Something a little different for this week’s flash fic. I had wanted a really simple prompt as I was getting started late and there is so much going on right now. My friend, Kris, gave me the prompt that Spock is standing on a rock and Jim asks him what has his attention. But you know simple doesn’t always get that way when my imagination takes off and suddenly I knew there was way more to this than the scenario Kris gave me.
So while this week’s flash fic is indeed what she gave me, this is actually also a sneak peak on an upcoming much longer fic that I will be writing. At this point in the story, things are definitely “Pre-Slash”. This takes place after Beyond and the repair/rebuilding of the new Enterprise.
Jim smiled at the message he had just received. He looked around the immediate area of the planet they were surveying and didn’t see anything of particular interest.
He typed back, Can’t wait to see you too. Counting the hours until shore leave.
“Jim.” Bones slapped Jim on the shoulder, so he put away his device. “Look. Maybe you ought to go talk to Spock.”
“Huh? Why? What’s wrong with Spock?”
“His break up with Uhura is very recent.”
Jim shrugged. “They’ve broken up before. In fact, let’s see. They sort of broke up after the volcano. Then they broke up just before Altamid. They got back together both times. I think I heard about a time or two before I even met them, too. I’m guessing they’ll hit the sheets again within the week.”
Bones made a face. “I don’t need that image. But nope. This time I’ve heard it’s for good. This breakup was much more serious. He’s probably depressed.”
“Vulcans don’t get depressed.”
“He’s half human, Jim. Just, you know, try. You should take an interest in your crew and definitely your senior officers.”
Jim blew out a breath, and turned around to locate Spock. He was standing on a rock, tricorder in hand, eyebrows furrowed in extreme concentration.
“You really think they broke up for good?”
“Far be it from me to listen to ship’s rumors, but that’s what the scuttlebutt is.”
Jim crossed his arms in front of his chest and tapped his fingers on his arm. “Do you know what happened?”
“You mean who initiated the breakup?”
“Uh-huh. After the volcano, it was her. He was the one before Altamid due to the whole Vulcan baby thing. So, who was it this time?” Jim wondered.
Bones shrugged. “Does it matter?”
“Doctor McCoy, can you come over here? Jensen’s pricked his finger on a plant,” Sulu called to them.
Bones rolled his eyes. “My work is never done.”
Jim studied Spock after Bones walked away to work on Jensen. He didn’t look particularly wrecked by the breakup to Jim. His communication device chimed so he withdrew it from his pocket. Sure enough it was another message from Areel Shaw. The Enterprise had shore leave in only two weeks and it just so happened to be on a planet Areel currently resided on while she did some legal work for Starfleet. She would be getting time off while Jim was there so they planned to spend Jim’s shore leave time together having fun in the sun and in bed, of course. It was just a confirmation of what he’d last said, so he closed it and returned it to his pocket.
He approached Spock’s rock.
“Hello, Mister Spock.”
Spock did not look up from his tricorder. “Captain.”
“Anything interesting?” Jim asked, stepping onto the large rock, and peering over Spock’s shoulder.
“Actually, yes. This rock is multi-layered and—”
Jim’s attention immediately drifted elsewhere. He had begun to regret being part of this landing party. Nothing was really that interesting and he had so many reports he was behind on. Admiral Colton had been pestering him to get them all finished before shore leave.
“Captain?”
Jim smiled. “Yes?”
“You were not listening to a word I said.”
“Uh.” He could not really deny it. He hadn’t. And before he could stifle it, a yawn came out. Jim quickly covered it with his hand. But Spock certainly noticed as he eyes narrowed. “Sorry. Lack of sleep. You were saying?”
“Never mind, Captain. Your attention is, no doubt, needed elsewhere.”
He opened his mouth to reply, but Spock had turned his back to Jim in a plain display of dismissal. Jim closed his mouth. Well, fine then. So much for making an effort.
He stepped back off the rock and ordered a beam up for himself. Spock could certainly handle it.
Spirk (with a small dose of Pinto) 