Jim wasn't certain why Spock had left in the way he had, or why he had left at all, only that perhaps he felt his being there was an imposition. Whatever the reason had been, Jim hadn't had time to ponder over it. The moment they had worked out a weakness Jim and Pike had set out to contact the Denevan colony, to no avail.

"Chris, I can't just sit around and not do anything! I have to do something!"

Pike was pacing agitatedly in front of him. "Jim, there's nothing you can do, short of breaking more laws than your surname can weasel you out of."

"Who gives a damn when there are thousands of people dying on that planet, and no one is doing anything!" He replied exasperatedly.

"If we go down there en masse, then we'll all get infected too, and that just costs more lives. We can't do anything until we work out how to solve this problem."

"Then I'm going alone!" Jim said with a growl.

The look Pike gave him almost stopped him in his tracks. "Jim, don't be stupid. Your mother's lost too much already, she can't lose you too."

"She's not going to lose me." He replied, more gently.

Pike sighed. "You're not going to give up are you?" Jim shook his head. "Fine. I didn't see you. I have no knowledge of where you're going. And you had better get back here before your mother strangles me for letting you leave"

Jim nodded.

The hangar was fairly busy, busy enough that no one noticed a young man in civilian clothing, making his way to one of the smaller shuttles. For the first time since he'd started the entrance exams, Jim was glad of all the reading he'd done. He knew exactly which model was which, and he knew all of their faults inside out. This particular SB11 had a fault with the stationary locking mechanism, making it the easiest for Jim to acquire with the least amount of fuss. With more than a little effort, he prised the hatch ajar, and clambered inside. The shuttle was boxy, and outdated, but it had warp capacity and that was what was important. Now all he had to do was manage to get it out of the hangar without being stopped. He didn't care if they knew it was him, he didn't care if this ended his career, he couldn't leave his brother, or the other colonists, to die. Not without trying everything he could.

He made his way into the cabin, and sat down in the captain's chair. The dashboard was simple, but more manual than he was used to. He refused to let it deter him. His father had been one of the most skilled pilots of his age, he wasn't about to sully that title now. With more apprehension than he was willing to admit, Jim started the engine. As he heard the engine whirr to life, it appeared several other people in the hangar did too.

"No turning back now Jimbo." He murmured as he disengaged the inertial dampener, and began to accelerate towards the hangar doors. Several of the ground crew were now waving their arms at him frantically, shouting things at him that he wouldn't have listened to even if he had been able to hear them. He pushed the throttle forward a little more as the doors of the hangar began to close.

"No you don't!" He cried as he sped towards the narrowing gap, barely scraping through as the doors clamped shut behind him. The sky was open to him now, although he was aware of the flashing warning lights that had begun to flare up behind him. He was going to be in so much trouble.

As he exited the atmosphere he re-engaged the inertial dampeners and fastened his belt, preparing to warp. The initial jump was rougher than he was used to, since he had never warped in such a small craft before, but it wasn't long before the shuttle settled into the rhythm. The journey itself wasn't very long, but with every passing hour Jim knew that the likelihood of rescuing the Denevans grew slimmer. He found his hands and feet growing restless, tapping and shaking as the minutes passed. When the time finally came to slow the craft down, Jim was beside himself. As the ship came out of warp the reality struck him. The usually busy planet was void of all spacecraft. There were no signals reaching him, and the whole place seemed eerily quiet. Jim locked the shuttle into orbit and made his way to the transporter.

He took a jacket from the locker beside it and zipped it up. He might not be wearing armour, but he'd be damned if he'd be caught without any line of defence. With that he entered the closet-like transporter, closed his eyes and pressed the button.

When he materialised, the surface was deceptively peaceful. The sun was beating down warmly on his back as he wandered through the city. The streets were dead, the only sound the rustle of leaves as they skated across the pavement.

"Mister Kirk, come in Mister Kirk." Jim jumped at the sound. "James Tiberius Kirk, do you copy?"

Jim fumbled inside the jacket and removed a small communicator from the breast pocket.

"Mister Kirk, do you copy? If you can hear this, please answer. Answer and we will not reprimand you."

Jim winced and flipped it open. "Is that a promise?"

"Mister Kirk, while we do not approve of your methods, we cannot allow you to die down there. Please be advised that some new information has come to light, and it is actually necessary for someone to be on the ground. Your recklessness has automatically volunteered you for that position. Congratulations."

"Thanks?"

"We need you to lure out as many of the infected people as possible, and keep them outside. We are moving satellites into position, and when we give you the signal, you must shield your eyes and do not open them again until we tell you, okay?"

"Okay."

