Sacrifice

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek and I do not make any money from these writing.

Title: Sacrifice

Author: Raythe

Pairing: Kirk/Spock

Fandom: Star Trek XI (2009 Movie) – Abrams Universe

Warnings: Slash, First Time, Romance, AU, WIP

Summary: This is almost all Jim and Spock romance in this chapter. Jim’s in a towel for part of it. Raines will appear in the next one. Hope you don’t mind the continuing building of suspense!

POV: This chapter is done in Kirk’s point of view.

Again, your feedback is incredible. I appreciate it dearly. Please continue to let me know what you think.

Raythe

CHAPTER FIVE: NORMAL BETWEEN THEM

Kirk’s POV

Jim was drying his hair when he heard the chime indicating someone was at his door. He had just come out of the shower and was clad only in a small towel, which hung low on his hips and draped only to mid-thigh. With a damp hand, he switched on the view screen to see who it was. Spock was standing there, dress uniform on with nary a stray crease, hair neatly combed, and hands linked behind his back.

Jim grinned.

Seeing Spock always made him happy; sometimes he felt almost giddy at the sight of the other man. Bones told him that he acted like a puppy in front of Spock: dancing and jumping up and down around him then barking and wagging his tail when he got the Vulcan’s attention or peeing on the carpet when ignored. The comparison hadn’t offended Jim; he’d found it rather apt. And he’d amused himself with the thought of Spock’s reaction to Bone’s imagery.

He pressed the button to unlock his door and said into the intercom, “Spock, c’mon in.”

Jim didn’t even consider his level of undress with Spock before he buzzed the other man in. It wasn’t until Spock entered and caught sight of his bare legs that Jim realized how a man who had tried to block the view of his naked torso might feel about seeing him even more unclothed.

As the door whooshed shut behind the Vulcan’s spare figure, Spock’s gaze riveted first on Jim’s bare feet then slowly rose upwards over his knees, then lower thighs, then skipped up past his covered groin, to his muscled stomach. When Spock’s gaze hit his stomach, Jim would have sworn that the Vulcan had some sort of heat vision, because he could almost feel Spock’s scorching gaze rake up his chest. Finally their eyes met. Jim couldn’t help the blush that heated his cheekbones, but shockingly, he saw it was mirrored on Spock’s face except there was a greenish tinge rather than a reddish one due to the different colors of their blood.

“You’re blushing,” Jim said, a hint of awe in his voice.

Spock’s eyebrow rose. “Indeed, it is warm in here. From your … shower.”

“Warm … for a Vulcan?” Jim couldn’t keep the disbelief out of his tone. Spock’s blush grew deeper and his brown-eyed gaze skittered away. Jim felt like cursing himself for the thoughtless comment. Clearly his near nudity was disturbing the modest Vulcan and now he was compounding that by pointing out Spock’s attempt to deflect the issue. “Ah, never mind. I’m sorry about my … lack of apparel as Bones would say, but … since it was you at the door, I just didn’t think,” Jim said as he backed up towards his bed where his dress uniform was laid out.

“There is no need to apologize, Jim. I am not offended. Your … comfort … in being so open with me shows a level of trust that I am honored to have,” Spock said, sincerely. Jim felt a warm rush go through at Spock’s words. Only the Vulcan would take a mistake of his and make it seem like an asset. Spock then continued, “Also I find that you … think … quite extensively when I am near.”

Still thrilling from the earlier comment, Jim couldn’t help the laugh that came out for the latter. “Really? Well, shows my ability to bluff then.”

Jim slipped on a pair of black boxer briefs underneath the towel. Once the briefs were securely on and he was adjusted in them, he allowed the towel to drop to the ground. He then bent over to get his pants. His back was to Spock, but he heard a soft sound from the other man. If he’d heard that sound come from any other person than Spock he would have thought it was a gasp of pleasure. But his First Officer would never look at him like that.

