Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.~ Anais Nin


They stopped for lunch, not the best food either of them had eaten but it was filling and plentiful so neither complained. Spock said he wanted to visit "It's a Big Universe After All" although Jim tried hard to convince him otherwise.

"The song will stick in your head for hours if not days," Jim explained as they stood in the shadows formed by the tiers of the exhibit high above their heads. "I'm telling you it's a mistake."

"I do not believe any visit to Disneyland is complete if one does not experience this attraction," Spock insisted.

"All right. Fine. When your ears are bleeding, do not complain to me," Jim warned, joining the end of the line.

"You are not required to accompany me. I believe it would be perfectly safe for me to go through entirely on my own."

"No. If you want to see the marionettes, I'll come with you," Jim said. "Maybe they've added some new races since the last time I went through."

"Vulcan is represented?"

"Yeah," Jim agreed. "They are the only ones not smiling."

Spock nodded at that, looking thoughtful.

"What?" Jim asked.

"Perhaps if they were situated closer to the Orions, they would be happier," Spock suggested. Jim laughed at him, seeing the sparkle of amusement in Spock's eyes.

"Wouldn't we all," Jim agreed. They waited patiently in line behind families and couples and strangers who became friends while chatting casually. When they reached the front of the line, they entered the small boat, Spock eyeing it warily. "They can't capsize," Jim promised him with a laugh.

"Because they never have before does not guarantee they will not now," Spock replied, his body more tense than strictly necessary.

"Just sit down and you'll be fine," Jim said, settling on the backseat as Spock took the front. "And you won't even get wet this time."

"That is reassuring," Spock agreed as they left the 'dock' to venture through the miniature universe.

Jim could not keep his eyes off of Spock as they floated along through the exhibit. There was a sense of peace and even wonder in Spock's expression that Jim cherished but regretted that it had up to now been absent. Whatever Spock's life had been like on Vulcan, it had left deep scars on his soul. Not to mention the life he had led since leaving ULCA. Jim was glad he was able to give Spock this gift even if the respite from real life and its inherent difficulties was brief and artificial.

When the ride reached the end, Spock turned to look at Jim with an expression he could not name.

"Well?" Jim asked quietly after they had disembarked. "Did you enjoy it?"

Spock nodded, not ready to trust his voice. He was surprised at how moved he was by the display, as childlike as it was. But it was simple and reassuring and a dream that one day might be achieved – that the races could coexist in harmony. That hope was far off still but maybe, just maybe, it was possible.

"Do you want to go through again?" Jim offered as they exited into the bright sunlight.

"No," Spock said softly, looking at Jim with something akin to wonder on his face. "Thank you."

"For what?" Jim asked sincerely.

"For providing me the opportunity to experience this. I see now why it is so popular."

Jim nodded in agreement. "It's reassuring, isn't it? That a place like this exists. Like maybe the dream could be a reality."

"Precisely," Spock said, still studying Jim's face. "Where should we go next?"

Jim checked his watch before consulting the map he had stashed in his back pocket. "Tower of Terror?"

"What sort of terror does the tower contain?" Spock asked.

"Well," Jim said, wondering how best to explain. "Do you like rollercoasters?"

"I have no objections to them," Spock replied.

"It'll be fine then," Jim said, leading him over to the attraction. There was a long line so they again contented themselves to wait, Jim doing the majority of the talking to those around them. "When we get done, we'll need to meet Hikaru and Pavel."

"Very well," Spock acknowledged. "Will you tell me where we are going?"

"Nope," Jim said, shaking his head.

Spock had no response to that, content to follow him as they wound their way closer to the loading zone for the ride. When they were seated and buckled in, Spock looked over at Jim, his expression nearly asking if Jim thought this was really a good idea. Jim winked at him and up they went.

Jim was impressed that Spock remained stoically Vulcan throughout the entire ride especially with the squeals and shouts coming from all around them. Jim laughed when they approached the open door at the top, Spock looking over at him as though he feared for Jim's sanity. But Jim was not the only one laughing, and he knew Spock was having a good time whether he wanted to or not.

"I can see why Hikaru and Pavel ride it multiple times," Spock said as they left the building.

