Hey all, thanks for your patience! I'm feeling a bit better, so here's a chapter – hope its alright!
I'm thinking this will be the second last chapter in this story, because I'm planning to stop it once they reach Earth – you'll have to just imagine their adventures after that. I might write some oneshot things related to this story if they pop into my head – a la "Pa'tar, the Later Years" or "Valik: 100 Ways to be a Smarmy Bastard…in Space!", or whatever. Maybe.
The point is, review while you can! Heehee.
On that note, a million "thank you"s to lovefan81, wild eyed angel, xxbabyxox, foxy-comic-death, Ravenclaw Samurai, SnowKissYuki, IWantAnAlien, Whylite, RowanWolf, Secret Thought, GoddesofWrath (times two, thank you!), Tioman, Chicapanzy, naruke3176, Lady Squish, xKayla xKatastrophe, Silly, Bleudiablo, stillframe shattered, Mellyna, Yana5, hpets, Pheonixfire979 (you'll see!), MirrorFlower and DarkWind, Jord-El, underneaththesheets, Dilmn8 and mikkiness for their reviews – this chapter is for you!
Also, special shout outs to:
blueberrypecan: it's funny you say that because to me, while I can't see TOS!Spock doing that (though he actually does in the series), I can see 2009!Spock doing that for sure. He's a lot more hotheaded and (forgive me) cocky.
T'Pinto: if your name means what I think it means, I think its my new favorite. FYI
heyy13: yeah, TOS made up for a lack of hot sex by having tons of hilariously ridiculous fight scenes and a huge amount of excessive eyebrow wiggling. :D
Hikaru: *blink* I think that's the longest review I've ever got, ever. NOT that I'm complaining in anyway. NASA sounds like so much fun, I'm so jealous. :)
Massive preamble is massive. Here you go!
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Stardate 2258.124. At the request of the Federation, the 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. An encounter with Reman rebels leaves Jim and Spock the only ones on board, until they pick up some Andorian refugees and are able to rescue their crew. Heavily damaged, the Enterprise is ordered by Starfleet to deliver their passengers to the new Vulcan colony and return to Earth for repairs.
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When Jim woke, the first thing he saw was a serious pair of scrutinizing eyes less than a foot from his face. Squinting, he brought Pa'tar's face into focus. The young Vulcan had his eyebrows drawn together and one finger pressed lightly to his lips in puzzlement. When Jim opened his eyes, the child took several steps back and flushed lightly at being caught staring.
Jim grinned and shifted so he was sitting up. Beside him in bed, Spock was woken up from the motion. Jim yawned and, rubbing his hand over his face sleepily, said, "Good morning Pa'tar."
"I apologize, Captain," Pa'tar said stiffly. "I did not intend to wake you."
"S'no problem," Jim said through another yawn. Beside him, he felt Spock lean over the edge of the bed and when he sat up, he was wearing his Starfleet uniform shirt.
"I was trying to assess the extent of damage I had inflicted upon you during my regrettable outburst yesterday evening," the boy said, in a very subdued voice.
Jim glanced down and saw that his chest was peppered with quarter-sized bruises. Surprised, he poked one gently – it stung, but just barely. He smiled as he looked up at the little Vulcan and assured him, "No harm done kid. It looks way worse than it feels."
Spock was also scanning his injuries, and Jim felt one of his hands slide against Jim's b back. Jim knew he was checking for any hidden distress on Jim's part, and tried to think peaceful thoughts. It was not hard, considering that he had Spock all but hugging him. It wasn't exactly a bad start to the morning.
"It was extremely inappropriate behavior Captain," the young Vulcan began, but Jim cut him off.
"I asked for it, I told you to show me how you felt," Jim pointed out. The child looked unconvinced, and Jim was reminded forcibly of a similar conversation he had had with Spock a fortnight ago. He smiled at the little boy, saying, "Please call me Jim."
"That would be illogical," the child pointed out. "You are a high ranking officer."
