DAY 10 - With animal ears- Bones waits anxiously for Jim to return to the ship.
They had been transporting back and forth between the planet during the day and returning to the Enterprise in the evenings. It didn't matter how many times Bones and Kirk used the transporter, they were still afraid something awful was going to happen. After what happened to them nearly a month ago, plus Admiral Archer's beagle Porthos being missing for several years and then returning with Bones on his trip back from the Enterprise D was enough to make neither of them want to do it. But it made more sense than taking a shuttle back and forth daily.
They had considered finding a room on the planet, but Kirk didn't think that was a wise idea. With their ship orbiting the planet, the inhabitants of the planet would find it weird of them to be staying there. So, they suffered through the transporter at least two times a day.
After three or four days there, they had another brief moment of time where the leaders of the factions invited them to spend more time on their planet exploring. They didn't restrict the invitation to only the four members of the crew who had been coming down for the peace talks. Their invitation was extended to the entire crew of the Enterprise. Kirk had communicated with the crew from the surface, telling all officers they were welcome to take leave at their leisure when not on duty.
Kirk and Bones had taken the opportunity to take a walk along the river just outside the capital city. They enjoyed the peaceful nature of the place. Iowa wasn't nearly as lush as this. Their streams were bordered by rocks and dirt, not grassy banks and lush trees on the other side like this. The birds sang harmoniously in the skies. Other animals played and frolicked in the meadow. Goldfish-like danced and jumped in the stream like Earth's dolphins. It was all quite peaceful and serene.
When it was time to return to the ship, Kirk said he needed to do something before they returned. Bones had given him a look, one to question and one to say "hey, you can't make me go back by myself." (He still felt the need to hold Jim's hand, but he wasn't going to say that out loud.)
Spock had been the only one to object verbally. "Captain, I do not need to remind you of protocol."
Kirk shook his head. "No, you don't, Spock. I'll see you all back at the ship."
The reply left Spock wondering what he had missed in that exchange. As many times as he found himself in this position, he still wondered how he got there. Was Jim Kirk really that complex of a character that he would leave a Vulcan baffled? Kirk gave Bones one more look before talking into his communicator and telling them to beam the others and he'd be in touch when he was ready to return to the ship.
Bones stepped off the transporter pad, a little upset with how cavalier Jim was with his life, with his safety, but he never seemed to care. It drove Bones crazy, thinking about what Jim was doing while he was out doing God knows what. When he had been on the Nerada, when he had gone down to Qo'nos, anytime he had deliberately gone against Starfleet regulations and left Bones behind wondering if he'd come back in one piece or if he'd have to bring him back to life like he had when they had gone up against Kahn, Bones sat behind, a nervous wreck. He wasn't God, but he would still move heaven and Earth to keep Jim alive, and if needs be, resurrect him again.
Bones hadn't even been able to eat after getting back to the Enterprise. How was he supposed to when he had no idea what Jim was doing down on the planet and he had no idea when he'd get back? If he ate at all, he'd wait for Jim to return and they could have dinner together. Bones couldn't help but think the man he loved was going to get himself hurt or worse. Because even though the leaders of the two factions of Jaspara wanted peace, and just because they appeared to not be a violent people in the way the Enterprise crew were used to, that did not mean that everyone on the planet was that docile. It would be just like Jim to be taken by someone who didn't want peace and used either to start the wars up again, or killed to prove a point: that peace would not happen.
So many different scenarios played out in Bones head, enough to make him seriously consider beaming back down to the planet and searching him out himself. The planet wasn't that large of a planet, but that didn't mean he'd be able to find him, even with the help of the ship's location detector. He instead paced the floor of the captain's quarters, waiting for Jim to return.
The door whooshed open and Bones turned to see Jim standing there. Kirk hadn't expected to come home and see Bones wearing a trench in the floor of their quarters.
"Bones?"
Bones was about to berate him for making him worry like had, but something furry on top of Jim's head gave him pause. "Jim, what the hell is on your head?"
Kirk walked into the room, the door whooshing shut behind him. "Ears. Like?"
Bones shook his head, rocking back and forth on his heels. His arms had been crossed over his chest for quite a while now. "Why do you have ears on your head?"
Jim smiled brightly. "I want an Jasparan dog."
Bones narrowed his eyes on him. "What do you mean?"
"I saw this dog while we were out earlier, and I wanted him, or one like him. I went to talk to Jess and she said that the only way they would consider one of their animals leaving with us, especially a wild animal, when we go, is for my crew to join in with them in one of their rituals. We're required to dress up!"
Jess was one of the leaders of the factions. She was the nicer of the leaders, and definitely the one who would be the peacekeeper when they were gone. She had told Kirk that even the wild animals are theirs and they would have to know the importance of the love and devotion required for a Jasparan animal. She had sent the ears with Kirk to show his crew what was ahead of them. Kirk was too excited.
"What do you mean dress up?"
"Animal costumes!" It wasn't how Jess had described it to Kirk, but it was what he had understood. "We'll take part in one of their rituals, and then we'll have a dog!"
"We?" Bones wasn't sure what Jim was getting at.
Jim's eyes turned doe-eyed at Bones. "Can we have a dog, Bones? Please?"
Bones shook his head. He hadn't had a dog since he was a kid and it had died horribly. Bones swore he'd never have another pet as long as he lived. Yet, here Jim was asking if they could have a pet together. Bones had completely forgotten about how upset he had been with Jim. He was grateful he was back onboard. Shifting the direction his head was moving, he nodded, agreeing with Jim's request.
"We can have a dog."
"Yes, Bones! Thank you!" Kirk wrapped his arms around Bones' neck, hugging him tightly to him. "I love you, Bones! I love you!"
Bones knew what it meant to say yes to him having a dog. He wasn't looking forward to dressing up anymore, but if it meant making Jim happy and getting him a dog, he'd do thatfor him. He'd do anything for him.