Jim half-turned to see Spock’s expression was, but it was as placid as ever. He must have imagined the gasp even though … ‘even though the way he touched me in the car, the compassion he allowed himself to show, was so intimate.’ Jim shoved that that thought away, ‘It means nothing. Well, maybe, not nothing. It means a great friendship. Just like the elder Spock told me. Besides he has Nyota. He would never want me. He’d be horrified to know I want him.’

Jim had noticed his attraction to Spock from the first. Something about his authoritative bearing, amazing strength and almost delicate, but definitely masculine, beauty had drawn Jim in and never let him go. The fact that the other man also confounded him, challenged him and made him reach for the best inside himself played a role, too. But Jim normally never allowed himself to feel desire for those he was close to emotionally after Raines, but Spock had broken down all his barriers. The fact that it was a hopeless attraction didn’t seem to affect the level of desire he had whatsoever. ‘I must settle for his friendship. If I don’t … I risk everything. And I can’t do that.’ To distract himself, Jim asked where their ornery Chief Medical Officer was.

“Where’s Bones?” Jim said as he slid on one leg then the other of his dark blue dress pants. “I expected you two to come down in a phalanx after his reaction to Pike.”

Spock nodded. “I believe he is still in his room. He was still … wrestling … with his uniform when I last saw him.”

Jim chuckled. “He really hates uniforms. The normal crew uniform is okay, but get him in anything with a stiff collar and he’s fit to be tied.”

“Yes, and as you supposed earlier, the uniform had been quite wrinkled from being on the floor. He was attempting to make it look presentable. It is apparently not an easy task … which I surmised from the increased level of his already prodigious cursing,” Spock added. “So he sent me on ahead.”

“To keep me out of trouble? He was probably worried that I would go to the dinner by myself, phaser in hand to confront Raines,” Jim said calmly, even as his stomach clenched as he was reminded that he was going to see Raines very soon.

After eight years of not even allowing himself to watch vids of Raines, Jim was going to be in the same room with him. Maybe even have to make small talk with him. Jim felt queasy, but also a frission of … something else. It could have either been fear or excitement. It was always like that with the other man. Being with Damascus had been like gunning the engine when you’re heading towards a cliff. You knew you were going to fall, and fall hard, but you imagined just for a moment that you might fly. Jim felt ashamed that he could have ever found anything about Raines attractive. The man was a cold-hearted murderer. ‘Why didn’t I see it before?’ Jim wrenched his thoughts away from Raines and put all his attention again on Spock.

“I believe the Doctor’s exact words were, ‘stop Jim from being a damned martyr. He’s not going anywhere near that Raines bastard without us,’” Spock said quoting McCoy.

Jim couldn’t help his grin. “Bones is a wonderful friend even if he sometimes mother-hens me to death.”

“I think his caution in this case is well-deserved, Captain. You have a tendency to risk yourself unnecessarily,” Spock said.

“I’m not going to do anything rash, Spock. I intend to hide in the corner as much of the evening as I can. I won’t speak to Raines, if I don’t have to and if I do … I’ll keep it short and civil,” Jim said, as much to reassure Spock as himself.

“It is … disturbing … that he should base any part of his decision to sell Neos to the Vulcans on his feelings for you,” Spock said. “This indicates that he is not yet … devoid of feelings for you.”

There was a tartness in his voice that Jim had never heard before. If he didn’t know better he would think it was possessiveness he was hearing.

“I’m sure I didn’t play any real role in his decision,” Jim said, trying to look back at what he knew of Raines’ character analytically. “He just wants to sweeten the deal for himself. You know, get the profits and PR from the sale and then torment me a little as well.”

Spock’s brow furrowed. “I think his actions indicate not that he wishes to torment you, but that he wishes to … win you back, to buy your good opinion.”

Jim frowned. He hadn’t thought of that. “I don’t know which would be worse. I want nothing to do with him.”

“We will protect you from his attentions,” Spock said, decisively.

“I feel safer already,” Jim said, grinning at the Vulcan’s protectiveness.

