All of a sudden, an odd urge overwhelmed me. I needed Spock and I needed him *now*! The feeling was so strong that it made me dizzy. So, before I fainted, I stood up from the couch, grabbed Spock and plastered myself to his body.

The relief was so quick that I nearly did pass out. Determined to not make a fool of myself, I held onto the Vulcan for dear life and soon the feeling faded. But then the hobgoblin had to get concerned. I growled as Spock tried to pull back a little. He probably wanted to make sure I was okay. But at that moment all I could think of was the fact that I needed him.

Spock made me so hot...too hot. I felt out of control--practically animalistic--as I ripped at his clothes. I had to have him! I bit at his neck until I tasted copper. At that, the Vulcan did shove me back and tilted my head up so he could figure out what was going on. Jim, too, appeared worried when I found him at my side.

As I watched their concerned faces, I began shivering rather violently from my arousal. So violently that Spock grabbed my shoulders to keep me upright. When I tried but couldn't stop the trembling, he pressed down lightly and encouraged me to sit back down on the couch.

"Whoa," Jim said softly, kneeling beside me. "Are you okay?"

I shook my head, my voice suddenly leaving me. How could I explain the urge that had overtaken me?

Oh, I knew where it came from. The revelations I just went through created it. My emotions were practically hanging off my face, and some of them did include admiration of Spock's fine form. But its intensity scared the hell out of me. And why the hell didn't that need include Jim? The bond wanted the three of us joined, didn't it?

But how could we join in the state that I was in? I couldn't stop the shuddered that rocked me, or the seemingly random thoughts that suddenly started bombarding me. Thoughts of Vulcan, the Enterprise, Jim, New Vulcan, Ambassador Sarek...I couldn't make them stop! I moaned as they began giving me a headache.

Ever practical, even while giving comfort, Spock kneeled on my other side and eased me back against the cushions of the couch. His hands gently but firmly held me there. "Do not resist it, Leonard."

I watched his dark eyes, pleading with me to do as he asked and not argue as I usually would. Then it dawned on me. The bond was completing itself. With wonder in my eyes, I grabbed his hand and clutched at it nervously. "I didn't expect pain. It didn't hurt like this when I reconnected to Jim."

"You had previous experience with Jim and understood his mind. Our minds, though compatible, must have time to find a comfortable way of connecting. Our disagreements make that somewhat difficult, but not impossible," Spock hastened to add. I wasn't surprised by his encouraging words, as I'm sure he could see worry creep over my face.

Then, as if they were waiting for Spock to speak, our minds were suddenly joined. I could feel his mind embrace mine with enthusiasm.

I gasped in shock. I didn't expect him to be that accepting of me. "Shh," my new bondmate murmured as he moved me so I could rest my head on the arm of the couch and put my feet up. "You must relax or it will fracture."

"What's going on?!" Jim asked worriedly. Looking over at him, I found him twisting his hands in an attempt to keep himself from interfering while Spock took care of me.

Damn. I forgot that we had basically been ignoring him for the last few minutes. To add to Jim's worry, Spock was shielding the new connection from him, presumably to keep it from being injured by unintentional stress. But when I opened my mouth to explain, no words would come out. So I looked helplessly at the Vulcan.

"The last connection is forming," Spock said softly as he watched me for signs of problems. As his thoughts came to me, pain shot through me again. But then his hand was at my forehead to ease it. "It is settling into place," he whispered. Jim grabbed my hand again and squeezed, giving what comfort he could.

"Why does it hurt so much?" I gasped as another wave of pain hit me.

"Because you still do not trust me," Spock sighed. Insulted, I glared at him, but even my disgruntled look couldn't erase that sad expression on his face.

I knew he was right, even though I didn't want to admit it. I didn't know how to even begin trusting him.

Luckily, there was a third that was not as thickheaded as we were--in this instance, at least. Jim shook his head. "Don't take it personally. Bones is used to pushing everyone away. It's not you, it's...habit, I guess."

It was Jim's turn to be glared at. What the hell was he telling Spock that for?! His comment was demeaning. He was telling Spock that I was so weak that I'd reject people so I didn't have to deal with my own problems.

But...he was right. I pushed people away because I didn't know how to get away from my past.

Spock raised his eyebrow at me when he felt my self-derision. He didn't like the idea of me beating up on myself. But we all knew that I couldn't continue the way I was, not when I was bonded to them. "Then perhaps I should attempt to change your habit," he suggested.

As he said that, there was a wildness in his eyes that scared me.

Now, I knew Spock would never hurt me...unless the bond was involved. He would do anything for the bond, or so I thought. But in the interest of harmony, I tried to hide my fear and my urge to run.

