When Q Becomes Your Last Chance... Part 2/3
Title: When Q Becomes Your Last Chance... Part 2/3
Author: whiteraven1606
Artist: chosenfire28
Fandom: Star Trek XI
Pairings: Spock/Kirk/McCoy
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Non-graphic mentions of past underage non-con/rape
Word Count: 23500
Summary: Jim Kirk gets himself de-aged and his crew can't figure out a way to fix it until Spock Prime makes a suggestion that leads to drastic actions.
Disclaimer: This is for fun. Please treat it as such.
Author's Notes: Thank you to nightshadow_t2 for the beta work, suggestions, and listening to my whining when the story just wouldn't stop. Thank you to the moderators at au_bigbang for their patience. Thanks to chosenfire28 for the wonderful poster. :) I love it. Please note that any remaining mistakes are solely of my own making, usually because of my dyslexia.
Link to the Art
Post at AO3
(Part 1)
****
Ambassador Spock sighed to himself as the shuttle thumped against the deck. He found he disliked traveling in this alternate timeline. He illogically longed for the easy travel of the ships that had yet to be built. Moving out of the way of a species he didn't recognize, Spock oriented himself. He was supposed to wait at this Starbase. Jim had assured him that he would arrive within several hours of Spock. He had decided on a window of several days from the agreed upon arrival. Jim's world did not typically work as smoothly as he might like.
"Ambassador!"
Turning, Spock found Bones hurrying towards him. This McCoy he found he could not think of by any name except Bones. He found that odd, but this version of his friend had different eyes and several mannerisms that did not match his memories of Admiral McCoy. "Yes."
Bones stood, heaving for breath. He gulped down air and steadied himself. "We have a little bit of a situation. Jim...the Captain will not be able to meet you."
Spock raised his eyebrows and was amused that Bones looked surprised as he did so. "I had been given to understand that Captain Kirk invited me to visit his ship. Is he not well?"
With a blink, Bones shook himself and picked up Spock's bag. "Not exactly. We've had an incident. Uh, you'll see what I mean when we get there. I'm sure that you'll find Commander Spock to be...acceptable."
Following Bones, Spock nudged a path through the crowd as Bones plowed through them. "The Captain sent you in his place?"
Bones looked over his shoulder and nearly crashed into a stranger. "Not...Look, you'll just have to see it to believe it. I know I did." Several meters further on the crowd thinned and Bones waited for Spock to walk alongside him. "Look, you remind me strongly of Commander Spock and I don't want to see Jim upset, so I'm asking you, politely, to be careful in your interactions. Please?"
Something most have happened for Bones to be willing to ask for politeness from someone he considered to be akin to a robot. Spock followed Bones onto the shuttle that would take them to the ship. "Of course, Doctor."
Bones did a double take and Spock realized just how much like himself he most have sounded. Perhaps this was not a good idea. He would tell Jim when he saw him. He attempted to distract Bones during the flight. He remembered it had taken several years for the man to become comfortable with shuttle travel. Bones heaved a sigh when they stepped off the shuttle onto the decking of the Enterprise.
Bones smiled at him as they approached his younger self who looked ragged to Spock's eyes. They greeted one another as was proper for Vulcans and then Commander Spock turned to Bones.
"Would you escort the Ambassador to his quarters?"
Bones threw a hard look his younger self and then smiled widely. "Of course, Jim will be pleased to let him stay in the Captain's quarters. Please come this way, Ambassador."
Spock watched his younger self stiffen and shook his head slightly to reassure him. He was certain whatever had detained the young Captain he'd be more than willing to explain when they met.
****
As Bones ushered him through the doorway, Spock looked about Jim's quarters. They were far more tidy than he remembered Jim being. Spock fingered the edge of the chess board with a game in progress. He decided after a few moments that his younger self was playing the black side. Making himself comfortable as Bones had gone back out the door, Spock waited. He knew that Bones would not willing have left Sickbay if Jim was injured, so his young friend was not in danger.
A section of wall opened and a young boy darted into the room and froze. Spock steadied himself with a hand on Jim's desk. Yes, that would be a reason for Jim to not keep their appointment. "James."
The boy blinked, cocked his head, and edged closer.
Spock held out his free hand. "It is good to see you well, James." He held still as Jim slowly reached out and tentatively touched his hand. The emotions were more jumbled than Spock expected. He'd found that this timeline was much darker for having lost so much. It had occurred to him that Jim's childhood would be equally as darkened. He smiled at his young friend and projected his feelings towards Jim. "You are safe, James."
Jim started to silently cry and he launched himself into Spock's open arms. Letting himself drop to the deck with Jim clinging to him, Spock rubbed Jim's back as the boy started to sob. Murmuring in Vulcan, Spock comforted him as best he could. His younger self appeared with Bones in tow. Spock ignored them both as he soothed and calmed Jim.
When Bones muttered 'fuck' to himself, Spock allowed his features to soften. "I would request you never change, Bones."
Bones jerked as did Jim and Spock watched his younger self cock an eyebrow. He now understood why it had so annoyed Jim at times. Jim pulled back and sniffed as he wiped his face with his sleeve. "Friends?"
Spock smiled slightly, just enough to throw the adults and reassure Jim. "Always. You have always been and always will be my friend."
Bones dropped to sit on the edge of Jim's bed. "Holy shit. You're...he...Fuck." Bones rubbed his eyes. "Really?"
Spock helped Jim to stand and then allowed his younger self to help him. "Yes. I attempted to stop Nero and failed."
Jim sniffed and looked from Spock to the younger version. Then he patted Spock's arm. "Sorry."
Laying his hand over Jim's, Spock stilled Jim. "You tried to save Vulcan and you did save Earth. I am very proud of your accomplishments. As well as those of your crew." Turning from Jim as he blushed, Spock looked at his younger self. "You are having difficulties with the transporters again?" It was the most likely culprit. Spock watched his younger self think and move away with his fingers twitching with the need to calculate the possibilities.
Bones sat down in a chair he pulled closer and Spock pushed Jim up onto his bed and sat down. He allowed the boy to curl into his side as he waited for Bones to explain. As he listened he stroked his fingers down Jim's small arm.
"You struck the Minister?"
Bones blinked. "Yeah, I was about to tell you that part. How'd you know that?"
"You were also my friend and some actions remain predictable across timelines." He eased the now sleeping Jim down onto his bed and flipped the cover over to help keep his temperature constant. "He is allergic to many more things in this timeline."
"Why'd he..." Bones made a vague motion with his hand towards Jim. "He hasn't cried that I know about."
Spock checked that Jim was not feigning sleep, then he looked up to find both his younger self and Bones watching him. "You do not call him James. It matters to him. Jim is the name he wishes to be called. James is the name only his brother and, I believe, his mother used with any frequency." He looked around Jim's quarters once again. "He is uncertain if he is going to be required to return to what he remembers leaving. Also, I am older than any of the men that harmed him." Spock tucked the edge of the cover under Jim's leg to make sure the boy wouldn't roll himself out of the bed. "He knows that I am Spock."
His younger self frowned and bent his head back to the formulas he was working on.
"He trusts Spock not to hurt him because we are Vulcan." Spock watched both of them freeze for a moment before they both started moving again. "Also, humans more readily trust someone that smiles."
Bones' jaw dropped open and Spock forced himself to control his desire to smirk at him. "You read his file. He hasn't told us anything about what he's been trough and you just know it." Bones shoot up and started pacing.
Spock watched him pace as, at Jim's desk, his younger self stopped and took several deep breaths. "It was many years before Jim told me of his childhood. I had, on occasion, found food where it should not be, but had not commented on it. This timeline appears to have harsher events. I simply extrapolated from what I knew. I have not read the file for this timeline."
"You read it in your timeline, didn't you?" Bones stopped pacing and dropped into a chair.
"When Jim gave it to me to read, yes." Spock pressed his lips together for a moment. "It was difficult to complete." He rubbed his hands slowly together. "I broke a finger when I reacted strongly to the material."
Bones' eyebrows rose. "Uh." He jerked a thumb towards the younger Spock. "He cut up his hands breaking a PADD." Bones ignored the glare directed at him with practiced ease. "Not that he wants anyone to know that, you understand."
"I was unprepared for the graphic nature of the recorded video, Doctor."
Spock watched his younger self's stiff movements as he spoke. Bones rubbed the backs of his hands in turn, which made Spock calculate the odds of Bones having broken his knuckles punching a bulkhead.
"Yeah, well, I'm not even sure why it was left intact after the whole thing was done and over with."
"There was not a video in my timeline." Spock rose and retrieved a PADD from beside his younger self's elbow. Within a few minutes he was reading this timeline's version of the events that had made his version of Jim so protective of children. Only his knowledge that Jim had survived to grow into a good man kept Spock from giving into the anger he felt as he skimmed through the videos. He quickly checked each offender's file and made certain they were dead or still being detained. "This is more harm than in my timeline."
Bones looked up from checking over Jim. "What do you mean?"
Spock sat the PADD aside. "There was only one adult that harmed Jim. He was a predator that took advantage of the situation." Spock steepled his fingers together and watched his younger self frown at him. It took Spock a moment to realize he looked more like Sarek at that moment. "This timeline differs greatly in several areas."
"You miss your timeline?" Bones produced a small bottle of liquor from his medical bag.
"I admit to feeling out of place." Spock watched as his younger self sat back and turned to watch them. "It is more pronounced now."
"Do the transporters work differently than you remember?" His younger self watched him, even as his hand went back to inputting something on his PADD.
Spock cocked an eyebrow. "I have not reviewed the specifics of these transporters. They do not show the same visual signature." He re-tucked Jim's blanket as the boy dislodged it while he dreamed. "If you have had difficulties finding a way to return Jim to his proper age you should consider asking the Guardian of Forever for the answer." They both stopped and looked at him. It occurred to Spock that they might not have come across the Guardian in this timeline. He drew a sharp breath. His son would not be born. He looked up as Bones started towards him. "I am well. I will give you the coordinates for the planet we encountered the Guardian of Forever on."
****
Jim waited until the old Spock was alone with him. Moving closer, Jim held out his PADD. This Spock smiled a little at him as he accepted the PADD.
"If you are hungry, you may eat, James. I will not interfere." Spock read the PADD and looked at him. "Yes, I have traveled in time, but you have not. You will not be required to return to your remembered time as you will be transformed back into your adult self."
Jim gestured between himself and Spock as he frowned. Spock handed him back the PADD and moved to sit on the bed as he waited for Jim's question to be typed in.
"No. You are finding yourself reacting to myself or the younger version of me with trust in a manner I believe involves something inherently Vulcan." Spock lifted an eyebrow. "You have found that you are very comfortable when in skin contact with either myself or Spock, is that correct?"
Jim nodded and settled next to Spock on the bed. Arranging them so that Jim would not feel trapped, Spock took one of Jim's hand into his own. Jim's emotions were more stable now and Spock gently tugged on Jim's calm until it spread more. Jim blinked up at him and made a small noise in his throat.
"You are well. I am demonstrating the manner in which I believe you are being affected. It is possible that Spock is instinctively protecting you in this manner."
"Warm. He makes me feel heavy." Jim yawned and Spock backed off what he'd been doing to Jim's emotions.
