Some things to clear up (warning, long Author's Note) I am currently laid up because of foot surgery, and one of the movies I've watched is Star Trek: 2009/XI/Reboot or whatever the heck you want to call it. With nothing better to do and my muses for my other stories apparently off on vacation, I started looking up some Star Trek stuff- mainly stuff related to this movie and the original series. Before this, I could honestly say I knew about 5 things about Star Trek, two of which I knew but didn't know where they originally came from.

1) 'On a five year mission, boldly going where no one/man has gone before'- a lot of people quote this part in various ways in various movies, but in my case, Gonzo says it in Muppet Treasure Island.

2) If you wear a red shirt on Star Trek, you die- need I say more?

3) The Vulcan neck pinch- I knew that there was a pressure point in someone's neck you could squeeze and they'd drop like a sack of potatoes, I just didn't know it was called the Vulcan neck pinch until I watched Spaceballs, I always called it the neck grab.

4) 'Beam me up, Scotty'- I honestly never knew this was a Star Trek thing. I just knew it was a quote from an old scifi TV show. On that note, I knew there was a Scottish person on Star Trek.

5) Vulcan hand greeting- as kids, me and my friends would do this because we'd seen someone else do it. I can actually do it, but I was the only one capable of doing it and holding it for any period of time.

So, that said, I was pleasantly surprised when I watched a couple episodes of The Original ST and found out that, yes, some of the acting was goofy at times, (coughshatnercough) but it had actual plot and story lines with believable characters that have actual strengths and weaknesses, and didn't devote itself to who was sleeping with who- seriously, a lot of shows that have promise wreck themselves by focusing on sex lives of the characters, not their exposition or plot.

Leading me to my next tangent- the whole Spock and Kirk are T'hy'la thing. Some people write this as slash, (there are people who write it believably, and I can accept their stories- others, on the other hand, I'm left wondering if they just wanted to write slash without any regard for the characters personalities whatsoever, because it honestly looks like they've just cut and pasted from another story and just changed the names, so I'm left needing brain bleach because of the butchering of the characters) which is fine, and then others who write it as really powerful friendship/brotherhood. I have seen entire debates on this subject, and honestly, I'm not going to try joining one side or the other, as all the evidence people use is really, really ambiguous in the grand scheme of things (and kudos to the creators for that).

So, for this story, I'm leaning towards the friendship/brotherhood angle. Feel free to read in whatever pairings you, but don't read this expecting me to have Spock and Kirk doing the balcony scene. It won't happen, and my general principle is that unless it is explicitly stated in canon that characters are/have been in a relationship, I won't write them as having one- unless it helps move the story forward, then I might consider to make the exception. However, I'm not a big Romance type of girl (despite the Vixen part of my penname) and generally prefer exploring character friendships and animosities.

*Timeline note: From what I understand, Spock was 23 when he declined the VSA and joined Starfleet. He's also two years older than Kirk, and so for Kirk to be 25 when he became captain (again, according to my understanding) Kirk must've been around 21 or 22 when he joined Starfleet. I'm leaning towards 22 for Kirk joining Starfleet in the movie timeline. Bones is (at most) ten years older than Kirk (I've heard that he was 35 to Kirk's 25) so (in the movie) he would have joined Starfleet at about age 31/32 (give take a couple months), and at the time of Vulcan's destruction, Joanna is presumably around 5 or 6, so the divorce happened while Joanna was 2/3. Sulu and Uhura I've pegged to be about the same or little younger than Kirk by (at most) a year, though it's quite possible that Uhura is older by a few months, and Chekov . . . he's 17 in the movie, eight years younger than Kirk. So, either he joined Starfleet at 13 or 14, and spent a few years at the academy, or . . . yeah. Finally, Scotty- I've got him pegged to be the same age as Bones, maybe older by a year or two, so he's about 37 in the movie, meaning he was 27 or so when he sent Admiral Archer's poor Beagle into . . . wherever.

Enterprise vs. Narada: Stardate . . . (er, someone know this? I don't . . .)

Kirk- 25

Spock- 27

Bones- 35

Scotty- 37

Uhura- 25(26?)

