Spock was deep in examination of the Fortescue Nebula when he sensed a presence sashaying up behind him. Only Captain Kirk walked with that particular swagger. Spock straightened from his station to face him. "Captain."

"Mr. Spock." The captain was wearing a self-satisfied grin. Spock would have liked to think that meant the captain had good news, but he had learned from hard experience that what appeared good to Captain Kirk wasn't necessarily always agreeable to Spock.

"I have good news!" Kirk announced, in his flamboyant manner that guaranteed he'd be heard by half the bridge. "Your request for leave has been granted."

Spock inclined his head. "Thank you." Strictly, the words were unnecessary, but humans had an illogical desire to have their actions acknowledged, even when these fell under the purview of their regularly assigned duties.

"Headquarters wasn't too happy," Kirk went on smugly, apparently in need of yet more self-appreciation. "But I made them see reason."

"Indeed." The notion of headquarters being happy or not had never entered into Spock's equation. He had made a logical request backed with sufficient data; it was not too difficult a stretch to infer that they would see the reason in his application also.

"Of course, I'll have to replace you with two people. Most of us don't have the range and stamina of Vulcans."

Kirk paused as if expecting a response, yet he was merely stating a fact. Of course he would need to replace Spock with more than one person; Spock currently held two jobs. "Two people," Spock prompted, to nudge him along.

Kirk looked surprised. "Yeah, Science Officer and First Officer. Or have you forgotten that you hold two jobs?"

Spock exercised restraint. "I am aware of my duties, Captain."

Kirk leaned casually against Spock's station, still keen to savor his success. "So I said to Pike, 'What have you got for a Science Officer?' Because First Officer I think we can do. We've got a lot of command-track candidates right here."

Sulu and Malik were most qualified, Spock thought, although any of the bridge crew, including Chekov and Nyota, might be interested in serving in that capacity on a trial basis.

Kirk continued, "I was thinking of asking Sulu to take the duty— if he's interested." He raised his voice while making the suggestion, so of course the helmsman heard it. He turned around at his station and gave the captain a terse nod and equally brief smile.

"It would be my privilege, sir," he said equably. Spock found Sulu's dignified response agreeable. It was illogical to wish that more humans were like him, but Spock hoped always to appreciate them when they occurred.

"We'd use Malik for backup," Kirk continued to Spock. "I won't require Sulu to be on duty 24-7, even though you seem to handle it."

"Malik would be my choice for second shift as well," Spock said.

Kirk grinned and swatted Spock on the shoulder. He'd never yet learned to curb that response, perplexing though it was to Spock. "Hey, we agree on something! Who'd have thought?"

Spock wondered if Kirk were deliberately provoking him; with the captain, it was often difficult to tell. "Actually, Captain, we are in agreement more that 72.4% of the time— as I'm certain you're aware."

"72%, eh?" Kirk, still smiling, had dropped the fraction as was his wont. "I'm surprised it's that high. Not that I want us to be continually at loggerheads, but it's not healthy to have a second in command who agrees with you all the time."

Spock said nothing. Surely he was allowed to let some obvious facts pass by without forcing himself to utter an inane response.

"So Pike offered us Mallory. You know her, from the Academy?"

"Ensign Margory Mallory, astrophysics specialist." Humans often specialized to a far greater degree much earlier than Vulcans. Spock nodded. "Her record is acceptable. She should make an adequate temporary replacement."

Kirk's smile turned wry. "Don't fall all over yourself with praise. It's not as if I expect her to steal the job away from you or anything."

There it was again; the almost constant human need for validation. Belatedly, Spock wondered if Kirk felt that his contained reaction implied that he was critical of Kirk's choice. Carefully, Spock amended, "Highly adequate replacement."

Snickers came from around the bridge—Ensign Lo at the engineering station seemed to be having a particularly difficult time suppressing her giggles. Spock gave an inward sigh. It was challenging, trying to anticipate what humans considered an acceptable response.

But his capitulation had restored Kirk's mood, so it must be considered a gain.