"This is something that Vulcans do not speak of, James. We have... bonds that form between ourselves and each member of our family. Mostly likely he doesn't not recognize the bond for what it is as this type of bond would not be something he has experienced before."
Jim wiggled and pulled away enough to stare up at him. "I'm family?"
Spock hugged Jim tightly to him. "Yes, my friend. You are his t'hy'la. This is something very important to be to him."
Pressing his nose into Spock's shoulder, Jim relaxed completely. "You too?"
"The you in my timeline was my t'hy'la. Here I would be proud to call you this as well, if you would allow it of me." Spock watched Jim look up at him with a carefully assessing gaze. Spock lifted his eyebrows and softened his neutral expression. "You would, of course, remain primarily Spock's t'hy'la. He needs you just to be yourself."
Jim blinked. "I'm broken."
Gently carding his fingers through Jim's hair, Spock shook his head. "You are not broken, James. You are only hurt. It will heal. Scarring somewhat as it does, but scars allow for interesting features. You are the most interesting human I have ever met."
The smile was huge and edged with pain, but Spock didn't care as he watched Jim's face light up. Then Jim thought of something and he stopped smiling. "The Doctor?"
Spock snorted. "He is uncompromisingly himself. I believe you liked that about him very much in my timeline. He and I argued and bickered to amuse you as well as ourselves."
Jim frowned. "They don't like each other here."
"They will adjust. They like each other too much to be as comfortable near each other. It causes difficulties. In my timeline it took several decades for us to work out what was between us. Perhaps you will be able to help them more this time."
The boy's expression became thoughtful and Spock was pleased. He allowed himself to drift to sleep.
****
Jim watched as the old Spock helped his Spock work out some problem. They were almost to the planet the older Spock had suggested they visit. Jim moved closer to them and he liked the warm feeling that swept over him when he kept close to the two of them. Spock tucked him in against his side as the younger Spock pointed out something on the screen. Jim hadn't been trying to follow it because he didn't really care.
The planet that appeared on the view screen was ugly. Jim didn't like it at all. Spock squeezed his shoulder and Jim calmed. He trusted that the old Spock wouldn't hurt him and he wouldn't make his Spock hurt him either. They got involved in a discussion about how this thing they were going to talk to worked and Jim wondered away. The pretty lady at the other station looked at him and Jim waved at her.
She smiled and beckoned him over, but Jim shook his head. He didn't want to touch humans. They all made him uncomfortable. Bones was the easiest and even he was too touchy for Jim's liking. He'd get used to it though. He wanted the relationship that the old Spock hinted at existing between the three of them when he was an adult again. He'd really like having two friends that considered him important. It would be...good. Jim smiled at the pretty lady, Uhura, he remembered, to make sure she didn't think there was something wrong.
Suddenly the lady cocked her head and turned away from him towards her station. Then there was a flurry of activity and Jim found himself being bundled up by his Spock in freshly replicated coat and boots over his own clothing.
"He thinks this will work?" Jim had found that by not using Spock's name when he spoke to Spock that he didn't upset his Spock as much.
"The Ambassador has dealt with this entity in his own timeline. He is hopeful that the answer to your predicament lies on this planet."
Jim nodded and allowed Spock to push his boot on. Boots were hard without help. He held up his other foot. "You think it will work?"
"I remain uncertain."
They walked together to the transporter room. Jim smiled at Bones who looked nervous and made sure he was between both of the Vulcans.
****
Bones was ready to scream. If there was any doubt in the Ambassador being Spock's older version there wasn't after watching them move for more than a few seconds. They also drove him crazy. Touching samples, talking to each other in technical babble that Bones was certain even an adult Jim would have trouble following. As they came around the corner of a ruin, the Ambassador went quiet. Bones looked at the bit of ruin Spock was focused on. It certainly didn't look like much.
"That's it? Really?" Spock ignored him, which was not that unusual an experience for Bones.
The Ambassador motioned for them to stop and approached the tall donut looking thing alone. Bones startled as the thing spoke.
"Greetings."
The Ambassador stood before the Guardian. "Greetings, Guardian of Forever. I am Ambassador Spock, former First Officer and Science Officer of the starship Enterprise. I have traveled with you many times. I would ask you a question."
There was silence and it felt to Bones like a listening silence. Spock shifted and took a deep breath.
"Do you know of a method with which to return this James T. Kirk to his proper age?" Spock motioned to Jim as he spoke.
"All things are possible."
Spock nodded and stepped closer to the Guardian. "I have not asked you to reset the timeline in which I find myself. I am only asking to correct a small accident."
Bones shivered. If it could reset timelines...Bones gasped. It could fix Vulcan, bring back Spock's mother. That was what Spock was implying. Bones looked at Commander Spock and could see that he'd thought of that as well.
In front of them the Guardian began to glow and then a figure tumbled from within. Bones moved forward to help and the Ambassador stiffened, causing Bones to pull up short.
"You." Spock looked furious as he turned to the Guardian. He stopped and took a careful breath. "Please show me Sarpeidon's past."
"The planet's past. It has no future." Inside the ring lit up and Spock watched it intently. At his feet the figure rolled over and Bones could see it wore some sort of Star Fleet uniform. It was mostly red, but cut differently than a cadet's uniform. The man shook his head and blinked rapidly. He started to stand and lost his balance as he did so. As he stumbled towards the Guardian lightening sparked across the space between them and Bones shouted.
The man flew back on his butt. "Ow."
From the Guardian there was several small arches of lightening and then another man tumbled from the Guardian just as it went dark. Spock knelt beside the newest person and rolled him over gently. "Zar." The other man sat up and the Ambassador turned towards him. "Q, you continue to be the most exasperating being I have ever encountered."
Bones moved forward and went where Spock indicated and ran his tricorder over the Vulcan looking man. "You feel okay?"
The man blinked and stared at him. Then he turned his head and looked at the Vulcans. "Well, this is unexpected."
Ambassador Spock knelt beside them. "You are well, Zar?"
"I'm fine, Father. What has happened? You're two."
Bones could only blink. He felt frozen to the ground. He'd never thought...What the hell? "What just happened?"
Spock glared at the being he'd called Q. "He is spreading chaos as is his want."
Q shook his head as if to clear it. "Me? What did I do?" He grabbed his head. "Ow. I think I hurt myself. Is this what a migraine feels like?" He stood up and shook his head again. "Well, no wonder Captain Picard is such a grump." He snapped his fingers and frowned. "That isn't normal." He snapped his fingers again. Then he turned towards the Ambassador. "You touched me!"
"I did not." Spock frowned slightly. "Stop yelling. You interacted with the Guardian. Lightening arched between you."
Q spun around to stare at the Guardian. "Well, who would have thought it had that amount of power left. Hmph." He turned to look at Jim and Commander Spock standing a short distance away. "It has always liked you best."
Bones helped the Ambassador and Zar to stand up. "How would you know? And why is touching Spock a bad thing?"
The Ambassador frowned at Q. "I will explain later. Q, are you well?"
"Well? Well! I'm just dandy." Q looked down at himself and made a face. "I feel like I've been run over by the Cube I was just annoying."
Bones could only watch as Spock moved faster than he'd have expected the old man to be able to do.
"You did not bring it with you? Please tell me you did not drag a Borg Cube with you into the past."
Q blinked. "The past? You were just trying to save the Romulan sun, weren't you? I looked in on you just moments ago..." Q paused and cocked his head as though he was hearing something. "Oh, dear."
Bones dragged Zar with him and he hurried towards Jim and the younger Spock. That did not sound good. Not at all. The Ambassador had that Vulcan expression of panic and had grabbed hold of Q's sleeve to drag him closer as well. Bones didn't have to call the ship since the younger Spock was already talking. They appeared in the transporter room just as the ship rocked.
****
Jim followed as the adults raced to the bridge. The new Vulcan wasn't acting very Vulcan. He smiled at Jim and helped him along as they moved. The older Spock was bodily dragging the Q person with them by his uniform. Despite the loud protests. Jim could tell that the older Spock was really upset.
As the lift moved with them all jammed together, Jim looked at the two new adults carefully. "I'm Jim."
The new Vulcan's eyes widened and he glanced at the older Spock, who nodded, then he turned back and squatted in front of Jim. "I am Zar. Spock is my father."
Jim had thought that's what he'd said on the planet, but he'd not been sure. He tried to force his hand into the Vulcan salute, only to have Zar grin and shake his hand in the human style. The lift opened to chaos. Jim allowed Zar to pull them out of the way near Uhura.
Zar gaped at her for a moment and then he knelt down next to Jim. "Jim, this is the Enterprise, correct?"
He nodded and focused on his Spock snapping orders as the older Spock argued with Q. Bones hovered near him and Zar, but watched the argument.
"It isn't my fault." Q folded his arms across his chest. "I was minding my own business when bam, I suddenly found myself with a headache." Q pouted. "I've never had a headache before."
"You should savor the experience then." The Ambassador gestured at the huge ship partly broken on the view-screen as he glared at Q. "The Enterprise E could barely battle that thing..." Spock whirled at stared at the view-screen before turning back to Q. "You do realize that without Data commanding a future ship no Enterprise survives the time-slip that nearly allowed the Borg to destroy the original Enterprise?"
"I didn't tell him to jump ship and blow up." Q made a huge arm movement and it looked to Jim like he was a little wobbly. "What the hell did you want me for anyway? You're usually trying to be rid of me, which is so depressing."
"You insist on playing games instead of paying attention to what is important while being, as humans say, a sore loser."
Q scoffed and gestured at the ship on the screen as he started to say something. The Cube ship wavered and everyone gasped as it disappeared. Q looked at his hand. "Did I do that?" He looked down at his hand and wiggled it. On the view-screen a huge starship appeared with a smaller ship near it.
Jim could see where they'd rammed into each other. The big ship was missing part of the saucer section. As the ships drifted he got a look at the names and gasped. He started to ask when this huge Enterprise was from when a tiny figure hurtled across the empty space between the ships. Jim blinked. That was...
"Q." Ambassador Spock was mad. Jim could tell by the way he held his shoulders. Moving closer to Bones, Jim watched as Spock jabbed a finger towards the ships on the view-screen. "That is not acceptable."
Q shrugged as he looked down at his fingers. "It isn't my fault. I think I'm broken." He looked up and squinted at the small ship. "Hmm. Let's see..." He snapped his fingers and smiled at Spock. "Well, I'm sure that will fix it."
Jim watched as his Spock quirked his eyebrow. The older Spock narrowed his eyes at Q. Jim allowed Zar to crowd him towards Bones as they watched the ships.
"Nothing has changed, Q."
Q frowned and wiggled his fingers again. "Well, what would you know about it? I think that power surge threw a breaker."
Ambassador Spock sighed. "You need to put them back before the Reman ship explodes and exposes us to radiation that the shields will not be able to deflect."
Glancing at the ships, Q snapped his fingers again and shook his hand. "Ow." He turned to Spock. "Why don't you do something?"
Jim could see the older Spock roll his eyes and he looked at his Spock to see if he'd seen it too. His Spock was watching the ships recede. The helmsman, Jim knew he'd been told the man's name, but he couldn't remember it right now, was moving them away while trying to not attract attention as they moved.
