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Special thanks to beta Notes from the Classroom. Check out her latest "Crossing the Equator" in my faves for Pike/Number One drama. Next chapter, Notes! Hurry!

Above and Beyond

It was 5:30 PM and Lieutenant Commander Patrick O'Hara was in his lab. That was not unusual. What was unusual was that he was alone. For the last seventeen years - had it really been that long - Toshi would stop by almost every evening. He had not been by in days.

Grumbling, Patrick slid under the subspace array simulator he'd gotten from Spock's lab when Spock had joined the fleet. The damn thing was on the fritz again; Spock and Uhura had both warned him about it. He popped off the plate under the circuit boards and then just lay there, staring into the dark.

All he'd done was mention to Toshi that it was a little odd that Uhura had vastly different memories of Novasch's visit to the lab with Brillac - and that it was odd that she was so upset. She wasn't one for emotional histrionics. Toshi had quietly said she must have been mistaken, and then he'd just clammed up. And then he'd stopped coming by after five, or asking Patrick to go to lunch with him, or emailing him all those damn knock-knock jokes.

What did Patrick expect, really? Novasch was Toshi and Yumi's friend from before Patrick had come along. And knowing Novasch was sort of … magical. He made you feel connected to something larger. Not as alone. It was like that feeling that used to come over Patrick when he was a little boy and he still believed in the religion symbolized by the crucifix around his neck.

Touching that small piece of silver, Patrick remembered a family picnic between the Matsumuras and O'Haras when Novasch had come along. The Vulcan coaxed a wild fawn to come over and nuzzle the children's hands. The memory still made Patrick's heart ache. If he didn't have the event on holo he wouldn't believe it had been real.

Patrick couldn't compare to a friend like that. Heck, Novasch was even staying with Toshi, Yumi and their daughter Yuki, while he was separated from his bond mate, T'Quilloc. Toshi and Yumi were convinced he'd be more comfortable with them than in the Vulcan consulate.

Patrick wiped some dust from his eyes. He didn't know what had happened with Uhura. Maybe nothing had happened. But Novasch was off lately. Maybe it was just the prolonged separation from T'Quilloc, but he seemed at loose ends. Sometimes when he was around, Patrick was sure he could feel this edge of desperation, Patrick's heart rate seemed to increase a fraction, and he found his hands going clammy. But it wasn't Patrick's desperation. He couldn't explain how he knew this. Patrick always kind of felt sorry for Novasch, but now he was a little frightened - of him, for him - and for Toshi.

Starting at the sound of footsteps in the lab, Patrick felt his heart give a leap. He pulled himself out from under the array and blinked at the Vulcan in science blues standing there.

Still lying on the floor, Patrick grinned up. "Why, Spock, you son of a human mother, you scared me there!"

Spock tilted his head; his face was a mask. After being around Novasch, Patrick found it a little odd to be around a Vulcan and not feel what they were feeling.

"I assure you, that was not my intention," Spock said. He looked at the subspace array. "Do you require my help with that?"

"Nah, nah," said Patrick, climbing to his feet, brushing off the dust. Being wedged down in the dark under a subspace array with Spock would just be horribly awkward-all the special wiggling to avoid any physical contact whatsoever. Novasch let all his emotions hang out because it was too hard to contain them. Spock, like most other Vulcans, went to extreme measures to conceal his emotions. It led to some mental and physical gymnastics that got a bit silly. Patrick looked at the half Vulcan. "As I recall, it was always Uhura who managed to fix this thing anyway."

Flexing his fingers in front of his eyes, Spock exhaled in what almost sounded like a sigh. "Indeed, her fingers are much smaller and more delicate than mine. In addition she has a light touch -"

Feeling himself go red, Patrick said, "That's alright. I get the picture." And a lot of others which he didn't want to see. Not that Uhura and Spock weren't fine specimens of their respective species, but again...awkward. Very awkward.

Spock looked down at Patrick's knees. Following his eyes, Patrick whisked away a dust bunny hanging there. "So, what brings you back to your old haunts, Spock? I mean, besides being boarded by Klingons and getting the Farragut practically blown to bits."

Putting his hands behind his back, Spock said. "You are aware that the Enterprise is parked in orbit above San Francisco at this moment."

"Yep," said Patrick. "Seen her on the news. She's a beauty. Almost makes me wish I was active." He sighed. "Her science labs are a fair bit better equipped than ours." He looked around at the broken subspace array and decade-old equipment.

"Perhaps you are not aware that I am to be science officer of the Enterprise."

Patrick blinked. "What? No!" Grinning, Patrick said, "I mean, you're perfect for the job!" His hand was extended and he was centimeters from Spock when he remembered himself. Clapping his hands together he said, "Congratulations! Did you just come here to gloat? Really, that would be okay, that's worth gloating over." Patrick smiled and he looked at Spock, feeling a bit jealous and a bit proud and oddly paternal at the same time.

