Chapter Eight

Being woken by people arguing was never good.

Emily kept very still as she listened carefully to the conversation going on outside her door, a heavy arm draped across her waist pinning her to the bed. She opened her eyes slowly and was met with Leo's face on the pillow beside her, still completely fast asleep, hair sticking up at all angles, breathing slow and even. She smiled to herself, resisting the urge to kiss his slightly parted lips. She was now fully aware of the fact she was crushing on her friend, in a big way.

"Carol, I don't care. He can't sleep in her bed!"

"Len, come on, I already checked in on them. They're both still wearing their clothes from yesterday, they probably just fell asleep watching a movie, I'm sure nothing happened," Carol soothed. Emily made a mental note to thank her mother later.

"It makes me uncomfortable!" Bones protested.

"I think you should trust them. I didn't hear a peep all night, and come on, it's Leo. He wouldn't do anything like that, and I don't think Emily would have deliberately had him stay over without asking our permission first. Get your panties out of their wad, Leonard, she's nineteen years old now, not a baby anymore."

"Damn it Carol, you're way too soft! If I had my way I'd be grabbin' him by the pointy ear and draggin' him home to his father, and the only reason I'm not is because of…" he said gruffly and Emily listened to his voice trailing off down the hallway, unable to hear the end of his sentence.

Her door hissed open and she closed her eyes quickly, pretending to be asleep as her mother looked in on them.

The door closed again and she snuggled closer to the warm body sharing her bed, causing him to stretch and wrap his arm around her more tightly, shifting closer and nuzzling his face into her hair.

Butterflies felt like they were going to erupt from her stomach at any moment.

He tensed and then pulled away quickly, as if he had realised what he was doing.

"Sorry, I uh… sorry," he said quietly, his voice scratchy and deeper than usual.

"Mmm no, come back, you're warm," she protested, pulling him close again. She felt him smile against her neck.

"I'm a cuddly sleeper, apparently," he mumbled and she smiled.

"It's nice. Sometimes everyone needs to cuddle."

They were silent for a few minutes. Leo's heart was pounding and his mind racing.

I'm cuddling.

With Emily.

In her bed. Her actual bed. Where I slept… with her next to me.

He loved the way her body felt next to him, a perfect fit in his arms. The smell of her hair, strawberry shampoo as usual, the silky texture against his face.

Too soon to ask her to be my girlfriend? I'll have to ask Jim.

Oh god… Bones is going to castrate me.

"Does… your dad know I'm here?" he whispered and she giggled.

"Oh yes."

"Fuck," he whispered and she poked him in the ribs.

"Potty mouth."

"Don't care," he stuck out his tongue and she grinned.

"Is he going to rip off my balls?" he asked and she chuckled, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Probably. But if you're lucky you'll get anaesthetic," she chuckled and he yawned.

"I can't wait. Jesus. Wish I hadn't slept in my jeans, not comfortable, might hurt less to cut off my balls," he grumbled as he shifted a little, trying to get some relief from the discomfort caused by the too-tight denim.

"You're such a drama queen!"

"Am not."

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Yeah, you really are Leo," she said firmly, wriggling away from him and getting out of bed, stretching and yawning.

"So… breakfast?" he hinted with an innocent smile and she grinned at him.

"What is it with boys and food?" she asked and he shrugged.

"Food is good," he answered simply. "Ooh. Do you have cereal?" he smirked and she rolled her eyes. David had told her all about Leo and Christopher's eating habits.


Jim was at his desk when his comm. sounded. He'd been early to work that day. Leo hadn't come home at all the previous night, but he wasn't worried. He knew he'd either have slept at Christopher's apartment in the city or at the McCoy's.

The fresh hickey on his neck, just peeking out above his uniform collar and the way he was walking with a spring in his step despite the occasional wince gave away to anyone who saw him just why he was in such a good mood.

"Kirk here," he said cheerily as he flipped the communicator open.

"Jim. Your kid is in bed with my kid. I don't like it and I damn well don't approve of it! You need to talk to him and tell him to keep his damn lecherous hands to himself," Bones grumbled and Jim smirked.

"Wait… Leo is in bed with David? Well shit, Bones! Never saw that coming, I guess we'd better-"

"Not David, you insufferable brat! Emily. He's in bed with my little girl! Carol said they were cuddling this morning. Cuddling. Under my damn roof! This aint acceptable Jim!"

Jim sniggered to himself and flicked his tongue across his lips which were far too dry for his liking.

