A/N

Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews, the follows and the faves :) I'm kind of overwhelmed but it's a lovely feeling!

I'm starting to break the story into little threads, all their mini-stories combining into one... following everyone separately but together at the same time, if that makes sense? Bleh. I don't know. I'm sleepy, it's silly o'clock and I have work in 4 hours... *shoots self in face*

ANYWAY...

Happy reading!


Chapter Six

"Won't you fly high, free bird, oh yeah!"

Spock allowed himself a small smile as he listened to Jim singing in the shower. He always did this, every morning, sometimes more tunefully than others.

Today he was pretty good.

He emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later with a grin on his face and a towel around his waist, water droplets running down his chest and over his ever-so-slightly rounded stomach.

"You're showing," Spock pointed out and Jim grinned, both hands rushing to his stomach.

"I know. Isn't it awesome?" he beamed, walking over to Spock sitting on the edge of the bed and straddling him, his towel stretching to the limit as he spread his legs.

Spock placed a kiss just below Jim's belly button and looked up at him.

"A whole new person, Spock, another little pointy-eared wonder child. Hey do you think Seren will be jealous of the new baby? Like do you think she'll get clingy? I've heard that happens sometimes but I like to think she'd be able to cope," Jim rambled.

"I am certain she will cope well with being the eldest child, Jim," Spock said as he trailed his hands up Jim's muscular thighs under his towel, lightly squeezing at the damp skin.

Jim smirked at him.

"She's asleep you know," Jim pointed out and Spock glanced at the time.

"I will be late for the start of my shift if we were to engage in any sexual activity at this time," he said matter-of-factly.

"Well," Jim continued to smirk as he lowered his lips so they were level with Spock's.

"I'm sure if you ask the Captain nicely, he'll let you off being a little late," he whispered against Spock's lips before trapping the bottom one between his teeth and tugging insistently on it. Spock bit back the moan rising in his throat and grabbed Jim's towel-clad backside firmly, pulling him down onto his lap.

"You are certain she is asleep?" Spock mumbled against Jim's lips as his hands slipped between them, fumbling with his pants and trying to get them unfastened.

"Positive. I checked right after I got out of the shower," Jim assured. They had been sleeping in Jim's room and had moved Seren's crib into Spock's quarters next door, using it as her own room. They wanted more privacy, and she was old enough now that she didn't need to be watched at all times.

Jim got his pants undone and slipped his warm hand inside, grasping his already half-hard cock, that same smirk firmly on his lips.

"I could order you, Mr Spock," Jim whispered slowly and Spock narrowed his eyes.

"As your First Officer, it is my function aboard this ship to observe and obey your orders, Sir," Spock responded, causing Jim's lips to curl in another smirk.

Both of them sighed as a small cry echoed through the room. Jim had set up the comm. system so there was a one way link into Seren's room, working like a baby monitor.

"I'll get her," he said, clambering off Spock and adjusting his towel a bit.

"How we ever found time to make another one of those I have no idea," Jim grumbled as he headed for the adjoining door to check on the baby.

Jim didn't sing in the shower anymore.

Spock listened to the water running and the silence surrounding it as he lay in bed. Jim's side was still warm, and smelled of him strongly.

Spock now knew what he'd done wrong, that Jim hadn't wanted him to leave for such long periods of time, but he had no idea how to fix it, where to begin fixing it. He couldn't travel back in time and never go on missions, so he was at a loss as to what other solution there could be. Last night he'd held Jim as he slept, got closer to him physically than he had allowed so far since he'd been home, but it was going to take a lot more than that to fix things. Jim was worried sick about Leo; that much was obvious, perhaps he'd just needed Spock's comfort and had no intention of fixing their relationship, if Spock showed him he could rely on him once again things would naturally improve.

The running water stopped and Spock sat up in bed, looking expectantly at the door of the room, waiting for Jim to come back.

He didn't.

He went out of the other door and down the hallway, Spock listening to the sound of his retreating footsteps and wanting to punch himself in the face for hurting Jim so much that he would barely speak to him.

Jim checked on Leo before getting himself some breakfast. His son was still sleeping, and had a better colour in his face than he had the previous evening. Deciding he wasn't hungry, Jim made himself a cup of coffee. Black, strong, and just a little bit too hot as it passed his lips, leaving his mouth stinging slightly.

As Jim sipped his coffee at the breakfast table Seren crept into the room, wearing pyjamas that he recognised as belonging to one of the twins.

