We’ve been getting hammered with a storm the last few days (Friday night was wicked) and this morning we woke to snow on the local hills. I attempted a picture from my sister’s backyard window where you can sorta see the snow on the top of the hills past the leafless winter trees.
Naturally after I told M’s sister who lives in North Dakota, she was suitably impressed. And sent THESE pictures from her house. Now, really, where would YOU rather live? LOL
The rest of the day proved to be fairly normal, but in the morning when Spock went to leave his apartment, Bombay ran out the door.
“Bombay, come back,” Spock called after the feline, but the cat was gone out of the outside courtyard.
At first, Spock wasn’t sure if he should go after him. Bombay wasn’t his and perhaps the cat had decided to leave to seek his real home. But then Spock knew that he could not just let the cat go without knowing he was safe, especially given his already witnessing a person abusing the animal, and so he set out in pursuit.
When he got to the street, Spock glanced first to the left which would take him in direction of a less crowded suburban area. He saw no sign Bombay had gone that way. He turned to look to the right toward the city and the direction Spock himself would go when going to Starfleet Academy. He spotted Bombay’s raised tail as the cat trotted off in that direction.
With a bit of a sigh, Spock followed after, increasing his pace the more the cat seemed to get ahead of him. Once more he wondered if he should just let the animal go.
He was about to slow his pace when Bombay ran into the intersection of a street and missed getting hit by a speeding hover cab by mere inches. The cat stopped in the street then, looking disoriented, and for a moment Spock thought perhaps the cab had not missed the feline after all.
Spock rushed to his side, ignoring the twinge in his leg, and scooped the cat up into his arms. Another hover vehicle honked at Spock and the cat, so he hurried back to the safety of the sidewalk.
“You cannot run out in front of cars,” Spock admonished the cat, as though the furball could understand him. He glance back toward the way to his apartment. It would take him time to take Bombay and then he would be late to begin the teaching of his class. His leg already ached from overuse considering his prior injury.
Spock made up his mind. He would have to find something to keep the cat in while he taught, but, “You are coming with me.”
****
The day proved to be much more uneventful than it had begun, Spock realized, as he made his way home with Bombay in a cardboard box he had obtained at the Academy.
During two of his taught courses, Bombay had made something of a ruckus but eventually when he realized he wasn’t getting free, Bombay had curled up in the box and went to sleep.
He had just fed the cat when there was a knock on his door. The cat jumped into his arms and began to rub against Spock’s neck and purr.
“Apparently you have forgiven me for trapping you n that box,” Spock said, as he made his way to the door. Whoever was knocking was impatient, as they rapped again, this time much louder and with more force.
Spock opened the door, holding onto Bombay tighter so the cat wouldn’t try to escape.
There stood a man Spock did not know. He wore a fedora, which seemed odd. He grinned broadly.
“You have my cat!”
She’d insisted on wearing a traditional wedding dress rather than giving into the idea of wearing Vulcan robes. The dress fell long to just the top of her delicate little ballet slippers, which were trimmed with tiny little cloth roses in yellow that seemed to go very well with her off-white dress and shoes. She’d chosen not to don a veil or a tiara, nothing like that. She just had her blonde hair, now streaked rather liberally with gray, piled high on her head with ringlets cascading down.
She looked beautiful. Even breathtaking if Jim was allowed to say so considering she was his mama.
“I bet you looked like this when you married dad.”
Winona Kirk, soon to be Kirk no more, Jim supposed, turned and gave him a radiant smile. “Oh but a lot younger, of course.” She sighed and smoothed out her dress. “Is it stupid that I’m nervous?”
“Nope. It’s not every day you get married. And even less that you marry a Vulcan.”
“And yet you did too.”
“Uh-huh.” Jim sat down on the edge of her bed as she stood before the free-standing full length mirror in her bedroom.
Sarek had, somewhat surprisingly, agreed to have their marriage and bonding ceremony in Riverside at the farmhouse. The couple would split their time between the farmhouse and their house on New Vulcan.
If someone had told Jim a year ago that his father-in-law would one day become his stepfather, well…life was strange sometimes. But Sarek seemed to make his mother happy and that was what mattered to Jim.
“Were you nervous?”
“I was. And I had a bit of cold feet, too.”
She frowned at him. “Did you?”
“Sure. All that bonding for life, mind meld shit, it’s a lot to deal with.” He laughed. “You know that. You’re dealing with some of that yourself.”