"Uh… were they naked?"

"No."

"Did you hear them doing anything? Any… y'know, screaming, or moaning or mysterious bumps in the night?" Jim's smirk grew.

"No but-"

"I'm pretty sure they're just friends Bones… they were probably just hanging out and fell asleep. Leo is one hell of a cuddly sleeper, I mean I've woken up to him in my bed spooning with me before now; he just likes to be warm. I will talk to him though, he can't be staying over without asking first and not in her room if you don't give permission," Jim offered and Bones sighed.

"I just… Jim I'd love it for somethin' to happen between them someday, just when they're older. He's the best, sweetest damn kid I've ever met… but I just… I don't want her gettin' hurt. I don't want her bein' in the middle of… y'know, everythin' that's going on right now, especially since she's got no idea about any of it just yet," Bones said and Jim nodded to himself.

"Yeah. Sure. I understand that. Should I not talk to him? Do you want to?" Jim offered and the doctor sighed again.

"Well, let's try and establish if we think anythin' is actually goin' on first. We should go out or somethin', all of us because we haven't done that for too long, and watch how they behave around each other. Chris gettin' home soon?"

"Yeah I think he gets back either today or tomorrow. We could all go out… I don't know, tomorrow night?" Jim offered and Bones mumbled a yes before saying something about having to go to work.

Jim let him go and continued with his work, feeling like he was getting through everything much quicker than usual.

Scotty stopped by his office to talk to him about a new ship in the design process, making a crude comment about the marks on Jim's neck and beating a hasty retreat when Jim offered to explain in detail exactly what he and Spock had been doing in order to leave him with those marks.

Jim looked up at the clock and upon seeing it was only quarter to ten, left his desk to hunt down a cup of coffee. Normally he would have had three or four by this point, but today it was his first, the residual glow of the previous night and the knowledge he and Spock were well on the way to patching things up keeping him contented and happy and without the need for too much excess caffeine.


"Fuck," David whimpered as a very talented tongue circled the sensitive tip of his throbbing erection.

"More," he hissed, trying to force their head down, grabbing their hair, short and soft and golden.

"Ask nicely," Christopher smirked up at him from where he was kneeling before him.

"I won't beg you," David said through gritted teeth and Chris' dark eyes glinted mischievously as he blew cold air on the wet flesh, causing David to grab at the wall behind him as his knees threatened to go weak.

"Sure you will," Christopher mumbled as he agonisingly slowly took the entirety of his friend into his mouth, David's mouth falling open as he hit the back of his throat, a shaky exhale escaping his body. Chris swallowed hard and David let his head fall back against the wall, legs trembling as he tried to not let himself collapse.

"Chris, please," he muttered, looking back down to see dark eyes fixed on his own blue ones.

"That sounds kind of like begging," Chris smirked as he let David's cock slip from his lips.

"Since you asked so nicely, I'm going to give you what you want. Get on the bed, now," he ordered and David couldn't comply quickly enough, crawling obediently onto the bed and laying on his back, looking up at the part-Vulcan expectantly.

"Oh no. Flip over, and get on your knees," Chris said in a low voice and David forced back a moan as he did as he was told, feeling completely and entirely debauched as he put himself on show for his friend who climbed onto the bed behind him, pushing him forward so his elbows were on the bed with his ass in the air.

"So well behaved," Christopher mumbled, trailing one rough hand over David's lower back and then down onto his ass, grabbing tightly for a moment before letting go.

"I'm going to fuck you so hard you won't be able to remember your own name once I'm done with you," Christopher breathed, teeth gripping David's earlobe firmly and tugging as one hand circled his throat.

"Fuck!" David cried out as he woke with a start, flushed and panting as his orgasm hit him.

He went limp against his mattress as he took several deep, shuddering breaths, trying to calm his overexcited body.

"God damn it," he muttered as he threw himself out of bed, the uncomfortable wet spot in the front of his boxers very obvious as he looked down. He quickly snatched up a pair of pyjama pants from his affectionately named 'floordrobe' and pulled them on before stomping down the hallway to the bathroom for a very cold shower.

This was the third consecutive day he'd been woken by an extremely vivid dream. Normally, a sexual dream wouldn't bother him. He didn't care. He was only eighteen; these things would still happen from time to time. It was the other party in the dream that bothered him.

Christopher George Kirk.

In all of his undeniable sexiness.

His best friend. Fucking him.

