Jim sighed gustily. "Don't 'sir' me; you're being corrected, not punished."
"What did I do?" David asked.
"You hinted that you'd lie about liking Jakob, and then implied you had done the same about Spock. You made it sound like you didn't really like him at first, or possibly that you still don't like him as much as he thought you did."
David's eyes grew. "No, that wasn't what I meant at all! I meant … well, I made Mr. Spock seem cool to you because you liked him so much, but it wasn't that I didn't like him, I just didn't know him. I really did like him that much after a while, and I've loved him for a long time now."
Jim put a heavy hand on his son's shoulder. "David Gregory, I want you to listen to me very carefully, okay? You're going to learn as you get older about this thing called tact. It means knowing when to say something and when to let it slide, and what to say if you do say something. The tactful thing would have been to say you would do what was necessary to get your mother to bring you home, and leave out the part about you being dishonest about Spock."
"Oh."
"But now that that cat's out of the bag, I'll tell you this much. You know how my husband and I can sense each other's emotions?" Jim waited for David to nod. "Well, you hurt my mate. And that kills me, because of all the people, you can get to Spock the easiest. He could handle it from me, he could handle it from Bones, but from you, it hurts him the worst."
David shrank. "I'm really sorry."
"I am too, slugger. I am too." Jim got up and brushed past the boy and into the living room.
Spock was sitting in the recliner, looking out the window. Jim went to McCoy first and silently pointed over to his mate. McCoy pursed his lips and shook his head woefully. Jim sighed and went over to speak to the withdrawn man.
"Hey. Um, you want to watch a video? We can watch Mr. Holland's Opus if you want."
Spock dragged his eyes away from the outside view and focused on his partner. "I would prefer not to watch a film. I will vacate the premises so you may, however." He began to stand, and Jim pressed down on his shoulder.
"Hey. It came out wrong. He wasn't sure of you at first, that's all. He grew to think you were pretty cool, and he says he loves you now. He feels really bad about it."
"He should not. I would be a hypocrite if I were to insist he be honest about all subjects except those which affect me personally. If you will excuse me, I must meditate." Spock got up despite Jim's efforts to hold him down, and stepped around his mate. Jim listened to the steady footsteps up the stairs and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
Jim went to speak to McCoy and didn't hear the next pair of feet go up to the second floor.
Upstairs, David paused outside his parents' bedroom door. It was one of the major commandments in the Spock-Kirk household – unless it's an emergency, when the door is closed you knock. It went for both Jim and Spock's room as well as David's room. Well, David was thinking this was probably the closest to an emergency he was going to get unless the house burned down. He turned the knob and slipped in the dim room.
There was a glowing ember in the corner, and the air was just becoming saturated with the scent of sandalwood incense. Spock was sitting facing the corner with his arms crossed over his stomach. His face was turned down and David was about to speak when Spock lifted his head.
"Mother, I do not understand. Every logical part of me insists the child did not mean to wound me as he did, and yet I am angry, and the pain is still there."
He pressed his hands together, then laced his fingers and locked his hands together. David remained motionless by the door.
"When I was small, you would tell me sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. I did not understand then, Mother, and I do not understand now. The words do hurt. James' words, David's words, Dr. Marcus' words, they all hurt. I thought as I grew I would become stronger. Why have I not become stronger, Mother?"
Spock put his face in his hands, and then ran his hands through his hair. It fluttered back into place, with the exception of his bangs. He reached up and brushed them back down and as he drew his hand back down his wedding band reflected briefly and he looked at it, spinning it around.
"Father insists James speaks out of turn, without considering the consequences. At times I wonder if his hurtful comments are not his true feelings unveiled. I am almost certain that is the case with David. Am I that unpleasant to be around, Mother? Have I become what Father was as I grew? Is there any redeeming me now?"
"You're not a bad person," David spoke up softly, and Spock scrambled up. The two faced off across the room, and David's heart was pounding in his chest but he didn't run.
"What were our instructions about entering our room without our permission?" Spock barked.
"This is an emergency. I hurt you and I have to make it better." David rubbed at his eyes because of the smoke in the air. "Does your mother ever answer you?"
Spock slowed his breathing and tried to will down the anger at having his private time observed. "No, my mother does not answer me. She is dead, David. She cannot answer."
"Angels can give you answers," David countered. "Don't Vulcans believe in angels?"
There was a strange noise and David waited for his stepfather's answer. Finally Spock opened his mouth wide a couple of times before responding with a terse, "No, David, Vulcans do not believe in angels." His mouth shut and the noise resumed.
"How can I make it better?" David asked slowly. "I hurt you and I want to make it better."
