A/N

Here's the next part for you guys, thanks for being patient, and sorry it took a little longer than usual. I've noticed a lot of people in their reviews asking for more Jim and Spock. I'm trying, but I can't really force scenes if they are irrelevant to the story. There is some BIG Jim and Spock story coming up, but just be patient, we'll get there :)


Chapter Eleven

Joanna yawned and rubbed at her eyes.

It had been a late night, she'd been kept up as she alternated talking with her parents and Jim, neither of them knowing she was also talking to the other party.

Her father was annoyed about what was happening between Christopher and David, and Jim was annoyed that her father was annoyed. She'd often find herself caught in the middle when the two men would bicker, and would try and not take sides wherever possible. On this occasion, she secretly agreed with Jim. She understood that her father was less than thrilled about the fact Christopher had practically abducted her brother for his own needs for the time being, but couldn't understand how her father was so upset at the prospect of one of his children being in a relationship with one of Jim and Spock's children. As kids they'd all been best friends, and Joanna had always had a feeling something would happen one day that would bring the two families together.

Sipping at her much-needed cup of coffee, she pulled up her first assignment of the day, an article to translate into five different Federation planet languages before publication.

She narrowed her eyes as she read it before getting up from her desk, her heart pounding in her ears as she began to fill with rage.

Reaching the door of her supervisor's office, she didn't even knock.

"McCoy! What's the delay on-"

"This! You expect me to… this is bullshit! This is untrue!" she interrupted, brandishing the PADD at her superior who stared blankly at her.

"Untrue or not, that's not your job to decide, just translate it."

Doing her best to keep calm, she made another attempt at maintaining some degree of professionalism.

"If I could request another article to translate instead, I'd be more than happy to-"

"You've been given your assignment. When it's complete, you can have another."

"But-"Joanna began, stopping as she glanced back down at the article and the headline staring up at her.

The words burned at her eyes. She couldn't bear the thought of the damage this bullshit could create if it was to be published.

A series of pictures were attached and she shook her head as she looked at them.

Jim and Emily, out having dinner together. They'd been followed and photographed what looked like the entire time. Every smile, laugh and occasional touch was being made into something it most definitely was not. A sordid affair. Between Jim and his own best friends daughter.

"You know this is all fabrication! I'm not translating this, it's a pile of… no. This is fucking outrageous. I'm not doing it," Joanna said firmly, setting the PADD down on the desk before her supervisor who looked up at her with mild interest at what she might do next.

"Joanna. I'm telling you that you have to-"

"Well in that case, I quit," Joanna said blankly.

"You quit?"

"I quit. You can take your bullshit article about my sister and my uncle Jim, and you can cram it right up where the sun doesn't shine. I'm done," she said, turning and storming out.

She grabbed her things from her desk, not that there was much there anyway, just a few pictures and her bag.

She made it all the way to her car before she felt herself beginning to calm down.

"Em… there's going to be a story, it's going to come out… you and Jim were followed that night you had dinner, and it's being implied that there's something going on between you two. Call me back when you pick this up," she left a quick message for her sister to warn her of the impending storm before starting to drive.

In a daze Joanna crossed town, parking her car in a familiar spot and walking to where she was heading.

She tapped on Jim's office door, finding it unusual that it was closed at all seeing as he liked to keep it open.

"Come in."

He sounded tired and he looked no better.

"Hey Jo," he said, pushing aside what he was working on and leaning back in his seat.

"Hey Uncle Jim, how are you?"

He shrugged and ran his hands through his hair.

"Stressed," he admitted.

"Yeah, you look it, I guess I'm the same," she said as she sat opposite him.

"What's wrong?" he asked and she shook her head.

"I just told my boss to cram his shitty job up his butt for trying to make me translate a bullshit story about you for some trashy magazine," she said and Jim's jaw dropped.

"You… did what?" he asked and she smiled slightly.

"You're welcome. Not that it'll stop it, they'll just get somebody else to translate it. It'll probably hit tomorrows headlines, just figured I should warn you to be ready for it," she said and Jim nodded.

"What are they talking shit about now? Am I dying again? Or did I have another orgy with some other bunch of people I've never met?" he asked and she chuckled.

Jim and Spock had always been under media scrutiny. It seemed people were just far too interested in them to leave them alone to actually just live their lives. When Jim had taken his wedding ring off for a few weeks the rumour mill had gone into overdrive, just as it had done when a picture of him appeared emerging from the hospital looking particularly skinny, though all he'd been doing there was visiting Bones on his break.