But my expression was a dead give-away. So I turned my head so he couldn't see my face.

Hiding is pretty damned useless when you're bonded, though, especially when there are no shields between you. When Spock realized I was avoiding him, he sent his sadness and worry to me. Then he promsed me that not even the bond could force him to cause me injury.

Once I accepted his pledge, at least for now, Spock turned my head so that I looked straight at him. "Every time you attempt to push me away, I will have to do this." Then, without warning, he kissed me gently.

Now I expected the fierce and demanding loving from these two. But this...this emotional caress just didn't fit with how I thought about Spock. It was too gentle, too kind. But just because the kiss was soft didn't mean it didn't turn me on. In fact, it was so arousing that I forgot about the pain.

Or it made the pain disappear. Ohh, relief.

I could feel the tension fade from the bond as I accepted his caress. Damn, he was right. The pain wasn't worth fighting him. So I kissed him back.

When I pulled back, I heard his voice in my head.

'Thank you, t'hy'la.' Spock sent to me through the delicate link growing between us.

I gasped softly, not expecting to be able to hear him so clearly. "Isn't that your name for Jim?" I asked aloud, not entirely sure how to use the bond to speak. I had never done it in all the years I had shared that link that Spock had discovered between Jim and me.

At least, I don't think I had ever spoken through it.

'I do not believe the link was capable of supporting verbal communication.' Spock sent to me with a small...chuckle? For Pete's sake, he was laughing at me! But though I wanted to appear disgruntled, I couldn't help but smile myself. Seeing him happy, not just content, was a balm to my soul.

I squeezed his hand in thanks, and to tell him I knew what he was implying: I was a lousy psychic. Which got me another small chuckle and a shake of his head. 'You are human. Human evolution did not include the organs needed for psychic communication. They developed in a rare few of your species. But the organs are usually anomalies, and rather weak and unadaptive. The abilities often caused more problems than they solved.'

When I nodded my agreement (one of my ancestors had been burned as a witch, or so Gran claimed), he turned to my other question. 'T'hy'la is not a name. It a term indicating a person who one wishes to be with; specifically, a good friend or lover. You are most definitely the former, and I am confident that you will also be the latter.'

I know I had to look like a frightened deer when he said that, even though I had known from the beginning that intimacy was part of the deal.

But although my feelings for him were strong, I hadn't really considered the thought of us being *lovers*, with an emotion as well as physical attachment. The idea made me nervous. Could we really be that to each other and not screw it up?

'Am I that disturbing to you, Leonard?' Spock raised his eyebrow when the turmoil showed on my face. 'Or am I merely so superior to yourself that you fear your love will be rejected?'

Why that green-blooded bastard! Who the hell was he calling superior?! Everyone knew humans were some of the best lovers in the universe. Next to Deltans, of course. And I wasn't *that* wounded. Just because Jocelyn had shaken me up didn't mean I couldn't learn to open up. It would just take time...

I watched as Spock's eyebrow got higher.

Damnit, he riled me up deliberately. He wanted me to fight my fears, and he started the process in the best way he knew how: he pissed me off.

I punched him in the arm in retaliation. I might have been in love with him, but that didn't mean our battles had ended.

Spock simply grabbed my fist and caressed it gently, as if he expected, and wanted, no less from me.

Jim just chuckled and shook his head at us. 'Only you two could end up squabbling when you should be wrapped up in each other. Come on, the bond wants more. And I want to watch. I know you two loving each other will be the hottest thing I've seen in weeks. So get on with it already!" He gave me a sharp, quick peck on the lips, then flopped back in the chair he had been sitting in earlier.

I grinned at Spock. "Maybe we shouldn't, just so he doesn't get a swelled head."

Spock shook his head, amusement leaking across the bond. "I'm afraid it is too late for that. We must accept him as he is, and make room for his inflated ego in our relationship."

"I suppose..." I teased. "But maybe watching us will help. Hell, I'm not falling under his spell right now, am I?"

I could feel Spock's surprise at my statement. Like me, he expected everyone to be taken to Jim first. So, to prove my point, I lifted my hand to his cheek. This set off a wave of arousal between us that would have bowled me over if I wasn't already laying on their couch.

This caused something extraordinary in Spock. Curiousity and worry warred in him as he watched me. But the most intense, as well as the most unexpected, was the arousal he was struggling to control.

"I can sense your feelings. You *have* feelings," I said, closing my eyes so I could bask in this strange gift. How could I cause such a reaction from him? I wasn't *trying* to seduce him.