"Yeah," Jim agreed. "Sometimes they come and only go on Tower of Terror."

"And you sponsor their trips?"

"By sponsor – you mean pay for?" Jim asked.

"It was not an appropriate question," Spock realized.

"It's not inappropriate. And I don't have to pay for their tickets. Just like I didn't pay for ours," Jim reminded him.

"Yes. I apologize."

"For what? I don't think you are out of line for asking, if that's what your concern is," Jim said, laying a light hand on Spock's arm to stop him. Spock turned to face Jim, studying him. "There is very little about my life I'm not willing to tell you, Spock. You know a lot of it already. Not exactly how many companies we own but some days we aren't sure. You still know a lot more about me than anybody but my closest friends. If you want to know something, you only have to ask."

"Is that why you contacted Amanda?" Spock asked. Jim was sure there was no anger in the words but was still curious at the question.

"What do you mean?"

"You treat Pavel and Hikaru like family. And Joanna. Do you think of me….?" Spock stopped, knowing he had already said too much.

"Yes," Jim admitted. "That is one of the reasons I contacted Amanda. I hate that you are hurting. I can't fix all the world's problems. But if I can solve some of my…the problems, I will do everything I can."

Spock nodded, considering the words. "I should not have been angry."

"You had every right. I shouldn't have contacted her behind your back. But even if Sarek saw the emails, he couldn't know I had any connection to you. I just wanted her to know that you are safe."

"Yes," Spock said. "Perhaps when we are back at the hotel, I could contact her."

"Of course," Jim agreed with a bright smile. "I'm pretty sure she'd be thrilled."

Spock nodded, turning to go down the right-hand path when they reached a crossroads.

"We need to go this way," Jim said, pointing toward the left path.

"You said we need to meet Hikaru and Pavel," Spock said, studying the two paths.

"We do. The front entrance is this way," Jim insisted.

Spock carefully extracted the map from Jim's pocket, opening it. "We are here. The entrance is here."

Jim studied the map with a frown, taking it back and turning it upside down.

"You are not holding it correctly," Spock pointed out, his voice almost entirely devoid of humor.

"From where we are standing, I am," Jim said, looking up at the two paths. "Fine. We'll go this way. If we don't find them, I'm not going to let you forget it."

"Understood," Spock replied, walking with him back to Main Street, the statue still several blocks in front them.

"Okay. Fine," Jim grumbled. "You were right. Again."

"I was," Spock said, making Jim laugh.

"Oh," Jim said, turning to go into one of the stores, Spock automatically following. "We have to get ears."

Spock was very silently amused by Jim's enthusiasm as he picked out five set of ears, one of which was pink and included a veil and sparkling tiara. "This one is for Joanna, correct?"

"No," Jim laughed. "I thought you'd like it."

Spock lifted one eyebrow at that, making Jim laugh harder. "The sign at the register stated there is a four hour wait for custom embroidery."

"I see," Jim said, approaching one of the cast members and greeting her with a smile, glancing quickly at her nametag. "Hello, Cassidy."

"Hello," she replied happily. "How may I assist you?"

"I need these ears embroidered, please."

"Certainly, sir. I'll get you the form. There is a wait of four hours. Will you come back for them?" she asked politely.

"Well," he said, taking his wallet from his pocket and showing her his board of directors identification card. "I was hoping I could take them with me."

She smiled even more brightly but shook her head. "It's a pleasure to have you with us today, Dr. Kirk. But even if Robert Iger wanted ears, he'd have to wait."

"I see," Jim laughed. "Hard to argue with that. Can I have them shipped?"

"Of course," she agreed. "There is a place on the form for delivery. I'll get you one."

"That will be fine then," he said before she walked away. Jim finally looked over at Spock who just might have been smirking at him. "If you were fully Human, you'd be laughing at me, wouldn't you?"

"That is entirely possible," Spock had to agree. "Were you unaware of the rules where ears are concerned?"

"I know the rules," Jim said, his voice a little lower. "But sometimes the cast members don't and will let me jump the line."

"That is an abuse of power," Spock said, trying to sound stern.

Jim shrugged innocently at that. "Rank has its privileges?"

