Disclaimer: I don't own anything Star Trek it is all property of Gene Roddenberry, J.J. Abrams, Paramount, and whoever else owns rights to the franchise. I am not making any profits off of this so please don't sue me.
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Chapter 20
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" So Jim, what do you plan on doing once we reach Earth?" Asked Dr. McCoy casually as he and Captain Kirk made their way off of the Main Bridge. It was mid-afternoon and time for lunch.
As he walked beside his friend, Jim silently pondered Bones's simple inquiry. The Enterprise had recently received orders from Starfleet Command to head back to Earth so that the ship could undergo maintenance and a few systems upgrades here and there. This would mean up to a full month of shore-leave for the ship's crew.
" To be honest Bones, I really have no idea how I'm gonna spend my time. Maybe I'll head for the coast and enjoy the beach-front." Said Jim with a small shrug.
" That doesn't sound like a bad idea to me Jim. Some rest and relaxation at the beach can do you real good, especially with how hard you've been going at it with work and all." Said Bones.
" Yeah, this break should be good for all of us." Said Jim.
He knew full well that it wasn't just how hard he had been working that had Bones glad that they would be going on leave soon. Jim knew that there were still some serious issues that still lingered inside of him. He still needed to deal with them, and though he hadn't said anything, Bones knew this to be true as well. Wanting a change of subject, Jim spoke.
" So, what are you in the mood for Bones?" He asked as the two of them stepped into the turbo-lift and headed for the mess-deck.
Once in the mess hall, Jim and Bones enjoyed their respective choice in lunch. Jim had a chicken salad while McCoy wolfed down a corned beef sandwich. The two men also enjoyed a quiet conversation about the happenings of the ship and of course, the upcoming shore-leave. However, in the back of his mind Jim Kirk felt this small, nagging sensation. The young captain was deeply unsure as to what would happen once he no longer had his work of commanding the flag-ship of the Federation to occupy his mind. After they were done with lunch, Jim headed back up to the Bridge while Bones made his way back down to Sickbay. The rest of the day passed by uneventfully with Enterprise on a steady course back to Earth.
Once his shift was over, Jim bid the members of his crew on the main bridge a good night, and headed off to his own quarters. After a swift turbo-lift ride up to one of the higher levels of the ship, Jim stepped off and began navigating his way through the ship's corridors with a practiced ease. He knew many of the passages of the Enterprise like the back of his hand. Jim walked down the corridor and made a right turn when he reached the end of it. What he saw when he had come around the bend had Jim feeling pleasantly surprised.
There, standing by the doors to Jim's private quarters was a familiar figure clad in a Starfleet regulation blue uniform.
Spock.
Jim instantly felt his lips turn upwards in a small smile as he walked towards his waiting First Officer. Though he would always feel slightly embarrassed after the fact, whenever Jim laid eyes on Spock, an odd mixture of emotions would rise up inside of him. On the one hand, there was always the barest twinge of deep pain and mistrust, remnants of the torturous suffering Jim had gone through many months before. On the other hand, there were feelings of elation that were so strong, they nearly bordered on being full blown joy.
Jim reached the door to his quarters and came to a stop before Spock. The two men stood in silence for several long moments. Pale blue eyes met those of dark, coffee brown. While Jim's gaze was visibly warm, Spock's gaze was warm in a more subtle way, warm behind the veil of the famous Vulcan control. With some reluctance, it was Jim who finally broke the silence by speaking.
" Hey Spock." He said quietly.
" Good evening Jim." Said Spock in turn, his deep voice just a quiet as Jim's.
" Here for our usual game of chess?" Asked Jim knowingly.
As the months had gone by, their once almost nightly games of chess had slowly started back up again.
" Indeed I am." Answered Spock with his hand clasped behind his back.
" Well then, let's get to it." Said Jim with a small chuckle as he turned his attention to the door to his quarters.
The young captain quickly punched in his security code into the small panel that rested on the wall beside the door; the door instantly slid away with a small hiss after the code was received. Jim motioned for his guest to go in first before following door shut behind them with another soft hiss.
" Just make yourself at home while I get the board ready." Said Jim as he walked over to the small drawer by the far wall to get the necessary items.
With practiced ease, Jim had the game set up in just a few minutes. Jim looked to Spock in silent invitation once he had put the final game piece, a black bishop, in its proper place on the top board. In this updated version of a timeless game, there were three boards as opposed to just one; it increased the level of difficulty, and so raised the level of skill that was necessary to play. From where he stood, tall and blank-faced, Spock gave Jim a signature quirk of one perfectly slanted eyebrow before he wordlessly stepped forward and joined Jim.
Spock stood across from Jim with all of the black pieces before him. Jim simply nodded in understanding and made the first move by pushing one of his white pawns forward by one space. It was with this first move that the had between two highly proficient strategists commenced.