"And now for the bad news," Kirk said, still addressing him in a voice that was easily overheard by half the bridge—or perhaps all of it, as everyone had gone unusually quiet, as if keen to hear as much as they could of the Kirk-Spock show. Spock wondered if it was considered appropriate among humans to discuss a crewmember's leave in so public a fashion. He'd often overheard such discussions in the recreation areas among friends, but never between a superior and his subordinate. But Kirk often ignored the rules, as Spock well knew.

Kirk resumed lounging against Spock's station. "I couldn't get you the full six weeks. We compromised on 37 days. Pike seemed to think that you'd find '37' to be a nice, round number."

Spock suppressed a surge of emotion. It was stifled so quickly that he could not readily identify it— and considering the strength of his reaction, he was grateful that he did not. With a steady voice, he said, "Thirty-seven days is an acceptable compromise, Captain."

Kirk looked momentarily puzzled, as if something of Spock's inner turmoil had shown in his face. Then, from her station, where Uhura had been quietly eavesdropping along with everyone else, she murmured, "Sir, 37 is the number of days in a Vulcan month."

"Oh." Kirk started, and then looked contrite. He gave Spock a twisted smile. "Sorry."

Spock inclined his head. His breathing had become irregular. He should not be experiencing such a strong reaction. Statistically, most humans were ignorant concerning the details of most of their sister planets in the Federation. If they had known little to begin with, it was illogical for them to learn any more of Spock's homeworld now. For a moment, he felt the force of the Vulcan sun, smelled the heat baking off stone as sand whispered across the rocks—and then the image was gone. Suppressed. Filed.

At least Kirk's gaff had made him leave off his "We're all chums" routine. Spock was not the captain's buddy. Together, they formed a reasonably effective command unit. That was as far as Spock's interest extended.

"Well, anyway, it's all approved," Kirk said in a more normal voice, no longer performing to amuse his crew. "I imagine you'll want to take off before we rendezvous with the Lao-Tse. I seem to remember that's past the point of optimum departure for you to make Emagious III in the best time."

"Correct."

"That will leave me without a Science Officer for two days, but I don't expect too much can happen to us in two days." He smiled as if to reassure Spock that his early absence wouldn't be a problem.

"In point of fact," Spock said, "the optimum moment for my departure will occur in 26 hours, 47.2 minutes. Your rendezvous with the Lao-Tse will take place approximately 34 hours later, so the unstaffed interval is actually less than two days."

"Even better." Kirk tipped his head and narrowed his eyes. "That's a pretty accurate reading of our course. You haven't been having Chekov constantly recalculate our position since you made your request, have you?"

Spock was taken aback by the question. He knew that humans didn't track themselves in time and space the way that Vulcans did, but to be unaware of one's position when the ship was traveling at a steady speed on a linear course struck Spock as an enormous handicap. He answered tentatively, "I could not have calculated it earlier, as I did know precisely when Admiral Pike would give his approval."

Before Kirk could respond, Chekov's young voice rang out. "Zamechatel'no, Commander!" He turned triumphantly in his chair to address them, glee dancing in his eyes. "It is exactly as you say: 26 hours, 47 minutes until closest approach to Emagious III." He gave Spock a boyish grin. "You must have star charts behind your eyes!"

Kirk eyed Spock curiously. "How did you do that?"

Spock stared at him. "I know where we are."

Nyota put up a hand to stifle a laugh, but Spock doubted Kirk heard her. Around the bridge, other crew members were doing their best to suppress their chuckles. But this time it was definitely Spock who'd been awarded the touch.

To Kirk's credit, he took the blow with grace. "Fine, Commander. I'll remember that in the future. How much time do you need to prep the Galileo?"

"Approximately 91 minutes."

"Oh, good. I didn't think you'd be able to get everything done that you needed to in just an hour and a half."

Nyota again suppressed her mirth, but this time Spock knew she was laughing with Kirk instead of at him. Several of the bridge crew shared her reaction, as people spun abruptly in their chairs to hide their smiles. Spock pursed his lips. He doubted he'd ever understand why a simple statement of fact would generate such amusement.