"Well… not exactly. They got some pictures of you and Emily having dinner the other night, and… well… they think you're having an affair with her," Joanna said and Jim raised an eyebrow.

"Oh boy," he muttered.

"Yeah."

They both fell silent until Jim began to laugh.

"Bones is going to go fucking crazy when he hears about this! I mean Jesus; I thought he was mad enough about David and Christopher, and now this too? He'll have an aneurism or something," he said and Joanna smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. Probably. Have you heard from David or…?" she asked, trailing off immediately at the look on Jim's face.

He only looked his age when he was tired. Otherwise he looked almost the same as when she knew him as a little girl.

His startling blue eyes were dull today, with dark circles beneath them, lines in his face that looked shallow just the day before now seemingly much more pronounced.

"No. Haven't heard anything. I mean it's only been three days… could go on for a week. I was getting tempted to go let myself into his apartment… but I don't think that'd go down too well. I might get Leo to come let me in, but that's not really fair with him and his surgery coming up and-"

Jim stopped talking abruptly and Joanna narrowed her eyes.

"What surgery? I thought he already had that vision treatment… Seren did it with the transporter? What are you talking about?" she asked and Jim quickly backtracked.

"I uh… yeah that's what I meant."

"No it isn't. You said surgery coming up. What surgery?" she asked and Jim shifted in his seat and scratched his face, fingers scraping over two days of golden stubble.

"I can't say. I've already said too much and I… I can't talk about it," he said.

Joanna was silent for a minute, carefully considering her next question.

It was very obvious to her that Leo was sick with something. She hadn't wanted to say, and she didn't see him as often as she once did, but he had certainly changed. He'd looked exhausted and weak, and thinner, and like he was struggling to keep himself upbeat and chattering away as normal.

"How bad is it? Is it his heart again?" she asked quietly and Jim sighed, his eyes dropping and focusing on the desk before him.

"It's not his heart, but it's pretty bad," he said and Joanna was silent, just allowing him to talk in his own time.

She wasn't prepared for the answer she was given, nor did she know how she would keep it a secret from her sister.


Christopher opened his eyes slowly.

Relief flooded through him as he realised it was over, the burning in his body had stopped.

His eyes locked onto the person he had to thank for it. He couldn't remember much of what had happened, and he was relieved to see he appeared uninjured.

David's face was relaxed as he slept; hair a mess and a small amount of dark stubble on his face. He looked a lot like his father with his eyes closed. Chris took a few seconds to appreciate how handsome his new bondmate really was, with his chiselled jaw and strong cheekbones and striking blue-gray eyes.

"Stop staring at me you creep," David mumbled sleepily and Chris smiled to himself, resisting the urge to cuddle up to David and keeping his distance.

He tried to reposition and flinched as his right wrist wouldn't move. He moved his pillow and groaned as he noticed himself bound to the bedpost.

"Hey, be a pal and cut me loose?" he asked and David groaned before clambering across him, still naked, and unlocking the cuff.

Christopher winced as he brought his arm back down, rubbing his sore shoulder and where the skin of his wrist was aggravated from the cuff being around it too long.

"Thanks wifey," he smirked and David glared at him as he collapsed back into a horizontal position, laying on his stomach.

"You ever call me that again and I'll tell the whole damn universe how you just spent the last three days begging me to fuck you," he threatened and Chris sighed.

"Uh… yeah… if we could keep that between us that'd be great," he said and David smirked.

"God you were needy as hell, never seen anything like it. I'm so damn tired I don't think I can move," he mumbled as he closed his eyes.

They lay in a slightly awkward silence for a few moments until David spoke again.

"You're welcome, by the way."

"Thank you David," Christopher said quickly, responding to the prompt. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked and David shrugged.

"Nothing I can't handle."

"So I did hurt you?" Chris asked and David sighed.

"Chris, I'm trying to sleep. Can we talk later?"

Christopher fell silent and David peeked one eye open to look at him.

"God damn it, don't sulk! Fuck. Look, you bit me a lot," he turned and angled his head so Chris could see the nasty wound on his neck, still covered in a little dried blood.

"And I'm bruised, and sore in a place you don't need to know about," he mumbled as he closed his eyes again.

Christopher stared hard at him for a few minutes as he stubbornly tried to go back to sleep.

