Look! A fairly quick update. Who would have guessed? Enjoy.

Jim hurried out of the building like there was an angry le'matya on his tail. On a normal day he would hang around until Phil finished up in an hour. The other doctors and nurses were no doubt confused about his hasty exit. Everyone knew he enjoyed shadowing whoever he could talk into putting up with him and learning his way around the wards. One never knew when medical knowledge would come in handy out in the black. Jim was perfectly aware of this.

On Tarsus, Phil had been so useful. An absolute necessity. And Jim had grown up enough in the last year and a half to recognise when he was jealous. He wanted to be able to help in any and every way he could. And a little extra knowledge in an area he wasn't expected to know anything about could only mean good things.

Who knew when he might have to assist a Gorn giving birth to triplets? Or help staunch an Andorian bleeding out? Or any of the hundreds of scenarios Jim had rapidly babbled to any of the medical staff naïve enough to let him start talking.

He couldn't help that he had a very vivid imagination and an almost limitless supply of brain matter on which it could wreak havoc.

The numbing fear he'd felt after Phil's little… warning had lifted somewhat. Just enough for Jim to recognise that he was running late. And his next appointment would possibly be more important than he'd thought when Spock made the suggestion. If anyone had more reliable information on Admiral Marcus, it would be Captain Pike. Not only did Jim trust him with his own life, he trusted the older man with Spock's as well. It was quite the honour.

Jim rounded the corner and spotted the salt and pepper of Pike's hair standing out across the quad. In front of him stood Gary and Jose, both of whom seemed animated and concerned. Jim's mind immediately flashed back to the last time he'd seen his friends looking that worked up. He gulped. Anything that happened before Tarsus felt disconnected. As if he was a totally different person who could simply look through someone else's memories. Or, like watching a movie. One you get dragged into, invested in but still feels surreal.

Maybe it was Phil's words, or the obvious distrust Carol showed her father, but the addition of Gary looking wary had Jim feeling skittish, nervous. Like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. His body thrummed with energy. It rippled through him and distantly he could feel Spock stroke their bond.

He hung back a little, luxuriating in the touch of Spock's mind against his own. The Vulcan was sitting in class, mind barely held by the content his professor was droning on about. When he concentrated, Jim could feel the phantom brush of a PADD in his hand, his fingers pressing against the screen without much thought as he copied the lecture without thought.

Stupid perfect Vulcan memory. The git didn't even need to study. He did it for fun. And Jim's own sake.

"Jim, you can join us." Pike said, snapping Jim back into the cool grip of reality. He groaned a little, left hand automatically coming up to rub against his temple. The bond throbbed and before Jim could even complain, it smoothed out and he was left with a faint sense of amusement.

Stupid perfect Vulcans.

"Ah, thanks." Jim muttered, adding a quiet 'Captain' as an afterthought.

Pike just chuckled humorously and nodded toward the café across the road. It was a quaint place. A bit too hipster for Jim's personal tastes. But the coffee was good and Jose swore up and down that they had the best wait staff on this side of the border. Then again, he could have just meant that they had the cutest waiters in the United States. Which, Jim could probably agree to. Not that he cared. Or noticed. Past a quick glance.

In one of the back booths, Xverjabdene was busily looking over blueprints with Scotty. They were talking in quiet murmurs and looked up when the party of four entered.

Apparently this place was more popular with cadets than Jim had realised.

Or maybe their coffee really was that good. Not just anything could part Scotty from the engine room of whichever starship was currently grounded or being used as a teaching model. Jim was pretty sure he lived in the retired USS Discovery. And Xverjabdene was hardly out of her office.

Maybe he could bring Spock here on a date.

Jim gulped and blinked a few times, letting himself be steered into a seat. It was like his brain had completely shut down and that was just not fair.

Spock was his and he was Spock's and his brain was going to have to get a handle on that situation and stop freaking out on him all the time.

Dates were things people in relationships did. They were in a relationship. They should go on dates. Like when they first moved to San Fran and Spock used to humour him and go see the parks and museums and- oh. Oh. Huh. So they might have maybe been on a few dates already. Cool. That took away the possibility of first date jitters.

"Son, are you alright?" Pike asked, leaning over into Jim's space. His cheeks flushed and Jose laughed, nudging him good-naturedly.

"Mind out of the gutter maybe, Kirk." Gary drawled and Pike looked part amused, part embarrassed.

"Shut up Gary." Jim said with a glare and accompanying kick under the table. He clasped his hands together and put on his best game face. It was time to finally get somewhere on this whole Marcus thing. He wasn't about to waste the afternoon. Not when he had Pike -almost- all to himself.

"What do you know about Admiral Marcus?" Three sets of eyes turned to him. Two pairs looked anxious while the last were contemplative. Pike took his time, first staring Jim down before looking between the three boys.

