rDisclaimer: I do not own Star Trek. I own nothing interesting. All I've got is my bones, must be why I like McCoy so much.

AN: Kirk and McCoy have a chat, and try to deal with the fall out of meddling relatives and crew.

Content Warning: If you've made it this far, I think you're good.

Through A Mirror Darkly

Teris Xenite

Kirk stepped into his quarters and rolled his shoulders with a sigh. After his chat with Pike he'd finished his duties as Captain for the day, and was looking forward to seeing McCoy at the end of his shift. He'd considered swinging by his quarters before returning to the bridge to let McCoy handle the growing bruise across his cheek. However after weighing the consequences for him which were negligible, as everyone on board except Jim and Winona thought that Pike was batshit insane, versus the gain for Pike's reputation which would be substantial, he decided against it.

Never let it be said that he wasn't a team player. If he planned on ruling the Empire, he needed Pike in place a few years longer at least, and so he needed Pike to maintain the aura of worse than hell spawn that he'd spent most of his career accomplishing. Besides the look of absolute rage on his mom's face when she'd seen the bruise had been well worth it. Even though he had no desire to ruin her relationship with Pike, it was reassuring to know that he could do so.

Frank and several other fools along the way had learned that even when they thought that Winona Kirk loved them, she loved her son more. It was their little secret that love was in fact reserved for George Kirk and her son alone. She'd sworn the day the Kelvin exploded, that she'd never love another, and as far as he knew she hadn't. That of course hadn't kept her from acting like a lovesick fool where appropriate. It kept the idiots from predicting the knife in their back quite nicely.

Still he really didn't want Pike dead and replaced with an unknown variable, so he was quick to soothe her when he ran into her on the way to his quarters. She grabbed his chin and turned the purpled flesh towards the light. "Christopher did this?" She asked knowing perfectly well that there was no one else on ship that could get away with marking him in such a fashion.

"I baited him mom, and I damn well deserved it. But you can be sure his feelings for you are genuine." The look of happiness on her face even as she stroked his bruised cheek had made it worth taking the hit. He'd have to rework his plans to make sure that Pike lived. It would after all be a shame for his mother to lose two men that she loved, which Jim could see that she did even if she remained willfully blind.

Still even though she was happy with the news he brought, she whole heartedly disapproved of his method of gathering it. She had stroked his cheek gently and smiled. "Christopher and I will be having a discussion about this Jim, and should he ever lays hands on you again, I think there is still a plot next to Frank. But I suppose this one time, I can forgive him since you tell me that you deserved it. I don't think I want to know what you said to get him to do this, do I?"

"Not really. And he said he wasn't going to tell you. But just in case he changes his mind, I promise I didn't mean a word of it. I was testing him. I'd never believe the things I said about you."

"Ah, the if the man responds to an insult to his lover he must be in love test. I've taught you well son. I promise whatever you said I won't hold it against you. Now go let Leonard heal that for you. If you play it right you might even be able to get him to kiss it and make it better."

He chuckled at his mother's suggestion. "I just might do that mom. It'll be interesting. This is the first time I've had any type of injury since we came to our little arrangement."

Winona arched an elegant eyebrow at that statement. "That should be interesting indeed. I hope you have a very good time with your consort, dear. In the meantime I need to go explain some things to Christopher."

"Far be it from me to stop you, mom, but do try to leave the man in one piece." He smiled at her, a boyish grin that she'd missed as he'd grown to be a hardened man. She had been right, McCoy was very, very good for Jim.

She gave him an exasperated smile and a wink. "Well dear, if I must. I suppose I shall try." He gave her a kiss on the cheek, and she set off towards Pike's rooms. He watched as she walked off and winced, if the aggravated swish of her skirts was any indication he didn't envy Pike this evening. Though he'd admit, if anyone could give his mother a run for her money it would be Christopher Pike.

He continued onto his quarters, hoping that McCoy had not snuck off to Med Bay in his absence. If his conversation with the girls had gone anything like what he imagined then he was sure that McCoy had needed to take some time to process what had gone on. Gaila was a wonderful woman, but she could give a man a headache faster than nearly any woman that he'd ever met. And Uhura, well he respected the hell out of her, but she wasn't exactly known for mollycoddling. Granted her brutal honesty was what he liked about her, but he could imagine that for someone in McCoy's position that she probably came on a little strong.