Really, David, thank you. I probably would have died and-

"Cut that out. You don't need to thank me, I was hardly going to let you die if I could prevent it… just… we're never talkin' about this again, ok? Like… we didn't have sex. It didn't happen," he said firmly and Christopher nodded.

"Right."

"And this mind… thing? We can get that broken, yes?"

"Uh… it isn't really that simple, but we can look into it. I mean do you not want… to… be bonded?" he asked and David's eyes widened.

"God damn it man, you really think I wanna spend my whole life listenin' to your stupid space-elf thoughts? No. Hell no."

Christopher felt heat rising in his cheeks as he began to blush. He felt a strange tightening in his chest that he'd never before experienced and an odd sick feeling accompanying it.

"I didn't mean it like that," David quickly corrected.

"I understand. I don't really want to be bonded to you either," Christopher shrugged as he got out of bed and stretched before heading in the direction of the shower to wash away three days he'd really rather not think about, and doing his best not to show much David's comment had stung.

David lay in Christopher's bed and listened to the water running.

There was no doubt in his mind this had altered their friendship in a way that meant things between them would never be the same again, but David was conflicted. Part of him cared deeply for his part-Vulcan friend, but another part of him felt it was only as a friend. Certainly their physical acts had gone beyond the boundaries of friendship but he couldn't process his thoughts clearly enough to decide if he wanted those things to continue happening.

"God damn it all," David muttered as he hauled himself out of bed, scrambling for his clothes that had been lying forgotten on the floor the whole time. He pulled on his boxers first, hunting around for his jeans and shirt, locating the jeans first and pulling them on. As he fumbled to get them buttoned he looked up.

"Running away, huh?" Christopher asked, dark eyes staring at him accusingly. He was only wearing a towel, and water was running from his sodden hair down his chest.

Don't. Don't look. Just look at his face. Just because of what's happened it doesn't mean its forever. He's just your friend. Just your friend.

"I uh… yeah. I need to go home," David said, scratching the back of his head and ruffling his hair.

Chris nodded shortly.

"Sure. Don't let me hold you up," he said, walking past him closely enough for their shoulders to just brush against one-another and going to his closet.

David stared at his turned back, eyes following the trickles of water descending over the toned flesh before he snapped out of it and continued fastening his pants.

A shuffling of fabric announced that Christopher had dropped his towel and was scrambling for clothes.

"Dude, I'm still in the room, do you mind?" David frowned and Chris pulled a face, but kept his back to his friend as he snatched a pair of boxer-briefs from his drawer and put them on.

"Really? You're going to go weird about this, after what we've been doing for the last three days? I'm pretty sure you must know what I look like naked by now."

"I… yeah… but I mean, it's all over, right? We can go back to being buddies again and not fucking each other. What even was that anyway?" David asked and Christopher sighed.

"It's called Pon Farr, the Vulcan mating drive, and it works on a seven year cycle. Basically. Vulcan's are most often pre-bonded at the age of around seven, their bondmate is selected for them and a mental link is established which when they mature will become a full bond. None of us three had this, because Jim wanted us to be able to grow up and fall in love and bond with whoever we chose, he didn't want himself or Spock picking for us. I think it was assumed it wouldn't be a problem because we're only partially Vulcan, but, then I was a bit of an idiot and started joining my mind to yours without realising I was doing it. All that goofing around with mind-melding when we were kids? Yeah. I didn't realise until lately that I'd done it."

Christopher didn't turn to look at David, but pulled a clean white tee from his closet and pulled it over his head as he continued to explain.

"Now usually, Pon Farr doesn't happen until around age thirty-five. I think because I never actually meditate or do a whole lot to control my mind I brought it on myself," he finished and David nodded once to acknowledge what had been said.

Their eyes met for a few seconds, both remaining stock still and just staring at each other.

Chris took the first step forwards, one hand settling on the side of David's face, the other on his side, warm skin soft under his fingertips as David's shirt still hung uselessly from his hand.

Their lips brushed together lightly, a short, chaste kiss very different from the others they had shared.

David jolted backwards, shaking his head.

"No. I can't do this. I… I'm straight. I've told you this. I only did this to save your life. I… well… I don't want a relationship with you, I don't feel that way about you," he said quickly and Christopher didn't visibly react at all, though on the inside he felt panic rising.

"That's fine," he said quietly and David nodded, pulling his shirt over his head quickly.

"Probably better if you leave now."

"Oh believe me, I'm going," David said as he snatched up his jacket and started heading for the door.

