A/N: Still with me? Thank you all for your comments, I really appreciate it. And especial thanks to the wonderful Anbessette who is helping me with the beta.
Chapter 3A: "Operibus credita et non verbis"
Jim decided it was best to ignore those images he got every once in a while. He talked to Bones about it just to make sure he wasn't going crazy, but when they mentioned mind melds Jim understood what could be happening here. Bones said that in mind melds you transferred information, so he probably had some of the old Spock's memories. Jim tried to be cool when he reached this conclusion. The images clearly indicated that those two had something going on in their time, and he was trying so hard to be rational about the whole thing. It wasn't them, that James Kirk was Captain, and he had different eyes (and he was chubbier, he watched his weight better). It was crazy to feel awkward around Spock (the young one) because he had some sort of residual memories that weren't even their business. If that Spock and that James Kirk had a beautiful and corny romance, it didn't mean that it was their obligation to share that fate in this time. He and Spock were different people, although now Jim understood the fondness in Spock's eyes when he saw him on Delta Vega. Jim tried to stop thinking about it so much, because if he wanted to understand how Spock and he were that close in the other dimension, time or whatever… well, honestly he didn't want to understand it. He would talk with the Ambassador about this and ask him to please retrieve his memories from Jim's head and everything would be back to normal, there was no need to freak out and it could be worse. At least they were clothed.
But apparently his talk with Ambassador Spock would have to wait since they got a new mission, and it was classified as dangerous. It was very similar to the Tersu's assignment and Jim got excited. Maybe he could rescue another baby and have fun; however, he shouldn't have shared this with Spock and Bones.
"I do not see how the two missions could be exactly the same. Moreover you are more experienced and I doubt you will encounter another infant in need of rescue."
"Don't suck out all the fun, Spock," said Jim. "I guess the landing party should be again Giotto, Edwards and Cravers."
"I assume you are counting yourself too," Bones scowled at Jim.
"Of course."
"I will also beam down with the team."
Jim looked at Spock, sighing. The guy always insisted in beaming down when protocol clearly dictated otherwise. For once protocols and Jim were in agreement, he wouldn't let Spock ruin that for him.
"Are we going to have this chat every time, Spock? It's against protocol for you to beam down. You have a disposable First Officer. You should take advantage of that."
"I do not believe I have a disposable First Officer." Spock blinked "Furthermore, I question this policy. A Captain needs field experience that only dangerous missions can provide."
"The regulation doesn't mean that you'll be on the ship all the time, it's just a precaution to avoid risky situations. Once the First Officer makes sure the Captain won't be dead the second he beams down, he can join the party." Jim never thought he would be defending Starfleet policy. Pike must be smirking somewhere.
"I still maintain my point; that would limit the field experience for the Captain and it does not make sense."
"Look, I don't make the rules."
"You don't follow them either," added McCoy, finally seeing an opportunity to speak.
"Thanks Bones," Jim glared at McCoy.
"Whatever may be, Commander, I am joining the landing party."
"You are aware you are defying protocols, right?" Jim tried to sound neutral. "It wouldn't look good on your so far clean record."
"Leave the concerns about my record to me. I am beaming down."
"Great, Komack will think I'm corrupting you," complained Jim.
"I will make sure to express clearly your opposition to my decision. The choice is entirely my responsibility and the Admiralty will be informed of that."
"I just don't see why you want to beam down. You're risking yourself unnecessarily, I can handle this."
"I know you are capable of completing the mission; that is not the point."
"I still think you shouldn't beam down, but hey, you're in charge, do as you want."
Both Bones and Spock looked at Jim, but he was too busy scowling to really notice if they were surprised or just amused at seeing Jim this worked up. Spock was being unreasonable. There were safer missions for him to get 'field experience'; he didn't need to choose the one with the planet in the middle of a conflict.
"Thank you Commander," said Spock finally "your permission is always welcomed."
Okay, great, now Spock was baiting him too. If Jim wasn't so angry with the Vulcan for his stupid, careless decision, he would be laughing. It was Jim's responsibility to keep Spock out of danger and he was just making his job difficult. Jim tried to convince himself that what really bothered him was that Spock wasn't making things easy for them; Jim could let Giotto and the rest take care of themselves, they were trained. But when the Captain beamed down, the First Officer was almost like a bodyguard for him. He wondered how Number One had managed to protect Pike, since she was… well, a woman. Maybe that was how they got together in the first place (rumors said they were kind of a couple when they both served), but that was beside the point. This was about Spock being stupid, and Jim had never expected to see those two words in the same thought.
"Don't pout, it won't work," said Bones smirking.
"You should be convincing him that this is a bad idea," protested Jim.
"I don't see why. For once, I agree with him. He needs the experience, and if he gets shot, I get to experiment on him."
Spock blinked at McCoy, and Jim just smacked him on the arm.
"Doctor McCoy, I am aware of your dark sense of humor, however I trust that you will not be offended if I request Doctor M'Benga when I am in need of medical services."
"None taken, I'd do the same if our roles were reversed."
Great, now those two were bonding over opposing Jim. This was getting better and better.
