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Star Trek: TOS

Flash Fic, October 12, 2020

A bit of TOS. It’s not really that related to October/Halloween/Harvest but I threw in some mentions to make it work!

“It was a dark and stormy night.”

“Why?”

Jim lowered the book and gazed at the small Vulcan child peering up at him from his seat on the floor. Jim was sitting in a chair. The child, Saran, had informed Jim he would sit cross-legged on the carpeted floor.

“Why what?”

“Why was it dark and stormy?”

“Uh. I don’t know. That’s just how the story starts.”

Saran eyed him but nodded.

Jim cleared his throat. Babysitting Vulcans. Ugh.

“Soon he heard an ominous noise outside his window.”

“Why was it ominous?”

“Because he didn’t know what the sound was.”

“Then it should say, soon he heard an unknown noise outside his window. He decided to investigate.”

Jim sighed and closed the book. “I don’t think you’re in the mood for a ghost story.”

Saran sniffed. “Ghosts are illogical.”

“Sure are. So what else would you like to do, Saran?”

“You could tell me about your exploits.”

Jim paused. “My exploits.”

“You are a famous starship captain.” Saran paused. “Or so I have been told. You must have exploits.”

Jim opened his mouth to reply, but then was saved by the sudden appearance of Amanda, Spock’s mother.

“Oh! Here I am. I’m so sorry, Jim, I didn’t mean to be gone for so long.” She came to him and clasped his hands. “Spock’s on his way back now. Thank you for watching Sarek’s nephew.”

Jim smiled. “You’re welcome.”

She leaned in to whisper, “He’s at a bit of a challenging age. It was kind of you to watch him. And I really hadn’t intended to be gone so long.” She patted his arm. “Why don’t you go and wait on the covered terrace for Spock? I’ll send him out there when he comes.”

He tried not to be too relieved as he made his escape out to the terrace. There was a pitcher of cool water out on a table there, so he helped himself to a glass.

Jim had been rather surprised at the invitation to join Spock on Vulcan after they had saved the Earth from impending disaster. Again. Jim didn’t even feel the slightest bit bad about being demoted back to Captain. The admiralty hat hadn’t ever quite fit him.

It seemed that Spock, though he had gotten many of his memories back, he hadn’t gotten them all.  There was a vague memory there, Jim supposed, of their past intimacy, but not enough to convince Spock to reestablish anything. Or so Jim had believed, until this recent invitation.

The door on to the terrace opened and Spock stepped outside. He was wearing those Vulcan robes he seemed to favor on the planet. This was a short visit before they would return to duty.

“Everything okay?”

“Indeed.” Spock came to stand near him. Jim had been viewing some plants in pots there. “My mother’s garden. She has another garden in the back yard.”

“Yes, she showed me earlier. Told me there’s no real harvest time like there is back in Iowa.”

“Yes. I do apologize for staying away so long today. Mother informed me you were required to watch Saran for a time.”

Jim chuckled. “Yep. Not sure I’m very good with children. Probably a good thing Carol kept David from me.” His smile faded, his mood now melancholy.  

Spock, of course, knew. “I am sorry, Jim. For the horrifying loss of your son.”

He nodded, turning away. “The pain is manageable.”

At least I have you, Jim thought.

It wasn’t in the same capacity of what he’d been used to, what he wanted. But it was something. Yes. He would have Spock however Spock would allow it.

“I tried to read a ghost story to Saran,” Jim said, changing the subject.

“A ghost story, Captain?”

“October, Mister Spock. The month of Halloween.”

“Ah.” Spock nodded. “I recall.” He gestured to two chairs. “Will you sit with me? There is something I would like to discuss.”

Trying to stem his curiosity, Jim took the seat and waited as Spock sat beside him.

“I would like to discuss us.”

Jim glanced at Spock’s face, trying to read what that meant. He was unsuccessful in figuring it out. “Us?”

Spock held his hand up in the air toward Jim, who’s gaze zeroed in on it. He swallowed. He must have hesitated too long for Spock began to lower his hand, his brows furrowed. Jim hastily thrust his hand out, rather clumsily, and touched his fingers to Spock’s.

