**I know it's late. I know that. It's not an excuse, but I've spent the weekend in the hospital with my friend who may not make it although I'm still praying for a miracle.

Oh and maybe I've read a LOT of Snape fanfiction to comfort myself instead of writing on my own story. It's just… I kind of have a Snape fixation. So noble, so brilliant, so misunderstood! No one gets him. Except me. I GET HIM YOU GUYS. That's why when Snape and I meet in real life, we will fall in love and have wizard babies.

Yeah pretend you didn't read that. Seriously. Enjoy!**

The rest of the day had gone well, or as well as days generally went with Jim Kirk around. The newly-formed trio made their way to Selek's house, where the Elder welcomed T'Pren into the clan with gentle words. The child herself had reverted to her original stiff behavior, but now and again would glance at Jim with a strange longing expression, as if she were half-convinced she would soon wake up and realize everything had been a lovely but futile dream. Jim herself seemed inordinately nervous and clumsy, and Spock found himself in the position of having to be comforting. It was not a role with which he had much experience.

His bondmate soon excused herself to work on the proposal she planned to present to the Council on the morrow. Selek moved into the kitchen to once again prepare an evening meal. He coaxed the shy new member of their House into helping him by claiming his old limbs were no longer suited to bending down for utensils. She followed all requests made of her with an extreme seriousness that struck both men as charming. In time, Spock thought she would blossom into an excellent specimen of a Vulcan.

Though perhaps not completely, he amended. Jim had a tendency to elicit an alarming amount of irregular behavior in a number of sentient beings, his own race included. T'Pren already demonstrated a propensity to tolerate excessive touching from the human, perhaps even derive satisfaction from it. Spock supposed he could not fault her for a weakness he himself shared, and so put it out of his mind.

Jim emerged some time later, tired but clearly satisfied. She flashed everyone a smile. "What's for dinner?" she asked cheerfully. T'Pren took it upon herself to set the table, fiercely concentrating on lifting the heavy salad bowl to the center without overbalancing. Sensing the girl was trying to prove something, Jim allowed her to do it without interfering and laid a hand on Spock's arm when he moved as if to help. At last things were arranged to the child's liking and they sat down to eat.

Jim eyed the strange tuber on her plate dubiously but bit back her comments, though Spock felt her desire to question. With a martyred air, she speared the vegetable on the end of a fork and took a bite. "Weird but good," she ultimately pronounced, and Selek ducked his head to hide his face. T'Pren gravely cut her own meal up into precise cubes before eating. Spock, having done the same as a young man, was secretly amused. At last they all sat back, replete. Jim turned to her ward. "Do you bathe in the morning?" T'Pren shook her head. "At night, then?" She nodded. "Okay, I think someone brought over your things while we were out. Let's get you ready for bed."

Silently adamant that she did not require assistance in the bath, the little girl disappeared into the bathroom with a well-worn robe and a towel that was ridiculously large in comparison to her tiny body. Spock listened carefully and only relaxed when he heard the shower start running. He told himself he was only doing his duty as a caretaker. Jim gave him a teasing look and rolled her eyes when he frowned at her. "Did I say thank you?" she murmured, settling into the couch. "Because, seriously. Thank you."

The tips of his ears flushed green. "Thanks are unnecessary," he replied. "It was the morally correct course of action, the only logical one to take."

"Mmhm," she hummed knowingly, before abruptly leaning over and pressing a cool kiss on his temple. "I'm still grateful. And I think you'll find I can be very… accommodating… when I'm grateful." He raised an eyebrow at her, trying to stifle the pang of arousal her words elicited. With Selek still washing the dishes, now was probably not the correct time to throw her over his shoulder and carry her off to their sleeping quarters. T'Pren chose that moment to emerge from the bathroom, clean and damp, and the moment was put aside for later perusal.

"Come sit down and I'll fix your hair," Jim offered, and after a brief hesitation T'Pren handed her a comb. "I still have to learn the Vulcan braids, "Jim confessed, "but a French braid should do for tonight." She gently removed as much water from the girl's hair as possible with the towel before combing it out and beginning to arrange it. "I'm not pulling too hard, am I?" she asked, and seemed relieved at the faint negation she received. Selek, having finished the washing up, settled himself in an armchair to watch her work. The resulting silence was not awkward but warm and comfortable.

"All right," Jim concluded. "Turn around and let me see you. How nice!" Her eyes flicked to a strange green blemish on the girl's temple. "Uh-oh. What happened here?" she asked, reaching out to touch the marks. As her fingers approached, T'Pren flinched, violently. Every adult in the room instantly froze.

Jim was the first to react, and her voice was deceptively calm. "Are you okay?" she asked. "I won't touch you if you don't want me to. I made you a promise to protect you and keep you, remember?" Slowly the child's eyes opened, filled with shame. "I wish you would tell me what happened, though," Jim continued evenly. "I would like to understand it."

There was a long, tense period where T'Pren did not respond at all. Then, fumblingly, she reached three fingers and touched them to Jim's psi-points. Jim bent down, ready for a meld, but the girl shook her head. She took her fingers down and touched them to her own points, then back to Jim's, then back to her own until her meaning became clear. "Someone melded with you and left those marks?" Jim guessed. T'Pren nodded, once.

"Did you agree to that?" Jim asked softly.

T"Pren shook her head, then looked away. "I see," Jim said. As if helpless to stop herself, she reached for the child's face again, but this time merely smoothed her palm down her cheek. "That won't happen again," Jim said simply. "All right, I think that's enough stress for one day, don't you? Come on sweetheart, I'll show you your room." She gathered the girl up in her arms and let her rest her head in the crook of Jim's neck before bearing her off to bed. Spock and Selek looked at one another, shocked and perturbed. To meld with a minor without consent was an egregious crime, one punishable by the harshest of sentences.

Jim emerged from the room where she had put T'Pren, and this time she was no longer calm. Her eyes burned with a fury that was so intense it made the hairs on the back of Spock's neck rise in fear. "Selek," she said, her voice soft and dangerous. Very dangerous.

"Yes?" he said quietly.

"You find the person who did this. You find the son of a bitch and you make him stop."

Spock realized in that moment that his humorous tender idealistic t'hy'la was fully capable of razing the world to the ground. Selek, apparently thinking on the same lines, paled and said the first thing that automatically came to his mind. "Yes, Captain," he croaked, and saluted.