"Who wants you to call him Jim," Jim said easily. He glanced at Spock, whose eyebrow was quirked sarcastically. Jim sighed, and conceded, "Alright, you don't have to, but I would like it if you did when we are not around the rest of the crew."
Pa'tar looked at him seriously and said, "I will do my best to remember your request."
"Alrighty," Jim said, leaning back against Spock, whose arm was still surreptitiously around his back. Pa'tar's eyes flicked from him to Spock several times in rapid succession and he looked like he was burning with curiosity, but he did not speak.
"Tell us what is troubling you, Pa'tar," Spock's baritone rumbled slightly against Jim's back.
"It is not a necessary question for me to ask," the child mumbled. "I do not wish to be impertinent."
Spock nodded seriously, "Your resistance is admiral; it demonstrates that you are gaining increased control. Well done. However, I believe that Jim would agree with me that you should have no apprehension about expressing yourself in front of us. Indeed, as you know, I am exceptionally tolerant of emotional displays for a Vulcan, and Jim is one of the more expressive Human's that I have ever encountered."
Pa'tar considered them both for a second before something in him seemed to burst and he said, unusually quickly, "I continue to fail to see the logic in your association."
Jim's lips twitched. But he managed not to smile or laugh at the child, who he knew would interpret it as mockery. Instead, Spock spoke, his tone light and patient, "There is very little logic associated with it, you are correct."
Pa'tar blinked at him in surprise – this was clearly not an answer he had expected. Spock gave him a moment to digest it before continuing, "However, I expect that if you were to think about it, you might find some logical reasons for the continuance of such an association once it had begun?"
Pa'tar's little mouth puckered in thought for a moment before he said, "I assume it would create a level of trust and connection between you that would be useful in the effective controlling and delegation of duty aboard this ship?"
"Well reasoned," Spock said, as if the child had just solved a particularly interesting logic brainteaser.
"I see," Pa'tar said, looking mildly less confused.
Spock shifted behind Jim and got up. Jim was surprised to see that the pants he was wearing were actually his uniform pants, so that he was now fully dressed. Unfathomably, his clothes looked newly ironed, not newly slept in. Jim sighed in envy.
"Perhaps you will comprehend further when you have reached maturity," Spock said easily. "Now, I was planning to meditate this morning – would you be interested in joining me?"
Pa'tar nodded, only the slight tinge still lingering on his cheeks betraying his shyness. Spock nodded in return and, bidding Jim a farewell until later, left for his own quarters.
The younger Vulcan disappeared after him, and Jim began to change. He had just succeeded in locating and pulling on his uniform pants when there was a soft knock on the door. "Come in," Jim said.
It was Pa'tar again, who took only a few steps into the room before stopping. His eyes were locked to the floor. Jim looked up in concern, asking, "What's wrong Pa'tar?"
"I have a request," the child said quietly, after a long hesitant pause. "I would prefer if you did not relay the details of my emotional outburst to my Vulcan peers. I do not think they would react favourably."
Jim had to agree with that assessment. "Of course," he assured the child. "If you don't want them to know then your secret is safe with me."
Pa'tar gave a jerky nod, and then turned a retreated quickly back out the door. Chuckling, Jim grabbed a clean shirt, hauled it on and went to get breakfast.
A few hours later found Jim on the bridge with Pa'tar sitting beside him. He could feel Spock's eyes on him as he talked to the little Vulcan, discussing exactly how the kal-toh worked. Jim still didn't really get it, which seemed to amuse the watching Spock. Chekov had informed him that they would not reach Traod IX until early afternoon, which gave Jim some time to kill.
A very good source of time-wasting arrived when Scotty strode onto the bridge, holding a little red device in the palm of his hand and wearing an expression fitting to having just found out that the ships replicators had finally managed to produce haggis (a long-landing lament of Scotty's). He strode onto the bridge, stopping in front of Jim, who sat up immediately. "Should that thing be on the bridge, Scotty?" he asked at once, eyeing the Romulan mind control tool warily.