"If that's all, can I be excused, Captain?" Bones smirked at Jim, knowing how he hated it when McCoy used his mocking tone.
"Yes doctor, you will be updated with the mission's specifications; dismissed."
"And you," Bones jabbed his finger on Jim's chest "got only four days left."
"Yeah, I know." Jim sighed. He expected for Bones to just forget his last visit to Sickbay. The week was ending and he still didn't know what to say to his friend.
When McCoy left the Conference room, Spock looked at Jim with a lifted eyebrow. Even though Spock always complained that humans were too curious for their own good, Vulcans weren't that different.
"My next physical," lied Jim. "Bones gets crabby if I don't stop by when it's programmed."
"I see. Very well, then we should discuss the upcoming mission."
"I just want to say that you beaming down is a bad idea, and you shouldn't do it." Jim knew it was pointless to repeat the same thing; Spock didn't change his mind just because he heard the same argument over and over. Still, it was worth a try.
"Duly noted. May we proceed?"
Honestly, it was like talking to a snippy wall that retorted with logical arguments. Well, if Spock was stubborn, so was Jim, and he was planning his own strategy for the mission without Spock knowing it. After all, the primary task was protect Spock, even when he objected to it. Yeah, Spock was strong and he had tons of freaky abilities (like that weird fighting style Jim saw him do a few weeks back), but in battles instinct beat logic, and that was something Spock still didn't understand.
Commander Kirk kept voicing his objections to Spock's decision. He did not understand why it was so difficult for Kirk to just accept Spock's resolution. Spock knew that perhaps the Commander was concerned about failing the mission; nevertheless he was not going to be an obstacle to the completion of the assignment. Contrary to Kirk's beliefs, Spock was skilled in battle and was capable of taking care of himself. The Commander worried needlessly.
Nyota sat down next to Spock's chair in the Laboratory department, smiling while doing so.
"I was send here to convince you not to beam down."
Spock should have seen this coming. So far the Commander had sent Lieutenant Sulu and Ensign Chekov to support his point about the mission. He had even sent Mister Scott who really had no idea what he was doing in the mess hall at the same table as Spock. He just said that Kirk told him that Spock had sandwiches. Perhaps Mister Scott had forgotten what the main point was, as he just focused on the food. The Engineer had a strange fascination with nourishment and machines.
"I see you are not unaffected by Commander Kirk's persuasiveness," said Spock calmly.
"He was more annoying than persuasive, but I wanted to shut him up. Why is he so obsessed with this?"
"The Commander thinks I will be detrimental to the mission."
"How so?"
"Since I am the Captain, he expressed his apprehension that the natives will take advantage of that and try to attack me to obtain control. Although I am capable of taking care of myself, Commander Kirk does not seem to think so. I believe he does not want the mission to be unsuccessful and he thinks that my involvement would lead to failure."
Spock was a rational being. He knew the Commander's wariness was to be expected and he even agreed with him; however it also bothered him that Kirk only saw him as trouble and did not acknowledge his abilities. He had thought that the need to prove himself had ended when he finished his Vulcan education. In addition, he was the Captain; he did not need the Commander's approval.
Still, he did not like it when he and Kirk had tactical differences. It could be unfavorable on the mission if they did not act with the same purpose. Spock suggested that Commander Kirk should stay aboard since he was so vocal about wanting to follow protocols. Commander and Captain cannot beam down at the same mission if it is labeled as dangerous. The ship must have someone in charge in all times. Of course, Kirk refused in his vocal way. He even added a few sexual comments that Spock did not understand. They discussed it for two hours before McCoy interrupted the meeting and acted as an intermediary between them, which Spock found perplexing.
Spock wanted to order Kirk to stay on the ship, though he knew it would be hypocritical since he also was defying protocols and he had no moral ground to demand anything of Kirk. Spock was aware of his authority over the Commander and he did not want to use it unfairly. They were both beaming down and both respecting tactical decisions. And Kirk would acknowledge Spock's orders if necessary. McCoy then said "About time you two kissed and made up" while Commander Kirk blushed deeply.
Somehow Spock's interactions with the doctor had been more tolerant and they seemed to have reached a respectful relationship with 'friendly banter' as Kirk put it. Spock was reluctant to admit that he found hassling the doctor entertaining. Kirk commented that the doctor felt the same way, although he was in what Kirk called 'denial'.
It bothered Spock that even when they already reached an understanding, Kirk kept sending crew members to try and dissuade him about the mission.
"Maybe he's just worried about you," Nyota smiled tenderly. "He is very protective."
"Worry is illogical. I am capable of defending myself."
"But he doesn't want you to get hurt, Spock; he's just trying to be nice."
Lately Nyota had been expressing her support for almost every action Commander Kirk took. He was not aware of the moment in which Nyota had decided she would no longer antagonize Kirk, but it must have been quite an event since now she shared meals with the Commander and had even started call him by his given name.
"His motivations do not change the fact that I am beaming down with the landing party, no matter how many crew members he sends on his behalf." Spock expected for Nyota to spread the word and the crew to stop joining Kirk's crusade.
