.o0o.

Kirk glanced over at Spock, and Spock raised an eyebrow.

"Look, I know you don't approve, but-"

"It was regulation." Spock supplied for him, forcing a calm facade onto his face. He was still in control of himself, and he could still be logical. In all probability, Starfleet would eventually discover McCoy's connection to Serin and waiting to inform them would give the appearance that they were attempting to hide valuable information. It would be suspicious. He did not have his parents to smooth things over like they did for the long delay before his marriage to McCoy became part of the record.

So he had done the logical action and filed a report regarding the new turn of events.

The captain looked uncomfortable. "Right. Let's get this over with, shall we?" He leaned forward and pressed a button on the speaker. "Patch him through."

Nogura appeared on the screen. He rarely made contact with the Enterprise, so Spock was surprised that he was the Admiral that had chosen to respond to his peculiar report. Kirk had often referred to him as 'one of the good guys.' He wondered if this would still ring true. "Captain. Commander." He greeted. "I am surprised Dr. McCoy is not present."

The captain merely shrugged. He likely had already guessed at Leonard's refusal to attend. "I don't need to be around while those egg-heads decide my fate. I'd probably just say something inappropriate anyway." Spock had conceded the point easily.

"Probably for the best. I don't need to tell you how strange this development is. Dr. McCoy has already been a sore spot ever since the Romulan incident." Nogura continued on. "We've got people who thought he was too dangerous before calling for his professional head especially now that he's retained several of the Indyrin abilities, not to mention possible security breaches. Others are vying for him to be brought to a lab to be studied, see if we can't replicate the effect. And there are of course those who want his excellent skills as a doctor on Starfleet's flagship."

Spock found himself in danger of saying something inappropriate in Leonard's stead, and was relieved that Kirk was firmly in control of this meeting, though his tone was frosty as well. "And your opinion, Admiral?"

Nogura smiled. "I'm on your side. He's a human and he has rights, Captain. That being said, changes are in the wind. This might really be something you should compromise on, Jim. Pull him from active duty until we have a better grasp on the situation."

"Is that an order, sir?"

The Admiral shook his head. "Just a suggestion. We haven't come to any conclusions yet, but a compromise now might avoid more extreme measures later."

"I'll bear that in mind, Admiral." Kirk was speaking tightly, and Spock knew that he had no intention of removing Leonard from duty. The doctor had yet to do anything to warrant such an action.

Spock decided he'd been quiet long enough. "Admiral Nogura. I fail to see the logic in the argument that Dr. McCoy could be considered a security breach. Serin was a part of Starfleet when he joined with the Indyrin and, if I'm not mistaken, still is counted as an active member. Furthermore, Dr. McCoy's connection to the Indyrin may prove a valuable asset. Already, he has been informed of a post-warp society in this sector, a society of which we were previously unaware."

The last comment seemed to garner attention from both Nogura and Kirk. Spock didn't need to touch Kirk to know that the current look was meant to inquire as to why he was only just finding this out. Instead of showing his surprise, the captain used the situation to his advantage. "The Enterprise would like permission to visit this planet and learn more about the people."

"Permission granted. I would like to know why we haven't picked up on these people before." The Admiral agreed. "And remember, Kirk, all eyes are going to be on Dr. McCoy."

The screen blacked out.

Kirk stopped his First Officer before he could make a hasty retreat. "I don't appreciate being blind-sided."

"That was never my intention, Captain. I simply overlooked the usefulness of this information as it was not relevant to the doctor's well-being."

"You, Spock? Overlooked?" The tone was joking, so Spock assumed Kirk would not continue to pursue the topic.

Spock raised an eyebrow. "I am not infallible."

Kirk clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Just see if you can't find a solution to this mess. I don't relish the idea of one of my crew being dragged off to a lab for study." As he left, he muttered, "Especially not Bones."

Spock had finished his shift some time ago, and decided to seek out the doctor immediately. He discovered him in his own quarters, apparently lost in thought as he lay in bed. McCoy scooted over as far as the bed allowed and Spock stretched out beside him.

"We have not been intimate for several days." Leonard didn't respond, so Spock pressed forward. "If this is due to your fear of absorbing my emotions, I believe it will be necessary to practice touching in order to find a method by which you can best avoid absorbing emotions."

Leonard snorted. "Only you would make having sex sound logical."

Spock found this response entertaining and allowed the feeling to slip over the link. "I was not referring to sex, simply the act of touching. However, I do believe it will be necessary to engage in sexual intercourse soon."

"Oh?" The other man inquired, finally turning around to they were facing each other on the bed, though he managed to perch himself far enough away on the tiny surface that they were just barely avoiding contact. "How do you figure that?"

