"What happened now?" McCoy asked when Spock carried Jim into his room, after Jim had collapsed.
"I do not know. We were talking about.." Spock stopped, not knowing what how to explain what had happened, but McCoy seemed to understand anyway.
"Finally! But I guess this was just a little too much for him. So much has happened the last few weeks and for Jim they were more emotional than for the rest of us. My guess is that your love confession, or whatever it was, was more than he could bear and all his blocked emotion caused a break down. He didn't weep at your funeral, nor when David died. And when he was going back to Genesis all he could think of was getting you back."
"Are you saying that he didn't show his emotions?" Spock asked.
"Not the emotions he should have. Because as Admiral he had to be the one to make the decisions. And that he blew up the Enterprise to get rid of those damn Klingons didn't help matters much. It's not healthy for humans to suppress emotions, Spock. All we can do now is wait until he wakes up and then you'll have to deal with any emotional outburst you may get. You can bring him to his room and do whatever you want. But don't wake him up." McCoy was already pushing Spock, who carried Jim in his arms, out of the door.
Spock brought Jim to his room and stayed there until Jim woke up. He looked around and wondered how he came into his room. Then his look fell on Spock, who seemed to be sleeping. And suddenly all that had happened before he passed out came back into his mind. "Did this really happen or did I dream it? I must have stayed too long in the sun." he muttered to himself. Spock heard him, of course.
"Jim, you are awake. It was not the sun which caused this. Doctor McCoy said it was because of suppressed emotions."
"I didn't have much time for that. After we were back on earth your father came to see me and was looking for your Katra. He thought I betrayed you.."
Spock grapped him and asked: "How did you convince him you didn't?"
"He melded with me. And then I realized you would have found a way and searched the videos and found out that Bones had your Katra. Everything went its way then. At first we had to get Bones out of jail and then we stole the Enterprise because no one was allowed to go there except a science vessel. The rest you already know."
"You did all this to get me back?" Spock asked softly, still not letting go of his arms.
"Yes. And I succeeded, didn't I?"
"At what cost?" Spock asked.
"I'll tell you now the same thing I told your father when he thanked me for bringing you back: If I hadn't tried the cost would have been my soul. And between the two of us, Bones couldn't have lived long with your Katra either. I had to save both of you." Jim looked Spock in the eye and saw something there he had never seen before. But he couldn't put it into words. the only thing he knew at the moment was, that he felt as safe as he had never felt before. He felt like nothing could happen to him. Only Spock was able to make him feel that way. Suddenly he couldn't take it any longer and started crying and laughing at the same time.
"Jim! What is it?" Spock sounded a bit worried and took him into his arms.
"Nothing. It's just, I feel so safe, so happy, and when humans are very happy they can cry and laugh at the same time." Jim answered.
"That is not logical."
"Emotions rarely are. Stay with me, will you?" Jim answered and pulled the Vulcan closer.
Spock didn't say anything and lay beside Jim on his bed. There wasn't any needs for words. Even without the bond that linked minds of bondmates he had always been able to tell what Jim needed. And right now he needed someone to hold him, someone who didn't need him to be the Admiral who knew the answers to everything. He kissed Jim on his forehead and let him drift into sleep.