***Warning***

Man love. Lots of it. Don't like? Please don't read! This is rated M for a reason.


Chapter Seventeen.

It took Christopher a little while to figure out the layout of campus.

He was somewhat familiar with it, having been there quite a bit with Jim over the years and was able to find key places; the assembly hall, the cafeteria, the men's bathroom. Finding his classes was a little more difficult seeing as he'd never actually been to any of the classrooms.

He'd almost been late to his physics class, and was thoroughly lost when it came to finding his way to biochemistry.

He glanced around the crowded hallways, hoping he'd maybe see a familiar face, someone who would be helpful, point him in the right direction.

His eyes locked onto a small figure at least a head shorter than the crowd milling around her and he hurried over, trying to look casual as he did so.

"Molly Scott," he said and she glanced up at him, not looking at all surprised to see him there.

"Christopher Kirk," she mocked his tone.

"Biochem labs are…?" he asked, trailing off and she smirked.

"It'll cost ya'," she said, trace of her father's accent that she'd picked up.

"Name your price, and make it quick or I'll be late," he said and she grinned.

"I'll need some time to think on that," she said, snatching the PADD he had clasped in his hand and looking it over.

"We're in the same class, come with me," she said, grabbing his upper arm and beginning to lead him down the corridor.

"I'm in the same class as someone six years younger than me? How does that work?"

"It works because I hate biochem, and I have to take remedial class for extra credits if I want to pass it. Just astrophysics won't get me far enough, apparently," she said with an eye-roll.

"Stupid Starfleet regs, they're doing the same to me. Lucky I speak Vulcan or they'd have thrown me in some weird alien language class too. I don't want to take a xenolinguistics module as well as all the Biology bullshit," he said as they rounded the corner.

He stopped speaking abruptly as they entered the room.

"Biology –ahem- bullshit started three minutes ago. Scott and…" the teacher trailed off.

"Kirk," Chris piped up and the woman raised her eyebrows.

"Kirk. You're late. You can start by explaining to the class about the photosynthetic tendencies of a plant of your choosing," she said. Molly smirked as Chris stared at her blankly, desperately trying to remember his high-school basics.

"Uh…" he started dumbly, becoming entirely distracted when his eyes locked onto a pair of all-too-familiar blue ones staring at him from across the room.

David looked amused as Chris floundered under the watchful eye of the class. The Biochem professor was a particularly jovial Denobulan woman, who eventually relinquished her attack on Chris and allowed him to stop explaining after he'd mumbled something that was barely satisfactory.

Molly gave a better answer and was quickly dismissed to her seat, but the instructor kept Chris at the front of the room.

"New entrant?" she asked and he nodded. The class began to talk amongst themselves and Chris was grateful, it took some of the pressure off him.

He inclined his head in agreement and pulled at his jacket nervously.

"You name preceeds you Kirk, you look just like your fathers," she pointed out and he nodded again.

"So I'm told."

"Hopefully you've got a brain in that pretty little head of yours," she said and he paused for a moment, looking at her carefully.

"It's in there somewhere, maybe a little out of practice," he admitted and she nodded.

"I'll sit you with someone who really knows what he's doing. McCoy, would you mind giving Mr Kirk a hand for today?" she asked and David looked up.

"Uh… no, ma'am, really I'm fine, I can just sit with Molly? Maybe?" Chris suggested quickly and the Denobulan shook her head.

"I insist. David will help you, he is one of my top students," she said, steering him towards the empty seat next to David.

Chris plonked himself down in the chair, glaring at the instructors back as she walked away. He ignored the way that the three male cadets sat closest to David had looked at him strangely when they'd overheard his name, one of them whispering something to one of the others.

"Make sure you take notes, she don't slow down for nothin'," David murmured as the instructor cleared her throat and began to speak.


"So what are you doing here?" David asked as the class began to file out. David's three friends had been incredibly distracting all through the lecture and had whispered amongst themselves, Chris' more sensitive hearing able to hear every word of their unintelligent conversation. It had really put him off and he was grateful when they left immediately after class, looking at David expectantly who waved them off, told them not to wait for him.

"Me? Taking a class, just like you," he said casually.

"No, idiot. I mean at Starfleet. You've never wanted to do this. A week in Iowa with an old shut-in and now you suddenly want out into the black? Don't you have pictures to pose for or something?" he asked and Chris gave him a stern look.