"I do not share in your powers, Q. You are the only being that can save us."
Jim thought the older Spock sounded sarcastic on that last sentence. Zar snorted beside him, so Jim thought maybe he was right. Q didn't seem to hear it that way because he straightened up and nearly beamed as he smiled.
"True, true, I am Q after all." He stared at the ships and then turned his head towards the older Spock. "I suppose you are going to want me to save the android."
Ambassador Spock shrugged as if it didn't matter. Jim hadn't seen a Vulcan shrug before, he hadn't known they could. "Letting Lt. Commander Data explode would destroy the timeline, but you are Q so I am certain you know that."
Q blinked. "What? He isn't that important..." Q stopped and thought. He blinked a few times and started ticking points off on his fingers. "Well, shit." Q focused on the ships in front of them and they started to fade as the smaller ship exploded just as Q snapped his fingers. He turned towards Ambassador Spock. "Know-it-all."
Between them, in a flash of light, another man appeared. Jim looked at the red uniform that Q wore and compared it to the darker uniform that this new person wore. He appeared injured, but when Bones started looking him over and cussing Jim wasn't so sure. Bones didn't cuss that much at anyone else he'd been helping.
Q shook his finger at the older Spock and Jim darted forward to stand between them. He wasn't about to lose a Spock because this scary adult couldn't keep his gestures to himself.
"You're breaking the Temporal Prime Directive, Spock." Q looked down at Jim. "What's this? A baby Kirk?" Q cocked his head. "Oh, that's lovely. He's so small." Q looked up at the Ambassador. "Does he still have the same huge ego? How does it fit into that tiny little body?"
Jim had seen enough. This being wasn't going to help make him the right age to be the Captain of this ship. His ship. The whole crew had kept their distance, but he'd noticed how they all seemed to think of it as his ship. This Q being was too self-centered to care about Jim's people and he kept making the older Spock mad. Jim kicked him in the shin. It wasn't the best kick, he could have aimed for the groin, but it was a solid kick with most of his weight behind it.
"Owww!" Q hopped around, holding his shin. "You little brat." Q started to snap his fingers, but Ambassador Spock grabbed his hand. "Oh, no, no. Don't touch me."
Spock stepped back and blinked. He looked down at his hand and shook his head. Q pointed his finger at Spock and then swung around to point at the younger Spock. "You are completely devoid of fun at any age."
Ambassador Spock smiled and Jim scrambled back because it was an evil smile. He knew what those looked like. When the older Spock turned towards him, Jim wanted nothing more than to disappear through the deck. "This will not hurt." Spock focused on him and snapped his fingers.
Jim went to his knees as his balance just disappeared.
****
Bones held back Zar as he started for Jim with a shout. He wasn't sure what had just happened to the Ambassador, but he knew enough to keep people out of the way of that pointing and snapping of fingers business. Jim twisted and shifted in front of their eyes. This time the clothing changed with him. And within moments an adult Jim was sitting on his butt next to the not-human whose injuries Bones didn't know what to do with because he thought the guy needed Scotty.
In front of them Ambassador Spock was still grinning at Q. It was disturbing. Bones glanced around the bridge and he wasn't the only one worrying about it.
"You constantly nag me about fun and jokes." Spock laughed. "You have no idea, Q. No idea about anything."
Bones pulled down the younger Spock with a wrench as he started to move past him. "Stay down, dammit. You don't have any idea what the hell is happening."
Zar grabbed Spock's arm as he started to rise. "Father, stay out of the way. You know what you are doing."
Bones wanted to roll his eyes, but he was too busy keeping Jim and Spock down. The non-human twitched and Bones spared him a glance before refocusing on the fight happening over his head.
"For a super-being you are very young, Q. That has been shown with the beings your child let loose upon the universe. Your powers are rather... limited."
Q huffed out a breath. "What? I am a Q. I can do anything." He snapped his fingers and then deflated a bit and he looked down at his hand. "Well, normally I can do anything. When some half-blood hasn't stolen my powers."
Bones and Zar kept the younger Spock down, but there was no one to hold back Ambassador Spock. "I have stolen nothing." He straightened up to his full height. "While I have borrowed your abilities it is only to prevent you from harming another being. Also, I feel the need to correct a grave error." As Spock poised to snap his fingers, he smiled widely at Q. "After all, the universe's survival requires the starships named Enterprise to exist with the proper crews. Even you can not deny that, Q." Spock snapped his fingers.
****
Jim blinked at the sudden flash of light. He was an adult again. He could remember the period of time a child as though he'd been riding along in his own brain. He helped Zar hold down his Spock as he tried to think through what exactly was wrong with the older Spock. When the flash cleared it took Jim a moment to realize they were in the Vulcan solar system. The debris of the destroyed planet was strewn across the view-screen.
The being Q stared for several seconds and then turned to glare at the Ambassador. "You can not. It's completely illogical."
Jim winched at that as did Zar. It was never good to call Spock illogical if you weren't Bones. Spock tolerated it from Bones, but very few others. Jim didn't think that Q made that small list.
Spock cocked his head. "You will not have an universe to play in without the starship Enterprise, which you do not have without the combined efforts of several crew members of various starships, which will not exist if you do not have this crew in their proper places at the proper times." Spock smiled and Jim shivered at the sight. "Then, of course, there is the matter of your child. He will not be born if you do not meet the starship Voyager, which will be lost because the Vulcan that saves that ship will never be born."
Q blinked. Jim held his breath as Spock stared out at the remains of Vulcan. Then there was a wrench in everything and Jim gasped. Beside him Zar's eyes went wide and he reached around the younger Spock's neck and nerve pinched him. Jim cradled Spock as he went down.
"Why'd you do that?"
Zar helped him and Bones arrange Spock on the decking. "He'd try to stop himself. Father is nothing if not stubborn."
They watched as a whole planet reformed in front of them. Uhura started fielding frantic calls within moments of the planet coming back together. Jim bit his lip as Spock tilted his head to the side and made one last snap of his fingers. Beside him appeared Spock's mother, Amanda. Jim stretched up and grabbed her down and out of the way of the argument the Ambassador and Q were still having.
"Hello, ma'am. Sorry about all this."
She settled beside Bones and looked down at her son on the decking beside the injured man that Jim thought was a robot, but hadn't had time to check thoroughly. "What is happening? I thought Vulcan was dying."
Zar was staring at her and Jim wasn't going to get in his way. It had looked like his nerve pinch was even more viscous than Spock's. Bones ran a tricorder over Amanda with quick glances at the fighting as he did. Jim hushed Amanda as she started to ask again. He'd try to explain it to her when there was a chance.
"You can't do that!" Q stomped his foot. "You're going to get me in trouble."
Spock crossed his arms. "You would be grounded."
"Yes." Q waved his arms. "I'd be confined to a point of space and I wouldn't be allowed to have any fun at all."
Spock laughed and nodded. "Exactly."
Jim was trying to work out what that meant when there was a ringing noise that sounded through the bridge. It wasn't anything he recognized. His Spock started to come around. Jim could see Sulu and Chekov trying to decide what to do. Jim shook his head at them. He didn't think there was anything anyone could do.
The Ambassador looked down at the robot man and snapped his fingers. The robot's injuries disappeared, as did the few tears in his uniform. He sat up and looked around. Then he blinked.
Above them the ringing continued and Spock grabbed Q's flailing arm and pressed their hands together. "You should answer that."
Q squeaked and jerked away. He pulled a phone from his pocket and Ambassador Spock dropped straight down onto his butt beside Jim's group. Jim watched Q carefully. If his powers could reconstruct an entire planet then it was not a good idea to upset him. As Q answered the phone, Jim caught the older Spock's eye. He was nearly panting, but he smiled that soft smile he'd used on Jim while he was a child. Jim felt that warmth spread across him again and beside him Zar made a surprised sounding noise.
"Hello? No, no, I didn't. I know it shows that, but I swear...No, well...no. I never...Okay maybe I did do that, but this...Sorry." Q glared at them and Jim hoped there wasn't going to be any finger snapping. "What! You can't do that. I'll never...Well, no, I'm not saying you aren't that powerful. Of course not." Q rolled his eyes. "I apologize...No, I did not take it upon myself to fix the entire main timeline." Q flapped an arm as he yelled into the little phone. "I can't possibly be held responsible for...What do you mean 'my powers, my fault'? That's completely unfair."
Spock relaxed beside him and Jim slide over a little closer. "You okay?"
"Just tired, Jim. I will be well."
Q slammed his phone closed and rounded on Spock. "You got me grounded!"
Spock smiled up at him. A neat, fuck you, smile that Jim thought he must have learned from him. "Yes, I did. Until 2364, correct?"
"Yes!" Q narrowed his eyes. "You...you...Vulcan! I can't believe...Wait. Yes, I can. You're the same man that died and managed to get reborn on the sole say of him just so you could mind-meld with a whale after all." Q stabbed his finger at Jim. There was complete silence across the bridge. There was a flash of light and Q was gone.
Ambassador Spock sighed. The robot man turned to look at him. "You are well, Ambassador Spock?"
Amanda sucked in a breath and Jim wondered what she was going to say when she heard the whole story. His Spock watched silently as he kept a hand on his mother.
"I am only tired, Commander Data. You are functional?"
Data looked down at himself. "I have not exploded. I do not understand. I had sacrificed myself to save the Enterprise."
"You have not exploded. Q saved you."
Jim herded the group towards the lift. He wanted them off the bridge, Bones was going to want to check them all over, and he needed a moment with the older Spock about what to do with the whole situation. He needed to figure out how the report was going to have to be worded.
****
Bones watched, hovered really, as the young not-exactly-a-Vulcan Zar spoke quietly with Amanda. She'd had a short headache when her connection to Sarek reestablished and he'd thought he was going crazy, according to her. Bones wondered what warp speed records were currently being broken to get from New Vulcan to here. Everyone seemed in good shape. Jim was quieter than Bones had expected, but at least he was an adult again.
As far as he could tell Amanda was in prefect health, the android was alright, and the really young Vulcan needed a couple of supplements, but was generally in good health. He couldn't get Jim to hold still long enough to be sure of him, but since he hadn't collapsed yet he wasn't going to push too hard. Yet. Bones helped the old Spock to sit down across from Amanda.
"You need to eat. Whatever you did to your body during that cockamamie stunt depleted..."
"Doctor, you should scan Commander Spock for injury."
Bones narrowed his eyes at the Ambassador. "Why? Zar only nerve pinched him. He's fine."
Ambassador Spock's eyebrows rose. "He should have felt the return of his link to T'Pring. He has not and it has not touched my mind in mistake."
Swinging around, Bones looked at Spock, who was frowning with his eyebrows. Moving closer, Bones started a scan even as he turned his head towards Jim. "What exactly are we going to say about this one?"
Jim shrugged and stood. He moved towards the small replicator in the corner. "I'm sure we can blame it on that Q person without too much fuss."
The Ambassador snorted as he accepted his drink from Jim. "Q is never without blame."
Amanda laid her hand on the older Spock's arm. "Why are you here and not in your own time?"
Bones looked up from his tricorder readings to watch. Zar clasped his hands in front of him as Ambassador Spock leaned back slightly as he steepled his fingers. Bones blinked at the sight of all three of the male Vulcans in nearly identical postures.