"You have approximately twenty minutes. Good luck Kirk, you might just be this colony's last hope."

"No pressure then." Jim muttered under his breath as the captain signed off.

Twenty minutes wasn't enough to search for people, or even to get across the whole city, not matter how fast he run. Jim cursed under his breath. He knew what he had to do, and it was probably going to kill him.

"Hey! I said HEY!" He shouted, as loud as he could. He rapped on the closed doors and made his way down the street. "I'm out here, I'm not even a little bit infected! I'm a perfect host, just come and get me!"

The street remained silent, not a stir of movement. Jim frowned, looking around. He kicked at some railings with a clang. Maybe, if he could just … running over to the nearest tree he jumped up to snap a branch off one of the lower hanging boughs. Taking the branch he ran along the street, dragging the branch across the railings. The discordant clanging rang out into the empty street and Jim smiled. This had to get their attention.

"I'm right here, come on out and get me!"

There was still not the slightest sign of movement from any of the buildings. Jim felt the frustration building now. He had wasted five minutes at least on this, he was running out of time. What could get them out? If the parasites were keeping them alive, then they were using them. They needed the colonists, they were keeping them alive.

That was it! What did all creatures universally have in common? The need to survive.

Jim ran the branch up and down the railings again and shouted at the top of his voice. "If you don't come and get me, then I'm going to kill you all. Every last nasty little parasite! I know your weakness, and unless you come out and get me, I'm going to get you!"

There was still no movement, and Jim felt his heart sink. That was until he heard the creak of a disused door opening, and a shriek. Across the street from him was a small child, staring in his direction and pointing directly at him. The shrieking grew louder as two adult figures appeared in the doorway behind the child. They just stood their shrieking at first, until the child took a step out into the sunlight. Jim felt the adrenaline spike as he realised that, perhaps, it had worked a little too well.

"Come on then! You don't like the sunlight, do you? But I'm out here, and you're in there. I know how to get rid of you for good, and I'm going to do it!"

The girl stopped shrieking for a moment, taking another step out into the light. Behind her, the two adults stepped out behind her. She shrieked again and broke out into a run. As she did, Jim could see more people leaving the safety of their shaded shelters and running at him.

Jim swore again and bolted, running from the screaming people as best he could, still hollering at them, making his way towards the only part of the city he really knew; Sam's neighbourhood.

He had visited the place on a number of occasions, once when Sam had first moved, again when he had married Aurelan, and again when his nephew was born. It had been years, but he remembered it well enough. Jim wove his way between the tall apartment buildings, distinctly aware of the increasing number of shrieking colonists behind him.

"Come on you cowards! Can't you even come out and protect your own species?" He shouted up at the apartments. He could feel his voice growing hoarse as his lungs seared with the effort. He could see the familiar row of houses in front of him, and a familiar figure stood outside it.

"Sam? Sam!" Jim shouted. The figure looked up from the doorway, a look of confused recognition gracing his features.

"Jim? Is that you? Don't come near me!"

Jim could barely pause to breathe, the other colonists coming up behind him. "Come out here Sammy!"

Sam shook his head, and his reply came in broken sobs that Jim would still be haunted by for years afterward. "I can't, this thing is controlling me, it won't let me, it wants to infect you!"

Jim slowed to a jog as he approached the house. "I know, but it's okay, just come out to me, it'll be fine, I promise."

"How can you promise that?"

"Please Sam, just come to me."

"I'm going to kill you." Sam said as he stepped out towards his brother.

"No, Sam, it's okay, Just close your eyes, everything will be fine, I promise!"

"Please, just kill me, Jimmy." Sam whimpered, falling to his knees, eyes closed in resignation. "Aurelan and Peter are hiding in the basement. Please get them out of here when you've finished."

Jim strode towards his brother and wrapped his arms around him, holding him close, and burying his head in his shoulder, eyes screwed shut. As he did a muffled voice came in through his communicator, and a blinding flash enveloped them all, followed by a cacophonous shrieking. When the light faded Jim felt all of his energy leave him, and the world went dark.

When he came to everything was so bright that he wasn't entirely certain he wasn't dead. The light was white and clinical, and when his hearing cleared he could hear the buzz and whirr of machinery. His mouth felt dry as he spoke. "Where am I?"

"Vulcan." Came a voice from beside him. Jim turned to see a nurse, clad in long white robes, with stoic Vulcan features, stood by a blinking monitor.

"Oh." He breathed. "What happened to the colonists?"

"Those who were outside at the time of your extraction are here, and are recovering. I do not know the fate of any others." She replied.

"And my brother?"