"Ah've disable tha transmittta Captain," Scotty assured him. "It's no more dangerous n now than a matchbox."
Jim relaxed again, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Spock do the same. "Did you find out anything interesting about it?"
"Interesting?" Scotty said, incredulously. "Aye, that I did do. Ah think Ah'd better relay what Ah found to tha Admiral tho, since it'll be darn useful in solving this Reman problem."
Jim looked at him in surprise, but said, "Uhura, if you could signal the Admiral?"
After a few moments of curious silence, Admiral Pike came onscreen. "Jim, updating so soon?" he said in surprise.
"Not me, Admiral," Jim said. "Mr. Scott thinks that he has discovered something important."
"It's this, sir," Scotty held up the device. "Mr. Spock discovered it an' gave it ta me to look over. It's a Romulan mind control device, and Ah've worked out that it works by stimulating areas of tha brain that increase compliance and trust in whoever it effects. O' course it only affects Romulans and Vulcans, as far as we know. Interesting thing is, tho, that it doesn't force you tha do anything, it makes it seem like you had tha idea yourself."
"Interesting," Pike said sincerely. "You will have to write up a report on your findings when you return to Earth, Mr. Scott. Was that all?"
"Not quite, sir," the engineer continued. "All that time we were captured we were trying to figure how so few Remans had fought off the whole Romulan army to get those ships and then convinced them not to hunt them out here. Ah suspect that this little device means that tha Remans didn't steal those Romulan ships after all."
Spock started beside Jim and he finished the thought, "They just convinced the Romulans to give them away."
"Exactly," Scotty agreed. "So Ah was thinking, instead of sending our men out at risk ta fight them, why not let tha Romulans know what happened and let them sort it out as they like. Might even improve our relationships with them a bit."
Pike considered this suggestion while Spock looked vaguely impressed at Scotty. "Right," the Admiral said at long last. "You might have something there Mr. Scott. I don't like the idea of letting the Romulans loose with your ship still flying lame in these Remans' supposed 'territory'."
"We should be arriwing into the orbit of Tarod IX in two hours, Admiral," Chekov supplied promptly.
"Alright," Pike said. "We'll hold off talks with the Romulans until then."
True to his word, Chekov announced their arrival at the new Vulcan colony just over two hours later. In the interim Scotty revealed that they appeared to be dangerously low on antimatter fuel, which was unexpected because the ship had been full when they had departed Earth. Apparently, Sahran was looking into it.
As soon as they had dropped out of warp, Jim gave Scotty the bridge and he and Spock headed down to the Vulcan's quarters to oversee the transfer of the colonists to the surface. Spock had informed Jim that there was a small welcoming gathering planned for them when they arrived, for their involvement in the rescue and rebuilding of the Vulcan race. This made Jim feel irrationally nervous.
Tavol was already there, shepherding the young Vulcans into orderly groups. Some of them, ones who had been off planet when Vulcan was attacked, had small suitcases or bags. Other clutched a change of clothes or, Jim noticed with amusement, a book or two. One of the girls Jim had seen the day he met Pa'tar was holding only her kal-toh.
Tavol nodded in greeting, giving him a warm greeting, "Good afternoon Captain, Mr. Spock."
"And you, Mr. Tavol," Jim reciprocated, and Spock nodded beside him.
"Are the preparations proceeding as planned?" Spock asked, his eyes scanning the room. Jim looked closer and saw that the children were arranged into three groups; one contained only boys, one only girls, and the other was a mixture.
"They are going as smoothly as can be hoped," Tavol said, sadly. "Deciding what to do with the children now that they have arrived here has been problematic."
"What do you mean?" Jim asked, still trying to sort out the order in the groups. He was sure there was one. "Where are they going to go?"
"There are a few that have surviving relatives," Tavol said, gesturing at the small mixed group. "However, the children were lucky just to have escaped with their parents from Vulcan and most families traveled on the shuttles together, so many children have no family to return to at this colony. They will be placed in orphanages temporarily, and then adopted into a Vulcan family. Unfortunately, many parents lost their children also during the destruction of our planet, so there are many parents willing to take them on."