"I made an error in my calculations and was unable to stop Nero from doing harm."
Data cocked his head. "As Commander LaForge has explained to me, being unable to stop another being from causing harm is not something to find fault in one's self."
Amanda straightened in her seat. "He's right, dear. I'm certain you..." She gestured to the younger Spock. "Both of you did everything possible." Then she smiled at the Ambassador. "You won in the end."
****
Jim dropped to sit on his bed and rested his head in his hands. He had the worst headache. The older Spock was drifting around his room looking at things. "Thanks. You know, for helping fix me."
"I require no thanks. You are well worth any trouble, James."
Smiling, Jim flopped back onto his bed. "I remember it all like it was a vivid dream. I was awful to Bones."
Spock sat down and straightened a chess piece. "He understands. You managed admirably."
With a snort, Jim waved a hand at his room. "Not really. I think Spock found how much I have horded. I know Bones will be all over me about eating and making sure I feel secure. It'll be awful." Jim frowned. "That word you called me. You meant that?"
"Yes."
Jim looked up sharply and stared at him for several moments. "Thank you." Jim pulled a food pouch from the gap between the bed and wall. "I need to go clear Spock's room while he's busy with your Mom."
Jim could feel Spock's eyes on him as he went through the door into Spock's bathroom. He stopped just inside of Spock's room and took a deep breath. His attraction to his Spock and Bones was stronger than before he'd been shrunk. Pulling hidden pouches from under Spock's desk, Jim froze as Spock's door opened, allowing his Spock to enter.
"Captain." Spock looked like he was still in shock or something. He was paler than Jim had ever seen and was moving in that overly stiff way that read as pissed or upset.
"You okay, Spock?" Jim sat the pouches down on the desk and went to pull out the ones at the edge of Spock's bed. "Sorry about all this."
"I am well, Jim." Spock took the rations from his hands as Jim turned from the bed. "You do not need to apologize."
Jim gave him a brittle smile and grabbed up the pouches before pulling the ones from Spock's hands. "I should let you rest. Nerve pinches always give me headaches, so you'll probably want to rest." He bit his lip to quit babbling and fled before Spock could do more than step towards him.
****
Jim sat on the floor and leaned against a bulkhead on the Observation Deck as he stared out at Vulcan spinning lazily below. His life was a huge mess and the Admiralty was sending Pike and Archer to talk to him about Q and the whole thing with Vulcan. He'd checked the logs and Spock had managed to totally avoid telling Command about him being turned into a kid. There was a small sound and Jim turned his head to find Zar standing there watching Vulcan.
"Hello."
Zar looked at him. "Captain." He came closer and sat on the floor next to Jim. "You should know that I'm an empath. I couldn't help feeling the bonds between your child self and the younger version of Father. McCoy and Father's bond is tenuous, but growing, I think."
Jim blinked. "You can feel all that?"
Zar shrugged. "I'm different in that manner than Vulcans." He gestured towards the planet. "I didn't get the chance to come here when I visited Father in the other timeline."
"You met the other me."
"I did." Zar leaned back into the bulkhead beside Jim. "Everyone was older. I annoyed Father a lot." Zar picked at the cloth of his pants. "Your counterpart gave me good advice. Uhura's hair was much shorter. Chekov's hair was straighter."
"That's why you asked if the ship was the Enterprise. Nothing looked right."
Zar nodded. "I looked up the historical events that shaped the differences in the timelines. Here you met Father much earlier. I believe it is only to the benefit of you both."
"Really? How am I a benefit to Spock?" Jim rubbed the side of his face. "I mostly just make him mad."
With a laugh, Zar shook his head. "No. No, you annoy him sometimes, but trust me. He doesn't feel anger towards you."
Jim relaxed. "You must make Vulcans nervous."
Zar snorted. "I'll find out. Grandmother said that the rest of the family is coming to met me before they go to Vulcan." Zar lolled his head to look at Jim. "Would you mind being there? In the other timeline after Father, you, and Doctor McCoy were my family."
"I'd be honored, Zar."
****
Bones let himself into Jim's room and stood quietly watching the Ambassador sleep. Jim's bedding on the couch was empty. Moving quietly, Bones slipped into Spock's quarters through the bathroom. Jim was curled on the floor next to Spock's bed. McCoy found the extra blanket Spock had and draped it over Jim. Then he settled into the most comfortable chair, which he'd have to bug Spock about because it was awful and went to sleep.
He woke up fast and grumpy. Jim was setting at Spock's desk doing something with a PADD. Spock was staring at them both from his bed. "What?"
Jim looked up from his PADD. "Hmm. I wanted to thank you both for...being yourselves. I felt safe."
Bones huffed and pushed himself more upright. "You were a good kid, Jim. Weird about Vulcans though."
Jim smiled. "Gotta be weird about something, Bones." He looked at Spock. "I'm sorry you had to find out."
Spock rose from his bed and stood with his hands clasped behind his back. "I am not. It is an honor to have your trust."
As Jim's eyebrows rose, Spock disappeared into his bathroom. Bones snorted as the door slid closed and turned to Jim. "He's still embarrassed about the PADD thing."
"Yeah, I can understand." Jim rubbed the back of his neck. "Zar has this idea that all three of us are attracted to each other."
Bones blinked. "Smart kid."
"He's your age, Bones." Jim cocked his head. "I think."
Spock emerged from the bathroom and sat on the edge of his bed. "He has said it is difficult for him to know for certain as he did not track in units that can be easily converted into a precise measurement."
"You mean he counted by season." Jim picked up the PADD from the desk and handed it to Spock.
Spock's eyebrow rose a fraction as he accepted the PADD. "That is correct." He read for several moments. "You have finished."
"Yeah. I liked the math. That was a good idea, Spock."
Bones had to bit his lip so he wouldn't tease Spock as the Vulcan's visible ear tip flushed. "Jim, have you told Spock about Zar's theory?"
Jim rubbed the back of his neck. "No, I hadn't." Jim turned back towards Spock and then he slapped himself in the forehead. "I forgot! I'll be back in a minute."
Shaking his head, Bones turned to Spock who was standing there staring at Jim's retreat.
****
Jim slid to a stop at the sight of Ambassador Spock standing on the far side of the room from the bed staring at it, which had tripled in size. "You okay, Spock?"
"Yes. Although the bed seems to have malfunctioned."
"No, it didn't malfunction." Jim patted the wall next to the door into the bathroom. "She loves me. And she's got definite thoughts about how my life should go."
"The ship is sentient?"
Jim shrugged. "Maybe. She never talks, just does things to point out stuff to me. Like letting me know she approves of something that I've been avoiding because it scares me."
Spock titled his head. "Ah. She is a very smart ship." Then he smiled a little. "I will take my leave to make arrangements to store Commander Data until he needs to be delivered in the future."
Nodding, Jim walked Spock to the door. Once the door had swooped closed behind the Ambassador, Jim turned to the room and looked up at the ceiling. "You are completely tactless sometimes." He looked that the enlarged bed then back up at the ceiling. "Thanks." The lights brightened for a few moments and Jim touched the wall as he went back to .
****
Amanda stepped forward as Sarek materialized on the pad and extended her fingers for a kiss with a smile on her face. She was completely unprepared for Sarek to grab her up into a tight hug in front of all these people. In front of T'Pau. Hugging back, she could feel Sarek finally relax along their link. Turning her face into his neck, Amanda pushed love and reassurance towards her husband. "My love."
"Amanda." Sarek finally allowed her to step back, but he refused to let go of her hand. Amanda glanced over her shoulder at everyone else. Her sons were side-by-side with her grandson, Zar, which the thought of still made her head hurt a little. Beside them was Jim and behind the young Captain stood Bones. Turning back, Amanda greeted T'Pau and then stepped aside. She watched as T'Pau looked over Zar and then raised an eyebrow.
Amused that Captain Kirk slid in between them to offer T'Pau a tour of the ship, Amanda turned share with her husband to find Sarek staring at her older son. "Sarek, this is Ambassador Spock."
T'Pau turned her head and blinked as Spock saluted his father.
"Father. You appear well."
When Sarek blinked, Amanda was reminded of what Zar had said about his father's relationship or lack thereof with his own father. Moving quickly, Amanda stepped forward and linked her free hand into her elder son's elbow. "Come, Captain Kirk is sure to know things about the ship that we do not." She smiled at her younger son and pulled her hand free from Sarek long enough to touch her boy's shoulder. "And anything Jim doesn't know, you will."
Please that Spock's posture relaxed, Amanda allowed Sarek to recapture her hand. She wanted to know what had happened to T'Pring, but it would wait.
****
Jim flopped down on his huge bed and listened to Spock and Bones bicker about dinner. He was tired. Herding touchy Vulcans around as they tried to work out who outranked who on the I-am-old-honor-my-age thing. Watching Sarek and the older Spock trying to talk, now that Sarek knew for sure who the Ambassador was had been nearly painful.
"What the hell happened to your bed?"
Rolling over, Jim grinned up at Bones. "She thinks we should all be sleeping together." Spock stepped closer and looked like he was trying to figure out how the bed had changed. Jim bounced a little.
Bones snorted. "Better than a chair. Spock's furniture needs burned."
As they started arguing, Jim grinned and pushed himself to his feet. They sat down on either end of the bed as they continued arguing. Jim pulled a chair around to sit in and watch them. "You missed the arguing, didn't you?" They both turned to stare at him. Jim smiled. "Yep, you missed it."
Bones clasped his hands together and leaned over his knees. "Jim." Bones glanced at Spock and then back to him. "This is completely crazy."
Jim spread his hands. "Why? We," Jim gestured to include all three of them. "We make a prefect team. And...I'm comfortable with you both."
"Zar has informed me that we are destined. He did not specify as to the manner of the destiny."
Standing up, Jim started towards his friends. "Let's try sleeping and see how it goes."
****
"Well?" Amanda raised her eyebrows as Sarek looked at her and then pulled her closer. She could tell from the little line just over his nose he'd been suffering. She went willingly and snuggled into her husband's side. He leaned his head into hers, something he'd done so rarely she'd could clearly remember each instance. When he spoke, Amanda grinned because he wasn't even trying to convince her he had no idea what she meant.
"T'Pring died as the shuttle she was on lost internal dampeners. She was lost several minutes before the planet according to the shuttle's log."
"How many have been lost?"
Sarek tightened his hold on her and Amanda rubbed a little circle in his skin to help him remember she was here now. "Several thousand including those lost immediately after Vulcan."
"How many while Vulcan was gone?"
Sarek made that little sound in this throat that Amanda called a sigh in her head. "Far too many."
She nodded. "I can't believe we've a grandson older than our boy."
"He is very..."
"Human?" She could feel it as Sarek stiffened. "Well, more emotional than Vulcans at least."
"The older Spock informed me that Zar is an empath. It is possible that is the cause."
She patted her husband's arm. "Perhaps, dearheart, but take my advice and do not repeat that in his hearing. Our older boy barely speaks to you as it is." She settled down to go to sleep. "I hope the other me smacked the other you for being stupid towards him. He's such a nice boy."
Sarek's touch was soothing and Amanda could feel her body relaxing. "He is an adult who is older than I am, my wife."
