Title: Destiny
Characters: Kirk, Spock
Rating: K
Word Count: 900
Warnings: None. Spoilers/references are (in order) The Gailieo Seven, Mirror Mirror, Trouble with Tribbles, Immunity Syndrome (all from season two of ST:TOS). Slight speculation on my part.
Summary: My entry for my LiveJournal hc_bingo card, prompt of Loss of job/income (interpreted as loss of someone else's job). Spock decides against taking his own captaincy, for which more than just he is devoutly grateful.
"It's an incredible honor," he says, and is glad he can speak with sincerity, though not with any warmth. "I told you Command would see it my way someday, Spock."
They are in a deserted corner of Rec Room Four, chessboard between and no one around, and his First has just hesitantly dropped the bombshell that Starfleet Command has offered Spock the captaincy of the Intrepid. Intrepid is an all-Vulcan vessel, the most widely-respected Science and Exploration vessel in the galaxy, and such the offer is, as he said, an honor.
Spock has declared more than once that he has no desire to command, though that declaration has become less and less frequently voiced now, after months of (for lack of a better word) coaching from his human captain in the areas of commanding a starship's crew. After one initially disastrous exploratory mission and due to Number One's impeccable leadership capability, Christopher Pike had never given Spock command of another mission; and as such the Vulcan had not been recognized by Starfleet Command as possessing the necessary command prerequisites to be given the rank of full Commander.
Kirk had changed that almost immediately upon assuming captaincy of the Enterprise, recognizing the Vulcan's immense, untapped potential and nurturing it with care and painstaking patience. Despite early mishaps like the Murasaki nebula mission, Spock had slowly but certainly flourished under Kirk's training, and almost exactly one year after the captain's taking the Enterprise, Command had finally awarded the Vulcan full Commander's stripes.
Now, almost another year later, they are offering Spock his own ship – and the top of the 'Fleet Science vessel, no less.
He knows, he muses somewhat sadly as he aimlessly sends a rook to the third level of the chessboard, that it would be far easier on Spock to serve aboard an all-Vulcan vessel, unplagued by human emotion and inconsistency and all the rest that he must deal with on a daily and constant basis. Spock would be in his element, despite the misgivings he mentions now regarding his mixed heritage and acceptance aboard, and he knows the Vulcan is for the first time seriously considering the offer made by 'Fleet Command.
Knowing Spock would be better off on the Intrepid doesn't lessen the tightness in his chest, or help him concentrate on how badly both of them are playing tonight.
It is Spock, though, and not himself, who finally gives in with an almost human sigh and shoves the board to the side, raising dark eyes to squarely meet his captain's patient hazel.
"Spock, what do you want to do?" he asks, for he truly wishes to know but knows truly that the Vulcan has no idea.
"I…am yet undecided," is the not-unexpected reply, delivered with an almost endearing shyness as they silently agree to postpone the game. "As you said, it is…a most fascinating opportunity, and would certainly be more conducive to my personal habits and culture than remaining aboard an all-human vessel."
"Make sure it's what you want, Spock," is all he can find words to say for a moment, and from the look in Spock's eyes, the clear longing for the atmosphere of serenity his Vulcan half craves, he's already answered his own statement. "You are leaning toward going, aren't you," he states flatly, and hopes the bitterness doesn't show as clearly as he feels it deep in his soul.
"The probability is stronger that direction, yes, Captain," Spock answers calmly, almost infuriatingly so, but he firmly quashes the pang of anger that flares up at the idea of losing this integral part of himself due to duty and cultural differences.
"Well, I'll hate to lose you if you go," and he is surprised the understatement does not choke his voice more than it does, "but it'll be a wonderful chance for you, Spock. They…" no, he most certainly is not going to embarrass Spock by slightly breaking down at the idea, "…they couldn't ask for a better captain."
Spock's eyes soften ever so slightly as he rises, both of them acknowledging the silent need for solitude.
"I can think of one, Jim," is the gentle rejoinder, and if his eyes burn slightly as his soon-to-be-former First leaves the room he doesn't care – about much of anything, anymore.
A week later, he and three others are transported to a mirror universe, where he discovers that there really are such things as universal constants – and when Spock is standing there to welcome him home after they return, he wonders if it will remain that – home – for much longer, with a family member missing from the unit.
Two more weeks pass and Spock finally, after being lulled into a more mellow state one evening, informs Kirk that he has no intention of leaving the Enterpriseor her captain – ever, is the vow quite seriously made over a chessboard half-hidden by cooing tribbles.
He smiles, and then grins, and then realizes that his headache has completely vanished, tribbles and Klingons be darned.
Five months later, after they are well away from the energy-draining area surrounding the dead space amoeba and he has painfully come off his stimulant withdrawal, he wakes in Sickbay to find Spock dozing by his bedside – and realization hits him harder than his stimulant withdrawal.
Then he shivers under the thermal blankets, and thanks every deity he can think of that Spock didn't take the captaincy of the Intrepid.