Today I walked at lunch, since this is day one of a full day of work at home. It was a beautiful April day. Absolutely nothing to indicate what’s really going on in the world.
“And then I…”
“Help! Help!” Chekov cried, rushing into the medbay.
Jim turned around from talking to Bones to stare at Chekov in shock. “Ensign, what—?”
“He iz crazy, Keptin. Help me.”
“Who? What the hell?”
“Mister Spock! He Is going to kill me.”
Jim laughed. “Spock is not going to kill you.”
Chekov grabbed for Bones. “Doktor. He is running after me, hide me.”
“Now see here, Chekov, what is this all about?” Bones asked reasonably.
“There is no time to explain!”
“Ensign, explain yourself now. That’s an order.”
Chekov straightened and looked over his shoulder at the door. “It was a little prank, sir.”
Jim frowned. “A prank?”
“Ya. April Fools. I tell to the Kommander that you and the Doktor are inwolved in an affair as a little joke.”
“What?” Bones demanded. “Me and him? I may throw up.”
“Bones,” Jim said sharply. “But that’s just what I was about to tell you before Chekov ran in here. I’m pretty sure Spock’s going into his time and is entirely irrational.”
“What?”
Chekov’s eyes were huge. “Yes! This is vhat I am telling you. He iz trying to kill—”
The medbay doors exploded open and Spock stormed in, looking darkly menacing. He took a step toward Chekov, who squealed and dashed behind Jim and Bones.
Jim held out his hands. “Now, Spock, it was…”
But Spock charged toward them, not to Chekov, but to Bones. And his hands were outstretched toward McCoy’s neck.
“Spock! No!” Jim exclaimed, trying to grab onto his husband and first officer. But Spock swatted him as though he was just a fly, sending him flying into the bulkhead. For a moment, Jim was dazed, and he heard Chekov squealing in terror.
“Stop it, Spock! You’re not in your right mind,” Bones tried, just as Jim saw Spock’s hands wrap around Bones’ throat.
“No! Kommander! Stop. You vill kill him!”
“You think to steal him from me,” Spock roared.
“Spock!” Jim scrambled to his feet and rushed at Spock. “Stop it.”
Just then Bones fell limp to the ground. His mouth hung open and his eyes bulged wide. Jim knelt down beside him.
“Bones! Bones! Damn it. Spock, you’ve killed him.”
“Oh no!” Chekov cried. “It was…it was a joke. Just a little joke.”
Spock suddenly straightened and stared blankly at Chekov. “Very little, Ensign.”
Chekov blinked. “What?”
Jim burst out laughing. “April Fool’s, Pavel.”
“What?”
Bones pulled his tongue back into his mouth and sat up, cackling. “That was too good! Lord, you shoulda seen your face, Chekov.”
“A joke?” Chekov shook his head. “You vere in on it, Mister Spock?”
“Obviously. And frankly with what you tried to pull, you deserved it,” Spock said, simply. He reached down and hauled Jim to his feet.
“Hey! What about me? I’m the one you strangled,” Bones grumbled, getting to his feet himself.
“Are you all right?”
“Well, I…”
“Captain.”
Bones scowled.
Jim grinned. “Well you did kind of toss me into the wall pretty hard. Lost my breath for a second.”
“I will make sure you get it back later,” Spock murmured.
Jim stepped closer.
“Okay, that’s it, out of my medbay. It’s April Fools, not Valentine’s Day. Everybody out.”
“Bridge. Mr. Spock?”
“Indeed, Captain.”
“A joke,” Chekov muttered. “I thought he killed the doctor and it vas a joke.”
I sure would like to think and believe in this positive message.
Tomorrow, when I go into the office, it may well be the last time in quite a few weeks. My job has lost patience with waiting for laptops that seem as scarce as toilet paper and hand sanitizer and has decided that we must all bring our desktops home and work from home. So with a bit of stuff I must do in the office to make the transition smoother, I will be also disconnecting my equipment and bringing it home, all the while crossing my fingers that it all works like it’s supposed to once I get it all hooked up at home.
M’s working from home has been extended to May 31st. I have no idea how long it will be for me.
