Spirk (with a small dose of Pinto)

“What’s your favorite memory of your husband?”

The interview question took Jim by surprise and in order to think about it, he picked up his coffee cup and took a sip of the bitter brew and tried not to wince. There’d been a reason the coffee was mostly untouched since he’d ordered it. This place knew nothing about a good cup of coffee.

He set the cup down with a noticeable clink and looked out over the grounds located near the table he shared with the reporter. It had been a mistake to accept the interview request. He didn’t like giving interviews. Didn’t like talking about himself, no matter what others thought.

Directly next to him and the female reporter from Risa was a row of animal shaped hedges and over and beyond them was an Olympic-sized swimming pool loaded with bathing beauties of both genders.

“Captain, shall I repeat the question?”

“No. It’s just I’ve been with my husband for a number of years, Jill. It’s hard to come up with just one memory. If you could be more specific?”

“Rumor has always been that you two met under difficult circumstances. Did you?”

“Sure. He wanted to bring me up on charges of cheating his test and have me expelled from the Academy.”

“So it is true?”

“Yep.”

She typed madly into her PADD. Jim suspected she was going to make Spock out as some villain in her article. He couldn’t quite have that.

“I did.”

“Captain?”

“Cheat. Sort of. I reprogrammed the test. Anyway, that’s all ancient history.” He gave her a winning smile. ”We got over it.”

She gave him an assessing look. “Like you got over being marooned on Delta Vega where you were almost eaten?”

“That’s classified. How’d you know about that?”

Jill shrugged. “People talk. Is this some kind of honeymoon, Captain? Being on Risa and all.”

“We’ve been married fifteen years.”

“A second or third one then?”

It wasn’t anything like that. Jim had no intention of telling her what it was. That Spock’s Pon Farr was imminent and Risa was close to their location when they became aware of it. There was a luxury hotel there that could accommodate both Spock’s and Jim’s needs, and so here they came. The crew got shore leave out of it too.

But tell this busybody reporter that? No.

“Just shore leave for my crew. They’ve earned it.”

“You don’t think they’ll end up being too rowdy?”

Jim laughed. “I don’t think that’s possible here.”

His communicator beeped and he flipped it open. “Kirk here.”

“I think it’s time for you to report for duty,” Bones said, dryly.

His heartrate punched up, his anticipation too. The last one had been…remarkable.

“On my way.” He closed the communicator and made to rise.

“You have to go now? We haven’t finished my interview.”

“You can submit your questions to me electronically.”

“Can’t you spare just a few more minutes?”

“I am afraid not. Have a good stay.”

And ignoring her pout, Jim headed to the Risa Grand Princess for the definite beginning of his shore leave.