Ch 1: A Welcomed Rest

"Captain, are you alright?"

Kirk's head snapped up at the loud voice that addressed him. He blinked rapidly to clear the sleep from his eyes. He wasn't sure just how long he had been asleep, but judging by the damp corner of his mouth and the odd stares his crew was giving him, it had been far too long. The corner of his mouth met with the fabric of his sleeve and the dampness that had accumulated there was removed swiftly.

Standing next to him was Spock, who gave him a concerned, yet somewhat equally exhausted look. The crew had spent the last three months going on mission after mission. The enthusiasm of Starfleet was originally met by the crew, but after about six weeks of nonstop planet hopping, they were in desperate need of some rest and relaxation.

Kirk was especially tired; not only were his duties as a captain keeping him even busier than everyone else, but he was finding himself having rather troubled sleep. He started seeing strange things in his dreams not long after he became captain. He saw snippets of unfamiliar surroundings and heard strange noises. He saw many versions of Spock and himself, varying from their time in the academy all the way up to old age. Normally this wouldn't warrant any loss of sleep, but the things he heard them say and saw them do…

Spock repeated himself, "Captain, are you alright?" Giving a sideways glance, Kirk replied, "Yeah. Sorry, I guess I'm a little tired."

"That is understandable Captain," Spock said. "We have been continuously pushing ourselves to complete missions for Starfleet. It seems that the entire crew is showing similar signs of exhaustion much like you are. It may seem a bit premature, but perhaps it would be best if we took some time for the crew to regain their strength before we accept any more missions Starfleet assigns us."

The captain didn't respond to Spock's suggestion, not because he didn't agree, but because he had fallen asleep again. Sighing, Spock touched Kirk's shoulder. This simple touch was enough to wake the sleeping captain. "Wha? Oh, yeah, you're probably right," he said, straining to keep his eyes open.

Uhura turned in her chair, her hand on her earpiece. "Captain, we have a transmission coming in from Starfleet."

Kirk closed his eyes again, only this time out of exasperation instead of exhaustion. "Oh joy, looks like we're getting our next assignment." He tried to sit up straight but decided standing up would make it easier to hide just how tired he was. Last thing he needed was to be reprimanded about his lax posture. Rubbing his eyes, as if that could make him look more alert, he said, "Put them on screen."

To the surprise of the entire crew, the face of Admiral Pike appeared before them. The fatigue everyone felt seemed to lift away when they saw their former captain on the screen. Smiles shined on the faces of each crew member; even the corners of Spock's mouth perked up in the closest thing to a full smile anyone had seen on the Vulcan's face. Murmurs filled the bridge as Kirk addressed him breathlessly.

"Admiral Pike…"

The wheelchair bound man smiled warmly at his former crew. "Hello Captain Kirk. It's good to see you and the crew of the Enterprise in good health."

Kirk's smile became bigger upon hearing Pike's voice, which sounded as strong and healthy as he looked. He replied, "It's good to see you in good health as well Admiral. We're a little tired from all the running around Starfleet's had us do, but we're doing fine."

Pike nodded in response. "Yes, I figured as much. You've been doing a fine job keeping up with all the missions Starfleet has been assigning you, and with all you've done in the past months, it'd only be natural to be tired. Taking care of the aftermath of Nero's attacks hasn't been easy for anyone, especially you. That's why I'm announcing that Starfleet has granted the Enterprise's crew two weeks of shore leave."

Cheers filled the room at the good news. Not only were they finally getting a break, they were getting two weeks' worth! Pike spoke over the din, "Head back to Earth as soon as you can. Your leave will begin once you report back to Starfleet in person. From there we can make arrangements for you to go wherever you like." The cheers continued as Pike tried to talk. Frustrated, he resorted to his old method of gaining attention from his subordinates. A loud, high pitched whistle sounded through the air and instantly silenced everyone on the bridge. All attention returned back to the screen, the smiles replaced with shocked looks.

"Well it's nice to know that still works," Pike smirked. "Now that I have your full attention again, I can finish telling you about your leave. Once you return to Starfleet when the two weeks are over, your ship will be outfitted for a five-year mission."