I have mixed feelings. I really don’t like the work at home thing. But on the other hand I won’t have to drive every day, which I hate, and can get up later and get home sooner. It’s better for my asthma to stay home. Don’t have to worry about what I look like etc.
But yeah. Not happy. But it is what it is. And I have a job for now so can’t complain.
I got all the Monday flashes done and scheduled for April.
I updated Our So-Called Life. Have not written a single word on the Bang story since I turned in my rough draft to prove I had written 6,000 words a week ago. And all I can say is meh. So we will see. Later this week I hope to update The Carrier if I can kick myself into doing it.
And so today is the last day of March, which turned out to be an absolutely miserable month. I once had such high hopes for it.
“What’s on your mind, Jim?”
Leave it to Bones, Jim thought, to know that something was eating him. Truth be told, Jim wasn’t even sure if he could pinpoint it himself, exactly.
He had stopped by sickbay because he and Bones were scheduled to have dinner in the mess together as they did just about every Monday. But really he didn’t feel much like it.
“Zarabeth,” he said, musingly.
“Is there a question there?”
Jim shrugged. “Maybe. Was she beautiful?”
“She was, absolutely.” Bones messed with one of the biobeds. “Give me a minute and I’ll be done.”
“Did she…did they…” Jim shook his head.
Bones glanced his way. “Are you asking me what I think you’re asking?”
Was he? Probably.
“Uh.”
Bones rolled his eyes. “Yeah, she did, and they did.”
“So, um, Spock was really, he liked her, huh?”
“He did. But you gotta understand Jim, that was a different time for Spock. Back when they didn’t control their emotions the way they do now. We were back in ancient times.”
“He wanted to stay with her?”
“Yes, he did. But again, he wasn’t himself, not really, and the truth was, Zarabeth was already gone for our purposes. She would have been alive a long time ago.” Bones smiled slightly. “Gives you a headache if you think about it too much.”
Jim couldn’t deny he had a headache. And he wasn’t really sure why the whole thing bothered him so much. Because Spock could obviously be with whoever he wanted to be with.
“You know, Bones, think we can take a raincheck for tomorrow for dinner?”
Bones looked up from his scan. “Oh?”
Jim waved at his head. “That headache you spoke of.”
Bones nodded. “Sure thing. You okay? Other than the headache. You want something for it?”
“Nah, it’ll pass. See you later, Bones.”
Jim made his way to his quarters, pausing only briefly outside of Spock’s. He shook his head and moved on to his.
Few minutes into changing out of his uniform, he commed Spock.
“Feel like chess, Mr. Spock?’”
There was just the barest hesitation which had Jim wondering if he should have.
“Of course, Captain. The rec room?”
“How about my quarters? I’ve already got my uniform half off and I don’t feel like being too much on display. Say fifteen minutes?”
“Very well. Spock out.”
He got Spock tea and a glass of whiskey for himself and already had the chess board set up when Spock arrived, punctual, of course.
They were seated across from each other, Spock concentrating on the game, while Jim pretended to.
“Mr. Spock, mind if I ask you a personal question?”
Spock glance up at Jim, brow only slightly quirked. “You may ask.”
Jim laughed a little. “All right. Zarabeth.”
He spotted the tightening of Spock’s shoulders immediately.
“What about her?”
“Just…I don’t mean to pry. It’s just Bones said…”
“The doctor usually does not know when to keep things to himself.”
Jim smiled wryly. He couldn’t deny the truth of that.
“What did you wish to ask, Captain?”
He felt a little foolish now, but he’d already broached it.
“Do you…did you love her?”
“Vulcans do not feel love in the same way that Humans speak…”
“Yes,” Jim interrupted. “but, Spock, did you? Love her?”
For a moment, he thought Spock would not answer. And when he did, Jim thought, maybe, he hadn’t wanted Spock to answer.
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry, Spock.” Jim looked down at his chess pieces. He made his move. “Checkmate.”
a continuation
“I’m, uh, well, I’m sorry about leaving you with my mom, you know, alone.”