“We haven’t really done much in the way of melds. But yes. I’m still surprised to hear you had doubts.”
“Of course I did. But I loved Spock, so I set those aside and married him anyway.”
“And now?”
Jim laughed. “Now I’m deliriously happy and have no clue what my problem was. How about you, Mom? You have any doubts?”
She thought about it. Shook her head. “No. I am nervous. Maybe I’ll say the wrong thing, stumble over my words, that kind of thing. I don’t want to embarrass Sarek in front of the priestess or other Vulcans. But doubts about being Sarek’s wife? No. I love him and he loves me. We’re different, sure, but I think those differences make us work really well. I never had doubts about your dad either.”
Jim nodded, smiled, and stood to offer her his arm.
“Frank was a different story.”
“Yeah?”
“I definitely had a million alarms going off in my head, but I ignored them, thinking it was just…not wanting to let go of your father.” She shook her head ruefully. “What a fool I was. I should have listened to my instincts.”
“You weren’t a fool. You were just lonely and wanted companionship. You chose the wrong guy. But you’re no fool, Mom.”
“I certainly have a spectacular son.” She hugged him.
“Come on, let’s get you married.”
They exited her bedroom and went down the stairs and out to the yard to begin.
And that concludes the love month of February, thanks for reading
J asked for President’s Day so…
“Happy President’s Day.” Jim sat down hard in the rec room chair across from Spock. He clutched a giant cup of coffee in his hands.
Spock looked at him with no sense of friendliness. “The Federation recognizes no such day.”
“Yeah, I know. But where I come from, what used to be America, well they did. You know Washington and Lincoln. That kind of thing.” At Spock’s barely concealed derision, Jim sighed. “Never mind.”
“Is that all you are having for breakfast?”
Jim glanced down at his coffee. “Mm.”
“That’s not very good nutrition, Captain.”
“Thanks Mom.”
“I am not your mother.”
“No kidding. Or my doctor.”
Spock continued to study him. “You seem tense and a bit pale. Are you feeling all right?”
“A little…out of sorts. Not sure what’s wrong with me. I’m cranky. Crankier than you or Bones, which is saying something.”
“I…am sorry for contributing to your general bad mood. I spoke with my father last night.”
“That explains a lot.” Jim sipped his coffee. “It’s fine, Spock.”
“Is there anything I can do to make you feel better, Captain?”
“Not unless you wanna give me a full body massage,” he joked.
Spock’s eyebrow rose.
“And don’t report me for that, Spock. It was a joke.”
“I am amenable to providing you with a massage.”
Jim had seen some cartoon once where the character wiggled his finger in his ear to establish the joke that he couldn’t believe his ears. Jim did that now.
“Say what? I think I didn’t hear you right.”
“You did. When our shift is over, I’ll come to your quarters.”
“Spock, are you…you’re not…are you coming on to me?” Jim felt foolish even asking that. He figured he’d got it wrong and Spock would tell him.
“Of course I am.”
Jim’s mouth opened.
Spock stood. “Do you accept?”
“Uh.” Jim blinked. “Yeah?”
Spock nodded. “I will be by your quarters with my massage oils after shift.”
After Spock walked away, Jim gasped, “Massage oils?” His day had definitely improved.
Spock decided not to wait for Nyota’s class as he was too curious about James T. Kirk to adopt his usual amount of patience.
He tried to pretend to himself it had nothing to do with how uncommonly attractive Kirk had been. At least in Spock’s opinion.
And there was the added fact that Bombay’s eye color seemed to be an exact match for Kirk’s. A coincidence of course but it made Spock all the more curious.
After doing some preliminary research, Spock decided to contact George Samuel Kirk, the older brother and seeming spokesperson for the family. He requested communication with him if it was permitted.
It was a few hours later when Jim Kirk’s brother contacted him.
George Samuel Kirk, he told Spock the family called him Sam to distinguish him from George Kirk, resembled George Kirk more than he did his younger brother, Spock thought.
Sam leaned back in a rocking chair and stared rather sourly at Spock.
“What is it you want exactly?”
“To make inquiries about your brother’s disappearance.”
“Don’t you mean death?”
Spock shook his head.
“Your Starfleet has declared him dead.”
“I am sorry. But you and your family have doubts.”
Sam snorted. “You bet we do. They never found a body in the wreckage. Nothing like that.”
“What did they find?”
