"Selik? You mean, older, cooler, him?" Bones lifted an eyebrow, pointing at Spock with his thumb.

"Yes." Jim nodded. Selik could and would help, he'd do anything for Jim and they both knew it. But, the one thing Jim didn't want to do was ask too much of his beloved friend. Though, the Ambassador would never see it as such, Jim knew there were some severely dangerous things that he could ask Selik to do that the old Vulcan would do without a single thought of what it could cost him. Seemed that, that trait was in every Spock. A universal constant for them when it came to James T. Kirk. "He'll do it, and he'll know how to."

"How can you be so sure, Jim? I have limited knowledge of advanced hacking abilities and I do not see myself gaining the knowledge any time soon."

Jim grinned. "I know he knows. A trick he learned from an old friend, as he likes to say."

"Well, when do you plan on calling the old hobgoblin up?" McCoy cut in.

"Bones." Jim glared at his friend the same time Spock addressed the doctor in what could not be called anything but mild irritation. "Doctor, why must you refer to every being that is of Vulcan heritage as a hobgoblin?"

"I only call you a hobgoblin." Bones snarked, raising a challenging eyebrow.

"As you have just referred to my counterpart as a hobgoblin then your argument is invalid as in-"

"Your counterpart, Spock, is technically you, so therefore I can get away with calling him a hobgoblin. Besides," McCoy shrugged. "He doesn't mind it, actually seems to find it amusing. And, when I say it to him, it's out of love because I actually like the man."

"He is not me, he is an alter self and-"

"Okay, okay, guys please." Jim jumped in before the pointless argument could get any more out of control. Usually, Jim found Spock and Bones' banter completely hilarious and entertaining but, at this very moment it was just giving him a massive headache.

Jim lifted himself out of his chair and began to pace back and forth in front of McCoy's desk, his arms folded crossed his chest. He needed to figure out how to go about this whole clusterfuck of a situation. He didn't really want to tell the Admiralty about his dad yet, they would of course have their own input on the matter, and would probably feel they had some kind of right to decide what happened with George Kirk. The thought put a bad taste in Jim's mouth. He really needed to call his mom back and unfortunately Sam, as well. "Spock, where are we compared to New Vulcan?"

"The last I checked was during shift and it was displayed to be seven point six days travel time at warp four, sir."

Jim waved a dismissive hand at the formality. "So, close enough for a transmission?"

"Yes, Jim."

"Good." Jim nodded. "I have a meeting with the Admiralty tomorrow morning to go over exactly what happened here the other day and to get new orders. I don't know if I want to tell them about my dad yet. If they know they may order us back to Earth, and I refuse to have my dad be put under any other care than yours Bones."

I want to keep this as tight to the chest as possible. No media until I can get in better contact with my mother, and Sam. I want to figure out what my mom wants to do before I bring this forward to the Admirals. My mother has the final decision on what happens with my dad, not Starfleet. He's not going to be turned into a science experiment, or walking, talking legendary miracle."

"You got it, Jim." Bones nodded to his friend. His sign that he would do whatever he could to keep his father's integrity.

Jim smiled tightly. "Thanks Bones."

"Then we are in an agreement about how to continue. You will contact my counterpart tomorrow after your call with the Admiralty, and Doctor McCoy and I will contain any and all information of your father off official reports until further notice."

The Captain and CMO nodded in agreement.

"So, Bones," Jim smiled, clapping his hands together loudly trying to brighten the mood in the room, more for himself than anyone else if he was being completely honest. "Spock and I were just going to the mess for dinner, care to join us?"

"Ya know, there aren't any hypo's for obesity, Jim." Bones grumbled as he took his seat across from his two best friends. Two best friends. If you were to ask how in the hell did that happened, McCoy could never tell you. Jim Kirk and the hobgoblin have become two of some of the most important people in his life. And, those two could easily drive a man to drink just by themselves, but put them together? No wonder Leonard has been drunk the past four nights in a row. Why is the rum always gone? Well, your answer is sitting across from Leonard H. McCoy. Jesus Christ.

Jim had a plate of replicated spaghetti piled high, and lathered in marinara sauce. Spock beside him had a simple salad and plomeek soup combo, while McCoy himself was entertaining a plate of garlic chicken and potatoes, which did not in fact taste anything like his grandfather's famous recipe.

"Pasta is not bad for you, Bones, don't even give me that."

"Actually, it can be if you eat a large amount of it on a regular basis." Nyota butted in as she sat down next to McCoy. "It's extremely high in carbs."

Jim glared at his communication officer, his cheeks bulging with noodles and red sauce smeared across his lips.

"That," Bones pointed to Jim's face with his fork. "that right there is what you're gonna look like if you don't start eating better."

Nyota threw her head back and laughed, as Bones smirked across at his friend. Jim just continued to glare at them to their utter amusement, along with the task of trying to chew the mass of food in his mouth as best as he could. Spock, apparently being the only one to not find humor in his bondmates eating habits, used a napkin to gently wipe off the excess sauce from the captains face.

Jim's heart fluttered at the obvious display of affection, and swallowed as best he could before turning to his husband and smiled. He took a chance and leaned over to steal a quick kiss from the Vulcan's lips.

Spock pulled away from the touch as soon as it happened. "Jim." He chastised immediately, the tips of his ears, and cheeks burning green. But, unfortunately for Spock his bondmate found his blush to be absolutely adorable, and proceeded to kiss the heated flesh of his ear before grinning and continuing to eat, ignoring the gagging from Bones and 'awws' from Nyota. "So, Uhura, why aren't you over there sitting by Sulu?"