"You forget your pyjamas in Chicago?" Jim smiled as she sat down opposite him.

"Yes. Though I'll be able to collect them later when I return to collect the rest of my things. I'm going to stay here to supervise and assist with Leo's treatment and surgeries, I have already informed the hospital in Chicago of my intentions and they are not opposed," she said and Jim nodded. He'd expected as much. Seren was fiercely protective of both her younger brothers and he knew there was no way she'd allow another doctor to be in charge of his treatment, even Bones.

"I'm glad it's you and Bones treating him, feel like he's got the best possible chance; and this vision thing sounds really promising," Jim said, his voice coming out decidedly unenthusiastic as hard as he tried to inject some positivity into it.

She looked at him sympathetically then reached across the table and took both his hands in her own.

"I promise you he'll make it," she said quietly. He broke the eye contact and retracted his hands, clasping his coffee cup as if it was a priceless artefact.

"Don't ever make promises you can't keep."

He rose to his feet and downed the rest of his coffee in one, straightening his uniform and keeping his eyes on the ground as he headed towards the door.

Seren sighed and leaned back in her chair, about to leave the room as Spock appeared in the doorway Jim had just gone through.

"Did he speak to you?" she asked.

"He did not so much as look at me," he said as he sank into Jim's recently vacated seat.

"He is convinced Leo is going to die," she said slowly and Spock kept his eyes locked onto hers.

"I am not convinced either way," he said and she nodded.

"If it were any other person, I would agree with Jim, but Leo has so much strength in him… he won't give up, he'll fight as hard as he can until his very last breath, I know it, and that last breath wont be for a very long time, not if I have anything to do with it," she said firmly and Spock stared at her.

"You sound like Jim so much sometimes, your determination, your drive, your loyalty," Spock said as he looked at her carefully.

"I am like you both in different ways," she said, getting to her feet and going to check on her brother.

Leo was just beginning to wake up as she crept into his room.

"Jim?" he asked tentatively.

"No, it's me, Jim's gone to work for the day," she said as she walked over to him. He sat up and stretched.

"How are you feeling?" she asked nervously.

"I feel pretty damn good. A little groggy, but I need a few minutes to fully boot-up before I can really give an honest answer," he said with a smile.

She couldn't help but smile in return. He had always been so completely adorable in the morning, with his hair all over the place and his face completely relaxed. She just wished Emily felt the same way for him as he obviously did for her. He'd been so obviously besotted with her from a young age and Seren always wondered why he'd never made a move.

"You sure you're not lying to me?" she asked and he shook his head.

"Honestly. I feel fine, no more nausea, no headache right now, I feel fine."

His face didn't suggest that he was lying, so she accepted his answer as the truth.

"Where's Chris, is he here?" he asked and she shook her head.

"No, not yet. He went home last night and nobody has talked to him since then. I'm going to get those cell samples from him later today and then I can get working on helping you see," she said and he grinned, scratching his head and messing up his hair even more.

"I can't wait."

"I'll leave you to get dressed and everything," she said, leaving him alone and breathing a sigh of relief that the treatment wasn't making him too sick, at least not yet.


David McCoy walked faster, fastening his jacket to try and keep out the cold. It may have only been mid-September, but winter was certainly approaching fast.

He'd just been meeting with his instructor to discuss re-taking his pilot's exam for the third attempt, and was now heading home to sulk about the response which had been a resounding 'no'.

He'd have to re-take the whole fucking year at the academy.

Brilliant.

He let his mind wander as he walked; wander to all the partying, all the drinking and the women and the time spent with Chris and sometimes Leo too.

As his best friends, he'd rarely ever go a day without seeing at least one of them. But recently something had shifted; there had been a change in the way he felt. Something about Christopher was making him uncomfortable.

He of course knew that as part Vulcan's they possessed telepathic abilities, but he could feel something strange resonating from Christopher whenever they were around each-other. Something that didn't make sense, as he was under the impression they had to be touching for his telepathy to be effective. He'd allowed both twins to mind-meld with him in the past, it was always an interesting experience, but the last time Chris had suddenly backed away.

Even after he'd backed away, for weeks afterwards David could have sworn he could still feel the tiniest trace of his friends mind inside his own.

Just as he was trying to move his thoughts onwards, his communicator sounded and he pulled it out of his pocket, the very object of his thoughts on the other end of the line.