"George Samuel Kirk is still unconscious, but in a stable condition." She said. "Now that you are awake I am to inform Starfleet. They have a representative waiting to speak with you. Excuse me."

The relief that he had felt only a moment ago was washed away by the chill of fear settling in his gut. He had been distraught, he hadn't thought about repercussions. After everything, he was probably not getting into the Academy now. If he was being honest, he's be lucky to get off without a prison sentence.

The doors whooshed a moment later, and a middle aged man in sharp dress uniform entered. He did not greet Jim, only taking a seat by his side and regarding him carefully.

"Mr. Kirk." He began. Jim winced, the use of his surname was never a good thing. "We should have you disciplined at the very least for the stunt you just pulled, if not exiled to a mining planet for reform."

"Sir, ple-"

"However," He continued, ignoring Jim's outburst. "It was due to your bravery, or stupidity, though I am not certain which at this point, that so many of the Denevan colonists were saved." Jim went completely still. "We have also heard that the original discovery of the parasites' aversion to Ultra Violet light was yours. So in light of this we have decided to formally pardon you of your crimes."

Jim gaped. "You … you what?!"

The man smiled and stood up, donning his cap. "We hope to see you at the Academy in September, cadet."

Jim watched, open mouthed, as the man exited the room. He had managed to steal a Starfleet vessel, launch himself into a quarantined planet, taunt a hostile, infectious being, and save his brother, all with barely a scratch on him, or his record. The nurse came back in to issue him with a release form, and return his clothes to him, and he was free to go. He could scarcely believe any of it. First things first he had to find his brother. The nurse had mentioned that he was in the same hospital, but not where he was. He needed to find whatever Vulcan receptionist could tell him where Sam might be. The hospital was all brushed steel and glass, and as wide as it was tall. Thankfully, the Vulcans were ever logical in all aspects, the layout of the hospital was intuitive. Despite the vast expanse of winding corridors, it all made sense. For the first time, Jim was actually glad of their need for order. He had almost reached the front desk when he heard someone call his name.

"Jim!"

He spun around to see Sybok striding towards him, his face a picture of concern.

"Jim, are you alright? I heard on the news, Deneva Prime, I came as soon as I could."

Jim was taken aback, but he managed to nod his head.

Sybok frowned, taking Jim's hand in his. "You don't have to lie to me Jim, you know I'm not like them. You know I understand. Share your pain, Jim, it doesn't do you any good to keep it locked up inside."

Share your pain.

Jim ripped his hands from the Vulcan's. "Don't touch me!"

Sybok's face fell, lost and confused at first, before darkening with realisation. His face twisted into an ugly smirk, his handsome features distorted. Reaching out he gripped Jim's arm. Even if he hadn't been weak with exhaustion, his Vulcan strength would have made it impossible for Jim to escape.

"Let go of me you son of a bitch!" Jim cried out.

"So, you've had a little chat with my brother, have you?" He said venomously.

Jim growled. "What if I have? Nice to know he can be honest with me."

"Honest? You think that's honesty? When they are all lying to themselves, that's not honesty, that's delusion!"

"You're the only delusional one, Sybok."

A wild, darkness passed over his face and Sybok's grip tightened.

"Sybok!"

The Vulcan spun round with a snarl. Standing in the doorway was T'Pring, face a picture of flawless disinterest, despite her tone. Her eyes flitted from Sybok to Jim and back.

"T'Pring, sister, I didn't think I'd see you here." Sybok said, smiling toothily.

"Nor I you. You were exiled for good reason. You should let Mister Kirk go, and then leave on the first available flight. I do not care its destination. If you do not, I shall make sure that you suffer the consequences."

Sybok loosened his grip on Jim's arm, and Jim snatched it away.

"Well then, dear sister, I bid you goodbye. And to you, Jim. I hope to see you again very soon."

"Oh, you won't." He spat.

Sybok's expression soured as he stalked away.

"That traitorous …" T'Pring began.

Jim laughed. "I was surprised the first time Spock lost it, but you? I never would have expected it."

T'Pring turned to him curiously. "Spock?"

"Yeah, we got into a fight a while back. He's kinda terrifying when he's angry."

She raised a brow. "I would not know, I have yet to experience it."

"Seriously?"

T'Pring nodded. "You are a curious young man, Mister Kirk. I believe I may have underestimated you."

"I hope so." Jim replied wryly. The Vulan's mouth twitched just slightly and Jim wasn't certain, but he could have sworn that was the beginning of a smile. But with that, she nodded tersely and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Jim called out. "T'Pring, have you seen Spock around?"

T'Pring paused, and turned around to face him once more. "Spock is unwell and has been confined to his quarters." She replied curtly, adding, "No visitors are permitted."