"As a doctor, I am sure you are aware of the challenges of anal penetration."

"We need to work on your dirty talk."

"I was not attempting to utilize 'dirty talk'." Spock stated, unable to pretend that he did not know the doctor's meaning.

A sigh. "What challenge were you referring to?"

"In order to invoke pleasure, or at the least avoid pain, your body must be prepared adequately. While I am under the influence of Pon farr, I will likely not retain enough sense to ensure this. It would be preferable to rehearse, so that we can prevent injury during my Time." Leonard took a deep breath and Spock could feel his hackles rising, as the doctor would say. He thought for a moment that he might again take issue with the one being "on the receiving" as Leonard had put it. Unfortunately, as the doctor was fulfilling what would traditionally be a woman's role, there was no way to reverse the parts. Spock would be overtaken by his instincts. McCoy broke into his thoughts, "It just feels weird with Serin... watching, you know?"

"While I can appreciate your aversion to voyeurism, we have not been afforded such a luxury as privacy in this instance." Spock thought it unnecessary to point out that he could die from this. He already knew the thought was spending a great deal of time inside Leonard's mind.

Spock had also found that with the encroaching insanity, he became more and more desirous of Leonard's body. It was difficult to keep his distance throughout the day and was torture to lay beside him and not touch. Sleep had been evading him as well and he found his control over himself to be slipping with each passing day. Soon, he would have to use his personal days and remain in his quarters so that the crew would not know of his... affliction.

"And there's no way you can... put a barrier between our minds?"

For a second, Spock thought the doctor was referring to a barrier between their minds, but then he recalled the conversation about Serin. He blamed his reaction on the Pon farr, particularly the relish he felt at his mate's rejection of Serin. "As I have stated previously, Leonard, I know of no such way at this time. It is not a matter of blocking the connection of a link such as the one we share where there are steps to minimize our contact. Instead, if Serin is correct, you are sharing one mind between you."

"But how's that possible when we're so far apart?"

"Telepathy functions quite differently from the other ways in which you use your brain. While there must be synapses and tissue to support the acts, distance is irrelevant."

Leonard's eyes lost focus and he seemed to be concentrating. Spock lifted an inquisitive eyebrow when he didn't respond. The doctor let out a sigh. "I was just telling Serin that I don't ever want to hear from him while I'm in bed with you again. His explanation actually had me questioning my qualifications as a doctor. Apparently, I have no idea how the brain works."

Spock could feel the slight swell of panic rising up in McCoy despite his caustic tone and he knew without asking what the cause was. Leonard was afraid, terrified, horrified, and altogether unceasingly fearful of Serin's apparently continual access to his mind. It cropped up most fiercely every time Serin spoke. As the days went on, the gnawing tension seemed to have less power over the doctor, but he seemed no more mollified by the situation, just learning to hide his anxiety better.

He was brought back to five days previously when they'd discovered the permanency of Serin in McCoy's mind. The panic he felt when he pulled the doctor towards him had nearly overwhelmed them both. They'd both tumbled to the ground, still wound around each other. Spock had fought the panic, pushing it back to a more sustainable level, though not daring to try and push it all away. He just needed to be able to offer comfort and protection. Spock had caught his mate's chin, looked him straight in his wide, wild eyes, and promised without a hint of a hesitation that they would find a way to separate them, and that he would be there to keep his mind safe in the meantime. Leonard had seemed to find these words enormously comforting. Perhaps it was the conviction with which Spock said them.

Brought back to the present by Leonard's slight shivering, Spock found himself reaching out to rest his hand on the human's shoulder, ignoring the imposed physical separation that existed between them. He felt his own emotions seem to fizzle out, but he didn't bother to comment on it. "Leonard."

"I'm afraid I'll lose myself in all this." McCoy whispered barely loud enough for him to catch despite being so close together. "I don't want to be anything other than me."

"Did you not have the same fear when we were linked?"

Leonard looked up, and Spock immediately caught his mistake. His mate still had that fear, but Serin had amplified it tenfold.

"Ah."

The doctor brought his own hands up now and held the Vulcan. "Don't get me wrong. I don't think you'd ever intentionally..." McCoy chewed on his bottom lip and Spock found himself enraptured by this action. "And I don't think Serin would want to either, but..."

"I understand." Spock found himself soothing.

"Serin can't... control me, can he? Make me do things?" Leonard rarely let himself be seen in such a fragile state, Spock couldn't help but feel protective.

