This chapter was fun to write.
The Vulcan diplomats beam aboard and Kirk meets a familiar face. Things also happen between Jim and Spock.
T'Arrah beta-ed this chapter.
Star Trek isn't mine.
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Kirk rolls over in his bed and places his pillow over his head, trying to drown out the incessant beeping that is filling his room, but he gives up as he deduces that whoever is calling him doesn't know how to take a hint. He scrambles out of his bed and pads across the darkened room towards the comm unit on the wall.
"Kirk here."
For a second, Jim expects it to be Spock and he stiffens anxiously, but then sags in relief when he hears Pike's voice instead.
"Hi Jim. I know that you are on the roster for Gamma shift in the labs, but I will need you to join me and Spock in the transporter room when the diplomats arrive. As you know it is Starfleet policy that all high ranking officers be present to welcome diplomatic parties aboard. Since HQ has allowed you to keep your ranking, you are required to be part of the welcoming committee. I need you there in 30 minutes"
Jim knows he should be annoyed at the fact that even in his own universe he has to play the 'good captain', but he is actually happy that he gets to be there. He is curious to see who the Ambassador to Earth is since Sarek is dead and he is holding onto a small glimmer of hope that Selik might be among the diplomats, even though his own Selik refused a diplomatic position in his own time.
"Sure, Pike. I'll just clean myself up a bit and meet you there. See you soon."
The call disconnects and quickly races to the bathroom, knowing that he doesn't have a second to waste. He knows he is not allowed to be late for this. Vulcan's hate tardiness.
As Kirk walks into the transporter room, he tries to hold back a chuckle as spots Spock trying to teach Pike the Vulcan salute, with very little success.
"Captain, I believe that you should simply bow to the delegates, because while you have formed many Vulcan hand gestures, all of them are used to insult rather than welcome and I am sure that is not the message you wish to send."
Pike sighs and nods. He looks up from his hands and is the first to see Jim standing near the door way. He waves the younger man over. As Kirk steps over to them, he locks eyes with Spock and can see that the Vulcan is struggling to keep his face neutral. He seems to be winning the struggle, except around his eyes. There is a longing in their brown depth that has Jim turning away to look at Pike, who is the picture of frustration.
"Hey Kirk, have you ever tried to do the Vulcan salute? It is not as easy as it looks."
Jim raises his hand and both Spock and Pike eyes go wide in surprise when his hand forms a perfect Vulcan salute. Pike is the first to snap out of his shock and frowns at the younger captain.
"How the hell did you do that? My fingers feel like pretzels."
Spock is still staring at Kirk, but instead of a shocked expression on his face, he is smiling at Jim as if he had just turned into a big basket of kittens. The look makes Kirk's heart flutter.
He shrugs at Pike before dropping his hand to his sides and stares down at his feet in an effort not to look in Spock's direction, even though it is incredibly hard when the Vulcan is looking at him like he hung the moon.
"I practiced a lot. I wanted to impress Spo... special Vulcan guests."
'Smooth save there Jimmy boy. Let's hope you managed to fool them.'
He slowly lifts his gaze to find Chris looking at him with new found respect. He mentally pats himself on the back for obviously fooling the older man, but then soon he the mental patting stops and he is mentally kicking himself instead. Spock is staring at him knowingly and there is a small triumphant smirk on his face.
'Of course I couldn't fool the man that I need to fool. Fuck my life!'
'The Vulcan goes to take a step closer to the blond, but halts when he hears the officers at the transporter terminal call to them. By the look of annoyance on Spock's face, Jim can tell he is not pleased with the interruption. Kirk on the other hand could kiss the ensign for his excellent timing.
"Sirs, the diplomatic party is ready to be beamed up."
Pick give the man the order and the commanding officers stand and watch as the transporter pad first fills with light and then the forms of ten Vulcan diplomats appear. Before the light has fully faded, one of the Vulcan's has stepped off the pad and is embracing Kirk.
"Jim Kirk, I would know you anywhere. I had believed that I would never see you again. It is reassuring to know that you are still able to prove me wrong."
Jim's rigid frame relaxes as that achingly familiar voice fills his ears and he lifts his arms to encircle the old Vulcan's waist and returns the hug desperately.
"Selik! You don't know how good it is to see you, old friend. You are exactly the same as I left you."
The older version of Spock releases Jim, but keeps his hands on the young man's shoulders, to pull back and allow their eyes to meet.
"Oh Jim, though you are different to how I last saw you, I am pleased nether the less to have you back."
A sound that could not be called anything but a growl, breaks the spell that this old Vulcan has over Jim. His blue eyes scan the room to find everyone silently staring at him and Selik. The Vulcan's are looking at them in thinly veiled disgust, Pike seems confused and Spock is... murderous.