"Chekov's puppy eyes didn't have an effect on you?" asked Nyota, amused.
"I do not see how the Ensign's eyes would compare to a small canine, although if it is a metaphor then I do not understand its meaning."
Nyota laughed lightly like she often did when Spock stated facts. The Vulcan no longer felt disconcerted by this reaction like he was when they started interacting; nonetheless he still found it illogical to just laugh when nothing amusing had been said.
"Jim just worries too much, Spock." Nyota stood up. "He does that when he cares."
Watching Nyota leave, Spock wondered what she really meant by her comment. Spock knew Commander Kirk cared about the Enterprise and its crew members. Kirk had even assigned a gender to the ship, calling it 'her'. Mister Scott also did that. It was disconcerting for Spock that Kirk gave an inanimate object a gender and yet refused to acknowledge the plant Mister Sulu claimed as their daughter. Spock thought that the way Nyota said that Commander Kirk cared hinted at something more.
Jim didn't know how they had gone from talking with the planet's representatives to someone shooting at them; stupid planet and stupid conflict. Apparently there was a huge disagreement between two main groups about the borders. One thing led to another and Jim and Spock ended up behind a building that was far too unstable for them to actually feel safe there until Scotty managed to beam them back to the Enterprise. Edwards was shot, badly. Giotto took him to sickbay right away while the rest of the landing party and Scotty glanced at Edwards' leg.
"Well, they weren't so keen on hearing our arguments," Jim bit out. "Let's hope they kill each other and forget about us."
"I agree that the negotiations could have been handled better, yet we still have to beam back to finish the mission."
"Are you insane? They didn't want us there! You heard them; we are outsiders who don't know their ways!" Jim felt like punching something. "We can't go back."
"I agree. You should stay on the Enterprise and monitor everything. I will take another two members from the security team," said Spock.
"Yeah, right." If Spock thought Jim would just stay there and watch, he was stupid. "I'm coming too."
"I strongly suggest that you stay on board." Spock looked coolly at Jim.
"I don't care if you make it an order; I'm still going to beam down the planet with you. I can't make you stay, so either we both stay here, or we both go back. Your choice."
Jim felt he was in a staring contest with Spock. After a few minutes (that were almost like hours for Jim) Spock nodded curtly and Jim took his position next to Spock. Cravers joined them and Giotto, covered in Edwards' blood, arrived just in time to go with them.
The Advani mission was difficult. Spock was tired after two days of negotiations that started with a battle. When they beamed down for the second time, Kirk made a tactical move and got one of the leaders to talk to them. The Commander's persuasiveness helped to establish communication and at least the natives stopped shooting and blowing up buildings. Spock remembered from the Academy how many conflicts started with miscommunications. This one was no exception and when they finally were amenable into listening, both parties came to an agreement. Starfleet was only sent as a mediator; still, Commander Kirk expressed his ideas about how they could avoid this kind of misunderstanding in the future. Spock realized that Kirk always meddled with things that did not concern him in any way. Fortunately, so far it had not caused any harm; nonetheless, Spock feared that on future missions Kirk's mouth would lead them to trouble. He could easily order the Commander to behave and keep his thoughts to himself, but Spock did not want to. That would mean undermining Kirk's command and would be disrespectful to the Commander's 'individual characteristics' as he and Nyota had discussed.
He concluded that it would be best for the two of them if Spock went with the Commander on every mission to guarantee that he did not cause any harm. Kirk was going to be loud and insufferable when he realized it.
Doctor McCoy informed them that Mister Edwards was badly injured, and he would need physical therapy. The doctor suggested that Edwards should go back to Earth and re-enlist when his leg was fully functional. Spock agreed, and besides, he was curious about this security member. He was either not trained properly or he was incompetent. He was the one who was almost shot on the Tersu mission and on this mission he was the only member of the Security department who got injured. He would have to talk with Kirk about this.
They were giving a briefing to Admiral Pike, who looked satisfied with the turn of events.
"So you made your Captain beam down to a hostile planet, Kirk. That was very rude on your part." The Admiral smiled while saying this. Spock was at loss as to whether he was angry or content.
"He was the one who didn't want to stick to protocols. I just obeyed orders," Kirk shrugged.
Spock wanted to clarify that while he had, in fact, broken protocols, Kirk did not obey orders. He had still beamed down with Spock when he had given specific instructions to the contrary.
"You can't blame Spock for wanting to get things done without making them worse first. You mess things up all the time Kirk, we only ever get problems with you."
"The Commander was rather efficient," added Spock without knowing why. Somehow he felt the Admiral's comment was a criticism and he did not appreciate others making judgments when they were not familiar with their dynamic. Spock was aware that most of the Admirals probably thought that he was too permissive with Kirk. He did not care; they were the ones who had compelled the Commander to serve on the Enterprise. Even though Spock had requested him, he would have accepted if Kirk chose another vessel.
Noticing how Kirk and Admiral Pike were looking at him, he just blinked. He was respectful and he had stated the facts, he had not said anything that deserved those stares.