And the worst part? He fucking loved it.

David removed the pyjama pants and threw them aside as he switched on the shower, getting in still wearing his boxers and removing them once they were soaked through, balling them up and throwing them into the corner of the cubicle.

Sometimes he'd forget he wasn't in his dorm at the academy.

He closed his eyes tightly as he tried to rid the images of the latest dream from his mind.

The first one had been almost two weeks ago, and he'd had a few more, but the last three nights in a row had him worried.

"David McCoy you're straight, you don't want Chris Kirk," he muttered to himself as he washed quickly, the cold water bringing his skin out in goosebumps.

The only problem was that no matter how hard he tried to convince himself, David had come to the conclusion that he did want Christopher Kirk. He wanted him very much.

"Straight straight straight. Boobs. Think about boobs. And hot girls in short skirts… and not… pointy ears…" he trailed off his mumbled conversation with himself as he shut off the shower, grabbing a towel from the rail and roughly drying off with it before wrapping it around his waist and bounding downstairs to get himself some breakfast.

He walked into the kitchen and paused as he noticed Emily and Leo sitting at the table, his sister looking undeniably gooey-eyed at the younger Kirk twin whose hair was all over the place and looked like he'd slept in his clothes.

"So. You had a cosy little sleepover huh?" he asked as he put two and two together. Leo immediately fell silent and returned his attention to the stack of burnt toast on his plate.

"Yeah. Not that it's any of your business," Emily said firmly and David smirked.

"Dad'll kill you. Nobody is allowed to stay over, especially without asking first," David pointed out as he walked to the fridge and pulled out a box of eggs, setting them down on the counter and going to the cupboard to get himself a frying pan, deciding he wanted omelette for breakfast.

If there was one skill he was pleased he'd inherited from living at home, it was the ability to cook well for himself. Emily had always been a terrible cook and he often wondered how she'd survived during the years she'd lived away from home.

"She try'na kill you with her cooking there Leo?" he asked as he began cooking and Leo shook his head.

"I like my toast like this. I always burn it deliberately at home," he said and David raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah? Hmm. That's interesting. I remember you liking your toast barely cooked at all. Kind of like warm bread," he said and Leo blushed slightly.

"Uh... yeah… I used to, but this is just perfect," he said as he took another bite. David could tell he was forcing himself to eat it. He looked… pained. Uncomfortable. A strange greenish tint lingering on his cheekbones.

"You don't look like you're enjoying it," David shrugged.

Leo finished the slice of toast he was eating and then stood up from the table, mumbling that he'd be right back before leaving the room in a hurry, knocking his shoulder into the doorway as he miscounted his steps.

"What's wrong with him today?" David asked and Emily shook her head.

"I don't know. Last night he fell asleep at like nine-thirty, we were watching a movie and he just like… flaked out. I've never seen him sick before or-" she stopped talking as she listened, the faint sound of someone coughing in the bathroom down the hall.

"Is he throwing up?" David asked, pulling a face.

"I don't know. Sounds like it," Emily said, running her hands through her hair and sighing.

"So he slept in your room huh? Is he uh… identical in every department to Christopher then?" David teased. Emily had seen the picture of Chris in those tight white underpants too; it would have been hard to miss with it being flashed all over town, and David couldn't help but slip in the comment to see how she'd react.

"Wouldn't know," Emily said flatly, taking a sip of her orange juice.

"You mean you weren't fucking like horny rabbits in there?" David asked and Emily set her glass down hard on the table.

"No. We weren't! We didn't even kiss, we didn't do anything. There's nothing going on between us David, so butt out of my damn business," she growled, standing up from the table and going to check on Leo.

"Leo… are you alright?" she asked as she gently tapped the bathroom door. She could hear the water running and after a few seconds it stopped.

The door slid open and she looked at him carefully. His face was still damp from where he'd obviously washed it and he was very pale.

"I… should probably go home," he mumbled, scratching the back of his head and grimacing.

"Were you sick?" she asked and he hesitated, looking conflicted for a moment, then nodding as he accepted it was pointless to lie to her.

"Want me to call Jim?" she offered and he shook his head.

"No, Jim'll be at work. I don't need to call anyone though, I can walk home, it isn't far and-"

"Bullshit. You're not walking home. You're obviously sick. I'll get David to drive you-"

"No. Emily really. I'm ok," he insisted and she sighed.

She could see him visibly shivering as they stood in the doorway.

