Part Six

The Enterprise burns away in a long stream of fire-flecked silver. Three singularities are left untouched, hanging temporarily in the middle of the fiery sun. Unimaginable heat (rage) batters against them but they cannot feel it through the cocoon that holds them safe. They are three separate beings, now One through joint will and acceptance.

Spock holds tightly to these two minds that are pressed against his, and he carefully watches as the tentative bond between them weaves, grows, and strengthens.

Words break free, come to him. Jim. Leonard. He repeats them.

Two wonder-filled thoughts answer Spock.

Spock focuses on the building threads, pulls them in with the fists of his Self and faces those chains around his memory. They shudder from the first crack of his fists. He hits again, harder, and a chain breaks loose. The rage of the sun is pressing down now and, even as the next chain buckles, their cocoon strains against the force of Tarind's will. Spock knows that they cannot hold out much longer, so he calls out to his two Humans, Here!

Spock augments the bond as much as he dares to ease their passage and calls again. Jim and Leonard seek him, come for him.

Spock? What can we do?

Let us help!

Here, here, he continues to call until they reach him and that locked part of his mind.

Lord, Spock, what is that?

That which Tarind took from me. I need your strength.

How? The question is flavored with Jim's resolve.

He shows first Jim and then Leonard how to pull in the strength from their portion of the bond. Now… strike!

Together they strike once, twice, three times against it. With each blow, chains snap and, on the final blow, the lock breaks into pieces under the combined power of the Three.

His mind whispers his thanks. The Vulcan's memory opens and floods through him. All those missing fragments, thoughts, and feelings fall into their rightful places, form a whole. Spock, in a brief moment, comprehends his relationship with the Captain and the CMO, realizes that his actions are in perfect synchronization with his instinct. Then he must turn his mind from that sweet insight to the force which demands his attention: Tarind.

Lieutenant, he thinks directly at the rage which tries to penetrate the haven of their bond and consume them.

Spock, you cannot win.

The Vulcan answers, Your gravest error was bringing us together. For this, I thank you.

NO! I must have YOUR MIND!

You may not take that which is not freely given.

Spock tells Jim and Leonard to hold onto the bond. He dives into the reserves of his Core, using the (previously) stored rage as fuel to drive deep within; Jim and Leonard flow down with him into the cool deep black that permeates the essence of his Self.

There is awe emanating from Leonard and Jim; Spock answers the inherent question.

This is the place of power in the Self; I maintain its reserves through the Loshirak—the rite of meditation.

They do not fully understand his explanation, but Spock can give no more time to that effort. (Later, and with leisure, he will show them the ways of his people.)

He asks, Do you accept me?

Spock feels their affirmation. He opens the bond and allows it to suck in cold power. When it is almost full to bursting, he can feel the Humans' minds crying out at the need to release that which weighs the bond so heavily.

Spock warns them On my command; he swings them around, up and out of the Core at a frightening speed.

Tarind is trying to force himself into Spock's mind, beats at the edges until he begins to flow over and down to them. Spock, Jim, and Leonard fly upward to meet their foe. In the instant before contact, Spock cries Now! The power explodes from the bond, slams into Tarind's burning rage. The primal nature of Spock's ancestors rears to forefront, cries in triumphant at this glorious (and terrifying) collision of wills.

The bond strains through the shockwaves, begins to fray. In that moment, before the three minds of the Captain, First Officer, and CMO are engulfed entirely in the battle—and blanketed to unconsciousness—Spock fears that the bond may break. Then the last of his thoughts disappear.

Leonard comes to with the familiar soft beeping of the medical panel over his head. He vaguely recalls past episodes of awareness—remembers Christine's and M'Benga's voices telling him to relax and sleep.

This time he doesn't want to sleep. He wants to sit up and look for Jim and Spock. The shifting of his weight sends the tattle-tell alarms squealing. Nurses come flying in, with Christine in the lead. When she sees that he hasn't gone into cardiac arrest, his chief nurse puts her hands on her hips and says fiercely, "Just what do you think you're doing, Len?"

McCoy flops onto his back (that little effort tuckered him out). "Tryin' to get up, darlin'." If his response is much too genteel—and laced with grumpiness, Christine ignores that small detail.

"You won't be out of this bed for at least another week, Doctor. So don't even bother thinking about it, understand?"

"I understand that I got a tyrant for a nurse."

"With your record? Extremely necessary."

"Chris, where' s Spock? And Jim?"

"In their own biobeds resting, and I'll thank you not to disturb them."

"How're they?" His eyelids keep falling shut, won't stay open.

Christine leans in, pats his shoulder with knowing eyes. "They're going to be okay, Leonard. So are you. Now just lie back and rest for me."

"Hmph." He cannot argue, he's so tired. As McCoy drifts back into welcoming oblivion, he feels a small, strange tug. Doesn't feel a hand or a touch, though… What could it—

Christine pulls the blanket up to McCoy's chest, smoothes them out with gentleness. There is relief shining bright in her face. She waves the other medical personnel clogging up the space back to their tasks and proceeds to check on her other two patients.

Bones isn't released from Sickbay until he swears on the grave of his mother that he will take pain medication for his headaches and allow M'Benga to perform bi-weekly check-ups on him for the next two weeks.

