Hey, sorry this took so long. I wanted to finish Between two Worlds and RL kind of gave me a hard time.

I'm currently trying to get through my finals and I apologise for the quality of this chapter. If you find errors, things that make no sense, repetitions, anything, please tell me. I rewrote this chapter four times and I'm still not sure if it turned out somewhat readable. :)

Anyway, thank you for your kind reviews! Enjoy!

Secret World

Chapter 10: the wheel is turning

Spock leaned back into the couch cushions, stretching his legs with a soft sigh. He had spent the entire morning vacuum-cleaning their home and cleaning the bathroom. It still baffled him how Jim had managed to get toothpaste onto the ceiling. Meanwhile, Jim had cooked, cursing Oreo with every step he took, the kitten finding great amusement in hopping around his ankles.

Which was a downright health hazard, due to the fact that Jim had trouble getting used to the shift in his centre of gravity and kept on overcompensating for his growing stomach. It would have been an amusing sight, but neither did Spock wish for Jim to fall nor did he want to risk being banned from the bedroom.

He had become dangerously close to the latter already.

Approximately 3.5 weeks ago, moments after they had finished their lunch with Samuel Kirk's family, Jim had extended an invitation to meet again soon. They had accepted it with enthusiasm, promising to comm. them when they found time.

"Do you think I made enough?" Jim mused, "Peter eats a lot for such a tiny person."

Spock sighed, "Yes, Jim, you made enough. Do not be so concerned."

Jim spun around to face him, wobbling as he pointed the wooden spoon he had been stirring the sauce with at Spock, "I'll worry all I want, Mister. Do you have any idea how long I've been standing here, chopping vegetables?"

"Yes, Jim. After all, it was you who woke me at 4.30 am, telling me to start cleaning," Spock answered.

"Oh, shut up. You deserve to suffer too. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get up with that thing," Jim gestured at his stomach with a pout, "weighing you down? Not to mention that tying my shoes has become an almost impossible task for me."

Spock was reminded of the meltdown that had occurred a week ago. Jim had woken up and begun to wail that he was unable to see his penis anymore. Spock was immensely glad they had decided to remain on Earth for the duration of Jim's pregnancy; Samuel was rather talented in calming Jim's illogical mood swings.

Watching his husband walk over towards the sink, Spock tilted his head, eyes fixed on Jim's firm behind. Jim's pants clung enticingly to the rounded posterior, the added sway of his waddling gait enhancing the hypnotising side-to-side motion. As Jim leaned over, Spock was able to catch a strip of golden skin when the man's shirt rode upwards, exposing the dimples sitting right above the hem of Jim's loose jeans.

Jim's brisk sigh shook Spock from his observations. "When did Sam say they'd come over?"

"1.30 pm, Jim."

"The pm was a little unnecessary, Spock."

"Why?"

Jim rolled his eyes, breathing out a loud huff, shirt straining over the round protrusion of his abdomen, "Spock. Don't even try this with me, alright?"

"I apologise, Jim," Spock stood, making his way to his husband to pull Jim into a soothing embrace, "May I inquire as to why you are so nervous, Jim?"

"I... I asked Sam to contact our mother," Jim answered softly, pressing his cheek against Spock's collarbone, "He said, while he doesn't approve of her being part of the family ever again, it's my decision whether I want to talk to her or not. I'm just... I don't know if I'm ready, Spock. This was a bad idea."

"It will be alright, Jim," Spock placed a kiss to the top of Jim's head, "Has Samuel told you that he was able to contact her?"

"No."

"Then it is not guaranteed that she will be present."

Jim shook his head, "No. But I'm still worried. She's my mother and I don't know anything about her. I can barely remember anything about my time on Earth. I don't even know what she looks like anymore, Spock. To be honest, I'm thinking of calling Sam and telling him the lunch can't take place because I forgot we have an appointment at the doctor's."

"The next appointment is in 2.3 weeks, Jim, which is when you reach the approximate date of thirty weeks."

"I know, okay? I know. I also know that I told Sam the exact same thing you just told me, albeit in less stuck-up terms," Jim breathed a sigh of frustration, "It just scares me to know that she's my mother... and yet we know nothing about each other."

Spock ran a hand through Jim's tussled hair. "But you are now able to get to know her once again, Jim."

"Yes," Jim nodded, "And that scares me even more."