Kirk's eyes grew big, as well as everyone else's. "A five-year mission?!?" he asked incredulously. "What are we going to be doing for five years?!?"

"What else?" Pike replied. "Exploring. You will be exploring the far reaches of space, filling in the holes of our universal map if you will. You'll record new worlds, new races, new galaxies, the whole lot. That's why Starfleet is giving you two weeks of leave."

"With all due respect Admiral, if we're going to be gone for five years, shouldn't our leave be just a little longer than two weeks?" Kirk asked, quickly adding, "Not that we don't appreciate it mind you. We're thrilled to finally be able to rest for a while. But shouldn't-"

Pike cut Kirk off. "Just because you're going to be in space for five years doesn't mean you'll be on missions constantly like the last three months. You'll have plenty of time to take breaks as needed while you're out there. It's not like we have a list of things for you to do that need to be done post haste. Part of the joy of exploring is enjoying your surroundings as you find new things."

"However, due to the length of this mission and the uncertainty of what you may come across while you're on it, Starfleet has also instructed you to tie up any loose ends you may have before you leave. As always, there's no guarantee that any of you will return from a mission we send you on, and with a mission like this, the risks are much higher." The crew looked at each other rather skeptically. The idea of a five year journey through uncharted space was exciting enough, but the thought of only having two weeks to get their personal effects in order in the event something should happen to them quelled their excitement.

Pike saw the effect this had and attempted to raise their spirits. "Don't look so down. You're all about to embark on a historical voyage, one that will be filled with adventure and perhaps even some fun. Your time together on this mission will bring you all infinitely closer. Though I'm sure some of you already feel this way, you'll all soon become more like family members to each other. In fact, I encourage that level of camaraderie; it will make you a more effective crew and help you tackle problems much easier."

Everyone looked at the screen. Some gave the look of adoration a child would give their father; others simply stared at the man with a great deal of respect in their eyes. Kirk's face portrayed a mix of these things. With a smile, he spoke, "Understood Admiral. We'll set a course for Earth immediately."

Pike nodded. "We look forward to seeing you all back on Earth. Pike out."

Pike's face disappeared as the screen went black. The entire bridge was silent, each crew member contemplating all they heard. Kirk took a deep breath and returned to his chair. He pressed a button on his arm rest and began to speak. "This is Captain Kirk speaking. We have just received word from Starfleet that we will be heading back to Earth for two weeks of shore leave. Once we check in, we'll be provided with transportation to anywhere we want to go, so those of you who have family on different planets will be allowed to return home." He paused, thinking of how to word his next statement carefully. "At the conclusion of our shore leave, we will be embarking on a five year long exploration mission into the uncharted regions of space. Due to the length of time we will spend away from Starfleet, we have been advised to take care of any unfinished business during leave."

Kirk paused again, the graveness of his words draining the energy out of him. He looked at Sulu and asked, "Sulu, how long will it take us to get to Earth from our present location?" Sulu turned to face Kirk and said, "At maximum warp, about a day, sir." Kirk took another breath, and then continued, "We're changing course back to Earth now. All crew members should prepare for departure as soon as possible, as we'll be arriving sometime tomorrow. Kirk out."

Everyone on the bridge stared at Kirk as he ended his announcement. Still, no one spoke. He may have been a bit of a glutton for attention, but the way his crew looked at him made him very uneasy. "Sulu, set a course for Earth, maximum warp."

Sulu nodded and responded, "Aye sir." As he set the coordinates and speed, Kirk rose from his seat and walked over to the elevator. All eyes were still on him, as if they were waiting for some signal to begin movement. He looked around, making brief eye contact with everyone besides Sulu. He smiled his signature smile and said, "Well come on everyone, put those smiles back on your faces! We're going home!"

The moment the elevator door closed, his smile quickly vanished. He sighed a sigh that sounded as if his spirit was leaving his body. He understood exactly why everyone looked the way they did. It wasn't that they weren't happy to go home; being faced with their mortality so early in their lives was a bit of a mood killer.

