The BLTS Archive - Love Is No Crime
by Lady Charena (LadyCharena@aol.com)

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Feedback:  Yes, please.

Challenge: Write an S/Mc where one or the other has to explain to his
family about their relationship.

Disclaimer: Paramount/Viacom owns Star Trek. This story is mine and
only fanfiction. No moneymaking or offence of copyrights are intended.
If you are underage or have a problem with homosexuality, please stay
away.

Please be patient with any errors, English is not my native language.
My thanks to Janet for beta.

Change of time (memories) marked: *//*//*

Feb/April 2002

---

"I wish I could accompany you," Leonard McCoy said and turned to watch
Spock pack his bag. "You shouldn't face Sarek alone."

The Vulcan finished and closed his bag. Then he went to the human,
touching soothingly McCoy's slumped shoulder. "We have agreed to
inform our families separately, Leonard. Your daughter would not
welcome my presence more than my parents would yours on Vulcan as long
as they do not know about the true nature of our relationship," he
said solemnly. "But I welcome your sorrow even if it is unfounded.
Sarek will yield to logic. And if he disagrees - we are already
bonded, there is nothing he can do."

McCoy smiled. "Is love logical, Spock?" he asked quietly.

Dark, solemn eyes met blue, gentle ones. "Where it concerns to you,
Leonard, I find I do not care too much about logic."

The physician moved to embrace Spock and touched his lips gently to
his mate's. 'I love you' the human thought and felt answering warmth
in his mind.

They separated again, slowly, reluctantly.

"I could hold you like this forever," McCoy sighed. "But your shuttle
to Vulcan will depart in less than a hour."

"What about your daughter, Leonard?" Spock wasn't that easily
diverted. "How will she react?"

"Do not concern yourself with Joanna. She's the lesser problem."

"You have not seen her for more than five years, Leonard. Things might
have changed."

McCoy smiled reassuringly. "Spock - I know my daughter. She'll be glad
I've found someone to share the rest of my life with."

The Vulcan kept his sceptic air. He knew humans tended to surprising
reactions.

"You're not convinced, are you?" McCoy asked with a crooked smile. He
moved to sit on the edge of the bed they'd shared for almost two years
now. His gaze travelled the now bare room - leaving paradise, he
thought morosely. "Okay, I admit I'm anxious as hell. I've never had
much contact with my daughter according to Jocelyn's wish. Accepting
it was the least I could do for her after our... luckless marriage."
His eyes returned to the Vulcan. "I don't have to tell you about
marriages out of sense for tradition, do I?" he said too casually.

*//*//*//*

He and Jocelyn had grown up together, their families living next to
each other since ages. Everybody expected the two young people to
marry and so they did - besides feeling more like brother and sister
than like lovers. Jocelyn took the marriage as a getaway from her
despotic mother. Leonard intended to set an end to his doubts and
insecurities about his own sexuality he felt since he had been
fourteen. His parents would have never accepted their son's
bisexuality and so he tried his best to suppress his feelings. Being a
physician and psychologist he should have known better... But
everything seemed fine as it went on. Soon after the wedding Jocelyn
got pregnant and Leonard his first post as resident physician at a
hospital in the town they were living.

Until one day in the midst of the third month of her pregnancy,
Jocelyn had an accident. She stumbled and felt down the stair, luckily
only four low steps high. She broke her left ankle and had a bad
sprain in her left wrist. But she miscarried and the baby died. After
the loss of their child, Jocelyn changed. She got depressed and the
distance between the two of them was nearly overwhelming. Leonard
often took night shifts to avoid laying sleepless next to her in their
bed, sometimes listening to her silent crying and being not able to
comfort her. Nothing he said or did made any impression on her.
Leonard didn't allow himself to feel his own grief but buried himself
in his work instead.

Eight months later, a young man started to work as male nurse at the
hospital. His name was Steven. He often took the night shifts and soon
he and McCoy got friends. They used to play chess to stay awake or
simply talked for hours. Often they laughed together.