As though satisfied with their discussion on Raines, Spock wandered over to the wall where Jim’s desk was located. There was an ever-changing kaleidoscope of pictures in the frames on the wall above the desk. All, but one of them, were of him and Bones during their Academy days. Many showed Jim’s arm slung over Bones’ shoulders; the older man grinning against his will as they either were in trouble or were looking for it.

“You have no pictures of your life before the Academy,” Spock remarked as he pivoted on his heel to face Jim again.

“The Academy’s where my life really began. Before that … well, I don’t really want to commemorate what came before. But … there is one picture not of the Academy,” Jim walked over and scrolled through the slideshow until the picture of his mother and father from their wedding appeared.

Spock studied it quietly for a moment, before saying, “You have many of your father’s features.”

“Yeah, so I’m told,” Jim said and grimaced. To stop the conversation, he instantly turned and began pulling on the white button-down dress shirt that went beneath the elaborate dark blue jacket.

“Have I said something to upset you, Jim?” Spock asked and Jim nearly jumped as the other man touched him, warm fingertips barely brushing his shoulder. It felt like an electric current each time they had physical contact.

“No … I mean … you haven’t upset me,” Jim said quickly, trying to cover up the pleasurable reaction he had from the touch.

The Vulcan’s brow furrowed as he remarked, “But you are upset. I can feel …” Spock clamped his mouth shut as if he wanted to stop the words from bursting out of him.

“You can feel that I’m upset? That’s part of your touch telepathic ability, isn’t it?” Jim asked. “I don’t mind you knowing what’s going on in my head. It’s a hell of a lot easier than having to tell you sometimes.”

“I do not wish to invade your privacy,” Spock said, his brow furrowing more.

“If it helps, you have my permission to look into my mind and know my feelings all you want,” Jim said and tried not to get drawn into Spock’s gaze. The scent of the other man, sandalwood and alien spice, was distracting enough without those strikingly warmth-filled eyes being added into it. Perhaps he shouldn’t have given the Vulcan permission so quickly to know all his thoughts and feelings. He dreaded what the other man would think of his attraction.

“I do not know if you fully understand the extent of my ability to read your thoughts and feelings. Normally, one must touch at certain pressure points on the skull to read anything, but I find that I can even read you … without touching you. Not even those who are mated experience this level of connection,” Spock explained as he studied Jim intently.

“So what you’re trying to say is that … we’re not normal?” Jim asked, a quirked smile lighting his face.

Spock paused, his head cocked to the side. “I do not know if we are not normal, per se, but this level of connection is not within the norm.”

Spock’s hands went behind his back again and Jim mourned the loss of those sensitive fingers questing over his skin. A ripple of heat flowed through him as he imagined those graceful hands trailing over his pectoral muscles and his lower belly.

“You had me worried there for a minute,” Jim said after clearing his throat, trying to stop the thoughts of his First’s hands on him. “I’ve never been normal, Spock. I’ve never wanted to be. If this … closeness … is unusual for others, so what? It’s what’s normal between us.”

“And that pleases you? That we should be so close?” Spock asked slowly.

“Absolutely. I would have it no other way,” Jim said and he was surprised and pleased by another hint of a blush on the Vulcan’s cheekbones.

“Then I accept it and embrace it as well,” Spock said, in what sounded like almost a formal declaration of … well, something. Jim didn’t know. But anything to draw them closer was good in his mind.

‘Except you’re hoping that the closeness is physical as well as mental, aren’t you?’ Jim’s conscience pricked him.

“Would you tell me what upset you earlier?” Spock asked and Jim cursed Vulcan doggedness.

Jim shrugged on the white button-down dress shirt, his eyes securely downward, focused on the small pearl buttons as he dredged up unpleasant memories. “My mother would always tell me I looked just like my father every time she would leave for another assignment. The older I got, the more I looked like him, the longer her assignments became. She couldn’t bear to see me, because I reminded her so much of him. So she left me with my bastard stepfather.”