"Well," Kirk glanced again at Admiral Pike "you heard him, I was efficient; move on. What about Edwards?"
"Remind me; is this the guy who shot himself when we were on the survival training?" Pike frowned.
"No, he was the one who lost all the supplies."
"Much better. Why was he there again?"
"The majority of the casualties in the Narada Incident affected the security teams, and there were few cadets who stood out in that field," explained Spock.
"In other words: it was either him or nothing." Kirk sounded amused. "He wasn't that bad, I almost made him competent."
"I suggest sending Mister Edwards on a shuttle back to Earth, where he can be treated properly," said Spock.
"McCoy isn't enough?" Pike lifted an eyebrow. Spock felt that every comment from the Admiral was some sort of test to see if Spock was pleased with his crew and their performance.
"Doctor McCoy's medical ward is not equipped to accomplish Mister Edwards' satisfactory recovery. Medical staff should also be available in any given emergency, if they divert their efforts and focus on Mister Edwards they are most likely to –"
"Spock, you are the Captain now. You only needed to tell me to shut up and leave you to make the decisions," Admiral Pike interrupted, smiling again.
"That would be disrespectful, sir." But also correct.
"Pike is used to that, I was his student," Kirk said.
"Don't remind me. I have a suggestion, Spock, take it only as that and don't think I'm ordering you. We have the USS Archimedes in the closest Starbase to the Enterprise. Perhaps they can bring Edwards back home, since they are scheduled to transport a few things to the Academy."
"Are you using Mitchell's ship as a cargo? He must be freaking out!" Kirk was laughing. Spock did not understand why.
"It was Komack's idea, and Mitchell was pleased to follow orders. Not every person is as loud and rude as you are, Kirk."
"I can't imagine what Gary did to be punished by Komack."
"It wasn't a punishment. It was a serious assignment, and it worked well for all of us. Captain Mitchell can take Edwards aboard and bring him back."
Spock knew the Admiral and Mister Kirk had a close relationship, almost like father and son according to McCoy. It still disconcerted Spock to see how familiar they were with each other and how Kirk was borderline insubordinate with Pike.
"That would be awesome, I haven't see Gary in a while! We could have a short shore leave there!" Kirk was overjoyed.
"Did you consult with your Captain, Kirk?" Pike smirked.
"We talked about shore leave, this is the best opportunity we'll get," defended Kirk.
Kirk was right. They had indeed discussed the possibility of a shore leave since they had been on missions frequently and had not had the opportunity to take leave. The Admiral's suggestion was reasonable. It would be a waste of resources to send Edwards in one of their shuttles, since he would need a nurse, a doctor and a pilot. This would work for the two purposes, sending Edwards back and giving the crew a small leave.
Yet he wanted to say no. The way Commander Kirk was so enthusiastic about the leave and meeting Captain Mitchell made Spock somewhat uncertain. Spock did not know Mitchell, but he had heard about him. He was considered rebellious and defiant, more or less like Kirk. It was no surprise that they seemed to be friends. That could plausibly lead to problems, and maybe that was the reason for Spock's wariness.
Since he did not have a solid argument for denying the Admiral's proposition, he could only agree. It made Spock feel frustrated.
"I believe your suggestion would be the logical course of action, Admiral," said Spock after a prolonged silence.
"See?" smiled Kirk. "I told you!"
"All right, I'll tell Mitchell about his new guest. It was a successful mission; you even got rid of the useless staff." Before Spock could object to the comment, the Admiral waved his hand as a dismissal. "I'm joking Spock, I thought Kirk already taught you not to take everything seriously. Pike out."
Spock still had a hard time distinguishing the crude comments from the jokes. It was disturbing how alike they seemed to be.
"How many days are we going to have for shore leave?" asked Kirk.
"I believe two days will be sufficient. Do you agree?"
"Yeah, two days is fine. I can't wait to tell Bones!"
It was both puzzling and curious to see the Commander's happiness about shore leave. Spock expected that the reaction was more about the rest and less about seeing Captain Mitchell. He was not used to trusting his 'instincts', since Vulcans lost control over them before the teachings of Surak, however he had this strange feeling of hesitation. He expected that meditation would help with this.
The first thing Jim did after talking with Pike was go to Sickbay and inform Bones of the upcoming shore leave. They were going to get so drunk, and Gary was there too, it was perfect.
"Really? I guess something good came of Edwards' stupidity."
"Pike said the same. Gary's going to be there too! We're going to have so much fun."
"So are you happy about the shore leave or because Mitchell is there?" Bones arched an eyebrow.
"Both, I guess. You still don't like him?"
"I don't care about him as much as you obviously do, but I don't hate him either. The elf knows about this, right? Because I'm not going down with you if you're defying his orders."
"Yeah, he knows and he approved. Although he looked kind of upset when Pike mentioned the offer."
Bones looked at Jim intensely.
"What?" Jim felt weird. His friend only gave him those looks when he was planning on injecting him with something awful.
"Are you dumb?"
"What? What do you mean?"