Sulu- 24

Chekov- 17

That's how I understand the movie ages. For purposes of this story, however, Bones will be eight years older than Kirk, Scotty two years older than bones, Spock two years older than Kirk, Uhura 3 months older than Kirk, Sulu five months younger, and Chekov is 8 years younger than Kirk. As I said before I'm just guessing with the movie timeline, so the ages of the characters in my story are close to it, but not exact.

(And this author's note is long enough as it is, so with the last two notes- let's go! Punch it!)

"Alien (xeno) Language translated to Standard"

"Foreign (Earth) Language translated to Standard"

In Need and Deed- Part 1.1

Jim Kirk leaned against the porch rail. At fourteen he was lean and tall, blue eyes piercing and a sharp smile. His Aunt and Uncle had taken him in when his step-father had finally had enough of his reckless ways that had culminated in him driving a car off a cliff.

Though considering that his step-father had pretty much pushed him to raise himself, he really had to wonder who was to blame for his actions, though Jim knew full well that his decisions were his own.

Tarsus IV was practically Iowa- just as a planet, not a state. Plenty of open fields, perfect for farming, though there had been some trouble in the far fields- some minor rot in the plants. He'd been here for over a year and a half, and had felt himself mellow out a bit- His aunt loved him, and his Uncle, while stern, was kind and genuinely cared about what he did. His cousins (both younger than him) looked up at him with wide eyes that spoke of adoration for their older cousin, even with the fights he still got into. It was so different from his Step-father's preference to ignore him and let him fend for himself (the man had never laid a hand on him, but his apathy to Jim's mere existence screamed volumes about how much he cared) and his mother's increasing absences and inability to even meet his eyes, not to mention he hadn't heard from Sam since his older brother had left. He'd listened in amusement as everyone around him called Tarsus IV an agricultural paradise- it was much better than earth, he would agree.

The speeder pulled up, and his uncle gestured for him to help with the bags. Jim walked forward as two strangers got out of the car, one a boy his age, or maybe slightly older, the other a woman with black hair pulled back into a tight french braid. "T'Pre, this is my nephew Jim. Jim, this is the Vulcan Scientist that was supposed to stay with the Greyson's." Jim gave a small nod of acknowledgment, remembering his aunt's brief instruction that Vulcan's preferred not to be touched, and so handshakes were frowned on.

"T'Pre, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Thank you, Jim, this is my cousin, Spock." T'Pre introduced the boy, who gave Jim a polite nod. "He is here to act as my assistant." Jim was very good at reading people, and especially at figuring out how to get under their skin. This teen was as expressionless as the older woman, but there had been a flicker of pain (or something similar, perhaps guilt?) when T'Pre had said 'act as my assistant'. Not to mention that T'Pre looked at him as if he was simply a thing to be catalogued, while the teen- Spock- seemed to be wary of him. Maybe this wouldn't be a big of a pain as it had sounded.

"Alright, I'll bring up your bags to your rooms, then."

Spock stared out the window of his guest room, feeling the mix of guilt shame and fear that had plagued him since . . . He closed his eyes.

Things had not been going well ever since his first emotional outburst where he had attacked another student in anger, he knew his father was disappointed, and he had rejected his mother's attempts at comfort, because he had to be a Vulcan. At school, things got worse, because by then everyone knew he had responded with violence and their words became harsher and crueler. The Instructor had called his mother when things came to a head and Spock had finally collapsed, ill.

His mother was usually soft-spoken, but until recently he had never heard her shouting at anyone. With her raised voice, she had suddenly become frightening, and the most interesting part was she had been yelling at his father downstairs and he had been sitting upstairs in his room. A day later, in the morning before he had finished eating, his mother had pulled them into a sitting room.

Quite logically, she explained that while she had agreed to raise Spock as a Vulcan, she now believed that there had been a variable that both she and his father had not considered. His human emotions. Humans, like herself, had a different way of dealing with emotions, because suppressing emotions for humans was actually more harmful than finding a way to release- and meditation didn't always work. She pointed out to his father and himself that they were only teaching him half of what he truly was, and such a method would lead to trouble if it was not corrected.