The door to the elevator opened sooner than Kirk expected. Apparently his exhaustion was making him lose all track of time. He stumbled out of the elevator and walked down the hallway rather unsteadily. The moment he entered his room, he pressed his back against the door, rubbing his eyes wearily. The last 20 minutes had proved to be more taxing than the last three months. At least now he'd be able to get some real sleep. He moved across the room and flopped onto his bed face first. His nose wrinkled at the uncomfortable firmness of the bed. He made a mental note to head straight for his old bed as soon as he arrived back home. The Starfleet beds were as stiff as their rules and regulations.

No sooner than he had started to doze off did he hear a knock on his door. He grabbed a pillow and covered his head with it. "GO AWAAAAAAAY!!!" he screamed, fully aware of how muffled his voice was. All he wanted was some rest. Was that really so much for him to ask for? The door knocked again. The person on the other side obviously hadn't heard him scream, or at least they didn't care. Giving a sigh of defeat, he pushed off the bed and flipped in to a sitting position on the bed. The pillow tumbled off his head and landed behind him. Whoever insisted on disturbing him had better have a damned good reason for doing so.

Trying his best not to let his voice reveal his irritation, Kirk called out, "Come in!"

The door opened to reveal Spock in his signature pose: body rigid, head up, arms behind his back. How nice, Kirk thought sourly. My first officer has decided to grace me with his presence. However would I have been able to start my vacation without it? The Vulcan walked into Kirk's room, staring blankly off into space. Venomously, Kirk spat, "Spock, I just announced that we're going to be taking two weeks off and that everyone needs to start prepping for our arrival at Starfleet tomorrow. Shouldn't you be in your room packing?!?"

The Vulcan decided to ignore Kirk's tone of voice. "I am sorry to disturb you Captain," Spock began, his formal voice grating on Kirk's already sensitive nerves. "I am aware that we are officially on leave and that reasonably, you desire a chance to rest. I do however have a formal request that I would like to present to you before you leave the Enterprise."

Kirk dropped his head and sighed. "Spock, how is it as intelligent as you are, you seem to have trouble getting it through your head that I want you to call me 'Jim' when we're off duty, not 'Captain'?"

Spock raised an eyebrow, but still did not make eye contact. "I regret to inform you that I am unable to comply with your request. It is my training as an officer that prevents me from addressing a superior in such an informal way, especially when making a request."

"I realize that, but come on, is it really that hard for you to address me informally when we're in an informal environment? For Pete's sake Spock, we're in my quarters! Formal request or not, there's no one around to judge you for addressing me by my first name!" He stood up, strode up to Spock, grabbed his shoulders, and gently shook him. "Loosen up a bit!"

"Captain, I would prefer you avoid making physical contact with me in such a way," Spock said, a look of discomfort leaking through his stoic mask.

Kirk released Spock's shoulders and sighed, shaking his head. "Alright, alright. We'll work on that some other time. Anyway, what's this 'formal request' of yours that just can't wait?" Spock regained his composure and returned to his statuesque pose. "Captain, I wish you to tell me about what really happened with Spock Prime during your…visit…to Delta Vega."

It was Kirk's turn to have his eyebrows rise on his forehead. While he knew the time would come for him to inquire about it, he still wasn't prepared to handle the situation, even after three months had passed. "Spock…" he said, futilely hoping his tone of voice would deter the Vulcan from inquiring any further. "You know just as well as I do that I can't tell you about that."

No dice. "I understand your reluctance to reveal the truth. However, I feel as Spock Prime's younger self, I have a right to know what the future holds for me."

"You think because you and Spock are the same person, you have more of a right to know about his timeline than I do?" Kirk laughed. "Do you realize how many rules he broke by telling me what happened? Do you? Do you realize that I know everything that would have been if Nero never appeared? My father would still be alive…"

"…as would my mother, as well as the entire planet Vulcan." Spock's patience with his captain was beginning to wane. Somehow Kirk always managed to make situations such as this all about him, and it wasn't something he was willing to deal with at that moment. "Do not perchance to think that Nero's appearance has only affected you. For that exact reason, I feel I am entitled…"

"…you don't get it do you?!?" Kirk's temper began to rise. "The whole reason Spock Prime told me anything was because you being captain of the Enterprise would have lead to our deaths! If you think Nero showing up screwed up the timeline, imagine the magnitude our deaths would have created! But no, you're so wrapped up in yourself, thinking you're better than everyone else, just because you're half Vulcan, you can't get over the fact that I know something you don't! Well Spock, this is one thing only I was supposed to know, and if you don't like it, you can kiss my human ass!!!"