“It’s all a matter of record,” Sam said with no hidden disdain. “They found the burned out crashed shuttlecraft and the remains of Doctor Helen Moore, and her two medical assistants, Ensign Allen Luras and Ensign Inid Harr. The door of the shuttle was inoperable and there was no sign it was ever opened after the crash. They found no trace of Jim’s remains, though there was evidence someone had used the seatbelt in the co-pilot’s seat beside Helen Moore.”
“And they are certain Commander Kirk was on the shuttlecraft when it left the Endeavor?”
“Yes.”
Spock nodded. “Do you have any theories?”
Sam hesitated, then slowly shook his head. “Other than someone must have abducted Jim. That’s always been our belief.”
“For what purpose?”
“How should I know?”
“And how would they have done so when the door was inoperable?”
Sam’s lips thinned. “There was a hole in the door.”
“How large?”
“Large enough for Jim,” Sam insisted. “But there was no sign of him on the planet anywhere. Or so they said.”
“You don’t believe it?”
“No, I don’t. Jim’s alive. I can feel it. And someone has him. I don’t know why they haven’t come forward. But my family hasn’t given up no matter what they tell you. Starfleet may have decided Jim’s dead, but he’s alive.” Sam frowned. “I gotta go.”
And then the screen winked out and Spock was left staring at nothing. HE couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something Sam was not telling him. Some elusive clue.
I had hoped to have a fic with Sarek and Winona for today but time got away from me and I’m just not able to get it done for this week, so I hope to have it up for February 22, the last flash for February. This week I wrote a short but hopefully sweet one for today. But hey, you got two this week so there is that!
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
“Jim?”
Jim looked up from the poem he’d been reading out loud and smiled when he saw Spock standing in the doorway of their shared bathroom. “Hey. You ready to play chess?”
“Yes. You were reading a love poem?”
Jim nodded. “Yes. My favorite poem about love. I think my favorite lines are ‘I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach’ and ‘I love thee with the breath, smiles, tears of all my life: if, God choose, I shall but love thee better after death’. It’s a beautiful poem.”
Spock steppe inside Jim’s quarters and handed him a small red box. “I believe it might be a good time to give you this.”
Jim took the box and stared at Spock. “What is this?”
“A gift for Valentine’s Day.”
He smiled quizzically. “I didn’t know we were exchanging gifts for that. I asked Uhura if that had been a thing and she said—”
Spock shook his head. “We did not, it is true. And I expect nothing from you, save your answer.”
Jim sucked in a breath and flipped open the box. “Yes.”
Jim waited to see Captain Pike in a crowded waiting room. He knew Pike was a busy man. He knew he probably should have gotten an appointment. But he hadn’t wanted to wait for that but apparently he was having to anyway.
He felt pretty stupid. Mortified might be a better word. He stared down at his now bleeding cuticles. He’d been picking at them since he’d been sitting there waiting.
And he had to pee. But he was afraid if he got up to do so, the severe looking brunette ensign manning the desk outside Pike’s office would skip right over him and give the next slot to someone else waiting.
“Kirk. Cadet Kirk,” the Ensign said in a loud, nasally voice.
Jim went up to the desk and she sniffed. “He’ll see you now.”
He nodded and went past the desk to the double glass doors. They opened at his approached and he stepped inside.
Behind a large oak desk sat Pike. He hadn’t seen the captain since that day in Riverside Jim got on the shuttle after Pike dared him to do better.
Pike looked up and gestured to a chair in front of the desk. “Jim. Have a seat.”
“Thank you, sir.”
After Jim took the chair, Pike raised both eyebrows in query. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Yes, sir. I have a request to make.”
“Okay.”
“I’d like to be reinstated to Professor Spock’s Merits of Logic class.”
Pike steepled his fingers. “That course is an elective and not required for command.”
“I realize that. But it was a course I found interesting prior to my…being kicked out.”
“And why were you booted from that class, Jim?”
Why?
****
Jim smirked as he read the text from Feeney. It was a stupid text, really, and only mildly amusing, but he responded to it anyway.
So what if I do want to sleep with the teacher? He’s hot. You want to too, don’t even pretend otherwise.
And then Jim located the “eggplant” 🍆emoji on his communicator and added it to his text.
I’ll bet his is massive.
Jim looked up at Spock’s back just before he hit send. He was busy demonstrating something on an overhead screen. Jim hit send.
And Feeney, the swine, burst into loud guffaws.
