The BLTS Archive- The Trust of a Bonding III
by kvw (riordan10@yahoo.ca)

---

Disclaimer:  Paramount owns everything except V'Rhsal (he's all
mine).

---

"He wants to what?" Kirk demanded angrily.

Spock ignored the outburst. "Kór V'Rhsal wishes to abide by
intergalactic treaty and transport to the Romulan ship."

"I can't allow it. He's a civilian."

"Under Vulcan law, he is within his right."

"No way, Spock. It's bad enough they have McCoy. If they even guessed
V'Rhsal was out here, they'd be shooting the hulls off us. I may not
like him much but his safety is my responsibility."

Spock clasped his hands behind his back. "The Romulans want
information. Dr. McCoy cannot provide it to them on his own and we
cannot wait on the Organians."

"McCoy's hardly on his own there. He's linked with that Vulcan. He
could have provided schematics long ago and he's got the generator in
his pocket. If information was all they wanted, Bones would be back
here by now," Kirk said. "So the answer to V'Rhsal is no. He's not
going over there."

"Dr. McCoy has given them no more information than he gave us," Spock
said, then silenced. Kirk eyed him for a few moments, not liking the
Vulcan's stance.

"Well..."

"Jim, you do not understand the mindmeld."

"McCoy said the same thing to me. I don't pretend to understand. The
point is, he was repeating messages verbatim."

"I know." Spock frowned.

Kirk waited. It was peculiar that the Vulcan, his Vulcan, hesitated to
tell him.

It is not a simple mind meld," Spock said finally, as if concluding
the end of an equation.

"Spock..."

"And none of our concern." He paused but Kirk did not push it. He
perceived the concern, the worry. After all, it was his friend too.
But his Captain would not pry. "Jim, you should allow Kór V'Rhsal to
go."

"Are you questioning orders?"

"I would never presume to do such a thing," the Vulcan said stiffly.

"Of course, Mr. Spock." Kirk sat at his desk.

---

McCoy clutched the edge of the table as another wave of pain swept
over him. They were starting to frighten him. This morning one had
been so intense that he'd fogged out and found himself wandering
disoriented in the hall a few minutes later with no memory of leaving
the lab. They felt like bad cramps, only he couldn't tell specifically
where the pains were originating. Vaguely, it was somewhere around his
stomach and then they gnawed out. Two or three would come together,
then they would ease for a while before renewing the attack.

He eased his grip on the table, leaving a wet handprint, and pulled a
clean slide from the dispenser. Sterilizing a blade, he nicked his arm
and let a few drops fall onto the glass.

"...shouldn't self-diagnose, doctor..." he muttered, "...unless the
only other physicians around have pointed ears..."

He slid the slide under the microscope and bent over the viewer,
hoping he had some time before the next spell.

"...white blood count ok." He refocused the microscope, cursing the
tediousness of the process. "No evidence of food poisoning, for some
reason."

The lab door opened. He caught sight of green. Her eyes? No, the
plant! Leaves and vines of it.

Arhal studied him curiously as she draped the vegetation over a chair.
"Here is your famous exploding flora. Did you know you're bleeding?
You've opened that wound again." She neared. "You look feverish too.
Have you been sick again?" She touched his cheek with fingers that
felt like icicles.

He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Are you sure no one's going to
come in here but you?"

Arhal's brow wrinkled at his harsh tone. "You're military property.
Specifically, my military property."

"I'm only on loan."

She snorted. "Bones, if you're going to get sick and die, do it after
you've given me your secret."

"It's the food," he lied.

She sighed, out of anger or weariness, he wasn't sure. A few minutes
later he heard her leave the lab.

He stumbled towards the microscope, feeling the tingling sensation
starting again.

"No way!" he said, gritting his teeth. He stained the slide and bent
over the microscope again. "Damnit, there's got to be something. Come
on!"

The table was moving. It was his hands, shaking, and his eyes were
getting bleary.

"What the...?" He rubbed his eyes. "Testosterone? I wonder..."

The pain burst through him. When he came to, breathing raggedly,
nearly twenty minutes had passed and the metal microscope was in
pieces.

---

Arhal found him late that evening in the hanger, trying to commandeer
a shuttle. Despite her small stature, she had well-developed Romulan
muscles for she picked McCoy up and literally hauled him back to his
cabin. It wasn't until the door was closed that she opened her mouth.

"The guard would have shot you! Are you so eager to die?"

"I've got to get back to the Enterprise."

"You know the terms!"

"No, I've got to..." McCoy trailed off, unable to find the words. His
chest rose and fell raggedly.

"I have heard of you, Bones. I did not think you capable of a tantrum.
And there's something else you've forgotten. The Enterprise left the
area two days ago."

He picked up a chair and threw it at her, with a ferocity that shocked
him. She stepped aside and it shattered into pieces against the wall.

"I have indulged you long enough," she said, furious.

"The ship is here. It's the Vulcan..." McCoy stopped, trying to grab
his breath as another round of pain assaulted him.

"What Vulcan?" Arhal asked, but he could see by her face she'd already
figured it out. She stepped cautiously toward him. "Did you meld with
the Vulcan before you flew out in the shuttle?"

His hands tightened on the edge of the desk. She saw it but kept
advancing. "That was terrible timing, Bones because, if he dies,
you'll go with him. You have to be touching to break a meld." She
stroked his cheek, touching him as if daring him to retaliate. "This
is intriguing, Bones. It's become obvious that he had the brains in
this partnership and he is going to have to come to you. All I have to
do is wait for him."

---

McCoy opened his eyes to a blaze of ceiling light. The white light
hurt less than the visions scalding the darkness of his eyelids. When
the salt from the sweat on his face stung his eyes, he fought to keep
them open rather than face the darkness again. He couldn't wipe his
face, for Arhal had restrained his arms and legs. He would have felt
degraded if he hadn't felt so deeply angry.

He focused on the sword on the shelf, running his eyes along the
upraised sleek blade and handle. There was nothing else in his line of
vision, except for the light. He couldn't even raise his head to see
his arms. He could feel the restraints, but he couldn't see them. He
couldn't hear anything either, not from the hall, not even the engines
of the ship. The lack of vibration meant, at least, that they were
still in the same spot. The Enterprise was still out there but the
expected Romulan contingent must be very near indeed.

A spasm of pain trembled, as if testing the territory, then surged
freely through his nervous system. Breathing hoarsely, he rode it out,
clenching his teeth against the bitter taste it left in his mouth.
Pain, obsession and desire - that description he had taken from
V'Rhsal's own memories. Pain that craved release. Desire and thirst.
No wonder they went into the madness of oblivion. No wonder they
embraced it.

He focused on the sword and tried again to find the Vulcan. While
fearing what he might find on the other end, it would at least give
him a location. He had visions of a Vulcan from hell coming for him
and he wanted to be forewarned.

When the next convulsion hit him, he gave up. Whatever the link had
been, he'd lost it now.

Something cool pressed the side of his face. He strained to turn his
head and found the bleared form of Arhal bending over him.

"Is it bad, Bones?"

He didn't answer. Finally she pressed the end of a straw in his mouth.
"Drink. It will help."

Whatever it was tasted like wet leaves but it soothed. She sat on the
edge of the bed and wiped his face with a gentleness that bothered
him.  "For a human, you have a high capacity for suffering."

"You have a high capacity for watching suffering," he said in a raspy
voice.

"You knew the rules of the game when you started to play and I want
that Vulcan."

"He'll be in no better shape to give you what you want than I am."

Arhal shrugged. "I have my own plan for dealing with him."

McCoy frowned. "At least give me the dignity of untying my arms. I
can't reach anything and they're getting numb."

"I do not wish you to hurt yourself."

"One arm."

She undid one strap, then straightened the pillows under his head.
"Perhaps, Bones, the Vulcan is leaving you to die."

"It's a long trip from his planet."

"But not so far from the Enterprise." Arhal met his eyes as she gave
him another drink. "We both know the Enterprise is still here and that
your partner is on it."

McCoy silenced. At length she said, "You deserve to know this. I
offered your Captain a deal, you in exchange for the Vulcan. He lied
and said he had no Vulcan on board. A Vulcan male caught in the
madness is not a pleasant houseguest. Your Captain would do well to
consider my offer."

"If Captain Kirk was willing to risk a civilian life to save my own, I
would consider it a betrayal, and so would a Romulan."

She smiled. "You are brave and you seem to have a sense of honour. I
will allow you this." She undid the other strap on his arm. Though she
was in reach, he made no move to grab her.

"In the Vulcan's state, it would not be wise to feed you. You might
aspirate. Is there anything else I can get you?"

He shook his head, feeling the now-familiar tingle starting again. He
only wished her to leave before the full extent hit him. Unfortunately
she stayed sitting on the edge of the bed, a witness to the onslaught
of the pain. It was worse this time, like a nova gutting his abdomen.
He closed his eyes, unable to stifle a groan. Her cool hands on him
felt like icy needle-pricks. She stroked his face and murmured
something in Romulan. When it was over, her eyes were very close to
his.

"Bones, my physician could sedate you."

"No."

"It would be easier for you."

"Give me the choice to face it with my eyes open."

Arhal settled against the bed's headboard. "I will stay with you.
Because you have courage, I promise you this. If you die, you will not
be alone."

---

"This isn't good," Chekov whispered to Uhura as they watched the
Starships Venture and Valiant assume formation. The Romulan contingent
of four flagships and another scout had arrived this morning but had
been content to sit quietly with their weapons aimed unswervingly at
the Enterprise.

"Arhal wants V'Rhsal and she's not going to back down," Uhura
whispered back.

"I guess Doc didn't give them what they wanted. Sulu and Dr. Misu
haven't been able to duplicate it. V'Rhsal refuses. I see one way out
of this now," Chekov said, then quieted when the turbo lift opened.