She grinned and yawned. "Of course he is, dear."
****
(Part 3)
Author: whiteraven1606
Artist: chosenfire28
Fandom: Star Trek XI
Pairings: Spock/Kirk/McCoy
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Non-graphic mentions of past underage non-con/rape
Word Count: 23500
Summary: Jim Kirk gets himself de-aged and his crew can't figure out a way to fix it until Spock Prime makes a suggestion that leads to drastic actions.
Disclaimer: This is for fun. Please treat it as such.
Author's Notes: Thank you to nightshadow_t2 for the beta work, suggestions, and listening to my whining when the story just wouldn't stop. Thank you to the moderators at au_bigbang for their patience. Thanks to chosenfire28 for the wonderful poster. :) I love it. Please note that any remaining mistakes are solely of my own making, usually because of my dyslexia.
Link to the Art
Post at AO3
(Part 1)
****
Ambassador Spock sighed to himself as the shuttle thumped against the deck. He found he disliked traveling in this alternate timeline. He illogically longed for the easy travel of the ships that had yet to be built. Moving out of the way of a species he didn't recognize, Spock oriented himself. He was supposed to wait at this Starbase. Jim had assured him that he would arrive within several hours of Spock. He had decided on a window of several days from the agreed upon arrival. Jim's world did not typically work as smoothly as he might like.
"Ambassador!"
Turning, Spock found Bones hurrying towards him. This McCoy he found he could not think of by any name except Bones. He found that odd, but this version of his friend had different eyes and several mannerisms that did not match his memories of Admiral McCoy. "Yes."
Bones stood, heaving for breath. He gulped down air and steadied himself. "We have a little bit of a situation. Jim...the Captain will not be able to meet you."
Spock raised his eyebrows and was amused that Bones looked surprised as he did so. "I had been given to understand that Captain Kirk invited me to visit his ship. Is he not well?"
With a blink, Bones shook himself and picked up Spock's bag. "Not exactly. We've had an incident. Uh, you'll see what I mean when we get there. I'm sure that you'll find Commander Spock to be...acceptable."
Following Bones, Spock nudged a path through the crowd as Bones plowed through them. "The Captain sent you in his place?"
Bones looked over his shoulder and nearly crashed into a stranger. "Not...Look, you'll just have to see it to believe it. I know I did." Several meters further on the crowd thinned and Bones waited for Spock to walk alongside him. "Look, you remind me strongly of Commander Spock and I don't want to see Jim upset, so I'm asking you, politely, to be careful in your interactions. Please?"
Something most have happened for Bones to be willing to ask for politeness from someone he considered to be akin to a robot. Spock followed Bones onto the shuttle that would take them to the ship. "Of course, Doctor."
Bones did a double take and Spock realized just how much like himself he most have sounded. Perhaps this was not a good idea. He would tell Jim when he saw him. He attempted to distract Bones during the flight. He remembered it had taken several years for the man to become comfortable with shuttle travel. Bones heaved a sigh when they stepped off the shuttle onto the decking of the Enterprise.
Bones smiled at him as they approached his younger self who looked ragged to Spock's eyes. They greeted one another as was proper for Vulcans and then Commander Spock turned to Bones.
"Would you escort the Ambassador to his quarters?"
Bones threw a hard look his younger self and then smiled widely. "Of course, Jim will be pleased to let him stay in the Captain's quarters. Please come this way, Ambassador."
Spock watched his younger self stiffen and shook his head slightly to reassure him. He was certain whatever had detained the young Captain he'd be more than willing to explain when they met.
****
As Bones ushered him through the doorway, Spock looked about Jim's quarters. They were far more tidy than he remembered Jim being. Spock fingered the edge of the chess board with a game in progress. He decided after a few moments that his younger self was playing the black side. Making himself comfortable as Bones had gone back out the door, Spock waited. He knew that Bones would not willing have left Sickbay if Jim was injured, so his young friend was not in danger.
A section of wall opened and a young boy darted into the room and froze. Spock steadied himself with a hand on Jim's desk. Yes, that would be a reason for Jim to not keep their appointment. "James."
The boy blinked, cocked his head, and edged closer.
Spock held out his free hand. "It is good to see you well, James." He held still as Jim slowly reached out and tentatively touched his hand. The emotions were more jumbled than Spock expected. He'd found that this timeline was much darker for having lost so much. It had occurred to him that Jim's childhood would be equally as darkened. He smiled at his young friend and projected his feelings towards Jim. "You are safe, James."
Jim started to silently cry and he launched himself into Spock's open arms. Letting himself drop to the deck with Jim clinging to him, Spock rubbed Jim's back as the boy started to sob. Murmuring in Vulcan, Spock comforted him as best he could. His younger self appeared with Bones in tow. Spock ignored them both as he soothed and calmed Jim.
When Bones muttered 'fuck' to himself, Spock allowed his features to soften. "I would request you never change, Bones."
Bones jerked as did Jim and Spock watched his younger self cock an eyebrow. He now understood why it had so annoyed Jim at times. Jim pulled back and sniffed as he wiped his face with his sleeve. "Friends?"
Spock smiled slightly, just enough to throw the adults and reassure Jim. "Always. You have always been and always will be my friend."
Bones dropped to sit on the edge of Jim's bed. "Holy shit. You're...he...Fuck." Bones rubbed his eyes. "Really?"
Spock helped Jim to stand and then allowed his younger self to help him. "Yes. I attempted to stop Nero and failed."
Jim sniffed and looked from Spock to the younger version. Then he patted Spock's arm. "Sorry."
Laying his hand over Jim's, Spock stilled Jim. "You tried to save Vulcan and you did save Earth. I am very proud of your accomplishments. As well as those of your crew." Turning from Jim as he blushed, Spock looked at his younger self. "You are having difficulties with the transporters again?" It was the most likely culprit. Spock watched his younger self think and move away with his fingers twitching with the need to calculate the possibilities.
Bones sat down in a chair he pulled closer and Spock pushed Jim up onto his bed and sat down. He allowed the boy to curl into his side as he waited for Bones to explain. As he listened he stroked his fingers down Jim's small arm.
"You struck the Minister?"
Bones blinked. "Yeah, I was about to tell you that part. How'd you know that?"
"You were also my friend and some actions remain predictable across timelines." He eased the now sleeping Jim down onto his bed and flipped the cover over to help keep his temperature constant. "He is allergic to many more things in this timeline."
"Why'd he..." Bones made a vague motion with his hand towards Jim. "He hasn't cried that I know about."
Spock checked that Jim was not feigning sleep, then he looked up to find both his younger self and Bones watching him. "You do not call him James. It matters to him. Jim is the name he wishes to be called. James is the name only his brother and, I believe, his mother used with any frequency." He looked around Jim's quarters once again. "He is uncertain if he is going to be required to return to what he remembers leaving. Also, I am older than any of the men that harmed him." Spock tucked the edge of the cover under Jim's leg to make sure the boy wouldn't roll himself out of the bed. "He knows that I am Spock."
His younger self frowned and bent his head back to the formulas he was working on.
"He trusts Spock not to hurt him because we are Vulcan." Spock watched both of them freeze for a moment before they both started moving again. "Also, humans more readily trust someone that smiles."
Bones' jaw dropped open and Spock forced himself to control his desire to smirk at him. "You read his file. He hasn't told us anything about what he's been trough and you just know it." Bones shoot up and started pacing.
Spock watched him pace as, at Jim's desk, his younger self stopped and took several deep breaths. "It was many years before Jim told me of his childhood. I had, on occasion, found food where it should not be, but had not commented on it. This timeline appears to have harsher events. I simply extrapolated from what I knew. I have not read the file for this timeline."
"You read it in your timeline, didn't you?" Bones stopped pacing and dropped into a chair.
"When Jim gave it to me to read, yes." Spock pressed his lips together for a moment. "It was difficult to complete." He rubbed his hands slowly together. "I broke a finger when I reacted strongly to the material."
Bones' eyebrows rose. "Uh." He jerked a thumb towards the younger Spock. "He cut up his hands breaking a PADD." Bones ignored the glare directed at him with practiced ease. "Not that he wants anyone to know that, you understand."
"I was unprepared for the graphic nature of the recorded video, Doctor."
Spock watched his younger self's stiff movements as he spoke. Bones rubbed the backs of his hands in turn, which made Spock calculate the odds of Bones having broken his knuckles punching a bulkhead.
"Yeah, well, I'm not even sure why it was left intact after the whole thing was done and over with."
"There was not a video in my timeline." Spock rose and retrieved a PADD from beside his younger self's elbow. Within a few minutes he was reading this timeline's version of the events that had made his version of Jim so protective of children. Only his knowledge that Jim had survived to grow into a good man kept Spock from giving into the anger he felt as he skimmed through the videos. He quickly checked each offender's file and made certain they were dead or still being detained. "This is more harm than in my timeline."
Bones looked up from checking over Jim. "What do you mean?"
Spock sat the PADD aside. "There was only one adult that harmed Jim. He was a predator that took advantage of the situation." Spock steepled his fingers together and watched his younger self frown at him. It took Spock a moment to realize he looked more like Sarek at that moment. "This timeline differs greatly in several areas."
"You miss your timeline?" Bones produced a small bottle of liquor from his medical bag.
"I admit to feeling out of place." Spock watched as his younger self sat back and turned to watch them. "It is more pronounced now."
"Do the transporters work differently than you remember?" His younger self watched him, even as his hand went back to inputting something on his PADD.
Spock cocked an eyebrow. "I have not reviewed the specifics of these transporters. They do not show the same visual signature." He re-tucked Jim's blanket as the boy dislodged it while he dreamed. "If you have had difficulties finding a way to return Jim to his proper age you should consider asking the Guardian of Forever for the answer." They both stopped and looked at him. It occurred to Spock that they might not have come across the Guardian in this timeline. He drew a sharp breath. His son would not be born. He looked up as Bones started towards him. "I am well. I will give you the coordinates for the planet we encountered the Guardian of Forever on."
****
Jim waited until the old Spock was alone with him. Moving closer, Jim held out his PADD. This Spock smiled a little at him as he accepted the PADD.
"If you are hungry, you may eat, James. I will not interfere." Spock read the PADD and looked at him. "Yes, I have traveled in time, but you have not. You will not be required to return to your remembered time as you will be transformed back into your adult self."
Jim gestured between himself and Spock as he frowned. Spock handed him back the PADD and moved to sit on the bed as he waited for Jim's question to be typed in.
"No. You are finding yourself reacting to myself or the younger version of me with trust in a manner I believe involves something inherently Vulcan." Spock lifted an eyebrow. "You have found that you are very comfortable when in skin contact with either myself or Spock, is that correct?"
Jim nodded and settled next to Spock on the bed. Arranging them so that Jim would not feel trapped, Spock took one of Jim's hand into his own. Jim's emotions were more stable now and Spock gently tugged on Jim's calm until it spread more. Jim blinked up at him and made a small noise in his throat.
"You are well. I am demonstrating the manner in which I believe you are being affected. It is possible that Spock is instinctively protecting you in this manner."
"Warm. He makes me feel heavy." Jim yawned and Spock backed off what he'd been doing to Jim's emotions.