"Spock looked 'upset' about the offer, you're floating around in happiness because you get to see your boyfriend Mitchell... connect the dots, idiot." Bones sighed.
"What? You think Spock is angry because he thinks I'm going to share confidential information with Gary? Like I did with you?" Jim looked perplexed. Right, Spock was probably still insecure about Jim and his mouth. Well, he was proving he could be trusted. He wouldn't say anything to Mitchell about the Enterprise.
Bones only stared at Jim.
"Dammit, I hate this. I hate being the one seeing this kind of thing. I should fire Chapel for gossiping about romance novels." Bones started ranting. Jim was at a loss; why was his friend so upset?
"Come on Bones, I won't tell anything to Gary. Spock has nothing to be angry about."
"Honestly Jim, sometimes you are as oblivious as Chekov. Now that I mention it, maybe you two are long lost brothers or something; you two do look alike," Bones mused.
Jim didn't know what Bones meant, but his friend rarely made any sense.
"By the way, you have only one day," warned McCoy.
"Aw, Bones, we're going to reach the Starbase tomorrow! You can wait a few more days!"
"Are you still hallucinating?" asked Bones in a serious tone.
"I wasn't hallucinating. I just… look, it rarely happens, and I can handle it. So far it hasn't interfered with my duties and I'm fine."
"'It rarely happens' means it's still happening. If you explained it to me maybe I could help."
"I know, Bones. I can deal with this."
Jim knew he hadn't convinced his friend, but he needed time to think about what he was going to say. Bones also stayed silent, and apparently accepted Jim's words… for now.
The crew were in a good mood about the upcoming shore leave. Edwards, however, didn't take well his medical leave, but he couldn't complain; it was his own carelessness that made this happen in the first place. Jim felt bad for the guy, he was very diligent but he didn't have the skills for the job. Giotto spent most of their training sessions protecting the guy from Jim's attacks, and Jim thought Giotto was Edwards' bodyguard as well.
That was the main reason why Jim wasn't so surprised when Giotto asked him for permission to accompany Edwards back home.
"You are one of the best elements of the security team, Giotto. I can't let you go." Jim tried so hard to sound caring.
"We're not on any dangerous missions, and I know you and Cravers can do the job with the rest of the team. I don't want to leave Edwards alone on an unknown ship."
Jim knew Giotto had come to him because if he asked Spock directly the answer would have been a firm 'no'.
"If you marry Edwards, then you can go too," smiled Jim, knowing how to break the tension.
"Oh, come on, you're married to Sulu but you still don't take responsibility for your girl."
"It's a plant," spat out Jim "and that has nothing to do with this; the point is that the Captain respects legal boundaries and if you legally marry Edwards then maybe you can use it in your favor."
"You're going to make me beg, aren't you?" Giotto looked appalled.
"Look, I get that he's your friend, but we need you. I don't know if our next mission will be as complicated as the last one and you are the most experienced."
"I'll only be gone for a week, tops. Come on, even if we get a difficult mission I can make it on time."
Giotto was really invested in this, and Jim felt bad for him. He felt responsible for Edwards' wounds and he wanted to accompany his friend. Jim couldn't deny that if Bones was the one hurt, Jim would have do the same.
"Fine, let me talk to Spock about it, but if he says no, we stick to that."
"I know you will convince him." Giotto winked at Jim. "You have your methods."
Jim knew Giotto was joking, but then he saw Spock actually frowning, with the blue shirt again, and the other Jim with the golden shirt, speaking into Spock's ear and then Spock nodding.
"Are you okay? I was only kidding." Giotto shook Jim gently.
"Y-yeah, I know." Jim did what he usually did when this happened. He blinked two or three times until he could see his own surroundings again. "I'll let you know about the decision."
Jim walked away, trying to make a choice. He was postponing talking to the Ambassador, he knew it. At first he'd used the mission as an excuse, but now… he just didn't want to. He was afraid of what Spock might say. If he said that he and his Jim Kirk were a couple, well, Jim already knew that. Those images, although clothed, were very specific. But then the Ambassador would probably want to talk about destiny; besides, Jim was full of questions that he didn't know if he wanted the answers to. If the Ambassador loved his Jim, why he loved him, how they got together… and it would be useless to know this anyway, they weren't the same. He was obsessing about it again and he couldn't do that. Those memories weren't his and he'd better just leave things the way they were.
Still, a small part of Jim wished for someone who could love him as strongly as the Ambassador apparently loved his James Kirk. There was a time when Jim had thought Gaila was the one who could fill that role. She was gone now, and maybe Jim wouldn't find that person anymore. Maybe Gaila was his only chance to feel love and be loved back.
After shore leave, Jim would talk with Bones about this and then he would call the Ambassador. Until then, he was just relaxing and enjoying this.
Jim watched as every crew member beamed down to the base. They had already been informed about 'expected behavior' and as protocol indicated, he and Spock were waiting to be the last ones beaming down.
"Giotto wants to escort Edwards back to Earth." Jim decided now was a good moment to talk about this.
"I see. I do not think that Mister Edwards needs someone 'escorting' him, after all I am sure the USS Archimedes has its own security department and sickbay."