"Status," Kirk said.

"Captain Fernandes is hailing us, Captain," Uhura said.

"Put him on."

Fernandes was sombre. "Jim, I wish I could say I'm happy to see you
again."

"I know Enso," Kirk smiled. "What's your news?"

"I've got a personal carryover of orders."

Kirk nodded, then turned to Chekov. "Alert Transporter Room."

"Yes, sir," Chekov said as Kirk returned to the turbo.

Fernandes beamed over with three guards and a surly-looking Romulan
which he brought into the Enterprise briefing room.

Surprise momentarily crossed Kirk's face. "What's this?"

Fernandes nodded and one of his guards shoved the Romulan into a
chair.  Kirk noticed that electronic cuffs were on the Romulan's arms
and waist.

"Former science officer of the Vulcan ship Nézni, Commander Ralag."

"A Romulan on a Vulcan ship?"

Fernandes shrugged. "Found abandoned on some outpost and adopted by a
Vulcan couple. He's got an interesting history to him, especially the
last two years. He's broken one of the top Vulcan laws, the one about
transporting weaponry and selling to an outside dealer. He claims he's
an importer of rare plants on the side."

Kirk took a seat. "And I don't suppose any of these plants happen to
be explosive?"

Fernandes blinked. "You've heard this? My information was supposed to
be oral. No electronic transmission of any kind."

Kirk leaned forward. "And who happens to supply you with your foliage,
Ralag?"

He was greeted with a sneer.

Fernandes frowned. "He claims some Vulcan named V'Rhsal, who, I hear,
is on board your ship, Jim."

"He's here. Ralag, are you sure you got that name right? Are you sure
it's V'Rhsal, not, perhaps, Sah'Sheer?"

Kirk was rewarded with a slight flicker in the Romulan's eyes. He
turned to Fernandes. "Sah'Sheer is V'Rhsal's ex-wife."

"I see," Fernandes said. "Jim, if you'd care to put this Romulan in
your brig, I'll give you your new orders."

Kirk nodded at Fernandes' guards. "My men are just outside the door."

When he and Fernandes were alone, he said, "You know that Dr. McCoy
and V'Rhsal were partners for some research."

"I heard," Fernandes said. "It's hard to believe that a bush can take
out a Klingon ship."

"The `bush' we found was over nineteen kilometres long and had one
hell of a fuse," Kirk said.

"What did they need something like that for? I thought they were doing
medical research."

"I'm not quite sure, but I can tell you what I think happened.
Sah'Sheer did not agree in V'Rhsal's choice of partners."

"Why? Because Dr. McCoy's a human? I hear Vulcans can be funny that
way."

"I don't know the whole story," Kirk admitted. "There must have been
other grounds but McCoy's definitely part of it. She left V'Rhsal when
the research started. A few months later, V'Rhsal and McCoy returned
home to find what looked like the remains of a phaser blast in the
kitchen. It destroyed a computer and some of their work. A few months
later V'Rhsal's flyer and the plant was stolen. Whoever did it got
past extensive security. McCoy contacted me and asked me to check out
this Sah'Sheer. I contacted the Nézni and they said she was on board."

Fernandes leaned forward. "Easy enough to tell the codes to someone.
It's a weak alibi."

"Very weak," Kirk said. "Of course it doesn't explain Ralag's motive."

"Maybe they're a twosome," Fernandes offered. "If Vulcans do things
like that."

"I hear Vulcan women can," Kirk said dryly. "What have you got for
me?"

Fernandes hesitated. "You might not like this. You've been ordered to
transport Ralag and V'Rhsal to Vulcan."

"If I withdraw, that leaves only two of us. They've got six ships out
there and they control what's left of the Klingon vessel. McCoy's on
one of those ships."

Fernandes looked down. "I know. The Romulans have a right to him,
under intergalactic treaty."

Kirk stood and paced around the table. "I'm hardly going to leave
him."

"This came straight from the Old Man himself. He's probably waiting
for you to call him."

"He's damn right I'm going to call him!"

Fernandes winced. "Easy. I'm just the messenger. And if it's any
consolation, Jim, I'm not happy about it either." He stood. "I'd
better collect my men and get back. Give me a shout before you leave."

"You'll hear me."

---

Spock entered the dimness of McCoy's quarters so softly that only a
Vulcan could have heard his footsteps. V'Rhsal, sitting at the
doctor's desk, looked up.

"What is his name?"

Spock studied the impassive face before him. "Ralag. He is a Romulan
with Vulcan adopted heritage."

"And he served on the Nézni," V'Rhsal said.

Spock waited. Finally, he said, "He is in the brig. If you desire, I
will escort you to him."

V'Rhsal stood. "I accept your offer and am honoured," he said in the
traditional Vulcan response.

Spock followed a pace behind. Inwardly, he admired V'Rhsal's complete
control, the mental discipline achieved to present such unemotion at
this time.

"What is the doctor's status?" Spock asked.

"Restrained, and in pain."

They entered the turbo lift and descended in silence. Spock had broken
the Vulcan code of silence when he had relayed suspicions of McCoy's
condition to Kirk. V'Rhsal had not questioned Spock's breach of
propriety. In fact, he had not alluded to it at all other than to
report on McCoy's physical state. This Spock also admired for V'Rhsal
had no Vulcan reason to speak of McCoy and, in fact, had disregarded
his own personal privacy to address human worry and concern.

They walked through the security level to the brig. Ralag, curled on
the corner bunk in the far cell, looked up at their arrival. His sneer
disappeared upon seeing V'Rhsal.    "You will speak your name,"
V'Rhsal said, standing quietly before the forcefield.

Ralag was stared down. Finally, he spat, "Ralag A'r Stell."

V'Rhsal nodded, his face still utterly impassive. "Take her. She is
yours."

As he turned to go, Ralag managed a derisive tone. "She gave me a
message for you."

"Keep it unto yourself," V'Rhsal said.

Ralag laughed. "When she got your communication, she showed it to
everyone on the ship. Then she gave it to me. She put it in my hands.
She said you burned...with illogic."

Spock withdrew a few steps but V'Rhsal walked on quietly. Ralag jumped
to the forcefield and shouted.

"Do you know she once aborted her womb? She killed anything of yours
that started to grow in her and now she's pregnant with my child.
Mine! Take THAT back to the human with you!"

The lift doors shut Ralag out. Spock lowered his eyes, giving what
privacy he could. V'Rhsal, dispassionately, said, "Kór Spock, I
acknowledge your actions."

"He did not speak to my ears." Spock looked up. "I would ask of the
doctor's condition."

V'Rhsal's eyes clouded. "He is...difficult to reach. He is in much
pain."

Spock considered his words before saying, "Dr. McCoy can withstand a
great deal of suffering."

V'Rhsal did not answer. When the turbo lift stopped, Spock escorted
him back to McCoy's quarters in silence.

---

Spock was working at his desk when the door to his cabin buzzed.
Without looking up, he said, "Enter, Jim."

The door opened and Kirk came in, looking askance. "How the hell do
you always know when it's me?"

Spock raised an eyebrow. "You do not hesitate before sounding the
chime."

Kirk snorted as he took a chair across the desk and set down the tray
he was holding.

"Here. My turn to bring tea. I managed to wangle some of that awful
Vulcan brew for you." He placed a cup in front of the Vulcan and,
without looking up, asked simply, "How's Bones?"

"In much pain."

"You told me you had suspicions," Kirk sighed. "I have to say this.
When you were going through...that time, it was fairly apparent. When
I spoke to V'Rhsal this morning, I didn't see anything."

Evenly, Spock replied, "I am not full Vulcan."

"Look, I know it's probably none of my business--"

"You are correct. It is not," Spock said. "Nor is it mine."

Kirk finally did look up. "So what happens?" he demanded. "Is V'Rhsal
going to let it kill him? If so, what happens to McCoy? Will Bones die
too? What, in God's name, is V'Rhsal planning to do?"

Spock could have answered it in one word in Vulcan. In Standard, he
had no words to choose. "The obvious solution is for Kór V'Rhsal to go
to his...bondmate." Spock's voice sounded...shamed? Kirk blinked. He
opened his mouth but said nothing.

Spock waited. He had often thought it a credit to this human that he
could think rationally even in the midst of strong exasperation. He
waited, knowing his Captain.

"Where is this bondmate?"

"On the Romulan scoutship."

"She's a Romulan?"

"He."

Kirk shook his head. "Vulcans do that?"

Quietly, Spock said, "McCoy does not have much strength left."

"McCoy? MCCOY?" Kirk started, then he closed his mouth as it all sunk
in.

"It is not just a mindmeld, could not be at their level of
communication."

"We're talking about Bones!"

"Who is at the wrong end of a bonding."

"He told me it was a meld!"

"Jim, it's much deeper."

Kirk leaned against the wall. "But McCoy's another male and he's not
like that! What the hell could he do? Fight him?"

Spock turned away. "Kór V'Rhsal did not discuss his options with me.
Regardless, he would have to be touching Dr. McCoy in order to end the
meld."

"If he does that, won't he die?"

"Yes, he will die, but McCoy will live."

Kirk paused again, then said, "The Romulans aren't going to let him
just waltz in. And if it means his death, they certainly aren't going
to let him near Bones."

"He possesses knowledge which they want."

Kirk shook his head. "No matter how I view this, and believe me, I've
tried in many ways, I can't let V'Rhsal off this ship. If they get
him, we lose every option. We'll lose Bones for sure."

---

McCoy clutched the headboard, shaking under the anguish. When it
lessened, he wiped his forehead. His sleeve came away bloodied. He
could hear Romulans in the hall and a relentless buzzing in his head.
A mist hung over the light.