“It-it’s been a long time for that,” he whispered.

“Is it unwelcome?”

“No.” Jim paused, feeling hope spring up in his chest. “No.”

Flash Fic, August 28, 2020

Some OMS TOS

Spock found Jim sitting on the porch of his Riverside farmhouse at nearly eight-thirty at night. The sun was setting, as it was August, and nearly the end of their leave. Time to return to San Francisco and HQ soon enough. He was aware that Jim did not really look forward to it as he once did. They were older now and Jim spoke of retirement more than he used to.

Jim gave him a weary smile.

“Finish the dishes? Sorry, I meant to go in.”

Spock lowered himself into a chair beside his husband.

“It is fine. I did not mind doing it.”

Jim nodded, staring out into the yard. “Would you mind so much if we came here to live after we retire?”

Spock was aware that for Jim, Riverside was home. Outside of the Enterprise, which was no longer theirs to call it that way. For Spock, wherever Jim was, was home. It had taken him a long time to discover this, to admit to it, too long. But now he knew, now he accepted.

“I would offer no objections.”

Jim smiled. “Good. I like the idea of us living here, arguing over whose going to do the dishes that night…”

“I would not argue. I would do them willingly.”

“I know. But you get what I mean.” Jim continued to smile faintly, then he looked from the yard to Spock. “Or we could retire to Vulcan, if you’d rather.”

Spock did not say it, but he knew, there would be plenty of time, likely, for him to live on Vulcan once Jim passed away. Unless some odd tragedy occurred, Spock would outlive Jim by a good many years. It was not outside the realm of possibility, of course. After all, Spock had died once already.  

“No, living here will be acceptable,” Spock replied. He put his hand out toward Jim who met Spock’s hand with his own, their fingers touching as they did, as once, long ago, when Spock’s mother still lived, she did with Sarek.

“I love summer,” Jim spoke after a few minutes. “Summer nights especially. Out here, anyway. You can see stars for miles and miles around. This…this I grew up with.”

“And made you wish to live among those very stars.”

Jim nodded. “Yep. Never imagined then that I’d meet someone like you, and you’d change every aspect of my life.”

Spock thought about all those years in the past when last he’d seen Michael and her words to him.  

 “As you have changed mine.”

Flash Fic, August 5, 2020

Another prompt from J

“He’s dead, Jim.”

Jim looked down at the straps of the ahn-woon around Spock’s throat. The way Spock’s eyes bugged out. Jim’s heart thundered so hard in his chest, it hurt.

The desert heat had him sweating so badly his uniform shirt was soaked through and clinging to his body. He felt vaguely faint and incredibly weak and drained.

And yet…

“No.”

“Jim. Let go of him!”

Bones pulled Jim away.

“No.”

“Jim. Spock…”

“It’s not real, Bones. Tell me it’s not real.”

Bones craggy face blurred in front of his eyes and Jim realized he was crying. “Jim, I’m sorry, but Spock is dead. You killed him.”

Jim was aware then that a group of Vulcan males came and took Spock’s body away. He sat on the ground, numbly staring at where it used to be.

But how could this happen? He’d wanted to save Spock from Stonn, T’Pring’s…well whatever he was. True he hadn’t known it was to the death, but…

“You’re going to have to kill him, Jim.”

“Kill Spock? That’s not what I came to Vulcan for, is it?”

But that’s exactly what he’d done. And now—

“Well, Captain Kirk, this is a surprise,” the Vulcan woman, T’Pring, said as she approached him. “I had not expected this outcome.”

Jim stared at her. “What?”

“I had thought Spock would win easily against you.” She straightened. “I never imagined a human could be strong enough to…well. This changes things.”

“It what?” Stonn shouted and came forward, clearly angry, despite the nonsense about Vulcans not having emotions. “I am to be your mate.”

T’Pring shrugged. “Perhaps. Perhaps not. It is up to the captain if he wishes to discard his interest in me.”