"Oh," Jim said, scrutinizing the young Vulcans again. They all looked very proper, their backs straight and their little cloaks fastened at their necks tightly. Not one of them fidgeted or showed any sign of edginess, but Jim had gotten good at reading Vulcans by now and he could see the apprehension in their eyes. The ones headed to their families looked slightly less concerned, while the youngest in the orphanage groups betrayed the most distress. One girl, her face completely impassive, clutched her pyjamas so tightly that her knuckles were white. His eyes softened at the slight and he tried to look reassuring.
"They are prepared to be transported?" Spock was asking Tavol.
"They are," the V'tosh ka'tur agreed. Wordlessly he gestured to the nearest group, the girls, to follow him and they headed out to the transporter. Spock headed after him immediately to oversee the departure, while Jim hung back. He watched as each group filed past, until the group with families awaiting them had mostly gone past them. There, at the back with his eyes fixed firmly on the ground, was Pa'tar. Unlike most of the other children, he had nothing in his hands, which were in the pockets of his robes. The ever-silent adult Vulcans that had been caring for the children watched as the child stopped in front of Jim. With a slight nod from the Captain, the two continued past them and out after the rest of the children.
Pa'tar stood looking expressionlessly up at Jim until the man reached his arms down. Obediently, Pa'tar stretched up and Jim lifted him into his arms. Together, they set off after the rest of the departing passengers. "So, you have family waiting for you? That's nice," the Captain said after a few moments, trying to sound sincere.
"It is agreeable," Pa'tar said, half-heartedly. "They are distant cousins of my mother and I have never met them, but Mr. Tavol has persuaded them to give me board."
Jim frowned slightly at this – it didn't exactly seem like a happy family reunion. They walked in silence for a while longer, before Pa'tar spoke suddenly, "Captain –"
"A tut-tut," Jim interrupted, a smile playing on his lips.
The young Vulcan craned his neck over Jim's shoulders to make sure the corridor around them was clear before whispering, "Jim?"
"Yes?" the Captain asked easily.
"I would like to inform you of my gratitude for your tutelage and indulgence in these past few days," the child said, very quickly.
Jim could not resist; he brought his free hand up to ruffle the young Vulcan's hair. Pa'tar flinched at first, but then relaxed. Remembering that touch caused emotional transference with Vulcans, particularly untrained ones, Jim tried to pour out as much happiness and pride as he could into the child. He dropped his hand as they reached the transporter room. From the looks of it, the first two groups of Vulcans had already gone. Only those headed to their families remained.
Jim went to set Pa'tar down with the rest, but to his extreme surprise he felt small arms loop around his neck and pull on his neck as the young Vulcan buried his head in Jim's neck. Jim felt a cool, hard shape digging into his nape – when the child pulled away again, Jim realized it was a white knight chess piece clutched tightly in the Vulcan's fist. He gave the child an extra squeeze before finally setting him down. Spock, who had come up beside them, bent to one knee. He gave him the customary salute at his own eye level, which the child returned. The sight was so adorably precocious that, thought the moment was sad, Jim nearly laughed.
Finally, Spock straightened. The moment of parting had come, and Jim's urge to laugh evaporated like a puddle in the desert. He raised his hand to mimic Spock, who had stood to salute the rest of the group. "Energize," the First Officer said quietly, and within moments they were gone.
Once the passengers were away, a very heavy-hearted Spock and Jim had a few moments to collect themselves as the Ensign at the transporter controls - Scotty was on the bridge – recharged the pad. They climbed onto the slightly glowing circles side by side, Jim biting his lip in distress.
"Pa'tar will be safe, Captain," Spock reminded him. "It is preferable for him to be raised with family if possibly, however distant. He is fortunate to have that opportunity."
Jim nodded, but was not at all convinced. In the few days he had been there, the young Vulcan had started to feel like a part of his crew – a part of the little family that he had made himself aboard the Enterprise.