"Do you have any idea how much I got paid for that stuff?"

"No. And I don't much care either. You didn't make any notes," David pointed out.

"In here," Chris said, tapping the side of his temple.

David snorted and shook his head.

"You can't be strutting around here with an ego like that. Your face won't get you grades you know, and no matter how good your six-pack looks that won't get you out into space. You're not in this for any other reason than the obvious one," David said and Chris narrowed his eyes slightly, the room now completely empty, leaving them alone.

"And what's that?"

"To keep Jim and Spock off your back. You aren't here for you, you're here for them," he said and Christopher shook his head.

"You're wrong. You can see that you're wrong, you know that you're wrong."

"Don't come crying to me when you realise you're the one who's wrong," David said coldly, storming past him and out of the room.

Christopher stood in silence for a moment, suppressing his urge to follow David and punch him in the face. He thought they had moved past the childish hostility, but evidently he was mistaken. Things had been incredibly tense between them since the night Chris had his incident at the apartment. He was calling it an 'incident' because he was in no way ready to call it a breakdown. He could remember David kissing him though, and was ready to use that ammunition if it came to it.

He had a three hour gap before his next class and no homework, so decided to head over to the hospital to check on Leo. Their mental link had been silent since he'd left the room, but he hoped to maybe communicate with him again if they were in close enough contact.

His feet led him through the familiar maze of corridors until he reached Leo's room.

The door was closed and he let himself in, surprised as he found the room dimly lit with the blinds down and obscuring the window.

"I think he's going to wake up, so I don't want to overwhelm him when he does," Seren explained as he stepped into the shadows of the room.

"You're that confident he's going to be able to see?"

"His brain scans look almost identical to yours now. Everything looks like it should work, but we'll only know for sure when he wakes up and tells us that," she said quietly. Chris took a few steps closer, reaching for the familiar point in his mind where he could feel his twin's connection.

Waking up today?

He sank into the chair beside his bed and awaited his response.

Working on it. How's Emily?

Honestly I haven't seen her or talked to her. Bones is making her stay away from you until he's sure she won't give you any kind of infection.

Chris watched as Leo frowned slightly, Seren smiling and making a note on a PADD of the new progress.

I don't care, I've had strep throat before and it isn't so bad, just bring her to see me? Please?

"He's asking for Emily," Chris sighed and Seren took a deep breath.

"Can't risk it. Any kind of infection could be enough to-"

"Seren. Please? I miss her," Leo croaked. Chris grinned from ear to ear and grabbed his brother's hand.

She sighed.

"You're breaking my heart but Leo I can't. It's too risky. I'll be right back, I need to get Doctor McCoy seeing as you're awake," she said, quickly leaving the room.

"You going to open your eyes for me?" Chris asked and Leo yawned widely.

"The effort to open my mouth is enough. Not quite ready yet," he said weakly. Christopher squeezed his hand.

"When you are, I'll be here."

"Ew. I don't want the first thing I see to be your ugly face," Leo mumbled and Chris snorted.

"What do you want to be the first thing you see?"

Leo was silent for a moment, breathing slightly heavier than he had been as if the effort of just being conscious was rendering him out of breath.

"Food. I'm starving," he mumbled, barely above a whisper.

"I'll bring you anything you want," Chris promised.

They were both silent for a few long minutes. Chris was doing his best to control the emotions threatening to overcome him. Leo somehow seemed even more fragile conscious than when he had been in his trance.

Seren returned with Bones in tow and he reviewed the monitors.

"Hey kid, how are you feeling?" he asked and Leo shifted slightly in the bed, screwing up his face.

"Like maybe my head got cut open or something equally horrific," he said quietly and Bones chuckled.

"Oh yeah, there was a lot of that. You did great. You're doing great. Relieved to have you talkin'. Do you want some water? Painkillers?" he asked, brandishing a tricoder and looking at him carefully, Leo nodded very slightly.

Chris helped him to drink from a glass, though managed to spill a little on the pillow.

"Sorry," he said quickly and Leo didn't reply.

"Leo?" Seren asked quietly.

"M'awake," he whispered.

"Go back to sleep kid, you aint ready to be up and talkin' just yet," Bones said, eyeing the screen of his tricoder and the monitors.