Stonn turned cold eyes to Jim.

T’Pau came over to them. “Well, Kirk, what is it to be? Will you join with T’Pring in the mating chamber? After all you have a rightful claim to her after defeating Spock.”

“Mating chamber?”

T’Pring smirked and put her hands on his arm, her nails digging in. “Come, James. My champion.”

“No. No. I don’t want this. Spock……”

“Spock is dead. You killed him.”

“No.”

“Spock is dead. You killed him.”

“No, no, this isn’t…”

“Spock is dead. You killed him.”

“Nooooo.”

“You’re going to have to kill him, Jim.”

“You’re going to have to kill him, Jim.”

“NO!”

Jim sat up, panting in bed. He wiped the moisture from his eyes.

A hand was rubbing his back and the lights in his room were on. He looked at Spock.

Spock.

Alive.

“Are you all right now, Jim?” Spock asked.

“I-I don’t know. That was…”

“A dream?”

“A nightmare. You…we were back on Vulcan. All those years ago with T’Pring.”

Spock watched him. “When you and I fought.”

“Yes. Only, you didn’t kill me. Or even think you did.”

“I do not understand.”

Jim shook his head. “I killed you. Only it wasn’t McCoy’s trick. I really had. With the ahn-woon.”

“It was only a dream, adun.” Spock soothingly rubbed his back. “We are here. I was not killed nor were you.”

“Yeah.” Jim laughed. But there was still moisture in his eyes. He reached for and squeezed Spock’s hand. “Think I’d better get up. Don’t think I can go back to sleep for a while.”

Spock glanced at the window of their bedroom. “The sun is rising. Would you care for a walk?”

“Yeah, yeah. Thank you. I’m sorry I woke you.”

“I would have risen soon anyway. Come, love, let’s walk off your dream.”

Jim nodded, rose from the bed, and eyed the ahn-woon on the wall dispassionately. “Maybe we can move that to another room.”

Spock patted his back. “0f course, Jim.”

Jim smiled and embraced  Spock. “Love you. Let me get dressed.”

Spock turned to the ahn-woon and took it off the wall as Jim went into the bathroom. He shook his head.

“As though he ever had a chance to beat me. Illogical.”      

Flash Fic, June 08, 2020

The Children Shall Lead is my absolutely least favorite episode of any Star Trek series but it has this moment, and thought I’d work with it. I have left it rather vague as to whether this is pre-slash or slash, you can decide.

Jim had been avoiding Spock ever since the events surrounding their rescue of the children from Triacus and their being controlled by Gorgon.

He was embarrassed, frankly, by his loss of control in the turbolift when he clutched Spock and wailed that he was losing control. He felt decidedly…unmanned. And in front of the worst possible being he would want to feel so inferior to.

So every chess match Spock had suggested, every meal he usually took with his first officer, Jim avoided it. Avoided Spock.

How could he face Spock after that?

But if there was something Spock was, it was determined.

And on the fourth night of Jim avoiding all personal interaction with the Vulcan, there was a persistent buzz at his door.

Somehow even before he asked the computer to identify his visitor, Jim knew.

“Let him in.”

Spock entered as soon the door slid open, stepping inside with hands linked behind his back.

“Captain.”

“What can I do for you, Mister Spock?”

“I came to inquire about the continuance of our chess game.”

He almost said he had given up the game, but no.

“Very well.”

They got into their respective positions, and remained silent for the first half, but eventually Jim’s mouth runneth over and he heard himself apologize.

“Spock, listen, I want to apologize.”

“Apologize, Captain?”

“For…my recent behavior. In trying to avoid you because I was embarrassed.”

“What were you embarrassed for, Jim?”

“In the…turbolift. I may have…I did have a bit of an emotional overreaction, which I appreciate your assistance with, but I may have gotten a little too…touchy feely.”

Spock quirked a brow. “I have never expressed dissatisfaction with your touches of my person.”

Jim smiled a little. “No. But if I made you uncomfortable, I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t. Those were extenuating circumstances,” Spock replied. “With some seriously challenging children.”