Raising an eyebrow, Spock said, "No, I did not come here just to gloat. I came to see if you would like a tour of the science facilities."

Patrick stared at the half-Vulcan. "Does a bear shit in the woods, Spock?"

Spock tilted his head.

"That's a yes!"

Straightening his head, Spock said, "Where is Professor Matsumura? I presumed that he would be here. He is invited, too, of course."

Patrick's spirits fell to the floor so fast he almost imagined he heard a thud. "Oh, I dunno, probably in his lab. Maybe you should just ask him," Patrick said, oddly feeling like he had to put Toshi's chance to see the Enterprise ahead of his own. "I don't think he wants to be even 10 kilometers around me."

Well, that sounded pathetic.

Spock tilted his head again. "That is inconceivable."

Patrick stared at Spock for a moment. As brilliant as he was, when it came to emotional understanding, Spock was even more an idiot than Patrick. Which was saying something. Really.

But... Maybe this was Patrick's chance to make amends. "Yeah," Patrick said looking at the door. "Yeah. Let's go find him."

x x x x

Toshi blinked as the transporter beam flickered away before his eyes, and then kept blinking. The interior of the Enterprise gleamed so brightly it was almost blinding. The ship wasn't quite complete, and the covers to several of the bulbs illuminating the ceiling seemed to be missing.

He turned to Spock, trying hard not to look too closely at Patrick.

The half-Vulcan was blinking as well. "The floodlights were made to unusual specs." Spock's eyebrows knitted together infinitesimally in annoyance, testament to his half-human heritage. "I do not understand why they did not include standard size floods in the design."

"Well, it will look mighty impressive when it's all put together," said Patrick, in his typical glass half-full way - completely missing Spock's subtle body language. He was like a child, and Toshi should really forgive him. But sometimes being a child was simply unacceptable. What he said about Novasch. Couldn't he tell how much Novasch was hurting? For decades Novasch had put duty ahead of his personal well-being, and it was taking its toll. But he'd never do what Patrick had implied. Oh, perhaps there'd been some slip, some telepathic misunderstanding, but he'd never erase Toshi or Patrick's memories.

Spock's brows furrowed slightly more at Patrick's illogical statement.

Time for Toshi to be the mediator. He shouldn't feel so annoyed. "Perhaps we can take a look at the bridge before ending our tour in the science lab?" Toshi said.

"That was my idea as well," said Spock, motioning them to step off the pad.

The tour went well. The ship was suitably impressive, the science facilities worthy of envy even if the lights catching Toshi in the eye every time he turned around were distracting and annoying. That problem would be fixed with time.

The entire time Patrick avoided eye contact, he seemed a bit sheepish. Which made Toshi actually feel sorry for him. When Patrick suggested they all test the coffee maker in the mess, Patrick's desire to make amends was so transparent Toshi couldn't bring himself to say no - it would be like kicking a puppy.

A few minutes later they sat around a table in the mess drinking unpalatable coffee. Toshi and Patrick both had lots of questions for Spock, but they didn't really talk to one another.

Toshi looked into the cup of bitter swill in front of him and shook his head. What did you do with an overgrown child for a friend?

"You're lucky to be in your science blues and not back in your instructor's uniform, Spock," said Patrick. "Don't know how you missed having to take over for any of the instructors we've got out on maternity or medical this semester."

Spock tilted his head. "In fact, I have been asked to fill in for an instructor."

Debating taking another sip just to be polite, Toshi looked down at the the liquid in his cup. It made more sense to spend money on the science lab than the mess facilities, but really - didn't Starfleet's finest deserve better than this?

"Really? What they have you covering?" said Patrick.

Spock was silent for a heart beat. Distractedly swirling what the Enterprise was trying to pass as coffee, Toshi said, "Yes, Spock, what are you teaching?"

Spock cleared his throat slightly.

Uh-oh.

Looking up, he caught Spock's cheeks looking a little flushed. "I have been asked to teach Interspecies Ethics."

Toshi blinked. He liked Spock. A lot. And wasn't a bit of gentle ribbing one way that gaijin showed their affection for one another? Okay, Vulcans didn't, but North Americans did, and Spock was half North American. Couldn't he embrace the other half of his heritage? And anyway, it wasn't like what had happened was a secret - Patrick and especially Toshi had actually gone to a great deal of trouble to help Spock after what Patrick dubbed, "The Vulcan Inquisition." A little ribbing at Spock's expense, Toshi and Patrick had earned it, hadn't they?

Toshi stared at Spock, who was now taking a very slow, careful sip of his coffee. Toshi wanted to say it. But he just...couldn't. He took a hurried sip of his own drink fighting back a grimace.

But Patrick could say it. "Well, as long as none of your students is named Nyota Uhura, you'll be alright, Spock."