It was when he and Jim were well into the game that Spock finally spoke.
" As you are aware Jim, we will be reaching Earth in approximately twelve point four house. If you do not find that I am being intrusive to my inquiry, may I ask you how you will be spending your shore leave?" He asked.
Jim looked up from the chess board and met Spock's quietly curious gaze. The young captain mulled over what his first officer, and tentatively once again lover, had asked him. With a small sigh, Jim answered.
" I don't really have much planned, I figured that I'd stay close by and maybe spend some time on the Coast. To be honest, I'm not really sure what I wanna do." Said Jim with a light shrug. Then Jim felt a small spike of his own curiosity and spoke.
" What about you, what are you gonna do once we get back to Earth?" Asked Jim.
" My father sent me a message several days before, he has asked that I visit New Vulcan and see the progress of the Vulcan colony that is rebuilding there." Said Spock.
" That's great Spock, I'm sure your father really wants to see you, and it'll be good for you to see how your fellow Vulcans are doing." Said Jim with genuine enthusiasm because he really was glad that Spock would get a chance to return to the arena of academia.
After that, Jim and Spock once again fell into a comfortable silence and focused on simply playing chess. In the end, Spock narrowly took the checkmate from Jim with a well calculated move.
" That was a nice move Spock." Complemented Jim with a small chuckle as he went about resetting his side of the board for an intended rematch. He expected a politely spoken "thank you", but received only silence. Jim looked up from the board and saw that Spock was staring at him with quiet intensity. Jim could tell in only the way he could, that Spock was silently troubled by something.
" What is it Spock, what's wrong?" Asked a concerned Jim.
" Before I speak Jim, I wish to apologize in advance if I am being too forward with you." Said Spock finally.
" Okay." Said Jim, even though he was now slightly confused and a little apprehensive as to what exactly Spock was talking about.
Spock gave Jim a small nod before he finally spoke what was on his mind.
" Jim, if it were at all possible, would you be willing to... join me on my trip to New Vulcan?" Asked Spock with all of the neutrality he could muster.
Jim for his part, stood across from Spock feeling moderately stunned by Spock's question. The human blinked owlishly at his companion and remained silent. Spock took Jim's wide-eyed expression and silence to mean that the human's answer to his inquiry was a resounding 'no'. Feeling a small, internal pang of disappointment, Spock quickly spoke to rectify his supposed mistake.
" Jim, you are clearly not ready for such an intimate outing with me. It was wrong of me to ask this of you. It was not my intention to upset you and I am-"
" I'd like very much to go to New Vulcan with you." Said Jim softly, cutting of Spock mid-apology and effectively silencing the Vulcan.
Spock blinked and let Jim's words register in his mind for a moment. After a long pause, Spock softly cleared his throat and spoke.
" I had not truly anticipated that you would accept my proposal." He said softly.
" Well then, I'm glad I surprised you." Said Jim with a small grin.
Feeling the tips of his pointed ears heat up at the sight of Jim smiling at him like that, Spock spoke.
" We will have to make the necessary arrangements, but I will do my utmost to make it as comfortable a journey for you as possible." He said softly.
" Spock, you don't have to go out of your way for me or anything, I'll be satisfied with whatever way you'll be taking to get to New Vulcan. I really wanna see how everyone is doing, just like you do. " Said Jim with a surprisingly shy smile gracing his lips before he continued.
" We can discuss the trip in detail later, right now let's focus on the game at hand. It's your move."
Spock blinked and then nodded mutely before he too turned his attention back to the game of chess between them. The Vulcan felt this strange, fleeting sensation of a tingle around his heart. He did not truly know what this peculiar feeling was, but he had a suspicion that it had something to do with Jim agreeing to accompany on his trip to New Vulcan. Spock forced himself not to loose his controlled, Vulcan demeanor, but he was very pleased with the outcome of this evening, because asking Jim to come with him in the first place had been a complete and total leap of faith.
With his dark eyes lingering on Jim, Spock returned to the game of chess that was waiting between them. The two men didn't talk much after that. They simply played chess, but inside they both felt this small thrill of excitement, and the beginnings of nervousness for this trip to New Vulcan would be the first time that they would be alone, without work as an excuse to avoid each other. They would both have to face each other, and the lingering issues that still remained between them.
A week later...
The door to the transporter room opened with a small hiss as Jim Kirk and Spock came through the doorway. Instead of their regular Starfleet uniforms, both men were dressed in casual attire. Jim had on a pair faded blue jeans and a light gray quarter-sleeved Henley shirt. Spock was dressed in a dark blue Vulcan suit. Each man also carried his own personal travel bag. Jim and Spock were currently on board the U.S.S. Harrington, a Federation science vessel. The ship was holding a steady orbit around the planet that was New Vulcan. The captain and first officer of the Enterprise had been traveling on board the Harrington for the last three days, as the ship's honored guests. Now the both of them were preparing to beam down to the surface of their intended destination.