"I never thought I'd go like this," he muttered. "I hope I take him
with me." Was it only six days ago he'd sat up in bed and moved legs
he could feel?

The wolf was playing piano at the side of the bed. "Did I drink
anything before I went to sleep tonight?" McCoy asked him.

"Heaven knows," the wolf said. "I don't know what they serve in this
joint." He played a few scales. "What do you want, Len? An old
classic? A little Mozart? Lizt?"

"Brahms."

The wolf made a face. "His stuff's so dull. It'll put you to sleep."

"Brahms," McCoy repeated, closing his eyes.

"Len, when you listen to that stuff, you are getting old." However,
the wolf complied, playing softly. "Len, I've been thinking."

McCoy opened his eyes. "Yes."

"You brought that generator with you. The plant's on board."

"Hmm..."

The wolf shrugged. "Fireworks, Len. Going out with a bang and all
that. We could time it with the last chorus."

McCoy fumbled in his shirt.

"Other pocket, Len."

"Right." The generator was in the other breast pocket. It was the size
of a coin but it felt curiously heavy on his forefinger.

"What do you think, Len?"

"It has merit."

"It's what I would do, my friend."

McCoy twirled the generator around as he listened to the music. "Are
you ready?"

"On the downbeat."

McCoy brought his other hand up and fumbled at the power connection.
It sparked and caught and McCoy, fascinated at the interplay of
colours across the metal surface, held it up to the misty light. It
twirled, there was a loud bang, and the piano died.

---

Kirk flew off his feet as the bridge tilted under him. There was a
second of pitch black, then the red emergency lights came on.

"Chekov! Status!"

"Power loss, Captain."

"Source?"

"Outside the ship, sir. Unusual energy readings. I don't recognize
them."

"We have lost the main engines," Spock said. "Secondary systems also
out."

The alarms blared. "Intruder alert. Intruder alert."

Spock bent over his scanner. "Confirmed."

Kirk banged against the rail. "Where?"

"Here, Captain. On the bridge with us."

They stared around eerily. Kirk counted shadows and there was one
more.

"I am Captain James Kirk. Identify yourself!"

"There is no need to raise your voice, Captain Kirk." The shadow at
the viewscreen moved forward.

"Identify yourself."

The lights came on. A placidly smiling man in a simple robe stood
before Kirk. "To you, I am Ayelborne."

Kirk eyed the Organian for a moment. "Ayelborne, you took a long time
to get here."

"A `long time' is millennium, Captain Kirk. I am here. I am on your
sister ships and your enemy's ships. I am at the council chambers on
C-6. I stand in the ruins of Allát."

Kirk sat in his command chair. "I take it you got my message."

"I received your message before you sent it."

"Ayelborne..."

"Some silence please, Captain Kirk. I wish to see how we all stand."

Kirk exchanged glances with Spock. The Vulcan merely shrugged.

Ayelborne, still smiling, walked to the viewscreen. "Dr. McCoy used
the...generator?" He looked to Spock who nodded. "Generator. Unusual
word. He has just attempted to destroy the Romulan ship. Dreadful.
Inherent in your kind. Of course I cannot allow it. Dreadful, terrible
destruction. Utter waste. You have not learned much since our last
meeting."

Kirk's jaw tightened. "Ayelborne, That's my man on that Romulan ship.
Are you going to take a grievance hearing or not?"

Ayelborne closed his eyes. "I sense pain here, pain
and...self-sacrifice. Curious."

"Ayelborne..." Kirk started again.

"Captain Kirk, I have decided. What the Romulans now possess, they
will keep. The Klingons have paid already with their own lives. You
and your kind will return to your home base. But the pain..."
Ayelborne lost his smile. "This I must not allow either, to preserve
life."

Kirk rose out of his chair. "Ayelborne!"

But the Organian had shimmered out of existence.

---

"This isn't good," Chekov whispered to Uhura as they watched the
Starships Venture and Valiant assume formation. The Romulan contingent
of four flagships and another scout had arrived this morning but had
been content to sit quietly with their weapons aimed unswervingly at
the Enterprise.

"Arhal wants V'Rhsal and she's not going to back down," Uhura
whispered back.

"I guess Doc didn't give them what they wanted. Sulu and Dr. Misu
haven't been able to duplicate it. V'Rhsal refuses. I see one way out
of this now," Chekov said, then quieted when the turbo lift opened.

"Status," Kirk said.

"Captain Fernandes is hailing us, Captain," Uhura said.

"Put him on."

Fernandes was sombre. "Jim, I wish I could say I'm happy to see you
again."

"I know Enso," Kirk smiled. "What's your news?"

"I've got a personal carryover of orders."

Kirk nodded, then turned to Chekov. "Alert Transporter Room."

"Yes, sir," Chekov said as Kirk returned to the turbo.

Fernandes beamed over with three guards and a surly-looking Romulan
which he brought into the Enterprise briefing room.

Surprise momentarily crossed Kirk's face. "What's this?"

Fernandes nodded and one of his guards shoved the Romulan into a
chair.  Kirk noticed that electronic cuffs were on the Romulan's arms
and waist.

"Former science officer of the Vulcan ship Nézni, Commander Ralag."

"A Romulan on a Vulcan ship?"

Fernandes shrugged. "Found abandoned on some outpost and adopted by a
Vulcan couple. He's got an interesting history to him, especially the
last two years. He's broken one of the top Vulcan laws, the one about
transporting weaponry and selling to an outside dealer. He claims he's
an importer of rare plants on the side."

Kirk took a seat. "And I don't suppose any of these plants happen to
be explosive?"

Fernandes blinked. "You've heard this? My information was supposed to
be oral. No electronic transmission of any kind."

Kirk leaned forward. "And who happens to supply you with your foliage,
Ralag?"

He was greeted with a sneer.

Fernandes frowned. "He claims some Vulcan named V'Rhsal, who, I hear,
is on board your ship, Jim."

"He's here. Ralag, are you sure you got that name right? Are you sure
it's V'Rhsal, not, perhaps, Sah'Sheer?"

Kirk was rewarded with a slight flicker in the Romulan's eyes. He
turned to Fernandes. "Sah'Sheer is V'Rhsal's ex-wife."

"I see," Fernandes said. "Jim, if you'd care to put this Romulan in
your brig, I'll give you your new orders."

Kirk nodded at Fernandes' guards. "My men are just outside the door."

When he and Fernandes were alone, he said, "You know that Dr. McCoy
and V'Rhsal were partners for some research."

"I heard," Fernandes said. "It's hard to believe that a bush can take
out a Klingon ship."

"The `bush' we found was over nineteen kilometres long and had one
hell of a fuse," Kirk said.

"What did they need something like that for? I thought they were doing
medical research."

"I'm not quite sure, but I can tell you what I think happened.
Sah'Sheer did not agree in V'Rhsal's choice of partners."

"Why? Because Dr. McCoy's a human? I hear Vulcans can be funny that
way."

"I don't know the whole story," Kirk admitted. "There must have been
other grounds but McCoy's definitely part of it. She left V'Rhsal when
the research started. A few months later, V'Rhsal and McCoy returned
home to find what looked like the remains of a phaser blast in the
kitchen. It destroyed a computer and some of their work. A few months
later V'Rhsal's flyer and the plant was stolen. Whoever did it got
past extensive security. McCoy contacted me and asked me to check out
this Sah'Sheer. I contacted the Nézni and they said she was on board."

Fernandes leaned forward. "Easy enough to tell the codes to someone.
It's a weak alibi."

"Very weak," Kirk said. "Of course it doesn't explain Ralag's motive."

"Maybe they're a twosome," Fernandes offered. "If Vulcans do things
like that."

"I hear Vulcan women can," Kirk said dryly. "What have you got for
me?"

Fernandes hesitated. "You might not like this. You've been ordered to
transport Ralag and V'Rhsal to Vulcan."

"If I withdraw, that leaves only two of us. They've got six ships out
there and they control what's left of the Klingon vessel. McCoy's on
one of those ships."

Fernandes looked down. "I know. The Romulans have a right to him,
under intergalactic treaty."

Kirk stood and paced around the table. "I'm hardly going to leave
him."

"This came straight from the Old Man himself. He's probably waiting
for you to call him."

"He's damn right I'm going to call him!"

Fernandes winced. "Easy. I'm just the messenger. And if it's any
consolation, Jim, I'm not happy about it either." He stood. "I'd
better collect my men and get back. Give me a shout before you leave."

"You'll hear me."

---

Spock entered the dimness of McCoy's quarters so softly that only a
Vulcan could have heard his footsteps. V'Rhsal, sitting at the
doctor's desk, looked up.

"What is his name?"

Spock studied the impassive face before him. "Ralag. He is a Romulan
with Vulcan adopted heritage."

"And he served on the Nézni," V'Rhsal said.

Spock waited. Finally, he said, "He is in the brig. If you desire, I
will escort you to him."

V'Rhsal stood. "I accept your offer and am honoured," he said in the
traditional Vulcan response.

Spock followed a pace behind. Inwardly, he admired V'Rhsal's complete
control, the mental discipline achieved to present such unemotion at
this time.

"What is the doctor's status?" Spock asked.

"Restrained, and in pain."

They entered the turbo lift and descended in silence. Spock had broken
the Vulcan code of silence when he had relayed suspicions of McCoy's
condition to Kirk. V'Rhsal had not questioned Spock's breach of
propriety. In fact, he had not alluded to it at all other than to
report on McCoy's physical state. This Spock also admired for V'Rhsal
had no Vulcan reason to speak of McCoy and, in fact, had disregarded
his own personal privacy to address human worry and concern.

They walked through the security level to the brig. Ralag, curled on
the corner bunk in the far cell, looked up at their arrival. His sneer
disappeared upon seeing V'Rhsal.