"In a few weeks it wont be awkward between us anymore, don't sweat it, I know you're straight too, I understand now, it was an accident right? It's cool. Let's just… not talk about it again, and speak to someone about breaking this mind… bond… whatever. Later, man," David said as he let himself out, Christopher standing damp and dumbstruck in his boxers and tee-shirt.

He stared at the door for a few seconds before running a hand through his wet hair and heading back into the bedroom to finish getting dressed so he could go and do the only thing he felt he could do at this point, run home to his parents like a scared little boy.


"Thank god you're alright," Jim sighed as he dragged his son into a hug.

"Yeah yeah, I'm fine," he mumbled against his shoulder, trying to get away from the contact.

"Are you uh… all… sorted?" Jim asked awkwardly as he let him go and Christopher nodded.

"Yeah. I'm ok. I mean, I… David is weird as hell, about all of it, I mean I can't say I blame him, but yeah, we aren't together or anything, and we'll break our bond, it isn't all that strong anyway, I didn't do a very good job of it."

Christopher was doing his best to ignore the part of his mind that was connected to David's. There were thoughts there, information flooding in from where David hadn't shielded it, but he ignored it. He didn't want to think about David.

Jim glanced at Spock who looked just as relieved as he felt that they'd got their son back in one piece.

"And David is uninjured?" Spock asked and Christopher nodded.

"Yeah, turns out I was… uh… he's fine, yeah, he's fine," he quickly averted but Jim caught his eye and understood what he meant, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"Glad to hear it, maybe now Bones will calm the hell down. And you guys are sure you aren't going to… have a relationship now?" Jim asked and Christopher shook his head, though a flicker of uncertainty lingered in his eyes.

"Yeah. David decided, we decided. We don't feel that way about each other, we're just friends you know, and this whole thing was just me having been really, really dumb. But it's fine, I'll do my meditation now and next time I'll be ready for it, I'm sure David will still be around in seven years as my friend."

Jim looked carefully at his eldest son. He looked hurt, like someone had said something to upset him, but Jim knew he was unlikely to get a straight answer. He wondered if perhaps the feelings between David and Christopher were one-sided, and Chris had wanted to keep their bond and build a relationship whilst David didn't want to do that.

"Well alright, so long as you're ok. Spock, how hard would it be to get their bond broken?"

"They would require the assistance of a Vulcan healer, so would likely need to travel to New Vulcan, however if they are true T'hy'la, it is unlikely the bond will be able to broken well. The experience will be highly unpleasant and a residual bond will remain between them," he said and Chris shrugged in a way that said to Jim 'what David wants, he gets'.

"You don't want to break it, do you?" Jim asked and Chris tensed.

"I… don't want to talk about it. Is Leo here?"

Jim and Spock glanced at each other before Spock spoke first with a quickly concocted lie.

"Leo is with Emily McCoy, I believe they went to the park."

Chris smirked.

"So he's still trying to get in her pants?"

"No, Chris, it's really sweet, that's not what he's trying to do. They're like lovesick puppies around each other, it's so cute," Jim said and Chris pretended to retch.

"Disgusting Anyway, you got any food? I'm starving!"


Sheepishly, David knocked the corner of his father's office at the hospital. He'd gone home first but nobody had been there, a note left on the side told him his mother had gone to Starfleet London for a conference, and his father was at work until much later.

"Just a second," his father called from inside the room.

David waited patiently until the door slid open, his father standing on the other side and blocking most of his view into the room.

He glimpsed familiar golden hair sitting in a chair over near the corner, connected to some kind of IV drip filled with a greenish liquid, before his father stepped forwards and the door was closed behind him.

"Was that Leo? Or Jim?"

"None of your damn business. Are you alright?" he asked, tricoder appearing from nowhere and whirring as it was rapidly waved around in front of his face.

"I'm fine. Really. I'm ok," he said and Bones relaxed.

"I was real worried about you," he sighed and David nodded.

"Shouldn't have been, I can take care of myself," he shrugged.

"I know that, but against sex-crazed Vulcan? I don't know, I don't want to know. Right, come with me, I'm checking you over, never know what you might have caught from that kid," he said and David blushed bright pink as his father began to drag him down a corridor.

"Dad! Stop it! I'm fine, really, I'm sure I haven't-"

The rest of his sentence was cut off as he was roughly sat down on a bio bed, then pushed so he was laying horizontally. Bones frowned as he caught sight of the bite mark on his son's neck before grabbing a hypospray from the side and jabbing him in the neck with it.

