In which Spock sleeps over: Part 2

Jimmy likes Spock being at his house. His mommy is smiling and Jimmy feels happier at home than he ever has before. Spock continues to hold his hand throughout the day and Jimmy likes that too. They beg more carrots off of Jimmy's mommy and feed the cows some more. Spock seems to like that and Jimmy likes that Spock likes that, and if he ends up using all the carrots to feed the cows instead of himself, well, he likes that too.

When they run out of carrots, they walk along the lane, hand in hand, kicking up dust and Spock turns to Jimmy.

"What is the purpose of this endeavor Jimmy?" he questions. Jimmy pauses a moment and Spock can feel his confusion through his tan skin, but before he can ask about it, Jimmy is speaking.

"We're space explorers, Spock! We have to find new peoples and civ…civ…civi…"

"Civilizations."

"Yeah!" he cheers enthusiastically and Spock feels a small smile tug at the corners of his lips. He ruthlessly stamps it down.

"Jimmy, I do not believe there are any unknown peoples or civilizations in Riverside."

Jimmy shrugs, he knows that, but it's still fun to pretend, and he tells Spock as much.

"Pretend?" Spock asks and Jimmy is surprised.

"You never pretended before, Spock?"

Spock shakes his head, "It is illogical to imagine something that is not fact, Jimmy."

Jimmy's small brow furrows and Spock feels a little guilty for it, but his face remains neutral.

"Well, I can teach you!" Jimmy suggests brightly as he tugs his friend along the lane until they come to a rather large oak tree that has a somewhat antiquated looking tree house. Jimmy leads him up the wooden ladder and Spock carefully inspects every inch of the house to make sure that it is structurally sound before he'll let Jimmy go inside, though. After all, Jimmy is only human and as such has a much lighter and thinner bone structure than Spock. He would be much more susceptible to injury if he were to fall than if it were to be Spock. Once he deems it sound, he allows Jimmy inside and Jimmy has him sit a little forward and to the side, as the small blonde boy sits directly in the middle of the room.

"This is our ship, Spock!" he explains, "I'm Captain, and you can be my First Officer."

Spock does like the sound of that and nods once to show that he understands. Now that Jimmy has his support he throws himself completely into the game. He shouts out orders and Spock responds with his own limited knowledge of the workings of a star ship, and for a few hours they explore the galaxy, without leaving Riverside.

Eventually though, it begins to get dark and Spock and Jimmy have to come inside from their explorations. They crawl up into side by side chairs at the dining room table as Jimmy's mommy finishes replicating dinner, and then the door opens with a bang. A rather loud bang that makes Jimmy shake a little and Spock watches him out of the corner of his eye, curious as to Jimmy's reaction to the sound. He does not like the fear that is rolling off his friends in waves, infecting his own control as they have yet to release one another's hands.

"Winona!" A masculine voice calls out very loudly, somewhat slurred, and if Spock had to guess at the emotion coloring his tone, it is something very akin to anger.

Jimmy shakes even more, and Jimmy's mommy seems tired as she walks out into the foyer of the Kirk home.

"Frank, please, Jimmy has a friend from school over."

Jimmy is shaking even more now and Spock turns to look at him completely.

"Jimmy?"

Jimmy doesn't reply, he just gets down from his chair, and grabs onto Spock, tugging him down to the floor. Spock goes willingly, confused, but knowing that Jimmy knows better than he does in this particular situation.

Jimmy quickly and quietly leads Spock from the room, out the other door, and through the living room to the back stairs. He climbs them quickly, Spock on his heels, and turns at the landing, pushing open the second door on the left, and letting Spock inside before quickly turning and shutting the door again.

Spock stands in the middle of the floor as the room begins to darken, watching Jimmy, feeling something that seems like worry gnawing at his insides. There is a loud crash from downstairs, and a cry of dismay from Jimmy's mommy and Jimmy is shaking even worse now as he tugs Spock up onto the bed with him and pulls the blankets up over their heads.

They sit like that for a moment until there is the unmistakable sound of yelling and Jimmy scoots a little closer to Spock's warmth. It's comforting, Spock's heat, and it makes Jimmy wish even more that he could be Vulcan too. Spock scoots closer to Jimmy as well; he doesn't understand this yelling, his own parents never yell, he has absolutely no experience with this. And there is something very calming about Jimmy, something that lets his fear and uncertainty drain away, and he knows that Jimmy likes being near him as well.

