Thank you to Chimcha, Snarky, Gumdrop, Fridayweed, Shinigami061, steph88NYC, Mars-Eclipse, stillframe shattered, MattyLovesGames and DaughterofDeath for their reviews - this one is for you!
Life in the Neutral Zone
Stardate 2258.115. At the request of the Federation, the starship Enterprise is dispatched to Earth Station 8, located at the edge of the Romulan Neutral Zone. It is suspected that recent distress calls in the area are due to Romulan attacks, and the Enterprise is tasked with defending the colonies and space stations in the area. On the way there, the ship encounters hostile Reman rebels. Striking up a temporary peace agreement, Kirk and Spock left to pilot the Enterprise out of danger on their own, in return for their crewmates' safe passage to the space station.
************************
Jim was fuming, mulling over the events of yesterday night. To be marooned in space, spluttering along at Warp 3 with limited weapons, no shields and no com wasn't exactly how he had saw his first mission as a Starfleet captain going. To be completely upstaged by his first officer in negotiations, to be treated as if he wasn't even there by the Remans, was just downright humiliating.
And now he was left here alone with Spock. Piloting a Starship is an entirely manageable job for two crew members. In basic training the cadets are taught the routine maintenance of all the ship's systems so that, should the rest of the crew become incapacitated, they could maintain the ship at a heading to get help.
Sitting at a control panel in engineering, Jim was drumming his left fingers against the desk in frusteration as he jabbed the screen with his right. The systems were completely beyond his grasp and, not for the first time since becoming captain, he wondered what on Earth they had taught him in training.
Of course, he had to admit, it was possibly slightly his fault. He could remember the lesson in which his warp mechanics professor had taught them about nacelles quite clearly. Unfortunately, what he remembered most about the lesson was the green-skinned Gaila sitting behind him, and what he had planned to do to her in the recreation room that evening.
Worse yet, nothing in training taught the cadets how to repair damaged systems, which is what Jim was trying to do. For the last hour he had been trying to reboot the damaged diagnostics manual so that e could pull up schematics of the nacelles, but his every try was met with either a denial or a complete meltdown on the computer's part.
Quietly, the door behind him slide open. Spock was walking towards him through the dimmed lights of the vast engineering hall. They had decided that it would be prudent to conserve power seeing as the ship was in such a fragile state and might break down any moment.
"Captain," Spock reached him and leant over the consol to observe what he was doing. "What progress have you made with the nacelles?"
"I'm trying to recover the schematics," Jim sighed, pushing his palm into the consol and shoving his chair backwards so the Vulcan could see what he was doing, "and I told you to call me Jim."
Spock raised one of his perfect eyebrows in badly concealed disbelief. "Have you tried re-imputing the recovery codes manually?"
"The input area of the screen was damaged in the explosion."
Spock came close to smirking as he reached over Jim and opened a panel on the desk, revealing a backup keypad. Jim bit back a scowl and spun back to the consol. Stupid Vulcan. Racking his brain, he tentatively typed in the first code. It worked, of course, as did the second and third. Soon the screen in front of him was swimming with recovered data, but still missing the crucial nacelle schematics.
His fingers resumed their strumming as he stared at the console, trying to remember the code he needed. He was trying to decide if it began with alpha-delta-pi or alpha-delta-gamma when Spock apparently able to stand it no longer, spoke.
"Alpha-delta-zeta-four-three-pi," he prompted with a hint of superiority in his voice.
It was more than Jim thought he had to take from his first officer. He ated this task anyway. He rounded on him. "Thank you, Spock," his voice bit out the words. "Since you seem to know so much about this, why don't I just leave you to it?"
He stood up. Spock looked mildly taken aback.
"You are upset with me," he stated, his surprise betrayed in his voice.
"No kidding?" Jim said irritably. "Look, you used to be a teacher and I get it, you've got a power trip going on in that Vulcan brain of yours, but I'm your Captain! You need to quit acting like you're in control here!"
Spock looked at him seriously, and Jim registered that the sudden lack of any discernible emotion probably meant that Spock was fighting some feeling down. Good.