His pulse began to speed up at the thought. Spock wasn't the kind of person to get sick, let alone be so sick that he would be confined to his quarters. "Unwell? Is it serious?"

T'Pring's cold expression thawed slightly at his concern. She considered him for a moment longer before speaking. "Spock was very ardently invested in a rushed electromagnetic spectrum experiment. For some reason it would appear your recklessness has rubbed off on him. Something to do with Ultra Violet radiation, though I cannot say for sure. It left him blind."

Jim nodded quietly. He couldn't have. He wouldn't have done that. There was no way Spock would have done that. It wasn't logical.

"The healers have said that the damage is not permanent." T'Pring said. "Although all of this is purely speculative, and if I knew anything for certain it would be confidential, and I certainly wouldn't share it with the likes of you. Do you understand?"

"I do. Thank you."

She raised an amused brow. "I don't require your thanks. I have an appointment, farewell."

He had expected some kind of reprimanding when he finally saw his parents again. Instead what he got was armfuls of pure, unadulterated happiness, and relief. His mother didn't say a thing, simply held him tightly. That was enough. Pike nodded at him, before pulling him into an equally crushing embrace.

"You did good, kid."

Jim gripped him back in earnest, before turning to his brother. He was still unconscious, as he had been told, but he looked restful, rather than unwell. Jim had never been more certain that he had made the right decision. The rules really meant nothing when it came to human life, and family.

The lull of calm after such activity was not as welcome as Jim had hoped it would be. There was a restlessness that he just couldn't place. His mind kept wandering to a pair of severe, dark eyes. He couldn't understand it, after everything, did Spock really put himself in so much danger? Was he really that selfless a person? A few months ago Jim would have laughed at the thought of it, but now … now he wasn't so sure. And knowing the truth about Sybok, and seeing it for himself … had he been wrong about him from the start?

It was driving him crazy. He had to see him, speak to him. He needed to know if this new, kinder, braver man that he was discovering was new at all, or if he had just been an ass.

As the doors to the embassy slid open, he was greeted with a face he had not been expecting.

"Bones?"

McCoy looked startled but pleased. He smiled warmly and clapped Kirk on the shoulder. "Hey Jim, what are you doing here?"

"I was … looking for someone. More to the point, what are you doing here?"

Leonard scratched the back of his neck and glanced over at Nyota. "I'm shadowing M'Benga with a private patient here."

"And she just happens to be here as well?"

Bones flushed darkly. "No, she came to see me. Turns out there was some sort of misunderstanding. We're actually, umm, just on our way out. Together."

"You are, huh?" Jim smirked.

"Yeah." He replied flashing Jim a bashful smile. "Who are you here to visit anyway?"

"I … umm … no one, it's nothing."

"You're here to see Spock." Bones said. It hadn't been a question.

"What?!" Jim balked. "What gave you that idea?"

"Maybe the fact that you've been mooning over him for months now. Fine line between love and hate Jimbo."

Jim felt his face heat up. "I don't love him! I can't love him! I …"

Bones just smirked and patted his shoulder consolingly. "Sure thing kid. But he isn't here anymore anyway. He went home this morning."

"This morning? Oh … okay. Thanks."

"No problem. Go get your man, Jim!"

Kirk rolled his eyes and headed out towards Spock and Amanda's house. The day was not as pleasant as the first time he had ventured out to his house. The sun was harsher, but the day was hazy, visibility leaving a lot to be desired as the umber light filtered through the murk. When he arrived at the gate the garden was empty.

"Amanda? Amanda, are you home?" He called.

When there was no answer, he unlocked the gate and walked inside. The door was unlocked, but when he opened it, he found the house deserted.

"I had hoped thee would not be here. This has only confirmed my suspicions." Came an elderly voice from behind him.

"I wouldn't have taken you to be a suspicious person, T'Pau." Jim replied cautiously as he turned to face her.

T'Pau was standing in the doorway, clothes and hair as impeccably formal as ever, despite the weather. She waved his comment aside with a nonchalant hand. "Regardless, I did require an audience with thee, as a matter of some severity has been brought to my attention."

"And what does that have to do with me?"

She frowned imperceptibly. "It concerns thee, and S'chn T'gai Spock."

"Spock? What do you mean?"

The look she gave him was nothing short of disdainful, and if she had been Human, Jim would have called it disgust. "I have heard from several sources that Spock has decided upon thee as his bondmate. Therefore I must ask thee, are thee bonded with Spock?"

Jim clenched his jaw. "No."

"Has Spock asked thee to bond with him?" She asked impatiently.

