Disclaimer: Not really mine – just borrowing

Warnings: Probly a few swears… but mostly it's just really really INNAPPROPRIATE as hell – and slashy and… yeah this is where it might "all go bad" and you might all hate me.

Very inappropriate…..

Poor Spock…

A/N: Please forgive me for the Title, but I HAD to… (I'm going to Hell for this whole chapter… – I know this)

James was hurting pretty bad when he woke up and he had a hard time even getting to the bathroom so they decided to opt for a morning bath instead of a shower. While the bathwater was running Spock called Leonard who was there before James got into the tub. Leonard gave him a thorough check up and then helped him get all his tub toys into the bathtub before leaving him to his bath.

"How was the rest of the night? Any more nightmares?"

"Yes I believe so, but none so severe that they woke him up. I was able to calm him quickly each time he stirred. He did not mention remembering anything other than the "Sarah" dream when he awakened this morning."

"Well that's good at least. They may have been Frank dreams. Sometimes those follow the Tarsus stuff but they don't bother him as bad and he don't always remember 'em. Mostly I knew because he'd yell out Frank's name or something."

"Frank was Jim's stepfather was he not?"

"Yeah and he was a mean bastard. He used to beat the shit outta Jim and Sam when their Mom was off planet."

"Why did she not put a stop to it?"

"Who knows. I don't think she really believed them for one, and I'm not sure she really cared for another. That's why Jim has such a strained relationship with her to this day. She did finally divorce the guy after Jim drove his Dad's car into the quarry, and Sam tried to run away, but she didn't stop working off planet, which is why Jim and Sam ended up on Tarsus with relatives."

"Jim's brother was one of the Tarsus Nine as well?"

"No, no, Sam was back on Earth at their Uncle's place in Idaho when the famine hit and all that shit went down with Kodos. Their Uncle John had been in an accident and broken his leg pretty bad, among other things, and needed some extra help on the farm so he sent for Sam to come stay with them for a few months. He felt pretty bad he didn't send for both boys afterward, but he couldn't have known."

"You know a great deal about Jim's background and family."

"Yeah well we've been like brothers for a few years now. He knows everything about mine too. Don't worry Spock, you'll get there with him, you just haven't known him long enough or well enough yet."

"I am not worried, merely curious."

"Uh huh. I suppose you aren't jealous either, because that would be one of those human emotions you don't possess right?"

"Precisely."

"Whatever you wanna tell yourself. I'll pretend support your delusions… for now. I'm gonna go down and grab you guys some breakfast and bring it back here. I know you have a replicator but it's not full service and I don't want him walking on that leg much today. Speaking of, I didn't give him any pain meds yet. I think the bath and the warm water will help and I didn't want to give him anything until after he was out of the tub. I'll leave this hypo here in case he needs it before I get back. I gotta check on Sickbay too, you want your usual?"

"Yes please and James mentioned that he would like cocoa this morning instead of juice… he also requested pancakes but I told him that was up to you."

"Got it. Hey kiddo, you want scrambled eggs and bacon with your pancakes and cocoa too?"

"Yes pwease!" came the reply from the bathroom amidst boat noises and splashes.

"What? Don't look at me like that with your eyebrow raise. The kid's sick, I can indulge him if I want to."

"He is not."

"Well he's hurt and that's as good as the same. Eating a little unhealthy for one day ain't gonna kill nobody."

Spock tilted his head and crossed his arms over his chest as his eyebrows raised again in utter confusion. He wondered for a brief second if the alien race who had transformed Jim had also done something to Dr. McCoy.

"Knock it off."

"Ain't is not a word. It must be your undue influence causing James to pick it up and regurgitate it."

"Fine, I'll quit sayin' it. Just quit lookin' at me like I'm outta my mind. I'm a bit of a sap when it comes to kids okay. That's my big dirty secret. Joanna's got me wrapped around her little finger and…well…. so does Jim."

"In any form I believe."

"Yeah so?"

"I find it amusing. I believe Jim's current state is giving you the excuse you've always wanted to give in to him and treat him with kindness and love instead of gruffness and bickering."

"It's not like I bend to his every whim, it's just…. I… Hey!.. I'm not admitting anything. In fact I don't even know what you're talking about, even if you are right. I'm goin' to get breakfast. Good bye."

