Leaving the establishment, they walked in silence and at a faster pace than usual until they cleared the city limits. Jim dropped his parcel in the sand and growled fiercely.

"That son of a bitch! What the fuck was his problem?" His voice carried over the placid desert. Spock turned to face his enraged companion.

"S'Taren is not what you would term a fan of mine, Jim. He merely meant to provoke a reaction out of me. It is not a new tactic, nor is it that effective anymore. You should not have let him perturb you. That was his entire goal." Spock's voice sounded tired, as if the whole encounter had drained him. He picked up Jim's bag and continued forward, but at a slow enough pace that Jim could keep up.

"Spock, what's wrong?" Jim called out, jogging to catch up. He studied his partner carefully. That line that always appeared in between his eyes when he was aggravated was very deep. And Jim had known before that Spock's eyes were capable of smiling; now he knew they could frown too, without him changing his face. In fact, Spock seemed to be struggling to keep his composure. Jim grimaced and snatched a bag out of Spock's grasp and replaced it with his hand. "Hey, talk to me," he pleaded.

Spock jerked his hand free and glared at Jim. "Do not touch me!"

Jim stopped abruptly. "Excuse you?" he challenged.

Spock whirled around to confront him. "I let myself become careless in your presence. I behaved irrationally. Do not take further liberties with me. Do not touch me!" he repeated.

"Wait a minute," Jim declared. He grabbed Spock's wrist tight, knowing if he really wanted to, Spock could break free. "Wait one fucking minute. You have all these strictures about how you want a relationship? Well I've got a couple myself. And one of them is you don't go hot and cold on me. Pick a direction and head for it. At the restaurant you were holding my hand and making googly eyes at me-"

"I was not making 'googly eyes' at you," Spock interrupted.

"—and now you're going to act like we're back to the beginning of this mission? Oh no you don't, mister. We're going to talk this out, here and now." Jim dug his heels in and the pair stopped.

Spock sighed. "Captain, you will burn further if we do not make haste to return home."

Jim wasn't hearing it. "No. What bug crawled up your ass?" He opened his mouth quickly again. "And you know damn well what I mean. Don't play stupid now."

Spock looked down at the ground. "May we walk and talk? I am concerned about your health."

"Fine." Jim let go of him and they resumed their journey across the desert.

Spock was silent for a long time, and then he began to speak very softly. "Before I entered Starfleet, I tried to be the best Vulcan I could be. I wanted to fit in. However, at every turn I found myself judged by my mother's blood. S'Taren is just one of a long line of people who take a perverse pleasure in proving I am not a true Vulcan." He shook his head.

"I entered Starfleet because I wanted to be judged for being Spock. On my merits, and my merits alone. I did not expect acceptance. That is, until I became your First Officer. I have found that my shipmates have fond reactions to my presence, and my contributions are appreciated. And in you, I have found a friend." Spock looked up briefly at the sun's journey while gauging how much longer their walk would take.

Finally he finished his thought. "In you I thought I found a friend. I have come to realize I have found something much more important. Solion told me he and his Jim were t'hy'la."

"What does that mean?" Jim interjected.

"Its meaning cannot be translated properly. A friend, a brother, and a lover. You would call it 'soulmate.' It is the most sacred bond our people know." Spock looked at Jim. Some of the tension had left his face, and his eyes seemed softer now. "I admit I have hoped you and I have that bond as well."

Jim shielded his eyes for a moment to look out across their path. "How will you know?" he finally questioned.

Spock shrugged. "The one time you and I have mind-melded in the line of duty, I know I felt compatibility. If we were to meld enough, we may form a mating bond." He fell silent for a moment before speaking his mind. "Would you want that?"

Jim thought about it. "Isn't that permanent?" he posed.

"No. There have been bonds dissolved before." Spock stopped and looked at Jim timidly. "You would not want a permanent bond?" The hurt came through in his tone.

Jim spun back around and held up his hands pleadingly. "No, no, no, that's not what I meant. It's just … well shit. It's like this. I'm not the tomcat everyone paints me out to be. I'm not a playboy. I want to fall in love and have it last forever. I want what my parents had. But everyone I've ever gotten close to has left. They find out who and what I really am and they leave."

Spock closed the distance between them, put his bag down, motioned for Jim to set his bag down, and connected their hands. "Ashayam, I hear your pain and I tell you I will not leave you."

"Forgive me if I'm not exactly convinced," Jim murmured.

Spock wrapped his arms around Jim, holding him close to him. "Feel me. I am right here. I will not leave, so long as you want me." Jim melted a little into the embrace. Finally, Jim began to sway and Spock pushed him back. "You are in the beginning stages of heat exhaustion. We have 1500 meters to go. Can you make it?"

Jim smiled at Spock. "Yes, sweetheart, I can make it." Spock nodded and they set out for the last leg of their journey.

"You're just going to let me call you sweetheart?" Jim's voice floated out across the desert.

"Preferably not in front of my father," Spock's answer echoed back.

They came into the house as quietly as possible, but all for naught. Sarek was sitting in the front room, reading a journal.

"Son," he began, but then took in Jim's appearance. "Captain! Please go to your room and remove as much clothing as you feel comfortable being without. You are obviously in the beginning stage of heat stroke. Spock, I will deal with you later." That last part was spoken very harshly.

"No, no, Ambassador, it's not Spock's fault; I just forgot my sunscreen." Jim protested as he was led down the hall.