"Didn't think you normally saw this time of the morning," he smirked.

"Oh well aren't you just hilarious," Chris responded.

"What do you want?" David asked roughly.

"If you're going to be so rude I can just leave you to it!"

"No no I'm kidding. What can I do for you?" he asked with a sigh.

"You want to party later?"

David thought for a moment.

"Not really. I'm not in the mood today," he said shortly and Chris groaned.

"Why not?"

"Because, Christopher, we partied too much this year, I have to re-do my entire year at the academy because I failed so badly. My parents are going to freak the fuck out," he muttered.

"Oh shit. Sucks to be you!"

"Fuck you Kirk," David hissed and his friend laughed.

"Well if you ask pretty enough I might just let you," Christopher taunted.

"Fuck off!" David snapped the communicator shut and crammed it back in his pocket.

As he continued to walk home he tried to figure out why he was blushing redder than his cadet uniform.


Christopher laughed to himself as David cut off his call, getting up from the couch and strolling over to the kitchen. He pulled out a box of cereal from the cupboard and a large glass mixing bowl, emptying the entire box into it before drowning it in a full pint of milk.

He returned to the couch with the bowl balanced in one hand and a spoon in the other, ready to feast. He and Leo would do this occasionally. A gigantic cereal binge for no apparent reason other than being too lazy to cook any real food. Jim always found it hilarious, Spock not so much.

Before he got comfortable on the couch the door buzzer sounded.

"For the love of all that is fucking good in this world, can't a man eat his cereal in peace?!" he hissed as he put the cereal down on the small table in front of the couch, getting up and storming over to the door to answer it.

"What?" he demanded as he hit the button to open the door.

"Oh… uh... sorry, hi," he mumbled as he realised it was Spock standing there.

"Is this an acceptable time to talk?" he asked, cutting the crap immediately in a way that let Christopher know he was really in trouble. Spock's dark eyes looked downright dangerous as he surveyed his eldest son.

"I'm having cereal time, but as long as that doesn't offend you, you're welcome to come in," he said, stepping aside to let his father into the apartment.

He entered the room and looked around before his eyes locked onto the giant bowl of cereal.

"I can put it away if it bothers you," Chris offered and Spock shook his head slightly before sitting down on the other couch.

Chris sat back where he had been a few moments ago and picked up his bowl, beginning to stuff his face.

Spock watched him with what looked like mild curiosity until he was done.

"Sorry, yeah, I needed that. What's up?" he asked, lounging back a little bit into the couch.

"It has been brought to my attention that during my time away Jim has been far too lenient in tolerating your increasingly bizarre behaviour. From my understanding of his descriptions and the information I have available, I believe I may know what is causing you to behave so erratically," he said and Chris narrowed his eyes slightly.

"What are you talking about? There's nothing bizarre about my behaviour, I'm just having some fun and that isn't a crime-"

"You are being driven to mate. Am I correct?" Spock said matter-of-factly. Christopher snorted, unable to keep the smirk off his face.

"If you want to call it mating, then yeah, I guess so," he said. "Why is my sex life any of your concern?" he asked and Spock raised an eyebrow.

"Believe me when I say I have no desire to know any details of any particular activities you choose to indulge in. I am concerned because your behaviour would suggest you may be approaching something I did not encounter until I was much older than you are," he said and Chris sighed. He knew what Spock was talking about. The burning, aching desire in him that he couldn't get out of his system, the little murmur in the back of his mind telling him he needed to find his mate, his bondmate.

"I feel it but I can suppress it. I ignore it… then it gets too much again, so I sleep with a few people, it goes away again, but then it always comes back. My mind and my body are searching for… I don't know. My bondmate I guess. I'm not ready for any of that though, I can keep pushing it down and-"

"You cannot. If you continue to ignore it, you will enter Pon Farr and become consumed by the Plak Tow. I can only assume the reason your time is approaching so early is because you were never pre-bonded to a selected partner as a child. Jim forbade it; he stated that the three of you were to choose your own life partners when you were old enough. I warned him of the possible complications, but he would not listen."

Christopher was silent for a few moments.

"Why isn't this happening to Seren first? She's older, surely she should be first to experience this?"

Spock looked at Christopher carefully before giving his answer.

"The reason is because you have already met your T'hy'la. Your mind had already begun to form a connection to this person. Do you know who this person is?" he asked and Christopher laughed loudly.

"It could be any one of the girls I've been sleeping with," he said and Spock raised an eyebrow.

