A/N: This chapter's a real shorty. I had to break it up somewhere. Hope that's okay. Frank's in this chapter, but not for very long, I'm glad to report!
To everyone who has reviewed, "favorited," and/or "alerted" this story, thank you so much!! You rock the most!! Reviews = Love. Ya' know? Hope you enjoy this chapter too!
"Hi," Spock whispered when Jim's eyes fluttered open.
"Hi yourself," Jim responded with a smile just for Spock. "You sleep?"
"I did. It was quite restful."
"That's for sure. How long did I sleep?" Jim asked, running his fingers through Spock's black hair that was no longer in perfect order.
"Two hours and 33 minutes," Spock said, kissing his nose.
"'Kay. We need to take a shower and get to the house," Jim said reluctantly.
"We are in no particular hurry," Spock reminded him kindly. "Are you going to contact the newspaper?"
"I may as well. I can't pretend we aren't here. They can come to the farm. What difference does it really make?"
"None," Spock confirmed. "You will need to eat before we go."
Jim shook his head at that. "I'm not hungry."
"You have barely eaten since we left the Enterprise, Jim. It is not healthy."
"I know," Jim sighed. "I…uhm…."
"We will stop at the grocery store for apples and Oreos. And Pepsi," Spock decided in his best 'don't mess with your Vulcan' voice.
"Oh we will?" Jim laughed, rolling onto his back to look over at Spock.
"We most certainly will," Spock agreed, moving over enough to kiss Jim's mouth. "And lubricant."
"Definitely."
"Have you decided about the memorial service?" Spock asked between kisses.
"How in God's name can I think about that while you're kissing me?" Jim asked with a laugh.
"You are capable of multi-tasking. I have witnessed it on numerous occasions," Spock responded, kissing him again.
"That's really a myth, you know. Except for you."
"Perhaps. But few Humans are as smart as you, Captain. If any Human can successfully multi-task, it is you."
"Thank you, Commander. But I still can't think about a memorial service for my mother while you are making me think of how much I wish we already had lubricant."
"Yes," Spock said, laying back beside Jim, their sides pressed close together. "I can see how there would be a disparity in those two thoughts."
"To say the least," Jim agreed, reluctantly leaving the cozy bed. "I won't be long."
Spock nodded, following him with his eyes until he disappeared into the bathroom. It wasn't long before he heard the sounds of the water running and he decided to go into his own bathroom to shower as well.
When he emerged, Jim was at the computer, dressed in a pale blue long sleeved tee shirt and well worn jeans, frowning at the screen.
"What is wrong?" Spock asked, sitting next to him.
"Huh?" Jim said, turning to focus on Spock, and the black pants and shirt he was wearing, thinking how incredibly sexy he looked, and if that was such a good idea.
"Why are you frowning at the computer as though it just committed mutiny?"
"Oh," Jim said. "I sent the Des Moines Registry a message. They said they would come out tomorrow morning if that was convenient for me."
"Did you respond?"
"I told them it was fine. I'll make sure Maddie's at least there. It will help."
"Yes," Spock agreed.
"You must be hungry," Jim said, studying Spock.
"We can purchase fruits and vegetables at the store. That will be sufficient."
Jim nodded at that, standing to stretch, smiling at the expression on Spock's face when his shirt rode up, providing a tantalizing peek of his flat stomach. "We have to leave right now, love. You can't continue to look at me like that."
"I can look, Captain. I will not touch," Spock promised, making Jim laugh.
"Alright." Jim temporarily returned his focus to the computer, requesting that the valet bring their car to the front of the hotel. "I want to stop downstairs for a cup of coffee."
"Of course," Spock agreed, making sure they both had their keys before leaving the suite, Spock in his warm coat, Jim in a light jacket.
Jim stopped for his coffee and two muffins, a banana nut for Spock, apple crunch for him. No raisins, the cheerful girl at the coffee shoppe assured him.
When they got to the front desk, their rental was waiting, the valet handing over the keys after asking if they needed directions. Clearly he failed to recognize the two famous visitors or he'd know that Jim didn't need directions to anywhere in all of Iowa, but neither remarked on it, simply politely refusing his assistance.
Jim drove to the grocery store, finding a convenient space in front.
"Piggly Wiggly?" Spock asked as he stared up at the sign above the door.
"Yeah, I know," Jim said with a shrug. "We've always shopped here. All of Iowa does, practically."
"In this particular store?" Spock asked making Jim laugh.
"This chain. I even worked here briefly in junior high school."
"Briefly?" Spock repeated wondering about the rest of that story.
"I didn't get in any trouble. I kept trying to rearrange the canned goods in alphabetical order and the manager finally asked me to quit."
"I see," Spock said, following him in through the sliding doors. "Do we need a conveyance of this type?"