Spock shook his head, wandering away so that Jim would not see the amusement Spock could not help from showing. As he neared the front of the store, Hikaru and Pavel rushed in, laughing when they nearly collided with Spock.

"Sorry," Hikaru said. "Thought we were late."

"You are not," Spock said. "Jim is arranging for the ears to be personalized."

"Are ve taking them?" Pavel asked.

"They will be delivered," Spock said. "Jim attempted to use his status as a board member to circumvent the rules. The employee would not allow it."

Pavel and Hikaru laughed at that. "He doesn't do it very often," Hikaru said. "What did you do this afternoon?"

"We went to 'It's a Big Universe'," Spock said.

"The marionettes they vere made in Russia," Pavel claimed.

"No they weren't," Hikaru said. "They were made right here. Or in Florida. Definitely not Russia."

"They vere invented in Russia," Pavel tried.

"That might be true," Hikaru laughed.

"We also experienced all of the terror contained in the tower," Spock said, making the other two laugh.

"It's our favorite," Hikaru said. "That and the haunted mansion."

"You enjoyed yourselves?" Spock asked although it was clear they had.

"Oh totally," Hikaru agreed.

"Sometimes ve like it here more than Disney Vorld. This one. It is not so overvhelming," Pavel said.

"You like Disney World as well though?" Spock asked.

"Very much," Hikaru agreed. "Hey. Board ID didn't get you the ears, huh?" he asked Jim as he joined them.

"You told," Jim frowned at Spock.

Spock simply gazed back at him, refusing to respond.

"And you. You are fired," Jim said to Hikaru.

Hikaru sighed and shook his head. "I think I may be ahead of Scotty by now."

"You might," Jim laughed. "Let's go get our stuff so we can… you know… go some place else."

They followed him to the guest services area, helping carry the many packages that had accumulated under Jim's name. "I don't remember buying all of this," Jim said as they carried them toward the parking lot. They each had at least three shopping bags, Spock carrying five after convincing them it would pose no problem.

"You don't?" Hikaru asked innocently. "That's weird."

"Do you suppose he is losing his memory, Karu?" Pavel asked in a mock whisper.

"Could be. Too bad, really," Sulu agreed, looking back at Jim when he frowned at him. "What? Oh – let me guess. I'm fired."

"Totally," Jim replied, putting his bags in the trunk of the car when Spock had it popped open.

"If they come regularly, what are all these purchases?" Spock asked after giving the keys to Pavel. He and Hikaru were going toward the front of the car, arguing about who was going to drive.

"Some are for Joanna. Some for Bones. A couple are probably for me. Unless I miss my guess, at least one is for you," Jim explained.

"For me?"

"Of course," Jim said, closing the trunk.

"And if they bought you gifts, did you not pay for them?"

"I guess technically I did. But it's not like it matters," Jim assured him with a smile.

"No. I suppose it does not," Spock had to agree, entering the back seat with Jim, Pavel in the driver's seat, Sulu frowning over at him.

"Rock, paper, scissors?" Jim asked.

"I swear that he cheats," Sulu pouted.

"How can you cheat at rock, paper, scissors?" Jim asked with a laugh. "And no, Pavel is not a Jedi."

"That's what he wants you to believe," Hikaru said, smiling when Pavel reached over to kiss him. "Okay. I forgive you."

"I knew that you vould," Pavel said, driving out of the lot.

Spock looked over his shoulder to watch the cheerful sign recede into the background until he could no longer see it. If Jim hadn't gotten to know him quite so well, he would not have been able to detect the sadness lingering around Spock's eyes. There was nothing Jim could say to help relieve the regret he could almost feel coming from Spock, no words he was willing to say that might or might not be true.

Hikaru and Pavel chattered happily in the front seat, talking about the fun they had had at the park, deciding where they were going to go first when they were in Disney World.

"What makes you think I'm taking you?" Jim asked.

"Joanna. She called and told us we had to come," Hikaru informed him.

"So now Joanna's the boss of you?" Jim asked.

"Alvays. She said it's her birthday and ve must be there," Pavel told him.

"I see. You're staying in the campground," Jim warned.

"Not if we tell Joanna," Hikaru replied, laughing at Jim's expression.

