Celestia: Thank you!

my renji-kun: That's always good to hear!

andaere: That's a great compliment for a writer… thank you so much!

Tubular Fox: I'm going for it!

bineshiikwe: Thanks for the heads-up, again :)

SomebodyxNobody: hehe. I just saw it again, too (honestly, there's really nothing better to go see. Maybe Wolverine, but only because of Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds. lol) And I was thinking the same thing throughout! :) Logical, indeed… I'm in the process! Thank you for the compliment!

lovefan81: Oh, I'd love that. There would be Spork goodness all over the place. And we'd get to SEE it. Mmm.

KatKola: haha… I'm assuming that's good?

DeAtHsTeNsHi: I'd love to hear the ideas!

Mark: Given me good ideas. That's what you've done. ;)

Mars-Eclipse: I'm holding you to that promise! Haha, kidding. Thank you though, I'm honored by that compliment!

Cleopatra's Snake: Foreshadow alert: you haven't seen anything yet. ;) And yes. Cheers for Neptune. :D

Fullmetal Embers: Demand is met!

mediwitch3: Thanks for the heads-up! As I told bineshiikwe, it was rated T because it was a oneshot at first without graphic content. I totally forgot to switch up the rating until your two reviews—I appreciate the fact that you both reminded me. :)

re-harakhti: haha, true story! And thank you!

Aisling-Siobhan: Thanks! Will do!

accidental anomaly: ahaha… nah, you're just an avid reader. :) Yes… I feel a responsibility to get these chapters out to you guys… plus once I get involved in a story I like to stay in the zone to keep continuity. I'm working on chapter 1 already… thanks for your comments!

WiccanVampire16: thanks! Sequel is underway!

sexy-jess: aww thanks so much! You always have such good things to say :)

iris-tigress: thank you again! I tried, but fanfiction net doesn't allow me to post websites that aren't linked directly to their servers. :(

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Jesus." McCoy shook his head, clapping Kirk on the back. "We thought you were dead for sure."

Kirk laughed. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Bones."

"The odds of survival were low," Spock chimed in.

"Spock almost bit the dust," Kirk said, trying his best to remain flippant.

The corners of Spock's mouth raised slightly. "Jim ordered me not to die."

"Worked, didn't it?" Kirk grinned.

Jim? Uhura couldn't take it anymore. "So," she began, "Starfleet received word about twelve hours ago that the bird-of-prey was destroyed." She turned to Spock. "The logical thing to do would be to come home right away. Exactly what was the delay?"

Spock stared her down. "Given our differences in the past, the Captain and I thought it would be prudent to learn more about each other in an isolated environment."

She did not look convinced.

"We understand each other much better now," Kirk supplied. "Hopefully we won't be attacking each other on the bridge anymore. In anger."

Spock, for the first time in his life, had to hide a smile.

xx

With the announcement of Captain Pike's promotion to Admiral, and the declaration that Kirk would soon be named Captain of the next Enterprise, Spock found his head spinning. He, of course, felt a responsibility to the Vulcan race. But at the same time, the thought of giving up his position in Starfleet—and his place on a ship with Kirk—saddened him deeply. So, on the morning of Kirk's promotion ceremony, he sought the advice of someone he always knew he could trust. He spotted his father walking toward a shuttle.

"Father?"

The man turned around. "I am not our father."

Spock shot him a quizzical glance.
"There are so few Vulcans left," he said, "we can not afford to ignore each other."

"Then why did you send Kirk aboard when you alone could have explained the truth?"

A gentle smile crossed the weather-beaten face of the older Spock. "Because you needed each other," he said meaningfully. "I could not deprive you of the revelation of all that you could accomplish together. Of a friendship that will define you both… in ways you can not yet realize."

Perhaps I already have realized, thought Spock with an inward smile. "How did you persuade him to keep your secret?"

"He inferred that universe-ending paradoxes would ensue should he break his promise."

"You lied?"

"Ohh. I—I implied."

"A gamble?"

"An act of faith," the older Spock said. "One I hope that you'll repeat in the future in Starfleet."

Spock heaved a sigh. "In the face of extinction," he said reluctantly, "it is only logical I resign my Starfleet commission and help rebuild our race."

But he saw in his older, wiser eyes a different opinion. "I urge you to remain in Starfleet. I've already located a suitable planet on which to establish a Vulcan colony." He searched the young Spock's eyes. "Spock," the old man advised, "in this case, do yourself a favor. Put aside logic. Do what feels right."

As Kirk arrived, Spock smiled. "I am learning the merits of emotion."

"Then," the elder Vulcan said wistfully, his smile bittersweet, "you are much wiser than I was."

"Rift in the universe, my ass," Kirk said.

This earned a smile from the old man. "As I was just saying, I merely implied."

"You cheated."

"A trick I learned from an old friend."

Kirk grinned.

"Since my customary farewell would appear oddly self-serving," he said to Spock, "I shall simply say good luck." He raised his hand in the traditional Vulcan farewell, then turned to Kirk. "And to you, Captain—live long and prosper."

Kirk nodded at him as he turned away.

After he vanished from sight, Kirk and Spock remained, talking quietly.

"I must assist in the establishment of the colony," Spock told him. "It will take some time to build the new Enterprise. It is my duty to my people."

Kirk felt a pang of betrayal. "You mean—"

"I will only be assisting in the organizational details and manual labor," Spock assured him. He knew it would be logical to reproduce, to help the Vulcan population grow, but the thought of lying beside anyone but James Kirk repulsed him. And he wasn't about to ignore the advice of his older self. Do what feels right. This felt more right than anything he'd ever felt in his life.

"Oh. Alright, then."

Spock smiled, a genuine smile. "I find your possessive nature endearing, Jim."

Kirk returned the smile. "So what about when we come back to the ship?"

"Lieutenant Uhura expressed concern about gossip," Spock said. "I'm quite sure that if news of our relationship were to reach the ears of the crew—"

Kirk laughed. "Yeah. No kidding. You're right, we'll keep it quiet. Maybe I'll make a note to the shipbuilders that they ought to outfit both our quarters with soundproofing."

"Perhaps. Then again," he purred, "that might not be enough."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

THANK YOU so much (!) to everyone who has read, reviewed, liked, favorited (I know that's not a real word), criticized and followed this story! I love you all and I really appreciate the time you spent with this story (which I had a LOT of fun writing!!)

Feel free to suggest any ideas you have for the sequel, which is upcoming!

x

(I promise more on Uhura/crew/etc. in part 2. Don't worry, she's not the evil ex. :) I will update First Contact with a notification when the sequel is posted.)