Leonard looked up from his research as he heard someone enter and became deeply concerned when he saw that it was Jim and David. Jim rarely came into his lab, since he was accident prone, and he had never brought David in before. Leonard had barely put his experiment in status and got out of his chair when Jim was by his side.

"Leonard, I'm beyond worried and in a full blown panic. I've been doing the grounding techniques but they aren't working. I've noticed for the past few days David has been very lethargic and sleeping a lot. I am positive it's not a growth spurt. He's sick - help me!"

"Okay Jim, give me our son so I can run some tests on him. It's okay we will figure this out."

Jim reluctantly handed his son over to Leonard, and sat on the couch. Even in his desperate state he stayed far away from Leonard's experiments, not wanting to ruin any of them. He anxiously bounced his knee, before asking, "Bones, what is wrong with our son?!"

Leonard, who had gone into full doctor mode, the only way he could remain calm while examining his son, responded, "Give me a moment Jim. David doesn't have any of the basic childhood diseases so I am looking at those that affect Vulcans." Leonard then paled, and turned to his spouse, "Jim our son has Choriocytosis."

"What the hell does that mean Bones?!"

Quietly he responded, "It is a virus that affects the ability of the blood cells to carry oxygen to the body's organs - it affects both humans and vulcans. However, it is extremely deadly to Vulcans because of their copper based blood."

"Bones, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN MEAN FOR OUR SON?!"

"It means, Jim, that death can occur within a week - the only known treatment is strobolin."

"Why does this sound like a problem?"

Leonard sighed, "Strobolin is a very rare, naturally occuring substance that is only found on a few planets. Unfortunately, the only planets that have it are currently in the neutral zone or on Talos IV. I've already given David a synthesized version to slow the progression but he will become immune to it within a few days"

"My God Bones, what are we going to do?" Jim, for the first time since being on Tarsus IV as a child, felt completely and totally helpless. "Bones, I've never felt so helpless before…how on earth am I going to save my son?"

"The answer is clear," Spock said from the door, "we go to Talos IV."

Jim whipped around to his spouse with wide eyes, "Can we? We barely got away with it when we brought Chris there years ago. Although, if we have to do a court - martial and are thrown in the brig David still has Leonard…let's do it."

Gently placing a drowsy David on the couch next to Jim, Leonard responded with heat in his voice, "Now wait just a goddamned minute! You two seem to forget that going to Talos IV is a death sentence - - I will not be a widower and a single father. Absolutely not. There has to be a way around this without the two of you dying."

"There is," Spock responded sitting next to Jim taking his hand, "it is my fault that David has this deadly disease. I heard a group of scientists talking about this on one of my shuttles. I did not think that our son, being one fourth Vulcan, would be affected by this disease in this way so it did not occur to me to isolate myself when I got home. Clearly, I brought home the disease - it did not affect me most likely because it is a mild case but it obviously is not mild for our son. It is therefore my responsibility to go to Talos IV to get the cure. I can deal with death easier than dealing with being responsible for the death of our son."

"Coward!" Jim hissed out as both Leoanrd and Spock looked at him in shock. "You would rather die than face the consequences of your actions."

"JIM!" Leonard said sternly, forcing Jim to look at him. "You don't mean that - we are all clearly beyond upset at this situation but saying things you'll regret later won't help anything.

Jim deflated and quietly said, "You're right Leonard." He looked at Spock, moved to sit right next to him, then asked, "Can I hug you?" Spock had barely completed his nod before Jim took him into a bone crushing hug. "I'm so sorry Spock, I truly didn't mean it. I'm so incredibly worried about our son and I don't want to lose him. I realize it doesn't excuse what I said or how I said it. Please forgive me."

Spock returned the hug, while quietly responding "K'diwa there is nothing to forgive. Your response is valid and I am sorry for the illness I've brought home."

"Alright," Leonard said, "now that we've taken care of that, I think I've figured out a solution to save our son."

Still cuddled into Spock's side, Jim looked at Leonard with hope in his eyes, "What can we do?"

"Well, our son hasn't met his godfather yet and since he just turned two I think it's time he met him. Since Jim is Starfleet's golden child I don't think they'll refuse him a trip to Talos IV."

"Do you really think it'll work Bones?"

Leonard shrugged. "If the nice way doesn't work then we'll sneak in."

Wiping the tears from his face, a new look of determination came onto Jim's face. "I'll contact Starfleet now. We need to get that ball rolling." A few hours later saw the small family in a small vessel that would take them to a halfway point between earth and Talos IV. A vessel carrying Admiral Pike and a few Talosians, would meet them there with the needed medicine for their son.