"I see that the logic of these revalantions has not lowered your emotional distress," Spock said after a moment. "I must also confess to being reluctant of parting with Pa'tar. He is facing a challenge very similar to the one I faced as a child and I had wished to aid him in his experiences."
Jim smiled, "You two are very similar. You had a connection."
"Indeed," Spock agreed in a subdued voice.
"Ready when you are Captain," the Ensign interjected.
"Energize," Jim ordered, and he was overtaken by the momentary weightless, airless, indescribable feeling of being dematerialized and then his feet felt hard ground and he came back to himself. He was standing on a large, scrubby lawn with hot sun baking down on him. He knew immediately why this had been selected for Vulcan's replacement – it was unpleasantly hot. He grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled away from his stomach a few times, trying to tempt some cool air on his already boil skin. He looked around and saw Spock beside him, looking as cool as a meadow in February. In fact, the Vulcan had paused, his eyes closed and his face turned toward the giant yellow sun with a hint of a smile on his face. Jim scowled as sweat began to drip into his eyes.
Noticing his discomfort, Spock gestured over to a large tent, where Jim noticed for the first time that there were several elderly people waiting for them. They trotted over a dignified pace, yet even so by the time they reached the tent Jim's shirt was soaking through the back. He was extremely relieved and surprised, therefore, when a blast of cold air hit him as he entered the canopied area. They had air conditioned it, specifically for him he could only assume.
He surveyed the assembled Vulcan men and women with pleasure, recalling many of them as the council that Spock had risked his life to rescue. There was Sarek, Spock's father, and beside him was…
"Hey Spock," Jim said, seizing Spock by the arm forcefully and dragging him away from the assembled Elders toward a nearby refreshment table. "Look! They have fruit salad – your favorite right? Why don't you stay over here and just, enjoy it! Okay? Alrighty!"
Jim abandoned a shocked looking Spock at the table and stalked directly over to the Elders, accosting the one beside Sarek and all but dragging him into a corner. "What are you doing here?" he hissed at the man. "Do you want the universe to and or something?"
Spock Prime had exchanged his futuristic robes for traditional Elder garb, but he was unmistakable. The other Elders were looking scandalized as Spock approached them, looking apologetic. He seemed to be explaining something. Jim returned his attention to the Vulcan he had cornered, who to his chagrin was actually smiling. "Why should my presence at this gathering have such far reaching consequences?" the old man mused, his eyes sparkling in a way Jim recognized.
"You know exactly how," Jim said, desperately. "Did you thin I wouldn't bring him?"
"It would be highly illogical to conclude such a thing," a calm voice said from just behind him. "I find it highly improbable, therefore, that an Elder would make such an error."
"Ah! Hey Spock!" Jim said, grinning manically. "This is, um, an old friend of mine, um, Captain Tar –"
"I am aware of the Ambassador's true identity, Jim," Spock said easily, the corners of his eyes crinkled in hidden laughter. "It was on his advice that I returned to Starfleet after we returned for the mission to rescue Admiral Pike."
There was a long pause, and then Jim rubbed his head with his hand and groaned, "What? Isn't that, I don't know, not allowed?"
"Who is to disallow it?" Spock Prime said easily. "It is cheating, in a fashion, however."
Both Spock's mouths twitched as Jim looked at them accusatorily, "You tricked me!"
"Indeed," Spock agreed.
"It was necessary, old friend," Spock Prime amended.
Jim gaped at them for a second, then turned his back and stalked with as much dignity as he had left to greet or introduce himself to the rest of assembled group.
It was not until three quarters of an hour later that the Ambassador managed to pull Jim aside again.
"Jim," he said in his aged, reedy voice. "I want to thank you."
"Not apologize?" Jim said, but his tone was more teasing now than angry.