"If I were to enquire as to the quantity of-"

"A hundred and seven," Christopher cut him off. He was certain he saw a faint green blush creeping into Spock's face.

"It could be any person with whom you have shared such a strong physical connection. I would suggest that you find them, as you are already displaying symptoms of the early onset. Jim has informed me you have been using a medication incorrectly to attempt to control it. Do not. Do not ever do this again," he said firmly and Chris paused a moment before nodding.

"I already said I was sorry to him about that," he muttered and Spock narrowed his eyes.

"He did not mention your apology to me."

"Well I'm sorry to you too then. I'm sorry to everyone for being a man with needs and I didn't know what was happening to me. Hell, I don't know pretty much a damn thing about my Vulcan side! Everything I know I had to find out from Jim because you were never here to explain it!" he found his voice raising before he could stop himself. He had recently been getting angry so fast that it scared him a little.

"When Leo and I asked him about it he told us you… were aggressive. Am I going to be violent?" he asked in much softer tone. Spock tensed before opening his mouth and then closing it again, looking at his son carefully.

"Do you recall your sixth birthday?" Spock asked and Christopher nodded.

"Of course I do. We were staying with Uncle Pavel, because you were off planet and Jim got called to an emergency… oh," he said as realisation hit him.

"That was my first experience of Pon Farr. My second was seven years and two weeks later, fortunately I was on Earth at the time. I will experience it again before the end of this year, as it has already passed the anticipated date. You must understand it is a matter of urgency that you locate your T'hy'la, your bondmate, as your mind has already selected them for you whether you are consciously aware of it or not," he warned and Chris screwed up his face. He could remember Jim coming home from an away mission with a split lip and an angry red mark on his neck, moving gingerly like he had maybe broken a rib or two, he said it was from a fight with a pissed off Romulan, but the timings would fit for Spock to have inflicted the injuries.

"So you're telling me, it could be any of the girls I've slept with? And that I'm going to completely lose my mind?"

"It is deeply personal. You may be affected very differently than I am. Discussing such things is very challenging," he said, looking incredibly uncomfortable and even guilty.

"Why, because it makes you remember hurting him?"

Spock froze, his eyes showing he was hurt by the comment even though his face remained stubbornly neutral.

"I deeply regret the fact that I am unable to protect him from myself when I am overcome by the fever. I sincerely hope that you and your brother will not be affected in the same way as me. I am fortunate that Jim had always been accepting of the fact I am entirely out of control during that time and would never wish to hurt him deliberately," he said clearly and Chris nodded, running his hands through his hair and sighing.

"Great. I guess I need to get working on figuring out who it is then," he said and Spock nodded.

"Urgently. And if you could also please refrain from appearing in various states of undress in images which are to be published I would be most grateful," Spock said as he got to his feet. Chris couldn't help but smirk. He'd definitely bothered him alright.

"No promises," he said as he also rose to his feet. He glanced at the time. He still had a few hours before he needed to get to the hospital for Seren to take details scans of his brain.

"Whilst I cannot deny you are aesthetically pleasing, it does cause me significant embarrassment when I hear comments being made by others about your physical form," Spock said and Chris chuckled to himself.

"Well, I can't help you with that I'm afraid. How are you and Jim doing? You made friends again yet?" he asked and Spock took that opportunity to excuse himself and leave the apartment.

Christopher knew that would successfully get rid of him, and returned to the couch where he would sit and wait before spending the afternoon submitting to tests to try and give his twin his sight.


"Did you talk to him?" Jim asked as Spock entered his office without knocking.

"I did. I believe you were correct in your assumption that he is experiencing the very earliest onset of Pon Farr. I have explained clearly to him that he must find his bondmate."

Jim breathed out slowly and ran his hands through his hair.

"Does he know who it is?"

"He does not."

"Probably because he's drunk all the time he's around these girls he's been sleeping with… god damn it Spock, I'm such a fuck up. I completely neglected him, you know? I was always so focused on Leo… I wasn't fair to him. This is all my fault," Jim said and Spock cocked his head to one side.

"Illogical."

"Explain," Jim said, reaching into the bottom drawer of his desk and removing the silver flask he'd started to keep there, taking a large swig from it and putting it back. Drinking at work. He spent too much time around Bones for his own good.