"But I wanna," he whimpered.

"Well I don't care mister. Back to sleep with you. I'll call Emily and tell her you're up and talkin' alright?" he said firmly.

Leo gave a small yawn and a little stretch, eyelids flickering but not opening.

"Mmm night," he mumbled as he slipped back into sleep.

Seren breathed a small sigh as she looked at him carefully.

"You goin' to believe me now that we did everything right?" Bones asked her and she nodded, allowing herself a small smile.

"It's going to be amazing when he properly wakes up. I can't wait for him to see us," Chris said, excitement creeping into his tone.

"Kind of want it to be put off a couple days, don't want your parents to miss it," Bones said, crossing his arms across his chest.


Jim bit his lip to keep silent as Spock pinned him to the bed. He'd been hoping for his bondmate to retain some degree of control, but his hopes were fading fast as Spock was anything but gentle with him.

"Spock," he tried, his words ignored as his face was pushed down into the pillow, hips dragged upwards, legs spread.

Two spit-slick fingers worked into him, too much too fast.

"Spock," Jim tried again, squirming. Spock growled low in his throat and Jim kept very still, allowing the Vulcan complete control over him.

Jim grit his teeth as Spock added his third finger, the stretch too far setting his nerve-endings alight. It hurt, but the fever was inching across into his own mind through their bond, obscuring his senses from being able to accurately determine how he was feeling.

Spock. Please, try and fight it, be in control.

Spock seemed to momentarily come to his senses, his fingers retreating, returning a moment later slippery with cool lubricant. Jim mewled in pleasure at the relief, doing his best to force himself to relax.

He couldn't muffle his yelp of surprise when Spock picked him up by the hips and spun him, flipping him over onto his back, pinning his legs bent against his body.

Dark eyes focused on his own as Spock entered him in one quick movement. Jim bit the inside of his mouth to keep quiet.

Jim wasn't in pain, but he certainly wasn't enjoying himself as shown by his certainly flagging erection that didn't go unnoticed by Spock who was quick to delve into his mind without any warning.

Jim moaned out as pleasure and heat and overwhelming need flooded through him, his body taking mere seconds to respond. He'd been wound so tight for weeks, months even. Worry about everything from Spock's return home, to his own dwindling career at Starfleet, to Leo's health and Christopher's emotional state.

Maybe a few days getting screwed through the mattress would be good for him, force everything out of his brain.

"Spock, god, yes," he gasped out as Spock thrust hard into him, setting a quick pace, slamming into him with bruising force. He was always so different during Pon Farr. Usually he'd take things slowly, make sure Jim was enjoying whatever they were doing at that particular moment through clever use of their bond, and always ensure Jim was satisfied. But now he just needed release, relief from the fever coursing through his veins, the primal urge to pin his bondmate down and fuck.

Jim kept his eyes on Spock's, watching the brown irises disappear completely as his pupils dilated to the maximum. His eyes slipped closed for a moment and his movements stuttered, rhythm breaking momentarily. He grabbed Jim's legs which were over his shoulders and held one ankle in each hand, pushing them down towards Jim's torso and apart, causing Jim to breathe out a string of expletives as the new angle had Spock's every moments causing the double-ridged head of his cock to press exquisitely against his prostate.

Jim wrapped a hand around his own cock, pumping it erratically, frantically, desperate for release.

Spock let out a gasp and a groan as he spilled inside of Jim, Jim moaning out as he hit his own climax, his release warm and wet on his stomach and Spock's.

They were still for a long moment until Spock drew almost entirely out before burying himself back in to the hilt. Oversensitive from his orgasm, Jim whined at the sensation, trying to wriggle away from the stimulation. Spock held him pinned easily, pushing both his legs aside and lowering himself down so they were chest to chest, Jim's legs wrapping around his back as Spock snaked his arms underneath Jim's arms and up so his hands were underneath his shoulders, almost like he was hugging him.

Except he wasn't. He was pinning him down and rutting into him mindlessly, broken words spilling him his lips occasionally, some in Vulcan, some in standard. Jim caught his own name amongst it, and the word T'hy'la. He fought hard against the groans he wanted to let out, protesting against the overuse of his body and the fact he'd had absolutely no time to recover from round one before round two had started.