"This is something that Vulcans do not speak of, James. We have... bonds that form between ourselves and each member of our family. Mostly likely he doesn't not recognize the bond for what it is as this type of bond would not be something he has experienced before."
Jim wiggled and pulled away enough to stare up at him. "I'm family?"
Spock hugged Jim tightly to him. "Yes, my friend. You are his t'hy'la. This is something very important to be to him."
Pressing his nose into Spock's shoulder, Jim relaxed completely. "You too?"
"The you in my timeline was my t'hy'la. Here I would be proud to call you this as well, if you would allow it of me." Spock watched Jim look up at him with a carefully assessing gaze. Spock lifted his eyebrows and softened his neutral expression. "You would, of course, remain primarily Spock's t'hy'la. He needs you just to be yourself."
Jim blinked. "I'm broken."
Gently carding his fingers through Jim's hair, Spock shook his head. "You are not broken, James. You are only hurt. It will heal. Scarring somewhat as it does, but scars allow for interesting features. You are the most interesting human I have ever met."
The smile was huge and edged with pain, but Spock didn't care as he watched Jim's face light up. Then Jim thought of something and he stopped smiling. "The Doctor?"
Spock snorted. "He is uncompromisingly himself. I believe you liked that about him very much in my timeline. He and I argued and bickered to amuse you as well as ourselves."
Jim frowned. "They don't like each other here."
"They will adjust. They like each other too much to be as comfortable near each other. It causes difficulties. In my timeline it took several decades for us to work out what was between us. Perhaps you will be able to help them more this time."
The boy's expression became thoughtful and Spock was pleased. He allowed himself to drift to sleep.
****
Jim watched as the old Spock helped his Spock work out some problem. They were almost to the planet the older Spock had suggested they visit. Jim moved closer to them and he liked the warm feeling that swept over him when he kept close to the two of them. Spock tucked him in against his side as the younger Spock pointed out something on the screen. Jim hadn't been trying to follow it because he didn't really care.
The planet that appeared on the view screen was ugly. Jim didn't like it at all. Spock squeezed his shoulder and Jim calmed. He trusted that the old Spock wouldn't hurt him and he wouldn't make his Spock hurt him either. They got involved in a discussion about how this thing they were going to talk to worked and Jim wondered away. The pretty lady at the other station looked at him and Jim waved at her.
She smiled and beckoned him over, but Jim shook his head. He didn't want to touch humans. They all made him uncomfortable. Bones was the easiest and even he was too touchy for Jim's liking. He'd get used to it though. He wanted the relationship that the old Spock hinted at existing between the three of them when he was an adult again. He'd really like having two friends that considered him important. It would be...good. Jim smiled at the pretty lady, Uhura, he remembered, to make sure she didn't think there was something wrong.
Suddenly the lady cocked her head and turned away from him towards her station. Then there was a flurry of activity and Jim found himself being bundled up by his Spock in freshly replicated coat and boots over his own clothing.
"He thinks this will work?" Jim had found that by not using Spock's name when he spoke to Spock that he didn't upset his Spock as much.
"The Ambassador has dealt with this entity in his own timeline. He is hopeful that the answer to your predicament lies on this planet."
Jim nodded and allowed Spock to push his boot on. Boots were hard without help. He held up his other foot. "You think it will work?"
"I remain uncertain."
They walked together to the transporter room. Jim smiled at Bones who looked nervous and made sure he was between both of the Vulcans.
****
Bones was ready to scream. If there was any doubt in the Ambassador being Spock's older version there wasn't after watching them move for more than a few seconds. They also drove him crazy. Touching samples, talking to each other in technical babble that Bones was certain even an adult Jim would have trouble following. As they came around the corner of a ruin, the Ambassador went quiet. Bones looked at the bit of ruin Spock was focused on. It certainly didn't look like much.
"That's it? Really?" Spock ignored him, which was not that unusual an experience for Bones.
The Ambassador motioned for them to stop and approached the tall donut looking thing alone. Bones startled as the thing spoke.
"Greetings."
The Ambassador stood before the Guardian. "Greetings, Guardian of Forever. I am Ambassador Spock, former First Officer and Science Officer of the starship Enterprise. I have traveled with you many times. I would ask you a question."
There was silence and it felt to Bones like a listening silence. Spock shifted and took a deep breath.
"Do you know of a method with which to return this James T. Kirk to his proper age?" Spock motioned to Jim as he spoke.
"All things are possible."
Spock nodded and stepped closer to the Guardian. "I have not asked you to reset the timeline in which I find myself. I am only asking to correct a small accident."
Bones shivered. If it could reset timelines...Bones gasped. It could fix Vulcan, bring back Spock's mother. That was what Spock was implying. Bones looked at Commander Spock and could see that he'd thought of that as well.
In front of them the Guardian began to glow and then a figure tumbled from within. Bones moved forward to help and the Ambassador stiffened, causing Bones to pull up short.
"You." Spock looked furious as he turned to the Guardian. He stopped and took a careful breath. "Please show me Sarpeidon's past."
"The planet's past. It has no future." Inside the ring lit up and Spock watched it intently. At his feet the figure rolled over and Bones could see it wore some sort of Star Fleet uniform. It was mostly red, but cut differently than a cadet's uniform. The man shook his head and blinked rapidly. He started to stand and lost his balance as he did so. As he stumbled towards the Guardian lightening sparked across the space between them and Bones shouted.
The man flew back on his butt. "Ow."
From the Guardian there was several small arches of lightening and then another man tumbled from the Guardian just as it went dark. Spock knelt beside the newest person and rolled him over gently. "Zar." The other man sat up and the Ambassador turned towards him. "Q, you continue to be the most exasperating being I have ever encountered."
Bones moved forward and went where Spock indicated and ran his tricorder over the Vulcan looking man. "You feel okay?"
The man blinked and stared at him. Then he turned his head and looked at the Vulcans. "Well, this is unexpected."
Ambassador Spock knelt beside them. "You are well, Zar?"
"I'm fine, Father. What has happened? You're two."
Bones could only blink. He felt frozen to the ground. He'd never thought...What the hell? "What just happened?"
Spock glared at the being he'd called Q. "He is spreading chaos as is his want."
Q shook his head as if to clear it. "Me? What did I do?" He grabbed his head. "Ow. I think I hurt myself. Is this what a migraine feels like?" He stood up and shook his head again. "Well, no wonder Captain Picard is such a grump." He snapped his fingers and frowned. "That isn't normal." He snapped his fingers again. Then he turned towards the Ambassador. "You touched me!"
"I did not." Spock frowned slightly. "Stop yelling. You interacted with the Guardian. Lightening arched between you."
Q spun around to stare at the Guardian. "Well, who would have thought it had that amount of power left. Hmph." He turned to look at Jim and Commander Spock standing a short distance away. "It has always liked you best."
Bones helped the Ambassador and Zar to stand up. "How would you know? And why is touching Spock a bad thing?"
The Ambassador frowned at Q. "I will explain later. Q, are you well?"
"Well? Well! I'm just dandy." Q looked down at himself and made a face. "I feel like I've been run over by the Cube I was just annoying."
Bones could only watch as Spock moved faster than he'd have expected the old man to be able to do.
"You did not bring it with you? Please tell me you did not drag a Borg Cube with you into the past."
Q blinked. "The past? You were just trying to save the Romulan sun, weren't you? I looked in on you just moments ago..." Q paused and cocked his head as though he was hearing something. "Oh, dear."
Bones dragged Zar with him and he hurried towards Jim and the younger Spock. That did not sound good. Not at all. The Ambassador had that Vulcan expression of panic and had grabbed hold of Q's sleeve to drag him closer as well. Bones didn't have to call the ship since the younger Spock was already talking. They appeared in the transporter room just as the ship rocked.
****
Jim followed as the adults raced to the bridge. The new Vulcan wasn't acting very Vulcan. He smiled at Jim and helped him along as they moved. The older Spock was bodily dragging the Q person with them by his uniform. Despite the loud protests. Jim could tell that the older Spock was really upset.
As the lift moved with them all jammed together, Jim looked at the two new adults carefully. "I'm Jim."
The new Vulcan's eyes widened and he glanced at the older Spock, who nodded, then he turned back and squatted in front of Jim. "I am Zar. Spock is my father."
Jim had thought that's what he'd said on the planet, but he'd not been sure. He tried to force his hand into the Vulcan salute, only to have Zar grin and shake his hand in the human style. The lift opened to chaos. Jim allowed Zar to pull them out of the way near Uhura.
Zar gaped at her for a moment and then he knelt down next to Jim. "Jim, this is the Enterprise, correct?"
He nodded and focused on his Spock snapping orders as the older Spock argued with Q. Bones hovered near him and Zar, but watched the argument.
"It isn't my fault." Q folded his arms across his chest. "I was minding my own business when bam, I suddenly found myself with a headache." Q pouted. "I've never had a headache before."
"You should savor the experience then." The Ambassador gestured at the huge ship partly broken on the view-screen as he glared at Q. "The Enterprise E could barely battle that thing..." Spock whirled at stared at the view-screen before turning back to Q. "You do realize that without Data commanding a future ship no Enterprise survives the time-slip that nearly allowed the Borg to destroy the original Enterprise?"
"I didn't tell him to jump ship and blow up." Q made a huge arm movement and it looked to Jim like he was a little wobbly. "What the hell did you want me for anyway? You're usually trying to be rid of me, which is so depressing."
"You insist on playing games instead of paying attention to what is important while being, as humans say, a sore loser."
Q scoffed and gestured at the ship on the screen as he started to say something. The Cube ship wavered and everyone gasped as it disappeared. Q looked at his hand. "Did I do that?" He looked down at his hand and wiggled it. On the view-screen a huge starship appeared with a smaller ship near it.
Jim could see where they'd rammed into each other. The big ship was missing part of the saucer section. As the ships drifted he got a look at the names and gasped. He started to ask when this huge Enterprise was from when a tiny figure hurtled across the empty space between the ships. Jim blinked. That was...
"Q." Ambassador Spock was mad. Jim could tell by the way he held his shoulders. Moving closer to Bones, Jim watched as Spock jabbed a finger towards the ships on the view-screen. "That is not acceptable."
Q shrugged as he looked down at his fingers. "It isn't my fault. I think I'm broken." He looked up and squinted at the small ship. "Hmm. Let's see..." He snapped his fingers and smiled at Spock. "Well, I'm sure that will fix it."
Jim watched as his Spock quirked his eyebrow. The older Spock narrowed his eyes at Q. Jim allowed Zar to crowd him towards Bones as they watched the ships.
"Nothing has changed, Q."
Q frowned and wiggled his fingers again. "Well, what would you know about it? I think that power surge threw a breaker."
Ambassador Spock sighed. "You need to put them back before the Reman ship explodes and exposes us to radiation that the shields will not be able to deflect."
Glancing at the ships, Q snapped his fingers again and shook his hand. "Ow." He turned to Spock. "Why don't you do something?"
Jim could see the older Spock roll his eyes and he looked at his Spock to see if he'd seen it too. His Spock was watching the ships recede. The helmsman, Jim knew he'd been told the man's name, but he couldn't remember it right now, was moving them away while trying to not attract attention as they moved.
"I do not share in your powers, Q. You are the only being that can save us."