"You're shaking," she pointed out.

"No I'm not," he said stubbornly and she rolled her eyes.

"Come here," she dragged him over to the sink and pushed a bottle of mouthwash into his hands. He accepted gratefully and washed his mouth out with the lurid green liquid, before then accepting the glass of water she was instructing him to sip, leading him back to the kitchen and forcing him to sit back at the table.

David gave her a confused look as she left the room again, picking up a communicator on the side and calling a number she had saved only for reference and had never actually called.

"Spock here."

"Mr Spock… it's Emily McCoy. Leo is… um… here, and he isn't feeling too well, I don't know if he maybe has some kind of flu… I was just wondering if you'd be able to come and pick him up? He's talking about walking home, but I don't really want him to do that if he isn't feeling well," she said and there was barely any pause before the response.

"Certainly. Thank you for informing me," he said quickly and Emily mumbled a goodbye before going back into the kitchen to find Leo scowling in her general direction.

"Oh don't look so pissy. There's no way you could walk. Go see my dad too, get a flu shot or something, you need one," she said and he snorted, letting his head fall into his hands.

"What? What's funny about that?" she asked and he shrugged.

"Nothing… I… forget it," he said, falling into a stubborn silence until Spock arrived a few minutes later.

"Trouble in paradise?" David smirked as Emily saw Leo out with barely a goodbye mumbled between them.

"Fuck you," she hissed, storming up the stairs to her room and slamming the door as best she could with the stupid sliding mechanism that drove her mad.


The next twenty-four hours passed in a blur. Emily didn't understand why Leo had suddenly closed off and shut her out and had tried to call him twice and got no response. Had she known the reason for his lack of response was that he had spent most of that time asleep or trying to stop himself being violently ill, she may have been less annoyed.

Christopher had moved back into his apartment, and though nobody had yet seen him he'd spoken to Jim to inform him he was home.

David McCoy was on his way over to Chris' place to meet him before they went out for the evening. Bones and Jim had called a big family get-together, and David had reluctantly accepted the invitation.

He wanted to avoid Christopher, having had yet another dream about him the previous night. He didn't quite know how he'd face him and felt his stomach working itself into a nervous knot as he approached the apartment building.

"God damn," David muttered under his breath as he noticed the part-Vulcan heading his way.

It was raining, hard, and Chris's already tight shirt was soaked through and stuck to his body, every bulging muscle on show. He was running so hard David didn't know how he was maintaining it. Each step precise, leg muscles contracting powerfully as he propelled himself forwards; face set and determined. He looked downright dangerous.

He ran right past David who was still staring at him and into the building, David following and frowning when the part-Vulcan turned around to face him, breathing hard as he finally stopped.

"Well, don't you just look all scrawny," he said and David scowled, crossing his arms across his chest. Before Chris had moved away they'd been a similar size, but Chris had gained a somewhat ridiculous amount of muscle during the few short weeks he'd been gone.

"And you look like a steroid-pumping asshole," David said through gritted teeth as he joined his friend in the elevator. Christopher snorted and ran a hand through his wet hair, flicking water on David who recoiled and glared at him.

"Good to see you too man," Christopher said as they waited to reach his floor.

"Yeah yeah, pointy-eared douchebag," David muttered as the doors opened.

He did everything in his power to not look at his friends ass as he walked in front of him, but his tight running shorts did nothing to help with that and he found himself staring as Christopher let them into the apartment.

"My brother moved back home?" Chris asked as he looked around the obviously empty apartment and David shrugged.

"I don't know man, haven't seen too much of him."

"Why?" Chris opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water, beginning to chug from it.

"I don't know… we don't have all that much to talk about at the moment. He's banging my sister though and-"Christopher interrupted by choking on his water and spraying a mouthful all over the kitchen.

"What?!"

"He was in my kitchen yesterday morning after sleeping in Emily's bed, but then he seemed kinda sick and he went home in a hurry," David explained and Chris nodded.

"He's been weird as hell lately. Maybe the last month, six weeks, something hasn't been right. It's just things like he's taking a semester off school, but wont tell me why, and he's blocked our mental link… he barely even talks to me, we haven't spoken in maybe two weeks? But anyway, he actually had sex? With Emily?" he asked and David shrugged.

"I would assume so. He definitely had sex hair, and the way she was lookin' at him was that kinda look that would make either of us run away from a woman."

"He always has sex hair; he can't see to fix it."