"I just said we weren't bonded, why would it matter if he had offered? Even if he had, obviously nothing came of it."

A flicker of irritation crossed the old Vulcan's face. "I shall make this perfectly clear to thee. S'chn T'gai Spock is betrothed to T'Pring. It has been that way since their infancy. They are bonded in the traditional Vulcan way, and once their time comes they shall be fully bonded in koon-ut. What say thee to that?"

"Well, if he's already bonded, he can't be bonded to me, so that makes this entire conversation kind of moot." Jim said indignantly.

"Facetious, headstrong child! Thy parentage may be considered decent by Human standards, but I refuse to allow Surak's bloodline to be further polluted by thy presence!"

"If you're quite done insulting me, I'm leaving." Jim growled with barely concealed rage.

T'Pau looked affronted by the mere suggestion. "I did not give thee leave."

"Yet here I go. Have a pleasant day, T'Pau." He said, sickly sweet sarcasm dripping from his every word. It was worth it for the graceless huff he heard escape from the elderly Vulcan lady as he left.

What troubled Jim the most was the fact that T'Pau had even considered that he and Spock might be bonded. As far as he knew, no one else had heard of Spock's confession, and he certainly hadn't told anyone. That only left Spock. Why would Spock have told T'Pau about his feelings, and why would she only have confronted him about it now? Unless … unless Spock still …

Jim shook the thoughts from his head. He couldn't get ahead of himself. After speaking to T'Pring he had already had his hopes resurrected. Perhaps Spock really had experimented with the UV so that he could save Sam. Maybe he just did it out of duty to Starfleet, but then T'Pring had specifically mentioned his own recklessness. Then there was the miraculous reconciliation of Bones and Nyota. It couldn't all be a coincidence, could it?

Just as he rounded the corner he saw a figure at the end of the dusty street. As they saw each other they both began to move just a little faster towards one another. Spock looked a little dishevelled, and wearing far more casual clothes than Jim had ever seen him in before. It wouldn't have surprised him if he had simply got out of bed and left the house as he was.

"Spock," Jim said, his voice quieter than he had expected it to be "I was just looking for you."

"And I you." The Vulcan replied.

"I heard you were ill, did you … are you okay?"

"I am … fine. T'Pau-" Spock began.

Jim nodded. "I know. She wanted to know if we were bonded."

"I know. She contacted me as well. She told me that you … you wouldn't answer her questions, you refused to deny her, and when you did … well … I hoped …" Spock trailed off, his eyes lingering on Jim's face. Jim looked back, but said nothing. The Vulcan lowered his gaze again. "I have been assigned to the USS Bradbury."

"Congratulations." Jim replied quietly.

"I declined."

"What?!"

"I have also been offered a permanent teaching position with Starfleet Academy, and since you shall be attending ..."

"Spock…"

The Vulcan raised a hand and the sentence died on his tongue. "I understand. If you still feel the way that you did when I last … I … My feelings and wishes have not changed, and if yours have not either, then it is not too late for me to change my mind. The Bradbury does not leave for another week, so there is time to find another First Officer." He paused and looked up once more, dark eyes meeting blue. "However, if your feelings have changed, then it shall mean that I can remain close to you, should you wish me to."

Jim was quiet for a moment, his eyes searching the Vulcan's face for something. How his face had changed since they first met. It wasn't that any of his features had changed at all, more that they had been contextualised. It had gone from being a stoic, expressionless mask, to conveying more emotion than Jim had ever seen in any one person. The twitch of a lip, the drop of a gaze, the slight pucker of his brow, each meant something different now. Jim found that every miniature expression brought him such warmth. After everything he had done for Jim, and after everything they had been through, he could no longer look at the Vulcan objectively. He found that he loved every last inch of him, every vice and every folly, because he understood them now, and they each contributed to the whole. To Jim, he was perfect.

"You'll be a professor, and I'll be a cadet. You're kind of a stickler for rules, and we'd be breaking a pretty big one, don't you think? How am I supposed to survive knowing you're right there, but I won't be able to kiss you?"

The Vulcan's head shot up, a mixture of confusion and delight gracing his features. Jim smiled softly and reached out to touch the Vulcan's hand. The pads of his fingers brushed his skin and Jim felt a rush of warmth and relief and overwhelming affection. Spock returned the gesture, tracing a lazy circle into Jim's palm, and smiling so gently it almost broke Jim's heart to see it.

"I may be your superior now," Spock said quietly, his voice rougher than it had been a moment before. "But given your personality, you will do well at the Academy. You could be an officer in four years."

Jim grinned. "I'll do it in three."

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!