One night - near the end of an especially strenuous shift - a little
girl with high fever was delivered to the hospital. McCoy had to work
hard to prevent her from passing. As the girl was finally out of
danger Leonard was at the end of his strength. He left her in the care
of a nurse and went to his little office to change his clothes. On his
way he passed the rest rooms and decided to take a shower. At this
early hour in the morning, no one would be there. Throwing his clothes
carelessly to the floor, he stepped into one of the cubicles and
activated the shower. Warm water relaxed his muscles and suddenly he
found himself in an erotic fantasy - about showering with Steven. He
felt his cock harden as he imagined his hands all over his body.

A sudden gush of cold air made him looking up.

Steven stood in the open door of the cubicle, with no more than a
casually knotted towel around the hips and dripping hair. "Sorry if I
startled you, Leonard," he said gently, with a smile. "I've seen you
come in. You look tired."

Leonard brushed his hair out of his face. "I am," he answered. "That
was a hell of a night." All of a sudden he turned and lifted his head
into the spray. He didn't want Steven to see his arousal. Dreaming was
one thing... his cheeks burned and he fervently hoped the other would
leave now. Instead, he suddenly felt a finger travelling down his
spine to the crack of his buttocks. He shuddered violently, sucking
air in.

"Your beautiful, Leonard. Don't you think you tempted me long enough?"

Steven's breath tickled his cheek as the young man stepped into the
cubicle. McCoy heard the sound of the closing door. Slowly he turned
and met Steven's eyes - filled with hunger and arousal...


As he returned home this day, Jocelyn waited in his study for him.
McCoy feared that she wanted to talk about their separation - he
expected it for some time now. And he didn't know if it wouldn't be
better for the both of them.

"Jocelyn, I'm beaten. Please let us talk later. I need some sleep
first," he said. He couldn't probably talk with her in this state of
mind. He felt dizzy, confused after his... his... encounter with
Steven in the shower. He needed to think it over.

But Jocelyn shook her head. "Len, it won't take much time. I just want
to tell you that I agreed to undergo counselling. I understand that I
need help do deal with the... loss of our child." She looked at him
and for the first time since eight months, he didn't find apathy or
tears in her eyes, but a silent determination.

For a moment McCoy didn't know what to say. Then he went to his wife
and embraced her. He couldn't leave her now.


The rest was told soon - four months later Jocelyn went again
pregnant. Steven transferred on his own wish into another ward of the
hospital. Things between him and McCoy had been more then a little
strained since ever their encounter in the shower.

Joanna was born. But soon afterwards, their marriage was absolutely at
an end. Jocelyn lived only for her child, almost ignoring Leonard. And
McCoy on the other hand started to bury himself in his work once
again. The distance between them had been larger than ever. A
half-year later they divorced and McCoy took his first position as a
physician aboard a starship.

*//*//*//*

With a sigh, McCoy brushed the memories aside and lifted his head to
look at his mate. He moved to stand up and went to the Vulcan.

Spock shook his head. His own betrothal with a woman his parents chose
for him, as he was a child had ended into disaster, only three years
ago, as she learned about his feelings for a certain human physician.

"I'm going to miss you, Spock," McCoy said, embracing his mate. "We
should just have the time for a proper good-bye-kiss..."

---
Vulcan
---

Three days later, Spock stood on the red sands of his home world. The
aircar had taken him to his parent's house some minutes ago, but he
felt strangely reluctant to cross the last few steps. Undoubted, Sarek
und Amanda already knew about his arrival and it would be more than a
little odd to stay outside of the house.

Taking a deep breath in, he laid the palm of his hand against the
ID-plate at the gate and it opened. He slowly followed the path to the
house, where Amanda waited at the front door.

She hurried to welcome her son with a gently smile and a quick
embrace, forgetting Vulcan manner for a moment, as soon as he arrived
at the foot of the stairs leading to the house. "I am so glad you
could come."

And her eyes told everything else she couldn't say aloud. To her (and
his own) surprise, Spock lifted his hand and touched his mother's
cheek with the back of his hand - a gently, loving gesture that
brought tears of joy to Amanda's eyes.