Jim thought the older Spock sounded sarcastic on that last sentence. Zar snorted beside him, so Jim thought maybe he was right. Q didn't seem to hear it that way because he straightened up and nearly beamed as he smiled.
"True, true, I am Q after all." He stared at the ships and then turned his head towards the older Spock. "I suppose you are going to want me to save the android."
Ambassador Spock shrugged as if it didn't matter. Jim hadn't seen a Vulcan shrug before, he hadn't known they could. "Letting Lt. Commander Data explode would destroy the timeline, but you are Q so I am certain you know that."
Q blinked. "What? He isn't that important..." Q stopped and thought. He blinked a few times and started ticking points off on his fingers. "Well, shit." Q focused on the ships in front of them and they started to fade as the smaller ship exploded just as Q snapped his fingers. He turned towards Ambassador Spock. "Know-it-all."
Between them, in a flash of light, another man appeared. Jim looked at the red uniform that Q wore and compared it to the darker uniform that this new person wore. He appeared injured, but when Bones started looking him over and cussing Jim wasn't so sure. Bones didn't cuss that much at anyone else he'd been helping.
Q shook his finger at the older Spock and Jim darted forward to stand between them. He wasn't about to lose a Spock because this scary adult couldn't keep his gestures to himself.
"You're breaking the Temporal Prime Directive, Spock." Q looked down at Jim. "What's this? A baby Kirk?" Q cocked his head. "Oh, that's lovely. He's so small." Q looked up at the Ambassador. "Does he still have the same huge ego? How does it fit into that tiny little body?"
Jim had seen enough. This being wasn't going to help make him the right age to be the Captain of this ship. His ship. The whole crew had kept their distance, but he'd noticed how they all seemed to think of it as his ship. This Q being was too self-centered to care about Jim's people and he kept making the older Spock mad. Jim kicked him in the shin. It wasn't the best kick, he could have aimed for the groin, but it was a solid kick with most of his weight behind it.
"Owww!" Q hopped around, holding his shin. "You little brat." Q started to snap his fingers, but Ambassador Spock grabbed his hand. "Oh, no, no. Don't touch me."
Spock stepped back and blinked. He looked down at his hand and shook his head. Q pointed his finger at Spock and then swung around to point at the younger Spock. "You are completely devoid of fun at any age."
Ambassador Spock smiled and Jim scrambled back because it was an evil smile. He knew what those looked like. When the older Spock turned towards him, Jim wanted nothing more than to disappear through the deck. "This will not hurt." Spock focused on him and snapped his fingers.
Jim went to his knees as his balance just disappeared.
****
Bones held back Zar as he started for Jim with a shout. He wasn't sure what had just happened to the Ambassador, but he knew enough to keep people out of the way of that pointing and snapping of fingers business. Jim twisted and shifted in front of their eyes. This time the clothing changed with him. And within moments an adult Jim was sitting on his butt next to the not-human whose injuries Bones didn't know what to do with because he thought the guy needed Scotty.
In front of them Ambassador Spock was still grinning at Q. It was disturbing. Bones glanced around the bridge and he wasn't the only one worrying about it.
"You constantly nag me about fun and jokes." Spock laughed. "You have no idea, Q. No idea about anything."
Bones pulled down the younger Spock with a wrench as he started to move past him. "Stay down, dammit. You don't have any idea what the hell is happening."
Zar grabbed Spock's arm as he started to rise. "Father, stay out of the way. You know what you are doing."
Bones wanted to roll his eyes, but he was too busy keeping Jim and Spock down. The non-human twitched and Bones spared him a glance before refocusing on the fight happening over his head.
"For a super-being you are very young, Q. That has been shown with the beings your child let loose upon the universe. Your powers are rather... limited."
Q huffed out a breath. "What? I am a Q. I can do anything." He snapped his fingers and then deflated a bit and he looked down at his hand. "Well, normally I can do anything. When some half-blood hasn't stolen my powers."
Bones and Zar kept the younger Spock down, but there was no one to hold back Ambassador Spock. "I have stolen nothing." He straightened up to his full height. "While I have borrowed your abilities it is only to prevent you from harming another being. Also, I feel the need to correct a grave error." As Spock poised to snap his fingers, he smiled widely at Q. "After all, the universe's survival requires the starships named Enterprise to exist with the proper crews. Even you can not deny that, Q." Spock snapped his fingers.
****
Jim blinked at the sudden flash of light. He was an adult again. He could remember the period of time a child as though he'd been riding along in his own brain. He helped Zar hold down his Spock as he tried to think through what exactly was wrong with the older Spock. When the flash cleared it took Jim a moment to realize they were in the Vulcan solar system. The debris of the destroyed planet was strewn across the view-screen.
The being Q stared for several seconds and then turned to glare at the Ambassador. "You can not. It's completely illogical."
Jim winched at that as did Zar. It was never good to call Spock illogical if you weren't Bones. Spock tolerated it from Bones, but very few others. Jim didn't think that Q made that small list.
Spock cocked his head. "You will not have an universe to play in without the starship Enterprise, which you do not have without the combined efforts of several crew members of various starships, which will not exist if you do not have this crew in their proper places at the proper times." Spock smiled and Jim shivered at the sight. "Then, of course, there is the matter of your child. He will not be born if you do not meet the starship Voyager, which will be lost because the Vulcan that saves that ship will never be born."
Q blinked. Jim held his breath as Spock stared out at the remains of Vulcan. Then there was a wrench in everything and Jim gasped. Beside him Zar's eyes went wide and he reached around the younger Spock's neck and nerve pinched him. Jim cradled Spock as he went down.
"Why'd you do that?"
Zar helped him and Bones arrange Spock on the decking. "He'd try to stop himself. Father is nothing if not stubborn."
They watched as a whole planet reformed in front of them. Uhura started fielding frantic calls within moments of the planet coming back together. Jim bit his lip as Spock tilted his head to the side and made one last snap of his fingers. Beside him appeared Spock's mother, Amanda. Jim stretched up and grabbed her down and out of the way of the argument the Ambassador and Q were still having.
"Hello, ma'am. Sorry about all this."
She settled beside Bones and looked down at her son on the decking beside the injured man that Jim thought was a robot, but hadn't had time to check thoroughly. "What is happening? I thought Vulcan was dying."
Zar was staring at her and Jim wasn't going to get in his way. It had looked like his nerve pinch was even more viscous than Spock's. Bones ran a tricorder over Amanda with quick glances at the fighting as he did. Jim hushed Amanda as she started to ask again. He'd try to explain it to her when there was a chance.
"You can't do that!" Q stomped his foot. "You're going to get me in trouble."
Spock crossed his arms. "You would be grounded."
"Yes." Q waved his arms. "I'd be confined to a point of space and I wouldn't be allowed to have any fun at all."
Spock laughed and nodded. "Exactly."
Jim was trying to work out what that meant when there was a ringing noise that sounded through the bridge. It wasn't anything he recognized. His Spock started to come around. Jim could see Sulu and Chekov trying to decide what to do. Jim shook his head at them. He didn't think there was anything anyone could do.
The Ambassador looked down at the robot man and snapped his fingers. The robot's injuries disappeared, as did the few tears in his uniform. He sat up and looked around. Then he blinked.
Above them the ringing continued and Spock grabbed Q's flailing arm and pressed their hands together. "You should answer that."
Q squeaked and jerked away. He pulled a phone from his pocket and Ambassador Spock dropped straight down onto his butt beside Jim's group. Jim watched Q carefully. If his powers could reconstruct an entire planet then it was not a good idea to upset him. As Q answered the phone, Jim caught the older Spock's eye. He was nearly panting, but he smiled that soft smile he'd used on Jim while he was a child. Jim felt that warmth spread across him again and beside him Zar made a surprised sounding noise.
"Hello? No, no, I didn't. I know it shows that, but I swear...No, well...no. I never...Okay maybe I did do that, but this...Sorry." Q glared at them and Jim hoped there wasn't going to be any finger snapping. "What! You can't do that. I'll never...Well, no, I'm not saying you aren't that powerful. Of course not." Q rolled his eyes. "I apologize...No, I did not take it upon myself to fix the entire main timeline." Q flapped an arm as he yelled into the little phone. "I can't possibly be held responsible for...What do you mean 'my powers, my fault'? That's completely unfair."
Spock relaxed beside him and Jim slide over a little closer. "You okay?"
"Just tired, Jim. I will be well."
Q slammed his phone closed and rounded on Spock. "You got me grounded!"
Spock smiled up at him. A neat, fuck you, smile that Jim thought he must have learned from him. "Yes, I did. Until 2364, correct?"
"Yes!" Q narrowed his eyes. "You...you...Vulcan! I can't believe...Wait. Yes, I can. You're the same man that died and managed to get reborn on the sole say of him just so you could mind-meld with a whale after all." Q stabbed his finger at Jim. There was complete silence across the bridge. There was a flash of light and Q was gone.
Ambassador Spock sighed. The robot man turned to look at him. "You are well, Ambassador Spock?"
Amanda sucked in a breath and Jim wondered what she was going to say when she heard the whole story. His Spock watched silently as he kept a hand on his mother.
"I am only tired, Commander Data. You are functional?"
Data looked down at himself. "I have not exploded. I do not understand. I had sacrificed myself to save the Enterprise."
"You have not exploded. Q saved you."
Jim herded the group towards the lift. He wanted them off the bridge, Bones was going to want to check them all over, and he needed a moment with the older Spock about what to do with the whole situation. He needed to figure out how the report was going to have to be worded.
****
Bones watched, hovered really, as the young not-exactly-a-Vulcan Zar spoke quietly with Amanda. She'd had a short headache when her connection to Sarek reestablished and he'd thought he was going crazy, according to her. Bones wondered what warp speed records were currently being broken to get from New Vulcan to here. Everyone seemed in good shape. Jim was quieter than Bones had expected, but at least he was an adult again.
As far as he could tell Amanda was in prefect health, the android was alright, and the really young Vulcan needed a couple of supplements, but was generally in good health. He couldn't get Jim to hold still long enough to be sure of him, but since he hadn't collapsed yet he wasn't going to push too hard. Yet. Bones helped the old Spock to sit down across from Amanda.
"You need to eat. Whatever you did to your body during that cockamamie stunt depleted..."
"Doctor, you should scan Commander Spock for injury."
Bones narrowed his eyes at the Ambassador. "Why? Zar only nerve pinched him. He's fine."
Ambassador Spock's eyebrows rose. "He should have felt the return of his link to T'Pring. He has not and it has not touched my mind in mistake."
Swinging around, Bones looked at Spock, who was frowning with his eyebrows. Moving closer, Bones started a scan even as he turned his head towards Jim. "What exactly are we going to say about this one?"
Jim shrugged and stood. He moved towards the small replicator in the corner. "I'm sure we can blame it on that Q person without too much fuss."
The Ambassador snorted as he accepted his drink from Jim. "Q is never without blame."
Amanda laid her hand on the older Spock's arm. "Why are you here and not in your own time?"
Bones looked up from his tricorder readings to watch. Zar clasped his hands in front of him as Ambassador Spock leaned back slightly as he steepled his fingers. Bones blinked at the sight of all three of the male Vulcans in nearly identical postures.