Spock pressed another kiss to Jim's hair, running his palms over his husband's spine, tugging him closer still until the round bulge of Jim's stomach pressed against his abdominal muscles. The baby gave a small kick, startling a laugh out of Jim. Suppressing a smile, Spock slid his hand down to let his rest against the tight flesh underneath Jim's shirt, "This is our home, Jim. I promise you that I will ask her to leave should she make you uncomfortable in any way."

"Thanks," Jim sighed, then gasped and pushed away, turning back towards the stove, "You almost made me burn the lunch!"

Allowing the corners of his mouth to quirk upwards, Spock retreated back to his seat, shifting when Oreo dragged herself onto the cushion beside him. Spock allowed the kitten to crawl into his lap, eyes drooping and falling shut a moment later.

Three hours later, he found himself sitting at the dining table, cutting Peter's potatoes into smaller pieces. Aurelan, Samuel's wife, gestured with her spoon as she told Jim about JT's first attempt at standing up. Said child was busy thwarting his father's plan to feed him by turning his head away and clapping his hands whenever Samuel gave a sigh of fond frustration. The subject of Winona Kirk had been avoided with painstaking care, leaving an uncomfortable atmosphere hovering above them, even as they spoke.

"-and Sam was so proud, even though JT didn't even get up!" Aurelan huffed out a laugh, "He can be really ridiculous, I tell you, Jimmy."

Jim waved his hand through the air, "Spock can be like that, too. The last time the baby kicked, he said Baby Grayson-Kirk was communicating with us. As if an almost seven month old foetus understands a word we're saying. He might react to noise and changes in lighting, but anything else," he shook his head with a snicker.

Spock finished cutting Peter's potatoes and returned the fork to the boy's hand, setting the knife down on the table top, "Our child is part Vulcan, Jim. His telepathy and empathy are rather strong, too."

"Already?"

"Yes," Spock did not even attempt to stop the pride from shining through his voice, "He is able to sense, not only your, but also my emotional state."

"Oh," Jim blinked, taken aback, "That's actually pretty neat. I just hope it won't cause trouble later on."

"Oh!" Aurelan exclaimed, "Have you thought of a name yet? It must be a little tiring to refer to the baby as nothing but... well, Baby?"

Spock lifted an eyebrow and glanced at Jim. His husband shrugged, turning his head to direct his attention back to Aurelan, "No, we haven't really thought of anything concrete yet. We have a few names we like, but we'll wait till he's actually here to name him."

Aurelan hummed, nodding, "Yes, that's probably for the best."

Spock inclined his head and began to eat once again.

"Don't eat so much of it, I made dessert," Jim declared with a grin, laughing when Peter gave a loud, enthusiastic screech, promptly knocking over the almost empty glass of orange juice near his plate.

"Oh-oh," Peter mumbled as he frowned at the juice pooling on the smooth, wooden surface, "Sorry."

"That is all right," Spock stood and wiped the juice away with a napkin, righting Peter's glass and refilling it, before sitting down once again.

Peter chirped out a high-pitched, "Thanks!" and reached for his re-filled glass, gulping down most of its content within mere seconds.

Aurelan brushed her thick brown hair behind her ears and touched a delicate hand to Peter's shoulder, breathing a sigh of fond exasperation, "Darling, not so fast, you know what happened the last time you drank your juice too quickly."

"Hiccups," Peter said, nodding his head sagely then taking another long sip of his juice, causing both Aurelan and Jim to burst out into heartfelt laughter.

Spock bit his bottom lip, suppressing a grin at the sight of Peter's rather confused expression. Jim had had to put his cutlery down, curling over his ever growing abdomen as he wheezed for air, while Aurelan had thrown her head back; eyes squeezed shut as she guffawed.

A short silence settled over the dining table, after their laughter had tapered off. Finally, Samuel spoke up, "I called our mother two days ago. She didn't pick up the phone, but I left her a message, explaining everything and I invited her here. Since she never called me back, I have no idea if she'll be here today. I'm sorry, Jim."

Jim waved Samuel's concerns off, "It's alright, Sam. Not your fault."

Samuel shrugged, unsure, "Still. I might not like her much for what she did, but you deserve to at least have her come here and talk to you."