‘Alone with him,’ Jim thought and swallowed the thick feeling of shame, anger and despair that clutched him remembering that time. ‘Alone in the damned house with him. Where he’d drink and drink and then … then start looking at me. Sometimes he’d stand there in the threshold of my bedroom when he thought I was asleep with a beer in one hand and his other hand …NO! I won’t think of that anymore. It’s over and done. And done some more. Maybe that’s why Raines seemed like such a savior at the time … anything to get away from those eyes.’

Jim realized that he was shaking, making it all but impossible to button his shirt. He muttered under his breath, hoping his anger at himself would stop the trembling, but it just made it worse. Suddenly, Spock brushed his hands away and began buttoning the shirt with neat, methodical movements. Jim held his breath as each time a button was pulled through its corresponding hole, he could feel the heat of Spock’s fingers against his chest. He looked up at Spock’s face, but the other man’s eyes were fixed on his task. Jim was surprised he could feel the desire to be touched by the Vulcan after thinking of his stepfather, but with Spock everything was turned upside down.

“Your mother was not present when you were officially made captain, was she?” Spock stated, more than asked, as he secured another button.

“Ah, no,” Jim said, for a moment forgetting how to speak as Spock’s hands moved downwards as he closed more buttons. “No, she was on assignment … still out at Deep Space 3. So she couldn’t have come even if she’d wanted to.”

“But you do not believe she wished to be there? Even if it was possible, you believe she would not have attended?” Spock asked, as his fingers now glided over Jim’s stomach, fastening the second to last button.

“No, I think seeing me become Captain of a Starship would have been too much for her,” Jim explained, trying to order his thoughts as Spock’s hands drifted towards that last button. “Not only do I look like my father, I was born the day he died, and now … now I’m getting to do what he loved and only had a few minutes at.” Jim realized as he said it that even the painful admissions did not hurt so much when Spock touched him.

Spock secured the final button and his hands hovered there for a moment. Jim wondered if Spock was going to tuck the shirt in for him. What would it feel like to have Spock’s warmer-than-human hands slide down the front of his pants, skim his sides and cup his buttocks? Jim’s breathing and heart rate increased. He had the wild desire to thread his and Spock’s hands together and thrust them down his pants so that he could feel the Vulcan’s touch. Spock was suddenly backing away from him, head bowed, a formal stiffness in his gait and stance.

“It is done,” Spock said, his voice was almost inflectionless.

Jim knew that when Spock felt the most, he showed the least, until he completely shattered and then acted. Spock was behaving just like that now. He appeared to be on the brink of losing control and … ‘doing what? What’s upsetting him so much? Oh, God … he warned me earlier. He can feel everything I feel. He must have sensed my attraction to him. He’s horrified. Disgusted. Doesn’t know how to react. I could lose his friendship over this. Why, why, why couldn’t I keep control of myself?!’

Desperate to do damage control, Jim said, “Spock … look I can control this. I won’t act on it. I … I don’t want our friendship to be affected by my attraction to you … I mean … that’s why you’re upset … right?”

Jim felt his stomach sink to his feet when Spock said nothing at first in reaction to his confession. Perhaps he had been mistaken. Maybe Spock had no idea what he’d been feeling and he’d just given himself away. Jim’s chest seized, wondering if he just managed to destroy one of the best friendships he’d ever had by jumping in without thinking.

Spock’s eyes slowly rose to meet Jim’s. Jim tensed. The eyes would tell him if all of this were now over or … Jim couldn’t even think beyond that. His breath caught. Spock’s eyes were … filled with warmth. Again that hint of a blush graced his cheekbones, but there was only pleasure in his expression no embarrassment.

“Your attraction is not … upsetting … to me, Jim,” Spock said.

“It’s not?” Jim asked, his voice breaking slightly.

“No, it is not. It is … welcome,” Spock said, his voice sounding deeper than usual.

“Welcome?” Jim parroted, sure he couldn’t be understanding Spock correctly.

