Once they were alone McCoy looked at Spock, "Now I know you might want to go to your quarters but till this hearing is out of the way and all the crew knows you're back it may be best you bunk down," Spock was aware that McCoy had paused and looked at him to see understanding in the blue eyes that looked back at him, "here with Jim. Know when Jim comes back he will have the extra bedding you will need."

Spock raised an eyebrow as he realized he must have missed some exchange between his two friends for Jim to be bringing extra bedding to his own quarters. He nodded to himself as he realized that just as he and Jim could have silent communications in front of McCoy it was likely that Jim and McCoy had silent conversations in front of him. No, not likely. they did as so often McCoy and Jim had also seemed to know exactly what the other was going to say or do and while familiarity could but the reason it was more likely that silent communications. "I wish to take this time to thank you for being of the support you would have been for Jim during the first few days when it was believed I was dead. It would have been hardest for Jim to deal with as he would have believed he had killed me. I," as Spock looked at McCoy he saw his words were bringing back memories that upset his friend, "Doctor, I regret any,"

"It, it wasn't your doing, dammit!" McCoy closed his eyes and bowed his head as the control he had maintained on his emotions started to finally slip.

He did not see Spock close the four steps between them, only felt the hand briefly rest on his shoulder before he suddenly let his emotions out as he stepped forward half a step to cling to that thin but muscular frame and fought to deal with the emotions he had kept to himself since Kirk had come back in that trauma caused stupor. Time had no meaning as he quietly sobbed against his friend, aware that one arm wrapped around him as comfort and support him, and hearing a beloved voice trying to soothe him, "I regret this emotional load you have had to bear for so long, Leonard. It was beyond my control for some days to be of any assistance and it was in those early days that Jim would have needed you most and you were there for him. I thank you for that. Now, in here, you can rid yourself of what that restraint of your so very Human emotions has burdened you with."

"Spock."

"Yes, Doctor."

"Be quiet. If you don't mind I need a moment of pure, genuine Human emotionalism."

The only reply he got was a change in how Spock slightly relaxed which let him know that his Vulcan friend, who professed not to understand Human emotionalism, clearly did understand and he was more than surprised when a second arm wrapped around him and drew him closer and stayed around him as though to secure him and shelter him, to give him a safe place to regain his emotional balance. As he hugged his friend as he came to terms with the emotions he had kept penned-up for so long McCoy realized that Spock was doing for him, what he had often seen him briefly do for Jim, be that shelter to get through this moment.

This primal, almost desperate, need of his Human friend for the contact with another at such a time He found he understood. Often he had seen in Jim after what Humans would consider stressful times could not be denied. It was both the only logical thing he could do and the only physical action he could take to comfort his friend. Even as he had approached McCoy he had put up his shields but had not been fully prepared for the cauldron of emotions his friend had carried for so long. They attacked his shields first individually and then as waves with all of them combined. At first it had been an assault with great negativity of anger, denial, rage, depression, fear, loneliness, uncertainty, worry, frustration, dread, resentment, anxiety, irritation, regret, and guilt. This was quickly replaced with almost euphoric adoration, disbelief, surprise, relief, happiness, gratitude, and love.

As the emanations from the emotions eased Spock removed his arms, took a step back and looked at his friend, "If I may, Doctor, I would like to ask a question."

"Thanks. Go ahead, Spock, ask. You still need more time to remember everything but you will, and Czacheck agrees, get all of your memory and mind rules back to as it was before. Any time you want to ask me a question just ask. I'm sure none of the others would mind you asking them either."

"Oddly I do agree with you that the others would assist me. I would like to know ask why you were experiencing regret and guilt. This was none of your doing. You have nothing for you to regret or feel any guilt for and it is illogical to,"

McCoy had smiled as he looked up, "Yup, now that is proof that you're back to being yourself. At a base level I know it was none of my doing but when I heard you were dead and then seeing Jim like that I thought of all that I had said to both of you and all I never said to either of you. So many, many things unsaid that I,"

"Do you think that Jim and I do not understand, McCoy? Do you not think that we have the same difficulty with expressing what our individual friendship with you means to us, what we feel about our collective friendship with you means to us? I believe that we all fully understand that sometimes things are said that need not be said as they are either said purely as an emotional outlet or are said to provoke a reaction of some sort for some reason from the other or others. Do you not agree?"

