A/N: Thanks to the wonderful Anbessette who helped me with the beta and still endures my craziness.
Chapter 2A: Temet Nosce
Commander Kirk expressed his expectation that the Enterprise was going to get more 'exciting' missions after rescuing a baby and making Betazoid a strong ally for the Federation. Unfortunately for him they were again on 'borings assignments' as he called them. Spock tried to demonstrate how diplomatic events should not take more than two days and were not dull, but given that Kirk was not fond of tact and Spock found the Commander's snorting and complaining aggravating, they reached an understanding. If the planet did not specify for both of them to be involved in the negotiations, they took turns beaming down to the planet. The Commander tried to send Spock on all the missions that were labeled as 'not dangerous' and leave the rest to him, but after what happened on Tersu Spock was not going to let the Commander beam down to a hostile planet alone again. Last time he came back with a baby, Spock did not want to imagine what the Commander could do in other scenarios.
In addition, it was good for Kirk to learn how to behave on diplomatic assignments. Even though the Commander described himself as a 'man of action', Spock required his First Officer to get more involved on every mission despite the fact that they sounded 'boring' to Kirk. The vocal complaints from the Commander had to end eventually, or at least Spock expected them so.
Spock noticed Kirk getting more involved in everything regarding the ship. While Spock observed him, he perceived how the Commander was wary at first, only doing as he was told. Spock considered the successful rescue of the Betazoid baby the event that changed the dynamic on the Enterprise, plus it created a more relaxing environment for the humans. The Bridge was filled with small conversation which Spock often found illogical, but the crew always asked his opinion. Kirk explained that it was a way to be more 'incorporate' with them. Well, the Commander used the word 'bond' except Spock did not agree with the choice of term.
Spock usually ate his meals either with Nyota or with Commander Kirk. Today, however, Nyota was translating the new mission request from the planet that they are going to reach in two days and Kirk was helping Mr. Scott with a transporter malfunction which made them both unavailable. Sitting by himself in the mess hall was somewhat puzzling as he had gotten used to be accompanied most of the time. Nevertheless Spock knew it was illogical to have a preference for company. He used to sit alone all the time, even in the Academy. This time should not be different. His mother had often told him that he felt 'lonely' when he expressed disconcertion because his classmates avoided him, which led Spock to just adapt to the situation and stop sharing those kind of thoughts with his mother, who always wanted to label his concerns with human feelings.
Spock knew he was half human, nonetheless he had chosen the Vulcan teachings and control. His mother eventually understood this and supported him in his decisions. Still, Spock had come to accept that he was not part of any culture. Even though he was half of both species, he was considered too human for the Vulcans, and too Vulcan for the humans. He was, as his mother was fond to say, even when it was illogical, 'one of a kind', and that meant a solitary path.
Spock saw Lieutenant Sulu approaching his table. He was probably going to eat his meal with Ensign Chekov, but glancing to the side, Spock did not see the Russian anywhere near.
"Captain." Mr. Sulu stood in front of Spock "May I join you for lunch?"
Spock was intrigued. The crew preferred to have their meals with acquaintances. True, sometimes the Lieutenant and the Ensign shared the table with him and Kirk, although Spock had concluded that it was because Kirk was friendly with them, while Spock, in Kirk's own words, was 'uninterested'. Spock nodded and watched the Lieutenant taking the vacant chair in front of him smiling while doing so in a mode that seemed careful.
"Since the Commander is with Scotty, and Chekov is with Lieutenant Uhura, I thought we both could use the company," explained Sulu.
Spock was about to tell the Lieutenant that he did not need company and it was no problem for him to have his meals alone; then he remembered how Kirk explained that sometimes his logical statements sounded like 'blowing people off'. In one of their chess matches Spock made a comment of how spending his time with Kirk was no different to spending time revising reports, and Kirk looked almost offended. The Vulcan had just wanted to point out that he had finished the reports and there was no need for him to be 'rescued' from the task but Kirk took it to mean that he was bored with their chess games. It took two hours of trying to decipher the Commander's colloquial language and a checkmate on Spock's behalf before they finally reached a common ground.
Delicacy was an ability Spock needed to develop to be Captain of the Enterprise. He was working with humans, and they took offense at almost everything that sounded reasonable. It must have been difficult for his mother to adapt to the Vulcan culture.