Jim rubbed the back of his neck and tried not to look directly at Spock. While it was true he definitely felt some amusement at leaving Spock to face Winona while he dealt with the admiral’s endless questions, he also felt a little embarrassed. Things were so damn new between them. There’d been plenty of sex and affection, but no real declarations involving long term or-or-whatever.
Spock was in Jim’s room, looking at Jim with that rather Vulcan blank look that turned Jim on like crazy. There wasn’t much about Spock that didn’t turn Jim on. But it was more than lust for Jim. And he thought for Spock. But just…
“The amount of time you were gone was not excessive,” Spock replied.
“No. But…she probably drove you a little nuts with her nosey questions.”
Spock merely shrugged.
Jim cleared his throat. “Anyway, you know me, with most things I leap before looking.”
“This is true.”
He sensed a reproach in there. He ignored it and continued, “But not in relationships. I never do then. Except, well, with you, I have. And I’m a little paranoid that I’m going to say or do something that will doom me before we get started.”
Spock tilted his head. Yet another thing that turned Jim on. “We have, as you say, already started.”
“Yeah.” And Jim laughed at that. A nervous laugh, yeah. “You might be regretting that about now.”
“I am not,” Spock said simply. His gaze went to the presents from Jim’s mom, which Jim had placed on the bed. “What did she give you?”
“Oh. You know. Mom things, I guess.” And then he felt stupid and idiotic. Spock’s mom was human and well…God, he really was going to fuck this all up. He sunk down, defeated, on the bed.
Spock came over and sat beside him. “Your mother is alive and is in your life. You cannot nor should you avoid speaking of her with me simply because mine is deceased.”
“You knew that’s what went through my mind?”
Spock nodded.
“Because of the telepathy?”
“No. Because I have come to know you better than you think. Show me your gifts.”
Jim smiled. “Okay. But there’s like underwear, pajamas, chips, cookies…” He laughed at Spock’s arched brow. “I like to eat. A lot. Because, well, maybe someday I’ll tell you. But look at these. You have to try them…”
I am behind things, I apologize. I had a bad day today, melt-downs, too much work, an ice cream stop, don’t ask. But at least I am home now for the next three days. I hope to finish Just When I Needed You Most this weekend.
I did manage to get 6,000 done for the Bang but only just…so I don’t know. We shall see.
I did schedule another flash so not all was wasted.
Some pictures of my little front yard with bunny stuff to brighten the day
For the next few months, at least, there will be a bit of a change to the blog. Don’t worry, flashes are not going away.
The change is very simply, that there will be flashes Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays going forward until such time I change my mind. In the meantime there might be less ramblings or other stuff on here as my energies are focused on staying well and keeping everyone entertained.
Thank you and be well.
“Spring is in the air,” Jim declared, as he walked beside Bones on the way to breakfast. They’d left their dorm about ten minutes ago.
“Spring is it?”
“Spring and love.”
Bones snorted. “I may throw up.”
“Well, maybe not love. But babies. Lots of babies. That’s what spring is known for.”
“What the hell, Jim. You’re even more annoying than usual. What got you on the sunny side of the bed this morning?”
“Well…” Jim stopped at the restaurant where they intended to have breakfast. “Bones, remember when I said I had the absolute best date last night?”
“Uh-Huh. You were kind of sappy and doey-eyed.”
Jim shoved his shoulder. “Shut up. The point is, everything went so incredibly perfect.”
“Yeah, yeah, you got laid.”
He laughed. “I did, yeah. And it was spectacular.”
“Jim—”
“My date from last night is meeting us here.”
“Oh swell.”
“I wouldn’t have even come home except you and I had already planned breakfast together and well, he didn’t exactly want to let me go, entirely, so I…”
Bones frowned. “This better not be Gary Mitchell.”
“Uh. Nope.” Jim pushed open the door of the restaurant. He could see that his date was already there waiting at a table. And he stood when Jim and Bones entered. Jim grinned.
Bones followed his gaze. “Oh crap. Professor Spock?”
Spock had only eyes for Jim, Jim could see that and he didn’t mind. Not one bit. He met Spock’s outstretched hand, touching his fingers to Spock’s.
“Like I said, Bones…”
“Spring and love is in the air,” Bones said, sarcastically. “At least there won’t be any babies!”