"True," David shrugged again.

"See I was beginning to doubt if he could have sex, he's shown no interest in it… like ever, it's weird."

Christopher leant back against the kitchen cabinet and yawned, running a hand through his hair. He hadn't been sleeping and he knew why.

He knew he couldn't hold back for much longer. His blood was burning and there was only so much he could do to keep the fever from consuming him entirely. He'd need to work quickly to find whoever it was that his mind was crying out for.

"Are you going tonight? To this stupid… get together?" David asked and Chris nodded, taking another gulp of water.

"Yeah I was just going to shower and get dressed."

David nodded and Christopher looked at him carefully, their eyes meeting and lingering on each other for a few uncomfortable seconds before Chris walked away in the direction of the bathroom.

David sat and waited on the couch until his friend was ready, and the two left together to reluctantly attend the meal with both of their families.


Leo winced as his brother nudged him a little too roughly from across the table.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? What have you lost like… twenty, thirty pounds?"

"I don't know, not hungry," he said and Christopher looked at him carefully.

"You're sick," he said and Leo shook his head quickly.

"No, I'm not sick I just-"

"Christopher, leave him alone," Seren interrupted with a sigh.

"Make me," Christopher snapped and Spock raised one hand.

"You are all, apparently, adults now. Stop behaving like children," Spock said firmly and Jim nodded. His piercing blue eyes were fixed on Leo and the way he'd pushed his food around his plate, barely eating more than a few mouthfuls.

Jim and Bones had shot each other a meaningful glance when Emily had sat next to Leo. They didn't talk much, but the way she looked at him told both men everything they needed to know about the pair. She'd fallen in a big way, and she knew something was wrong with him by the concern all over her face.

Jim was doing his best to be subtle as he tried to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"So you got it then?"

"Yeah, I did, but only just. I have to work on the acting side of it a lot, but the musical side is pretty good," Emily was saying. Jim leaned closer, pretending to be listening to whatever Carol was telling him about. It was Starfleet business and he wasn't all that keen on talking work during what was meant to be a social evening.

"Well, yeah I mean… everything takes practice to get it right. I told you you'd get it though," Leo said with a smug smile.

"Oh shut up," Emily said with a smirk.

Bones cleared his throat loudly to interrupt the light flirting and Carol scowled at him. Emily seemed to become very aware all at once that her conversation was being listened to and immediately stopped talking, starting to examine her fingernails in close detail.

Leo nudged Jim's leg under the table with his foot and Jim looked at him to see his face had paled dramatically.

Jim. I need to get out of here. I need a distraction.

"Uh… hey guys, I'd love to stick around longer but I need to get some stuff done before work tomorrow, and Leo needs to give me a hand with it," Jim said quickly.

"Hey are you alright? Your nose is bleeding," Joanna pointed out to Leo who fumbled for a napkin and used to it to wipe his face.

"I'm fine," he said stubbornly, dabbing at his nose again.

"Bullshit," said Chris loudly and Spock looked at Seren who looked at Bones.

"Leo are you-"

"Emily. Shut up. I'm fine," Leo said harshly, stumbling to his feet and snatching his jacket from the back of his chair. A stunned silence descended on the table as he walked away, Emily looking like she was on the brink of bursting into tears.

"Don't talk to my sister like that!" David yelled after him, but Leo was too focused to notice.

"Jim-" Spock began as Jim followed him quickly, finding his son just outside breathing heavily, his hands curled into fists.

"It's ok buddy, I got you," Jim said, putting one hand on his shoulder.

"I… I can't anymore. I can't act… I can't, I'm not fine, it hurts, everything… hurts," he spluttered as he burst into tears.

"Hey, shh, I know. I got you, it's going to be alright," Jim soothed, pulling him into a hug. He was relieved they'd chosen such a quiet place to go, the street was empty.

"You tell people whenever you're ready to tell people," Jim said and Leo nodded against his shoulder. It had been nearly six weeks, and Leo had tolerated more than it would take to break most people. He'd almost finished his chemo, with just one treatment remaining, and then it would be a matter of surgery and careful observation.

Jim didn't know how he'd done it. He'd seen Leo at his absolute worst, sweating and shaking with hot and cold, sick and unable to eat anything, in so much pain he was silent for hours as he focused his mind on coping with it, struggling to get out of bed, or up out of a chair, but he'd seen him dig deep to pretend he was alright around Christopher and Emily and David. The amount of strength he had shown was admirable, but Jim knew the hardest part was only about to begin.