Spock's the one who tacked on the medical examinations—Jim was just grateful to get McCoy to accept treatment. As for Spock, the Vulcan insists that he is doing well, recuperating at a quicker pace than the Doctor due to his unique stamina. It helps too that the Enterprise crew pulled off some minor miracles and swung by the nearest station accommodating a Vulcan healer. (M'Benga called in a few favors from his days on Vulcan.)

Jim often catches Spock conversing with the healer in low tones. They both look serious—though Jim's no judge on most Vulcan expressions. (McCoy says that they're all stoic-faced.) Spock assures the Captain, however, that his mind is recovering properly and that the First Officer can return to duty in another week. Jim, of course, along with McCoy, refuses that sly request. Spock is granted one month's medical leave and commanded by his superior officer to obey without protest.

Bones doesn't fare as well as Jim. There was a period when McCoy's medical team feared the doctor's mind was too weakened by Tarind's original interference to heal from the second assault. McCoy proves them wrong, though, by maintaining his usual mix of Southern irascibility and brilliance—even from a biobed. He does stay in Sickbay the longest, which peeves McCoy to no end (and secretly satisfies the Captain). Spock spends an inordinate amount of time talking to Doctor McCoy as long as the man is bed-bound. Occasionally, when Jim isn't on the Bridge or conked out by a sedative, he interrupts Spock and McCoy in the middle of their great debate over Human versus Vulcan something-or-other. One time or two, he catches them in the throes of companionable silence. (Which warms his heart.)

Jim sighs deeply from the Captain's chair.

"Captain?" Uhura inquires, and he lazily waves off her anxiety.

"At easy, Lieutenant. Just glad to be back on the Bridge." On a real ship, he adds silently.

"Yes, Captain." She still keeps one eye on him. Eventually, Jim hopes, she'll give up her sharp vigil. Nevertheless, he admits to a small amount of pleasure over the crew's concern.

A yeoman leans over his shoulder, hands him a PADD. Kirk glances at it, sees the name Tarind and goes very still. He takes his time reading through the document, which details the transfer of Lieutenant Marcus Tarind to a penal colony for the criminally insane. When he signs his name at the end, it's with hard, sharp strokes.

Good riddance.

Spock calls both McCoy and Kirk to his quarters a few days after Tarind is released into Federation penal custody. The crazed scientist's last words, as he was led away by Security, will stay with Kirk for a long time. Tarind laughed at his (former) Captain and said, "I had him; I almost had you all. My mind to your mind, Kirk! MY MIND TO YOUR MIND!" Tarind will be feed neural-inhibitors for the rest of his life. (What happens to his experiment data and research, no one knows.)

Spock informs them both that the Vulcan healer will soon take leave of the Enterprise.

"Are you sure that you don't need her, Spock? She can stay as long as necessary." Jim tries to tell the Vulcan in his own way that he wants Spock to take as much time as he needs to heal completely.

"Captain, we both agree that I no longer require assistance. My mind will continue to heal unaided and be fully functional within approximately—"

McCoy says, "Okay, we believe you, Spock. You wouldn't monkey around about your smarts, we all know that."

Spock's eyebrow goes up. "Indeed."

McCoy settles into a chair. Jim tucks his hands behind him to prevent from reaching out to help the doctor. Bones is still sensitive about any perceived sign of weakness.

"You didn't bring us here just for that. What else?" McCoy wants to know.

Spock stands very still, facing them, in his customary pose—hands clasped and black eyes sharp with intelligence. "I wish to discuss the state of the bond." Bones says nothing—nor Jim—so Spock continues. "The bond which I instigated during our… time in Tarind's mind is active." Jim nods; he feels an awareness not just of Spock but also McCoy—and sometimes senses them strongly when he focuses on that awareness. "The assistance of a Vulcan healer is necessary for its removal."

"And she wants to know what we wanna do about it before she goes, right?" Bones drawls too casually in a heavy Southern accent.

"Correct, Doctor. Now is the time that we must break its hold."

"And if we don't?" Jim asks.

"It may remain its current state, or it may strengthen. At present, the outcome is uncertain."

"Can you read my thoughts?" Leonard leans forward as he says this, intent on Spock and his answer.

"Not unless you allow me to do so. I can teach you how to shield your mind, Leonard."

Bones' eyes are narrowed in thought. "And if you or Jim get hurt, Spock, can I feel that?"

"You will know should any… unfortunate condition befall the Captain or myself."

Jim is surprised at the smile spreading across McCoy's face. "Well, I say leave it. I can't think of a better way to keep tabs on both your trouble-making hides."

"Doctor—the bond is—"

"Yeah, yeah. Serious, life-altering. I know that, Spock. And while I'm not crazy about the whole 'my thoughts to your thoughts' thing, I can deal with it as long as you keep your word to stay on your side of the fence. 'Kay?"

Spock nods. He addresses Jim. "Captain?"

"Better call me Jim, Spock. We're a little too close now for formality."

"Then you agree with the Doctor?"

"Absolutely." Jim's eyes are bright as they meet Spock's. "Who'd dare disagree with Bones?"

Spock says in a very serious voice (despite his twinkling eyes), "I would."

While Leonard grumbles about two against one and how that's just plain unfair, Jim laughs so hard that it brings tears to his eyes. When Spock's amusement leaks through the bond, McCoy and Jim share a thought: Maybe this is what Spock meant by accepting fate.

-Fini

WOO! That was so much fun! I seriously adore mind!battles and inherent KSM-goodness. If you enjoyed yourself as well, please share your happiness with the author! :)

(If you've got questions/debatable-issues, you can message me on or LJ.)