The door chimed and Spock got up to answer it. Dr. McCoy stood on the other side.
"Uh. Hi. Didn't expect you here." McCoy's eyes were on the floor.
"Jim is on the bridge. He will return momentarily. You may wait if you wish," Spock offered, standing aside to let the other man in.
McCoy walked in and looked around, and then turned suddenly back to the commander. "Look, we need to talk."
"Very well." Spock placed his hands behind his back.
"I'm sorry I blew up at you. I talked to M'Benga—don't worry, I didn't tell him—but he says a lot of screwy things have been happening medically since the destruction of Vulcan. Some they've got licked. Some they're still sorting out. But it wouldn't be that unusual for something to be affecting you even now."
Spock nodded. "I understand."
McCoy held out a hand. "Spock, I'm sorry. Jim's my best friend. He's like a brother to me and I love him and I see red when someone hurts him. I should have realized you'd never do that in your right mind. And hey, at least it's only every seven years, right?" he joked lamely.
"Indeed." Spock reached out and shook the doctor's hand.
"Now, I don't know how to bring up this next part. But Uhura is rallying the troops. She won't tell us what's going on specifically but she says the captain needs our help. She hinted heavily that blackmail is involved. That's why I'm here. Do you know what's going on?" McCoy sat down in the desk chair.
Spock was still for a moment. He felt through the bond that Jim was just in the turbolift. "Jim will explain when he arrives, in twenty-six seconds."
"Precise as always," grumbled the doctor. They fell silent until Jim strolled through the door.
"Hi honey, I'm ho– " Jim broke off when he saw McCoy. "Oh, hey Bones. Uh, you two okay?" he asked uneasily.
"The doctor and I have resolved our differences. He is here at Nyota's request." Spock sat on the bed.
"Uhura?" Jim looked between the two men. "What, she told you?"
"She didn't say exactly, she just intimated somebody's holding something over you and we need to help. So I'm here to help. Now can you tell me what I'm helping you with?" McCoy stood up.
Jim sighed. "Okay, remember when I was asking you about Joanna? What it's like to be a father?"
McCoy's eyes narrowed. "Jim-boy, you'd better not be headed where I think you're headed."
"I have a son," Jim explained. "And his mother is trying to break me and Spock up. Uhura says she can't keep him from me for just being in a relationship with another man, and I'm going to teach next term at the Academy." Jim paused. "She should have no grounds to keep me from him."
McCoy was silent for a while. Then he shook his head. "Screwed up, man. Keeping him away from you. You'd figure a girl would be falling all over herself to bear the child of the great James T. Kirk. Screwed up."
Jim sighed. "I know. But I've got to find a way to prove he's mine and sue for shared custody before she pulls up stakes and disappears into the galaxy. Think you can help with that?"
"Hmm. I can do the genetic testing if you get me the samples. I can help prove he's your kid." McCoy rubbed his chin.
"Thanks, Bones. Hey, anything you can do, man."
"Is he a mini-me?" the doctor asked. Jim tilted his head and drew his brows in confusion. "Is he exactly like you at that age?"
"Oh." Jim smiled. "Yeah. Little terror, he's got to be. Just like his old man."
"Well, uh, I guess I could say congratulations. Now you and the hobgoblin will have a whole new generation to terrorize." McCoy smiled at them both. "Well, I'd better head back to Sickbay. I have a feeling – " His communicator went off. "Yep. I'll stay in touch with you both. I'll see you when I get to Earth." He hugged Jim tightly. "Take care, little bro."
"Thanks, big bro," Jim responded.
McCoy left and Jim walked over and wrapped his arms around his husband. "Hey, Gloomy Gus, what's up?"
"I am not 'gloomy.' I am merely disappointed that I must now spend time apart from you. You do realize we have not been separated since our bonding?"
"Before," Jim corrected. "We've been together since the Narada crisis. What a long, strange trip it's been."
"Are you comfortable with becoming a teacher now? Will this provide enough excitement for you? There will be many nights of homework to be graded and lesson plans to be made and very little staring down renegade Klingons and greeting undiscovered aliens." Spock smoothed Jim's hair down.
"Eh. I can handle it. This also means no more red alerts at oh-dark-hundred in the morning and sitting by biobeds praying someone wakes up. For either of us." Jim kissed his mate.
"I will appreciate the absence of the visits to Sickbay," Spock remarked.
"Have you and Bones really made up?" Jim asked quietly.
Spock nodded. "We have come to an understanding. I believe the phrase is 'no hard feelings'." He looked into his partner's eyes. "It disturbed you that Dr. McCoy and I were disagreeing."
"To say the least," Jim exclaimed. "It broke my heart! Bones is my best friend and you're my husband. How am I supposed to choose if you two go your separate ways?"
Spock sighed. "You will not have to, t'hy'la. I will do my utmost to ensure Dr. McCoy and I do not have any more major conflicts."
"Thanks. Now, it's Wednesday. You know what happens on Wednesday, right?"
"We have our chess game." Spock gave a small smile.
"Since we're going to be apart for the next little while, how about you and me go down to the Rec Room and play a game or two. For old times' sake. Terrorize the ensigns with our lordly presence." Jim grinned.
"You do not terrorize anyone with a 'lordly presence', ashayam. You terrorize them with your loud outbursts in the middle of the game. One would think the chess game were being observed by a football announcer." Spock's eyes were shining.
"You're just jealous because you can't stand up and scream when you make a killer move."
"Maybe."
"However, you stood up and yelled when I pulled your – " Jim's statement was swallowed by a kiss. When he was released he gasped for air. "You still won't let me say that out loud."
"No." Spock walked away casually. "Are we playing or not, ashayam?" he called from the doorway.
A/N: I never did figure out what Jim pulled on Spock to make him yell. Got any ideas?