"You will speak your name," V'Rhsal said, standing quietly before the
forcefield.

Ralag was stared down. Finally, he spat, "Ralag A'r Stell."

V'Rhsal nodded, his face still utterly impassive. "Take her. She is
yours."

As he turned to go, Ralag managed a derisive tone. "She gave me a
message for you."

"Keep it unto yourself," V'Rhsal said.

Ralag laughed. "When she got your communication, she showed it to
everyone on the ship. Then she gave it to me. She put it in my hands.
She said you burned...with illogic."

Spock withdrew a few steps but V'Rhsal walked on quietly. Ralag jumped
to the forcefield and shouted.

"Do you know she once aborted her womb? She killed anything of yours
that started to grow in her and now she's pregnant with my child.
Mine! Take THAT back to the human with you!"

The lift doors shut Ralag out. Spock lowered his eyes, giving what
privacy he could. V'Rhsal, dispassionately, said, "Kór Spock, I
acknowledge your actions."

"He did not speak to my ears." Spock looked up. "I would ask of the
doctor's condition."

V'Rhsal's eyes clouded. "He is...difficult to reach. He is in much
pain."

Spock considered his words before saying, "Dr. McCoy can withstand a
great deal of suffering."

V'Rhsal did not answer. When the turbo lift stopped, Spock escorted
him back to McCoy's quarters in silence.

---

Spock was working at his desk when the door to his cabin buzzed.
Without looking up, he said, "Enter, Jim."

The door opened and Kirk came in, looking askance. "How the hell do
you always know when it's me?"

Spock raised an eyebrow. "You do not hesitate before sounding the
chime."

Kirk snorted as he took a chair across the desk and set down the tray
he was holding.

"Here. My turn to bring tea. I managed to wangle some of that awful
Vulcan brew for you." He placed a cup in front of the Vulcan and,
without looking up, asked simply, "How's Bones?"

"In much pain."

"You told me you had suspicions," Kirk sighed. "I have to say this.
When you were going through...that time, it was fairly apparent. When
I spoke to V'Rhsal this morning, I didn't see anything."

Evenly, Spock replied, "I am not full Vulcan."

"Look, I know it's probably none of my business--"

"You are correct. It is not," Spock said. "Nor is it mine."

Kirk finally did look up. "So what happens?" he demanded. "Is V'Rhsal
going to let it kill him? If so, what happens to McCoy? Will Bones die
too? What, in God's name, is V'Rhsal planning to do?"

Spock could have answered it in one word in Vulcan. In Standard, he
had no words to choose. "The obvious solution is for Kór V'Rhsal to go
to his...bondmate." Spock's voice sounded...shamed? Kirk blinked. He
opened his mouth but said nothing.

Spock waited. He had often thought it a credit to this human that he
could think rationally even in the midst of strong exasperation. He
waited, knowing his Captain.

"Where is this bondmate?"

"On the Romulan scoutship."

"She's a Romulan?"

"He."

Kirk shook his head. "Vulcans do that?"

Quietly, Spock said, "McCoy does not have much strength left."

"McCoy? MCCOY?" Kirk started, then he closed his mouth as it all sunk
in.

"It is not just a mindmeld, could not be at their level of
communication."

"We're talking about Bones!"

"Who is at the wrong end of a bonding."

"He told me it was a meld!"

"Jim, it's much deeper."

Kirk leaned against the wall. "But McCoy's another male and he's not
like that! What the hell could he do? Fight him?"

Spock turned away. "Kór V'Rhsal did not discuss his options with me.
Regardless, he would have to be touching Dr. McCoy in order to end the
meld."

"If he does that, won't he die?"

"Yes, he will die, but McCoy will live."

Kirk paused again, then said, "The Romulans aren't going to let him
just waltz in. And if it means his death, they certainly aren't going
to let him near Bones."

"He possesses knowledge which they want."

Kirk shook his head. "No matter how I view this, and believe me, I've
tried in many ways, I can't let V'Rhsal off this ship. If they get
him, we lose every option. We'll lose Bones for sure."  <center>---
</center>

McCoy clutched the headboard, shaking under the anguish. When it
lessened, he wiped his forehead. His sleeve came away bloodied. He
could hear Romulans in the hall and a relentless buzzing in his head.
A mist hung over the light.

"I never thought I'd go like this," he muttered. "I hope I take him
with me." Was it only six days ago he'd sat up in bed and moved legs
he could feel?

The wolf was playing piano at the side of the bed. "Did I drink
anything before I went to sleep tonight?" McCoy asked him.

"Heaven knows," the wolf said. "I don't know what they serve in this
joint." He played a few scales. "What do you want, Len? An old
classic? A little Mozart? Lizt?"

"Brahms."

The wolf made a face. "His stuff's so dull. It'll put you to sleep."

"Brahms," McCoy repeated, closing his eyes.

"Len, when you listen to that stuff, you are getting old." However,
the wolf complied, playing softly. "Len, I've been thinking."

McCoy opened his eyes. "Yes."

"You brought that generator with you. The plant's on board."

"Hmm..."

The wolf shrugged. "Fireworks, Len. Going out with a bang and all
that. We could time it with the last chorus."

McCoy fumbled in his shirt.

"Other pocket, Len."

"Right." The generator was in the other breast pocket. It was the size
of a coin but it felt curiously heavy on his forefinger.

"What do you think, Len?"

"It has merit."

"It's what I would do, my friend."

McCoy twirled the generator around as he listened to the music. "Are
you ready?"

"On the downbeat."

McCoy brought his other hand up and fumbled at the power connection.
It sparked and caught and McCoy, fascinated at the interplay of
colours across the metal surface, held it up to the misty light. It
twirled, there was a loud bang, and the piano died.

---

Kirk flew off his feet as the bridge tilted under him. There was a
second of pitch black, then the red emergency lights came on.

"Chekov! Status!"

"Power loss, Captain."

"Source?"

"Outside the ship, sir. Unusual energy readings. I don't recognize
them."

"We have lost the main engines," Spock said. "Secondary systems also
out."

The alarms blared. "Intruder alert. Intruder alert."

Spock bent over his scanner. "Confirmed."

Kirk banged against the rail. "Where?"

"Here, Captain. On the bridge with us."

They stared around eerily. Kirk counted shadows and there was one
more.

"I am Captain James Kirk. Identify yourself!"

"There is no need to raise your voice, Captain Kirk." The shadow at
the viewscreen moved forward.

"Identify yourself."

The lights came on. A placidly smiling man in a simple robe stood
before Kirk. "To you, I am Ayelborne."

Kirk eyed the Organian for a moment. "Ayelborne, you took a long time
to get here."

"A `long time' is millennium, Captain Kirk. I am here. I am on your
sister ships and your enemy's ships. I am at the council chambers on
C-6. I stand in the ruins of Allát."

Kirk sat in his command chair. "I take it you got my message."

"I received your message before you sent it."

"Ayelborne..."

"Some silence please, Captain Kirk. I wish to see how we all stand."

Kirk exchanged glances with Spock. The Vulcan merely shrugged.

Ayelborne, still smiling, walked to the viewscreen. "Dr. McCoy used
the...generator?" He looked to Spock who nodded. "Generator. Unusual
word. He has just attempted to destroy the Romulan ship. Dreadful.
Inherent in your kind. Of course I cannot allow it. Dreadful, terrible
destruction. Utter waste. You have not learned much since our last
meeting."

Kirk's jaw tightened. "Ayelborne, That's my man on that Romulan ship.
Are you going to take a grievance hearing or not?"

Ayelborne closed his eyes. "I sense pain here, pain
and...self-sacrifice. Curious."

"Ayelborne..." Kirk started again.

"Captain Kirk, I have decided. What the Romulans now possess, they
will keep. The Klingons have paid already with their own lives. You
and your kind will return to your home base. But the pain..."
Ayelborne lost his smile. "This I must not allow either, to preserve
life."

Kirk rose out of his chair. "Ayelborne!"

But the Organian had shimmered out of existence.

---

McCoy opened his eyes and found himself in another place. Perception
was wrong. No, he was actually upright! His legs were free and
tingling as the blood returned to them. The sweat was drying on his
face.

A panel in front of him blinked a few lights. Where was this place?
Those windows...a shuttle?

"My Lord, they take you to heaven in a shuttlecraft," he whispered.

"Leonard..."

He turned. In the chair beside him was V'Rhsal, looking visibly
stunned.

"Where am I? Is this real?"

"We are in the Spirit..." V'Rhsal trailed off.

"How did I get here?" McCoy asked, still in a hushed voice.

The Vulcan managed to compose his face. "I believe the Organians have
arrived."

McCoy glanced out the window as well. "There's a planet below us."

"Vulcan."

As V'Rhsal guided the shuttle through re-entry, McCoy rubbed his legs.
"Do you know what they did? They tied me down! That was after I
thought I had food-poisoning. And where the hell were you?"

"I could not reach you."

"Do you have any idea what I've gone through?" He eyed the Vulcan but
V'Rhsal's face was completely expressionless. "It's your time, isn't
it? Couldn't you have warned me before I left? Didn't you feel it
coming?"

"No, I did not. It is too early."

They entered the atmosphere. There was a flash of heat in the shuttle
as red and orange streaked past the ports. V'Rhsal became aware of
McCoy's steady gaze on him.

"Leonard?"

"I expected, I don't know," McCoy said. "But you seem awfully
controlled. Where are we going?"

"My house."

McCoy shivered suddenly. "What will happen then?"

"We will break the meld, then you will lock me away."

"V'Rhsal, I can't."

"We set out to defeat Khlabar and we have accomplished that purpose.
Time now for endings, Leonard."

McCoy felt the shuttle touch ground. The engines quieted. "So much for
your back fence," he said, glancing out the window.