"I made an error in my calculations and was unable to stop Nero from doing harm."
Data cocked his head. "As Commander LaForge has explained to me, being unable to stop another being from causing harm is not something to find fault in one's self."
Amanda straightened in her seat. "He's right, dear. I'm certain you..." She gestured to the younger Spock. "Both of you did everything possible." Then she smiled at the Ambassador. "You won in the end."
****
Jim dropped to sit on his bed and rested his head in his hands. He had the worst headache. The older Spock was drifting around his room looking at things. "Thanks. You know, for helping fix me."
"I require no thanks. You are well worth any trouble, James."
Smiling, Jim flopped back onto his bed. "I remember it all like it was a vivid dream. I was awful to Bones."
Spock sat down and straightened a chess piece. "He understands. You managed admirably."
With a snort, Jim waved a hand at his room. "Not really. I think Spock found how much I have horded. I know Bones will be all over me about eating and making sure I feel secure. It'll be awful." Jim frowned. "That word you called me. You meant that?"
"Yes."
Jim looked up sharply and stared at him for several moments. "Thank you." Jim pulled a food pouch from the gap between the bed and wall. "I need to go clear Spock's room while he's busy with your Mom."
Jim could feel Spock's eyes on him as he went through the door into Spock's bathroom. He stopped just inside of Spock's room and took a deep breath. His attraction to his Spock and Bones was stronger than before he'd been shrunk. Pulling hidden pouches from under Spock's desk, Jim froze as Spock's door opened, allowing his Spock to enter.
"Captain." Spock looked like he was still in shock or something. He was paler than Jim had ever seen and was moving in that overly stiff way that read as pissed or upset.
"You okay, Spock?" Jim sat the pouches down on the desk and went to pull out the ones at the edge of Spock's bed. "Sorry about all this."
"I am well, Jim." Spock took the rations from his hands as Jim turned from the bed. "You do not need to apologize."
Jim gave him a brittle smile and grabbed up the pouches before pulling the ones from Spock's hands. "I should let you rest. Nerve pinches always give me headaches, so you'll probably want to rest." He bit his lip to quit babbling and fled before Spock could do more than step towards him.
****
Jim sat on the floor and leaned against a bulkhead on the Observation Deck as he stared out at Vulcan spinning lazily below. His life was a huge mess and the Admiralty was sending Pike and Archer to talk to him about Q and the whole thing with Vulcan. He'd checked the logs and Spock had managed to totally avoid telling Command about him being turned into a kid. There was a small sound and Jim turned his head to find Zar standing there watching Vulcan.
"Hello."
Zar looked at him. "Captain." He came closer and sat on the floor next to Jim. "You should know that I'm an empath. I couldn't help feeling the bonds between your child self and the younger version of Father. McCoy and Father's bond is tenuous, but growing, I think."
Jim blinked. "You can feel all that?"
Zar shrugged. "I'm different in that manner than Vulcans." He gestured towards the planet. "I didn't get the chance to come here when I visited Father in the other timeline."
"You met the other me."
"I did." Zar leaned back into the bulkhead beside Jim. "Everyone was older. I annoyed Father a lot." Zar picked at the cloth of his pants. "Your counterpart gave me good advice. Uhura's hair was much shorter. Chekov's hair was straighter."
"That's why you asked if the ship was the Enterprise. Nothing looked right."
Zar nodded. "I looked up the historical events that shaped the differences in the timelines. Here you met Father much earlier. I believe it is only to the benefit of you both."
"Really? How am I a benefit to Spock?" Jim rubbed the side of his face. "I mostly just make him mad."
With a laugh, Zar shook his head. "No. No, you annoy him sometimes, but trust me. He doesn't feel anger towards you."
Jim relaxed. "You must make Vulcans nervous."
Zar snorted. "I'll find out. Grandmother said that the rest of the family is coming to met me before they go to Vulcan." Zar lolled his head to look at Jim. "Would you mind being there? In the other timeline after Father, you, and Doctor McCoy were my family."
"I'd be honored, Zar."
****
Bones let himself into Jim's room and stood quietly watching the Ambassador sleep. Jim's bedding on the couch was empty. Moving quietly, Bones slipped into Spock's quarters through the bathroom. Jim was curled on the floor next to Spock's bed. McCoy found the extra blanket Spock had and draped it over Jim. Then he settled into the most comfortable chair, which he'd have to bug Spock about because it was awful and went to sleep.
He woke up fast and grumpy. Jim was setting at Spock's desk doing something with a PADD. Spock was staring at them both from his bed. "What?"
Jim looked up from his PADD. "Hmm. I wanted to thank you both for...being yourselves. I felt safe."
Bones huffed and pushed himself more upright. "You were a good kid, Jim. Weird about Vulcans though."
Jim smiled. "Gotta be weird about something, Bones." He looked at Spock. "I'm sorry you had to find out."
Spock rose from his bed and stood with his hands clasped behind his back. "I am not. It is an honor to have your trust."
As Jim's eyebrows rose, Spock disappeared into his bathroom. Bones snorted as the door slid closed and turned to Jim. "He's still embarrassed about the PADD thing."
"Yeah, I can understand." Jim rubbed the back of his neck. "Zar has this idea that all three of us are attracted to each other."
Bones blinked. "Smart kid."
"He's your age, Bones." Jim cocked his head. "I think."
Spock emerged from the bathroom and sat on the edge of his bed. "He has said it is difficult for him to know for certain as he did not track in units that can be easily converted into a precise measurement."
"You mean he counted by season." Jim picked up the PADD from the desk and handed it to Spock.
Spock's eyebrow rose a fraction as he accepted the PADD. "That is correct." He read for several moments. "You have finished."
"Yeah. I liked the math. That was a good idea, Spock."
Bones had to bit his lip so he wouldn't tease Spock as the Vulcan's visible ear tip flushed. "Jim, have you told Spock about Zar's theory?"
Jim rubbed the back of his neck. "No, I hadn't." Jim turned back towards Spock and then he slapped himself in the forehead. "I forgot! I'll be back in a minute."
Shaking his head, Bones turned to Spock who was standing there staring at Jim's retreat.
****
Jim slid to a stop at the sight of Ambassador Spock standing on the far side of the room from the bed staring at it, which had tripled in size. "You okay, Spock?"
"Yes. Although the bed seems to have malfunctioned."
"No, it didn't malfunction." Jim patted the wall next to the door into the bathroom. "She loves me. And she's got definite thoughts about how my life should go."
"The ship is sentient?"
Jim shrugged. "Maybe. She never talks, just does things to point out stuff to me. Like letting me know she approves of something that I've been avoiding because it scares me."
Spock titled his head. "Ah. She is a very smart ship." Then he smiled a little. "I will take my leave to make arrangements to store Commander Data until he needs to be delivered in the future."
Nodding, Jim walked Spock to the door. Once the door had swooped closed behind the Ambassador, Jim turned to the room and looked up at the ceiling. "You are completely tactless sometimes." He looked that the enlarged bed then back up at the ceiling. "Thanks." The lights brightened for a few moments and Jim touched the wall as he went back to .
****
Amanda stepped forward as Sarek materialized on the pad and extended her fingers for a kiss with a smile on her face. She was completely unprepared for Sarek to grab her up into a tight hug in front of all these people. In front of T'Pau. Hugging back, she could feel Sarek finally relax along their link. Turning her face into his neck, Amanda pushed love and reassurance towards her husband. "My love."
"Amanda." Sarek finally allowed her to step back, but he refused to let go of her hand. Amanda glanced over her shoulder at everyone else. Her sons were side-by-side with her grandson, Zar, which the thought of still made her head hurt a little. Beside them was Jim and behind the young Captain stood Bones. Turning back, Amanda greeted T'Pau and then stepped aside. She watched as T'Pau looked over Zar and then raised an eyebrow.
Amused that Captain Kirk slid in between them to offer T'Pau a tour of the ship, Amanda turned share with her husband to find Sarek staring at her older son. "Sarek, this is Ambassador Spock."
T'Pau turned her head and blinked as Spock saluted his father.
"Father. You appear well."
When Sarek blinked, Amanda was reminded of what Zar had said about his father's relationship or lack thereof with his own father. Moving quickly, Amanda stepped forward and linked her free hand into her elder son's elbow. "Come, Captain Kirk is sure to know things about the ship that we do not." She smiled at her younger son and pulled her hand free from Sarek long enough to touch her boy's shoulder. "And anything Jim doesn't know, you will."
Please that Spock's posture relaxed, Amanda allowed Sarek to recapture her hand. She wanted to know what had happened to T'Pring, but it would wait.
****
Jim flopped down on his huge bed and listened to Spock and Bones bicker about dinner. He was tired. Herding touchy Vulcans around as they tried to work out who outranked who on the I-am-old-honor-my-age thing. Watching Sarek and the older Spock trying to talk, now that Sarek knew for sure who the Ambassador was had been nearly painful.
"What the hell happened to your bed?"
Rolling over, Jim grinned up at Bones. "She thinks we should all be sleeping together." Spock stepped closer and looked like he was trying to figure out how the bed had changed. Jim bounced a little.
Bones snorted. "Better than a chair. Spock's furniture needs burned."
As they started arguing, Jim grinned and pushed himself to his feet. They sat down on either end of the bed as they continued arguing. Jim pulled a chair around to sit in and watch them. "You missed the arguing, didn't you?" They both turned to stare at him. Jim smiled. "Yep, you missed it."
Bones clasped his hands together and leaned over his knees. "Jim." Bones glanced at Spock and then back to him. "This is completely crazy."
Jim spread his hands. "Why? We," Jim gestured to include all three of them. "We make a prefect team. And...I'm comfortable with you both."
"Zar has informed me that we are destined. He did not specify as to the manner of the destiny."
Standing up, Jim started towards his friends. "Let's try sleeping and see how it goes."
****
"Well?" Amanda raised her eyebrows as Sarek looked at her and then pulled her closer. She could tell from the little line just over his nose he'd been suffering. She went willingly and snuggled into her husband's side. He leaned his head into hers, something he'd done so rarely she'd could clearly remember each instance. When he spoke, Amanda grinned because he wasn't even trying to convince her he had no idea what she meant.
"T'Pring died as the shuttle she was on lost internal dampeners. She was lost several minutes before the planet according to the shuttle's log."
"How many have been lost?"
Sarek tightened his hold on her and Amanda rubbed a little circle in his skin to help him remember she was here now. "Several thousand including those lost immediately after Vulcan."
"How many while Vulcan was gone?"
Sarek made that little sound in this throat that Amanda called a sigh in her head. "Far too many."
She nodded. "I can't believe we've a grandson older than our boy."
"He is very..."
"Human?" She could feel it as Sarek stiffened. "Well, more emotional than Vulcans at least."
"The older Spock informed me that Zar is an empath. It is possible that is the cause."
She patted her husband's arm. "Perhaps, dearheart, but take my advice and do not repeat that in his hearing. Our older boy barely speaks to you as it is." She settled down to go to sleep. "I hope the other me smacked the other you for being stupid towards him. He's such a nice boy."
Sarek's touch was soothing and Amanda could feel her body relaxing. "He is an adult who is older than I am, my wife."
She grinned and yawned. "Of course he is, dear."
****
(Part 3)