Spock came again, quickly, eyes rolling into the back of his head as his hips stilled, cock pulsing deep inside of his bondmate.

"T'hy'la," he breathed against Jim's neck.

"Mmm Spock, you still in there?" Jim asked uncertainly.

"I am… certainly under the influence of Pon Farr however I am in more control than on previous occasions," Spock said, voice oddly breathless.

"Good, no beating the hell out of me. Just the sex," Jim said, wincing as Spock pulled out a little too quickly and rolled onto the bed beside him.

"I believe there will be much of that, Jim," he said quietly against Jim's neck as they curled together.

"Goody," Jim said unenthusiastically.

"I am fully aware of the inconvenient timing of-"Spock stopped talking halfway through his sentence, closing his eyes tightly, fighting to stay in control.

"S'okay Spock, just do what you need to do, whatever you need just take it," Jim said, resigning himself to however long he was going to be trapped in that room.

He was so convinced that Leo was going to wake up and he was going to miss it. After all the years he'd spent waiting for their son to be able to see, Spock had managed to enter Pon Farr at the worst possible time. Jim also knew that he wouldn't feel entirely able to relax about Leo getting over his surgery until they'd had a chance to actually speak, for him to know that he was alright.

Jim bit back his groan as Spock pinned him to the mattress once again, predatory darkness clouding his eyes. Jim closed his own eyes and tried to keep his body relaxed, not to struggle as Spock took what he needed from him.


Chris discovers that he and David share several classes together, and that in any that there are three particular other cadets, David wont as much as look at him properly.

In the three hours he was away from campus, tension seems to have built from nowhere, and it seems to stem from David's three friends who look at him strangely when they think he doesn't notice.

He's very briefly introduced to the three, surnames only, and no handshakes (not that he was complaining, he hated having to excuse himself from shaking hands and then to have to explain about his telepathy) but it seemed odd. The three other cadets; Patrick, Ramos and Forbes. They are all human, all American, all very much the jock-frat-boy type. David is different around them, makes comments Chris would never have imagined him making.

The first time Chris catches the word is in the hallway outside the shuttle simulators. He ignores it, thinking he must have heard wrongly.

He hears it twice more before the end of his day.

"Faggot," hisses Patrick to a passing cadet. David doesn't bat an eye at the victim of the taunt, a weedy looking blonde whose eyes quickly avert to the floor.

"Is this why you're-"Chris begins, feeling anger bubbling up inside of him. David cuts him off by starting to talk loudly about the woman he'd spent the night with two days previously.

The night in question, it had in fact been Chris that had slept in his bed, not some woman. They'd cuddled. David had promised him Leo would be fine and they'd fallen asleep together like that.

And David was lying.

So that's it huh? Your friends here are a bunch of disgusting homophobes and you want them to think you're straighter than straight?

David glared at him across the table in the cafeteria, something uneaten on his plate staring up at him.

Quit the bond bullshit, not here.

Chris smirked at having obviously got a reaction.

"So I was talking to my Dad's earlier and it turns out that there are some new equality procedures being brought in this year," Chris lied casually. David's eyes widened as his three friends stopped talking and stared at Chris.

"Yeah, I am talking to you," Chris said, leaning across the table and lowering his voice.

"Your attitude is archaic and disgusting and you should be embarrassed to be so narrow-minded," he said and Patrick was the first to laugh.

"What, you're a little faggot too? That it? Can't say I'm surprised though, Kirk and Spock are the two most bent-" He didn't get to finish as Chris threw him the better part of fifteen feet across the room, leaving him a crumpled heap on the ground.

Ramos was next on his feet, taking a swing at Chris and yelping in pain as his hand was caught and twisted before he could even react. Chris let go before he broke the bone and floored the cadet with a single blow to the chest, knocking all the breath out of him and leaving him too shocked to instantly draw another one.

Forbes knew when not to pick a fight and backed off just in time for two security officers to arrive, having been alerted to the fray. David and Christopher were led off in opposite directions.

David found himself in his mentors office, given a stern talking to and placed on academic suspension (on the order of Admiral Bennett himself, no less) until further notice, no chance to even explain himself.

Seething, he stormed home, peeling off his reds as he walked up to his room.

"Stupid-" he tore off the jacket inside the door.

"Fucking-" he peeled his shirt over his head, throwing that aside too, leaving it on the stairs behind him.