As if Samuel's words had been the cue, the doorbell rang. Spock slid off his seat and made his way around the table upon seeing Jim struggling to get off his chair. After helping his husband onto his feet, Spock wrapped an arm around Jim's middle and led his waddling husband out of the living room. Spock unlocked the door and stepped back to let Jim tug it open.

A woman stood outside, her blonde hair streaked with silver and her eyes framed by wrinkles. Her hazel eyes, so much like Samuel's, instantly revealed her identity. Her pale lips parted, but she did not speak, gaze fixed on Jim's face as she lifted a hand to cover her mouth, her eyes closing and causing the wetness lingering behind her bottom lid to spill down her cheeks.

Jim drew in a sharp breath and Spock reached for his hand, offering his silent support.

"M... Mom?" Jim's voice was quiet, a tad croaky.

Winona nodded and opened her eyes, "Jimmy, I'm so sorry. I'm...," she broke off, turning away as a sob rattled her frame.

Releasing Jim's hand, Spock folded his arms in front of his chest as the younger man stepped out onto the porch, touching his hands to Winona's upper arms, "It's okay. Mom, just... why didn't you...? Why did you leave? You should have noticed what Frank was doing," Jim's voice wavered and Spock was reminded of the small, frightened boy his husband had once been.

Winona shook her head, hands covering her face and as she spoke, her tone was laden with shame, "I didn't know. My God, Jimmy, I didn't... I should have noticed, I know, I should have... but I couldn't...," shifting, she cupped Jim's face between her palms, "I couldn't look at you. Not at Sam. Not at you. And there is no excuse for my actions, there were so many ways I could have handled our situation. But I chose to run away, because it seemed like the easiest way out. I'm so sorry, Jimmy."

Jim curled his fingers around Winona's wrists, "I... I can't remember a lot of what happened back then, Mom. It's Sam you need to apologise to. I forgive you, but I'm not sure if I can... can ask you to be a part of the family right now. It'll take time."

Winona shut her eyes and nodded, "Thank you."

Spock glanced back into the hallway, finding Samuel standing near the door to the living room, eyes dark and his mouth set in a thin line. The young father was cradling his youngest son against his chest, JT's cheek resting against Samuel's collarbone. Lifting an eyebrow at the man, Spock tilted his head to indicate Winona. Samuel's expression hardened, but, to Spock's surprise, the young man stepped closer until he was standing beside Spock. Winona's gasp told Spock that she had noticed his presence.

Jim stepped aside, backing into Spock's chest, breathing out a shaky sigh when Spock wrapped his arms around his husband's swollen stomach, palms pressing against the firm flesh.

"Sam," Winona shifted where she stood, her eyes drifting down to JT's sleeping face, "I..."

"I heard what you said," Samuel inclined his head and directed his attention off to the side, "And I'm willing to try to give you a second chance. But, as Jim said, we're going to take this slow. Understood?"

Winona nodded, "Yes. Of course."

"Good," Samuel swallowed, "Your grandchildren's names are Peter and James Tiberius Kirk Junior. And your third grandchild has yet to be named."

Spock had to avert his gaze at the look of utter gratefulness in Winona's eyes. Samuel gave a single, firm nod and turned on his heel, striding back inside without another word. Jim squirmed in Spock's hold for a moment, then cleared his throat, "Uhm... do you... do you want to come inside?"

Winona shook her head, "No, Jimmy, I don't think neither Sam nor you are quite ready for that."

No, Spock thought, no one in this household was quite ready for that particular scenario to happen right now.

Jim nodded and offered a weak smile, "Okay. Then... I guess it was nice meeting you, Mom. I'll call you. Sam gave me your comm. number, just in case."

Jim's mother gave a affirmative hum and finally turned around. They watched as she made her way to her car, sliding into the vehicle, slamming the door and leaving their property, her automobile vanishing down the street. Spock guided Jim back inside and shut the door behind them, "Are you alright, Jim?"

"Yeah," Jim sighed, wiping at his eyes, "Sorry. Hormones."

"That is all right," Spock answered, leading Jim to the living room where Samuel and his family was waiting for them, the only sound being Peter's constant babbling.

"Is she gone?" Samuel asked.

"Mhm," Jim nodded, "She basically said it's not time for family lunches, yet."

The corner's of Samuel's mouth quirked into a lopsided smile. "Yeah. Now, you said something about desserts?"