As they head for the transporter pad, Jim and Spock were greeted by the captain of the Harrington and her first officer.
" Captain Kirk, Commander Spock, I hope that your time with us was every bit as comfortable and trouble free as we promised." Smiled the Captain as she shook Jim's hand and nodded to Spock. From where he stood beside his captain, the First Officer smiled warmly at the Harrington's departing guests.
" Captain, you and your crew were absolutely fantastic in accommodating Mr. Spock and I. Thank you very much." Said Jim.
" Indeed, journeying on this vessel has been free of disturbances and the service was above adequate. You have my appreciation Captain." Added Spock in his usual Vulcan manner.
With a final smile to the Harrington's captain, Jim stepped onto the transporter pad with Spock following in his wake. Jim and Spock stood side by side on the transporter pas as the captain gave the transporter chief the go ahead to energize. Jim instantly felt the familiar tingling sensation as white light began to swirl around him like a small vortex. Within seconds Jim and Spock were engulfed in white light as they were beamed off of the U.S.S. Harrington. In just about that same amount of time, the two men were materializing on the small transporter pad within the high council building of the Vulcan settlement.
" Woah." Exhaled Jim softly as the rather warm temperature of New Vulcan's climate instantly made itself known to him.
" Jim, are you well?" Asked Spock who was instantly at the human's side.
" Oh, yeah, I'm okay Spock. I just need a minute to get used to the heat, that's all." Assured Jim with a smile.
The sound of approaching feet caught Spock's sensitive hearing. Spock turned his gaze away from Jim to see his father and a few other Vulcans approaching the transporter pad where the two men were still standing. Spock turned his attention back to Jim and spoke.
" Come Jim, my father has come to greet us." Said Spock.
Jim nodded, and together he and Spock stepped off of the transporter pad to meet the small delegation that had come to receive them. When the two halves met at the middle, Jim and Spock raised their right hands, nearly in perfect sync, in the Vulcan gesture of greeting.
" Greetings father, live long and prosper." Said Spock formally.
" Live long and prosper sir." Said Jim by way of greeting his lover's father.
Sarek and the other Vulcan, in turn, raised their hands in greeting as Spock's father spoke.
" Greetings to you my son, and to you Captain Kirk. May you both live long and prosper as well." Said Sarek before he continued.
" Come, let us proceed to my residence."
Nodding, Spock and Jim followed as Sarek led the way out of the high council building to an awaiting hover craft. Sarek, Spock, and Jim all boarded the craft while the other Vulcans who had accompanied Sarek stayed behind as the council building.
Sarek nodded to the driver of the hover craft to proceed. The hovercraft pulled away from the council building and cruised down one of the main streets of the settlement. As the hovercraft glided through the Vulcan settlement, Jim found himself in slight awe of the Vulcan people's amazing progress. The settlement was well on its way to becoming a full-fledged city in Jim's opinion. It was like the Vulcan people were literally rising from the ashes of destruction and near extinction.
" This is absolutely amazing. You have all gotten so much development done in such a short time. It's incredible." Said Jim with barely contained enthusiasm.
Sarek nodded and remained stoic as his Vulcan nature dictated, but there was a subtle softening behind the Vulcan elder's dark eyes as Jim's complement to the colony.
" Yes Captain Kirk, we have been making substantial strides to establish ourselves. Despite some difficulties in the initial process, we have been rebuilding our civilization adequately." Said Sarek.
Spock for him part, was busy reveling in simply sitting beside Jim and staring at the open expression of quiet exuberance on his human lover's face to really be paying much attention to what was being said.
Throughout the entire journey to New Vulcan, from its very beginning on Earth where they left the Enterprise and boarded the Harrington, Spock had forced himself to use every ounce of control he possessed in order to keep an appropriate demeanor around Jim. Ever since Jim had agreed to come with him to New Vulcan, Spock had wanted nothing more than to make sure that Jim's every single need was met. Spock had done all that was in his power to ensure that his companion was comfortable, and safe in every sense of the word. There was still so much that was left unresolved between them. It was keeping them from having the kind of relationship that they both desperately yearned for. It was Spock's silent and fervent hope that the coming weeks that he and Jim would be spending together, here on New Vulcan would be used to mend the final few rifts that remained between them. It was simple really, Spock just wanted to finally be as close to Jim again, like they were before both of their lives had been torpedoed by a lecherous and evil Antarian bastard.
This was Spock's silent hope, and he vowed to himself, and silently to Jim, that he would do all that he could to make this hope become a reality.