"Admirals," he growled as he reached the top of the stairs and kicked off his boots, peeled off his socks and turned to the left, aiming for his door.

It slid open and he walked right into a solid wall of muscle.

"What the hell are you doing in my hou-" David was cut off as Chris slammed his lips against his, pushing him backwards and up against the door that had closed behind him barely a second before.

"I fucking hate you," Chris growled as he fumbled at the button and zipper of David's pants.

"Yeah? Well I fucking hate you too," David spat, their lips reconnecting in a dizzying kiss. Chris bit David's bottom lip, a little too hard, the taste of a little blood mingling in their mouths.

"I'm going to show you just how much I hate you," Chris growls, breathless against David's lips.

"Yeah? Do it, I dare you," David bites back and Chris palms his rapidly swelling cock through the fabric of his boxers.

David finds himself face down on the bed before he can even blink, all clothing removed from his body. He heard his boxers rip as Chris literally tore them from him and gasps out as before he can react, Chris is on top of him, skin to skin, rock solid length of his cock pressed against David's naked thigh.

"I'm going to hold you down and fuck you until you scream," Chris growls in his ear, biting at it roughly before David lets out a muffled yelp as one finger presses into him and where Chris got lube from he'll never know, or particularly care for that matter.

One finger becomes two and two becomes something much larger, something that makes David bite the sheets beneath him, toes curling and hands clenching and gasping until Christopher is fully sheathed inside of him.

One hand is on David's bicep, the other on the back of his head, effectively pinning him to the bed as he begins to thrust into him, grunting a little as he does so.

"Think you're fucking funny huh?" he growled into David's ear, leaning down to get closer, the hand on his bicep curling underneath his arm and looping back through to grasp his shoulder, laying flat out on top of him.

His full weight is slightly overwhelming and David's head is swimming. He can't breathe. He can't even think. He's certain it's due to Chris's ridiculously large endowment poking him in the brain or somewhere equally as vital for thoughts, but he'd need medical evidence to support his theory.

"You like this? You like when I fuck you like this?"

David can't answer with words, a pained whimper leaving his mouth as he falls further off the cliff into the swirling white pleasure below.

"I asked you a question and you'll answer me," Chris says in a low voice, pulling David's hair, pulling his head back.

"Y-yes," he gasps out.

"What would your friends say if they could see you now? Laying there just taking it. Should I tell them? Tell them how you moan like a little slut for it?" he breathed in a low voice, punctuating his words with particularly savage thrusts that leave David tantalizingly close to the edge, the friction of his cock against the sheets below him maddening.

Christopher bites down on the back of his neck and David moans loudly, pushing back upwards against each punishing inward movement, driving him deeper, harder.

A hand covers his mouth as he finally explodes, his desperate, pleading moans partially muffled by Chris' large hand obscuring his lips. Chris releases his hold and pulls out, stroking himself only a few times before exploding over his bondmates back, decorating the lightly tanned skin with his seed.

David lays panting as Chris quickly dresses himself.

"Don't you ever embarrass me like that again," Chris warns as he storms from the room, footsteps retreating down the stairs.

"Oh fuck," David mumbled as his brain started to come back online and he realised just how much his body was aching and how much of a mess he was.

He grimaced as he forced himself up with shaking arms, snatching up his towel and opening his door just a little to peek outside. There was nobody around so he risked it, hurrying to the bathroom to clean up, naked and filthy.

Chris… Jesus what was that?

He started up the shower and stood back, waiting for a response through the bond.

That was me showing you that as much as you like to think you are, I'm the boss. Your friends are disgusting and the fact you pretend to agree with their attitude it disgusting.

Towel bundled up on the side, he stepped under the warm flow of water and sighed.

I know. But it isn't easy there. People make their friends early on; I've known them since we started. It was a few months before I realised what they were like, and by that point it was too late to change. Everyone had made their friends and weren't looking for more. I was stuck. Them or nobody. Please… don't tell Jim. He'll be so disappointed.

David quickly washed himself off, body tingling with aftershocks of the sex he still couldn't quite believe had actually just happened.

Damn right he'll be disappointed. I sincerely hope you don't actually believe their attitudes. There's nothing wrong with being gay. Nothing at all. You know what? Admiral Pike was gay too. He was married to a man. Does that make him any less of a hero?