“Indeed. Very welcome. For it is returned,” Spock said.

“You mean … you find … me … attractive, too?” Jim asked.

“Exquisitely so,” Spock said, still standing almost formally at attention, making no move to come nearer, which Jim felt perplexing, but then again he wasn’t moving either.

Jim made a half-step towards the other man and Spock retreated. “Then why … why are you backing away from me? Do you not want to … I mean … do you not want to pursue this?” He found himself uncharacteristically stammering almost incoherently, “I know I’m not one to talk about acting on attraction without there being more there … I mean … you’re with Nyota and I’m … well, I don’t think this is a … I wouldn’t risk our friendship for something casual. You’re too important to me to risk everything for that. So … are you … what are you … damn, I can’t get the words out!”

Spock suddenly cupped Jim’s cheek. Jim couldn’t stop the riotous blush that seemed to flood his face and the rest of his body as he confessed to feeling … ‘love. Love. I recognize it even if it’s seemed like a completely alien concept for years.’

Spock’s expression became warmer and softer somehow. Even though the amount of facial movement was probably only a centimeter or two, Jim could see the emotions cross the Vulcan’s face.

“I agree completely, Jim. I need to resolve things with Nyota as quickly as possible so that I can pursue you cleanly,” Spock said and he seemed to lean into Jim as he added, “You are very important to me. You are … essential … to me. I would not risk what we have unless I was certain … ”

“You were certain of?” Jim asked, amused and horrified how breathless he sounded.

“That you are … the only one for me,” Spock answered softly.

Jim’s eyes closed for a moment as he relished Spock’s words. His feelings were returned. Spock loved him. Spock loved him. And it wasn’t a fling. It wasn’t anything like that. The permanency that he’d fled when offered by anyone else (other than Raines, his mind whispered) he fully embraced with Spock.

“So is … is Nyota … the cause for your … distance?” Jim asked, opening his eyes finally to take in Spock’s visage.

“Yes and no,” Spock said, his brown eyes darkened; his thumb ran a light line across Jim’s cheekbone that burned. “My desire for you is … too great. If I were to allow myself to give into this now … I am not certain what would happen … other than the certainty that we would not be going to the dinner.”

Jim gave out a delighted laugh and Spock lifted a delicate eyebrow showing amusement, too.

“You do know that Nyota is going to kill me for stealing you away,” Jim said, half in jest. He felt a small stab of guilt for pursuing Spock before he was free of her.

“You did not steal me away, Jim. For I was never hers,” Spock said and Jim couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face. “It is my fault that this has come about. I should have ended things with her long ago, but I delayed for reasons which I now know were … insufficient … and that this ending will be more painful for her in consequence of my postponement.”

“She’s a valuable crew member and … a good person,” Jim said, honestly. “While I am sorry for her … I won’t give you up even if that means she leaves the Enterprise. Though I sincerely hope that she does not.”

“My feelings are the same as yours. I will make every effort to ensure that she knows the fault lies solely with me and that both of us wish that she remain on the Enterprise,” Spock said.

“I’m sure you’ll do all you can,” Jim said. “But … I don’t want to talk about Nyota anymore. Not when we’re here. Alone. And you’re finally touching me.”

Jim turned his head into Spock’s hand and nuzzled the soft skin. Spock’s eyes went almost black and a tremor ran through the Vulcan.

“You must not tease, Jim,” he said, softly. “I am not like a human male. I will not be able to let you go once this starts. Please … help me control myself.”

Jim’s eyes widened when he saw the truth of that statement in Spock’s expression. There were actual beads of sweat breaking across the Vulcan’s brow as he fought an internal struggle not to … ‘not to take me on the bed.’ Jim shivered, but it wasn’t in fear. Part of him was thrilled by the thought of being so close to the flame that was Spock’s passion for him. The risk-taker in him couldn’t wait to test the Vulcan’s control and see what happened when it broke. But the part of him that was Spock’s friend knew not to pursue that now. He nodded and reluctantly took a step back from the Vulcan. Spock’s shoulders sagged in relief.