Jim chuckled. “Yes. Thank you, Spock. I feel much better about things.” Spock nodded. “Very good, Jim. Checkmate.”

Flash Fic Monday, March 30, 2020

“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.”   
    

Flash Fic 02/28/2020

A little…TOS

Now that he was faced bringing the gift to his husband, Jim felt a bit silly. He was second and third guessing himself. Spock wasn’t exactly the cuddly type, well except sometimes with Jim, when he felt like it, of course, and certainly not the gift receiving type either, but hell he was committed now.

He opened the door to their San Francisco apartment, picked up the box with the present and stepped inside.

“Spock?”

“In the kitchen, Jim.”

Jim smiled to himself and headed for their kitchen. He could smell one of his favorite dishes cooking, a vegetarian chili that Spock made often because Jim had a tendency to gobble it down whenever Spock made it. Also on the counter was a plate of peanut butter cookies, his favorite.

For a moment, the love and happiness Jim felt at having Spock here with him, back and remembering more and more all the time, made his chest ache and his throat clog with emotion. God, he loved Spock, and he cursed himself for waiting far too long to tell him. Had they wasted the time they could spend together on stupid nonsense that hadn’t even mattered? Jim did.

Spock turned toward him, wearing the white robe he so often favored these days, giving him a questioning look. “Is anything wrong?”

“No.” Jim cleared his throat. “Absolutely nothing. Everything smells great.”

“Since it is our anniversary, as you pointed out, I thought I would prepare some of your favorite foods.”

“And I love you for it. Thank you.” The noise at his feet, made him glance down at the box. “I, uh, I have a present for you.”

Spock’s eyebrow shot up. “A present? I do not need presents, Jim.”

“I know, but I saw this…uh…her…and just something made me.”

“Her?”

Jim laughed. “Yeah.” He bent down, opened the box, and removed the fluffy orange kitten. He put her in Spock’s arms.

The kitten, smart little girl, immediately started purring. Spock’s eyes melted and before Jim knew it, his husband was smiling softly.

Okay Jim, he thought, you did well.

Jim leaned over and kissed Spock’s cheek. “What do you think of the name Butterscotch?”

My Funny Valentine

Star Trek: The Original Series

When Spock first got to the lounge, he didn’t see him. He stood in the front area, surveying the crowd, and trying to decide if he had the wrong place or if he’d somehow missed him.

He pulled out the handwritten slip of paper and read the words again.

My Valentine. Meet me at Louie’s at midnight. J.

He glanced at the lit up sign behind the bar Louie’s.

Spock turned, about to leave the noisy establishment, when the sound of someone singing a song drifted over the chattering crowd.

“My funny Valentine, Sweet comic Valentine, You make me smile with my heart.”

He frowned. It was badly sung, there was no doubt about that. Sort of off-key and more spoken than sung, if it came to that. But the voice…

Spock moved forward, pushing through the crowd toward the singer of the song.

As he cleared through, he saw him, sitting at the piano, playing it, and singing, or attempting as best he ever could.

Like Spock, Jim had changed out of his Starfleet uniform, and wore jeans, a flannel shirt, and a beat up bomber jacket. Just as Spock reached him, Jim continued with the song.

“Your looks are laughable, unphotographable, Yet you’re my favorite work of art.”

“Captain.”

Jim stopped playing and singing, smiling at Spock. “You made it.”

Spock blinked. “Do you…you think my looks are laughable?”

Jim’s eyes widened. “What? No. No.”

“You did call me your Valentine.”

Jim slid out off the piano bench and said something to a nearby man who took his place at the piano. An instant improvement, really.

Spock admired his captain more than anyone, but singing was not his forte, though he clearly enjoyed doing it.

Jim cupped Spock’s elbow and led him away from the piano and further into the establishment. Spock was surprised that he found them an empty, rather private table, but it also appeared to have been reserved for them, and therefore planned by his captain.

“You are my Valentine, Spock,” Jim said after they’d been seated. “Or I hope so. After everything…”

“Everything?”