All these things led him to his door, where he hoped that he would find a mostly functional not terrified or otherwise damaged consort. Scanning his quarters he felt himself relax a bit as he saw McCoy sitting at the table looking over a padd, holding a rocks glass of bourbon. When McCoy heard the door hiss his eyes met Jim's and the instant that he saw the bruise on Kirk's face he was on his feet and headed towards him.

"What the hell happened?" Gentle hands tilted his chin towards the light, and probed the injury.

"Had a conversation with Pike."

"Pike did this?" McCoy looked at him incredulous.

"To be fair, I did push his buttons. I needed to know for sure what his plans were for my mother. Now I do."

"And there was no way to find out that didn't involve him hitting you?" McCoy's voice took on the exasperated tone that he typically displayed in Med Bay when he considered the cause of the crewman's injury to be their own foolishness or carelessness. Though when he thought about it Kirk was willing to concede that one could consider baiting an Admiral, particularly one with the reputation of Pike as being foolhardy.

"It was the most effective. Besides I've had worse and you know it." In truth Kirk was rather amused that people seemed more concerned with a bruised cheek than some of the more life threatening issues that he returned from away missions with. He supposed it was a discomfort thing, he was the biggest fish in this particular pond, and his crew wasn't used to seeing one of their own place a mark on him. Crazy aliens beating him bloody, sure that wasn't unusual, but a member of Starfleet that was discomforting. It called into question their own vulnerability, and people always hated facing that.

"That is not the point." The gruff growl was almost affectionate, and Kirk smiled.

"Careful McCoy, you're starting to sound like you actually care."

McCoy actually rolled his eyes at that statement. "Now why would I care that you let someone use you as a punching bag. And don't even expect me to believe that you didn't let Pike hit you. The man's recovery was good, but it wasn't that good."

McCoy went over to the bags that had been delivered while he'd been talking with Gaila and Uhura. He quickly lay hands on a dermal mender, and gestured for Kirk to sit. Kirk allowed himself to relax as McCoy concentrated on his injury. Thanks to the joys of modern medicine the bruise was healed in a matter of moments. And Kirk had to admit that the opportunity to watch McCoy while he was so focused was totally worth what was, in comparison to what he normally walked away from a fight with, essentially a love tap.

He closed his eyes as McCoy stroked the newly healed skin, testing for any residual tenderness with gentle pressure, and gasped as the other hand came to up to play with the hair at the nape of his neck while objectively holding him still. "Might I gather that your talk with Gaila and Uhura went well?" On one hand he was glad that McCoy felt safe enough to touch him of his own volition, on the other he wondered if it had been a good idea to let his ex talk to McCoy and spill all his secrets. Like for instance that having his hair played with pretty much guaranteed a good mood.

"They gave me a lot to think about." Kirk resisted the urge to pull McCoy back as he rose and put the dermal mender away. Instead he took in the large stack of pads in front of McCoy's chair.

"What's all this?"

McCoy shrugged as he returned to his seat. "Pike brought me a little bit of light reading."

"Oh, really? Now what exactly does Pike consider light reading?"

McCoy swirled the bourbon in his glass, watching the ice cubes dance instead of meeting Kirk's eyes. "He wanted to give me something to think about. Some of it was things that I already knew mostly, like the fact that the majority of your contemporaries are sadistic bastards." He gestured at the pile of padds. "Those are the complete medical records of several captains' and admirals' pets."

Kirk raised an eyebrow. "And what precisely did he expect that to teach you?"

"The first part wasn't a surprise. He might not have realized it, but I am entirely versed in how cruel these particular individuals could be. Who do you think got to clean up their messes when they were visiting the academy?"

Kirk's lips pursed, he thought a moment and then frowned. "They'd have wanted the best, and even when we were cadets that was you, wasn't it?" In a way he was disappointed in himself for not having realized this before, as it would have explained why McCoy was so cautious around him despite the fact that he'd never actually done anything to him.

"Every single time."

"So if that part of Pike's lesson wasn't a surprise, then what was?"