Bone’s riotous knocking at Jim’s door broke the moment as efficiently as if they had both been doused with cold water. Jim sighed and swiftly went to the door to open it and to create some physical space between himself and Spock. Even before the door slid open, Jim could hear Bones yelling that they better not have left without him and if that damned Vulcan had done so he was going to hear about it until Judgment Day.

“Hello, Bones,” Jim said, almost getting a face-full of fist as the doctor was caught off-guard by the opening door. Jim was pleased that he almost sounded normal.

“What the hell took you so long to answer, Jim?” Bones growled then he saw that Jim’s pants were still undone, his shirt hanging out. “Please tell me you aren’t romancing somebody now.”

Jim felt his cheeks heat at Bones’ words, but he said nothing. He couldn’t answer truthfully without opening a whole can of worms that he wouldn’t be able to handle at that moment. The doctor pushed past him into the interior of the room. Jim turned and saw that Spock was once again staring at the slideshow of photographs on his wall, hands linked behind his back, and his expression serene.

“Spock! There you are. I thought you had allowed Jim to fly the coup. Should have known you wouldn’t let me down,” Bones said and settled down on Jim’s bed. He began immediately to pull at the collar of his uniform. “Damned thing’s strangling me already.”

The slight tightening of Spock’s shoulders when Bones entered told Jim that his control was still fragile. Jim wanted to go to Spock, rest his hands on the other man’s back and make that tension go away. But his touch wouldn’t soothe the Vulcan, but would inflame him instead. To resist that urge, Jim tucked in his shirt quickly then buttoned and zipped his fly. Bones sensed the tension, but didn’t know the cause. He looked from Jim to Spock and back again when neither man broke the silence.

“Okay … what’s the problem?” Bones asked. “If I didn’t know the Vulcan was incapable of holding a grudge, I would think you two had a fight or something.”

“On the contrary, Doctor, we are … completely in agreement,” Spock said, as he suddenly faced Jim and handed him the silver cufflinks for his shirt.

Jim gave him a grateful smile and went about fastening them. He was shocked when Spock picked up his uniform’s jacket from the bed beside Bones and held it up for him to slip on. Out of the corner of Jim’s eye he saw Bones’ mouth drop open as he watched the whole thing. Jim had to stifle the inappropriate, hysterical laughter. He wasn’t going to ruin this moment.

Jim turned and felt the Vulcan’s heated touch on his arms through the heavy material of the uniform as Spock slid the jacket on him. Spock then slowly spun Jim around so that they were face to face. Jim found himself holding his breath as Spock smoothed down his front. He felt branded by the Vulcan’s touch. He noticed that while Spock’s movements were graceful and unhurried, as though these acts were not emotionally or physically stirring, that the other man’s respiratory rate was elevated and his pupils were dilated.

“Thank you. You didn’t have to … thank you,” Jim said, keeping his voice just as low so that Bones could not catch his words.

“I wished to,” Spock murmured. “I must get used to … to being near you with our new understanding.”

“We need to talk, you know? I mean … we really need to talk and … and other things,” Jim said. His heart rate ratcheted up as Spock’s color heightened at his words.

Spock nodded. “I must discuss this with my … elder self first. To make sure that I do not … injure you.”

“You wouldn’t. I know you wouldn’t,” Jim said urgently. “No matter how out of control you feel, you’d never let it get to that point. And I’m … I’m willing, Spock, to take whatever you need to give.”

Jim knew about the Vulcan’s mating cycle. Knew how violent it could get and knew that Spock must be handled with care during it. He hadn’t thought Spock was near his time, but he was obviously wrong.

Spock went completely still; he did not even blink at Jim’s words. Clearly, hearing Jim’s thoughts, he said, “This is not my time, Jim. I am not in Pon Farr. This is just my normal reaction to you.”

Jim’s eyes widened at the information. If this was Spock just normally affected by him what would the Vulcan be like during his cycle? Why was there such a strong connection between them? ‘Does it matter? All I know is that I’m glad he wants me so much.’