"Well, yeah, but Giotto is his friend; he just wants to make sure that Edwards gets settled and everything. We don't need Giotto, and he'd be back in a week."
"You do not know if we would encounter an emergency where Mister Giotto would be required. It is not essential for him to accompany Mister Edwards."
"If Bones was the one hurt, I would do that too, Spock. Look it this way, if you say no, Giotto will be miserable, hence he'll be inefficient."
Spock looked contemplative for a few moments, before nodding his consent.
"One week. And he must agree to return if we are in need of him."
"I'll make sure of that. Thanks, Spock." Before Spock could make a retort Jim continued. "I know, I know, thanks are illogical and all that. I'm still grateful, so deal with it."
Jim smiled at Spock, who only tilted his head. Bones joined them, scowling about how he had to make a new record for Edwards for the medical staff on the USS Archimedes.
"You are the last ones, Commander Kirk," said Scotty, who refused to beam down when he could spend the time taking apart the Enterprise.
"Thanks, Scotty. Come on Spock, you'll like Gary. He's awesome!"
When they beamed down, Spock saw most of the Enterprise crew scattering around. He also saw a man in a golden shirt approaching them.
"Captain Spock," the man said "nice to meet you. I'm Captain Gary Mitchell. I understand my vessel is having one of the Enterprise members as a guest?"
"An idiot, actually," said McCoy dryly. "Who's your CMO?"
Spock directed his eyes at the doctor, trying to make McCoy understand that he was being rude to a Captain. However, Captain Mitchell did not seem offended.
"Davon Keller, he's one of the best."
"Keller?" McCoy snorted. "He almost killed Jim one time, did you know?"
Captain Mitchell diverted his eyes to the Commander. Spock found this irritating.
"At least he took care of the bruises," smiled Commander Kirk. "How are you, Gary? Komack punished you?"
"He has no sense of humor, honestly. Oh, Captain, I'm sorry, I already know your First Officer and your CMO. You got the best cadets, Jimmy especially is outstanding."
Spock did not like the way Captain Mitchell was referring to his First Officer. He sounded almost condescending. Spock also disapproved of the familiarity with which Kirk interacted with the Captain. Even though they were acquaintances, the Commander had to respect the position and show proper decorum.
Though Captain Mitchell did not seem uncomfortable with the lack of protocol, and in fact looked like he enjoyed it and even preferred it.
"I see." Spock realized he had to say something.
"Gary is the best, Captain. I took a seminar with him at the Academy and he has the most brilliants ideas!"
Spock tried not to twitch at hearing Kirk's comment. He sounded almost like Ensign Chekov when he talked about the Commander. It was distressing, but it should not be. Kirk was free to admire whomever he wanted; still, Spock felt this was something dangerous.
"Stop being all over the guy, Jim," chastised McCoy. "He's a mortal as you and me."
"So, what do you need from us? Are you beaming your member directly to our platform?" Captain Mitchell seemed too eager to changing the subject, which was another thing that made Spock wary.
"I want to check your sickbay first and talk to your CMO. I'm not letting any of my patients out of my sight if I don't make sure that they are going to be well cared for."
Doctor McCoy was rude, offensive, bad-mouthed and probably xenophobic, but he was an exceptional doctor and Spock was proud of his objective decision to request him on the Enterprise. Doctor McCoy was the best, he knew it. He did not like McCoy and McCoy felt the same, yet Spock could not deny how good the doctor was at his job.
"You haven't changed, Leonard," Mitchell laughed. "All right, you can beam up to the ship and see everything for yourself."
"Who is your First Officer?" asked Mister Kirk rather bluntly.
Before Captain Mitchell could answer, the Commander's communicator started buzzing.
"Kirk."
"Commander Captain," Mister Scott sounded amused "your girl is restless."
"What do you mean? Is something wrong in engineering?"
"No, if it was I would have said 'our girl'. Even when I don't like sharing her with you, you get feisty when you are left out of the relationship."
"What's wrong with Lilly?" Kirk knew then that Mister Scott was referring to the plant. At first Kirk had kept calling it 'the plant', but Mister Sulu scolded him every time he heard him and the Commander got used to calling it by the name the Lieutenant gave it.
"I don't know, someone in the botanic lab asked me to reach you and tell you to please beam up again."
"Is Sulu there? He's the expert."
"I think he's on his way, but they need you too."
"Fine," Kirk sighed. "I'm going back up, and it better be something important; Kirk out." Kirk looked at them resignedly. "It looks like the party will start late for me. See you later, Bones, Gary. Captain, are you staying here?"
Spock did not need to be on the Starbase and he could probably help Mister Sulu with whatever task he was doing with the plant. He liked to observe how the plant's blossoms were developing; they had almost reached the final state of their growth.
"Actually," Captain Mitchell said "I was wondering if I can talk to you, Captain Spock. Alone."
McCoy and Kirk looked surprised at Mitchell. Spock did not know the man, what could he possibly want to talk with him about?
"Of course." Spock knew he could not be rude. He had no other engagements.