Jim turned red and slunk down in his chair just as Professor Spock turned around.
He glanced at Feeney who was still making a loud nuisance of himself and then to Jim as Feeney took a second to point to Jim.
Spock stepped forward. “Your communicator please.”
“Uh.”
“Your communicator, Cadet Kirk.”
Jim cleared his throat. “I’d rather not.”
Spock thrust out his hand.
Jim handed him the communicator.
Spock frowned slightly. “Why is there an eggplant on your screen?”
And the entire class busted up.
****
“I see,” Pike said slowly. “So you were disruptive, inappropriate, and insubordinate.”
Jim winced. “It could be viewed that way.”
“It was viewed that way by Spock. And he’s not wrong. Request denied.”
“Sir—”
Pike held up his hand. “Spock requested that you not be reinstated.”
“He knew I would request it?”
“Apparently. He also requested that there be no mark on your record for the dismissal from the class. He did likewise for Feeney. As I said, this was an elective course that you don’t actually need so the only reason for you to want to go back is to prove something that no one thinks needs proving. And of there is nothing else, Jim, you’re dismissed.”
“Sir—”
“Jim, I have a lot of people waiting out there to speak to me. And this is Valentine’s Day and I still need to get flowers for my wife. So, dismissed.”
Jim left, realizing there was really no point to arguing further.
He went to the restroom on his way out and then left the building feeling dejected.
He should be celebrating. He would have no mark on his record and it would be one less class he’d have to deal with for the semester.
Too bad he had liked that class and most especially Spock. And his idiotic foolish behavior with Feeney had cost him that. And likely any chance he ever had with the Vulcan. If there had been any, really.
He was only vaguely surprised to find his best friend, Leonard “Bones” McCoy, waiting for him.
“How’d it go?”
“I’m not allowed back in.”
Bones nodded. “Consider yourself lucky because that class was boring anyways.”
Jim frowned. “Anyway.”
“Huh?”
“You don’t need the s after anyway. That’s not correct.”
“Are you the grammar police?” Bones demanded.
“A guy has to have something. Apparently it’s not going to be on my record that I got kicked out though.”
Bones chuckled. “His massive eggplant.”
Jim groaned. “Don’t remind me. I feel stupid enough as it is. So where are we going tonight?”
“Tonight?” Suddenly Bones looked uncomfortable. “It’s Valentine’s Day.”
“So?”
“I have a date, genius.”
“Wait. What? I thought we’d go stag.”
“You thought wrong. Sorry, Jim. But this time you’ll have to find something to do on your own.”
“Fine. Whatever.”
As it turned out, Jim went home to his dorm room alone. He was, admittedly, feeling sorry for himself. His reputation as some kind of Lothario was mostly exaggerated anyway. And the only one he really wanted to spend time with wouldn’t give him the time of day.
Jim had just opened a bottle of whiskey to drown his sorrows when there was a knock at his door.
Standing there was Spock. One hand was behind his back, but in the other was a brightly wrapped box.
Jim blinked. “Uh.”
“May I come in?”
Jim stood back to allow him inside. He glanced around his messy room. “I, uh, I wasn’t expecting anyone so the place is a mess.”
“That is fortunate.”
“It is?”
“Not the mess part, but that you were not expecting someone.” Spock held out the box. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”
His mouth dry, Jim opened the box. He stared at the large eggplant inside. “What—”
“It is my massive eggplant.”
Jim’s gaze flew to his, his face hot with embarrassment. “Uh—”
Spock shook his head. “It is an effort at a joke, Cadet.”
Then he brought his hand from behind his back to reveal a large bouquet of at least two dozen pink and red roses.
“These are for you.”
“I don’t understand it.”
Spock sighed. “You cannot be a student in my class and date me.”
Jim’s mouth dropped open. “Did I…are we going to be dating?”
“I have presented you with flowers and my eggplant. I would think it was obvious.”
Jim laughed. “I see.” He tossed aside the eggplant, grabbed the flowers, and planted a long lingering kiss on Spock’s lips. It was returned most enthusiastically.
5 Years Earlier, Starship Endeavor
“Report.”
Jim Kirk looked up from his PADD into the questioning face of his commanding officer, Robert April.
“It’s currently too dangerous to use the transporter, Captain.”
“Damn. Rigel 9 really needs those medical supplies.”
Doctor Helen Moore bit her lip and shook her head. “Agreed. They’re really dealing with something down there. What about the shuttlecraft?”