"No, we won't need a buggy," Jim decided, not wanting to spend a whole lot of time in the store if at all possible. "You pick out the fruits and vegetables. I'll go get the milk and Oreos."
"Very good," Spock said, stopping by the apples on display.
Jim heard the unspoken "Captain" and was smiling still as he went down the cookie aisle for the Oreos. Although there were 23 varieties of the cookies available, his only interest was the Double-Stuffs. When he had two packages, he went three aisles over to find the personal care products. That done, he proceeded to the refrigerated section inevitably located in the far reaches of the store for a gallon of milk. He decided on 2% thinking it might be a little more palatable to Spock than whole milk. And he couldn't stand skim milk, especially since he would be using it for his coffee and he hated the color it turned when he poured it in.
Being absorbed in all of those thoughts about the relative merits of milk meant he failed to notice the approach of an older man with an unpleasant frown etched on his unshaven face, the reek of alcohol clinging to his disheveled and ill-fitting clothes.
"So it's true," the man snarled at Jim as he closed the cooler door. "Little Jimmy Kirk. Come back to Iowa."
"What do you want, Frank?" Jim asked in a hard voice, his body instantly coiled for fight. The flight instinct had been first beaten and then trained out of him, and he was not running from this living nightmare.
"To see if what I heard were true. Had to lay eyes on you myself," Frank said, sweeping Jim with his eyes in cold dismissal.
"You've seen me. Now you can go," Jim said in his best Captain voice.
Frank laughed at him, a grating sound that Jim had hoped to never hear again. "Too big and mighty to talk to your own kin?"
"You are not my family," Jim informed him in a low angry voice. "You are Winona's bastard ex-husband."
"I knew you'd be coming back 'round now she's dead. Pick over her bones for what you can get from her."
"You are welcome to believe what you will. You always did," Jim retorted.
"I know you ain't coming back here to live, Jimmy. You can hand the farm over to me. I kept it goin' all these years."
"I would burn down ever structure and plow under every field before I'd let you step foot on my farm," Jim replied, his anger growing the more he talked.
"Ain't your farm. More like it's mine," Frank snarled.
"It is my farm, Frank. And you will never lay claim to it."
"Why you little snot nosed…" The rest of Frank's statement was cut off when he took a swing at Jim, one Jim knew was coming. He easily ducked, retaliating with a swing of the gallon milk jug he was clutching in his right hand. The cartoon practically exploded when it impacted with the side of Frank's head, increasing his fury. He made to pounce on Jim until he crumpled in an inelegant heap at Jim's feet, Spock looking down at him with one eyebrow raised in a mix of amusement and barely disguised anger.
"Thanks," Jim said, looking down at his milk covered adversary.
"Why did you not alert me?" Spock asked, turning with Jim to watch the approach of a worried looking man who rushed up to them.
"I considered it," Jim admitted, waiting for the store employee to gather enough breath to speak.
"What happened here?" he tried to demand. But he was too small in stature and too breathless for it to sound like anything but simple curiosity.
"This man was attacking… my friend," Spock said in his very own reasonable fashion. "I prevented harm from coming to either of them."
The employee looked from Jim to Spock and back to Jim, a light of recognition coming on. "Jim Kirk?"
"Yes," Jim had to admit with a nod.
"He is Captain Kirk," Spock confirmed, emphasizing his title, a little unnecessarily, Jim thought, but adorably protective.
"Yes, of course, Commander Spock. We had heard you were coming," the man agreed, extending his right hand to Jim. "I'm Don Fortian. You were in school with my brother Edison."
"Of course," Jim agreed. "It's good to see you again, Don. Edison still at U of I?"
"He is. Studying for his MBA," Don nodded. "Do you want me to call the police?" he asked, looking down at Frank who remained unconscious.
"Can you request that Deputy Noulaul Koie come? He knows I'm here."
"Of course. You already talked with him?" Don asked.
"I spoke to Noik. He said he would alert Noulaul," Jim explained.
"Of course. Of course. And may I suggest, Captain, that you and the Commander leave quickly. Deputy Koie can arrest him without you being here. The longer you stay, the more… public this will become," Don said sensibly.
"Yes, of course," Jim agreed, looking down at the Oreos he was holding. He extended them to Don who shook his head.
"Complements of Piggly Wiggly. We know we'd all be dead if it weren't for you," Don said with a smile.
"Thank you, Don," Jim said with a nod. "We'll come back this afternoon after things have calmed down. And you'll tell Noulaul I'll contact him later?"
"Certainly, Captain."
Jim and Spock went toward the front where the two cashiers were staring at them with open mouths and expressions of awe. As the glass doors slid closed behind them, Jim heard Don's voice over the loudspeaker: "Clean up on aisle 5."
TBC