"And what I'm supposed to do then?" Doctor McCoy scowled.
"I'll tell Keller to beam down and take you up to see what you need," Captain Mitchell said.
Apparently Doctor McCoy also disagreed with the Captain's proposition, yet he just nodded tightly, looking uneasy. Perhaps Spock should say something; if one of his crew members felt uncomfortable it was his duty to guarantee the well-being of said member. Kirk smiled apologetically, and winked at Spock before beaming back to the Enterprise. Humans needed more control in their facial muscles, they winked rather often.
After seeing Doctor McCoy disappearing with Doctor Keller (who seemed as incompetent as McCoy had described him once when he was talking with Kirk), Spock looked at Captain Mitchell, expecting to hear what he wanted to say.
"There's an excellent coffee place not too far from here. How about we talk there?"
"I do not like coffee."
"They have other things, Captain," Mitchell smiled and Spock wanted to just leave him there. He seemed hypocritical. Spock had learned to detect sarcasm because he worked with humans who were fond of using it to mock him. Mitchell, although not entirely, also had the 'sarcasm tone' he heard in other individuals. It was curious because when humans used sarcasm, Spock answered with logic and they got upset.
"I do not think it will have anything I would enjoy."
"How about I get coffee and you get whatever you want? If they don't have something of your taste, then you can drink water." Apparently Mister Mitchell too was the type to get upset when Spock answered with logic.
He could continue with this for a long time. Still, Mitchell had asked him politely to talk and it would be rude to delay it just because the Captain was disdainful. He nodded, and followed Mitchell to the place he suggested.
Once they got there, Mitchell sat down in front of Spock, who waited patiently while Mitchell ordered a coffee and a desert. That must be something else he had in common with Kirk. Spock had observe how the Commander was fond in having coffee with something sweet, which McCoy chastised every time he could since Kirk had a tendency to gain weight and he ate sweet things too often.
"You must wonder why I asked you to stay and talk with me," said Mitchell.
"No. Since I agreed to speak with you, I was bound to eventually learn what you wanted to communicate." Now that he thought about it, perhaps that was a rhetorical question. Spock had a hard time distinguishing the rhetorical questions from the ones which needed an answer, seeing as in Spock's opinion most of the questions that needed an answer where as illogical as the rhetorical ones.
"I know Vulcans are very rational and all that, but I'm not used into interacting with you people. I'm sorry if I seem rude or something."
That comment was quite xenophobic. At leas Doctor McCoy made his comments with his strange sense of humor and without any offense intended.
"I assume you took Xenobiology classes. That should be enough for you to understand the basics of Vulcan culture."
"Yeah, but if you don't keep practicing something, you forget and I haven't talked with a Vulcan before you. I don't mean to offend you."
That was debatable.
"Perhaps it is best if you express what you wanted to talk about." Spock was not in the mood to be arguing cultural differences with Mitchell. He already did it on daily basis with the Commander and that was more entertaining than this.
"Yeah, right; look, I know you got stuck with Jimmy as your First Officer. I requested him to be my second in command and the Admirals told me you requested him too. I know they probably forced you or something, but I have a way out. The Admirals only did this because they want Jimmy out of Starfleet. Pike and Archer are the only reason why Jim didn't end up thrown out of the Academy. McCoy too, of course, but he was mostly Jim's conscience. The thing is that they think Jim is calming down and they expect for him to become a pawn. Jim and I have similar styles and we'd make a good team. And I bet you can't wait to get rid of him, he must drive you crazy all the time with his personality. So how about you give me Jim as First Officer, and you request the one you wanted originally? My First Officer is requesting a leave, and I'll need a Commander, you could lend me Jim and get another one."
Spock knew it was illogical to feel anger, yet he was starting to get a strange pang in his stomach and he had the urge to subdue Mitchell with physical force. What gave Mitchell the right to make assumptions about his working relation with the Commander? Kirk was a person, he was not an object they could trade for convenience. Spock did not know why Mitchell seemed so eager to have Kirk on his crew, but Spock was not letting the Commander go. He knew what Mitchell was implying. If they made the request officially, they could decide which ship Kirk was serving on even if he did not want to. If they sustained the necessity for Kirk on the USS Archimedes, the Commander would not have other choice but transfer.
However, for that action to take place, both Captain's authorizations were required. If Spock did not agree, Mitchell could not demand to have Kirk. Mitchell was delusional if he thought Spock was letting Kirk serve on another vessel. Kirk's place was on the Enterprise.
Taking a deep breath, Spock decided to choose his words carefully to make his point clear without being impolite.
"I do not need a 'way out' as you said. I requested Commander Kirk; the Admirals did not force me into anything. I find the Commander to be efficient and resourceful, which are qualities a good First Officer must have in order to perform his duties. I do not have another person in mind because James Kirk was the officer I wanted originally. I am sorry for your dilemma; nevertheless, I am not 'lending' you my First Officer. I am sure Starfleet will have candidates for the post that meet your standards."
Spock felt confident. He had been concise and sympathetic to Mitchell's problem even though he did not feel that way. Still, he was Captain and he had to be diplomatic even when some people did not deserve it.