Jim was nervously pacing on the promenade of DS9, waiting for Admiral Pike. He was too riled up to sit in their guest quarters. Eventually, Spock found him and murmured "K'diwa Chris is here, come - our son is going to be cured." Jim quickly walked back to their quarters and arrived there at the same time as the Admiral and Talosians. "I wish we were meeting under better circumstances," Jim said.

"As do I," replied Chris, "but it will be as soon as we give my godson his medicine." Leonard and the doctor from Talos went to the Medbay to administer the cure and monitor David. Before he left, he turned to his husbands and said, "You two stay here. You will do me no good hovering around me as I cure our son. Stay here with Chris." Jim gave a nod, knowing it was pointless to argue since his husband was right. Jim sat next to Spock and curled into him, closing his eyes. He didn't have the energy to make small talk until his healthy son was in his arms again. As they waited Chris and Spock caught up on their years apart. Looking at Kirk and Spock, Chris quietly said, "I can't believe how far the two of you have come in the past few years. I haven't seen you so settled before, Jim and the doctor are good for you Spock."
Kirk slowly opened his eyes and responded before his husband had the chance, "That may be true Chris but Spock has been wonderful for us too. He is an amazing spouse and father."

"But you feel guilty for bringing this home to your son don't you?" Chris asked.

"You always did ask the direct question Chris, and yes I do. I'll admit the emotions and turmoil of this time have been overwhelming for me. "

Chris leaned forward and said, "Don't do anything rash Spock - like the kolinahr. You'll regret it. You've come so far Spock in balancing who you are. Don't turn back now!"

Jim sat up, suddenly alert and turned to Spock, "What the hell is he talking about Spock? What is kolinahr?"

"We will discuss this later, K'diwa."

"Spock…"

"Later!" Spock said in an alpha voice that he rarely used. Jim threw up his hand in surrender, knowing now was not the time to push it. At that moment Leonard walked in with their son. David looked shyly from the arms of Leonard at the strangers in the room. Leonard whispered to his son, "This is Chris, David. You're named after him. He and your Sa'mekh served together before he met and served with your daddy." He put David down and he shyly, slowly made his way over to Chris.

"May I mind meld with you ?" he asked.

Chris raised an eyebrow at Spock, "Well there is no doubt he's yours Spock."

David placed his hand on Chris's PSI point and a while later he withdrew. "You're brave," he said, "I'm glad my Sa'mekh served with you and that I have the same name as you. You loved my Sa'mekh too."

Spock, Jim and Leoanrd looked at Chris in utter shock. "Why didn't you say anything?" Spock asked.

"When I saw my future on Boreth, I knew that whatever future I had wanted with you disappeared. How could I ask you to spend a lifetime with this? Especially when I knew you had a wonderfully bright future ahead of you? Then when Kirk came on the Enterprise, I knew I had lost. I've had a good life on Talos IV. Finally seeing the three of you together, it's crystal clear to me you've had a beautiful, fulfilling and wonderful life. Don't feel sorry for me Spock, don't you dare."

Spock quietly got up, went over to Chris and kissed his forehead before placing his forehead on his murmuring, "Thank you Chris for loving me, for having faith in me, for teaching me to trust. Without you my family would not be possible. Thank you for saving me." There was not a dry eye in the room as the men spent the next several hours together, knowing it would be the last time they saw Chris made it all the more special.

They had been home for a few weeks, when Spock made the announcement. "When we talked with Chris a few weeks ago, he mentioned kolinahr. It is a Vulcan ritual where we purge our emotions. I need to attempt that, at least for a few months. I still cannot handle the guilt of almost killing our son and it doesn't matter how many times you tell me it wasn't my fault…I can't even look at our son without feeling the overwhelming guilt. What kind of father would I be?"

"A normal one," Jim responded. "Your guilt shows that you are a wonderful father who cares about his son's emotional and physical wellbeing. I think I know what this is really about - you do not want to be Sarek."

Spock looked down, his face turning a deep green in his embarrassment. "Yes, K'diwa you see my motivation but I must go." Leonard, Spock and Jim proceeded to get into a heated argument about the right course of action for their family when David entered the room. "Sa'mekh go to Vulcan, he will be back. He will see that not his home." All three men looked at their son in awe, before looking back at each other.

With sorrow in his voice Jim said, "I guess no matter what we say, you're not staying. That we aren't worth it. Go Spock, and I hope to God you come back." Spock placed one final kiss on each of his men and took his son in one last bone crushing hug before leaving their home.