Chapter 13: Beautiful Pain Pt. 2

A/N: hello! Omg, whats this? Another chapter? Yes that's right I'm back! On with the story…

*Oh and thank you wonderfully Guest Reader, for putting your excrement, on my reviews page. I know you took some time out of your very busy life to make fun of my work, but it's not really necessary. Alot of people actully like this fic on multiple websites, so I'm not gonna let your immature outburst ruin it for me.

Now on with the fic...


The Next Morning…

Spock walked up the familiar steps to the 2nd floor apartments. Every step burned to memory, he could walk with his eyes closed never missing a step. The gentle sigh that escaped his slightly chapped lips was full of frustration and despair, brows creased in thought from the long hours at the office with the director; and when he rang the bell to apartment 512, Spock struggled to curve his lips in a pathetic attempt at a smile. The door opened immediately to reveal the bright smile of his partner. Her light blue eyes scanning over his tired form and she sighed, her shoulders slightly slumped as she moved forward to pull the taller man in for a gentle embrace.

"Thank you Carol…" She pulled away to smile shyly smoothing out the tousled black bangs and huffed out a small laugh. Shaking her head she walked back inside to her apartment waving him to follow.

"Just come inside…"

He followed her in setting his coat in the closet and took off his shoes to put on the house slippers by the entrance of the door. When he looked up Carol was still standing by the door with her hands on her hips.

"How long has it been since you've last gotten a hair cut Spock?" He tilted his head as his hand unconsciously went up to pull lightly on the black strands.

"My hair? Why?" She sighed again but with a small laugh at the end.

"Go ahead and take a shower Spock, I'll bring you a towel in a minute and then we'll take care of that mess you call hair." He sighed again knowing it wasn't an offer he could refuse, and coming from the small blonde woman, he knew that it wasn't a request, but rather a polite demand.

The detective trudged his way down the hall all too familiar to him. The thought of a nice hot bath beckoned him forward and he loosened his navy blue tie as he entered the bathroom. Spock inhaled the sweet scent of cinnamon and apples and his eyes gazed around the room landing on the burning red candles on the counter and pretty decoration of red and pink flowers in a small vase by the window. The sunlight reflecting off the marbles in the glass vase beautifully and he smiled taking off his jumper.

A light tap on the door made him pause from unbuttoning his shirt and he opened the door to let Carol in. She smiled handing him the soft plush towel.

"I'm sorry this case hasn't been the easiest thing for you, but understand that this is all for a good cause… Is it really so bad to want to help clean up the streets?" Spock sighed pushing her out gently and closed the door to continue undressing, his bare back leaning against the door made him shiver but he relaxed leaning against the door listening to Carols soft breathing before he spoke.

"I am uncertain, Ms. Marcus… How can we justify our actions when the assumed criminal or suspect has no control over the predicament? Are we not just as bad, or more so at fault when we punish people for a crime they had no control over? A crime they did not commit?"

"Uh… Spock…" He smiled at her sharp inhale of breath and continued.

"Those prostitutes do not deserve to be arrested… I truly believe our new targets ar#e innocent… I find myself at a loss when I am asked to play with someone's emotions unbeknownst to them; how can I be passive and uncaring through a relationship? Won't I too be compelled to receive affection? I cannot just act, because I am afraid I will fall prey to emotions… Tell me, what am I supposed to do Carol…"

She lowered her eyes to the shadow standing behind the door, she knew Spock was talking about the case Pike had personally assigned to him. Carol hadn't been briefed on the details of the case, but she was certain Spock was venting out his thoughts on what exactly he was supposed to do. Carol placed her hand gently against the door, trying to reach out to him through the white painted wood. Spock only smiled moving to turn on the hot water and stepped inside to take a shower. He could still hear her soft sobs through the running water, could feel the tears stain her face as the water ran down his body, as if it were her very tears bathing him in a river of guilt.

This case was going to be far from easy.

Pike sat at his desk looking at Spock. The man had a wrinkled suit, his pitch black hair normally trimmed to perfection was now longer with pointed edges sticking in all sorts of directions. Christopher could honestly say he looked like shit and he immediately felt guilty for putting such a heavy burden on Spock to begin with, but there was no other choice. Spock was his only hope to save Jim. He sighed leaning back in his chair as Spock let out a long sigh and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Look son, I know you have your doubts and concerns but I'm not asking you to sleep with him, Jesus Christ Spock… Please, you're the only one I can depend on here…"

Pike sighed taking the file from the desk. He opened to the pictures of James T. Kirk smiling at all too distant memories, and he flipped through the pictures frowning as the event of that day dreadful day came back at full force.

"George was my partner… He was my best friend, more like family Spock, we were brothers… His wife was a good person, just… After the accident… She just lost it Spock. She was never the same again."

Spock kept his gaze on the photos spread out on the desk. His mind trying to concentrate on each and every image, trying to decipher why the boys face seemed so familiar. But Pike sighed and he prepared himself for the sure enough story that would mostly take hours to tell. The photo of a little blonde boy was placed at the center of the desk and Director Pike took out an older photo from his wallet and threw it along side the photo. He was astonished at the obvious change in the boys eyes. The photo from Pikes wallet showed a brighter and happier child, but the photo in the file was so much more lifeless. The child who smiled rays of sunlight seemed more secluded and lifeless. The smile still on his face but the curve of lips and slight gapped front teeth didn't shine the same way, but dull and grey. The drastic change between photos, through such small period of time, it was alarming, and Spock understood why Pike would risk so much for the sake of someone he loved.

"She started drinking, she's lost a lot of weight, she'd go missing for days and nobody knew where she went… She'd always leave the boys with Frank… At first everything seemed alright, but Jim's brother George started acting strange. Little by little the boy started to change, started acting like he was afraid to go home. He never let Jim out of his sight, like he was trying to protect him from everyone…"

Spock could see two small children, he imagined scared blue eyes and little chubby fingers clinging to his big brothers shirt. As Pike continued his story Spock listened quietly closing his eyes in deep thought. Walking through every memory along side his friend.

"George wouldn't talk though, he made it seem like everything was alright but then Jim got a little older and he started acting the same way. I knew something was wrong then… I couldn't watch them go back into that house afraid, so I went to pick them up from school but I only saw Jim that day…"

"Spock, when I picked up that boy my whole world crashed… He raised his arms and the little yellow Bat Man shirt he was wearing rode up… The side of his tummy had an ugly purple and blue mark…" Spock eyes went wide and he sat on edge with his fingers digging into his knees.

"Did he… Was it their uncle?" Pikes piercing stare rolled icy blue irises making Spock grow cold, he wished he hadn't asked. It was along time before either of them moved or spoke. Spock could admit his father and himself didn't see eye to eye, but never had his father struck him. Spock hadn't even realized when he spaced out till a sudden deep exhale of breath broke through the silence.

"The most amazing part though… He was still smiling Spock. Bright blue eyes, and gapped teeth poking through his lips like it was nothing…" Almond eyes struggled to move his stare from his shoes, he didn't want to see the directors expression. His mind built an image of that, and he could almost see the distraught facial expression of his friend; the visible shock and anger and finally utter disappointment. Spock wondered if Pike blamed himself for the marks under little Jim's clothes that day.

"After that Jim moved in with me, a trial went through and I got full custody of both boys but we never found George. We have no idea where he went. Jim was pretty broken up about it for awhile but soon things got better for him, I thought everything was alright. And then one day he was gone. No note, no phone call, nothing Spock. He was just gone."