Deciding that he did not know what to say to the Lieutenant, Spock remained silent. Sulu did not look angry and he did not seem to expect a response from Spock.
"I read all the information available about the upcoming mission. Thank you for choosing me to beam down with the team, Captain."
"There is no need to thank me, Lieutenant. You are a botanist, you are the most qualified to be part of the lading party." Spock still had difficulties understanding why humans felt it necessary to be grateful when they had no reason to be. Spock noted how this illogical routine had incremented as he took the Enterprise's Captaincy.
"I know sir, I'm just excited. If the readings are correct, that plant could cure a lot of the diseases that so far are only controlled. I don't have too much medical knowledge, but after seeing how everyone in Sickbay was almost dancing I can tell it will be a great breakthrough."
Spock had a hard time imagining Doctor McCoy 'almost dancing'. The doctor was one of the most rude and irritable humans Spock had met. He also was aware of the human tendency to exaggerate everything. For them 'everybody' or 'nobody' meant most people or a few people.
"Well, the majority of the staff," said Sulu like he'd guessed Spock's thoughts. "Doctor McCoy only loosens up when Commander Kirk is with him. But he was less grumpy than usual, that counts."
The Lieutenant kept talking about the plant and hypothesized about the blossoms while Spock listened.
Jim caught up with the gossip after he finished helping Scotty. Apparently Sulu and Spock had had a lunch date, moreover they'd even talked. You couldn't have any privacy on this ship. Stepping into the training room, Jim saw Sulu wiping his forehead with a towel.
"Sulu, did you have fun on your date?" Jim winked at Sulu, who smiled in return.
"It was less than six hours ago. How come everyone is gossiping already?" Sulu sounded amused.
"We're bored; people need more fun apart from the clubs. So, did you finally get over your fear of our dear Captain?"
"It isn't fear, it is respect. He is a Vulcan, he's different from humans."
"Let me tell you a secret, Sulu. Here on the Enterprise, we all are the same. Vulcans, Humans, Orions, Andorians… we all serve for the same purpose. Sure, he is the Captain, that doesn't mean he's not part of the crew too. And you saw it, he's pretty laid back."
"I wouldn't call him 'laid back', but he wasn't bad," agreed Sulu. "Are you training, Commander?"
"I told you, it's Jim off duty. And no, I just wanted to know how the date went. Chapel said you looked as if you actually met your famous crush."
"Jealousy doesn't suit you, Jim." Sulu shook his head.
"Hey, I've been monopolizing the Captain. I know how to share; I'm glad you finally got over your shyness towards Spock."
"I'm glad you got over your grudge against the Captain. Honestly, I thought being on the Enterprise with you two on command was going to be hell."
"Yeah, that seemed to be the general point of view," conceded Jim "and for the record, I never had any grudges against Spock. He wasn't the first one who tried to expel me, and at least he had a somewhat logical reason."
"Well, the way you two kept looking at each other when we were fighting Nero it was almost like hate."
Hate? Jim had never hated Spock. Not even when he marooned out of the ship. Hate was a strong word. Jim didn't go around hating people for things that could eventually be fixed. But listening to Sulu, Jim had to agree that he and Spock had showed antagonism from the first moment they saw each other. What they felt was not hate, it was mistrust. Spock couldn't trust the wild cadet who hacked his program. Jim couldn't trust the Vulcan who tried to get rid of him.
And yet, they worked together and found a way to get a basic understanding.
"Don't worry Commander, now you two are very close. The best friends are the ones who start on the wrong foot." Sulu put the towel around his neck. "See you tomorrow."
"Good night. I'll be monitoring your mission since it's Spock turn to beam down."
"I thought you said it was a 'boring mission with boring plants'."
"You're right, but Chekov is going to miss you on the Bridge given that Uhura's beaming down too. I'll keep him accompanied."
"You better leave him alone and don't try to coerce him into some of your shore leave planes. He's still a minor."
"He'll be eighteen soon enough, he needs to live."
Sulu grabbed the towel on his neck and threw it directly at Jim's face.
"Hey!" Jim complained.
"Good night, Commander."
Sulu walked away from the room, still smiling. Jim was satisfied with the way things were developing. He was not staying on the Enterprise for the five year mission, but at least the year he was going to share with this crew was looking interesting.