Mitchell was wide-eyed, too shocked to say anything. Spock just looked at him coldly, after all humans could never distinguish any Vulcan expressions.
"Are you telling me that you want Jim? Jim Kirk?"
"I believe that was what I said."
"I… honestly, I never expected for you to just say no. I was so sure I was doing you a favor too, after all we all know you almost killed him in the Narada incident."
Spock almost flinched when he heard Mitchell refer to a past event that still caused some remorse in Spock. Not only he left his emotions overcome him, he had also forgotten all the Vulcan teachings and control and he had almost taken the life of another person who, as insufferable as he was, was not to blame for his mother's death. He had blamed Kirk in that moment. He had made him responsible for his grief and his pain. As he wrapped his hand around Kirk's throat, he was taking out the frustration of not being able to save her. He had tried so hard, and yet he could not save her. Logically he knew it was not his fault, but he was half human, he felt guilt over the most irrational things.
Even though the Commander had accepted his apologies, Spock refused to train with Kirk for fear of losing control again. Kirk, as McCoy often said, knew what buttons to push to obtain a reaction. He saw how Kirk trained with Giotto, and the Lieutenant was bullied by Kirk until he unleashed all his fury and the Commander ended up with bruises. Kirk justified this with the claim that it was necessary for Giotto to learn to manage his emotions and focus on the fight without letting the enemy provoke him. Spock was appalled when he first saw Kirk's lip swollen, he did not like to see the Commander injured, even less on his own ship. Still, the Commander was stubborn and kept provoking Giotto and Cravers into fighting in anger. When Kirk suggested he to join them in training, Spock refused, wary that the Commander would provoke him as he did with the security team.
Bringing out that incident was very petty on Mitchell's behalf, he wanted to elicit an emotional response from Spock. He would be disappointed.
"I do not see how those two events are related. If I needed a 'favor' I would ask directly for it."
"Yeah, but I know the Admirals can be pushy, and well, you and Jimmy have nothing in common, being in command of the Enterprise together must be really hard. I was trying to make things easy, not just for you, but also for Jim. It must be difficult for him to have a Captain who's so controlled and… I don't want to offend you, but you're very stiff for Jim's taste."
For someone who kept claiming that he did not mean to offend, Mitchell was doing a fine job of insulting Spock at every chance he got. Spock was aware that Mitchell's comment carried a double meaning, but Spock had no idea about what he wanted to imply.
"The Admirals had no input in my choice, and Mister Kirk is far too vocal, if he was feeling uncomfortable about being assigned to the Enterprise, he would have said so. I presume that he did not ask you for this favor either and you just assumed that you knew what our needs were. In my case, you were wrong, and I dare say that you are also wrong in Commander's Kirk case."
"Well, no harm in asking the guy, right? I mean, if you kidnapped him, I can rescue him."
Was that a joke? Spock lifted his eyebrow, at loss for what to say. If it was a joke, Spock did not find it funny, and if it was not, then there was no point in clarifying that absurd remark.
"I think the Commander would be capable of fighting if he was held as a hostage." Spock's answer could be labeled as a joke, but was entirely true as well.
"Yeah, Jimmy's energetic, I won't deny that. So, you are not interested in my offer then?"
Spock was trying not to succumb to the urge to just punch Mitchell. He had already said that he was not interested.
"Indeed, I am not."
"How about if Jim is interested? Would you let him come with me?"
Spock had not considered that possibility. If Mitchell made his offer to Kirk, would he accept it? He was aware of Mitchell's meaning. If he said 'no', Kirk could not transfer from the Enterprise. Even if he requested it, if Spock did not want him away from the ship, it would be difficult to overrule the Captain's decision. Nevertheless, Spock did not wish for Kirk to stay just because he took advantage of his rank. Kirk, like every other crew member, must serve voluntarily. Mitchell's offer opened an option that Spock did not want to contemplate: Kirk leaving the Enterprise.
"I do not keep the Commander by force. If he wishes to serve with you, I will be pleased to sign his transfer." It was the polite thing to say, even though Spock was not sincere. He would not be 'pleased' if Kirk chose to go; he would be discontented and frustrated. He had honestly tried his best to adapting to human customs and especially respected Kirk's personality. After the incident with Doctor McCoy, he and the Commander were more comfortable around each other and Spock had stopped having second thoughts about what he wanted to say and he just said it. Kirk clarified Spock's meaning and they both agreed that they would never intentionally offend each other.
"Oh, that's great then! Let's give Jimmy the option. No hard feelings if he chooses me, right?"
Spock did not have feelings to be hurt, yet he wanted to say that he would resent if Kirk chose him.
"Yes, the Commander is free to choose whatever he feels is best for him. If that was all, Captain Mitchell, I have other business to attend."
"At least let me buy you something, you didn't even order." Mitchell smiled again, but now Spock knew better.
"I do not need an inducement. I already told you that I will not stand in the way of Commander Kirk's choice. If you excuse me…"
Spock stood up without waiting for a response, and walked away quickly. He felt the need to meditate.