V'Rhsal unstrapped himself from the chair and rose. "Let this be done
within the privacy of my own walls."

McCoy followed the Vulcan silently, allowing V'Rhsal to control for
both of them. But he could feel tendrils of fire laughing at the edge
again.

They entered through the back door, into the kitchen, the place where
he had spit watermelon seeds. Sunlight poured through the open blinds.
He took off his boots and felt the floor warm under his feet. The
cooling unit hummed softly and beside it sat a cup in the sink.

V'Rhsal climbed the stairs to his room. McCoy had rarely come in here
thinking it a bare, depressing area. Now he understood why it was so.
It contained nothing breakable and the door had a heavy lock.

V'Rhsal spent a few moments looking through the blinds, his hands
resting on the sill. McCoy's stomach cramped and he sat on the bed,
trying to ease it. "Pon Farr is like having a bad case of the runs."

The Vulcan turned. In every line, every muscle, in the razor-sharp of
the black eyes, McCoy saw fury.

"Tie me, Leonard. Chain me. Fasten me down."

His voice was hoarse.

"No."

"Quickly!"

McCoy jumped. The man he knew was leaving in every course of pain and,
as he looked, he felt a deep indignation at what could break a proud
spirit.

"Quickly!"

Pain burned behind McCoy's eyes. Running in a trail of pricks it burst
in every nerve.

"Leonard! Do not hesitate! RESTRAIN ME!"

"No! I CAN'T do that!"

McCoy touched the rampantly hot skin and felt the flutter of the
Vulcan's heart. Torment like a fire flying over a fuel trail, raced
over him, boundless, boundless fire surging through the link. Though
terrified, McCoy hugged V'Rhsal to him.

The Vulcan felt the difference, the skin on skin. He ground. He
wracked himself against the cooler skin. To McCoy it felt as though
his flesh was being dry-scorched off of him but he held on. Wave upon
wave of the white hot came upon him, now rushing, now slithering. His
brain roared in a furnace. His eyes blinded. V'Rhsal shoved him
brutally back onto the bed then came for him and the smell of sweat
and copper overwhelmed him. Fingers dug into his temples, raging to
complete the link. A bayonet thrust into his mind. Screaming, he
pushed and, somehow, threw the Vulcan off.

Then it slowed. McCoy opened his eyes and found V'Rhsal hovering over
him, staring blindly at the rumpled sheets.

He took a shaky breath, feeling the wicked hurt in his bowels. But the
wave receded further until the link was nearly gone.

"...reflected fires..." V'Rhsal whispered, coughing as he tried to
draw in air.

McCoy tasted his own blood in his mouth. One eye was swelling shut and
his chest felt as though someone had taken a jackhammer to it.

The Vulcan touched McCoy's temples and opened the small strand left.

let us join in the ritual for mating.

my god, v'rhsal. it hurts!

i know but it is not from me. it is coming from you.

i don't understand.

be still. it will be all right now.  <center>--- </center>

He woke to the sound of rain pattering on the windows and a cool
breeze moving the blinds with a soft click.

McCoy sat up slowly, feeling dizzy. The covers lay crumpled on the
floor and he was alone in the bed.

"V'Rhsal?"

The link opened. A strong surge of the Vulcan's presence, the heat,
the touch of minds. He recoiled.

A few moments later, V'Rhsal entered the bedroom carrying a tray.

eat, leonard. it will help.

He sat beside the doctor, balancing the tray on his knees. He poured a
cup of tea, then looked over and smiled.

McCoy took the cup, eyeing the Vulcan uneasily.

i was told never to trust a smiling vulcan.

i was told never to trust a smiling human.

explain this to me.

celibacy does not agree with you. fires from your mind reflected into
mine. your desire started my pain.

McCoy ate carefully, then discovered he was hungry.

i have never felt so much pain. i thought it was your time. are you
saying it was me?

V'Rhsal bent his head.

it was from both of us.

then, your time is still to come.

yes.

do you think this other could happen again?

if we remain joined and celibate, yes.

answer this simply, v'rhsal. can two males survive it?

i know two vulcan males can, however, leonard, answer me. you
reconnected the power source to the generator, knowing there was a
large amount of the plant-model nearby. did you not perceive the
danger?

i perceived it.

would you have rather faced death than me?

you dumb Vulcan. you've got it backwards. i set off the generator to
prevent you from coming for me. i had no guarantee that the romulans
would let you live any longer than it would take to give the
information to them. as far as i was concerned, they would have pried
what they wanted from your mind and just kicked you out the hatch. and
i had some idea that maybe your ex-wife might, you know, return.

she has chosen another.

McCoy put the tray on the floor, then pulled up the covers.

when i was strapped down on the Romulan ship, i had some free time to
think. i know very little about this but i see one vulcan-human
marriage and she does not appear to be suffering. so, i've come to a
decision.

which is...

i want you.

V'Rhsal met the doctor's eyes.

i want you as well.

there's a way to break the cycle, isn't there?

it is possible, but it requires recurrent periods of mating.

McCoy laughed.

i don't have a problem with that.

and it would require your return to vulcan in one or two years time.

i can do that too.

leonard, in one year, or two, i could not guarantee what you would
find when you returned. it would be much worse. you could die.

McCoy met the black eyes.

i would be here.

leonard, i cannot risk you. if we part, you could involve yourself in
a normal human union that would not imperil your life.

v'rhsal, what is normal? with all my experience and education, i don't
have a clue.

V'Rhsal set the tray on the floor, then reached over and pulled the
covers down from the doctor's chest.

leonard, look at what i did to you.

McCoy pulled the covers back up.

i'll heal.

is this truly what you desire? could you commit yourself for the rest
of your life? would you record it on vulcan public record? if your
shipmates and family asked you, would you admit i was your mate? could
you tell your captain that you have chosen me for your bed?

i am not ashamed of it. are you?

V'Rhsal didn't answer. Instead he got up and left the room.

---

Kirk drummed his fingers on his chair arm as Spock guided the
shuttlecraft through Vulcan atmosphere. "Every time we have dealings
with the Organians, I feel slighted."

Spock glanced over but said nothing.

"We don't get the plant. The Romulans don't. I have to take their
assurances that they've cleaned up the remainder from the Klingons.
God knows what they put Bones through over there and Ayelborne doesn't
seem to think we deserve an apology."

"There will be no war," Spock pointed out.

Kirk scowled. "I suppose it was also Ayelborne who scattered my
shuttle, my chief medical officer, and that damned V'Rhsal over here
to Vulcan."

"V'Rhsal's family has replaced the Spirit."

Kirk glanced around the interior of the shuttle. "Ok. This is better
than Starfleet-issue. It still doesn't excuse it."

"Vulcan understands," Spock said simply.

Kirk leaned forward and tapped his fingers on the console. "Do you
think V'Rhsal's still alive?"

"I do not know."

"At least Bones is ok. If V'Rhsal survived, I imagine they've probably
ended that mindmeld by now." Kirk caught Spock's eye. "Or whatever it
was."

"It is not our affair, Jim."

"It's my prerogative to worry. Bones always said that I did stupid
things but he's sure got me beat this time."

V'Rhsal's home was at the fringes of the city, his back yard at the
edge of a large stretch of sand. As they neared it, Kirk leapt out of
his seat.

"Is THAT the Spirit?"

The once-high security wall was left in scattered clumps over red
sand, flattened by the impact of the shuttle. The shuttle itself was
scarred from re-entry. Black divots streaked from the belly up over
the wings and a long crack ran across the roof. Wires hunt out the
back hatch whose panel was now a spider's web of breaks. But the worst
was the pilot-side pylon, almost completely sheared in half and bent
completely backwards from its normal angle.

"So much for the security system," Kirk said. As they landed, and the
full extent of the damage became more apparent, Kirk added softly, "I
hope McCoy's in one piece."

The door of the house opened as Kirk was regarding the debris. A
Vulcan Kirk didn't know came down the back steps.

"Captain Kirk. Kór Spock."

"Yes?" Kirk said.

"I am Soltar, a physician at the Academy Hospital and an acquaintance
of Leonard McCoy."

Kirk eyed Soltar worriedly. Was McCoy in the hospital?

"Leonard left a portion of his work for me to complete. I delivered
the results this morning. This way."

Soltar led them back into the house, into a large living area, then
disappeared. The doctor had been sitting at a table by a terminal
reader but jumped up at their arrival.

"Jim! Spock!"

"Good God, Bones! That's one hell of a shiner. Are you all right?"
Kirk rushed over to him.

"I got it from the shuttle crash. I'm fine."

"I left you on a Romulan ship, doctor. You end up on Vulcan AND you're
AWOL. You've got a lot of explaining to do."

McCoy scowled. "Someone does. One minute I'm enjoying the best Romulan
wingding in the sector, the next I'm in freefall."

Kirk eyed McCoy strangely, then exchanged a look with Spock. The
Vulcan, however, appeared to be studying the carpet intently.

"Where's V'Rhsal?"

"I don't know and I really don't give a damn."

"The Organians put the two of you on the shuttle together, didn't
they?"

"Much to my eternal joy," McCoy muttered. "I thought the Organians
were supposed to be smart."

Kirk had been genuinely uneasy, justifiably so, wondering if V'Rhsal
would confront McCoy. After all, Spock had come at him during
Koon-ut-Kali-fee without a shred of the person he'd known. "He's still
alive?"

McCoy blinked. "We didn't crash that badly so I guess he is. Do you
want some coffee?"

He went into the kitchen and Kirk, frustrated, followed. If McCoy
didn't want to discuss it, nothing in the universe would move him.

"Do you know how it turned out?" Kirk asked.

"Yes," McCoy said, pouring coffee. "Sarek came by."

"And you know that Starfleet wants you to turn in your botany permit."
Kirk sat at the table.