"Dad!"

"Oh quit your whinin', you sound just like Jim," he grumbled as he took a blood sample and wandered off with it.

David sat up and glared after him, bringing his knees up and curling his arms around them, sitting in a ball until his father returned a few minutes later.

"Well, you seem to be fine, but that nasty mark on your neck could do with some seeing to."

David allowed his father to patch him up. He stayed silent the whole time, trying to make sense of the mess of thoughts and feelings flooding through him. A hand waving in front of his face brought him back to reality.

"Earth to David, come in David," Bones smirked as David snapped out of his trance.

"Sorry, huh?"

"I was asking if you're y'know, are you and Kirk in a relationship now?"

"No. We're not, and we never will be," he said firmly and Bones nodded.

"It's fine if you are, I mean, I don't mind, man, woman, whoever makes you happy, but just-"

"We're not. I don't feel that way about him. I just did what I had to do to help him out… that's as far as it goes," he snapped and his father retreated a few steps away from him.

"Alright, Jesus, don't take it out on me."

"I'm not, I just. God damn it, I don't even know. I need to go to sleep," David scratched his face. The stubble on his chin was itchy, he never usually let it go beyond a day, hating the feeling of not being clean-shaven.

"Go home and go to bed, doctors orders."

David rolled his eyes and left, glancing at the door of his father's office on the way past it.

Had it been Leo or Jim he'd seen sitting in there? His mind couldn't quite process the image, he'd only had such a quick glimpse, just about catching sight of the back of their head, the familiar golden hair and then the IV drip next to them.

He turned a corner of the corridor and saw Seren walking towards him in medical uniform, striding purposefully as if she was in a hurry to get somewhere.

"Seren! How it going?" he asked and she smiled slightly.

"I'm relieved to see you survived the last few days," she said shortly.

"Yeah, me too," he said awkwardly.

"I should go, I'm dealing with a patient," she said and he nodded as she continued walking down the corridor. She looked worried, pale and tired.

Ask her what she looks so worried about.

David flinched as Christopher's voice rang loudly through his head.

Get out of here! What I'm doing is none of your damn business, leave me alone.

The voice fell silent and David made his way home, taking a long hot shower before fixing himself a decent meal and then curling up on the couch once he'd eaten.

Around mid-day Emily wandered into the room, still in her pyjama's and her hair a mess.

"Morning," he mumbled and she smiled at him.

"Hey stranger, you all done with your sex marathon?" she smirked and he raised his middle finger to her as she chuckled and sat down by his legs.

"I am thanks," he responded and she laughed.

"You look exhausted."

"I feel exhausted, you should try doing that for three whole days, holy shit," he complained and she laughed again.

"You slept in late," he pointed out and she shrugged.

"I was up late last night," she said with a small smirk and he raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah? Am I not the only one who's been gettin' some Kirk lately?"

She blushed slightly and shook her head.

"No. Not like that, but I was with him last night. We were just watching movies and lost track of time," she explained and David smirked at his older sister.

"Oh yeah? Watching movies huh?"

"Yes! That's all I swear!" she blushed a deeper red as she remembered the previous evening.

She could feel herself trembling slightly as they sat together on the couch, movie on in the background but neither of them really paying attention. Their thighs were so close they were almost touching, and the temptation for her to take his hand was growing.

"You cold?" he asked as he noticed her body quaking.

"No," she mumbled and he moved slightly closer, his hand fumbling for her knee and missing by a few inches but then correcting quickly.

"You're wearing shorts? No wonder you're cold!" he laughed as he trailed his fingertips over her kneecap, making her shiver.

"Yeah but I'm wearing tights with my shorts, that's different," she pointed out, trapping a small piece of the nylon between her fingertips and stretching it before letting it ping back against her skin. He copied what she did with the tights covering her knee and smiled, leaning closer again.

"You trying to flirt, huh?" she asked and he smiled innocently.

"Is it working?"

"Maybe a little," she chuckled and he grinned, leaning closer again and draping his arm around her shoulder.

"Good."

She cuddled in close as they momentarily went back to their movie before he began to speak.

"So this morning I could see a little bit of light, not anymore, it's gone away again, but I could definitely see something," he said and she grinned, feeling her eyes fill with tears of happiness which she quickly got under control.