It is, logical, to get closer.

Then as the yelling gets louder, and Spock can make out some swearing and slurring from the man called Frank, Jimmy's arms snake around him and his arms snake around Jimmy as they huddle together under the blanket, shaking.

"I hate Frank," Jimmy whispers as the yelling quiets a little. Spock just tightens his hold, not understanding exactly what is happening, but knowing that it can't possibly be good for his friend.

"Jimmy is Frank violent?" he asks after a moment. Jimmy doesn't respond, just hugs his friend closer and Spock allows it, curling himself around Jimmy even more.

"Jimmy? Spock?" Jimmy's mommy's voice is on the other side of the door, speaking quietly. The yelling has stopped.

The door slowly opens, but Jimmy makes no move to leave the cocoon of the blanket, or Spock, and so Spock doesn't move either. Jimmy's mommy's steps echo quietly against the wooden floors and the bed sinks a little as she sits beside the lump that is her youngest son, and the small Vulcan child.

"Jimmy, it's okay, you can come out now, c'mon."

Slowly she manages to coax Jimmy from under the blanket, but not from Spock's embrace.

"Come on sweetie," she smiles softly, "dinner's going to get cold."

Jimmy shakes a little more, gripping Spock tighter. Spock watches the entire exchange in interest. But slowly, her soft smiles and sweet words work and Jimmy slowly releases Spock long enough to slide down from the bed, but as soon as they are on even ground once more, he takes Spock's hand tightly. Spock returns the grip.

They walk downstairs and Spock is as alert as possible, looking for this Frank. Jimmy is shaking a little as they re-enter the dining room, and Spock can see broken dishes in the adjacent kitchen, but there is no sign of Frank anywhere.

The boys crawl up into their chairs as Jimmy's mommy spoons dinner onto their plates, having taken care to make certain that the entire dinner is vegetarian, for Spock's sake.

They eat in relative silence, Spock and Jimmy's hands clasped tightly under the table, their chairs pushed together as they eat. Slowly, as dinner goes on, Jimmy's shaking slows before ceasing altogether. Spock is….relieved by this.

When dinner is over and the dishes are put away, Jimmy takes Spock upstairs again, and together they get the large space atlas from Jimmy's bookshelf and open it on the floor. They flip through the pages together, and Jimmy seems as though he is back to his old self as he tells Spock all the adventures they'll have together when they're Captain and First Officer on board a star ship.

Spock rather likes that idea.

Of course, as a Vulcan, he will be destined for the Vulcan Science Academy, as his father before him. It is expected, but the idea of Starfleet does hold some appeal. Especially if Jimmy will be there as well. Spock is unsettled by the fact that eventually he will have to leave Earth, and his companionship….his friendship with Jimmy.

After a little while flipping through the book, it is time for bed and as they dress and wash their faces and brush their teeth, Jimmy is still chattering about being a Captain and he is so certain that Spock will be there with him, that for a moment, and only a moment, Spock believes it too.

Jimmy crawls into his bed, and Spock into Sam's (who is off at a boarding school) and Jimmy's mommy wishes them pleasant dreams as she turns off the lights. There is a form of nightlight that spins on Jimmy's bedside table, and punched in the tin are dozens of stars, and they light the walls and ceiling.

It is soothing.

K/SK/SK/SK/SK/SK/SK/SK/SK/SK/SK/SK/SK/SK/SK/SK/SK/SK/SK/SK/SK/SK/S

Three point seven hours later and Spock is awakened by a soft touch to his arm. He awakens almost instantly and turns to see Jimmy standing next to the bed, his own blanket wrapped around him, his bright blue eyes shining against the many stars.

"Jimmy?" he asks softly. Jimmy doesn't say anything; he just crawls up into the bed with Spock, tucking the extra blanket around them both and taking Spock's hand underneath their covers. Spock turns to look at his friend, whose eyes have closed. Spock slowly tugs the small human body closer and Jimmy curls into his warmth.

They fall asleep like that, holding hands, surrounded by the stars.

/

Okay, I am so embarrassed by how late this is, but I already had the chapter typed up, and then lost the USB stick it was on, but I remembered being really in love with it, and therefore really resistant to rewriting it, so that is why it is so late. I am very sorry. But I hope you enjoyed.

Andrew's Slinky