McCoy handed Spock a cup. "You'll like this. It's horrid."

"Bones, Starfleet isn't happy with you," Kirk cut in.

McCoy shrugged. "So?"

"The Old Man suggested that the two of us might want to drop by his
office sometime soon."

"He's upset because Vulcan took Sah'Sheer and Ralag away from him,"
McCoy said. "I'm tempted to send him a potted plant for his office.
What do you think? Something with a lot of leaves?"

"McCoy," Kirk warned.

"Give me a few moments to get my stuff and we can get going." McCoy
retraced his path into the den. V'Rhsal was at the terminal, lightly
tapping the keyboard.

kirk and spock are in the kitchen.

will you be leaving with them?

that was kind of the reason why i spent the morning packing.

V'Rhsal shut off the terminal.

i am gratified that soltar was able to utilize your notes in your
absence. your departure will not affect further research.

to think i actually cared what was going to happen to you.

leonard, i care what is going to happen to you.

that's nice.

your presence in this house has affected me.

well i can't say you let it show.

McCoy picked up a book and stuffed it in the sack.

leonard, do i have your attention?

just hanging onto every word.

V'Rhsal came around to stand in front of the doctor.

you are angry, correct?

"Angry? ANGRY?" McCoy burst out. "You don't have a flying frog's
NOTION what that is!"

In the kitchen, Kirk and Spock glanced at each other, than looked over
their shoulders curiously.

"Leonard..." V'Rhsal started.

"Right in the middle of my telling you things I've never told ANYONE
before, you just walked out! Do you know how that made me FEEL?"

"Angry?" V'Rhsal ventured.

McCoy glared at him. "Is that supposed to be a joke? You BASTARD!""

V'Rhsal hastily took a step backwards and whispered, "Did you say that
Captain Kirk and Kór Spock were in the kitchen?"

McCoy took a deep breath, then lowered his voice.

"Do you remember what we did together?"

"My memory is quite adequate."

"We made love."

V'Rhsal looked at the doorway anxiously. "Leonard..."

"I would never have considered it with a male, much less an oversized
anteater like you. It was something deep to me. When you got up the
next morning and made plans to go wife-hunting, it hurt. And you had
the gall to call humans depraved!" McCoy grabbed a tape and hurled it
into the sack. "I should have known something was wrong from the first
when I came out of that mindmeld to find you on top of me."

V'Rhsal put a hand to his forehead, looking very green. "Leonard, does
it not bother you that your friends might overhear?"

"No!" McCoy snapped the knapsack closed. "Is that clear to you? Or do
I need a sledgehammer to get it in your head?"

When V'Rhsal did not answer, McCoy snapped, "Don't you at least have
the decency to say something?"

The Vulcan eyed the doctor warily.

"I give up." McCoy started for the door.

leonard, the meld.

end it quick

V'Rhsal glanced around the room, then motioned to the desk.

lean against this so you do not fall.

hurry up.

perhaps you should put down your possessions.

McCoy sighed and dropped the knapsack.

ok? are you finally ready?

close your eyes.

McCoy did so, then waited. He felt the Vulcan's fingertips graze his
forehead. Prickles ran over his arms and chest.

"...what is this?..." he whispered.

The Vulcan touched his cheek to the Human's. "...it is the beginning,
Leonard..."

"...Kirk and Spock are out in the kitchen!..."

The Vulcan so suddenly smiled that McCoy lost his balance. V'Rhsal put
his arms around the doctor to keep him steady, then he reached down to
open McCoy's pants.

McCoy knew Kirk would be perplexed by now over the length of time it
was taking him to `pack up his things'. He doubted that Spock would
intrude but Kirk had never been patient and might very well come down
the hall to see what was taking so long. The ultimate - to be caught
doing the wild thing on a desk with another man, but he was far too
aroused to stop. Where V'Rhsal was touching him was crackling every
nerve, the pleasure more extreme than with anyone else he'd ever
loved.

A small moan escaped him, which he muffled against the Vulcan's
shoulder. The warmth of the Vulcan skin came down on him as he leaned
back over the desk. His thighs ended up around V'Rhsal's and one arm
got trapped against a computer monitor, the positioning exceedingly
awkward, yet they managed to put all the parts together.

V'Rhsal rubbed himself against the doctor. McCoy gasped.

does it hurt, leonard?

oh God, no...don't stop!

V'Rhsal's black eyes looked down into the human's blue ones.

touch me.

McCoy did, touching everything, lingering everywhere. By now they were
physically grinding against each other.

McCoy felt himself grow taut, felt the Vulcan's answering hardness,
felt his heart hammering and his abdomen tensing, groaning as the
throbbing in his groin grew ponderous and heady. He kissed the Vulcan,
feeling the alien lips over his. To his amazement, the Vulcan started
kissing him back, breathing heavy against his mouth, sweat running off
his lip.

McCoy felt the tip of the Vulcan's tongue touch his and it sent him
over the edge.

it's happening! i can't stop it!

V'Rhsal pushed hard against McCoy. McCoy felt his own crisis spike,
the sudden undulations, then the release and the cascade of sticky
seed over his abdomen.

The Vulcan moaned softly, then came an answering stickiness from him
as his ejaculate pooled with the human's.

McCoy closed his eyes and hugged V'Rhsal to him.

---

In the kitchen, the sudden, utter descent of silence unnerved Kirk.
Leaning forward, he asked, "Do you think McCoy killed him?"

Spock studied his cup as if it was some new species of life. "The
design of this pottery grain is quite intriguing. Did you note it is
triple-glazed?"

"Spock-"

"Jim, I am not going to go and look."

Kirk half-rose, then sat back down, glancing in the hallway behind
them.

---

McCoy opened his eyes. The room was dark.

"The sun's gone done," he whispered. "How long have we been in here?"

"Seventeen minutes, forty-four seconds," V'Rhsal answered in a low
voice.

McCoy rubbed his cheek against the Vulcan's. "There's something in my
back."

"A paperweight." The Vulcan reached around to the desk and moved it
away. Then he stepped back to adjust his clothing.

"I can't believe we did that." McCoy risked a look at the doorway.

"They are in the kitchen, Leonard. Kór Spock is explaining the origins
of Vulcan pottery to your Captain." V'Rhsal turned on the desk lamp.
"We have been...indelicate."

"I don't care. If we had been caught, I would have just laughed and
kept going."

"Leonard, preference of choice is recognized under Vulcan Family Law.
We could register this union."

"Your family won't approve," McCoy said.

"The Head of my family is my paternal grandmother. She is the only
voice. My union with Sah'Sheer did not result in children. The issue
of an heir is not a consideration and the marriage has been ended by
implied consent. As well, you have been granted Vulcan citizenship.
Your skills are of benefit. My grandmother may require validation of a
Pon farr cycle but there is no logical reason for her to disapprove of
this joining."

"Validation?" McCoy scowled. "You mean if we survive it?"

"I will need to seek you when my time comes upon me. Do you fear
this?"

McCoy met the Vulcan's eyes. "No. Not at all. We've gone deep here.
The difference of it...thrills me. It takes my breath away. It's worth
anything to me."

"And we have only just started."

"I have one stipulation."

"Yes?"

"You hold anything back from me, you play around with my feelings just
once, and I'll strip the hide off you."

"I quite believe that," V'Rhsal said seriously.

McCoy touched his fingers to the Vulcan's, then leaned forward and
kissed him. "I want to again," he whispered beside the pointed ear.

"Leonard, we can't." V'Rhsal eyed the door leading to the kitchen.
McCoy laughed and kept kissing him.

"Will you inform them?"

McCoy let go. "Yes, though I'd rather stay here."

V'Rhsal listened for a moment. "I believe they are now in the back
yard."

"Great! They're out of hearing range." McCoy tugged at V'Rhsal's pants
but the Vulcan jumped away.

"I'd prefer more privacy, and a place other than my desk." V'Rhsal
pulled his zipper back up. "I will be at my office in the hospital."

V'Rhsal went one way. McCoy went the other, through the kitchen and
out the back door. Spock stood, back stiff, at the furthest reach of
the yard, where the desert sand began. Kirk had turned the Spirit's
outer lights on and was picking through the rubble like a disgusted
beachcomber. He looked up at the doctor's arrival and said gruffly,
"What the hell have you done to my shuttle?"

"I wasn't driving."

"Did he even try to land right side up?" Kirk picked up a melted,
brown...something, grimaced, then threw it back in the pile. McCoy
waited, trying to compose his expression. He knew they'd heard the
argument but was unsure just how much else had been audible. Finally
Kirk plopped down on one of the pylons and said, "I'd just put all new
chrome on."

"It's a bitch to keep polished anyway."

"What do the neighbours think of the mess?"

McCoy shrugged. "I don't know. I've never met either side." He quieted
for a long moment. Spock took a few steps away from them, disappearing
around the garage.

"Jim, I want to tell you something. Do you remember, years ago, those
rumours about you and Spock, that the two of you were more than
friends?"

"I remember," Kirk muttered. "It went around the ship like wildfire."

"If it had been true, it wouldn't have made any difference to me."

The doctor's tone jarred Kirk. He eyed McCoy uneasily. "What is this
about?"

"It's about me and V'Rhsal."

"What are you saying, Bones? That you two sleep together?" Kirk asked,
so stunned he could barely put the words together."McCoy, you allow
this?" But while he said it, in his mind's eye, he remembered the
doctor, standing stiffly at attention - I'm staying here. His reply -
Bones, if we can't correct the course of this planet, we'll have to
blow it out of the sky. And the doctor, stubborn, had said, I'm
staying here with these people.

McCoy chuckled. "Yes, I allow it."

"My God, McCoy, why?"

"Why not?"