"No, I do not wish to apologize," the Vulcan replied seriously. "I do not feel that, overall, I have done you a disservice. I will tell you what I told my younger self many months ago: I exploited your good intentions only to make sure that you and he became friends, as you were meant to be. Of all the things I have denied the world be my own failure with Nero, I felt sure I could save at least that. Together, you will do great things – you have already done great things – and perhaps by ensuring your partnership I hoped to erase some of my debt to the world."
It was hard to argue with that, so Jim just twirled the empty cup he was holding in embarrassment for a moment. Finally, he said, "Why did you want to thank me?"
"Why, for that very reason, old friend," Spock said, looking content. "From what I have heard from my counterpart, you have acted in a noble and supportive way towards him in his time of need. It is the way I would have expected your own counterpart to have behaved, and it reaffirms my feeling that, even in this altered world you were meant to be friends."
Jim hesitated, wavered for a bit, before asking, "Were you and your Jim ever…um, more than friends?"
Spock's eyebrows went up in amusement. "We were always more than friends, though on different levels throughout the years. He was my lifelong partner, my thy'la. Does that answer your question?"
"I think so," Jim mused. "What does thy'la mean?"
Spock Prime's mouth turned up in a small smile, and he said, "It has many meanings in English, though it is something like a soulmate. It means a friend, a brother, and a lover."
Jim grinned, "Yeah, that sounds about right."
Spock Prime's eyes twinkled as Scotty's voice crackled over the transmitter. "Captain, if you're ready, I'll beam you back up. We've got to be on our way if we want to get to Andoria and then Earth without refueling if we've got to take the long way around those Remans."
Jim turned to find Spock, but could not see him. He asked the Ambassador if he had seen him, but it was Tavol, coming up alongside Jim, that answered. "He has gone to sort out a family matter that just came to his attention," the Vulcan replied.
"I've only ever seen him so angry once or twice before as a child," mused a nearby Elder. She looked slightly disapproving, though unwilling to speak ill of Spock, who had saved all their lives not to long ago. "Sarek went after him, so hopefully the matter will be resolved with some decorum."
Jim glanced around and realized that Sarek was gone to. Worry and anxiety gripped him as he wondered what it could have been that had called Spock away. He bid a quite but fond farewell to the assembled Vulcans, even gaining a surprise hug from Tavol that made the Elders, excepting Spock, slightly wary looking. "Alright Scotty, beam me up," he said finally.
The first thing that he noticed when he rematerialized on the pad was that Scotty was operating it. "Spock's back aboard?" Jim guessed, nodded at the engineer.
"Aye, Captain, that he is," Scotty confirmed. Jim made to head immediately for the bridge, but the engineer called after him, "Captain, Mr. Sahran wished that you'd come ta see him – he's got some cockamamie scheme to get our fuel ta stretch long enough ta get us around those Remans without stopping to refuel. Seems to thin it would be faster than stopping at one of tha stations to refuel. Th'lads probably right – normally we'd have ample fuel so I suspect we've got a leak. No point in wastin good antimatter if we can avoid it."
It took everything Jim had to turn towards engineering and push Spock out of his mind, but he was the Captain and so he managed it. The Andorian was antennae-twirling pleased when Jim arrived and eagerly showed him his plans to get them home. Jim was hardly listening as he briskly checked through the basics of the math and made sure that they would indeed have enough fuel. Sahran's plan involved feeding the dilithium chamber coils deuterium in a different ratio or something that Jim had to tae his word for that it would work.
At long last he was free to head up to the bridge. He walked quickly, but tried to look unhurried to the crew member he passed in the hall. To his extreme frustration, Spock was not on the bridge. He nearly turned and simply walked away again, but Sulu and Chekov had updates on their course and Uhura had received some fairly important update from Starfleet in the short time he ha been gone.
"The Romulans have been informed of the nature of the Reman's deception," he said formally. "The Admiral did not tell them we have obtained one of the devices in case they took exception to that and decided to attack us. From the transmissions I've been picking up, the Lexington and the Excalibur have both been ordered out of the area, and the Romulans have located their stolen ships and are going to…retrieve them."