"I am not intentionally drawing your attention to them, but since the bond is unshielded at the moment, you should have no difficulty recognizing them. If you concentrated, you would also be able to discern what Jim is feeling." Spock put his hand over the one I rested on his cheek, sharing my joy.

On a lark, I tried to spy into Jim's mind, and I found that yes, I could see his emotions. He was curious, aroused, and smug. Smug? I groaned. The idiot thought he was the one who made me see reason about being with them.

I couldn't help it. I just had to burst his bubble. "It's all the hobgoblin's fault, kid. You know how Spock kisses. How could I resist all that heat and expertise?"

I had to laugh when my best friend's face fell at my comment. But then I had to soften the blow, because I loved him. "Thank you for teaching him."

I winked at Jim before turning back to the Vulcan. Because Jim was right. The bond actually was pushing me towards Spock. It wanted to make sure the connection between us was solid before the three of us undertook anything together.

Luckily, neither of them seemed bothered by the bond's choice.

In fact, I could hear Jim moan as I reached under Spock's uniform to touch his hot skin. But more amazingly, I could feel Spock react. By his response, I might as well have been Don Juan himself.

I felt Spock become more aroused, more needy, as I curled my fingers into the soft hair on his chest. He became inflamed when I nipped at the fingers that traced my lips. My logical adversary broke down and lost control because *I* was caressing him.

'How can I not?' Spock moaned into my mind. 'I have had a physical need of you from the very day we met. Now that need is finally fulfilled.'

"From the start?" I looked up at him incredulously.

My lover inclined his head with a look of chagrin. "That was the reason our battles began. I found it an adequate way to relieve the tension and also connect with you."

"Then you fell in love with Jim." I sighed, remembering the anguish that had caused me.

Spock nodded. "I believed I had made a good choice by marrying Jim, as I had never felt such emotion with you. But I was incorrect as to why my feelings for you were not as strong. It was not because I did not love you. It was because I had allowed our battles to hide the feeling."

"Seems to be a repeating theme among us," Jim said softly. "It's about time it stopped."

"Yeah," I agreed as I went back to the task before me and slowly stripped Spock of his clothes. "Time to make an alliance, a..." I couldn't find the word I wanted.

"Union," Spock suggested. "Plathau."

I nodded, but I didn't ask for further explanation. Now wasn't the time for a lesson in the Vulcan language. Now was the time to make that union a reality.

So I yanked off my own clothes and did my best to put my anatomical expertise to use.

Sensitive hands were caressed and kissed. Sensitive ears were traced with a gentle fingertip. And of course, there was the move that made him groan and arch against me: my cool skin meeting his in a study of contrasts. It didn't take long before we were both shivering in pleasure.

But that wasn't enough for Spock. He didn't like the way I was going about my task. I was so busy worrying about getting it right that I forgot to enjoy it. Isn't it ironic that the logical Vulcan chose to remind me of that fact?

"I do not wish to know your skill, Leonard. Not if it interferes with us truly joining," Spock half-growled as he straddled my hips. "I am not your former wife. I do not need perfection from you."

I raised my eyebrow at this. "Coming from you, that almost sounds like a contradiction. But given the circumstances, I'll bite. What do you need?"

"To touch your soul," Spock whispered right before he took my mouth in a bruising kiss. In my head, I felt what I could only call a mental caress. I gasped as the pleasure flashed through me and made me tremble. Hell, I nearly came from that alone.

"That outcome would be acceptable." Spock gave me his non-smile as he examined my face. "However, I believe it would be more pleasurable for you if I took you within me."

I had to clamp down on my arousal again before I exploded. Once I did, I could choke out a "Yes, please."

My reaction caused a genuine smile, albeit a small one, to break out on Spock's face. Then, before I could do anything about it, either helpful or otherwise, he grabbed my cock and impaled himself on it.

My gasp echoed through the room and of our minds. I felt Jim chuckle as I gritted my teeth, trying to hold on and not ruin this by coming before we got started. 'He does know how to get your attention, doesn't he?' I heard in my head.

I grumbled in Jim's direction, then gasped again as Spock started moving on me.

Even though we were on the couch, not the best place for sex, Spock was able to establish a smooth, easy rhythm that took about two seconds to start driving me out of my mind.

And I let it. What else could I do, with his mind and body surrounding me, enfolding me in his love?

It didn't take long for me to come. I guess I was lucky to hold on at all. But when it hit me, damn, it felt like it rocked the very universe with pleasure.

And the aftermath was even better. Because I looked up into another one of Spock's secret smiles, and Jim came over and kissed me, making sure I was surrounded by love until sleep pulled me under.

end part 4