Jim frowned. “The truth is, I’ve never felt about anyone the way I feel about you. But that song? Was just an old Earth song. There’s nothing about you I find laughable.”

He opened a bottle of wine and poured himself some, then held toward the empty glass in front of Spock.

“No, thank you.”

Jim smiled wryly. “Did I ever tell you about Carol?”

Spock took a moment to absorb the seemingly abrupt change in topic. “I do not believe so.”

“We met when I was at the Academy. It was never terribly serious. At least, I think, from her point of view. For a while I imagined myself in love. But it wasn’t. Not really. Anyway, she got pregnant.”

“You have a child?”

The smile turned wistful. “Somewhere. Carol didn’t tell me. Whatever we’d had was over. It was her friend who told me. I’m not sure Carol ever would have. I confronted her about it and she, well, she made it very clear that there was no future with me for her. Or for our child. She knew I was all about Starfleet and that wasn’t the life she wanted. Later I learned from that same friend that she had a son. David. I’ve never met or even seen him.”

“I am sorry,” Spock replied, though he wondered why Jim was sharing this with him.

“And…Ruth. I thought…well, what I thought didn’t turn out to be true. We had a great time, but that was it. There have been times I was certain I was absolutely completely in love, Spock. Edith. I really thought I was.”

Spock gripped the stem of the empty wine glass in front of him. “Were you not?”

Jim shook his head. “Not really. I’ve always fell in love fast. You’ve heard the idea of love at first sight, right?”

“Yes. An illogical notion.”

Jim chuckled and it warmed Spock. “Yeah. I’m the poster boy for that. Edith. Miramanee. Reyna. God, I don’t even know how many.”

Spock did. He knew. But he decided that information was irrelevant to whatever Jim wanted to say.

“In love in a second and gone just like that,” Jim said, musingly. He took a sip of his wine. “But…then there was you.”

“Me?”

“You. I fell in love with you over time, Spock. Long hours of just…admiring your brilliance, your integrity, your wit, your courage, your loyalty. It snuck up on me. You did. For a long time I didn’t even know that’s what it was. I convinced myself you were just the best friend anyone could ever have. Playing chess, having meals. Hell, we were dating, and I never even realized it.”

Spock thought about this. Were they? He shook his head.

“The point of all this rambling, and I swear there is a point, Mr. Spock, is that loving you has made me realize that none of the others were even close to what real love is. You are. I can’t get you out of my heart now even if I wanted to and I sure as hell don’t. The rest of that song says, ‘don’t change a hair for me, not if you care for me’, and there’s not a thing I’d ever want to change about you. You’re magnificent just the way you are.”

Spock opened his mouth to reply, but then Jim’s communicator blinked. He picked it up and grimaced. “So much for shore leave, Mr. Spock. Duty calls.”

Jim began to get up, but Spock stopped him with a hand on Jim’s hand. Jim looked at him quizzically.

“It is the same for me. You are my funny Valentine, too.”

His captain laughed. He touched his fingers to Spock’s. “Let’s go back to the ship.”

Spock nodded, rose, and followed his captain, as always.

Flash Fic, 02/07/2020

A little TOS, post-mission, pre-Motion Picture

“Are you going to stop him?”

Jim smiled faintly. “Stop him? No.”

Bones made a frustrated sound. “Why not, Jim? You’re just going to let him walk away? Leave Starfleet? Walk away from you?”

Jim looked at Bones. In the last year of the five year mission, Bones had been looking older, more haggard. They probably all did. The last five years had taken their toll on all of them. He wasn’t at all surprised Bones had announced to him that he planned to retire. He was done with space, he said.

“Yes.”

“I don’t get it, Jim. Why don’t you call him back right now?” Bones grimaced. “I can still see the back of that stupid hobgoblin. With his Vulcan hearing—”

“No, Bones.”

“But don’t you want to tell him how you feel?”

At this Jim deflated some. “I’m guessing he knows and is leaving anyway.”

Bones made an ugly face. “Wait. What? He knows?”

“I’ve not made my feelings a secret for the last year. I can’t give Spock what he wants.”