"I'm so pleased for you," she grinned and he smiled, nuzzling his face against her cheek before placing a small kiss there.

"You're so beautiful, I can't wait to see what I already know," he said softly and she giggled.

"Stop it."

"No. Really, I know you're going to be the most beautiful girl in the-"

She silenced him by pressing her lips to his, kissing him gently. They broke apart after a few seconds and she opened her eyes to see him staring directly into hers.

He moved forwards, kissing her more firmly though both of their mouths remained closed. One of his hands tangled in her hair and she whimpered against his mouth before she could stop herself as his hand on her knee moved up her thigh a little.

She giggled and pulled his hand away from her leg, keeping it held in her own as their lips reconnected, this time his tongue tentatively pressing at her bottom lip. She kissed back, tasting him, losing herself a little bit. When she came back to her senses they were laying on the couch, tangled together and both breathing heavily.

"Leo… you're bad," she giggled and he pecked the corner of her mouth.

"You make me bad."

"Do not."

"Do too!"

"Shut up!"

"Make me," he smirked and she did, pressing her lips against his once again.

They made out on the couch for the better part of two hours, until her lips were sore from the small amount of stubble on his face and both of their lips were swollen from overuse. Hands didn't wander, and he stayed respectful, keeping his hands either in her hair, on her face, or occasionally on her side or back. She was grateful for this, and felt completely at ease with his touch.

"I should go, it's really late," she whispered and he leaned in to kiss her again.

"Mmm don't go."

"Sugar, I have to," she mumbled and he pouted.

"You should come and stay in my bed with me, I wanna cuddle."

"I do too, but didn't you say you had to be up early in the morning to go and meet Scotty?"

He frowned.

"Yeah. You have a point," he sighed and she detangled herself from him and stood up, feeling lightheaded.

Since their first awkward kiss in the mall, all she'd wanted to do was kiss him, over and over, and now she'd been able to she wanted to do so much more. He tasted sweet, and was soft but firm with every kiss and touch, he made her feel like he was really paying attention to every tiny detail.

He could feel his control slipping, and desire beginning to overcome logic. All he really wanted to do was throw her over his shoulder and carry her to his bed where they'd spend all night doing things he'd only ever dreamed of, but he knew he couldn't.

"Em? So, what, you just spend all night making out or something?" David asked and she blinked hard before hiding half her face with her hand.

"Something like that."

"You know he's had a crush on you since as long as I can remember, right?"

She buried her face in both her hands.

"I know."

"So you aren't messing him around are you? You really like him?" he asked and she frowned.

"Of course I do, why would I mess with him?"

"Well I don't know, I remember when we were kids and you didn't have a crush on him and then you were seeing that other guy, which by the way Mom and Dad still don't know about. Is it because he's going to be able to see, that why you suddenly think he's good enough?"

Emily's hands balled into fists and she felt her temper rising.

"It's got nothing to do with that. Don't be such a dick," she spat, rising from the couch and storming back up to her room. She immediately tried Leo's comm. but found it was switched off. Frustrated she flung herself back onto the bed and closed her eyes.


Leo's head was spinning.

He bit his lip as he felt the needle being removed from his skin. He always hated the dragging pain of the IV line being pulled out.

"All done," Seren said and he nodded.

"And this has improved my chances, right?" he asked.

"Yes, it has, Leo I know how much you hate this, you're being so brave," she said and he frowned.

"Doesn't feel all that brave, it feels like fear… like I'm running for my life. But I'm not doing this for me anymore. I want to spend the rest of my life with her, and that needs to be a long time," he said stubbornly and Seren nodded, making a small sound of agreement.

Leo had reconsidered the last chemo. It was going to make him really, really sick and they both knew it. Bones knew it. Jim and Spock knew it.

"I love how you haven't even had an official date and you're set on marrying her," she chuckled and he grinned.

"It's gonna happen. I just know it. And then maybe in a few years we'll have a couple of kids, get a little house in the suburbs with a picket fence and we can video-comm. Jim and Spock out on their next big space adventure together and everything will be perfect," he said as he rolled his sleeve back down.

Seren smiled sadly to herself.

"You're such a hopeless romantic."

"Another way of saying it is a great big sappy mess. How do you put up with me?" he asked and she shrugged.

"I don't know, you have a pretty face, makes up for the sappiness," she said and he smiled.

"You're just saying that."