"Good bye Leonard," Spock said smirking at his friend and co-parent.

James was still playing vigorously in his bubble bath, bombing his submarine with his fighter plane so Spock opted to go ahead and shower and shave before Leonard returned. He undressed in the bedroom, threw a towel around his waist and went into the bathroom where he was greeted with James bright smiling face.

"Hi Papa, is my Bones agonna bring us breakfast?"

"Yes he is, he has some things to do first but he will bring breakfast here so that we don't have to go to the commissary."

"Okay, you gonna shower?" James asked dive bombing his sub once again with machine gun noises.

"Yes I am. I will hurry, and then I can help you get out of the tub."

"I'm fine, I'm havin' fun and the water makes my leg feel better."

Spock showered quickly and then wrapped the towel back around his waist before stepping back out. He was not quite comfortable with nudity where James was concerned, which did make James' bath time awkward and conflicting at times.

When he stepped out he asked if James was ready to get out of the tub but apparently he was not, so Spock told him he could stay in until he was done with shaving, brushing his teeth.

"How bout you get dressed first?" James said finally looking up at Spock and focusing his attention on him for the first time since Spock got out of the shower. James seemed to become fixated on something and his face contorted slightly. His eyes widened, and then widened some more before he backed up slightly in the tub, and swallowed hard.

"Are you alright James?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," he said a little too quickly as he stared intently at Spock, eyeing him up and down.

"Are you sure? Are you in pain? You are acting peculiarly."

"I'm fine!"

"Perhaps we should get you out of the tub now so that I can look at your bruises and give you the pain medication that your Bones left for you."

James eyes went even wider at this suggestion and he looked straight down at his lap, or rather the bubbles covering his lap and backed clear to the back of the tub, bringing the bubbles with him.

"NO! I'm not getting' out right now. Now way. Can't you just go shave or somthin'?"

"James please tell me what is wrong."

"There ain't… isn't… anything wrong, I swear, I'm just… I'm… I'm not done playin' yet, that's all, just… can't you please just go shave and stuff, please."

"I will go shave, but you are still acting peculiarly and I would like an explanation."

James went silent and made it clear that Spock was not getting an explanation. Spock stared at himself in the mirror as he shaved trying to discern what could have caused James abrupt shift in behavior. He didn't look any differently than he usually did, aside for the fact that he was wet and his usually perfectly combed hair was mussed from running the towel over it and running his hands through it before he stepped out of the shower, yet James had seemed scared of him all of the sudden.

As he shaved and brushed his teeth he could no longer hear James playing, as he claimed he was not done doing. I glanced in the mirror to find James studying him intently with a strange look on his face. He was absent mindedly chewing lightly on the wing of his plane and licking his lips or biting his lower lip as he did so. It was very distracting. Had it been Jim and not James, Spock might have wondered if the look on Jim's face were one of lust, but it was not Jim, it was James, so Spock was utterly confused.

"I am done, and you are no longer playing. It is time to get out of the bathtub and get dressed. You still have to shave yourself before your Bones gets back with your breakfast."

"No! I'm not getting out, not yet."

"James…"

"I said no Spock." James declared backing as far away from Spock as he could get in the tub, bringing the bubbles with him again.

"Please tell me what is wrong. You act as if you are scared of me. Have I done something wrong?"

"Wrong? No! No you dint I promise I just can't get out right now, " he tried to explain, lowering his eyes and refusing to meet Spock's gaze. "Can't you just go get dressed Spock, please? I just, I need you ta leave me alone for a minute k?"

"I do not understand."

"Please. Please just go get dressed and stuff, and shut the door. I can get out and get dressed all by myself, I'm a big boy."

"Normally I would not argue. However, you do not like the door shut, you are acting peculiarly, and I believe that with your injuries you will need assistance dressing this morning. Did you not need assistance undressing?"

"I… yeah… but.. please just go Spock."

"James." Spock stated simply raising his voice, believing this would cause him to snap out of his mood and comply, but it did not.

"GO SPOCK!" James shouted, but his voice and demeanor had once again changed and it was Jim's voice, the Captain's voice that reverberated through the bathroom bouncing off the tiles. It was an order, not a request and Spock obeyed it before giving himself time to think.