David clenched his fists as Chris continued to provoke him.

No! God damn it, are you not listening to me? I've already told you I don't agree with their opinions, much as I pretend to just to save face around the Academy. You're right, homophobia died out a hundred years ago and should stay dead. I'm not a homophobe, Chris.

He stomped out of the shower and towel dried himself roughly, tying the towel around his waist and storming back down the hallway to his room to get dressed, meeting a miserable looking Emily as she exited her own room. She took one look at the clear fresh bite mark on his neck and smirked.

"Don't say it," he hissed.

"I could hear you guys you know," she pointed out as she flounced past him and down the stairs, tightening the scarf around her neck to help keep her throat warm.

David felt heat rising in his cheeks as he began to blush. She had heard them? Shit.

You know what David? I think you are homophobic. I think that's why this whole thing between us freaks you out so much. It's because you have feelings for me, feelings that I know are there because I can see them in your mind. It's because I'm a man that you won't act on them, so don't talk to me until you stop being such an asshole. Oh and by the way, enjoy being suspended; I got off with a warning because I was provoked by your asshole friends.

The loud bang when his fist collided with his wall startled David into focusing on trying to keep calm. His hand throbbed painfully and he cried out, half in anger and frustration, half in pain.

"Fucking pointy-eared asshole," he growled as he stumbled around, snatching up clothes as he went and pulling them on. He stripped the sheets off his bed and ignored Emily's knowing smirk as he bundled them into the washing machine.

"How's that sore throat treating you?" he asked, wiping the smirk off her face immediately.

"Yeah. I thought so. Leo was awake today, askin' for you and you weren't there for him, how's that feel?" he asked spitefully.

"You're… a horrible person," she spat as she hurried from the kitchen.

David ignored the tiny spark of guilt that ignited inside of himself as he saw her hazel eyes full of tears.

He called up a few friends, made plans to go out, get drunk, forget.

He had no idea what the night had in store for him.


Leonard and Carol McCoy groaned simultaneously as their side-by-side communicators began to chirp a little before two in the morning.

"That's gonna be the same for both of us darlin'," he murmured, voice deep and scratchy from sleep.

She leant across and picked up both devices, handing her husband the one that belonged to him.

"McCoy," he grunted.

"By Starfleet order four seven alpha six one nine, Doctor Leonard McCoy to report for immediate despatch as CMO of the USS Enterprise," the recorded message stated, tone cool and calm.

He felt immediately wide awake as he asked the question.

"Computer, what is the purpose of the despatch?"

"USS Enterprise is being deployed to assist USS Intrepid. Distress call received at zero one hundred hours, thirty-nine minu-"

"Computer play recording," he ordered as he dived out of bed, Carol doing the same. Uniforms were pulled out of the closet as the recorded loaded and they both froze as it began to play.

Zis is Commander Pavel Chekov, USS Intrepid, requesting immediate assistance. Our ship has been boarded by strange… creatures. Zey are like robots, half robots and half people. Ve hawe been able to seal ze majority of ze ship, but ze Keptin is not on ze bridge and is currently unaccounted for. Requesting Enterprise if possible. Send Kirk. Kirk and Spock, zey will know what to do. It appears that ze creatures are attempting to modify systems.

The man sounded panicked, rushed, stressed.

Carol and Leonard locked eyes across the room as they each quickly scrambled into their uniforms.

"Jim and Spock are a little preoccupied right now," he muttered under his breath.

"I'm sure something can be figured out," she responded as she pulled on her boots.

I sure as hell hope so Leonard thought to himself as they bounded down the stairs. Emily appeared in her doorway, blinking sleepily.

"Emergency. We've been called. I'll comm. you once we get on board and let you know more," Carol said quickly as they rushed to stand in the middle of the hallway.

"Be safe," she croaked, rubbing at her throat with the heel of her hand.

"Get Seren to give you another shot of antibiotics, and stay away from Leo, sorry," Leonard ordered.

"We love you," Carol added quickly to her daughter, trying to keep her voice calm and steady, not showing how nervous she was at the sudden emergency deployment.

"Enterprise, McCoy and McCoy reporting ready for transport," he spoke quickly into his communicator.

There was a crackle of static and then a response from a familiar voice.