"If he was always going to seek attention, he would have done so regardless of parenting and external influence. I believe one day he will find where his true skills lie, and he will find his purpose, however as he has yet to do so, he is seeking our attention by behaving in a way which he believes will elicit the greatest response from us."

"Still sounds like my fault to me," Jim shrugged and stood up, stretching slightly and adjusting his too-large grey uniform jacket.

"I'm so worried about him, about both of them. Chris seems out of control, and this entire thing with Leo hasn't even begun to sink in properly yet and I just feel so-"

Spock interrupted Jim by crossing the room to him and placing his hand on the side of his face.

"Spock what are you-"

Jim was silenced as Spock placed his lips against his, gently, tenderly. Jim froze and didn't kiss back, but wished he had when Spock removed his lips a second later.

"You are an excellent parent. Never doubt your abilities," Spock said quietly and Jim gave a small nod. Spock used his thumb to gently caress Jim's cheekbone before retracting his hand.

"I am… so sorry, Jim. I have reflected on our conversations over the past days and I wish to apologise again. I understand that I have no right to expect your forgiveness at this point or any given point in the future, but I ask of you, please do not shut me out. I wish to assist in supporting you at this difficult time, all I wish to be is a comfort to you, I will not request to reinstate our relationship in it's previous form and-"

"Our relationship never changed, Spock," Jim interrupted and Spock looked at him carefully. Jim wasn't looking at him like he hated him, it was a nice change.

"We're still married and bonded and T'hy'la and all of it… we just got a little lost along the way. I don't just want you there to support me, I want to support you too, that's what we need to do for each other right now, is just be there, and be getting along. I'm not angry anymore. I'm just… I'm scared Spock," he finished in a low voice and Spock felt a surge of emotion at the sickeningly-familiar words. He'd never forget the day Jim spoke them to him through the glass of the warp-reactor door over twenty years ago.

"I… am scared too," Spock confessed as he took a small step closer to Jim, tentatively wrapping his arms around his waist and pulling him close. Jim wrapped his arms around him in return, burying his face into Spock's neck and breathing deeply.

"You owe me nine years worth of waking up in the same bed," Jim mumbled and Spock smiled slightly.

"I am fully aware and intend to rectify this error at the first possible opportunity," he said and he felt Jim smile against his neck before placing a small kiss there.

"You promise you won't leave? Especially not right now?" Jim asked. The insecurity in his voice caused Spock pain in the knowledge that he had been the one to cause it. He pulled back far enough that he could look Jim in the eyes.

"T'hy'la, I will not leave. I will provide support for you and our children as I should have done all along," he said sincerely and Jim smiled.

"I'll hold you to that."


Emily McCoy was bored.

After living such an exciting lifestyle with the band, to be back at home and not doing anything was exceptionally dull.

Her mother and father were both out of the house at work, Joanna was at work, and David had gone into the academy to meet with his instructor. The house was so silent it was almost painful.

She glanced around her room. It didn't look like her room, there were no personal items, it could have been a hotel room. No pictures stuck to the walls. No gifts from friends or souvenirs from adventures away from home littering the surfaces. Just a neat and tidy room that hadn't been lived in for the better half of a decade.

She took her guitar from its case and played for a while, enjoying the sound echoing through the house as it sounded much better than the silence.

As she played her mind wandered. She didn't want to sit in the house all day by herself that was for sure, but she didn't really have any friends in San Francisco.

Remembering her promise to Leo Kirk at her welcome home party she picked up her communicator and entered his frequency, waiting a few moments before he answered.

"'lo?" greeted a deep voice, scratchy as if he hadn't used it yet that day.

"Are you sleeping? Gosh I'm so sorry, I thought you'd be awake by now and-"

"Emily? No, I wasn't sleeping I was uh… resting my eyes," he said, sounding a lot more alert.

"So sleeping?" she asked with a smile. He chuckled.

"Maybe. What can I do for you?"

"Well… I'm bored Leo. Everyone is at work or out of the house, and I'm all by myself and I'm bored. Want to come over? We could… I don't know, make cookies or something?" she offered and he chuckled again.

"Take it you haven't heard about my incredible culinary skills then?"

"No, are you a good cook?" she asked and he actually laughed.

"I can burn water. Honestly. I shouldn't be allowed in a kitchen. Period. Ever. It's just a disaster zone," he said and she found herself giggling.

"Ok, maybe not cooking. We should catch up though, I mean, we didn't really get to talk the other night and we have like… seven years to talk about. You want to maybe meet for coffee or something?" she offered.