"I am not sure to what incidents you are referring, Captain."
"What about that taking control bullshit with the Remans!? You made me look like complete fool in front of my new crew and a hostile alien race!" Jim scowled at the Vulcan, adding as an afterthought, "and it's Jim!"
Spock's eyebrows creased almost imperceptibly. "I was merely preventing your understandable inexperience in diplomacy with Vulcanoid species from giving the Remans an excuse to attack us."
"So you do think you're in charge then?" Jim said dangerously.
"I am merely aware," Spock said, ice creeping into his words. "That you had not yet negotiated with that species before and that we could not afford to displease them."
"So you are my babysitter now? Here to make sure Kirk plays nice in the sandbox?"
Spock sent him a look that had Yes written all over it, setting his blood on fire.
"Let me get this straight - " he began, but he was interrupted.
"Captain," Spock said, coolly, "I believe that now would be a good time for you to implement you plan to leave me to attend to the nacelles. Perhaps you could go see what can be done to repair the replicator, as I suspect that your irritableness may be stemming from a lack of sustenance."
Jim clenched his fists and contemplated punching the Vulcan's vaguely smug face, but he remembered what strength Spock's wirey frame concealed. He settled for pointing a finger offensively close to the Commander's face.
"You. Do. Not. Give Me Orders. Fix these goddamn nacelles so we can get out of her quickly, I can't take ten days alone with you," he snarled, and then stormed from the room.
**********************************
That evening found Jim in the mess hall of the ship, sitting at the corner table of the vast empty room and enjoying a piece of cherry pie. Much to his initial annoyance, he had realized that the Vulcan had been right about his needing food. Apparently Vulcans could subsist happily on small servings of the noxious slush the damaged replicator had been producing, but Jim was a different creature altogether. He needed one good meal a day to keep his temper in check.
The Captain idly ran his fork over the now-empty plate, scraping up the last remaining pie crusts and licking them from the utensil. Feeling full and flushed with his success in repairing the replicator, Jim felt ready to bury the hatchet with his pointy-eared companion. In fact, he was feeling slightly ashamed of his actions that morning, even if he did think Spock was infringing on his command too much.
As if on cue, the mess hall doors opened to admit the Vulcan, who was striding up the ward, his arms clenched tightly at his sides and his hands balled in fists. Jim rose, immediately sensing that there was something wrong with his first officer.
"Spock, what's wrong?"
Spock strode right up to him so that he was less than two feet from Jim. "Wrong?" the Vulcan snarled, and Jim stepped back in alarm at the unexpected tone. Spock stepped forward, chasing him down.
"Wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong, Jim," he said Jim's name with the utmost sarcasm. "You being the captain of this ship, that's what's wrong. You, the cheating, hotheaded cadet who humiliated me in front of the Vulcan High Council by betraying my emotion to them, you are Captain and I must settle for being your puppet."
Jim stood, staring at the Vulcan with his mouth open. There was nothing he could think of to say to such an unexpected and an uncharacteristic outburst. Spock, however, did not seem to require a reply.
"Emotionally compromised," he spat out. "Do you see what you have done to me James Kirk?"
He gave Jim a shove in the chest that sent the Captain flying over the table behind him. Moments later, the Captain reappeared, rising to his knees behind the overturned counter and wincing. "Jesus Spock, what the hell has gotten into to you?" he demanded, trying to keep the fear out of his voice.
"You," the Vulcan hissed. "I was fine before you came along."
Then he kicked Jim in the stomach. He was hurled through the air, smashing into the wall hard enough to dent the metal siding. It felt at if his stomach had turned to jelly. He clutched at it and felt something wet and sticky. Fearing the worst he glanced down, to find his uniform stained not red, but grey-black.
Footsteps made him look up. Spock was coming for him. A quick examination told Jim that the Vulcan was doused from the waist down in the black substance. He knew he had to get to sickbay and figure out what was wrong with the Vulcan quickly, before he killed him.
"Spock," he pleaded at the advancing Commander. "What are you doing?"
Anger danced hotly in the Vulcan's eyes as he grabbed Jim's uniform and hauled him to his feet. "I am venting my feelings," he replied savagely, shaking the Captain slightly as he said it.