It was Nyota's turn to blush, her cheeks turning a deep red across her beautiful dark skin. "Sulu and I aren't really talking. We both kind of agreed that we needed space to kind of think about what we want and need."

"And, why is that darlin'?" Bones asked.

She shrugged. "We just see thing differently is all. I love him to death, but I don't know if it's more a brotherly love or a romantic love. Besides, he's smitten with Chekov, and I… well, I've been kind of noticing someone else recently."

Jim didn't think it was possible for someone to blush as deeply as his communications officer just had, but apparently he had been terribly mistaken. And, just as he found Spock to absolutely gorgeous when he turned green with embarrassment, he found Nyota to be breathtaking in the state of bashfulness as well. It softened her, and made her seem so vulnerable, but in a good way. A way that Jim could be in love with if he wasn't already neck deep with Spock. Nothing could beat being Spock's T'hy'la, not even Nyota Uhura's goddess like beauty.

"And, who, Nyota, would you mind me inquiring is this someone?" Spock tilted his head as he regarded his best friend. He had never seen Nyota give off such a nervousness, and embarrassment. She was usually such a strong, elegant woman, so confident and commanding in everything she did. It bewildered Spock –well, as much as a Vulcan could be bewildered- to see her in such a state of uncertainty and uneasiness.

"Oh, umm… Well, it's actually-"

"Well, now isn't it the three musketeers and the beautiful, Nyota."

Jim noticed with some amusement at how Nyota's face lit up at the sound of his Chief Engineers voice.

"Hi, Monty." Uhura grinned.

First name, huh, Uhura? Jim mused to himself.

"Lassie," Scotty nodded back with his very own grin plastered to his face.

"Umm, Len?" Nyota quickly turned towards the doctor. "Where's Carol? I need to talk to her about something."

"Uhhh…" McCoy droned, caught a bit off guard by the abrupt question. "Should be in one of the labs or her quarters. She had some experiment going on today and said she didn't know when she'd be done, so it'd be your best bet to check the lab first."

"Right, thanks." And, as quickly as she could Nyota made her way out of the mess. She needed to talk to Carol about all this, Sulu, Chekov, and more importantly about one, Montgomery Scott. Scotty was famously known for being completely in love with the one and only lady in his life, the Enterprise. He was constantly tinkering, and working down in Engineering, so Uhura needed a little girl-on-girl planning to figure out the best way to get the Scotsman's attention.

And, then there was Sulu, Nyota sighed internally. She loved the guy, he was amazing, in every way you would want a boyfriend to be, but, he just wasn't what she was looking for long term. He was young and excitable. He liked a good prank and made childish jokes, but, don't get the wrong impression, he could be the most serious, and professional person when it came to the ship, its crew, and definitely it's captain.

Sulu was someone you could have an amazing time with, but not someone who you could settle down with anytime soon. And, that's what Nyota wanted, someone she could be sure would always be there. Someone she could curl up with at night, and just watch a movie, cuddle together and read quietly. She wanted both the fun, and the quiet. And, with her past relationships she was getting one or the other. Spock was all calm and quiet, while Sulu was almost always on the go. So, she wanted the best of both worlds, and she had found it. But, now she had to go and get it.

And, as Uhura made her way to the labs to find her friend, back in the mess hall Scotty stood there staring at the door she had recently vacated. Perplexed, he turned to observe the three men still sitting at the table. "Did I say something?"

Jim chuckled. "No, Mr. Scott, I think you actually said all the right things."

Jim was sprawled across Spock's chest in a mess of sheets, sated from passionate lovemaking, both slowly melting into each other as the sweat on their bodies cooled. The tension in their muscles that had accumulated throughout the stressful day began to relax, being replaced with the buzz of emotional and physical high, they both loved and craved.

"You know." Jim murmured, spelling Spock's name out in Vulcan across the green tinted skin. This action always caused Spock to shiver and tremble under Jim's fingertips, just as it did now. "I could really use a shower."

Spock hummed as he buried his nose in Jim's hair, and inhaled deeply. "Yes."

"Are you saying I smell, Mr. Spock?"

"Essentially."

Spock did not hear Jim's laugh then more than feel it against his chest. At first it was a light, slow vibration, a giggle possibly, until Jim was full on howling with laughter, rolling himself off of Spock's chest on to his back, tears running down the sides of his face as he continued to chortle.

"I must admit, I do not understand what is so humorous." The Vulcan stated as he rolled his head to the side to regard his giggling human, his eyes alight with amusement.

"Sorry," Jim panted and giggled some more. "I don't know why that was so funny, but it was, it really was." He rolled back over to his bondmate, resting his chin on Spock's stomach. "I really needed that though, ashaya. Thank you."

Spock gently pulled Jim up to him, pressing his lips firmly to the others. "No thanks are needed, T'hy'la. It pleases me to hear your laughter. It is one of my most favorite sounds. That is if I could favor a sound over any other."

Jim hummed, somewhat distractedly. "I'm gonna take a shower." Getting up off the bed as if he had not heard what Spock had just said. He walked toward the bathroom without even a glance back. Spock lifted himself up on his elbows to watch his bondmate, confused as if he had said something Jim had not liked, but, was comforted when Jim stopped at the bathroom door, turning to look back. "And, you're gonna join me." He stated before disappearing inside the doorway.

If Spock scrambled out of bed very un-Vulcan like, almost tripping from the sheets wrapped around his ankles in his haste to follow is love, no one needed to know.

Notes: Okay, I've got an important question here guys. Is Pike alive or not? I can't decide yet, so if you guys could tell me what you think and what you would like to see it would be greatly appreciated. So, Pike? No or Go? Thanks!