"Yeah, I can do that," he said, maybe a little too quickly.

"Do you know… uh… you know actually I don't know any coffee shops around here. Do you know somewhere we could go?" she asked.

"Sure, I uh… should I text you the address?" he offered awkwardly and she smiled.

"Yeah, that'd be good."

"Alright, I'll send it now. Thirty minutes good for you?"

"Sounds perfect."

The call ended and she grinned as she received a text message a few moments later that was riddled with spelling errors. She got enough of the gist to figure out the address.

She killed some time around the house sorting some of her things before pulling on her jacket and leaving in plenty of time to get to the coffee shop. It was a surprisingly cold day and she wished she's worn a larger coat as she walked the ten minutes to where Leo had told her to meet. He was already there when she arrived, hair still damp from being hurriedly towelled dry after his shower. He was wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt that was a bit too big for him, but it looked warm and complimented his golden skin tone nicely.

"Hey stranger," she said as she slipped into booth sitting opposite him.

"Hi," he said with a small smile. She found it amazing that his eyes would always follow the sound of her voice so he'd actually make pretty good eye-contact.

There were already two cups sitting on the table and she smiled at the one in her place.

"Hot chocolate with the little marshmallows. How did you know?" she asked and he smiled.

"You're a girl, it's a girly kinda thing," he said as he picked up his own cup and sipped from it.

"Well, good guess," she said as she took a sip of the drink.

"You not having chocolate too?" she asked as he noticed his drink was different.

"Uh… no. Chocolate does bad things to me," he said and she remembered.

"Oh. It makes you kind of… drunk, right? I remember when we were kids and Joanna shared her chocolate bar with you and Christopher, you guys were messes and Jim went crazy," she laughed and he nodded.

"Oh yeah. It doesn't take much of the stuff either, we're both really sensitive to it. I get to drink boring tea," he said as he set down the cup again.

"Tea is good too," she shrugged and he nodded slightly.

They fell into a slightly awkward silence until she spoke up again.

"So… my Dad tells me you're studying Engineering?" she asked and he nodded eagerly.

"Yeah. I'm in my final year, but I'm taking this semester off to… well, just spend a bit of time focusing on some other things," he said vaguely and she raised her eyebrows.

"Other things like that?"

"Oh just y'know... stuff," he said even more vaguely.

"Leonard James Kirk, do not make me torture you for this information," she warned and he grinned.

"You haven't changed a bit," he said.

"No. I haven't. Now spill."

"Well… Seren has been doing some extensive research, and it turns out she may have found a way to make me see. So. I'm being her test subject for a little while to see if it works. I mean, it'd sure as hell make life easier," he said and she leaned back into the comfortable padding of the booth.

"If you don't mind me asking, how do you… I don't know, cope? I mean I don't know if I could manage without being able to see," she said and he shrugged.

"I don't know what I'm missing out on. I have a good memory and pretty good intuition, the rest of it is just… faith, oh, and a lot of tripping over, knocking things over, and generally making an ass of myself, but you know, can't complain, life is good," he said and she smiled.

"You're such a trooper Leo."

A faint green tinge crept into his cheeks and she laughed loudly.

"Are you blushing?"

"No!" he protested quickly and she laughed again, poking his arm where it rested on the table.

"I think you are. Anyway. Tell me about what you've been doing, what I've missed while I've been away. You certainly look a little different to when I left," she commented as she let her eyes take him in properly.

"Is it the beard?" he asked, scratching his chin with his thumb and forefinger. He had maybe two days worth of sand-coloured stubble adorning his face.

"I don't know if I'd call it a beard," she smirked.

"Oh come on! It's totally a beard. Just because it still won't grow any more than this isn't my fault," he laughed. "Maybe I'll actually get to puberty one day and then I can grow a bad-ass beard," he said thoughtfully and she laughed.

"You're strange," she said, shaking her head and taking another sip of her hot chocolate.

"No, I'm Leo," he corrected playfully and she smiled again. She couldn't tell if he was flirting or not, it certainly seemed like it, but then on the other hand he seemed too innocent to even know what flirting was.

They spent almost two hours talking and laughing, sharing stories about the past few years, catching up. Emily decided he was definitely trying to flirt, and doing a pretty good job of it too. She found herself blushing on more than one occasion, giggling all the time, and feeling strange little butterflies in her stomach that she knew she needed to take control of.