"I regret that I cannot say definitively; however, I do not believe this to be the case. For lack of a better terminology, Serin has joint control over your telepathic mind, but not your physical mind."

"I'll take your guess over other people's facts any day of the week." Leonard finally allowed himself to relax into Spock, nuzzling the Vulcan's chest in a way that made him unsure how long he could restrain himself. He was quickly coming to the conclusion that his mate would either have to allow a much greater deal of intimacy within the next few minutes or he would have to return to his own quarters.

It then occurred to Spock that he was feeling emotional again even with the doctor's arms wrapped around him. "You are not absorbing my emotions." He stated.

Leonard pulled back slightly. "I'm not?"

"Initially you did but no longer."

"Really? I'm pretty sure I've been taking emotions all week. I can't work as a doctor without touching people."

The words were blank, but Spock could see that McCoy actually felt some guilt over taking others' emotions. He'd confessed to Spock that he felt like he was stealing their emotions, making their reactions ingenuous and not reflective of their own desires. "They seek you out to remove their pain. I doubt they would be offended to find that you have removed their emotional pain as well."

"Jim would." Leonard grumbled. They'd told the captain first and privately about McCoy's new ability and Kirk hadn't appeared surprised at all. Apparently, he'd already suspected as much, though not the extent of the issue. "He says he needs his pain."

Spock steered them back to the conversation at hand, filing away that reaction for later meditation. "Can you identify any differences in yourself between when you touched me a moment ago and now?"

Spock half expected the doctor to complain about how vague his request was, but instead he seemed to be contemplating the idea. "Actually, I don't feel... hungry anymore."

"Fascinating." Spock provided. "Do you recall feeling hungry before touching another person and then not feeling hungry afterward?"

McCoy seemed to be warming up to this idea. "Yesterday. I was about to ask Christine if she'd get me lunch while I was working with a patient, only to realize it was still nine in the morning. I'd eaten a huge breakfast only an hour before and I still felt starving. I didn't think much of it at the time, though, because I wasn't hungry after I finished with the patient."

"I believe we may have isolated the trigger to your absorbing emotions." Spock stated, already considering the consequences. They should be able to avoid unintentionally taking emotions as long as the doctor was not 'hungry' as he put it. Perhaps, if Spock allowed McCoy to absorb his emotions in the morning, he would not find himself taking more throughout the day. Spock did not find this idea unpleasant, particularly with his emotions becoming more uncontrollable as time progressed.

Leonard had obviously been considering the situation himself. "But if it's only when I'm feeling, uh, hungry, why did I absorb your emotions after I'd taken on so much of Jim's after Deneva? Jim's should have been enough."

"I believe that because you had absorbed so much pain in an effort to relief the captain of his burden, you were attempting to dispel that feeling with pleasure." Spock surmised.

Leonard nodded slowly. He wouldn't be comfortable with the idea, but the scientist in him would feel slightly more at ease at least knowing more about the way his ability operated. Spock wondered briefly if Serin would have been able to answer these questions easily but dismissed the idea. Besides not wanting Leonard to be in any more contact with Serin than necessary, the doctor's situation was unique, and thus Serin would not have any concrete information on similar situations.

"So you'll tell me if I start... doing it again, right?"

Spock raised an eyebrow. "Of course." Then he lowered his head to plant a kiss on his mate's lips. Leonard kissed him back, nipping at his bottom lip before trying to work his tongue into Spock's mouth. As their lips worked pleasantly against each other, Spock shifted them closer together so he could roll them. Spock found himself feeling inordinately possessive as he straddled Leonard's hips and pinned his wrists to the bed. Perhaps they had waited until it was too close to his Pon farr. He did not feel completely in control of himself.

Still, Leonard didn't resist him, instead relaxing beneath him and allowing Spock to take the lead. He let go just long enough to divest them both of their shirts, then planted himself back down, finding the warmth of Leonard's chest against his own decidedly erotic. Without thinking, Spock found that he was rocking his hips against the body beneath him as his fingers laced with his Leonard's. He needed to feel all of him.

Spock made quick work of their pants and paused only a moment to gaze at his mate's naked form before giving into the urge and running his hands along every part of the exposed skin below him. He could feel Leonard's desire as the other man reached out to make contact. 'Be still.' Spock requested. Then Spock stroked Leonard's erection in a firm grip that had the other man writhing beneath him. The Vulcan suckled his neck before trailing kisses along his chest and licking a nipple, hips rubbing against thighs.

'Stop!' Leonard was suddenly demanding and Spock wondered if he was even capable of stopping before forcing his whole body to stop any movement.

'You do not want this?'

