AN: Thanks to Bitten for her help and beta, suggestions and general fangirl talk. Thanks also to EG for her beta and support.

Chapter 2: It's Complicated

Kirk paused in the hallway outside of Spock's room and sighed. When he first decided that being a Starfleet captain was what he wanted to do, he never anticipated the issues that would arise from his staff. Pon Farr? Mating rituals. What next? Klingons? Lord help them all.

It wasn't like he didn't have his own romantic issues to deal with. Everyone thought he was an unabashed slut, and while that was somewhat true, he really was trying to mend his ways. Not because it reflected badly upon him and his crew, ok well that's not entirely true, but that wasn't the main reason. It did have a little to do with the conversation with Pike, but again, not the real reason.

The main reason had a set of legs on her that wouldn't quit and a mouth made to nibble on for hours on end. As much as he tried to deny it, even to himself, he didn't want her to think poorly of him. She was already a long enough shot as it was, flaunting himself and his sexual exploits in front of her was not about to win him any points.

Rolling his eyes at the sappiness of his thoughts, he set out to find the ship's head doctor.

"Bones," he called as he entered sickbay. "Where are you at?"

"I'm back here, Jim, keep your socks on." In no apparent hurry, Bones finished up with his patient, a funky looking gray... slug that had eyes all over it. Jim hid the shudder than ran down his spine.

"What happened to..." Him? Her? Jim wasn't sure. In truth, he really enjoyed the diverse make up of his crew, but there were some, no matter who you were, that were a little hard to take. He knew from his personnel roster that the one seated before him worked in the bowels of the ship, hence all the eyes. It helped them see in the pitch black, but it didn't mean they were pleasing to human eyes.

Bones shook his head, "It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye, right Ekkahah? No more paperclip battles!"

Ekkahah appeared to lower its head and nod, then slithered off the table and lumbered its way out the door.

Kirk and Bones watched it go for a few moments before Jim turned and said, "Does it ever bother you.."

Bones cut him off, "No! I'm a doctor, Jim, not some squeamish teenage girl. They have feelings too. They feel pain and emotions. They deserve the same care as any humanoid does."

"Yeah, I know," Kirk said and then sat down on the table the gray slug was sitting on a moment ago. He jumped up and wiped at his butt.

"Don't worry, they don't leave slime trails, that's why they're suited to do their job. They can squeeze anywhere and even hang upside down without leaving residue behind."

Still, Kirk didn't sit back down. "I have a problem, well, not so much me as we or... better yet, Spock."

"What are you going on about, Jim? I have a lot of work to do and I'm down a nurse. Chapel picked up some kind of virus and she's down for a few days. I have inventory to do, ordering to do, reports to write and file-"

"Spock is dying," Kirk said flatly, knowing that would get the good doctor's full attention.

Bones' head snapped in his direction, "What?"

"Spock is dying, well... not yet at least, but unless he gets laid, he will."

"Laid? Dammit, Jim, just once, can't you explain something easily without all the cryptic talk? Is he dying or isn't he?" Bones didn't have time for Kirk's runaround. If Spock was really, truly sick, he had a lot of research to do. Bones took great pride in his work and knowing as much as he was able to about any given species under his care, but unless you're a Vulcan, the brain could only hold so much information.

Fidgeting with some medical equipment, Kirk explained, "He has entered Pon Farr."

Yanking away the instruments from Jim, Bones' brow furrowed for a minute before he picked up his tablet and started typing feverishly. "Pon Farr? That's what he called it?"

"Yeah."

"When? How is he? How far along? I think I've read something... ahh, here it is." Bones was quiet for a minute as he read and then cursed. "What do we do? Vulcan is no more."

"He's requested a leave of absence and a ship."

"We can't let him go out alone, Jim, it'll be suicide."

Jim smiled slyly, "He's requested a leave of absence for Autumn also."

Grinning, Bones nodded slowly, "Autumn, really? 'Bout time, I say. Truthfully, I was beginning to wonder if he had it in him. I think Scotty was starting to get a little too attached to her."

Jim grunted, "Spock agrees with that and has asked that they be kept apart for fear that he'll kill Scotty."

"Well, that would suck," Bones said in his normal, dry tone.

"No doubt, especially for Scotty." With a tired sigh, Kirk went on, "What I need from you, Bones, is to check Spock over before they leave. Make sure he's ok, that he's gonna make it and not hurt her."

Already loading up his medical bag, Bones shook his head, "If I know one thing, Jim, it's that Spock would never hurt her, or any other woman for that matter," Bones said in all confidence. "No matter how crazy he gets, he knows he's stronger than any one of us and he'd never turn that onto a girl."