“Hey!” Bones groused. “It’s rude to have private conversations in front of others, you know?”

“Sorry, Bones,” Jim said. “We’re just … something’s happened and—”

Bones raised a hand to stop Jim from completing the sentence. “Don’t tell me. I have a feeling that I already know what you’re going to say. You can fill me in on the details later. But with the limited time we’ve got now before the dinner, we need to talk solely about Raines.”

Spock’s hands tightened on the collar of Jim’s jacket at the man’s name. Jim felt a chill run through him. How could he face Raines now with things between him and Spock were so new? He feared Raines would somehow guess at their developing feelings and … ‘do something terrible.’

Bones began to pace. “While you two were exchanging sweet nothings in here, I was doing some research.”

“Funny, I thought you were poorly ironing your uniform,” Jim said faintly, pointing to the still visible wrinkles in the material of Bones’ pants.

“Wrinkleless pants aren’t as important as the information I discovered,” Bones said.

“What did you discover, Doctor?” Spock asked.

Jim hardly heard the question, because he realized that he could feel the warm puff of the Vulcan’s breath on his cheek as the other man spoke. Spock was in his personal space, not backing away, touching him. It was exhilarating and distracting. ‘I guess it’s not only Spock that’s going to have to learn to control himself.’

“The ship deal that Pike told us about earlier, well, Raines hasn’t let any Star Fleet pilots test out any of his super ships yet,” Bones said.

“He wants his own pilots to fly them until the deal is made?” Jim offered, confused by where Bones was going with this.

Bones grimaced and said acidly, “Oh, no, he’s agreed to allow Star Fleet personnel fly them. Or I should say he’s agreed to let one Star Fleet Captain fly them.”

“Jim,” Spock said, his voice going deep and quiet. “He’ll allow Jim to fly them.”

Bones nodded.

“It is as I suspected. Raines seeks to win you back, Jim,” Spock said, his spine straightening.

“What?” Jim said, his gaze flicking between the two men. “No. No way. Why would he do that? He made clear that I was out of his life and that’s how I want it to stay! I have no interest in him, Spock. I hate the man!”

Jim tried to put the truth of his words into his eyes so that Spock would see it.

“I know,” Spock said, the hardness in him softening slightly. “But one such as Raines will not give up so easily.”

“Spock’s right, Jim. And so won’t the other parties involved here,” Bones said. “Don’t you see that not only will the Vulcans be pressuring you to be nice to Raines so they can get their planet, Star Fleet is going to be pushing, too? And the higher ups are not going to look kindly on Jim resisting Raines’ invitations … in any way,” Bones said softly. “It’ll probably be Jim’s commission or his acquiescence.”

“What are you suggesting? That we allow Star Fleet to offer the Captain to Raines as payment?” Spock’s voice was so cold that for a moment Jim worried that the Vulcan might attack Bones for even speaking of something like this. Jim gently grasped Spock’s wrists and began to stroke the tense bands of muscle and tendon.

“Spock, Bones is on our side,” Jim said, gently. “He’s just laying out the facts.”

“For a genius, you can be insufferably dumb sometimes, Spock,” McCoy said. “No, I am not in the least suggesting we allow them to sell Jim. We need another option. Now the way I see it is that the only option we have to keep both the Vulcans and Star Fleet from having their way or destroying Jim’s life is to neutralize Raines.”

“Neutralize him, Bones? You mean kill him?” Jim asked, shocked and yet touched the other man would go that far to protect him.

“If only it could be so easy. But no,” McCoy said, shaking his head. “In order to neutralize Raines we’ve got to show the Vulcans and Star Fleet not only the type of man Raines is, but make it toxic for them to do a deal with him.”

“And how do we do that, Doctor?” Spock asked.

Bones gave a bitter smile. “By doing what Jim alone couldn’t do eight years ago. We prove Raines killed Martin Feyaud.”