"I am adequate, David. I do not need your assistance at this time," Spock lied.
The two stood silently for two minutes before there was a knock at the door and Jim stuck his head in. "Hey Spock, are you – David, what are you doing in here?"
David waited for his stepfather to rat him out, but instead Spock gestured to David and replied "David has declared an emergency. We are in the middle of a discussion. May I assist you, James?"
Jim frowned at his son, and then looked at his mate. "Are you grinding your teeth again?"
Spock lowered his head. "I apologize, t'hy'la, I will cease."
"No, babe, it's okay, I just felt it through the bond." Jim crept in. "Can I declare an emergency too?"
"Would you desire Dr. McCoy's presence as well to make our group complete?" Spock snapped.
Jim shut the door behind himself. "Back it down. If I'm coming in on something personal I'll leave. There's no need to become ugly about it."
Spock turned his head to the side and coughed. Jim immediately froze. There were several signals Spock would give as to his emotional well-being. In Jim's memory, the three other times Spock had turned his head to the side and coughed that way were followed soon after by tears. Finally Jim's override kicked in and he guided his son to the door.
"You're on punishment phase until I get out there. No computer, no comm, no iPod. Stay in your room. And I mean stay in your room, not do whatever you want the second the door shuts, got me?" Jim insisted as he opened the door and pushed the boy out. "Go now." Then the door shut.
Jim spun around and hurried to his mate's side. "Easy, Spock. Easy. Let it go." Spock groaned and he began grinding his teeth again. Jim raised a hand to the side of Spock's face and began rubbing a muscle. "Hey, let go, Spock. You'll feel better afterward, I promise."
Gradually, Spock closed his eyes and a tear traced down his cheek. Jim led him to the bed and drew him down, holding him in his arms. "Shhh. It's okay. I'm right here," Jim whispered.
"I am not sad," Spock growled. "I am angry. I do not understand why I cry when I am angry!" He scrubbed fiercely at his wet eyelashes.
"Well, you may think you're angry, but the bond says you're hurt too. It's easy to confuse them, babe. Believe me, I've been confusing them for the past thirty years."
Spock shuddered and buried his face in his mate's neck. "He heard me speaking to my mother," he explained through harsh breaths.
"You mean he came in and didn't tell you he was in here?" Jim replied in astonishment. "Okay, now I get why you're angry."
"Had I not been so distracted I would have heard him enter. The fault lies with me."
Jim stroked the soft hair and shook his head. "No, precious, this time it's truly his fault. I won't go apeshit on him, but he's going to have to answer for coming up here, coming in without knocking for an inadequate reason, and then not announcing his presence."
Gradually Spock's tears slowed and he sat up. Jim got up and handed him a tissue, and went in the bathroom to run cool water over a washcloth. He came back and pressed the cloth against Spock's raw eyes.
"Now any other time, I would discipline David myself. But I think it'll be more appropriate coming from you. So think about how you would like to punish him and as long as it's not extreme we'll go with it." Jim waited another couple of minutes, pulled the washcloth away, and peeked. "I can't tell in the dark, so I think your eyes are still pretty bloodshot, but at least you haven't got green rings around your eyes anymore."
Spock touched Jim's face. "Thank you, ashayam. May I recommend my punishment for David now?" Jim nodded. "I propose he remain unable to shut his bedroom door for a Standard week. He may change clothes in the bathroom. I believe the loss of privacy will make an adequate impression on him."
"Okay. Sounds good to me. I'm on board and I'll tell McCoy so if he babysits for any reason the kid won't be able to sneak one by on him. Go on and tell him, hon."
Spock stood and crossed the room, walking more confidently than he had before. Jim got up and followed, standing outside David's door and listening in.
"Dad?" David pleaded.
"Nope. Your father and I agreed on this. Lots of kids aren't allowed to close their doors. You've just been really lucky. A week won't kill you."
"Okay," the boy sighed. "If it'll make Father happy."
"It does not please me to have to correct you, David. It is a duty of mine as your stepfather, and I must discharge it properly so you will be a strong individual when you leave us." Spock stood. "I will leave now. Your punishment has begun and will cease next Sunday at eighteen hundred hours."
"When?" David questioned.
"Six at night," Jim answered. "Night, kiddo."
Jim went downstairs and found a note from McCoy saying he'd be back in the morning but after the family would have left for the day. He thanked Spock again for the use of the bed. Jim dashed back up the steps and closed his door. The house fell silent.
A/N: Oh, the woes I put these boys through. They'll be alright. Thanks for putting up with my sporadic posting, and thanks for reading my stories. It means a lot to me. There will be more tomorrow.