"Spock, if you feel so inclined will you please fetch a wet washcloth and a full bottle of water?" Sarek's sarcastic tone was biting. Spock nodded once and set off. Sarek helped Jim take off his shoes and began to remove his shirt.

"Hey hey hey, uh, Ambassador, I can do it myself," Jim grumbled. "A little privacy please?" he asked plaintively. Sarek acquiesced and left the room. Jim yanked off his shirt and hissed at the pain on his shoulders and neck. Then he removed his jeans and lay down on the bed. There was a familiar knock at the door and he raised his head. "Enter," he said out of habit.

Spock walked in and shut the door behind him. Raising a finger to his lips, he advanced. "I have convinced my father to let me care for you, despite my irresponsibility so far." He handed Jim the water bottle and leaned in close to whisper in Jim's ear. "I am sorry, ashayam, please let me care for you."

Jim looked into Spock's eyes and saw the compassion there and nodded mutely. Spock began to dab at Jim's shoulders and neck with the wet washcloth. Jim whimpered and Spock backed off the pressure slightly. Raising his other hand, he gestured to Jim's temple.

"I can reduce the amount of pain with a very light meld. Would this be acceptable?" he whispered so faintly that Jim had to strain to hear him. When he understood, he nodded again. Spock positioned his fingers on Jim's face and began to murmur under his breath in Vuhlkansu. Gradually, the pain began to ebb and Jim felt his muscles relax from the tension they had been under. He began to blink rapidly, fighting sleep.

"Sleep now, ashayam. I will be waiting for you when you awake." Spock gave one final pass of his hand over Jim's forehead and stood up. Before he left, he rescued the water bottle from Jim's weakening grasp and put it on the floor beside the bed. Then he walked out and into the living room where his father sat waiting.

"Is the captain asleep?" Sarek asked pointedly.

"Yes Father. We may speak undisturbed." Spock waited for the inevitable lecture.

Sarek drew himself up and adopted a very severe look. "I should have never let you go into the desert with him. He is a human and is not adapted to the elements the way we are. I was neglectful. You were remiss. Which of us is worse has yet to be decided. However, I suspect it was not Captain Kirk's intention to join you on this trip. What argument did you use to persuade him?" The almost non-sequitur threw Spock for a moment and he had to think about his response carefully.

"There was no argument in this decision. I asked the captain if he wished to join me during the stand-down and he agreed freely." Spock heard the defensive tone in his voice and backed away a little. This was usually the point in their household when Spock's mother would bustle in and separate the men until they both cooled off. Her absence was grievous.

Apparently Sarek was thinking along the same lines, for he glanced at the kitchen, where she would usually stay during their father-son discussions. "Why the captain?" Sarek finally responded.

"As opposed to?" Spock questioned.

Sarek looked away briefly before meeting his son's eyes again. "Why did that nice young woman not join you? The one you were so obviously enamored with the past three years?"

"Nyota and I are no longer involved romantically. She has other plans for this holiday. As did almost every other crewmember on board. I became aware that the captain did not have plans and wanted him to join me." Again, that edge of justification crept into Spock's response and he looked down at the floor in aggravation. Having done so, he missed the shrewd look that flitted across his father's countenance.

"When I was first introduced to the experience that is James Kirk, it was done watching you attempt to end his life in retaliation for his provocative comments. From this auspicious beginning I would not have expected the two of you to be anything more than shipmates. Yet you felt the need to bring him along on your first trip to your new home. Explain." Sarek stood warily in front of his seething offspring.

"He is my friend," Spock replied succinctly.

"Ah." Sarek nodded. "Your friend."

"Yes. I am capable of making friends, despite the torture I endured as a child." Spock glared at his parent.

"Indeed?" Sarek challenged and opened his mouth to say something further when the door opened to the guest room and Jim stumbled out in just his jeans.

"Jim?" Spock started forward without thinking. He placed a protective hand under Jim's elbow and guided him into the sitting area and down into a chair. "Is there something you need?"

"I'm hot," Jim sighed. Spock placed the back of his hand to Jim's forehead and waited. Finally he shook his head.

"You are not experiencing a fever. In fact, were you becoming sicker you would be dry instead of sweating. Have you finished your water?" Spock posed. Jim nodded his answer. "Very well. I will retrieve your bottle and refill it." Spock did so, leaving Sarek to stare at Jim. Jim just sat boneless in the chair.

"Should you not contact Dr. McCoy?" Sarek asked his son when he was back.

"No," Jim mumbled. "Don't call Bones. He's on vacation."

"Would you prefer we take you to a healer here in the city, Captain?" Sarek questioned.

"Don't need anything. Just water and sleep." To prove his statement, Jim stumbled out of the chair and back to his room, clutching the water bottle to his chest.

Sarek looked at the chronometer on his desk and took a deep breath. "I am due in a meeting in 45 minutes. I trust you can care for your 'friend' without further incident?"

"We will survive without your expert guidance," Spock snapped, and suddenly there was electricity in the air. Both men stood frozen. Finally, Sarek nodded.

"Peace and long life, child." Sarek walked out of the house without waiting for a reply.


A/N: Last chapter of the night, I really swear it this time! Buckle your seatbelts, ladies and gentlebeings, we are about to enter turbulence. Return your trays to their upright positions and extinguish all smoking materials.