NOTES: Sorry for the long wait. This chapter doesn't really move the story on far too much but, it has it's needs. Hopefully the story will start to move forward now. And, I apologize for any mistakes.

Jim yawned as he shoved his left foot into his right boot. He and Spock had ended up staying in the shower until the water ran completely cold the night before, and then stumbled back into bed where Spock proceeded to repeat his former accomplishment of completely undoing his bondmate. So, to say Jim was a bit tired, and bit in higher spirits today, was an understatement.

After zipping up the side of his left boot -with the correct foot inside it- Jim sat up to a cup of steaming coffee being shoved in his face by his ever surprising and attentive bondmate.

Jim flashed his sparkling grin up at Spock as he took the warm cup into his hands. Then was rewarded by his Vulcan leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. "Thanks, love."

He quickly gulped down a large amount of the beverage without checking the temperature, scalding his tongue in the process. "Jesus, that's hot." He hissed as he sat the cup down on the night stand nearest him. Spock only quirked an eyebrow while taking a careful sip of his tea. He had long ago given up on warning Jim not to do things, because no matter what he said his insufferable mate would do them anyway so, Spock thought it no longer worth his breath.

"Why didn't you tell me it was that hot?" Jim asked, stomping over to the replicator to order a glass of ice water.

"Because," Spock replied calmly following Jim, still sipping his drink. "whether I state precaution or not you will not follow them. So, as they say, 'Fool me once: shame on you. Fool me twice: shame on me.'"

"Whatever. You ready to go?"

"Yes, ashaya." Spock nodded, setting his empty cup down and following his captain out of their quarters. "At what time is your conference with the Admiral's to be taken place?"

"0900." Jim groaned as he and Spock stepped into the turbolift. "God, I'm not looking forward to that."

"Deck 7." Spock commanded. Jim glanced at the Vulcan and lifted his eyebrows at him. "You gonna make me ride down and then back up?"

Spock turned completely to face Jim is response, causing his bondmate to do the same. The human grinned and smoothed his hands down his husbands already immaculately pressed tunic. "In the labs this morning?" Spock nodded an affirmative. "Well, then can I have a kiss before you go?" And, instead of voicing his agreement, Spock simply leaned forward and pressed his lips softly to Jims.

After parting Jim kept his eyes closed and licked his lips. "Spock..." He whispered.

He opened his eyes to find his bondmate looking at him with so much raw love and adoration it made Jim look away quickly, feeling slightly uncomfortable under such an affectionate gaze. He had never had that much love and desire directed towards him. Sure, his mother and brother loved him but, Winona always looked a little lost when she looked his in the eyes. No doubt seeing her husband, in her son. And, Sam being like every older brother that exists saw Jim as a clingy, needy little brother he couldn't get rid of. They had never made it to the age where they could truly be friends because, Sam had left far before that. Then there was Pike and Bones, two people who had chosen Jim as family, who took him in and cared for him out of their own will, not out of necessity. But, it was still different from Spock. Spock's love was indescribable, Jim cherished it, and feared it.

"I love you, T'hy'la." Spock whispered in Jim's ear, startling him a bit from his thoughts, but before he could respond Spock was already striding purposefully out of the turbolift and down the corridor.

"Kirk." Barnett nodded as the faces of the Admirals flicked onto the vid-screen in Jim's Ready Room.

"Admiral." He nodded back. Jim had never really like Barnett, and it was obviously a mutual feeling by the way the Admiral treated Jim as an idiot child, and always protested against him. He continued to look back at the faces of the Admiralty until one in particular caught his eye. "Chris?"

"Captain Kirk." Pike nodded back at his prodigy, eyes gleaming with amusement.

"Kirk, we are here for the debriefing of what occurred between the Enterprise and an unknown Romulan vessel, 3 days ago."

Jim straighten in his seat even more than he already was as he began to explain the events involving the Romulan ship.

"And, no Red Matter was found?" Barnett asked after Jim finished his retelling of the story.

"Nothing of significance was found for report, sir."

"Very well, Kirk. Your next assignment is to head to Starbase 1, while there repairs will be made and your crew will be allowed a week's shore leave upon Earth."

"Thank you, Admiral." Jim nodded.

"Oh, and you will be answering directly to Admiral Pike again, from now on."

Jim beamed at Chris, whose eyes glimmered back at him.

Jim had busted into Pike's hospital room the moment he got wind of his friend's survival. Chris had still been in a pretty bad way, but all that mattered to Jim was that his heart was still beating, which meant to him that Chris was alive. He had been angry with the higher-ups for not informing him of Pike's possible survival, and he had let it be known. The looks on the faces of a number of Admirals when James T. Kirk, a man that had been announced dead only a few weeks prior, and then brought back to life with the blood of a killer, barged into their meeting, seething with a rage that rivaled Spock's was something both Spock and McCoy –who had accompanied him- would never forget.

"Well, Admiral if that is the case I would like to speak to Admiral Pike, if I may?"

Barnett nodded. "He's all yours, Chris." The rest of the Admiralty quickly left the conference, leaving Pike and Jim alone.

"It's good to see you, Jim."

"You too, Chris." He grinned. "But, I have some news, something off record… At least for now."

"Something wrong, son?"

Jim shook his head. "No… Well, not really. I'll have to explain."