Kirk put a hand to his forehead. "Good thing I'm so near the ground.
Saves me the trouble of toppling over."

"I've never seen you topple over," the doctor said gently.

"You know Vulcan males go through that seven year heat. We had enough
trouble with Spock and he's only half Vulcan."

As if hearing his name, Spock reappeared on the other side of the
garage. McCoy glanced at him, then turned back to Kirk. "Jim, I've
fallen in love."

Kirk shook his head. "No way."

"Why do you think I kept extending my leave?"

"He's another male!"

"Jim, I kind of know that already."

"Was it not just ten minutes ago that you said you didn't care where
the hell he was?"

"Actually, it was more like seventeen."

Kirk eyed the doctor, for, in truth, he was unnerved now. McCoy, for
his part, was looking thoughtfully at Spock.

"Just how good is your hearing anyway?" McCoy asked with an odd tone.

Spock managed to look innocent. "I have a cold and my ears are
somewhat congested."

The doctor smiled. "That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me,
Spock."

The interplay between them had shifted in a way Kirk could not quite
grasp. All he knew for sure was that the McCoy he faced now was a
hundred and eighty degrees from the friend he knew two years ago. Back
then, this was a conversation he and the doctor would never have had.

"Bones," he tried, "the risk of the thing!"

McCoy turned back to him, the same blue eyes Kirk had seen a hundred
times, but they were not the same. There wassomething else in the blue
Kirk had never before seen.

"The 'thing' is my business," McCoy said. "Jim, this is supposed to be
good news."

"I'm sorry. Congratulations, Bones. But," Kirk stood. "If anything
happens to you, whatever he is to you, he will pay."

<CENTER>PART THIRTY SIX</CENTER>

Kirk thought, by rising early, he would miss the Vulcan heat. In fact,
it was waiting for him before he sat up out of bed. The thermal cover
fell back and he hit, without the advantage of the barrier, a wall of
mean hot.

"Damn..." He paced to the bathroom and stuck his head under the cold
tap. "This is nuts."

He and Spock had spent the night at Spock's parents. It had been a
long time since he'd had the pleasure of Amanda's company. More than
that, the night gave him a buffer between McCoy's dropping the bomb
and his facing V'Rhsal. Kirk had spent his life listening to his
internal alarms, most of the time at McCoy's encouragement. Even when
he hadn't agreed with it, he'd always thought McCoy's judgement sound,
but accepting this meant overcoming every gut feeling he had

Spock had dropped into his Vulcan mode and was unapproachable on the
subject. Kirk had no one else to talk to here, so he'd spent the night
endlessly running through it on his own. He'd tried, but the image of
that cold, side-stepping Vulcan kept smacking back at him. Two males
were one thing and Kirk had no real problem with that, though he would
never have figured it for the doctor. But this was beyond gender. To
Kirk, it was akin to putting a goldfish and a shark in the same tank.

After breakfast, he and Spock took a flyer to V'Rhsal's. As Kirk
strapped in his seat, he said, "Am I supposed to be honoured McCoy
wants me to attend this ceremony?"

"There is no ceremony, Jim," Spock said as he guided the flyer into a
main route. "This is a simple, formal declaration to V'Rhsal's family
to recognize the union."

"A union or a marriage?"

"There is no difference. As investment of the family name is generally
the foremost consideration when determining suitable unions, family
interests can be served by the joining of two males or two females."

"That doesn't apply here. We're talking about McCoy and another male.
I've never seen anything like this in him before. More than that,
we're talking about McCoy and a Vulcan. You can't sit there and tell
me this doesn't startle you at all."

"They have been joined for almost three years. I would hardly be
'startled'."

Spock landed the flyer in the front. As he powered down, Kirk said,
"I'll support him. God knows he's done the same for me, many times,
when he must have thought me totally deranged. He's supported me, but
he never did it blindly."

When the flyer's motor silenced, they could hear noises from the back
yard. V'Rhsal and McCoy had cleared up much of the wall and McCoy was
standing in the last remnants of it, leaning on a shovel, when he saw
Kirk and Spock.

"Here, Jim. This is for you." He tapped a pile of shiny metal with his
shoe.

"What is it?"

"The chrome off the Spirit. I saved it for you." McCoy smiled quickly,
then tossed the shovel into a corner of the yard.

V'Rhsal turned at their approach and nodded slightly. "Kór Spock.
Captain."

"Hello," Kirk said, picking up a piece of the metal. "McCoy, where's
the rest of the shuttle?"

"I think it's being turned into a bird feeder."

"What?" Kirk glanced up, unsure of the doctor's humour.

"Leonard," V'Rhsal said. "I explained the function to you quite
clearly."

McCoy glanced over at Spock. "What on earth is a Conductive Reflex
Oscillating Two-Way Pantitulator?"

Spock clasped his hands behind his back and said expressionlessly, "A
bird feeder."

McCoy shot V'Rhsal a look that Kirk would have found funny under any
other circumstances.

V'Rhsal put down his shovel as well and asked, "Leonard, are you ready
to leave?"

McCoy held up a piece of the wall. "Not if you're driving."

The humour in V'Rhsal's next words took Kirk by surprise.

"Are you implying that my landing was less than satisfactory?"

"Funny, I do seem to have that impression."

"We could use city transportation, Leonard."

"Hiking the twenty-three blocks to the nearest stop in the heat of
Vulcan midday would be a delight. What do you think, Jim?"

"I'm not getting into this, McCoy," Kirk said as he straightened.

In a serious tone, V'Rhsal added, "Leonard, you do not know the route.
In addition, you have a problem with coming to a full stop before
opening the hatchway on my side."

"That only happened once."

"I fell out of the flyer."

"It was only a few metres."

"Five metres."

"And you soft-landed."

"A lichen-spike bush is not a soft-landing."

Kirk turned to Spock. "You drive."  <center>--- </center>p>

V'Rhsal's grandmother was a Kohlinar-Master and lived in shrines a
significant distance in the Vulcan desert. It took almost an hour to
fly there, an hour during which V'Rhsal and Spock talked softly in the
front of the flyer, and Kirk and McCoy talked not at all in the rear.

After Spock landed the flyer and shut off the engines, he and V'Rhsal
both stilled for a few moments, eyes closed, as if meditating. Kirk
glanced at them, then shrugged and got out of the flyer. McCoy
hesitated following, torn between standing in the hot desert sand or
panicking quietly in the cool interior of the vehicle. He knew he
would have to submit to a mind-touch by one of these Masters. That it
would only take a few seconds was hardly comforting. His mind had
already been through a windmill and he was figured there were still
some pieces floating around somewhere. He didn't want more people in
the wind with it. He wasn't sure either if they would pass the `test'.
He had no idea what a true bonding was, and he wasn't sure if simply
loving someone was enough.

V'Rhsal finally stood.

are you ready, leonard?

let's go.

The heat outside the flyer was horrific. It baked his skin and burned
his lungs. Where the Masters lived seemed to be part of a mountain,
the door inset against the sheer edge of a cliff.

V'Rhsal stood near the door for a moment. Then he spoke quietly, so
low that McCoy had trouble hearing. He heard V'Rhsal's name, and that
of his family. He heard his own name and something further in High
Vulcan he did not understand.

The door opened.

come, leonard.

They followed V'Rhsal down a long hall and into a dim chamber. McCoy
noticed Kirk almost on his heels, the captain's unconscious protective
reflex. Normally he would have pushed Kirk away. Normally...

At least it was cooler here but there were no windows and nothing to
sit on that wasn't made out of stone.

what do we do now? McCoy queried when, after about ten minutes, they
were still alone in the chamber.

we wait.

V'Rhsal stood so McCoy did too. Spock stood near the doorway, hands
clasped behind his back and head bent. Kirk paced with small, nervous
steps. McCoy strained to listen but there was nothing to hear, nothing
he could hear at any rate. The sweat soaked the back of his shirt.

Finally he heard a footstep and a tall, severe-looking woman entered.
Her robes dazzled white, even in the dimness of the room. A large,
glowing stone hung on a thick band from her neck and her eyes
glittered coldly above it. She was attended by two blonde Vulcan
women, beautiful but no less steely than their mentor.

The Master's eyes fastened on McCoy as if trying to cut through him.
He held his ground. His new motto - always outstare them.

Finally she turned away. Her eyes flickered over Spock and Kirk. To
Kirk's credit, he too returned her stare without blinking.

"V'Rhsal, son of Starn, son of T'Pall, why does thou come here?"

"I seek thine approval of my bondmate."

"Why does thee bring these off-worlders?"

"One to join. One to witness."

The Master's gaze swept over Kirk and Spock. "State who thou art."

Courteously but firmly, Kirk said, "Captain James T. Kirk, Starfleet."

Spock finally looked up. "I am Spock, son of Sarek, son of Amanda."

"Thee are both known to me." She returned to V'Rhsal. "Thy wife has
rejected thee?"

"Yes."

"Why hast thou chosen a Human male?"

"It is my desire."

"Does he understand? Will he submit when thy Vulcan blood burns?"

"He understands."

V'Rhsal did not look at McCoy once during the interchange. Nor did he
offer any support through the meld. McCoy, somewhat daunted now, had
decided the best course was simply to stand quiet. The Master,
however, started another cool inspection of him.

"What is thy name?"

"McCoy, John Leonard David."

"Makkoy, John Leonard David, since the earliest of memory, Vulcan
males must endure the burning of the madness. If thee bonds with this
man, thee will become part of the madness and it will become part of
thee.  Thine own blood will burn and thine own madness will come upon
thee.  Thee must also decide. If thou so choose, thou may leave here
now."

He took a deep breath and said, "I am not leaving."

She bent her head. "Open to me."