"Well the dossiers on your old flames were interesting, but didn't tell me anything that I didn't already know. Though the reminder was nice, but they indicate that you either really do leave the bastard at the door when you come home, or that you're damn good at healing things yourself so as to stay under the radar. Given what I know about your first aid skills, I'm guessing that it's the earlier one."

"I'd already told you that, I wouldn't have expected that to be a surprise."

"Like I said, confirmation of what I already should have known. Forgive me for needing proof as it's my ass on the line if I'm wrong. The surprising bit was the level of finagling that you apparently engaged in to see to it that I was your CMO."

Kirk smirked. "What can I say, I'm a picky bastard. I damn well intended for my ship to have the best."

McCoy wasn't about to let him off the hook that easily. There were personal motives involved here, and he wanted Kirk to at least acknowledge them, even if he wouldn't explain them. "There are other doctors in Starfleet as good as I am."

Kirk shook his head. "No Bones, there really aren't. And besides, I wanted you as more than just a doctor, and you damn well know it." Kirk allowed his gaze to fill with the lust that always simmered just below the surface when he was with the good doctor. He was rewarded as Bones' cheeks began to heat under his stare.

"And he mentioned something about a Regulation 21B459 subsection C, said you could explain it to me. I'm pretty good on the medical codes, but that falls in the Captain's section doesn't it?"

"That would be the code that allows me to take whatever liberties I want, with any member of my crew, with no reprisal from Starfleet. It essentially states that your ass, along with everyone else's on this ship belong to me if I should so choose."

"Yet you've never used it. Even when I had to be frustrating the hell out of you, as you aren't typically renowned for your patience?"

Kirk frowned and shot McCoy a dark look. "If I have to use the threat of court marshal to get someone in my bed, then I don't deserve to have them there. That particular regulation is a coward's way of abusing one's power. And to my way of thinking if you make it to Captain, you ought to have something more appealing to offer a prospective bedmate than if you don't I'll court marshal you."

"There's one thing that doesn't make sense though, despite all the people I've talked with today, and everything that I know about you."

"And that would be?"

"Why go to all this trouble for me? I'm a sharp tongued, foul tempered bastard, who's brought you more problems to deal with than benefits. I'm not exactly Don Juan, I have no fucking clue how to please you in bed, except for the information that I got today from your ex. And I don't improve your family fortune or your connections. So what gives? You could have any one you wanted on at least a dozen different planets. Why put yourself through all this bother, set this up for years, just for me?"

Kirk sighed. "You know I find myself annoyed at the fact that the people who made you doubt your worth are dead. It does me the disservice of not being able to throttle them." Kirk rose and went over to stand beside McCoy, stroking his cheek with the back of his fingers. This doubt of his own self worth explained a good deal of the mistrust of that McCoy had for him. If he didn't believe himself valuable, then why would he believe that Kirk found him precious, and therefore immune to the more unpleasant ways that the Captain had of dealing with those who displeased him. Kirk added this particular bit of information to the long list of things that he knew about Leonard H. McCoy, and made a note to keep an eye out for this particular insecurity, as it was likely to be deep seeded and not easily dispersed.

He pressed a gentle kiss to McCoy's lips and cupped his cheek, not allowing McCoy to avoid his eyes. "You're worth both the effort I put into wooing you, and the time it took to catch you because of the very things that you mentioned. I like your vitriol, and your temper. I like teaching you about sex, if for no other reason than you blossom under my instruction so very well. And as for connections or wealth, the only people around that could improve either of those are such insufferable bastards that I'd kill them in a week, and blood is a bitch to get out of bed sheets."

"Captains don't wash their own bed sheets anyway." This got a ghost of a smile from McCoy, and Kirk returned it.

"No they don't." He stroked McCoy's jaw and let his hand drift into his hair, while sending him a smile. "I think we ought to take advantage of that particular fact." He pulled McCoy to his feet, and led him into the bed room. He planned on showing McCoy just how special Kirk found him. A half or dozen orgasms or so should do the job nicely.

AN: Hey ya'll sorry for the length of time between updates, Kirk needed a break after Valentine's Day. Apparently pink candy hearts and sappy poetry are his Kryptonite. Let me know what you think of this chapter, and as always thank you for reading.

Next Chapter: Kirk lays down some ground rules.