In the dark eyes that looked at him McCoy saw the truth, the total acceptance, and nodded, "I guess at times I forget that you have all that Vulcan side that lets you see and, now don't get riled up as you know damned well what I mean, feel things far more clearly than a lot of us. Yeah, there are times when I guess we do talk for emotional relief and to provoke each other but I like to think that most of the time it is really just friendly conversations, and, at times, confidences shared, with friends."

"Agreed."

"You have no idea how grateful I am that Czacheck was there and knew what to do. He studied with M'Benga and was the top of the three courses he took on non-Human medicine as well as his one year course in herbal and natural medicines."

"He did inform me he had studied with Doctor M'Benga but did not elaborate on it." from the look he gave McCoy it was clear to McCoy that somewhere in that great Vulcan's mind the word "fascinating" was aching to be said.

"Ah, you two aren't at one another's throat." Kirk entered carrying some extra bedding, saw his two friends were standing, and had obviously just been talking over recent events. "Tomorrow I will go to the hearing with Captain Pellon, Doctor Czacheck, Officer Twindell, and you, Bones. Spock, you will come in about an hour later. Doctor Czacheck and Officer Twindell seem to agree with me that it is very likely that Captain Pellon and his officer were behind what happened in some way as we agree that the reaction of those on Jubliline Five indicate that, despite what he said, Pellon had been there before and something had happened."

"While we have not discussed the matter in any detail, Captain, I believe that both McCoy and I agree with that assumption. There are many factors that, at the moment, have not coalesced in my thinking and yet I do believe that there is an unknown cause for how the Jubiline Five officials and security officers had such a hostile reaction upon seeing Captain Pellon. I," Spock hesitated as he did not want to admit he was having difficulty remembering where he had heard the names Czacheck and Twindell together, "I have found the good doctor correct in that my memory is taking time to return."

Kirk glanced at McCoy then back at Spock, "That's fine, Spock. The main thing is that you will fully recover. Uhura contacted me while I was with Czacheck and said she is going to set up a small transmitter that we can take in so you will hear what is going on before you come in. She will also have a small receiver that will fit into the collar of your dress uniform. She will come by my quarters tomorrow morning and test it then we go and you enter the room when he says benediction."

Both McCoy and Kirk saw the raised eyebrow and Kirk nodded, "When he reached out to place that transporter on you I thought it was some sort of a benediction and I sort of over-reacted when he later said it was not a benediction."

"Ah," Spock nodded back, "so it will be an easy, if somewhat unusual, word for him to slip into his comments. A word that will make some of them, most likely Captain Pellon in particular, not paying attention to what else is going on around them when I enter."

"That was clearly his line of thinking too, Spock. A distraction that lets you get in there and that will have Pellon totally off-guard so that all there will see his immediate reaction to seeing you alive. I had been wondering about how to introduce you to the hearing and he just said that that was what we were going to do. Pellon will be totally unprepared."

"A very good plan however,"

"What?" the question was said in unison.

"You mentioned my dress uniform and,"

Spock stopped when Kirk lifted the top sheet off the stack of bedding to reveal his command jacket, "I advised Chekov I needed access to you quarters and then notified him when I left." Kirk smiled, "When I came out he was there and let me know that nobody would know and said if you want or need to go to your quarters he will arrange it as a security check."

Although the others possibly could not see it Spock smiled mainly to himself, this crew, this bridge crew in particular, were his friends and supported him.