Kirk knew the doctor was right, but still, he couldn't help the little sliver of fear that stabbed at the back of his brain. He'd seen Spock lose control, they all had, but his view point had been a bit more... up-close. "You weren't the one looking into his eyes while he was choking you. On top of that, I've felt Spock Prime's emotions. For a cold-blooded bastard, he feels things very deeply," Kirk said, trying to lighten the mood and his mind.

Bones scoffed, "You asked for that, telling him that he never loved his Mother. If ever there was a man with Mommy issues, it's Spock."

Kirk nodded in agreement. The subject of Spock's mother Amanda was one that was never broached again by any of them. No one really knew how deeply effected he had been by her loss. Spock Prime did not know his mother perished along with his world. In his time, she lived a full life. That was one burden that his younger counterpart bore alone.

"Well, I have to go and make arrangements and see to it that their shifts are covered for at least a few days." Kirk walked to the door and then turned back, "Report to me as soon as you've completed your exam."

"You bet." Though Bones had a pretty good idea what Spock would tell him to do with his exam. He just hoped that he didn't try to show him.

Against all logic, Spock was nervous as he stood outside Autumn's quarters. He looked down at the small box in his hand and wished he had never brought it. Should he take it back? Give it to her at a different time? Or would it help soften her toward his earlier behavior?

He was being stupid and acting like a love sick child. He began to turn away and stiffened when he saw Bones standing hardly a meter away. Spock had not heard or sensed his presence at all and that was disturbing.

Bones looked down at the box in Spock's hand and smiled, "For me? Spock, you shouldn't have."

Quickly hiding the gift behind his back, Spock stiffened even more. "I do not have time for childish games, Doctor. If you would please step aside so I could be on my way."

"Oh, no you don't. You still haven't asked her have you?"

Spock's lips thinned ever so slightly, "I should have realized that the Captain would run to you."

"Jim's worried about you."

Remaining unconvinced Spock lifted a brow, "There is no need."

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?"

"I do not need an exam, Doctor, please step aside."

"Like hell. If you're in such great health, why are you sweating, and shaking?" Bones whipped out his medical tricorder and began to scan Spock's body with it.

Enraged that his wishes were being ignored, Spock grabbed Bones by the throat and slammed him against the hallway wall. "I said I am perfectly fine. I suggest you take your tricorder and stick it-"

Autumn's door opened and for a second, all should could do was gape. Spock had Bones against the wall and even though his tone was civil, his words were not.

"Spock!" she cried.

His head snapped in her direction and he quickly let go of a slightly blue physician and stepped back. With a stiff movement, he straightened his shirt and avoided her eyes. "If you would excuse me," Spock said as he tried to make as gracious an exit as he could manage.

"Wait, Spock." He stopped but did not turn back around to face her. "Is there something you needed?" Autumn asked softly. She had hoped that he would come to her. She couldn't stand the rift between the two of them.

Bones snorted and received a sneer from Spock. A sneer! Truthfully Bones didn't think he had it in him and he was secretly proud of the Vulcan.

"No," Spock said at the same time Bones said, "Yes."

Autumn just sighed. There was no reason for Spock to be outside her door unless he had good reason. They all knew that. Why was he avoiding her? "Spock, please, come in. I think we need to talk."

After a moment, Spock agreed. "Very well," he said as he turned and followed Autumn into her rooms. With one last questioning look at Bones, she closed the door and turned to face the Vulcan.

Autumn looked at Spock and couldn't help the rising panic that filled her. He didn't look well and he was paler than normal, if that was possible. She wanted to reach out to him but she was still kind of pissed off at the way he had treated her earlier. Still, he had come to her door for a reason, Spock always had a reason for his actions and what was up with the box he was clutching in his hands? Deciding to ignore it for now, she crossed her arms and waited for him to speak.

Spock looked everywhere but at Autumn. He knew this was it, it would only end one of two ways from this point and both of them scared him. How he wished he could look at it from a logical sense, but that was not possible at the moment. If he told Autumn the truth, she might tell him to go away and say that she wanted nothing to do with him any longer, or she could agree and change both of their lives forever.

Pon Farr meant mating, mating meant children. For most of Spock's adult life, he had convinced himself that he did not want or ever plan on taking a wife or having children. He was half human. No matter who he mated with, their blood would be tainted by his. Though others looked down upon him due to his mixed race, he failed to see it as such a disadvantage. His father and home world wanted him Vulcan, his Mother was proud no matter what, but it had to hurt her that he chose the more logical way of life.

He should have been more open to her when he had the chance. Had he ever told her that he loved her? Did she know how deeply she resided in his soul? She was gone now, all chance of telling her was gone.

Autumn rolled her eyes and took a step toward him, "Spock, what is the matter? You came here to talk, yet you stand there and stare off into space. What ever it is you have to say, I can handle it, I'm a big girl."

A big girl that's about to get her heart broken, she was sure of it now. He was going to tell her that he didn't want to see her any longer. She'd pushed him too far, demanded too much and now she'd lose everything.