"They already know. Chris knows, Emily knows, they just don't know specifics," Leo said as he took a deep steadying breath and pulled himself together.

"Well… people were always going to notice, you know? You've lost weight, you look tired, you sleep a lot more… there are things you couldn't hide about this. There's no shame in it. You're getting through, just… maybe it is time to tell them," Jim said and Leo nodded slowly.

"Can we go home?"

"Sure, let's get the car," Jim said with a sad smile, putting Leo's hand on his shoulder so he could lead him, sending a message across his bond with Spock.

I'm going to take him home and come back; he's just a bit overwhelmed right now.

Leo was shaking by the time Jim got him to the car and Jim removed his own jacket, draping it over his son's shoulders who put up a half-hearted struggle at not accepting it.

I am highly concerned for his health. Is it wise for him to continue with the vision procedure? Surely he should focus on recovery at this point.

Jim cranked up the hover-car's climate control to the highest setting and drove Leo home carefully.

"Dad?" Leo asked, breaking the tense silence that had formed between them.

"Yeah?"

I can't stop him Spock, he wants to see and the possible cure is there, he needs to try it.

"I… I don't think I want to carry on with anymore chemo stuff," Leo said quietly and Jim felt a cold wave of dread wash over him.

"You…" he paused and swallowed the hideous lump forming in his throat.

"You know that finishing the course gives you your best shot right?"

Leo nodded and ran a hand through his hair, then held it out towards Jim so he could see the few strands that had come away as he'd touched it.

"I don't want to be bald, and I feel like even one more is going to be too much," Leo said firmly and Jim sighed as he looked at the few golden strands of hair. It wasn't much, but if he were to continue with the treatment it would only get worse.

"You're smart enough to make your own decision, but you do realise you'll be getting your head shaved anyway for you know… the surgery," Jim said and Leo smiled knowingly.

"No necessarily."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"All in good time Jimbo. You'll see. Or maybe I'll see. If I'm lucky."

"I wish you'd tell me when you're doing that. I don't like all this secrecy," Jim sighed as he parked outside the house.

"It's already done," Leo said and Jim frowned.

"How did you… how did she… does Bones know?"

"Yeah. He knows. We made him swear he'd keep it a secret. Seren is probably the smartest person alive right now. She used the transporter to beam that little piece of brain where it needed to be, then she beamed me across the room once it was in there, to make it all… integrate properly," he explained and Jim felt a surge of pride for his daughter and the ingenious solution mixed with a flash of annoyance that nobody had told him this was happening.

"Bones was freaking out; he was having a complete panic attack that something would go wrong."

"I think if I'd have known I would have too. Did it hurt?" Jim asked and Leo shook his head.

"No. At least, I don't think it did. I don't hurt any more than usual," he shrugged.

"I can't see anything yet, if that was going to be your next question. It needs time to like… all graft together properly apparently. I don't have a whole lot of hope for anything happening if I'm totally honest, but it has to be worth a try," he said as he hauled himself out of the car.

Jim could barely look at the way every step seemed to hurt him as he made his way up to the house.


By the time Jim returned the dynamic had changed entirely. The atmosphere at the table wasn't nearly as friendly as it had been earlier. Christopher had left before Jim arrived, Spock silently telling Jim that he had seemed in such a rage it was probably for the best.

"I'm going to get out of here," David announced, getting to his feet and pulling on his jacket.

"Where are you going?" Joanna asked and David shrugged.

He has been behaving strangely the whole evening. Spock pointed out to Jim.

Yeah… he has. I wonder what's up with him? Do you think maybe he knows what's going on with Christopher and his Pon Farr coming up and it's freaked him out?

David said a hasty goodbye to everyone at the table before making a swift exit, pulling his communicator from his pocket as he did so.

Spock watched him carefully, and as David turned to glance back at the table, unintentionally caught his eye.

David is going to check on Christopher. He is highly concerned about him.

Jim frowned.

How do you know that?

Spock leant back in his chair slightly and looked at Jim.

I am beginning to suspect that David McCoy could in fact be Christopher's T'hy'la.

Jim choked on his drink as he took a sip and Bones glanced up at him.

"Y'alright Jim?" he asked as everyone fell silent as he began a coughing fit.

"Fine- Bones," he spluttered. "I'm fine… just… thought my water would be better in my lung," he mumbled as he set the glass down.

