More otter :-) This chapter is truly the biggest pile of fluff.

Over the next two days Petakov finds more and more ways to insinuate himself into his new found family. As his paws begin to heal he finds all the more ways and means to torment and adore his adoptive parents. As Spock reclines on the sofa – in a manful, almost successful attempt at elegance, with Kirk lying on top of him, head on his chest, he feels a soft batting motion around his head.

"Jim?"

"Mmm?" Kirk murmurs, halfway towards sleep.

"Jim!"

"Whaaat?"

"Your otter is playing with my ears!"

"He's your otter too Spock – play back!"

"I am not playing with an otter's ears Jim."

Two minutes later finds Spock sighing on the sofa, with not only Kirk curled up against him but the otter curled on his Captain's head whilst Spock resignedly plays with its soft ears, the otter positively beaming at him with joy.

_x_

Suppertime comes and a Romantic meal on the porch seems in order. The sunset over the sea scatters a perfect panoply of reds and oranges through the sky and Spock sits at the table, looking thoughtful but mostly wondering what level of burn dinner would come with, since Kirk had insisted on cooking for a change. He is pleasantly surprised when Kirk appears bearing one genuinely sweet smelling vegetable pasta dish and another, unpleasant to Spock's senses though doubtless less so to Kirk's - fish pasta dish.

Kirk is just starting to flash Spock a golden slightly pleased with himself smile over the candles when a small face appears at the side of the table so that it suddenly appears that there are three people sat around the table, or at any rate one person, one Vulcan and one….otter. Petakov looks from one to the other of his new found parents expectantly, looking for all the world as though he is smiling at them hopefully. Kirk bursts out laughing while Spock looks at the otter warily. There is nothing in the teachings of Surak or indeed in any known Vulcan teachings that has taught him how to react to this situation. Kirk looks at Spock and finds himself laughing at the Vulcan's bewildered face as well as at the otter.

"Well Spock it seems we have company"

"Jim –" Spock struggles – "I do not believe it is appropriate to share our table with any of the local marine wildlife."

"Aww but Spock –"

"Jim –" Spock begins warningly, but then notices the otter watching them speak, head swinging back and forth like over a game of table tennis and cannot help but chuckle softly, inwardly if nothing else.

"I heard that Spock" Kirk smirks.

"I do not know what you're talking –"

"Don't give me that Spock! You're amused! You're giggling your Vulcan butt off at that little guy's face!"

"I do not see what my "butt" as you put it –"

"Shut up Spock and feed the otter."

"Jim the chances of me feeding an otter at our table and from my dinner are excessively remote."

"Why Spock? Don't be such a meanie!"

"Because Jim –" Spock' voice takes on that tone that only Kirk recognises as smugness "Your meal is far more compatible with the general diet of a sea otter than mine. I would suggest that if this animal is to remain at the table as you suggest it be to consume your dinner."

Stumped, Kirk grumbles and congratulates himself all at once on having made enough food for at least four and they continue their inner, less romantically than initially planned and with Petakov delighting in his fish pasta on the wall at their side.

_x_

At around four o' clock the next morning Spock is appalled to feel a solid soft warm weight that is not Kirk begin to nuzzle at his feet, the warm wet whiskers both ticklish, distressing and curiously pleasant.

"Jim…" Spock groans – "Your otter's awake…." Kirk groans, stirs in his sleep and rolls away mumbling –

"Before sunrise he's your otter"

"Jim" Spock states patiently – "Deliberately misquoting your favourite animated children's movie will not exempt you from the responsibilities of taking care of this animal – responsibilities I need not remind you it was you chose to take on."

Kirk groans, but the weight of snuffly placid otter is removed from Spock's legs. His relief is short lived however when in the morning he rolls over to put an arm around his human only to find himself up close and licked wetly in the face by a dozy otter. If he had been anyone else he would have yelled and gone off in a huff. As it is he sighs and pats the otter vaguely.

_x_

Late into the next morning McCoy beams in for a surprise visit to find Kirk and Spock slumped into the sofa drinking endless cups of coffee and tea respectively and looking decidedly exhausted.

"Just coming to check in on the….good god men – what the hell's wrong with you two?"

"The patient –" moans Kirk.

"Would you perhaps like him?" adds Spock.

Petakov throws his oar in by looking up pertly from a pile of torn paper at their feet with which he has been amusing himself since six in the morning. Bones resists the urge to laugh, but does not resist it very hard.

"For gods' sake – I was referring to you Jim not your damned otter! You're my patient at this time – for that matter Spock so are you and I'm sure I did not recommend some messed up form of childcare amongst your recuperation programme!"

"Gotta tell you Bones there's a lot of things you didn't recommend that we've been –" Spock eyebrows him into silence. Bones groans and face palms – five minutes, he thinks not five minutes and I'm at this point already –

"Jim I did not need to hear that. Shall we start again?"

Spock rises wearily –

"Good morning doctor, please sit down, would you like some tea?" he intones already heading for the kitchen.

"Would you like an otter?" Adds Kirk, picking up the truculent otter and aiming him at Bones.

"I'll take coffee" Sighs Bones sinking into an armchair and allowing the otter to be dropped heavily into his lap with a sigh – "Hold the otter" he adds, too late.

Nevertheless, when Spock returns with the coffee he finds Kirk looking decidedly happier and encouraging Petakov to "Play with uncle Bones" while Bones pretends not to be tickling the otter and gently cooing over it.

_x_

That evening as the sun sets over the bay four figures walk along the shore, dark silhouettes against the deep orange sky. Two humans, one slouching, one bounding and gently kicking up sand, one Vulcan the straightest slenderest shadow on the sand and an otter merrily gambolling between the legs of all three of them, happy in his new found family.

_x_

I really did not mean to let an OC get pretty much a chapter to himself. This would never happen for me with a human character! But so many people seemed to dig this otter thing I had to roll with it a little! Enjoy! :-)