Spock finally looked at her and cocked his head, "Do you think I came here to end things with you?"

Autumn threw up her hands, "I don't know why you do half of what you do. You claim to do the logical, but nothing about you makes sense! Hot and cold, that's how you run. You claim that you are not ashamed to be with me, yet you won't claim me openly."

Lust shot through Spock to the likes of which he had never known. Images flashed in his mind, his hands buried deep in her mass of red hair, grabbing, pulling and he slammed into her over and over again. It took all of his will to remain standing and when he spoke, his voice was rougher than normal, "Is that what you want? To be claimed like a possession?"

Say yes!

"No, but I'm getting sick of hiding how I feel about you. Do you want me or not, Spock? It's a simple question and I deserve to know the answer."

"It is more complicated that than, Autumn."

Sighing tiredly, Autumn shook her head, "It always is with you. Why don't you tell me why it's so complicated?"

He was shaking now and he knew that she had to see it. Pretty soon, he'd lose all control of his thinking and start acting on instinct.

"It is called Pon Farr. Only Vulcan's are effected by it. We need to mate every seven years, go home. Take a wife."

Autumn gasped as Spock began touching her arm lightly. He seemed completely unaware of his actions but it sent chills racing over her body. She knew that his fingertips were extra sensitive and each caress was like a kiss, the very thought threatened to buckle her knees. Her thoughts jumbled and she couldn't concentrate on what he was trying to tell her.

"My planet is gone, the one that was to be my wife is gone. But it is you I want, it has always been you, Autumn." Spock looked her in the eyes then and asked, "Will you complete the Pon Farr ritual with me?"

Trying to focus, Autumn blinked. What was he talking about? Pon Farr? What the hell was that? Wife? Is he married? Is that why he hasn't touched me until now? Seven years? Is that the only time he's going to want to touch me? No, that can't be right, she'd felt his erection press against her as they were kissing before.

Pulling her arm quickly away, Autumn took a step back and gasped as Spock swayed slightly. She reached up and caught him only to have him crush his lips against hers.

The kiss was brutal and primitive, two words that she would never have used to describe a kiss from Spock up until this point. He pulled her tightly against him and she could feel the heat pouring off of his body. He was on fire, burning up and every muscle in his body was taut.

Gasping for breath, she pulled her head back only to have Spock trail kisses down her throat. Moaning, Autumn closed her eyes as colors whirled around her. Yes, this is what she has wanted from the first moment she set eyes on him, but something wasn't right.

"Spock," she whispered and threaded her fingers into his thick, straight hair. It was damp and slightly mussed. Again, something that had never happened before.

After a few moments, Spock seemed to remember himself and took a few calming breaths. "I have a ship on standby. It is fully stocked with fuel and food for us. All that I want... all I need need is for you to agree to accompany me."

Trying to make sense of everything, Autumn's mind raced to understand. He was asking her to mate with him. Not just have sex, but mate. There was a huge difference, she knew. Cocking her head to the side, she asked, "If I go,"

His eyes were serious as they pinned her, "There is no turning back. If you get on that shuttle with me, I will claim you, you will be mine until one of us dies."

So matter-of-fact. No sugar coating it. Just plain truth and logic. So like Spock. She also knew that Vulcans lived a lot longer than Humans.

"I've never loved anyone but you, Spock. I'll go with you, anywhere you need me too."

The relief he felt was overwhelming and immediate. She said yes, Jim had been right. Spock was sure he would never live it down.

Unwilling to waste any more time, Spock took her hand and began to lead her from her room. "Very well, let us go," Spock stated in his normal, smooth tone. Now that he knew that she was willing, the fever cooled off, if only slightly. He could think somewhat clearly for now, but he knew once he got her alone, that would all change once again.

Autumn skitted to a halt, "Wait, don't I have to pack?"

The look Spock gave her made her toes curl in her boots. "You will require no clothing, I promise you that."

Autumn smiled, she really liked this side of Spock. Maybe, once Pon Farr was over, she could tease a little bit of this out of him from time to time.

Grinning, she looked at his hand, "What's in the box?"

Spock too looked down at the box and removed the lid. Inside was a ring with a design carved into a burnt-orange gem. "This stone is, was, only found on Vulcan." Swallowing, he took the ring out of the box, "It is my family crest, but unique to me. It will signify to the universe that you are my mate and everything that I am, and everything that I have, belongs to you in the event of my demise."

Spock held out his hand for hers and smiled when he saw that they were both shaking. He slid the ring onto Autumn's middle finger of her left hand. Tossing the box on the floor, Spock pulled Autumn close and gave her a soft gentle kiss.

"If I do not have you soon, I will surely die," Spock whispered and then grabbed her hand and began making his way through the ship toward their awaiting shuttle.