Coming this December to A03…here is a sneak peek (yes I am feeling generous)

“You sure about this, Jim?”

“Hmm?” Jim absently stared at the PADD in his hands as he read over the message he had received.

“Jim?”

He glanced up into Bones’ concerned eyes. “Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You’re going to Riverside. Over the Christmas holidays. Its snowing there, according to reports.”

Jim laughed. “A real winter wonderland.”

“Alone.”

“Not alone. I told you. Desiree’s going to meet me there.”

“Who is this Desiree anyway? I don’t know her.”

“I knew her pre-Academy. You never met her.”

“You haven’t been feeling well lately. Ever since that time you were held prisoner on Tylo 4 you’ve been off. Not yourself at all, Jim.”

“I’m fine. You aren’t this fussy about Spock. He was there too and doesn’t remember any more than I do about what happened.”

“Spock seems normal. For Spock anyway.”

For a moment an image, a memory, flashed in his mind of naked limbs entwined, desperate kisses.

“I’m normal too,” Jim lied. Some mornings he felt…sick, sure, but it generally went away by afternoon.  “Anyway, I’ll be back in San Francisco on January 10th. This little break will be just what I need before we go out again.”

“Out again. And how insane is that?”

“You agreed, Bones.”

“I need my head examined.”

There was an overhead announcement.

“That’s my shuttle. Have a great time with your kid.”

“Have a great time yourself. You let me know every few days how you are.”

Jim smiled. “Right.”

He went up the ramp to the shuttle and then read his message again.

Jim, sorry, but I can’t make it to Riverside after all. So sorry. I’ll be stuck on Rigel 3 until February at least. So disappointed to miss you, Love, Desiree. 

Yeah, so okay, he didn’t admit to Bones that he would be there alone, but he knew Bones would freak out and demand he go to Georgia.

Jim didn’t want that.

He scanned through his next message.

Lieutenant Nyota Uhura has withdrawn her request to be transferred off the Enterprise. She will report for duty on January 15.

Jim smiled his relief. Prior to their leave, Uhura had requested the transfer since she and Spock were no longer together. Jim hadn’t wanted to see her go, but she had advised that the situation between the former lovers was proving to be difficult.

He had suggested they could work it out, their friendship, anyway, if not more, and he was glad they had. Or he thought they must have. He sent a quick note to her.

Glad to have you aboard. How are things?

That was as close as he felt he could get to asking into her personal life. They were friends, but there was a fine line between that and being her commanding officer.

He swiped through a few other messages, and then sighed. He leaned back, rubbing at his temples. He seemed to constantly have a headache. When he became active again, he’d ask Bones about migraines.