Jim was thinking about who could take his place when he requested his promotion. Bones was out of the question, and Uhura needed more field training. Maybe in three years she could do it, but now she was not the right choice. The only Lieutenant who had potential for the job was Sulu, since Scotty had made it clear he wasn't interested in a promotion of any kind. Jim had tried to approach Scotty to see how he felt about taking his post if something happened, and he looked affronted. Scotty had a strange relationship with the machines, and the prospect of leaving his sacred space was a punishment for him. He started rambling about how he was efficient and had done nothing wrong when Jim hinted about the promotion, and even when he was the most experienced, Jim couldn't force Scotty into the promotion if the man didn't want it, at least for now. Hopefully in a few years Scotty would be more open to the job.
That left Sulu. The guy was smart, had good instincts, and was pretty easy going. The key to any first officer was compatibility with the Captain. If Jim and Spock had managed it, Sulu would do just fine. That's why Jim had pushed him to at least share a meal with Spock. If Jim was going to be recommending Sulu for First Officer when he got his own ship, Sulu needed to be on good terms with the Captain.
And hearing how everyone was gossiping about the events of today's lunch, Jim knew he had his replacement.
Jim was standing in the Transporter room watching the landing party get ready for the mission when his communicator buzzed.
"Kirk here."
"Commander, one of the labs is compromised, the tech deleted the… HEY! DON'T TOUCH THAT!"
Kirk almost dropped his communicator when he heard the Lieutenant screaming. Looking at Spock, he only had one eyebrow lifted with curiosity.
"Lieutenant, calm down. What do you need?"
"I know the Captain is down on the planet sir, but he's the only one who knows how to protect the equipment with the codes faster. It would take hours for us to isolate the leak, and the lab would be compromised longer. What are your orders?"
Jim felt he was being talked in another language. He was smart, but he didn't have any idea about what leak the Lieutenant was talking about. He was not familiar with the Science department. Maybe this was something he had to change.
"Lieutenant." Spock took Jim's communicator from his hand and Jim noticed how he was careful enough so they didn't touch accidentally. Spock was very precise about his personal space: not touching him for any reason "What is the equipment status?"
"Captain!" the Lieutenant squeaked surprised. "Down to forty percent, sir."
"Stand by for orders, Lieutenant. Spock out."
Jim looked at Spock waiting for orders too. Maybe if he explained everything clearer and faster Jim could help the Science department.
"Commander Kirk, I am afraid Lieutenant Campell is right. I am needed in the Science Laboratory. Do you mind taking my place in the landing party?"
"Of course, Captain." Jim knew it made more sense for him to beam down instead of going to the science lab. He really didn't know much about how they worked down there.
Still, Jim made a mental note to ask Spock for training in every lab procedure. Jim knew the basics, and he got a few glimpses of how they operated when he talked to Spock during their chess games, but Jim focused more on engineering and security.
"It is a straightforward mission; it should not take more than three hours, without any casualties," said Spock matter-of-factly.
Everyone knew Spock was more careful when Jim was involved on the missions, given the blond's propensity to get hurt on every beaming down. This was the Vulcan way to say: 'You better get back in one piece with the plant'.
"Yes Captain, I know that." Jim was still not used to the 'be careful' speech that Spock said every mission that involved him. It was annoying; it wasn't Jim's fault the majority of the time.
"Very well." Spock looked directly at Sulu, who nodded. "Then I will depart to the Science department. Mister Scott, you have the conn."
"Yes, sir."
Without saying another word, Spock left the Transporter room. Jim glanced at Sulu uncertainly, and he only shrugged.
"Scotty, three to beam down."
"Yes, Commander Captain," said Scotty happily.
Jim could feel the suspiciously look from Uhura. He would have to explain later that it was a joke between him and Scotty, and it didn't mean anything else. Somehow Jim didn't think Uhura had looked angry when she heard what Scotty called him. It was more like she had glimpsed an oddity.
It took three point five hours to get the laboratory in section three functioning again. Spock programmed a lecture on safe procedures for the Science department, since the mistake made today was by no means going to be repeated. The laboratory technician who deleted the wrong file begged for Spock not to send him away. It was an extremely dangerous mistake, important data could have been lost, but it had never crossed Spock's mind to fire the technician. Maybe just 'shape him up', as Kirk was fond to say; extra training in the laboratory, and being supervised until Spock thought he was ready to be responsible for advanced tasks should be enough.