Leo was getting quieter and quieter though, listening more than he was speaking, and Emily had noticed.

"Hey are you ok? You haven't said much in the last ten minutes or so," she said and he blinked hard.

"Yeah I'm fine, just a little tired," he said and she looked at him carefully.

He didn't look tired, but he looked a little paler than earlier.

"Actually, I'd better go, I need to start working on trying to find a job or something," she said with a small sigh.

"You going to find something music-related to do? While you try and find another band?" he asked as they both slid out of the booth and grabbed their jackets.

"I hope so. I'd love to be in a musical or something, that'd be really great," she said and he smiled.

"Like the theatre?"

"Yeah. I don't know, it just always seemed like a lot of fun," she said and he nodded.

"Don't tell anyone but I totally love musicals, especially the good old ones. I listen to them in secret," he confessed with a shy smile and she found herself grinning again.

"I mean Jim knows, but then he loves them more than me. Never have I known another man who knows all the words to every song in Hairspray," he said and she giggled.

"Now I totally have an image of him dancing around the kitchen making breakfast and singing 'Good Morning Baltimore' to himself," she said and Leo laughed.

"Worst thing is I've caught him doing just that," he said as they reached the door. He fumbled a little but got his bearings quickly and held it open for her, leaving her slightly taken aback as he waited for her to go first.

"Thank you," she said as she gently touched his arm to tell him she was through the door. He followed and nodded quickly.

They walked back most of the way together, still talking and laughing until they had to split up to go to their respective homes.

"Well, I need to go this way now. Thank you for this, it was good fun," she said and he nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, definitely. We should… I don't know, hang out again sometime. Maybe have a big musical movie night or… y'know, or not, entirely up to you," he said and she noticed the faint green blush building in his cheeks again.

"That sounds really good," she smiled.

"Great! Well, you know where to find me," he said and she nodded.

"Yes I do."

"Bye then, I mean; you know, not bye as in goodbye because it isn't… uh… see you soon? … but I guess not see because I can't… so uh… yeah. Um… help?" he stuttered and she found herself biting her lip to stop from laughing too much.

"You really don't hang out with girls too often do you?" she said and he shook his head.

"Unless my sister qualifies as a girl, no ma'am."

"Well I'm kind of like your sister, so I don't qualify either," she said. It was more to convince herself than him.

Ok. So he may have grown up to be a rather attractive young man. A very attractive young man. But that didn't change the fact they'd been best friends as kids. They'd known each other their whole lives. They were practically siblings with how close their families were to each other.

And you have a boyfriend! Emily mentally scolded herself.

She tried to tell herself she hadn't noticed the obvious disappointment that flickered briefly across his face before vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.

"That's very true, I'm pretty sure they even used to make us all sleep in the same bed," Leo said with a sigh.

"Yeah. There's a picture on the wall in your living room if I remember correctly, all six of us asleep in one big double bed. It's the sweetest damn thing I've ever seen," she smiled and he locked his eyes onto hers.

"When I can see I'll make sure it's one of the first things I look at," he said determinedly.

"When and not if?" she said and he nodded.

"It's going to work, I just know it," he said positively.

"It will," she agreed, reaching out to touch his upper arm in a friendly gesture. It was more muscular than she expected and she withdrew her hand quite quickly as she found herself wondering what he would look like wearing nothing but his lopsided smirk…

"I'll talk to you soon," he said as he took a step back.

"Real soon," she agreed as she went her own way and started to walk home.

When Leo arrived home he kicked off his shoes by the door, removing his jacket and dropping it somewhere between the front door and his bed.

He was so tired that it physically hurt him. He knew it wasn't going to get any easier. That morning he'd woken up, managed to stay awake for around half an hour before crawling back into bed until he'd been disturbed by Emily.

Ignoring the way his mind was counting down to his next chemo session the following day he curled up in bed, still fully clothed.

Emily had obviously figured out something was wrong with him, so he knew he needed to get better at hiding it if he was to keep his illness quiet.

He could still practically feel her hand on his shoulder where she had touched him.

Snap out of it, you big idiot. She was right, she's as good as your sister in the same way you think of David as your other brother.

Except she isn't.

Except for the part where I'm in love with her and probably always will be.

Leo forced his mind to empty. He needed to rest.

Placing his other hand on the place on his upper arm where she had touched him, he closed his eyes and allowed the tiredness to finally pull him under, the sweet sound of her laughter still ringing in his ears.