"Oh, roped you in too have they? Stand by," Scotty said and their eyes met as the small white lights of the transporter beam began to swirl around them.

Emily watched from the upstairs landing as her parents dematerialised, her heart pounding as a sick, nervous feeling rose in her throat.

Aboard the ship Scotty had transported Jim and Spock directly from their bedroom at home to the Captains quarters of the ship. McCoy had managed to warn him of Spock's Pon Farr and he'd just nodded and not asked questions.

"So… with Jim and Spock temporarily out of commission right now and the fact we're not sharing it with the Admiralty, who's in charge?" Carol asked and the doctor frowned.

"Me, you or Mr Scott, all Commanders. We can take turns," he said glumly as he headed for the bridge. He wasn't needed in sickbay. Everyone aboard the ship was healthy, there were no injuries to treat either. Yet he added as a grim, pessimistic afterthought.

The crew was a mixture of cadets and regular staff members and as they weaved their way through the crowded corridors Carol caught sight of Joanna striding confidently towards the communications room.

"Joanna is here," she murmured to her husband.

"Don't surprise me, half the damn Academy seem to be here, where's the rest of the crew?" he asked and Scotty shrugged.

"Lot of people on alternative assignments at the moment so the top cadets are filling their spaces. Wonder who got the helm," he said and McCoy just shrugged as they made their way towards the turbo-lift.

"David here?" McCoy asked and Carol scanned a PADD she had been handed by a Yeoman somewhere on their way to the bridge.

"No. This says he's on Academic suspension, pending further investigation," she said and the doctor sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as they stepped into the lift and commanded it to the bridge.

"Kids," he grunted frustratedly. "If we make it home in one piece, I'll be givin' him a piece of my mind," he said. "Does it say why he's suspended?" he demanded and Carol frowned as she quickly read the report.

"Involved in a fight that included four other cadets. One of them was Christopher."

Scotty stood awkwardly as he watched the couple discuss their son.

"Chris suspended too?"

"Um… no. But he's grounded anyway, too new of a cadet to be cleared to go into the black yet," she said and he nodded once as the lift reached the bridge.

"Here we go," he muttered under his breath as the three of them stepped out into the familiar room, feeling strange knowing Jim and Spock were aboard but not on the bridge where they belonged.

Leonard uncomfortably took the Captain's chair, being the highest ranking officer there he would be in charge until a time when Jim or Spock could report for duty.

"It's going to take us a little over two days at maximum warp to reach the location the transmission came from, so let's not dilly-dally. Kid, what's your name?" he asked the young blonde man the helm.

"Ensign Tucker, Sir," he responded quickly, not meeting the older man's eye.

"You got a first name, kid?" he asked. The young man seemed barely older than twenty-five at a stretch and clearly nervous.

"My friends call me Quinn, Sir," he said and the doctor nodded.

"My friends call me Bones, but I'm sure you've heard those stories around the Academy," he said, trying to put the young man at ease. He nodded stiffly.

"Yes Sir."

"Enough with the Sir. You're makin' me nervous, we both know I don't belong in this chair, kid," Bones sighed, resting his elbow on the arm-rest of the chair.

He wasn't the right man to be sitting in this seat. Just because he held the highest rank aboard the ship and automatically therefore the rank of acting Captain, didn't make him feel any more comfortable in the chair.

"Sorry, sir. I mean… not sir," he corrected quickly. Bones gave him a weak half a smile.

"Ready for immediate departure," Carol reported from a station behind him and he nodded once.

"Acknowledged Commander. Ensign Tucker, take us out," he ordered.

The familiar hum of the warp core powering up to full capacity filled him with both excitement and dread.

"Now hurry up Spock, and get Jim back in this damn chair where he belongs," he muttered under his breath as they accelerated to full speed, racing towards the ship that had called for their help.


A/N

Sorry this took a little longer than usual, it was my first encounter with writer's block in the whole time I've been writing this story. The next chapter should come quicker, things are happening, big, big things. Also, apologies for Jim and Spock's scene not being as long as I thought it would be. The scene between David and Chris wouldn't leave my mind so I put that in instead, hope it's an at least partially acceptable substitute!

Now that I've started to reveal a little more of maybe where the story is headed, I'd love to hear(read) your thoughts. Thank you again to everyone who reviewed the last chapter :)