Remembering Kirk, Spock realized that the team had not made contact with him. He walked to the bridge, thinking that if something had happened to the Commander, Nyota would have made contact to inform him of it. When he arrived on the Bridge, Spock saw only Ensign Chekov and Mister Scott with the skeleton crew. He was about to ask if Commander Kirk had made some sort of contact when the Bridge communicator started buzzing.
"Kirk to Bridge."
"Spock here, what is the mission status, Commander?"
"Oh, Captain…" Kirk sounded nervous. That never cued something good "I thought you still were in the science lab."
Yes, there was definitely something wrong.
"Where are you, Commander?"
"Well… we are in Sickbay Captain, but I – "
"I am on my way to the medical ward. You will report there. Spock out."
Without giving Kirk the chance to protest, Spock cut the communication off and, leaving the conn to Mister Scott, he headed to Sickbay. Perhaps it had been naïve on Spock's part to think that for once Mister Kirk would stay out of trouble. Imagining what the Commander's condition was, he entered the Sickbay expecting to see at least a bloody cut or the Commander laid on the bed, probably with restraints.
What he did not expect to see was the Commander sitting down on one of the beds with only his shirt torn. Looking closely, Spock noticed the Commander's eyes were slightly puffy. He glanced at Nyota, who was standing next to Mister Sulu, and both seemed well.
Spock waited until Doctor McCoy ended his small tirade about how idiotic Kirk was, and that he was not his personal nurse. That earned a glare from Nurse Chapel, and Spock agreed with her. McCoy could sometimes be unpleasant in his commentaries.
"I got it, Bones; I'm an idiot for getting hurt on a peaceful mission. In my defense, it wasn't my fault." Spock noticed how Kirk looked directly at him instead of McCoy. Spock had heard that before. The Commander often said it was not his fault when it was.
"The Commander is right, sir," Mister Sulu jumped in to defend him. "We didn't know what the ointment contained."
"Yeah, you told me three times already." McCoy finished injecting something in Kirk's neck. "I'm all done. He's all yours."
McCoy walked away from the bed, and for some reason Spock sensed his words had a double meaning. Looking back at Kirk, he watched the Commander scratching his right cheek.
"STOP SCRATCHING!" McCoy yelled, and Spock wondered how he knew what Kirk was doing.
"I was not!" Kirk grumbled out, although he kept scratching.
"Did you retrieve the plant, Commander?" Spock interrupted before Kirk started arguing with McCoy again.
"Sort of." Kirk could not be vaguer. Spock turned to Nyota.
"The plant is sacred, Captain," she started to explain. "The natives were very polite and explained to us that we just couldn't take it. They needed to see the compromise of the 'guardians'. Therefore they asked who the ones taking care of the plant were. Since Lieutenant Sulu was the botanist, I informed them about it and then they asked for the second 'guardian' and Commander Kirk volunteered himself. They initiated a ceremony for the guardians of the plant and put a salve on their faces to identify them. Then the Commander and the Lieutenant touched the plant, and it turned blue with darker spots which seemed to be what they were expecting. They started yelling that the plant chose its fate and the… 'kurders' should now be in charge of its care."
"Kuders?" Spock tried to remember what the word meant, given that he had a basic knowledge of the planet's language. It was something similar to compromise. Literally translated, the word meant 'the ones tied'.
"Yes, the… er…" Spock was surprised, Nyota rarely stuttered. "Well… on the planet… they assign the plants to guardians to ensure their optimal development. They said that if we wanted one, we should respect that tradition. The guardians are… like… they guarantee the well-being of the plant."
"For God's sakes, Uhura, just say it. We are the parents of the damn plant." Kirk was scratching his forehead with force. That probably would leave a mark.
"Not yet." Nyota glared at Kirk for the interruption. "The ceremony was interrupted by you swelling up like a balloon."
"It was not my fault! The stupid ointment had something that triggered my allergies."
"Everything triggers your allergies, Jim." McCoy approached them, slapping Kirk's hand away from his forehead.
"It itches!"
"Let the damn vaccine take effect. Here, take this cream. It should stop the itch."
"Summarizing sir, tonight the natives are going to throw a party for the 'Enterprise Guardians'. You are expected to attend because Lieutenant Sulu and Commander Kirk are going to take on a big responsibility in their eyes. They promised not to use the salve again; they were really scared when they watched Commander Kirk going red. They are going to… join them with a rope."