"This is very dangerous," Jim told them. "I'm telling Bones to erase your numbers from her cell phone."

"You are velcome to try," Pavel said.

Jim could only shake his head, glancing over at Spock who looked less troubled than he had minutes earlier. "Do you see what I have to endure?"

"I believe they would claim it is you that they must endure," Spock said, making Pavel and Hikaru laugh.

"If you worked for me, I'd fire you too," Jim said with a completely unconvincing frown.

"As Hikaru would say, now I am frightened."

Jim laughed and shook his head, thumping Sulu on the back of the head.

"Ow," Hikaru exclaimed. "What'd I do?"

"Corrupted Pavel. And you're working on Spock."

"So not my fault, dude," Hikaru said, rubbing his head in a great show.

The next twenty minutes passed in much the same manner, good natured ribbing coming from the Humans, Spock observing it with dignified, nearly hidden delight. His time was split between watching Jim and the scenery, trying unsuccessfully to puzzle out where they were going.

His study became even more focused when Pavel turned onto a narrow road that had a sign above it reading 'Waltonsville Airfield.' It didn't take long from there for Pavel to pull the car into a space next to a huge hanger with a small plane just in front of its entrance. "We are flying?" Spock finally asked Jim.

"Yep," Jim agreed, leaving the car with Pavel and Hikaru. "Come on."

Spock nodded, looking up at the white plane with ENTERPRISE INDUSTRIES painted on its tail. "This is your plane?"

"Yeah, sort of. The company owns it. It's how we came to California."

"We are not going to…" Spock stopped, looking steadily at Jim.

"We are flying approximately one hour east," Jim said. "We'll stay there for a couple of hours then fly back here."

Spock nodded, following Jim over to the steps to the plane. "Are you a pilot?"

"Yes. But Hikaru and Pavel are flying us. You don't have aviophobia do you?"

"No," Spock said. He entered the plane behind Jim, settling on the seat across from him when Jim waved him over. "Will you tell me where we are going?"

"Arizona," Jim said with a mysterious smile.

"Arizona. That encompasses 114,000 square miles."

"Yep," Jim agreed. "Once we're airborne, we'll have some dinner if you're hungry."

"That would be welcome," Spock agreed, studying Jim anew.

"What?" Jim asked, catching Spock's considering expression.

Spock raised an eyebrow at him, turning his attention to Pavel when he entered the main cabin.

"As this flight has no service, I am here to review all essential safety regulations," Pavel said, going through the information with practiced ease. "Ve should be arriving at our destination in one hour and 41 minutes. Enjoy your flight." With that, he disappeared back into the cockpit.

It wasn't long before Sulu's voice came over the speakers. "We are cleared to proceed. We're third in line for the runway."

Jim looked out the window beside his seat before turning his focus on Spock to study him. "Why are you so nervous?"

"I am not nervous," Spock denied, making Jim laugh.

"You can barely sit still. I've never seen you fidget before."

"Perhaps it is because I do not know where we are going in Arizona."

"You can be certain you won't have to hike across the Mojave desert," Jim assured him.

"I did not believe that we would," Spock responded.

"Then stop worrying," Jim recommended, smiling warmly at him. "We'll be sleeping at the Wiltshire tonight."

"Will you be returning to work in the morning?"

"Sadly, yes. I'd prefer not to but I have too much to do."

"Thank you for taking the time to spend it with me," Spock said, an almost wistful note to his voice.

"You don't need to thank me. And we still have until Friday. I have to work but we aren't saying good bye yet."

Spock nodded, watching the ground fall away as they lifted into the air, the take-off exceedingly smooth. His attention turned back to Jim when he yawned, his jaws practically cracking from it. "Do you wish to nap on the way?"

"Will you be bored?" Jim asked in return.

"I will meditate," Spock told him.

"Would it bother you if we were on the same seat?" Jim asked, gesturing over to the benches on the other side of the plane. They were each long enough for Jim to lay down if Spock did not mind being his pillow.

"I would welcome it," Spock said, opening his seatbelt and moving to the window end of the couch-like seat. He waited as Jim took a blanket from the overhead bin, lifting his right arm so that Jim could lay his head on Spock's right thigh.