The logic was sound, but his father had already heard this argument, and pointed out that a day and a half ago, she had not had a solution. His mother had given him a quelling look (reminding Spock of a particularly violent sehlat) and told him that their cousin, T'Pre, was going to an agricultural colony for study, and her assistant had taken ill. Spock would be able to watch and study how humans acted, while T'Pre would be there to show him how Vulcans interacted with other species and tutor him in his studies. While he was with T'Pre, she and his father would work on a more permanent solution with the council of elders and find a way to stop the young Vulcans from continuing to harass their son.

And so he was here, far away from home, and living with his cousin and a group of humans. He opened his eyes, and watched the young blonde teen that had met them and carried their bags 'play' with the two younger ones. 'Jim' was a nickname, short for James, Mr. Riley had explained. He had said that Jim was sent to them for a bit.

"He's a good kid, loyal as a guard dog, and just as vicious if you threaten something or someone he wants to protect. Despite the alien population, we've got some humans that don't like non-Terran beings, and have tried to cause trouble harassing the various alien families. When you go out, please take Jim with you, he'll help you out, and make sure that they don't pull anything." He had said in warning. Spock had seen a strange emotion flicker in the man's eyes, a mix of pride and concern when he spoke about his nephew, and Spock's curiosity had spiked a little when they had actually met Jim.

The other boy had sun-bleached blonde hair that was messy and a little long, brilliant blue eyes that almost matched the sky, and a build and stance that suggested he could not only fight but knew when to run if needed. Jim's eyes were wary and calculating, even as he smiled and greeted them. It was like being introduced to a caged animal- it appeared docile and safe, but there was still the promise that the moment that cage was gone, that animal would tear apart anyone that got too near for safety.

Logically, Spock knew such a comparison was a human method of attempting to explain someone's characteristics, but he could not help but agree that Jim was someone he'd want on his side.

"Dinner's ready, Mr. Spock!" the little child- the youngest Riley- grinned and then rushed off as soon as Spock nodded. He went downstairs and almost walked straight into Jim. Jim backed off slightly, but quickly, surprising Spock. A quick glance at his eyes left him even more puzzled, because the wary calculating look seemed to have increased. There didn't seem to be a reason for Jim to behave thus, given that they had just barely met and had not even exchanged words.

"Apologies, I was not paying attention to where I was going." There was a flicker of emotion, and for a moment, Spock recognized something in the look to be similar to the look of those who had insulted him back on Vulcan, but it vanished.

"Don't apologize, I should have checked to make sure everything was clear." Something that Spock would have called resolve hardened the other's blue eyes, and then Jim was moving past. "C'mon, dining room's this way." Spock followed. "How long are you and your cousin planning to stay on planet?"

"Until her work is done, roughly 423.76 terran days, I believe." Jim glanced at him in some slight amusement, but it was quickly hidden. "If it's not too forward, are you staying with your relatives to help on their farm?"

"They need the help." Jim shrugged. Then he was distracted by his cousins. Spock felt uneasy, sitting at the table, which was filled with the chatter of the two children telling their mother what they did, and T'Pre and Jim's Uncle discussing the schedule.

It was until he settled down to do his nightly meditation that he realized that Jim had not said a word unless spoken too, and sat by himself at one end of the table. Not to mention, he also realized, that Jim had not actually answered his question- he had given a noncommittal answer and then changed the subject by turning his focus on the cousins. (A taboo topic, then, to use one of his mother's more interesting earth phrases.) Spock fell asleep, wondering how he was going to make a treaty between the two of them.

In the room he now shared with his little cousins, Jim settled down for the night as well.

He stared at the ceiling for a long time, going over his brief interaction with Spock- he'd unnerved the other on accident, he could tell (which had made him briefly annoyed with himself, the point was to try and be friendly to the Vulcan) and their actual attempt at conversation had not gone well; Spock had unintentionally hit the one sore point he had about living here, Jim knew it was unintentional, but he couldn't stop himself from shutting down and pulling away, like he always did.

He fell asleep thinking about how to make friends with the Vulcan- but it wasn't until a couple of days later that the opportunity to do so presented itself.

Well . . . What do you think? Good? Bad? What should I improve? Should I post the second chapter or just forget about this completely?

(Sorry about the long Author's note at the beginning, but I thought I should give you all fair warning that a not-trekkie was going to be writing . . .)