She looked distasteful as she said it, and Jim expected that the Romulan transmissions had been a lot more brutal than Uhura's edited version. "Great," Jim said, still slightly distracted as he settled in his chair. "Keep me updated."
"Aye aye, Captain," she said coolly.
"Alright, Chekov, have you got the headings from Sahran?" Jim said, turning to the young navigator. Chekov nodded. "Good, let's get out of here Sulu."
"Yes sir," the pilot replied immediately, and Jim felt the thrusters gearing up.
"Scotty reckons we've got a fuel leak or damage somewhere, so try to save as much power as you can," Jim said, settling back against his chair as the ship jumped to warp. His arm knocked something to the floor as he stretched out - it was Pa'tar's datapad. Jim lifted it back onto the arm of the chair a little dejectedly.
Jim fidgeted throughout his whole shift, Spock's inexplicable absence weighing on his mind. Crazy thoughts ran through his head about what this "family matter" could be – maybe Spock had decided to take a Vulcan wife after all? Maybe Sare had forced him to? As the evening progressed he worked himself into such a lather that had Scotty not told Jim that Spock was on board, he doubted he'd have bee able to sit there all shift at all. As it was, as soon as the relief shift came to take over for the evening, Jim fairly jumped out of his chair and nearly knocked Sulu over as he exited the bridge.
Spock was not in his quarters, so Jim decided to check his own. He pelted though the door to find the tall figure of Spock sitting at his desk, filling out what looked like an unreasonably massive pile of paperwork. He looked up as Jim entered. Relief flooded Jim for a moment, and then he got upset. "Where have you been?" he accused, advancing slightly on the Vulcan. "Storming away from that reception and then ditching your shift."
"I apologize Jim," Spock said immediately. He opened his mouth to continue but Jim interrupted.
"What was so important to go rushing away and then not even bother to check in with me?"
"Jim, please keep your voice down –"
"Why don't you just answer me?" Jim said, with a little of his paranoia slipping through into his voice.
"Jim," Spock tried to quiet him, but it was too late. There was a soft thud and a quick patter of footsteps from the area of the bed, and the next moment Pa'tar had peered around the partition. Jim's mouth dropped a moment before his heart laughed, and he almost laughed in relief and happiness. The young Vulcan looked up him in a shy but pleased way. Jim scooped him up and hugged him quickly before setting him down on the desk.
"This is what you were doing?" Jim asked, his tone entirely different. He was surprised, stunned at Spock's actions, if not ludicrously pleased. He wondered what could have made him change his mind.
As if sensing his question, Spock reached out a hand to touch Jim's face. His expression was unexpectedly dark. When their minds connected, Jim was surprised when Spock completed the meld fully. After a few moments of disorientation, as he had not expected it, Jim was watching a conversation between Spock and Tavol at the reception.
"Mr. Spock," Tavol had approached Spock. "I require your opinion on an urgent matter."
Jim could feel Spock's surprise in the memory, but he heard the half-Vulcan's voice reply, "Of course Mr. Tavol."
"It concerns Master Pa'tar," Tavol said. Jim felt Spock's anxiety spike. "There as been an incident – I believe one of the older boys provoked him."
"Has he been physically injured?" Spock demanded.
"He is unhurt in that regard," Tavol reassured him. "However, his intended relatives were witness to the incident and are now refusing to take him. They are of the opinion, which you know I do not share, that he has been somehow damaged or handicapped and they do not wish to accommodate such a disadvantage."
Jim could feel the anger, bordering on rage, flare unexpectedly up in Spock. "Where will he go then?"
'That is the problem," Tavol said. Jim suddenly realized that the other Vulcan's voice was also hard with anger, though it was slightly less obvious. "The orphanage does not feel equipped to accommodate him either."
Spock's fists were curled. "Nobody will take him in?"
Tavol simply shook his head. Spock's rage was full-fledged now. "Do they not understand that in the current situation every Vulcan is a treasure? Do they have no sense of loyalty to their race?"