“With that Ion storm that’s going to be risky too,” Jim stated.
“Less risky than trying to do the transporter though,” Dr. Moore said. She turned to April. “I’m a pretty good pilot, Bob. I only need a few medical personnel with me. Just two. I’m willing to risk it.”
“Helen—” Jim began to protest.
“Jim, I know what you’re going to say. But the citizens of Rigel 9 are dying and without this needed medicine, they don’t stand a chance.”
“We wail for the storm to pass,” Jim maintained.
“And that could be days. They might be dead by then! Bob, I can do this.”
Captain April pursed his lips. “Okay, Helen.”
“Captain—”
April held up his hand to cut Jim off. “Your protests are duly noted, Jim. But Helen’s right. Rigel 9 needs these supplies. But I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to go along with the party, Jim.”
“What?” Helen exclaimed. “No!. Captain, I don’t need to endanger unnecessary personnel. Commander Kirk—”
“Will accompany you. I’m not going to have a team of only trained medical crew members go into a potentially hostile situation. Commander Kirk’s an exemplary negotiator and well-trained in combat.”
“But—”
“You both have your orders. Doctor, Commander. Get your team together and the supplies and head out.”
Jim watched Captain April depart, then he turned to Helen. “It’s okay.”
“It is not. I never intended to make you part of this, Jim.”
He drew her into his arms and held her against him, kissing her forehead. “I would have wanted to go.”
She sighed. “They really do need that medicine.”
“I know. So let’s get organized and do this. We’ll be back home before you know it.”
Jim woke feeling pain everywhere. All around him the shuttlecraft filled with smoke from the fire that had apparently started the minute the shuttle had crashed. He unconnected his seat belt and scrambled from his chair.
He checked Helen, who had been in the pilot’s seat next to him. Half of her face had been battered in from the crash. There was no pulse.
“Sorry, Helen,” he whispered.
A quick check of the others revealed he was the only survivor. He knew he had to contact the ship but his first task was to remove himself from the shuttlecraft before he succumbed to smoke inhalation.
His left leg was bleeding pretty badly and his head was killing him, but he made it to the door, which was twisted and bent. There was a hole at the top not big enough to fit through. Jim, coughing and wheezing, tried the controls and then manually to open the door.
Nothing.
“Damn, damn, damn.”
He glanced up at the hole, feeling weaker by the minute. He had no choice. He’d have to use his last strength to do it.
A moment later, he shifted into cat form, leapt on to the bar of the twisted door, and then out the hole, onto the planet.
Spock spotted the dark pink heart-shaped box on the dining room table as soon as he shrugged off his coat and hung it up on the peg by the door.
Since he knew the box was not from him, Spock approached it, expecting it to be addressed to him, most likely. Though Jim knew Spock seldom indulged in chocolate, his mate could be incorrigible at times. So he leaned down to read the attached tag.
“Be Mine, Vanik.”
He sighed inwardly. Now the pest was giving Valentine’s Day gifts to Spock’s boyfriend. Yes, he was a child and was no real threat. Still Spock might have to have a word with him. He had long suspected his nephew had a crush on Jim and it was hard to blame him. Jim was uncommonly delightful.
But boundaries must be set.
“Oh, hey. You’re home.”
Jim appeared from the bedroom and gave Spock a welcoming smile and a kiss. “Got any ideas what you want for dinner?”
“Perhaps we can go out. It is two days until Valentine’s Day and I would rather not deal with the crowds on that day.”
“Are you actually going to take me to a nice dinner?”
“You do not want that?”
“No, I’d love that, I’m just surprised.” Jim’s gaze went to the heart. “You looked?”
Spock sniffed. “It was hard not to when I find that my mate has a box of candy that is not from me.”
Jim laughed. “You can’t possibly be jealous.”
“No?”
“No. And besides that heart box isn’t for me.”
Spock frowned. “Who is it for?”
“Vanik has a crush at school and he wants to give her that. But he didn’t like his handwriting and asked me to do it for him. He’s picking it up in the morning.”
“Oh.” Spock’s ire deflated.
“Were you really jealous of your own nephew?” Jim looked far too amused at Spock’s expense but then Spock experienced that often enough.
“Not…truly.”
Jim threw his arms around Spock’s neck. “I love you.”
“And I love you. Be mine.”
“I’m always yours.”
Spirk (with a small dose of Pinto) 