"Not very logical, is that?" Jim pointed out hopefully.
"I have been released from my bonds of logic," Spock said, his face twisting into what could have been a smile, were it not so frightening. Then Jim got an idea. If Spock were no longer bound by logic, perhaps he could be tricked….
"Alright, Spock, I tell you what," Jim said, letting a note of false resignation creep into his voice. "You're right and we both know it. Why don't we head on up to the bridge and see if we can get the com working to hail Starfleet at let them know that you are assuming command?"
Slowly, Spock released him, nodding. "I am glad that you have seen it my way," he said, unnerving calm returning to his voice.
He used his freed hand to grab Jim's wrist instead, and the Captain found himself being pulled out of the door. When they reached the turbolift, the Vlucan dropped his hand. They rode in silence. Reaching Deck 1, they departed the lift facing the doors to the bridge. As Jim had hoped he would, Spock strode ahead eagerly into the command center, looking quite deranged and extremely pleased with himself. As soon as Spock had passed through the doors, Jim shouted, "Computer, seal the bridge!"
He had a momentary glimpse of Spock's outraged face as the Vulcan realize his trick before the doors snapped shut between them. Spock's roar of rage resounded as Jim added urgently, "Disable all overrides of the bridge seal except the captain."
"The bridge has been sealed," the computer informed him cheerfully, as Jim turned back into the turbolift.
Reaching Deck 5, Jim burst out of the lift and headed straight to the infirmary, intent on identifying the substance that was all over his arms. Arriving, he reached for the nearest scanner and waved it at his wet hand.
It responded immediately, "Positive Identification: Trellium-D. Origin: Delphic Expanse. Brought aboard Enterprise cargo bay Stardate 2258.85. Warning: Mildly radioactive. Potent Vulcan neurotoxin."
"Shit," Jim swore aloud, jamming the words "Vulcan neurotoxin" on the touch screen. The scanner replied in a friendly voice, "Effects of trellium-D exposure in Vulcans include severe loss of emotional inhibition, violence and loss of memory of exposure event. May cause death if left untreated or exposed to in extremely high amounts."
"Shit!" Jim swore again, tossing the scanner back onto the table. As mad as he was at his first officer, he definitely did not want him to die. He yanked open a drawer and pulled out two sickbay gowns before turning on his heel and barreling back out of the sickbay toward the turbolift.
Reaching the bridge's sealed door again, Jim had a moment's indecision as he realized he had no real plan. All he knew is that he needed to get Spock out of the contaminated clothes he was wearing and quickly.
"Computer," he said, clearing his throat nervously, "unseal the bridge."
The doors slid open and Jim braced himself for attack, but it did not come. Instead, to his shock, he heard strangled sobs coming from the captain's chair. Cautiously he went in.
"Spock?"
The sobbing stopped, and the chair spun slowly to reveal a very green-eyed Spock, who had obviously been weeping. "Jim?" he asked tentatively, in a very small voice. "You came back?"
"Um, yes," Jim hated not knowing what was going on.
"I had thought, after the way I acted this morning," Spock rose from the chair but hung his head.
Instinct told Jim not to argue with this. Instead his suggested, "Spock follow me."
"Of course, Captain," the Vulcan said meekly and Jim, not daring to believe his random luck, led the subdued Vulcan to the turbolift where they headed to the officers quarters.
They entered Jim's dim quarters without speaking. Once the Vulcan had gotten all the way into the room, Jim turned to face him.
"Spock," he said sternly. "This is going to sound really weird, but I order you to take off your outer clothes."
Spock eyes turned to lock on his in confusion. "Captain?" he asked, and Jim sensed another shift in his mood beginning.
"They're uh…very dirty," Jim lied lamely. "You are messing up my rug."
Spock gave him a long look, and Jim could have sworn he saw a smile playing across the corners of the Vulcan's mouth. Jim knew that the addled first officer had not been fooled this time. However, to his relief, after a moment Spock nodded and said, "Of course Captain."
