I trust you had a pleasant night?"

A faint blush graced the man's cheeks, and Jim couldn't help but find it absolutely adorable.

"I'll take that as a yes then!" He continued, "Bones promised me he didn't keep you up too long".

"He did not" Spock agreed, nodding, "I found the bed pleasantly comfortable".

"Good! That's officially your room then! Unless there were any problems...?"

He quickly shook his head, and Kirk smiled, "Perfect... Well, we'll be taking off soon. Probably this afternoon... Sulu?"

"In another... three hours or so, I'd say" Hikaru replied, "Whenever Scotty decides his precious baby is up to it".

At Spock's confused look, Jim smirked, "The ship. Scotty treats her like his child".

"Her?"

And there was the unimpressed-single-raised-eyebrow look Jim found so endearing!

"Yea. Her. I may not want to personify starships, but you can't tell me that this is a he".

Spock gave him an odd look, "... I was unaware that Terran's required their ships to have binary genders".

From behind him, Nyota snorted, "They don't. But for some reason, certain men have this fetish-"

"It is not a fetish!" Jim snapped, "It's a... a... It's-"


"Unnecessary and not worth arguing over".


All three turned to find Bones walking in, immediately marching towards the Vulcan and thrusting out a glass full of cloudy liquid.

"Drink".

He took the drink but stared at it distrustfully.

The doctor rolled his eyes, "It's a nutrient tablet dissolved in water, Spock. It doesn't taste as bad this way".

Kirk grinned at him, "Why Bones, is that... is that care I see in your eyes? Did you just purposely go out of your way to make it taste better?"

"Jim?"

"Yes marshmallow?"

"Your physical is about to come up real soon".

"... Understood".

Spock eyed the glass for another minute, before pushing back his fears and downing it in one go.

He frowned.

Huh.

Dr McCoy was right.

It didn't taste as disgusting like this.

"Good" Bones nodded, satisfied, "Come to me this evening for another one".

Jim sighed as the doctor walked off, "You know... I think he likes you more than he likes me".

"I do!" He called over his shoulder, and Spock couldn't help but smile at their bickering, gaining an unnoticed fond look from Kirk in the process.

"Hey, Spock?"

"Yes Jim?" He replied, turning back to him.

"We've, huh... we've got a few hours before take-off... Would you like to play space chess with me?"

"Space chess?" He asked, clearly confused, and Jim blinked at him, "Wait... Seriously? You don't know what space chess is? One of the most logical men in the universe doesn't know what space chess is?!"

"... I do not".

"That's it" Kirk announced, leaping to his feet, "I'm teaching you space chess".


"... How?!"

They all stared at the chess platforms in shock.

"... I don't actually know" Uhura finally replied.

Spock frowned, not liking the surprised and awed looks they were giving him, "Jim? Did I... Did I do something wrong?"

"Wrong?" He asked in disbelief, "Wrong?! Spock, you just... you won!"

"... Is that bad?"

"What?! No! NO! But this is the first game you've ever played and you slaughtered me in it and... and that's... That's just..."

"Crazy" Nyota said.

"Unbelievable" Scotty replied.

"Insane" Sulu agreed.

"Impossible" Bones continued.

"I wanna play!"

Everyone turned to face Chekov.

Jim blinked, "That's... That's actually not a bad idea".

"Really?!" He exclaimed excitedly, "You mean it?! I can play him?!"

Spock frowned, "You want to... play against me?"

"Who else?" He asked, grinning, "You are a worthy opponent!"

"I... I don't understand".

Jim sighed, "Chekov is... a genius".

"I'm zee super mega awesome genius!"

"Yea, yea, you're a genius, whatever" He dismissed, before turning back to Spock, "The point is, we banned him from playing chess months ago, because we could never win. He was able to beat us within seconds, so it was rather pointless playing with him".

"And zat was zee end of my chess career" Chekov said sadly, "But now I have you!"

Spock swallowed nervously.

He couldn't understand what the big deal was.

It was a very logical game after all, how could they have problems winning it?

Bones rolled his eyes at the Russian, "Oh keep your hair on Pavel! He only won because of that damn logical brain of his!"


Spock flinched back.


Bones immediately swore.


"Oh for the love of- That wasn't- I didn't mean it as-"

"Au tun-tor na' du" Nyota said quickly, and Spock turned to her, "Tun... tor?"

He cares for you.

He... cares?

"T' rivak au tor!" She scolded, "Au aishan... Yel wuh shaik yut t' sjekea ish-veh. Bones palutunau tor nsot wuh sutra au ashau. Ish-veh's ish-veh yut t' yiesa ashaya".

Of course he does! He just... has an odd way of showing it. Bones tends to tease the people he loves. It's his way of giving you attention.

Spock couldn't help but frown.

He... teases the people he cares for?

He cares for me?

He turned back to Bones and couldn't help but give him an odd look.

The doctor immediately rounded on Uhura, "What the bloody hell did you just tell him about me, you damn woman?!"

She merely grinned in response, and Kirk couldn't help but laugh at the doctors red face and glaring eyes.

"Oh come on, Bones, it couldn't have been that bad. Who knows, maybe she just told him about that time we were on Starbase 9 and that dress-"

"ENOUGH!" He snapped, and Sulu burst out laughing, "Hey, I remember that! That was with the octopus that-"

"We are NEVER bringing that up again; do you hear me?!" Bones growled, "Or so help me, I will end every single one of you!"

"There, there, lad" Scotty consoled, patting his shoulder, "She was a mighty fine lass alright-"

"STOP!" McCoy snapped, and this time, they all laughed, Spock feeling a strange warm fuzzy sense of... belonging.

He felt himself relax, and couldn't help but smile along with them, despite not knowing what they were all grinning at.

It directed all attention from him, after all.

"Okay, okay, it waz funny, now let me play!" Chekov urged, hurrying Jim out of his chair so he could sit opposite Spock.

"Are you ready to lose?" He asked, smirking cheekily at him.

Spock raised a solidary eyebrow at him, "I highly doubt the possibility of that".

Kirk grinned broadly at them, "Oh yea, this is going to be good".