"Wait… Jim and Sulu are going to get married?" McCoy's tone was mocking.
"No, of course not." Nyota blushed. "They just are going to adopt the plant."
"So they'll have a kid plant and yet they're going to live in sin?" Spock decided he should stop Doctor McCoy before he continued with his jokes. This was a serious matter.
"It's just a stupid plant, okay? As long as we get it, if I have to kiss Sulu, I will." Kirk put some of the cream Doctor McCoy offered on his forehead.
"I would prefer that you do not, Commander," Spock intervened without knowing why Kirk's comment bothered him.
"Yeah, I'm with the Captain, let's just do the ceremony and leave it at that," Lieutenant Sulu added.
"I'm just saying it's not a big deal. We were the most adequate for the job."
"Well, maybe Uhura and Sulu would have made more sense," McCoy frowned.
Kirk glanced at Spock, who understood why the Commander had volunteered himself for the job. The Commander thought the relationship between Spock and Nyota was almost sacred, and the crew was going to comment and make jokes about the responsibility of parenting the plant. Of course it was not necessary; Nyota could handle it and Spock hardly cared about gossip when it involved him. Still, Spock approved of Kirk's action.
"Uhura was translating, she was busy," justified Kirk.
"Whatever; don't let them put that stuff on your face again, or I'll leave you to just blow up," warned McCoy.
Spock wondered what would have resulted if he had beamed down as scheduled. It did not matter now, and they would have to prepare for the upcoming ceremony.
Jim knew the crew already was aware of the ceremony. He blamed Chapel, who shared lunch with Rand. Those two were like the Enterprise's gossip column. When he entered the Training room and saw Giotto with a big smile on his face, he sighed. This was going to be payback for Cupcake.
"News travels fast," Jim joked.
"Who's going to give you away, Kirk? Because it would be an honor to walk you to the altar." Giotto looked innocent.
"I think Bones has that right, he always patches me up. You can be my maid of honor. Pink will suit you."
"You're not considering on wearing white, right? Because that would be disrespectful to your future husband."
"Sulu doesn't mind. I look good in white. In fact, I look good in every color."
"Yeah, yeah." Apparently Giotto was tired of the jokes. Nobody beat Kirk in sharp remarks. They could ask any instructor in the Academy to verify that. "Why are you here? Do you want a security officer in the ceremony?"
"Yes, either you or Edwards, since you two are the ones who can carry me without an effort."
"Are you expecting to be hurt?" Giotto frowned. Well, at least he cared.
"As you probably heard, I had an allergic reaction to the stinky thing they put on my face. If for some reason it happens again, I wanna make sure to have someone who can drag me to Sickbay. I think I was more hurt by the efforts that Sulu and Uhura put in to get me back to the ship than by the allergy."
"Captain Spock is going to beam down too, isn't he? He could sure drag you to Sickbay." Jim was not sure if Giotto meant to mock him or not.
"That is not Captain Spock's job, it's yours. Congratulations, you have volunteered yourself for the task. See you at 20:00. Don't bother getting all dressed up, your uniform will do. Save the pink dress for your own wedding."
Giotto was about to answer, probably with sarcasm, when they heard someone entering the room. Glancing around, Jim noticed Spock standing a few feet away from them.
Giotto took the cue and nodded respectfully at Jim, then when he passed by Spock's side he said a quick 'Captain' and got out of there. Turning around, Jim stood in front of Spock, waiting for the Vulcan to start speaking.
"Is there something I can help you with, Spock?" said Jim after an extended silence.
"I was wondering how you feel about the assignment."
"What? The plant thing?" Jim was confused.
"Yes" Jim swore one of Spock's eyes twitched "You were not the one programmed to beam down to the planet. It was an imposition on my part to leave you all the responsibility."
"I wouldn't put it like that. Besides, that's why you have a First Officer. I've been in worst situations than marrying Sulu."
"You are not going to marry the Lieutenant," said Spock tightly, "and I would appreciate it if you stopped feeding the rumors about the upcoming ceremony."
"Hey, it's not my fault you have a gossiping crew. You chose them. It's okay, Sulu's not offended. The general point of view is that I'm lucky I got a decent man and Sulu could do worse. They're just having fun."