She laughed as she thought back to their childhood. Every single day Jim had made sure to assure Leo of his good-looks, and it was something Seren and Chris had adopted doing as they'd grown up. Leo would always laugh off their comments, sometimes he'd blush if Christopher was particularly crude, but Seren knew that deep down he appreciated it.

"Alright, let's get me home so I can faceplant the shit out of my bed before this crap kicks in," he said as he hauled himself to his feet.

"You got it," she nodded.


Joanna McCoy arrived home mid-afternoon, a fresh set of cadet reds tucked under her arm.

Jim had fast-tracked her admission and she was now a Cadet, he'd insisted as he argued she technically quit her job because of him so it was the least he could do. She'd join classes on Monday, going straight in as a second-year due to her previous linguistic experience.

But that wasn't what she was thinking about.

With trembling hands she set down the bundle of clothing and then sank down into the couch. Jim had broken down. He'd told her everything. Leo had cancer.

Cancer.

The word sounded so definitive, so final, so convincing that there was no way out of it, no way for him to survive.

He was pushing himself hard, trying to remain normal around everyone who didn't know whilst completing gruelling chemotherapy. No wonder he always seemed tired.

Joanna didn't know how to handle the information.

Half of her felt like she should tell her siblings. Emily most of all deserved to know. She was clearly becoming attached to him, and he was lying by omission by keeping the information from her. But if David found out, Christopher would find out, and it had been kept from him as Jim had no idea how he'd handle it.

Jo agreed with Jim. Christopher's reaction could be extreme to something so upsetting.

She pulled herself back up from the couch and strolled over to the small kitchen area, picking up the bottle of Bourbon she kept there on the side. She didn't have to hide it in her own apartment, not like Bones kept it stashed under the sink from Carol.

Not even bothering with a glass she unscrewed the cap, bringing the glass to her lips and taking a slow gulp, embracing the burn in her throat.

Her door chime sounded some time later, and she dragged herself to her feet, not even remembering sitting on the kitchen floor.

She swayed slightly as she opened the door, wiping away a few tears on her face with the back of her hand.

"Jim told me that he told you," Seren said quietly.

Joanna nodded and hiccupped. Seren stepped into the apartment, gently prying the bottle of alcohol from her hand. Joanna had expected her to place it on the side, and was surprised when she brought it to her own lips and took a hearty swig.

"I don't know what to do," she whispered as tears burned at her blue eyes. Jim's eyes.

"I don't know how you've –hic- kept it so quiet," Joanna sniffled.

"It has been incredibly difficult, and even more difficult to maintain any kind of control over my emotions," she admitted, wiping away the single tear that had escaped onto her cheek.

"Don't. You can talk to me about it, if you want to get it all out," Joanna offered and her friend nodded.

She walked to the kitchen counter and placed down the bottle, before walking to the couch and looking at it as though she wanted to sit down.

"You can sit, if you like, stay and talk," Joanna offered and Seren shook her head, her face crumpling as her tears began to flow freely.

Joanna hurried to her and wrapped her in a hug.

"Shh, it's ok," she soothed as harsh sobs wracked her friends body.

"It isn't. I don't know what's going to happen, and he's got these huge dreams and I want, god, I want him to have everything he wants. I'd give anything for it to be me instead," she managed out between uncontrollable sobs.

"Jim said the same thing," Joanna said quietly, one hand rubbing soothing circles into the taller woman's back as she held her in a comforting embrace.

"He wants so badly to get married and have babies with your sister," Seren sniffled and Joanna smiled.

"Known that since pretty much the day she was born, he wouldn't stop grabbing at her, I remember it so clearly."

"I want him to have all of that. I saw them kiss at the mall the other day, and he missed her mouth, it was the sweetest thing I've ever seen, he blushed so badly," Seren said with a small chuckle as she tried to pull herself together.

"Just have a bit of faith," Joanna urged, pulling back and placing her hands on Seren's shoulders who nodded in response.

"We have to tell the others now though, it's unfair to keep it secret any longer, especially if his surgery is imminent," she continued and Seren nodded again.

"After Scotty's party, once all that is done with, we'll talk to him and get him to tell everyone," she said and Joanna made a noise of agreement, letting her hands fall back to her sides.

They stared at each other for a few seconds, both undoubtedly thinking the same thing.

How would Emily, David and Christopher cope with the truth?


Thank you again for all the reviews on the last chapter. I'm aware this one is a little chaotic, but it's to set up the next chapter which is going to be pretty explosive. Stay tuned folks, and thank you for reading!