"Hell yes, I want this." His mate released a flood of desire as if to prove his point. "But if you keep up what you've been doing, I'll be finished before we've even started."

"We have already begun." Spock replied playfully.

"Before the main event, then."

Spock raised his eyebrows. "Are you suggesting penetration?" Leonard's cheeks were turning a very nice shade of red. He wondered at humans' strange ability to find the words describing the act to be more embarrassing than the act itself.

"Well, as you pointed out, we really should practice." Leonard's voice carried the same snarky tone that he often used with the Vulcan, but Spock could sense a nervousness behind it as well as some anxiety.

'I feel what you feel, Leonard. I shall not cause any unnecessary pain.'

McCoy disregarded the comment, instead leaning over to fight with the night-side table and tossing a bottle at Spock. 'How do you want me?' Spock leaned forward and allowed himself to stroke the reddened cheeks. He wanted to see his mate's face, but he thought another position would be easier for them both. He conveyed this to McCoy who rolled over and got onto his hands and knees.

Placing a hand on Leonard's now exposed backside, Spock immediately felt him tense. 'You must relax.' Spock poured some of the lubricant onto his hands as his mate took deep breaths in an attempt to relax his body. The Vulcan had learned early on that McCoy was really quite terrible at relaxing himself. He would assist by way of distraction. "I am curious why you keep such easy access to lubricant near your bed given that you have... chosen to remain abstinent for so long."

Leonard recognized the play at humor at his expense in a facsimile of their constant banter and it did seem to relax him. "I'm a doctor." He responded gruffly.

Spock slipped a finger into his lover, waiting patiently for him to adjust before working it in and out. He monitored Leonard's reaction. "I do not believe, Doctor, that you have used this particular bottle for medical purposes."

Inserting a second finger, Spock noted that Leonard felt it was awkward but not painful. "What are you saying, Spock?"

"I believe you have utilized this container to aid in self-stimulation." McCoy hissed, either at the pronouncement or Spock adding a third digit into the process. After a brief pain, Leonard found the stretch to be pleasurable.

"And you sure seem to know what you're doing back there."

Spock raised an eyebrow, not slowing in his movements. "I did the necessary research on the topic."

Leonard let out a snort, but he seemed to be relaxing more into their activity now that he no longer feared Spock's hand inside of him. "Of course you did."

"I do not have the advantage of your medical background." He had known that both of them were free of any transmittable diseases. Spock continued to prepare him to the point where Leonard was pushing back against his hand and growling for him to get on with it. Yet Spock did not dare move to hastily, lest he hurt his companion. He worked the muscles loose until he could feel Leonard's pleasure building.

Finally, he removed his fingers and spread the lubricant over his own erection, which had been demanding his attention for quite some time now. He gazed at McCoy's backside. "Spock..." There was a warning in his mate's tone.

"Yes, Leonard?" He responded with his calmest voice.

"Hurry up, will you?"

Spock had to suppress his smile. He pressed forward, entering his lover carefully. He felt a brief spike of pain from Leonard at the additional size, but he was already demanding that Spock keep going. Spock worked his way slowly into the heat, careful to avoid causing undue stress on the muscles. Then he began to work his way in and out.

Leaning forward, Leonard let out a guttural moan and Spock could feel his partner's pleasure coupling with his own. It proved to be overwhelming and he felt his control slipping, erratic thrusts replacing his previous measured ones, hands tightening on his lover's hips. There was grunting and moaning which he wasn't entirely sure were only from the man beneath him. Hard breaths and slapping skin echoed in the room as Spock gave into the sensations. He knew that Leonard would be hard pressed to admit it, but the human was finding penetration extremely pleasurable, enough to surprise them both. Leonard was currently projecting his thoughts again and those thoughts revolved around repeating this activity as frequently as possible. Spock felt building orgasm and could not say if it was his own or Leonard's, but all too soon he released into Leonard's body, feeling the other man finding his own climax as well.

Pulling out, Spock arranged his heavy limbs around Leonard, who had all but collapsed onto the bed. His lover kissed him fully on the lips, flooding his mind with positive emotions before snuggling up against him and passing out. Spock stroked his hair gently for a few minutes, thinking in the afterglow of their joining that he could think of nothing superior to his current circumstances. Leonard was a willing partner both physically and mentally, happy to be with Spock. Spock felt accepted and loved. Whatever challenges awaited them, he felt illogically certain that they could handle them together.

.o0o.

A/N: So... they finally did it... I just. Wow. I actually spent a stupidly long amount of time on this scene, trying to get the perfect amount of snark mixed in with a whole mess of caring and avoid stupid words that make a scene seem uber corny. Is it warm in here?