V'Rhsal knelt in front of her. McCoy hesitated, then did the same,
swallowing hard. Kirk made fists, nearly overwhelmed by the urge to
grab McCoy and pull him away. Spock gently laid a hand on Kirk's
sleeve.

The Master's fingers felt cool on McCoy's face but her mindtouch was
swift and sharp like a thin needle flashing down. He gasped as she
pierced the very core of him where the strands of the link lay reposed
but she drew out just as swiftly and he heard her voice say, "This
bonding is true."

She left a headache in her trail. McCoy rubbed his temples as V'Rhsal
helped him up.

With a stoical expression, the Master said, "V'Rhsalkam and Makkoykam,
thee are joined with thy family's consent in the presence of these two
witnesses." Then she turned and left, her women a step behind.

McCoy found V'Rhsal's keen black eyes on him. "Did we pass?" he asked,
feeling a little faint.

"I had no doubts, Leonard."

Kirk glanced at the closed door. "Is that it?"

"What do you mean, is that it? My God, you should have felt my end!"
McCoy muttered.

Kirk's brow furrowed. "Bones, are you ok?"

"Oh, I'm ok. I'm just turning bloody cartwheels....someone drives a
pickaxe through my head but I'm fine now...." he muttered as he
plodded out the door. "...don't worry about me..."

Kirk went to follow but Spock's amused voice stopped him.

"Yes, he sounds perfectly normal."  <center>--- </center>

Something buzzed in McCoy's head. He opened his eyes to find the wall
less than an inch from his nose and an immovable weight at his back.

"Not again..." he grumbled. He tried to roll over. "Vulcan, wake up
and move."

Without opening his eyes, V'Rhsal complied. "Leonard, answer the
com-port."

McCoy sat up, reached across the Vulcan, then stopped. "You're
closer."

"There is an eighty-six point three percent chance it is for you."

"Do you make these numbers up?" McCoy yawned as the message tape
kicked in. When it clicked off, he tried to get back into his spot but
found it occupied by a Vulcan who was half-asleep again.

"I've got it figured out."

"Pardon?" V'Rhsal opened his eyes.

McCoy sighed. "You're going after the warm spot in the bed, my warm
spot."

V'Rhsal raised up, blinking. "I apologize."

"And well you should. I get the wind knocked out of me and I never
have any room left by the time morning comes," the doctor admonished
in mock severity.

V'Rhsal opened both eyes. "Are you always this pleasant in the
morning?"

The doctor laughed, then kissed him. "I apologize too."

The kiss deepened. It was some time later when V'Rhsal said, "It is
zero six thirty hours on your ship's time. You are due on board by
thirteen thirty."

"How do you do that, know the time like that?"

"I would teach you but your mind is not ordered enough."

"Funny man." McCoy laid back, rubbing his eyes, then stretched
languidly. V'Rhsal's hand brushed across the doctor's arm and came to
rest on his chest.

there is something erotic in all this, leonard.

you admit to that?

i admit only the obvious.

hmm. look, vulcan, i've got a proposition. i'll teach you to respond a
little more to your nerve endings and you teach me a little more logic
and order. i want to out-logic this certain vulcan. it's a dream of
mine

i see i will have an uphill battle. it is fortunate we have years in
which to accomplish your aim.

we really are going to have to work on these jokes of yours.

---

The Enterprise moved gracefully through the stars and all was in
order.  McCoy took a few hours to settle into his cabin before
returning to sickbay. Some of V'Rhsal's clothes were still there and,
as he hung them up, he reached inward and gently touched the Vulcan.
They hadn't said goodbye. Under this system, they'd never parted.

Sickbay was muted. There were no patients, no lingering cases. Even
the paperwork had been cleared. McCoy sat at his desk, seeing, for the
first time, that the top of it was laminated and that he had a
blotter.  He turned on the terminal.

"Computer."

"Working."

"Log in. McCoy, Leonard, M.D. Chief Medical Officer."

"Working. McCoy, Leonard, M.D. Your file has been assigned to science
department."

McCoy frowned. "Pardon?"

"Are you requesting further information?"

"Yes. Log me in as Chief Medical Officer."

"M'Benga, Geoffrey Richard, M.D. is Chief Medical Officer, U.S.S.
Enterprise."

"He was the C.M.O. but now I'm here. Please correct the error."

"Working. McCoy, Leonard, M.D. Current status, assignment Science
Department. Your Department Head is Captain Spock."

McCoy resisted an urge to hit the terminal. "Look, you pile of twisted
microchips, I'm a physician. I belong in the medical department.
Correct your files."

"There is no error in programming, McCoy, Leonard, M.D. Your status is
active in the science department and you are three point four hours
overdue for your shift. Please report to your department head
immediately."

McCoy hit the intercom. "Bridge."

"Uhura here, doctor."

"Is the Captain up there?"

A moment later Kirk's voice sounded. "What is it, Bones? Can't find
sickbay?"

"Jim, there's an error in the computer. It's got me down as working in
Spock's department."

"Just a moment, Bones. I'll get it checked."

McCoy waited impatiently, listening to the sounds of the bridge over
the line. Finally Kirk returned. "Bones, we put Starfleet docs direct
into the personnel roster. They assigned you to sciences and I'll have
to get clearance from head office before I can get it changed. In the
meanwhile, enjoy your stint. Just a minute, Spock wants you."

The Vulcan's crisp tones came on. "Doctor McCoy, you are seriously
overdue for your shift."

"Oh for pete's sake," McCoy started.

"Doctor, please report to second auxiliary science station," Spock
said. "Lieutenant Sheffield is expecting you."

"You can't be serious," McCoy said.

"Bones, just wait it out until we get it fixed," Kirk said, sounding
amused. "I'll get Uhura to send a message out pronto."

McCoy switched off the intercom. "Yeah...right..."

Second auxiliary science station was deep in the bottom of the
starship, between auxiliary helm control and the food processors. It
was a dismal, dusty place where all the old samples and files ended up
for cataloguing and storage. Sheffield, a tall, pale man who looked
like he belonged in a cave, welcomed McCoy happily.

"Isn't this something, doc? I finally got me some help down here."

"It's just temporary," McCoy mumbled, sneezing on the dust.

"I hope you've worn your old clothes. I've got me some grubby work
today." Sheffield crawled into an access tube that served as overflow
storage space. "We got ourselves a whole conglomerate of samples from
the Denebian slime pits to put away. I've been just waiting for an
extra hand to help me. Here!"

He threw something at McCoy who instinctively caught it. When he saw
what it was, he wished he'd missed. He held a dead shell of a slime
devil, a red, crab-like animal that smelled awful even before they
died.

"I've got fifteen slime devils alone," Sheffield called out. "Babies,
adults, all four genders. Man, we gonna have ourselves a good time
today."

McCoy swallowed, then crawled in after Sheffield. "Well, fifteen isn't
so bad."

Sheffield looked back at McCoy and laughed. "Sure, doc, fifteen of
them. I also got me a family of Alderian Crust-Slugs, some Wango Biter
Bats and a slew of Drip-Toed Worms. And that's just in the first lot."

He whistled as he climbed further and further up the shaft. McCoy,
cursing, crawled more slowly, the slime devil under one arm. Three
hours later he was completely covered in grey dust, shell fragments,
and the web-like hair of the biter bats. The latter itched worse than
anything he'd ever known. His head had stuffed completely to the point
where a sneeze roared like a trumpet full of cotton.

"I have to...achoo!" McCoy sniffed. "I have to get a decongestant."

Sheffield shrugged. "You'll get used to this."

"Heaven forbid," McCoy, on hands and knees, started moving back the
way he'd come.

"Don't let Mr. Spock catch you sneaking off-duty."

"You mean he'd better...ACHOO!...hope he doesn't get in my way," McCoy
grumbled.

He was easing out of the tube, back-end first, with legs that felt as
stiff as knotted pinewood, when he heard a soft chuckle.

"There's a view I don't see everyday."

McCoy straightened painfully and turned. Kirk and Spock were standing
in the doorway. The Vulcan looked impassive as always but Kirk's face
wore a wide grin.

"How's it going, Bones?"

"Very...ACHOO!" McCoy coughed some dust out. "Very funny! Are you both
enjoying this?"

"As a matter of fact, we are." Kirk chuckled again.

Spock's eyes took on a decided glint. "Doctor, I trust you have tagged
and stored the specimens in a manner to my satisfaction."

"You'll find them again, if that's what you mean," McCoy muttered. He
pulled a long strand of bat hair from his tongue as he tried to
swallow the rest of the hairball away.

"You'll be happy to know that we've got the clerical error
straightened out," Kirk said. "I'll be booking you in as C.M.O. first
thing tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" McCoy glared. "Why tomorrow?"

"Since you've started, you may as well finish out the shift," Kirk
said. "Lt. Sheffield is long overdue to have a little help down here."

McCoy felt a dig of suspicion. "Both of you appear to be highly
enjoying this."

Kirk leant against the doorjamb, arms folded across his chest. Spock
looked innocent, as if a halo sat on his eartips. The Vulcan said,
"Doctor, I trust the next time a report is due, you will deliver it to
me on a labelled tape."

McCoy blinked. "Spock, that was three years ago!"

Kirk cut in. "And, McCoy, the next time you give a vaccine to Spock, I
hope you use his arm."

McCoy buried his face in his hands and immediately regretted it as
another hairball went up his nose.

"Doctor, you still have forty-five point seven eight minutes left on
your shift."

McCoy glowered at the Vulcan and mumbled something.

"What was that, Bones?" Kirk asked pleasantly.

"I said," McCoy clenched his teeth, "Yes, sir." He turned and crawled
back up the tube.

"Happy cataloguing!" Kirk called after him. A mumble came back to him.
He glanced at the Vulcan, then sighed. "You know, Spock, I have a
feeling we may come to regret this."

---

End -- Trust of A Bonding