The rest of the lunch passed in a rather pleasant way, the only mishap being Peter falling into the ornamental pond in the backyard while chasing after Oreo. Even though the boy had started to cry upon being pulled out, Peter had turned out to be unharmed, merely soaked through and cold. Their get-together had ended soon after the incident, leaving Spock and Jim to clean up the dishes.

"Aurelan invited us over for the next time we meet up," Jim handed another plate to Spock.

Drying it carefully, Spock moved away for a moment to place the dish into the large drawer underneath the kitchen counter, "And when exactly are we to meet up again?"

"In two weeks. It's Peter's birthday," Jim held out a glass for Spock to dry, "What did you think of... my Mom?"

Spock slowed his movements and set the glass down on the counter, "What I think is not important, Jim, but... while I am not happy with how she has treated you and Samuel in the past, I believe that she is genuinely apologetic about what has happened. I respect your decision to give her another chance, Jim, but I will not hesitate to ban her from our home, if she causes you harm in any way."

Jim's lush lips curled into a pleased smile, "Of course, Spock."

Reaching out, Spock wrapped his arm around Jim's middle, tugging his husband close and tucking him against his side. Jim leaned into him, muscles relaxing as he breathed out a long, content sigh. Through the open window came the sound of the last birds singing, the weather having cooled rapidly in the past weeks. Due to this, Mother had been sending them self-made pullovers almost every day for two weeks, until Father had decided to intervene. Jim had still been happy about the additions to their wardrobe, using the numerous pullovers to cushion the nest Spock had, out of a deep-seated instinct, built in the corner of their bedroom.

Jim yawned, slumped further into Spock's hold.

"Maybe we should reconsider washing the dishes ourselves today and proceed to bed, Jim," Spock prompted gently.

Jim gave a weak nod and gave a pleased hum when Spock scooped him up into his arms, carrying his husband up the stairs and settling him down onto his own two feet once they reached the bedroom. Their bed, devoid of mattress, blankets and pillows, had been pushed against the wall to create more room for the large nest. Various pillows and blankets had been stacked, twisted and tucked atop the mattress into the vague shape of a bowl. It had taken Spock 7.8 hours to finish the construction and by the time he had placed the last pillow into its place, Jim had fallen asleep on the couch downstairs.

Jim wiggled out of his clothes, leaving them where they dropped as he stepped away to crawl into the nest. Spock lifted an eyebrow and decided to follow Jim's example, abandoning his clothes on the floor and joining his naked husband.

"Hm," Jim hummed, smiling as he shifted closer, wrapping his arms around Spock's neck.

Allowing himself a small smirk, Spock pressed a kiss to Jim's forehead and another to his beautiful mouth. Jim gave a soft groan, lips parting to allow their tongues to tangle as Spock pushed between Jim's thighs. Their languid kiss turned heated, Jim's nails biting into Spock's shoulders as the younger man attempted to rock his hips into Spock's. Moving a hand downwards, Spock curled his fingers around Jim's hip, holding him steady as he undulated against his husband.

As if in protest, Spock felt Jim's stomach shift as the baby began to roll within its confines. They broke their kiss and Jim started to laugh a moment later, "I'm sorry, Spock. I think your son's feeling left out."

"Illogical," Spock huffed, brushing a hand over the firm bulge while he hovered above his husband, "He is right here. And I thank you for reminding me of his presence. I am now unable to stop thinking about this fact and will not be able to perform sexually."

Jim snorted and covered his eyes with his hands as he guffawed.

Breathing out a heavy sigh, Spock shook his head and rolled off to the side, "I am glad you find this so amusing, Jim."

"Oh, come on, Spock," Jim scrambled to sit up, dragging himself over Spock's side, "It was funny."

"If you say so, Jim," Spock pushed his fingers through Jim's hair, scraping his nails over the man's scalp, "We have forgotten to comm. Leonard once again."

Jim's chin dropped onto his sternum,, "Ugh, great. He'll be so angry. I'm screwed, Spock, why didn't you remind me?"

"I believe I said 'we' have forgotten, Jim."

Jim waved a hand through the air, "You never forget anything; you're just scared of Bones."

Spock rolled his eyes and dragged a blanket over them both, "Go to sleep, Jim."

"Yeah, yeah, scaredy cat."

And... how did I always end this thing? On the next episode of Spock Hunters; Why the hell does everything hurt? What the hell is the cat doing in the sink? And can somebody please get Leonard, because everyone's useless.

*coughs*