"You sure you don't mind?" Jim asked, looking up from where he lay, Spock's leg a somewhat hard but comforting pillow. Spock helped him spread the blanket over his body, making certain all of him was covered.

"I do not," Spock assured him, his right hand on Jim's shoulder. It felt like Spock was protecting him or keeping him in place. It was a warm and soothing touch.

"Mmm…." Jim sighed, closing his eyes and almost instantly asleep.

Spock watched him sleep for a few minutes before closing his eyes and allowing himself to sink into meditation. He was conscious of his breathing matching the rhythm of Jim's, feeling it centering and soothing him.

Spock emerged from his meditation to discover his right hand buried in Jim's hair. Jim still slept and Spock relished the opportunity to watch him without making him self-conscious. Jim looked completely relaxed and at ease, the lines of concentration Spock was accustom to seeing smoothed out, making Jim look younger than he had just a few hours earlier.

He briefly wondered where they were but decided it made no difference. And he couldn't say what had caused the earlier agitation which Jim remarked on. It wasn't being on the plane. He had no concerns about flying. And he certainly enjoyed any time that he was able to spend with Jim. Perhaps it was simply excitement, the anticipation of what waited at the end of the trip.

Jim stirred and rolled forward a little, mumbling into Spock's leg.

"What was that?" Spock asked, still caressing Jim's hair.

"Back pocket. Phone," Jim said, his eyes still closed.

Spock reached into Jim's back pocket, extracting the vibrating phone. The screen announced that it was a call from Dr. Christopher Pike. "It is Chris."

"Answer it," Jim said, not waking up enough to be fully coherent.

"Dr. Pike," Spock said.

"Hello Spock. You with Jim?"

"I am," Spock confirmed. "He is currently unavailable."

"I see," Chris laughed. "Worn out from his day off?"

"In a manner of speaking," Spock said.

"Good for him. Good for you," Chris said to Spock's general agreement. "Are you and Jim free tomorrow night?"

"As far as I know," Spock said.

"Good. Come out with us for dinner. Then we have tickets to the opera. We'd love to have you join us."

"Are you certain?" Spock asked.

"What kind of question is that?" Chris laughed. "Jim loves opera. I thought you might enjoy it as well."

"I will discuss it with Jim and ask that he call you back," Spock said.

"Excellent. Once he wakes up he can call," Chris laughed before hanging up.

"What'd he say?" Jim asked in a sleep-roughened voice.

"He invited us to dinner and the opera tomorrow night," Spock said.

"You agree?"

"I said I would discuss it with you and you would call him back."

"'Kay," Jim said. "You want to go?"

"I have no objections. He said that you love opera."

"Not as much as Chris does. But I do enjoy it. And he has a box. I'll call Floyd tomorrow first thing and ask him to send over a tuxedo for you," Jim said, slowly sitting up and yawning.

"Do you have one with you?" Spock asked, wishing Jim hadn't sat up and put so much distance between them. He supposed he could move down the bench closer to Jim but that seemed overly forward.

"I do. I usually bring it, just in case," Jim said, studying Spock. "If you don't want to go, we don't have to."

"What makes you think I do not wish to attend?"

"Your expression. You look… concerned I guess."

"I am not concerned about the opera. I was considering sliding down the seat to sit pressed up against you," Spock confessed, wondering what spell Jim has cast to make him so easily confess to his heart's desires.

Jim laughed, moving over so that he was pressed tight to Spock's side. "Like this?"

"Very much like this," Spock agreed, impulsively kissing the side of Jim's head. "Much better."

"It is," Jim agreed, turning to lean back against Spock who curled his right arm around Jim.

"How much longer until we land?" Spock whispered into Jim's ear, his right hand working its way up under Jim's shirt.

"Only a few minutes," Jim said in some regret. "But the flight back is two hours."

"Can you lock the cockpit door?" Spock asked, Jim laughing.

"No. But if I tell them not to come back, they won't. Have you ever done it on a plane?"

"I have not. Will that provide us membership into the mile-high club?"

Jim laughed and looked up at him with a twinkle in his eye. "Sure. There's a patch and everything."

"That I find hard to believe," Spock said, Jim laughing that much harder at him.