Hate to break it to you Spock, but Christopher doesn't like men… and I'm pretty sure neither does David. They're pretty much the two straightest men I know.

Spock quirked an eyebrow.

As were you, when we initially met.

Jim did his best to hide the pink blush rising in his cheeks. Spock had a point.

"Is everything alright?" Seren asked and Jim gave her a meaningful look. She knew they were having a conversation, but didn't know about what in particular. Her guilt immediately surfaced and she began to talk rapidly.

"Look, if Leo told you about-"

"He did. Congratulations on your pioneering new surgical technique, just, next time before you use your brother as a guinea pig, please warn any of us first?" he asked and she looked at Spock guiltily.

"I was aware," Spock said and Jim's shoulders slumped.

"You… knew. And you didn't think to tell me? No wait.. you actively… hid it from me? Why would you do that?" Jim asked and Bones raised an eyebrow.

"Jim, I didn't know that he knew I-"

"Bones. I'm not talking to you," Jim said coolly and Seren shrank into her seat. Spock held firm.

"I believed the information would have concerned you, I chose not to share it."

Joanna, Emily and Carol were watching the conversation with increasing awkwardness.

"Spock…" Jim began but then closed his mouth, sending his message silently instead.

We're going to talk about this later.

"Have fun in the doghouse, hobgoblin," said Bones as he leant back towards his wife.

"You're in there too Bones," Jim said in a warning tone before turning to his daughter.

"I'm not exactly thrilled with you either Seren, I don't think that was fair of you to keep from me," he said and she nodded.

"Understood. In future I'll be sure to release all confidential medical information to-"

"Stop. All of you stop it," Emily cut in.

"Leo obviously didn't want to tell you, so just let him do whatever he wants. It isn't Seren's fault he's a selfish asshole, she has to respect his decision to keep it a secret. Anway, I'm leaving," she said, getting up and storming out before anyone could stop her.

"I think it's probably best if everyone leaves, you all need to cool off, Jesus, it's like something off a bad British soap-opera," sighed Joanna and Jim nodded.

"Yeah. It's time to call it a night," he agreed and with a final glare at Bones he got to his feet.

"That went really well, huh?" Joanna said to Jim with a sorry smile as they got outside. Jim sighed and shrugged.

"Yeah. I miss the days when the extent of the arguments was who stole who's toy and didn't give it back," Jim said a with a small smile.

"I know. It's strange having everyone back here and grown up. It's almost like Emily coming home and David dropping out of the Academy was the catalyst for everything changing," she said and Jim's eyes widened.

"He dropped out? Why?" he asked and Joanna froze.

"He… didn't tell you? Oh well shit! Now I feel like an asshole," she sighed and Jim shook his head.

"No. Why did he do it? What happened?"

"He failed his pilots exam again, and he was told he had to repeat the year. But he decided to defer for a semester while he thinks about what to do… but… I mean from what I understand he isn't planning on going back."

Jim frowned. David McCoy had incredible potential at Starfleet. Jim had seen his aptitude test results and thought perhaps he was on the wrong track, that he'd do better in another field within Starfleet, but had kept his opinion to himself. David wanted to fly, and Jim wasn't going to be the one to tell him he shouldn't do it.

"Well, that's a real shame. I could probably talk to his instructor and out-rank them into making them give him another shot at the test," he said and Joanna smiled.

"I knew you'd say that."

"Well… if I'm good at one thing it's bending the rules," Jim said as he and Joanna parted with a 'see you soon' and a wave, walking to their separate cars to go home for the night.

Jim, Spock and Seren barely spoke the whole way home.

Seren felt guilty, Jim felt annoyed and Spock felt that he'd done nothing wrong.

Jim sighed as he closed the door behind him when they arrived home.

It was going to be far from straightforward to deal with the increasing amount of shit hitting the fan.


~A/N~

Hey! I'm so, so sorry for taking so long to get this posted! I was really busy, then I was sick and needed to just get a shit-ton of sleep, and then I went away for a few days to like... the edge of the Earth, so I was without internet or even my laptop. SORRY!

Things are buiiilllddddiiinnnggggg! How long until it all explodes? ONLY TIME WILL TELL.

Next chapter in a few days, I should have some good amounts of time to write over this weekend so I'm feeling good about updating on Sunday :)

Please review if you feel that way inclined! Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, glad you enjoyed my little teasing glimmer of Jim/Spock sexytime. There's plenty more of that in the pipeline ;)