Tavol simply hook his head sadly again. Spock seemed to teeter on the brink of decision for a moment and then he said definitively. "I will take him. I am quite sure that Captain will not object to his presence on board."
"I must confess I had hoped you would say that," Tavol said. "You will need to hurry, he is scheduled to be picked up by the psychiatric doctors from the colony medical facility very soon."
Spock actually seemed speechless at this. Jim could not tell whether the fury burning through him was Spock's or his own but it didn't really matter. Spock broke the meld with the parting image of him charging across the lawn. For a moment, the two men stared at each other, both sweating slightly, and then they turned as one to look at the young Vulcan sitting between them. Jim saw that he was still toying with the chess piece and staring up at the two of them.
Jim took a deep breath. "Well, Master Tavol, it seems you will be staying with us for an extended period, so I feel I should welcome you again to the Enterprise."
"Thank you…Jim," the child said very shyly. Hs face was neutral but Jim could see the happiness in his eyes.
"I assume you'll consent to be my assistant for however long you stay with us?" Jim asked.
"It would be an honour," the child said earnestly.
"Great, I'll see you on the bridge tomorrow morning then." Jim said in an authoritative voice. Then, he let his tone soften and adopted an almost fatherly demeanor as he scooped the child off the desk and set him on the floor, saying, "Which means you had best get to sleep mister."
"Indeed," Spock agreed. "I have set up a temporary space for you in my quarters. I will join you in a few minutes."
"Yes, f-Father," the child stuttered and, with a last lingering look at the pair of them, disappeared out the doors.
"Father?" Jim asked as soon as he was sure that Pa'tar was gone.
"They would only allow me to take him if I assumed guardianship," Spock explained as if it were perfectly ordinary to adopt children on the drop of a dime. "He has told me that his own Father was killed in combat when he was a young infant and so he feels it would not be disrespectful to confer the title upon me, though I did not insist he did so. I trust you do not object?"
Jim slipped his hand into the Vulcan's, grinning wickedly as he pressed his forehead to Spock's. "You know I don't."
He tilted his head slightly a stole a lingering kiss from Spock's lips, his fingers tips tracing lazily against the hotter palm. Spock's hand came up to hold his arm and for a few long moments they reveled in the contact at the end of an eventful and emotionally trying day. Finally Spock pulled away.
"I apologize Jim, but I must complete these forms before I retire, and Pa'tar is waiting for me," he said as he sat down again.
"No problem," Jim said, his brain a little mushy like it normally was after he kissed the Vulcan. "I'm going to grab a snack."
Jim met Scotty and Bones having a nightcap in the recreation room. "You're in a good mood," Bones observed immediately.
"Spock adopted Pa'tar," Jim could not contain his pleasure.
"Did'ee?" Scotty slurred, and it was apparent he had been indulging a bit.
"No way," Bones countered more lucidly.
"Yeah," Jim said, replicating himself a piece of chocolate cake and sitting down at the bar too. He waved a forkful of food at Bones as he said gleefully, "That kid's going to be around a long while. You know Bones, Spock might need a babysitter..."
"Isn't that what you are for?" Bones said pointedly, downing his glass.
"As Captain?" Jim asked innocently. His eyes twinkled as Bones rolled his eyes. "Hardly Bones, I've got a ship to run here."
"Aye, that Vulcan, he's a right good kid," Scotty said suddenly, looking at Bones sideways as if verifying that what he had said made sense. Both commanding officers had to bite back grins.
They chatted amicably as Jim finished his cake. Bones was unable to wrap his head around the idea of Spock as a "daddy" – which was admittedly pretty strange. Jim had a feeling Spock would be the strict, instructional but caring kind of parent, and inwardly he decided that he would just have to fill the "daddy" role and spoil the kid rotten himself.
Finishing his cake, Jim left the two men deep in discussion over their drink and headed back to his quarters. Spock had gone, but sitting on his desk was a neat stack of paper topped by a single, tiny white knight piece. Smiling to himself, Jim pulled off his uniform and slipped into bed.