"We have several clubs that meet that purpose. It is disrespectful to talk about a Commanding Officer in a mocking way, particularly the second in command. The ceremony is by no means a wedding, and you and the Lieutenant are not a couple. It would be detrimental to support this behavior."
Jim frowned. Spock was convinced that the gossip must be banished from his ship. This confirmed that he had no idea about the rumor concerning him and Jim adopting Amanda, and after seeing how he reacted, Jim was glad. He didn't want Bones to be the second on Spock's list of: 'Who to strangle now'.
"Fine, if you're so worked up about it, I'll tell the crew to stop." That was Jim's code for 'Stop while you are present'.
"I am not 'worked up'," refuted Spock. "Letting the crew communicate commentaries that are not facts could lead to misunderstandings and complications."
"Well, sometimes the lies are funnier than the truth. Maybe for you it doesn't make any sense, but for humans it's enjoyable. If the people involved don't care about it, what damage can the friendly bantering do? It's no different from when I kid around with Bones. Those are jokes more than gossip. It's another way to connect."
Jim knew that look on Spock's face. He had the 'You are right, how annoying' eyebrow up.
"Perhaps if the people involved are aware of the joke and they are truly not bothered by it, I supposed it would not cause harm. Still, I recommend that you stop this particular anecdote. It could have negative consequences for the mission."
Jim wanted to ask exactly how that rumor could have 'negative consequences' on an almost finished mission, but he honestly didn't want to enter into a debate with Spock right now.
"I'll try to stop it. Is that all? I need to get ready for the ceremony. By the way, I asked Giotto to be on the landing party. If I pass out, he can carry me without a sweat."
Spock nodded absently, and Jim dismissed himself, wondering if the bouquet he found in his desk when he arrived at his room was Bones' doing.
The planet was beautiful. It had tall trees and blossoms with different colors. Spock was curious about whether this development in their plants was related to the fact they had 'guardians'. The ceremony was a big feast because it was the first time a plant had chosen outsiders. Apparently Mister Kirk had more up his sleeve than he'd let on. Observing how Kirk and Mister Sulu took the plant and one of the natives put a rope around their hands, the Vulcan speculated about what would have happened if he beamed down. He was no botanist, and though he liked plants, he was not sure about the selection process of this particular brand. Kirk was resourceful and efficient; it was not surprising that even plants were particularly fond of him even when they were not entirely sentient.
Once they were done, Kirk and Sulu joined them at the table of honour, with the plant in Sulu's arms.
"What? No kiss?" Lieutenant Giotto shook his head, looking disapproving.
"Not in front of the children." Mister Sulu winked at the Lieutenant. Apparently the Helmsman was inclined to do this often.
It seemed that Kirk had already told the crew they could joke around Spock, since it was the first time Spock had heard Giotto mocking the Commander in his presence. The rest of the ceremony consisted of an abundant dinner with mainly fruits. Spock was grateful for this given that he was a vegetarian, and on every mission that ended in a meal, they always included meat.
The natives said their farewells to the plant, and requested for the 'guardians' to communicate with them to inform them about the plant's growth. They assured them that the plant was about to blossom, and it should not take more than five days to see the first flowers.
Above all, Spock concluded, it was an informative mission.
Five days later, the plant hadn't blossomed yet. Lieutenant Sulu was worried that they had done something wrong, and expressed his concern repeatedly on the Bridge.
In one of the dinners Spock shared with Kirk, the Lieutenant joined them to complain more about it.
"You should talk to her," insisted Mister Sulu, looking pleadingly at Kirk. "You're her guardian too! I refuse to take all the responsibility. I don't want to be a single parent."
The scariest thing, Kirk thought, was that he didn't know if Mister Sulu was joking any more.
"It's a plant, Sulu. How do you know it's a 'she'?" Kirk looked annoyed. Now he understood how Spock sometimes felt when Kirk kept being insufferable.
"Well, technically it's not, but we need to give her a sense of belonging. She's not an object," said Sulu. "And that's not the point. The point is you haven't talked with her even once since we adopted her."
"Like I said, it's a plant. I don't know what to say to it."
"Her," Sulu snarled, "and you talked to Amanda all the time!"
"That's different. At least she had eyes and looked at me when I talked."
"You can't play favorites here. You adopted Lilly, she's your daughter too!"
"I should call my mother and tell her that she's a grannie then," Kirk spat out. "My brother will think his niece is a little blue for his taste, but hey, family is family. And you called it Lilly?"