Once he was in the bedroom he was overcome by a wave of confusion. What was happening? Was Jim coming back? What would that mean? He wanted Jim back, wanted it badly, but at the same time, he had grown attached to James, grown attached to being a father, and he didn't want to lose that. Leonard returned while he was still sitting on the bed, unsure what to do. He filled Leonard in on what had happened quickly and the doctor decided to go talk to James, or Jim, or whoever was in the bathroom himself.

"Get dressed Spock, I'll see what I can do."

Spock heard the conversation through the now open door, and could tell that it was definitely James that Leonard was talking to. Had he imagined Jim's voice, just because James had never really raised his to Spock in such a manner? He had raised his voice in fear, but not in anger. He listened to the voices coming from the bathroom trying to understand what was going on with James.

"Because I can't that's why. I gotta stay in here and… and… think of boring stuff."

"And just why exactly do you need to think of boring stuff kiddo."

"Acuz Papa said it helps when…. acuz I just haveta that's why, please don't come no closer."

"James, I'm not just your best friend and your surrogate Dad, I'm your doctor too. Whatever is going on, you need to tell me."

"No way!"

"Why?

"Acuz it's too embarrassing…."

"It's embarrassing? Wait, it's embarrassing and Spock told you to think of boring stuff?"

"Well yeah, I think he said mundane, but that was the other time, this is different, and the thinking of boring stuff works in the morning and the meditation stuff he teached me works in the morning sometimes too, but this ain't… isn't… that, this is different and that stuff ain't…. isn't.. working."

"Mornings…. OH!.. Oh… I see…. Okay, I'm on board now and I get it. Umm…. Whys this different sport?"

"It just is" James said so quietly that no one but Spock would have heard him from that distance.

"Okay, I'll bite, what brought it on? Were you um… you know… playing with it?"

"Huh? No… I… no…"

"Was it something you were thinking about, maybe a girl from Jim's memories or something?"

"Not zactly… I don't wanna say Bones."

"How about if you whisper it to me."

"I dunno…"

"I can't help if I don't know what caused it Sport."

Spock heard whispering but couldn't discern what was being said. However he did find comfort in knowing what the problem was and that it was James' embarrassment that had caused him to react the way he had.

"Oh…. Shit…." Leonard mumbled.

"Don't say swears."

"Sorry kiddo, I just… wow this … not good … okay look…" Leonard then started mumbling and whispering in a very quiet tone, which was followed by more whispering and mumbling back and forth.

"But I don't wanna, it's gross," James finally declared.

"Look I can give you something that will make it go away, but I'll have to go all the way down to sickbay to get it, and, well, there's a good chance this is gonna happen again kiddo. It would be better if you learn to deal with it on your own. Meditation and all that might work next time – but, do you want to have to call me every time it doesn't, and then get an injection?"

"No…"

"Well then what do you think is the best solution? I'm just tryin' to help Jim."

"James."

"Right, sorry, but I am just trying to help. You tell me. You want me to go get the other hypo, or not?"

"…..No….I can… "

That was all Spock heard other than a big sigh.

"Okay, look um… do you want to stay in the bathtub or do you want to go into your own room or what?"

"Just go way Bones."

"Okay but your Papa and I will be right outside if you need help."

"That's not helping."

"Sorry Sport… I'll just… go okay?"

Leonard came out of the bathroom, shutting the door behind him to find that Spock had set the table and was quietly picking at his fruit and looking expectantly toward Leonard.

"We have a problem."

"I gathered. I take it James has agreed to…. Rectify the problem himself."

"Yeah I talked him into it, which in itself was a little creepy, but that's not the problem. The problem is what caused the erection to begin with."

"Which was what?"

"Which was you that's what! You standing there dripping wet with nothing but a towel hanging low on your hips, your face covered in dark stubble and your hair… and I quote "all mussed and sexy looking", end quote. I'm not even gonna tell you what else he said, but Jim's memories and desires are definitely still in there and influencing him."

Spock's face froze at the explanation. His gaped at Leonard in disbelief and as Leonard explained what James' had obviously said and felt, the fork that he'd been holding dropped and clattered loudly as it bounced off the table and onto the floor. He slowly looked down at the fork and then looked back up at Leonard, his jaw hanging open, at a loss for words.

"Exactly," Leonard agreed.