Leaving the sickbay robes for Spock to change into, Jim went around to the other side of the partition in the center of his room to change out of his own shirt, also soiled by the trellium-D. He had just pulled off his uniform and turned to his dresser to select a replacement when he felt hot fingers slide around his waist.
Yelping in surprise, he had only a moment to process what was happening before he was spun around roughly and pushed into the wall behind him which just less than enough force to hurt. Then Spock's hot body was pressing his own into the partition and Jim realized with a jolt of panic that he was wearing only his Starfleet-issue underwear.
"S-Spock?"
"Jim," Spock breathed hotly, his mouth inches from Jim's ear, before ducking his head to suck on the soft spots down Jim's neck. Involuntarily, the Captain felt his head tilt backwards, giving the Vulcan better access, before he could stop himself.
In that instant, he decided that he really had to stop chasing Uhura and find a willing partner, if he was so deprived that Spock was turning him on. Spock.
The too-warm hands were roaming his body lewdly as Spock raised his head to stare him dead in the eye. Suddenly his lips were pressing firmly into the vaguely protesting Human's, and Jim's head swam unexpectedly. Dammit. Stupid uninhibited horny Vulcan.
Unable to speak and pinned by Spock's hands firmly to the wall, Jim did not know what to do when he felt the Vulcan's tongue flick out and caress his lower lip. His mind was made up for him as Spock's hand unexpectedly drifted lower, rubbing gently against the front of Jim's pants. He gasped and Spock took the opportunity to slip his tongue smoothly into his mouth. Unwanted lust burst forth in Jim's brain. Dammit, he thought again. Spock was good at this.
Jim, mustering the coherency he had left, lifted his hands to Spock's chest to shove him off. As soon as he touched the Vulcan's bare chest, however, Spock gave a low growl and snatched his hands up into his, weaving their fingers together intimately. At the same moment he released Jim's lips, leaving the Human panting for breath. His hands needed to hold onto Jim, the Vulcan pressed his hips into the Captains and Jim flushed as he became aware that they were both enjoying this more than he would have thought even possible. A wave off pleasure shot through his body as Spock raised their joined hands to pin them on either side of Jim's head. Pinning his hand's against the wall, Spock rubbed their fingertips together in what Jim realized was an extremely intimate Vulcan gesture.
For the first time, Jim realized Spock might be more than just horny without a good outlet. The Vulan had stopped moving now and was staring at Jim, their foreheads pressed together. The look the Vulcan was giving him was far too affectionate, too…loving.
"What are you doing Spock?" Jim whispered. As gently as possible, Jim pushed the Vulcan off him and into a sitting position on the bed so that he was standing over him.
Spock looked up at him in confusion and after a long delay, he said, "I must admit I am confused, Jim."
Jim was relieved and, though he would not acknowledge it just then, a bit disappointed when he registered the Vulcan's customary formal speech returning. The effects of the trellium-D seemed to be slowly fading.
"It is evening? Why am I not in my own quarters?" Spock said at last, sounding suddenly disoriented again.
Jim eyed him with surprise and apprehension for a moment before lying smoothly, "You've been sick, and I brought you here to monitor you, considering we don't have a Doctor."
"…Logical…" Spock muttered, sounding tired and staring around the room. Then he stood to go.
"Oh no," Jim said pushing him back into the bed. "You are staying here. I'll be sleeping on the couch."
"That's an order," Jim added as Spock looked ready to protest.
"Thank you Captain," Spock murmured, leaning back on the bed.
"No problem Spock," Jim said shakily, snatching up his dirty shirt from the floor and ducking around the patrician just as the Vulcan rested his head back in Jim's pillow and closed his eyes.
Jim strode around the room collecting the clothes that Spock had obviously tore off himself willy-nilly, tossing them in the garbage chute. Then, his knees weak from the adrenaline still pumping through his body, his sunk into the couch. Sitting there he could hear the steady breathing of the sleeping Vulcan, and it made him wonder just how much of this the other officer would remember in the morning.
****************************************
Yeah, trellium-D is actually canon - its a type of ship insulation that makes Vulcan's go a bit crazy. A gift from the slash gods? I think so.
Please Review 3