"You named Amanda. It was my turn," defended Sulu.
"I didn't name her, she chose the name. I doubt the plant had the same courtesy."
"How would you know? You don't even visit her."
"I do not see the difference between the baby and the plant. You talked to the infant while she did not understood you. Why it would be difficult with the plant, since it will be the same basic action?"
Sulu and Kirk turned to Spock with astonishment; most likely they had forgotten Spock was sitting with them.
"You are agreeing with Sulu?" Kirk was the first to react.
"You are the plant's guardian. It is your duty to ensure it well-being. Mister Sulu is acting like a responsible parent. You took care of the baby, it would seem discriminative to ignore the plant given that you are in fact one of its keepers. A parental figure should not have preferences about children."
"You are joking!" said Kirk surprised.
"Vulcans do not joke."
"Oh, no, you are not pulling that off, now I have witnesses!" Kirk looked triumphant "Sulu is backing me up in this."
"What do you mean?" Mister Sulu asked, looking genuinely confused "I didn't hear anything out of the ordinary. The Captain was just stating the facts."
"You had a lunch date with him and you already changed sides?" Kirk was offended. Spock decided to let go the 'lunch date' comment. He was trying to get more involved in human bantering and laughing about personal failures and random fake romances seemed to be the favorite subject for this behavior. Since Sulu did not seem upset by Kirk's remark, Spock was not offended either.
"You said we worked for the same purpose here on the Enterprise, sir," Sulu smirked.
"Traitor," muttered Kirk. "I'm going to have the rest of my dinner with Bones. At least I know he's annoying."
"Please Commander, go and talk to your daughter." Sulu's tone of voice was serious now.
Kirk sighed, standing up.
"Fine, tomorrow after Beta shift I'll stop by the botany lab. But you better make sure nobody's there. I don't want to make a fool of myself."
"You did not seem to mind doing it in front of an audience before," stated Spock.
Kirk looked agape and glanced at Mister Sulu, who only shook his head.
"I didn't hear anything," confirmed the Lieutenant.
"Traitor," repeated Kirk, indignant.
Spock wondered if Kirk really was going to stop by the botany laboratory or if he just said it to end Sulu's complains.
Two days later Lieutenant Sulu entered the Bridge with a beaming smile, announcing that the plant finally had one blossom. Spock glanced at Kirk's station, where the Commander returned the look with a small, almost shy, smile. Spock knew the answer then.
Poker night was always fun because Jim won every time. He was the expert on lies, they couldn't beat the master. Jim had invited Spock to one of the games as a way to bond with the crew, but he declined.
"Give me two." McCoy was scowling.
"Why do you need two more cards if you're going to lose?" Jim patted Bones' arm.
"Shut it, kid. I'm going to win this one."
"Well, I'm out," Sulu groaned "and I'm leaving, my daughter needs supervision. She has two new blossoms. Did I tell you about them already?"
"Yes!" Chekov complained. "You don't stop talking about it even on our shifts."
"Don't mess with the kid, he's a proud father," Scotty said. "I'm out too."
"Full house." Jim showed his hand.
"You are very good, Commander," congratulated Chekov.
"I told you Chekov, you can call me Jim off-duty. It's no fun winning your chips if you're getting all official. It's like having Spock here."
"The Captain would be an excellent player," said Scotty.
"Let's hope he accepts to join us sometime. It's only fair he wipes the floor with you, Jim, since you did with all of us," Sulu sneered.
"Yeah, you and Spock are getting closer to braiding each other's hair," Jim scoffed.
"I'm tired too. Good night everyone." Chekov stood up and rushed away without saying another word. Jim was surprised. What did he say? He looked at Sulu, who looked embarrassed.
"I'm off to see our daughter, Jim. Don't forget to stop by to give her a kiss goodnight."
"Stop saying it's our daughter." Jim noticed how Sulu changed the subject to avoid being questioned about Chekov's departure.
"Good night Jim. Doctor McCoy, Scotty."
"Wait, lad, I'll walk with you. I need to be on the Transporter room. I just had an idea about the warp factor."
"Is it in the protocols?" Jim looked directly at Scotty.
"It's a good idea," smiled Scotty. "Only the finest for the best ship."
"Last time you said that I had to convince Spock not to throw you away on a shuttle. At least this time warn me, Scotty."