"Well, hasn't this been the question of the day." He muttered.

Their group didn't leave until closing time. Pike had left earlier, an important meeting with Admiral Archer, but Jim didn't feel any sort of guilt when he skipped his afternoon lecture. Either he or Spock would already know the material and, worst case scenario; he'd watch the recording when he got home.

Phil had joined them just after Pike had left. He looked haggard, his face drawn and his mood souring. He hadn't left though and Jim couldn't help the warm smile he directed his way. The doctor was like an older brother, a male role model for the much younger Gary, Jose and Jim. His input was paramount. Jim was pretty sure they wouldn't do anything unless it had the doctor's sign of approval.

Phil smiled back, hand curling around Jim's shoulder briefly before returning to his lap under the table. These people were family and Jim was pretty sure he couldn't have chosen any better.

"What did Admiral Archer say to you again, Jim?" Gary asked, "You know, before…" He let the sentence trail off. Jim ignored it. Some people just couldn't say Tarsus. It was fine with him. Grief affected people in different ways. And Gary's sister had been one of the doctors who died on the planet when Kodos stormed their makeshift base. She had been brilliant and beautiful and wonderfully talented.

"When he said that my files had been accessed?" Jim asked, mind wandering back. He'd forgotten that Archer had warned him. That day seemed so very long ago.

"How would he know that? Why would he even be interested?" Phil asked, leaning slightly to the left and scratching at his elbow like he did every time he was really interested in something. It was a tick which had confused Jim for months.

"Some of my file is sealed. Something happened when I was a kid." Jim mused over the memory briefly, "Marcus certainly has the status to override the block. I just can't figure out why. Why would he be interested in that incident?"

They sat in silence for several minutes before Phil got to his feet. Around them, chairs were being stacked and tables wiped over. It was past the normal time for them all to head home. And the doctor, who looked like he might pass out any second, was more than aware that none of their group was interested in leaving Jim alone.

"Come on Jim, I'll drive you home." Gary offered, grabbing his jacket off the back of the chair. He slipped into it and Jim had to admit that he was probably the only person who looked good in the all too red uniform.

"Yeah, thanks man. I'm sure Spock's already there." Jim yawned, "Or still in the labs. I swear, sometimes it's impossible to get him out of there."

Jose and Phil laughed at Jim before leaving. The door swung shut and Jim watched through the window as Phil hurried back towards the medical centre while Jose jogged to his dorm. He couldn't help but feel guilty for bringing them into this. Whatever this ended up becoming. If any of them got hurt because of him, he'd never forgive himself.

"Hey, turn that frown upside down and all that jazz." Gary said, drawing Jim's eyes away from the darkened streets, "You know we've got your back. No matter what that crazy is planning."

Jim smiled and let some of the tension in his shoulders release. It was easier to drop the subject back and focus on other things when Gary was around. He was distracting. In a good way but distracting none the less.

Half the time, Jim was pretty sure they weren't even on the same page. And he did the weirdest things. Just randomly left in the middle of conversations or made up poor excuses to get out of things. And just when Jim had decided that the other cadet probably didn't like him, Gary would go out of his way to be there. Or do the nicest things.

He was an odd one.

And Jim was well aware what that sounded like coming from him.

They climbed aboard Gary's hoverbike, the very same one Jim helped modify. It had been the activity which solidified their friendship. Sport and classes couldn't reach the intimate understanding and close friendship that working on the bike could. It had been a nice week. One of Jim's favourite since arriving back.

The engine roared to life like the proud big cat she was and then settled on a bone melting purr. It seeped into Jim's bones and let him finally release the last of the tension he'd been holding all day.

Jim's arms wrapped around Gary's waist and held him tight but left an inch of air between them. Spock might not mention it but Jim could feel that he didn't like Jim smelling like other people, some part of the Vulcan which was biological. Primitive.

And while Jim liked the intense focus and possessive make out sessions it initiated, he liked his friends alive, thank you very much.

They arrived at the embassy just after it truly got dark. Jim slid off the bike and placed the spare helmet into one of Gary's saddlebags. He said a quick goodnight and let himself into the grounds before waving goodbye to Gary. He stood in the dark and watched as the bike turned and sped down the street. Belatedly, Jim noticed he was shivering.

Without further preamble, he ran up the sloped garden and let himself inside.

He stopped inside the foyer, a feeling of unease settling right back into him. The hall lights were off which normally meant Spock wasn't home. But he could see straight through to the kitchen. The staff never left the doors open or unnecessary lights on. Vulcans didn't forget those sorts of things, unlike other races.

Jim crept through the dining room and into the kitchen, eyes roving the upturned pots and pans, the smashed cups and plates.

In the centre of the floor was a pool of green blood.

Jim sucked in a breath, half turning towards movement in the corner of his eye.

Something was pushed into his neck. The world went dark.