“Which is?”

“A life devoid of drama and emotions.” Jim shook his head. “That’s not me. We both know it.” Jim shrugged. “So.”

“And what do you intend to do now?” Bones demanded. “If you aren’t going after him.”

“I’m not. Why are you so passionate about it anyway? You’ve never even liked Spock.”

Bones scowled. “Well. I don’t dislike him. And if he made you happy…but now, well, you’re saying he doesn’t?”

Jim put his hand on Bones’ shoulder. “I’m saying, let it go. I’m not going to force Spock to be with me, Bones. And as for me? I have a promotion ceremony to attend.”

“Still can’t believe you’re going to be Admiral Kirk.”

“Me either. But I had little choice. Come on, Bones. There’s time for us to have a drink.” Jim paused. “I really need one.”

Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah

TOS OMS

Kirk had not really grown up with much religion. His mother had told him about several and encouraged him to investigate them and their beliefs as he saw fit, but he really hadn’t delved too much into it.

He knew a lot from reading, of course. And being a fan of Dickens, he’d read A Christmas Carol a time or two.

By the time he had become a young man in Starfleet he didn’t give much thought to any of it. His mind had been on other things.

Even when they’d been on the planet in system 892, it had taken Uhura to correct his perception that the inhabitants were “sun” worshipers when in fact they had worshipped the “Son of God”.

Even after he and Spock had bonded, retired for the most part, and settled at his family’s old farmhouse in Riverside, Iowa, Kirk didn’t give it much thought.

When he’d been captain of the Enterprise, the ship had festive events surrounding the holiday season. He’d participated in those he thought he should and excused himself from those he thought he could get away with.

To his knowledge, Spock had participated even less than he had, though Kirk knew that Spock had been very private before they’d fallen in love and bonded. Even now, there was so much about his husband he didn’t really know.

So when he came down rather late for breakfast one December morning, he was surprised to see Spock performing a ceremony with candles, and chanting in a language unfamiliar to him.

“Spock?”

“Good morning, Jim.” An eyebrow shot up. “Or rather, Good afternoon.”

Jim smiled sheepishly. He’d been feeling a bit under the weather lately, plus he seemed to need more sleep the older he got. “Morning.” He snagged a cinnamon roll from a basket of them and tore off a hunk.

“What are you doing? Jewish, right?”

“Affirmative. As you are aware, ashal-veh, my mother was Jewish.”

“Sure. But I was unaware she was practicing,” Kirk admitted, feeling embarrassed. He should know this.

“When she was able to, she did. My father of course preferred the Vulcan way and discouraged her from sharing much of it with me. But when I was very young, she would celebrate Hanukah with me. Even give me small gifts.”

Kirk frowned. “Why didn’t I know this? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“There was no reason you would know nor a reason for me to tell you,” Spock replied. “I have not observed it myself for many years, but with the recent death of my mother, I find myself thinking of her and of it.”

He moved closer to Spock, surveying the candles. “And you’ve had these all this time?”

“Negative. My father presented me with them after her death when you and I were on Vulcan. He saw no purpose in keeping them.”

Kirk met Spock’s gaze. “He really is never going to be warm and fuzzy is he?”

“You know the answer to that.”

“Yeah. I mean things can’t really take the place of the person we lost, I get that, but it’s…nice to have something, you know?”

Spock nodded. “I know. She used to sing songs too. One was ‘Hanukah, Oh Hanukah’.

Kirk searched his memory, trying to remember the song. He shook his head. “Can you sing it?”

For a moment, Spock simply stared at him. But then very softly he sang,

O Hanukah O Hanukah, Come light the menorah

Let’s have a party, we’ll all dance the hora!

Gather round the table, we’ll give you a treat

Driedels to play with & latkes to eat

and while we are playing, the candles are burning low

One for each night, they shed a sweet light, to remind us of days long ago      

Kirk hugged Spock. “Thank you for sharing that with me. Your mom with me. I’m very glad I got to know her.”

“Me too.” Spock lit a candle.     

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