"I promise, Commander Captain. The Captain is not going to complain… much."
"He doesn't complain. He's a Vulcan," defended Jim. "Just update me with the basics. And no disarming anything until I approve."
"Good night doctor, Commander Captain." Scotty apparently ignored Jim.
Watching his friends leave, Jim remembered Bones was also with them. Suspicious of his friend's silence, Jim turned to him and saw how Bones was frowning directly at him.
"What?" Jim suddenly felt self-conscious.
"What's the deal with you and the hobgoblin?" McCoy asked.
"What do you mean?"
"You invited him to poker night. You defend him, and you two have dinner together almost every night." Bones must have thought he'd made some point, but Jim honestly didn't have any idea about what his friend meant.
"So? He's trying to adapt to humans. I'm helping him."
"My point exactly. I thought you hated him."
"No, I never hated him. I just resented him for trying to expel me and then sending me to an ice planet."
"Is that all?" said Bones sarcastically "I resented my ex-wife. Then I hated her. You don't look like you're going to get to that stage soon."
"That is because I won't. I don't hold grudges."
"Since when?" McCoy frowned.
"What is this about, Bones? Is this because you don't like Spock? Do you want me to stop inviting him into things where you're involved too?"
"This is about how you always jump into things without looking back. You're getting too close to the elf; I don't want to see you hurt."
"I hardly think Spock is going to hurt me. He is very correct," mocked Jim.
"I'm being serious here Jim. You know I don't care who you sleep with, I mean, even when I found you with the Orion woman and she proposed a threesome, I acted as normal as possible. It's just that a Vulcan doesn't seem the right choice for a fling."
If it weren't for the context of Bones' observation Jim would have laughed at remembering Bones reaction when he walked in on Gaila and him on bed. He cursed rather loudly about how he was a doctor and not a damn pimp and that he barely liked Jim as a friend, not nearly enough to consider sharing the bed with him and another woman.
But what stuck with Jim was the implication that Bones was making.
"Wait, you think I'm sleeping with Spock?"
"Don't get too graphic. I'm your friend Jim, and let me tell you, this is not a good idea."
"Bones… no, you got it wrong. I'm not sleeping with Spock. How in hell did you get that idea?"
"You're not sleeping with him?" Bones looked relieved "I knew you couldn't be that damaged."
"Geez, thanks."
"You know what I meant. Wait, if you're not sleeping with Spock, why are you so friendly with him? You keep having dinner with him, and 'playing chess' – I honestly thought that was a euphemism. And I'm pretty sure you haven't been fooling around with anyone else since we started the mission. Either you were sleeping with Spock, or you haven't had sex in four months."
"Is that so incredible? I can be celibate too. I don't know how you got that idea, Bones. It's not like I chased every skirt in the Academy."
"Well, not only skirts, there were a few pants too. I was your roommate, Jim; I recall that most of the boxers under your bed weren't yours."
"People mature, I'm a Commander now. Also, you must be blind if you don't see who Spock's dating." Jim put his hand on his mouth quickly. "Crap, I wasn't supposed to say that."
"So the elf is getting action then," Bones smirked. "Well, spill it."
"You have to promise not to tell anyone about this, okay?"
"Jim, I don't go around telling people things. I just make up gossip when I want to get back at you. And it's not like I'm friends with the elf."
"But you are on good terms with Uhura," muttered Jim.
"So? I'm not going to tell…. Wait… Uhura? Uhura's dating Spock? I can't believe it!" Bones looked upset.
"Why? Are you interested in Uhura?" Jim frowned. This could be dangerous. Love triangles on a ship always ended badly. And Jim cared about the three involved in this particular one.
"Of course I'm not, but I'm not blind. The woman is very attractive and intelligent. She could do better than Spock."
"Don't be like that. Spock has good qualities; you're just too stubborn to see them."
"I think the hobgoblin can defend himself; he doesn't need you sticking up for him."
"Look, just keep this to yourself, all right? I don't want Spock thinking I betrayed his confidence." Jim noticed Bones' curious look. "What?"
Bones kept looking at Jim like he was searching for something. Finally he just smiled in a sad way, and shook his head.
"Nothing."
Bones changed the subject after that, and Jim was questioning what exactly had happened. Jim trusted Bones; he knew he wouldn't say anything about Uhura and Spock.