Kirk smirked, pleased with re-establishing the mood of jollity. It was an ongoing effort to maintain, but Spock conceded that humans' performance did seem to improve when they worked in a "happy" atmosphere.

However, as he had little to contribute in that arena, he returned to business. "Although Science Officer Mallory has served aboard the Lao-Tse for several weeks, she is still relatively new. Given that I shall require only," he deliberately rounded off, "90 minutes for my personal needs, I shall have plenty of time before departure to prepare detailed notes for her."

"No." Kirk sobered instantly. "No notes. And for heaven's sake, absolutely no detailed notes."

Spock thought he misunderstood. "Sir?"

Nyota broke into the conversation, even though it was technically improper for her to have been listening. "What's wrong with notes?"

Kirk turned toward her, his brows knitted. "It's going to be tough enough on the poor kid having to take over the post from a Vulcan. The last thing she needs is to encounter reams of notes so she can start out feeling like she's already behind. She'll be so intimidated, she'll hightail it back to the Lao-Tse before you can 'warp speed'."

Nyota frowned. "I think you're doing a disservice to both of them— sir. Commander Spock is an excellent teacher, and I don't expect Mallory will turn out to be some frail thing that falls to pieces simply because her predecessor was considerate enough to leave her notes. I'd think she'd want to learn some of what the Commander has to share, don't you?"

Kirk crossed his arms, looking petulant. "No, I don't. I know I wouldn't."

"That's only because you can't stand to listen to anybody ever," snapped Nyota— and then belatedly recalled her situation and added, "Sir."

"Who wants to read notes on somebody else's half-finished projects?" Kirk seemed not affected in the slightest by Nyota's insubordinate outburst. "It's not as if she'll be continuing his research for him. No, all I want her to do is tell me if some strange glowing object we encounter between the stars is animal, vegetable, or mineral. She'll be able to do that without somebody else's notes, won't she?"

"If that's all you want in a Science Officer, Captain," Nyota growled, "then yes, I expect she'll do fine. But I somehow had the impression that you might be happier with an officer who could do a little bit more."

Spock felt he could no longer avoid breaking in to the conversation. He said tactfully, "If a glowing object is between the stars, Captain, it is unlikely to be any form of organic tissue— animal or vegetable. You should not need a Science Officer or even instruments to tell you this."

The bridge went silent as everybody stared at him. Then Kirk actually guffawed. Spock had not seen the reaction often, but surely that was a guffaw. He slapped his leg and bent double, laughing. Behind him, everyone else on the bridge was laughing, too. Even Nyota put up a hand to her mouth, unsuccessfully trying to cover her tickled response. Spock took it all in, astounded.

Kirk came up for air, although he had to brace himself against Spock's console for support. He wiped away tears of laughter. "Spock, you're great. That was perfect. Thank you."

Spock wanted absolutely no credit for provoking this latest emotional eruption. "I was merely stating a fact."

"Yes, yes you were. Message received, Commander. Sanity is restored." He looked toward Nyota. "Truce?"

Nyota's eyes were glowing in the aftermath of her mirth. She smiled broadly. "Truce."

"Okay, Commander." Kirk slapped him on the shoulder—again. Spock wondered if even the beauty of his Nyota's beaming face was worth it, if Kirk's good humor resulted in yet another trespass into his personal space. Kirk was, as usual, oblivious to Spock's reaction. "You can take whatever 91 minutes you like out of the next 26-point-something hours to gather your personal belongings. But, unlike Officer Mallory, I could use some notes, so please brief me before you light out for parts unknown."

"That was always my intention, Captain."

"Okay. We'll try to limp along the best we can without you."

Spock was certain he did not know the proper response to this statement, so he simply bent over his instruments to resume his examination of the nebula.

Kirk was forced to move aside to get out of his way. "Well, well, well," he murmured good-naturedly. "A vacation for you and a new Science Officer for us." He rubbed his hands together. "Won't this be fun?"