McCoy nodded and looked at his two friends before heading for the door, "I think we can leave the ship to those three who should be sleeping. We've all got a busy day tomorrow and I do not know about you two but the reunion and events of today have left me feeling tired. I'll let you two work our your sleeping arrangements and see you in a few hours. I hope you both get plenty of sleep."

It did not take Kirk and Spock to work out their sleeping arrangements and while Kirk went to sleep Spock kept trying to recall not only what the association was between Czacheck and Twindell but also where he had heard same team if not the same ship. A part of his mind was sure all three were related but he was not sure just how or where and when he would have encountered them.

Doctor Czacheck and officer Twindell arrived at Kirk's quarters with two extra meals, "Doctor McCoy should be along shortly. Thought that before we go into the lion's den we should he prepared not to have a meal for some time."

McCoy joined them and while they ate Kirk kept thinking over what he had heard, how he heard Czacheck say, "what they think is to come.". That bothered yet also intrigued him, the fact that Czacheck was clearly planning something and was not telling him about it. Spock being alive and being there in person might be it but there was that annoying feeling that there was more to those six word than that. Much more than that.

Uhura arrived and handed Spock a very small device that fitted nearly onto the collar of the dress uniform. She saw the doubt on all five faces as it was so very small and she used Kirk's comm unit to contact Sulu, "Try the test sentence." and looked at Spock and saw him nod as he clearly heard "I'm little but I work well and am clear." She nodded as she looked at Spock, "While I will not be listening in I do have a monitor that will let me know that they are functioning and we know how to quickly fix them remotely."

"We?" McCoy looked at her then at Spock.

"Both Chekov and Sulu helped me with the testing and fine tuning."

"When we return I will want to speak with them, and yourself, Uhura."

She nodded at him knowing that the Vulcan would have many technical questions as well as questions regarding their use of time and equipment. She also knew that there was a great likelihood that Captain Kirk would also be present. "Understood, Sir. All my best."

Just after she left Czacheck looked at Kirk, "You do have a most remarkable crew, Captain Kirk. It is very clear that they truly care not only about you but also their fellow officers."

"Are we to assume it is not the case on the Dakota?" Spock looked at the man, still trying to remember what it was about him that he could not recall.

"In the two years I have been relieving on the Dakota I have found it to be a ship where senior officers are only concerned about their careers and knowing that their time on the ship was to be short as it was known it was to be decommissioned and the junior crew are really awaiting redeployment on any ship Pellon is not the captain of."

A relieving doctor. Spock remembered how there were four in all of Star Fleet, very senior doctors not assigned to any one particular ship after serving for ten years on a ship in the fleet as senior medical officer. No doubt the doctors did not stay long with Pellon. Only for six point nine seconds did he wonder if he associated Czacheck with something about being a relieving doctor as he knew he had heard something about Czacheck but it was always Czacheck and Twindell and not just Czacheck. He had only heard the two names together, not individually. He was starting to understand what McCoy meant about having an itch one could not scratch.

"We should get to the hearing and do what has to be done." Czacheck looked at Spock, "I am sure it is going to be most interesting to see their reactions when you walk in. The panel will have thoroughly gone though the reports given of what happened on Jublilne Five and have questions about that but they will only have Pellon's report on what happened afterwards. They do not know what Kirk's version of the events will be nor do they know of my having you beamed into my special Sickbay. We will see you there."

Both Kirk and McCoy just nodded to him as they followed Czacheck and Spock found himself wondering just what sort of reaction Czacheck was expecting to term it "interesting". That odd sensation of knowing there was something he knew about Czacheck and Twindell came back to him. He had a faint feeling it had something to do with the crew of the Enterprise and with Jim but he knew that Jim had not met the man before they started to escort the Dakota. He put it aside as he had to be ready to hear the word "benediction".

A/N I think there's about another three chapters before this one is wrapped up and want to get it done as April is going to be a very busy month of outside alterations (if it ever stops raining) to the yard and visitors. . . . Folk from the U.S.A. are coming who are friends of friends of family friends and need a base here for a few nights. Thanks for reading and enjoy.