Kirk blushes and quickly jumps away from his (new? old?) friend. Selik doesn't look the least embarrassed as he turns to Captain Pike and gives him a salute.
"I apologize for that emotional display, but as you have most probably gathered, Jim is a friend of mine that I have not seen in many years."
Before Pike can accept the apology, Spock steps closer to his counter part and his eyes narrow.
"You forget yourself, Selik. This is not the man you are acquainted with and when he is on duty you will address him as Captain James T. Kirk."
Jim is outraged at Spock's attitude and is about to step in between the two Vulcan's when Pike's voice rings out across the room.
"Commander Spock, that is no way to talk to the Vulcan Ambassador to Earth. Step down, now."
Spock has enough sense to back away with his head bowed, but Jim can tell that Spock is not even a little ashamed of his action.
Pike now turns to address Selik. "Your apologies are unnecessary, Ambassador Selik. I had a similar reaction when meeting Kirk. Welcome aboard the Enterprise. I will get Commander Spock to show you to your rooms. If there is anything you need do not hesitate to ask."
Selik glances at Jim from the corner of his eye and then focuses on Chris once more.
"Since you have offered, I would like to ask that, while Spock escort my companions to their quarters, Captain Kirk be allowed to escort me to mine. We have much to discuss."
Spock's panicked eyes turn to Pike and he opens his mouth to object, but Pike lifts a hand to silence him. The older captain bows to the ambassador.
"Of course. He will have to report for duty at the start of Gamma shift, but he is yours until then."
Selik nods in thanks and gives both the captain and XO a Vulcan salute (who does not return it). He starts making his way towards the door. Jim smiles at Pike in gratitude, but it soon fades when his eyes meet Spock's furious gaze. Jim's own gaze drops guiltily and he quickly races out the exit after his friend, afraid that if he stays any longer, he will do something he will regret... like give Spock a hug or something equally unproductive to his plan of distancing himself from said Vulcan.
15 minutes later, Jim finds himself sitting across an exact replica of his own Selik in the Vulcan's guest room. He listens to Selik as he fills in the gaps left by the official reports. From what that older Vulcan tells him, he and Jim's own Selik led identical lives up until they travelled through the wormhole. Kirk can't help but sigh in relief at that because it means he doesn't have to get to know yet another person in this universe, though because his counterpart never survived in this Universe, the old man doesn't actually know who he is.
Kirk scans the Selik's face to see if the Vulcan is at all uncomfortable around him. All he can see is amazement and happiness, tinged with a sadness that Jim has grown used to seeing in his own elderly Vulcan. He is pulled from is observations when a warm hand lands on his wrist, which had been resting near his glass of water.
"I cannot begin to express how pleased I am to see your face again, old friend. After discovering that you were not enrolled in Starfleet in this universe, I obtained your personal files so that I could learn your whereabouts. I was... devastated when I discovered that you had died as an infant."
Kirk opens his mouth to deliver words of comfort to the old Vulcan (and maybe also point out that it wasn't actually him that died), but Selik seems to have guessed what he is planning and shakes his head at the blond.
"I was not upset for myself... well, not only for myself. I was saddened for my counterpart. I was fortunate to spend many years with my Jim Kirk. The Spock of this universe would never get that chance."
Jim pulls his hand away from Selik's and crosses his arms over his chest in a defensive manner, as if the next thing he is about to say will cause him physical pain.
"Spock hasn't missed much and one could even say he has done better without me. He is so much comfortable in his own skin then time Spock back in my time. From what I picked up from my own Vulcan's behaviour, this Spock also had an easier time growing up. Also, he didn't lose his mother, who I know is the most important person in his life. From all that, even I can see that a world without James T. Kirk isn't too bad."
Jim is startled and snaps his head up as he hears Selik chuckle. The Vulcan is staring at him with fond amusement in his eyes. After the shock has worn off, Jim fixes him with a glare.
'I don't see what is so funny. I was being serious.'
"Oh Jim, you are as oblivious to the power you have over me, in any form, as you were back in my own time. Yes, this Spock is not at battle with himself as I was at his age and he did indeed gain many fond memories from living on Earth, but he experiences an intense loneliness, a loneliness that I never experienced because I had you in my life."
Shame fills Kirk at the reminder of Spock's isolation and the fact that he has deliberately taken part in that isolation. He is even worse than the people who never tried to be Spock's friend, because he actually showed the Vulcan what it is like to have friendship and then took it away.
'Thus another reason Spock is better off without me.'
"You probably didn't notice, what with you hugging me and then stealing me away earlier, but I haven't exactly been a greatest help when it comes to curing Spock's loneliness. If anything, I have made him more miserable."
Selik tilts his head as he studies Kirk and his lips twitch slightly when the young man does everything he can to not meet his eyes.