Toshi coughed on his coffee and stifled a snicker - which made it come out a bit of a snort.

Spock took a deep breath; he looked between the two of them and raised an eyebrow. "Indeed," he said, probably realizing how illogical it would be to refute the statement.

Toshi wasn't sure if Patrick had heard him. Patrick's ever-distracted mind had already moved on. "This stuff tastes like lung-worm piss."

Spock opened his mouth as though to say something.

"No, that is not hyperbole," said Patrick.

Toshi and Spock both blinked at Patrick. That was a story even Toshi hadn't heard before.

"We all have advanced skills in engineering," said Patrick pushing his mug away. "Let's go see if we can't recalibrate that damn machine passing for a coffee maker. You kids going off into space to save my tired hide deserve better."

It was really everything Toshi loved about Patrick. And why he'd have to bring himself to forgive him. But not forget. Not while Novasch was on Earth and still needed him.

"A worthy goal," Toshi said.

"Indeed," said Spock standing up beside Patrick.

And for a while, everything was good.

x x x x

Nyota sat outside Commander Rodriguez's office swinging her leg. She'd been here for an hour and hadn't spoken to the Commander yet. It was evening, past dinner time and she was hungry. She looked over at the Ensign Isawa at the front desk. Shrugging his shoulders he gave her an apologetic smile. Then he mouthed the word, "SI".

Nyota blinked. Just then the Commander's door whooshed open. Isawa and Nyota snapped to attention just as a man and a woman in Starfleet Intelligence gray stepped out. The man looked at Nyota, stopped for a moment, nodded at her and then walked on.

The Commander appeared at the door. "At ease," she said leaning on the frame looking incredibly weary. "Nyota, am I glad to see you. We are so backed up in the long range sensory lab." Rubbing her eyes, she sighed. "The universal translators are still so poor when it comes to slang and unusual dialects..." Shaking her head she said, "And just as my best person comes back to me SI decides to pay me a surprise visit." Meeting Nyota's eyes she said, "I am so sorry about the wait. Are you ready to get back to work?"

Nyota nodded. "Yes, as soon as you want me."

Walking out of her of her office, Rodriguez said, "I want you now. Let's get to the array."

As they walked down the narrow corridor the Commander said. "There is a lot going on in the neutral zone right now. You heard about the Farragut attack - we're still not sure who knocked out the original Klingon vessels." Just before they entered the lab Rodriguez said, "Congratulations on your brother's nomination, by the way."

Nyota stopped. "What?"

"All charges against him have been dropped. And he has been nominated for the Civilian Medal of Valor." Stopping beside, Nyota, brow furrowing, the Commander said, "Didn't you know?"

Nyota shook her head mutely.

The Commander blinked. "Oh."

The Civilian Medal of Valor was the highest award Starfleet could bestow upon a civilian but...

Feeling her heart constrict, Nyota swallowed. "That award is usually given post posthumously."

The Commander tilted her head. "He isn't -" Her voice trailed off.

"I don't know," said Nyota.

The Commander looked away. "I don't know either." She scowled. "I had hoped you could tell me. His nomination was vague - it just said he'd done service above and beyond for the Federation."

Her eyes me Nyota's. "I can see I'm not the only person SI is keeping in the dark." She swallowed. "This is horrible for you. Are you sure you want to work tonight?"

Nyota looked at the double doors leading to the lab. The array - it might be the only hope she had of finding Jabari. "I'm positive," she said.

The Commander nodded.

They stepped through the double doors together. As the cool air hit her, Nyota felt her chest tighten even further - with pride. Her brother was the good man she always knew him to be, and with worry. She almost wished he'd stayed a small time pirate.

"What have you gotten yourself into, Jabari?" she whispered.

x x x x

"We're all going to die." Kanel whimpered through the frost of his own breath, shivering under his pile of thermal blankets. The whole crew was huddled in Jabari's cabin - the only room with life support. Rhin was stretched out on his bunk, still unconscious in the darkness.

"We've been in worse scrapes than this," Jabari lied.

Just then there was the sound of charges off in the distance. The ship rocked.

"Name one," said Tan miserably.

Jabari didn't answer. The thing was still out there, dropping charges over their hidden refuge in the midst of the asteroid field trying to smoke them out. If it weren't for the vastness of the asteroid field, the cloaking abilities Rhin had given the Equus, and it's small size they would have been dead long ago. As it was they would be dead pretty damn soon anyway.

He looked over at her half closed eyes. Her face lit only by the green of her vital signs monitor - his alien sleeping beauty. It would be time to drain her hematoma soon, and then refresh the blood and pump it back into her. How long could they keep doing it?

Pulling his own pile of thermal blankets closer he leaned heavily against the wall. What the fuck had he gotten himself into?

A/N:

Hope this is a decent "pausing" point! If you read and enjoyed pls leave a review.