Without realizing it, Kirk had gotten so caught up in his retort that he had become mere centimeters away from Spock's face. For the first time since his return from Delta Vega, he had gazed deep into his eyes. The fire of rage burned deeply beneath the surface as Spock struggled to keep his emotions in check. Memories of the mind meld flashed before his eyes, causing a wave of emotions to sweep over him and wash away his anger. He quickly turned away and rubbed the back of his head while Spock blinked rapidly in surprise at his sudden change in demeanor.

Spock's eyes lowered toward the ground. In a calm voice, he said, "It seems it was a mistake to bring the subject up at this time as you are tired, and thusly even more volatile than usual. I retract my request for information, Captain. If you'll excuse me, I will retire to my quarters and prepare for our arrival at Starfleet."

"Spock, wait!" Just as Spock turned to leave, Kirk quickly turned and put a hand on his shoulder. Spock gazed at the hand on his shoulder, then at Kirk's face. Kirk just as quickly removed his hand. "Sorry, forgot about the whole touching thing." He cleared his throat and stepped back to give Spock more space as he turned back around to face the interior of the room. Kirk took a deep breath, and then sighed. "I promised Spock Prime I wouldn't tell you, but if you're that determined to find out, I can give you coordinates for where he is now."

Spock's eyebrow perked up. "Spock Prime entrusted you with the coordinates for the New Vulcan colony?" This was rather unexpected. Why had he entrusted Kirk with his location instead of him? After what he said about there being too few Vulcans for them to be strangers to each other, logically his coordinates would have been given to Spock, not to Kirk. Could his old age rattled his logic or was this version of him less logical in general?

"Yeah, he did." Kirk's shoulders slumped in defeat as he moved to his nightstand and pulled open a drawer. After shifting some papers around, he pulled out a small square of paper with handwriting on it. Kirk closed the drawer and handed the paper to Spock, who reviewed the coordinates Spock wrote in Vulcan. "Spock Prime knew you'd want to know the truth yourself eventually. I was kinda hoping it'd be long after he had passed, but considering how long you Vulcans live, I had a hunch it'd be much sooner rather than later."

Spock looked down at coordinates a little longer before looking at Kirk. "Was your outburst another ruse to force me to follow the natural order of events?"

A smirk spread on Kirk's face. "Almost worked too, didn't it?"

Wonder and amazement snuck past Spock's icy control and shined brightly on his face. "Either you have a penchant for dragging emotional responses out of me, or you are possibly the worst sadist in human history." Kirk chuckled. "Perhaps it's a bit of both." He stepped forward and extended his hand to Spock. "Good luck Spock. I hope you know what you're getting into."

At first Spock simply eyed the hand Kirk had offered to him. Vulcans avoided physical contact with others as much as possible, especially hand to hand contact. However, the situation seemed to warrant such contact and would most likely not be deemed inappropriate. He slowly extended his hand and gave Kirk a tight, sincere handshake, ignoring the shivers it sent up his arm and down his spine. "You have my thanks, Captain. I hope I do as well."

The Vulcan turned and promptly left the room, leaving Kirk alone at last. Kirk exhaled sharply in relief. The situation was a rather tense and uncomfortable one, but it seemed to go well. He raised the hand that shook Spock's up to his face. He could still feel the unique warmth from Spock's hand on his. More snippets of memories flashed before his eyes and he swiftly slapped his hand down on his side. He sat down hard on his bed and sighed tiredly. Removing his shirt, boots, and pants, he pulled the covers over his body and made himself more comfortable. He turned off the light to his room and laid his head on the pillow. The moment his eyes closed, he was asleep.