"Marriage seem to do you good, Spock," she said and took his hand
before he could withdraw it. "Why didn't you bring your mate?"

"He has dealings of his own on Earth. But if you don't mind, he can
join us in five days."

"Of course we do not mind, son. Your mate will be welcome."

Spock gently freed himself from his mother's grip and turned to greet
his father who now stood at the open door. He lifted his hand to
perform the ta'al. "Ambassador."

Amanda smiled. There had been a time where Spock used his father's
title almost as a wall between them - now it was mere courtesy. "Will
we not go in?" she suggested. "There is no need to talk outside the
house."

"You are right, my wife. It is not the best for you to stand here in
the hot sun. Spock - your room has been prepared." Sarek attended his
wife back into the house.

Spock followed them in silence. After taking his bag to his old room,
he went down again to meet his parents in the living room. His
mother's remark about his marriage and Sarek's words at his arrival
made clear, that there was no longer time for secrecy. He had to
inform his parents about the identity of his mate - now.

Amanda was seated in a chair as he entered the room. Sarek was
standing next to her.

Spock took the offered seat and waited for Sarek's first question. It
didn't take long.

"Would you now inform us about the identity of your mate, Spock?" The
older Vulcan gazed at his son.

"My bonded mate is... Doctor Leonard McCoy."

Silence settled upon the room. Sarek's face was of course unreadable;
Amanda seemed to be both surprised and - delighted.

"We are pleased with your choice," Sarek said - much to Spock's
surprise. His face seemed to give away his amazement because the
features of the older Vulcan soften. "Doctor McCoy is a man of honour
and compassion and a well-reputed healer." Sarek watched his quietly
chuckling wife with an arisen brow. "If you will excuse me now, I have
urgent business to attend." With this he left the room.

Amanda broke in soft laughter. "Since you were a child I have not seen
you this much surprised," she said. "You expected your fathers
disapproval, did you not?"

"I have to confess, I did not think he would be this...
understanding."

"Do not underestimate your father, Spock. Even Vulcans learn from
their errors. And even Sarek knows, love is no crime."

---
Earth
---

McCoy returned to his lonely hotel room. He truly hoped Spock was
luckier than he.

The first meeting with his daughter Joanna in the hotel's restaurant
two days ago seemed promising. After the first - somewhat awkward -
minutes, they soon talked rather animatedly. Or to say better - Joanna
told her father about her life, all the things he missed - her first
day in school, her first love her marriage. He didn't even know that
she was married. But using the opportunity, he told her about his
bondmate...

"You are married to a man?" Joanna asked after a moment.

"Bonded - but yes, you can call it married." It took some time until
he noted her changed manner, the sudden cold in her words and words.
"Joanna, what..."

But she already moved to get up. "I have to go now." With this she
turned and left him sitting alone at their table.

A sleepless night later he tried to talk to her again. With some
stubbornness he agreed upon a second meeting in her house.

There was reserve in her eyes, as she opened the door to let him in.
McCoy felt his spirits decreasing.

"I understand that is has been somewhat of a surprise for you to hear
of my bond with Spock, Joanna," he started with no clear idea what to
say. But she didn't seem to listen.

"Mother was right, all the time. I argued with her, I even accused her
of lying to me." Anger made her speech chopped off.

McCoy cut her short. "What did Jocelyn say, Joanna? What did she tell
you?"

"She told me you left us because you'd prefer men. During the whole
time of your marriage you deceived her with others. With other men!"
she yelled at him.

"No, Joanna. I never did deceive her. Only once I..." he broke off.
Did Jocelyn hate him that much? That she poured all her hate into
their child's heart? He couldn't believe it. Feeling numb inside he
left her house. He was unable to think, to say anything against this
accusations.

He watched the sunset from the window of his room What could he
probably tell her? Love is no crime, Joanna. She wouldn't listen to
his words. Not now. He shivered - and wished with all his heart, Spock
would be here to warm him.

---

The End