Authors Note: We have about three or so more chapters for this arc. I cannot believe it has been three years since I have started this fic and still haven't finished. Let's hope it doesn't take another three years to finish the last Arc? Thank you to everyone who has continued reading. It means a lot to me.
Jim stared at a blinking message. Another puzzle to solve. His fingers itched to type away at his PADD. It was a bad habit he had picked up in his younger days when Sammy had given him puzzles to keep him quiet. It wasn't until his teachers had pulled him aside years later to get him tested did he really grasp that the puzzles were too advanced for a three year old to solve.
He groaned and looked away from the waiting message. It would have to wait until after work for him to solve. He only had an hour left. He could wait that long. A knock on the door drew his attention. "Enter." A smile pulled at the corner of his lips at the familiar face. "Sarek, good to see you." At the raised eyebrow Jim waved a hand. "I needed a distraction. I'm a bit tired. What can I do for you?"
The elder Vulcan took a seat. "I though we could return to your home together. I wanted to check in on David. My son is also in residence at your home. I have not seen my grandson in person for some time."
It amazed Jim just how much this man had changed since he knew him. "Sure." He glanced at the clock. "I still have an hour before I leave." That also reminded him he had skipped lunch. It wasnt as bad as it use to be but there were still some days he couldn't stomach the sight of food. More importantly he was a few hours overdue.
Jim reached in his bag and pulled free the pills Bones and his therapist came up with. He swallowed the handful of pills and chassed them with water. "I worked through lunch." He knew he didn't have to explain but Sarek was his friend as much as Bones was these days.
"They are still working? The last batch did not end well." Sarek was watching him. Likely to make sure he didn't break out in hives or end up convulsing on the floor.
Laughing Jim shook his head. "No it's still good. But good to know I can become allergic to water with the right kind of meds in my system." The sudden onset of the allergy had been frightening. He was only thankful this had been before David had come to live with him.
Leaning back in his chair Jim spoke. "It's...weird having him staying with me." Not living. No he would never call it that. It hurt too much. "It's been hard keeping Spock from seeing me take my pills. I'm not ashamed. I just don't want him blaming himself. He didn't know what sort of crap would happen when a bond broke for a human."
Silence crept into the room until Sarek took the glass of water offered. "As I said before. When my son broke his bond with you I am no longer obligated to tell him anything. What you tell me will stay between us. If you do tell him he will learn to 'deal' with it. If it becomes too much for you to house him I will make other arrangements for his stay."
A snort left Jim at the immage of Spock father dragging him home by his ear. "I'm fine. We are getting along like before. In a good way. Do you mind driving? I get sleepy for a little bit after I take my meds. It goes away quick enough but..." He gave a small shrug.
Sarek nodded. "Of course Jim." The last hour went by more quickly even though nothing more was said between them. Jim followed the older man to the hover car handing him the keys. As Sarek drove Jim typed away at the puzzle. As each peice fell into place he lost himself to it more and more. It was enough to drive away the sleepiness that came with the pills.
They pulled up to the house to the sound of laughter coming from the back yard. They glanced at each other before going to investagate. Jim stopped in his tracks before laughing. He nearly doubled over at the sight. Sarek let out a huff that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle. Two children stared up at them with wide innocent eyes. "Daddy!"
"Laugh it up you brat. Time for you to join in all the fun." Bones stood from the small table and stomed over to the new comers. His hands wrapping around their arms so they could not run away. Jim snickered att the way over to the table. With a straight face he watched his son rush around the table to place a flower crown on his head.
"We are at a faerie party. We have tea and cakes. We read a book about faeries." David put the second crown on Sarek's head. It matched the one Bones wore. "Mr. Spock made the tea. Bone baked for us. Me and Lhai made the crowns and wings. Mr. Spock and Lhai are faeries. Can you be a faerie too Mr. Sarek?"
Spock looked at Jim as the former captain took a cookie and stuffed it in his mouth. It clearly said we do not speak of this. Ever. The threat was loss behind the glitter they had found somewhere and the wings made from nylon and wire. Jim took another cookie as Sarek with as much grace as a faerie king could muster accepted his flower crown.
Hours later the two boys lay tangeled together in the fort of pillows and blankets. Bones streached out letting his joints pop. "I'm getting too old to chase devil spawn around. Where do they get so much energy?"
Spock rubbed at the glitter still sticking to his face. "I think it had to do with you giving them candy. Then making it a contest who could eat more of it."
Jim leaned against the door frame sipping at the ice water he had gotten. "I could have won that one if Bones hadn't stopped me." There was a snort from the doctor and a mutter of man child. "Hey you said whoever could finish got their choice of bedtime story. If Uncle Bones was reading I wanted to win." He quickly dodged the pillow thrown at him before settling down in his chair.
Bone glanced at the children. "Think we should move them?" He looked at the two parents.
"No. If we move David now he isn't going back to sleep for another three hours at least. Sleeps like the dead when he goes to sleep. Nearly impossible to get him there." Jim muttered.
Spock shook his head. "Lhai will not mind sleeping out here. Though he is Vulcan he is still a child."
Sarek still wore his crown proudly and probably would do something to it to keep it from wilting. "It is growing late I should return home. It was good to see the children. David was... I think today was good for him and Lhai too."
Bones streached and stood. "You didn't drive your car?" When the Vulcan shook his head the southern doctor nodded. "I can drive you. Your place isn't too far out of my way. You kids get some sleep. I'll swing by on my way in the morning and help you clean this mess up. Go get some sleep Jim." With that Bones left with Sarek following.
Jim looked at the sleeping children. "Think they would care if I joined them?" The couch was bare as they had taken everything to make their fort.
"You should take the bed Jim. Vulcans require less sleep. I will be fine staying in here tonight." Spock sat in the other chair before opening up the PADD he had been working on. "I have a few emails I need to check before I can continue working on the message."
Sighing Jim nodded. "Fine but only tonight. I don't need to take over the bed. That reminds me I have a new message. I tried to trace it and couldn't. I think I'm almost done with solving it's encrypt. If you want you can have a go at it."
They said their good nights before Jim made his way to the bathroom. He showered and dressed before making his way to his bedroom. Without thinking he made his way to his side of the bed and flopped down. Instantly he was surrounded by the smell so achingly familiar. Spock. His eyes stung before he threw an arm over them. He should change the sheets. He remembered the first time they had stopped smelling of the other man. It had not been a good day.
Jim rolled to his side and stared at the pillow that belonged to Spock. The othe rmale had even took to sleeping on "his" side of the bed. Jim rubbed the scar on his wrist until it was tender; until the urge to scream or cry left. It was just a bed. A smell. Ghost of the past. It was fine. He was okay. Taking a shaky breath he repeated the words silently until the ache left and he could sleep.