"Alright, let me comm. you back once I'm in my office. Pike out." Chris ended the call, and all Jim had to do was wait.

He knew what he was going to tell Pike, and he also knew that he'd probably be the easiest one to tell. Jim just didn't know what the reaction would be. Pike had done his dissertation on the Kelvin attack, he knew that and Marcus -the fucking bastard that he was- did say his dad had convinced Chris to join Starfleet, but how true that was, Jim didn't know though, he was willing to guess that it was more likely than not by the way Pike had always talked so fondly about his dad.

"Captain, another call from Starfleet HQ." Uhura's voice quickly broke through Jim wonderment.

"Oh yes, thank you, Lieutenant, pipe it through."

When Pike's face appeared on screen again he looked more relaxed, and curious as to what Jim wished to discuss with him. "Alright, Jim. You've peaked my curiosity. What's so important and off record that you need to discuss with me?"

Jim steeled himself a deep breath of the regulated air, letting it slow his sudden fluttery heart before speaking. "I told the rest of the Admirals that nothing of significance was needed to be reported but,"

"You lied." Chris deadpanned.

"Yes, but I lied for a good reason." Jim said in defense.

Chris' eyebrows climbed up his forehead, an obvious sign that said he either didn't believe there was such a thing, or that Jim had peaked his curiosity even more. Apparently it was the former. "When is there ever a good reason to lie to the Admiralty? Jim I thought you'd learned."

"No, Chris, listen to me." Jim cut in before he could be lectured. He leaned forward closer to the vid-screen hoping Pike could pick up his pleading eyes on the other side. He obviously had by the way he scrunched up his eyes, and tilted his head. "What's going on, Jim?"

"I found my dad aboard the Romulan ship, in a cryotube. He's alive."

Spock had been half absorbed in his work with the Centaurian slug, and half absorbed in his thoughts of Jim and Jim's father all morning. Jim hadn't seemed to be taking the new development in stride, but that was not to say Jim was not somewhat pleased, if not bewildered by it all. To have never met ones parent was difficult for Spock to imagine. He of course grew up knowing both his mother and father and having a relatively loving family because of his mother's influence.

So, when he thought of the idea to have never known a parent and then to be face to face with that parent who had only been but a ghost, a legend throughout your life was something Spock felt could have some seriously negative effects on Jim. He could only hope to be there to catch him if or when he fell.

While continuing his tedious work Spock suddenly felt Jim's strong distress through their bond, causing immediate attention from the Vulcan to go straight to their connection. When he nudged at the tether of their minds without reply, Spock quickly left his work and the lab to make haste to the his Captain's Ready Room.

"You will not call Selik and have him hack into Starfleet's file, Jim."

Spock quietly crept his way into Jim Office with barely an acknowledgement from his bondmate, a quick glance was all he received.

"Chris-"

"That's an order, Kirk. You are to bring him down to Starfleet Medical as soon as you are done with Space-Docking procedures."

Spock internally flinched at the anger that flared up in Jim. "No, I refuse for anyone but, McCoy to have anything to do with him! The moment the media gets a whiff of this you and I both know they are going to have a fucking field day. This about my family, Chris, they should and will have far more input on what happens to my dad than Starfleet does." Jim was all but yelling, his face red, and his hands shaking. Spock so desperately wanted to go to his mate and soothe him, but the inappropriateness of that display at this time was what held Spock back, barely.

"Jim, you need to calm down." Chris sighed, and rubbed his eyes. "I never said anything about allowing this to get out to the media or Starfleet. I just don't want you to risk Selik, and I don't want you to risk George."

Spock stood quietly watching as his T'hy'la slumped back in his seat and began to study his hands in his lap as if in them held The Shroud of Turin. "We need the sequencing, Chris. If we're going to have any chance at waking him up without killing him, we're going to need it. If you don't let me call Selik and have him get the information I need, you'll be the one risking his life." Jim said quietly, his eyes still firmly fixated on his hands. So, when he missed the flicker in Pike's eyes, Spock wasn't surprised. "And, I can't bring him to HQ, if I do there's no way it won't get out. I'm a high profile person, and my death was in the news before I even made it to Starfleet Medical. Think about what will happen if the body of George Kirk, the living body of George Kirk shows up. It'll be chaos."

Pike studied the top of Jim's head very intently for quite sometime, his eyes flicking to Spock -who was barely in view- a couple of times before he sighed, "Alright," Jim finally looked up hopefully. "You don't have to bring him to Headquarters. I completely understand why you wouldn't want to, I guess I jumped before thinking about the consequences, but you also can't call the Ambassador, as well. Ah, ah, ah, I'm not done." Chris, waged his finger and cut in as Jim was about to protest. "I will get you the sequencing, and send it through straight to McCoy from my personal PADD. I don't need Starfleet thinking you went crazy and turned into another Khan" Spock saw Jim flinch at the name. "wanting to wake up the rest of those bastards."

"Thank you, Chris." Jim sighed in relief.

"I care about you, and your family. He was my best friend. Keep him safe, Jim."

"I will."

Chris nodded. "Pike out."

Once the screen went black Jim looked up at him as he made his way over, beginning to knead the tension out of his shoulders. "You're always there." Jim whispered, his eyes closed as he relished the feel of Spock's strong hands. "Even if it's just to be there as a centering presences."

Spock didn't reply but lean down and kiss Jim's temple.