"I did notice that there was some tension between you and my counterpart. I have every faith that you both will solve that misunderstanding on your own. You are wrong, however, when you state that you are adding to his discomfort. The moment I materialized into the room, I could sense the improvement in my younger selfs emotions. The only thing that has changed in his life since I last saw him, is you, so it is only logical to assume that you are the reason for the change."
Jim lifts his gaze until it is again level with Selik's. The words, filled with such conviction, bring a blush to Kirk's cheeks. He had almost forgotten how much faith this Spock had in him. It is extremely humbling.
A smile begins to tug at the blond's lips as his mind travels to thoughts of the Spock of this ship. An almost overwhelming sense of happiness and pride fills him at the idea that he has been the cause of Spock's improvement.
Jim wipes the smile from his lips when he sees the amusement shining in Selik's eyes and the knowing smirk that is just dying to spread across the old man's face.
"Shut up, old man."
The familiar eyebrow shoots up. "I did not say anything, Jim."
Kirk doesn't buy this innocent routine for a minute. He goes to say as much, but then he spies the clock on the far wall and jumps out of his seat.
"Shit! My shift is starting soon. Sorry Selik, but I gotta go now. I have to go back to my room and pick up my PADD before I head down to the labs. I'll meet up with you tomorrow and we'll play a game of chess, okay?"
Selik slowly rises to his feet and bows as Jim backs towards the door.
"I look forward to it. Enjoy you shift, Jim."
Kirk waves as he opens the door and then he is gone.
As Jim speeds around the last corner that leads to his quarters, his gaze fixes on Spock who is standing in front of his door with his hands behind his back. He slows as he gets closer to the Vulcan and eventually stops when he gets within 10 feet of the dark haired man.
"Ah, hi Spock. I was just coming to get my-"
In front of him, Spock is holding out Kirk's PADD. One of Jim's hands reaches out for the troublesome device, while the other goes to the back of his neck, where he rubs it bashfully.
'Stupid PADD. Making me look like an idiot.'
"Thanks, Spock. You shouldn't have to get it for me."
Spock shrugs. "I did not know when you would be finished with Ambassador Selik," Spock's eyes flash in anger when he mentions the other Vulcan, "and I though it wise for me to pick up your PADD in case you didn't get time to retrieve it yourself. It was only logical, but if it makes you uncomfortable that I went into your quarters without your permission, I will cease doing so."
Spock seems to stiffen as he waits for Kirk's response and Jim's heart breaks at the knowledge that the Vulcan is now in constant fear of upsetting him. He pushed Spock away in the hope of sparing his feelings but obviously it is having the opposite affect.
'It can't be that hard for me to keep our romantic feeling to myself. I did it for over a year in my universe and it just seems like Spock really needs this... the connection.'
Jim's hand leaves his neck and positions itself on Spock's shoulder.
"It's fine, Spock. It's not like you are going into my room and sniffing my underwear. I trust you. You can go into my room any time you need to."
Jim gives the Vulcan's shoulder a squeeze before letting it slide down the blue clad arm and then dropping it to his side. He catches Spock's (slightly glazed) eyes and jerks his head in the direction of the turbolift.
"Come on, Spock. We better get going or we'll both be late. Maybe after work, we could play a couple of games of chess. "
Kirk walks several feet toward his destination before stopping and turning to find that Spock hasn't moved from his original position. The Vulcan is openly staring at him in disbelief and... hope.
"James? I-"
Jim cuts him off before the Vulcan can say something that will just end up making him fall more in love with the man. He needs to give him the message that all there is only an offer of friendship.
"You know, as friends... In the rec room." 'Where I can't molest you.'
Instead of disappointed, Spock looks almost elated and that in itself confirms to Jim that he is doing the right thing.
Spock moves to so that he is now standing next to Jim and he gives the human his best re-assuring smile.
"Of course, James. Anything you wish. I am just pleased that I get a chance to be in your company once again."
Jim cheeks redden at Spock's heartfelt words and he internally steals himself against growing the attraction he has for the Vulcan, knowing that he can't let it get the better of him. There is too much at stake if he does.
Kirk nearly jumps out of his skin when Spock's hand encircles his. He goes to raise a (very small) form of protest, but it dies on his tongue as Spock starts pulling him towards the turbolift.
"We only have 7.2 minutes to get to the labs before we are late. We must make haste, James."
As their fingers entwine, Jim decides that he has put too much emphasis on hand holding and that there is no reason for it not to be considered a totally platonic gesture.
Spock's thumb starts caressing the back of Kirk's hand and Jim gulps as a heat begins to build in his abdomen.
'Yep, totally platonic.'
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I am sorry, but I am going to have to cut back to one chapter a week. I have more hours at work, I am turtoring students after work and my study workload has increased. I know you guys want more, but I just can't physically give you more, but I promise that you will get one chapter a week.