Bundles of Joy

Jim sat down with a plate of food and started to eat as he glanced around the room at all the delegates gathered. Andorians, Tellarites, Coridans and others.

He knew the admission of Coridan into the federation was a touchy subject between some of the delegates so Jim stayed out of their conversations about it. The conference on Babel was the place for that not on his ship.

Jim looked to Spock and smiled as the Vulcan, his mother, father, and Bones were discussing Spock’s childhood and some embarrassing moments. Spock glanced to him and mentally asked for help but Jim shook his head.

Jim stood and walked over as Sarek turned from the group and came upon, Gav, and another Tellarite. Jim internally groaned as the Tellarite starting bugging Sarek about his vote at the conference. He watched an Andorian, Shras, get involved as he walked over to them and smiled.

“Gentlemen, we all know that the admission of Coridan is a highly debatable issue that you won’t solve here,” he said.

Gav and Shras stepped back from Jim, glancing to his bump.

“You are correct, Captain,” Sarek agreed with him.

“My apologies, Captain,” Shras said, bowing his head slightly.

Gav narrowed his eyes before turning on his heal and stalking away.  Jim patted Sarek on the shoulder as he heard Bones’ laughter behind him. He turned and found Bones doubled over and Spock frowning at his mother.

“What is going on here?” Jim asked.

“Oh nothing,” Amanda said innocently before leaving the room with Sarek.

“Bones?”

“Spock used to…used to have…tea parties,” Bones forced out between his laughter.

Jim smiled and looked to his mate. “Oh you must tell…”

“No,” Spock replied. I was three and it was illogical.

Why didn’t Amanda tell me this? You must have been the cutest though, Jim replied before being hailed to the bridge.

Spock thought about nerve pinching Bones as they passed and headed for the bridge but thought against it.

“I wonder what that ship is doing,” Jim commented as he and Spock headed back to the mess hall from the bridge. There was a ship following them and they did not know who it belonged to.

“I was unable to get a reading, Captain,” Spock replied. “I apologize.”

“Not your fault, Spock. We’ll figure out what our shadow is up to soon enough,” Jim replied as they entered the room to find Gav advancing on Sarek.

Jim’s eyes widened slightly as Sarek merely shrugged off the attack and stood back with his hands behind his back. Spock grabbed Gav by his arm and held him back.

“Gentlemen, again with the arguments,” Jim sighed before looking to the Tellarite and getting into Captain’s mode. “My ship is not for your petty quarrels, Ambassador Gav. I will not tolerate it, is that clear?”

“Yes, Captain,” Sarek replied.

“Understood,” Gav responded before yanking his arm from Spock’s grip. He narrowed his eyes at Sarek before storming off.

“What seems to be the problem?” Chris asked as he entered the room and nearly being knocked down by the retreating Gav.

“Sarek?” Jim questioned, looking to his father-in-law.

“Tellarites are most illogical,” Sarek replied before excusing himself.

Chris watched him leave before eyeing Jim.

“I don’t know,” Jim waved his hands. “And I would prefer not to be used as a shuttle for disgruntled delegates again, though.”

“We’ll see,” Chris said. “Why don’t you and Spock retire for the night? I can keep an eye on things for a while.”

Jim grinned as Chris and crossed his arms over his chest. “Trying to take my ship from me?”

“It was mine first, kid.”

“Oh alright,” Jim yawned. “But only because I am tired. Goodnight.”

“Night,” Chris replied before nodding at Spock.

Spock nodded back then led Jim back towards their quarters.

Jim yawned again when they entered their rooms then smiled at seeing Selik sitting on the couch drinking tea.

“Thanks for watching the boys,” Jim said. “Hope they weren’t too much trouble.”

Selik stood and shook his head. “They were a delight.”

“So they are only terrors for us,” Spock muttered as he peered into the boys’ room and found them sound asleep.

“How was the reception?” Selik asked.

“Fun,” Jim replied dryly. “Tellarites are fun.”

“Indeed,” Selik nodded before Jim noticed something change in his eyes.

“You okay?”

Selik schooled his expression before nodding. “I am well. If you will excuse me, I am in need of meditation. Goodnight, both of you.”

“Goodnight,” Jim replied as Spock walked Selik to the door.  “I hope he’s alright.”

“He said he is well, ashayam,” Spock said, locking up the rooms for the night. “Now, it is time for bed.”

Jim chuckled. “Care to help me out of my fat clothes.”

“Yes,” Spock growled before advancing on his mate.

Jim was in the middle of a dream about little Spock having a tea party when the comms to his room chimed. He groaned and snuggled back into Spock’s embrace but the Vulcan pulled away.  Jim made a whiny noise as he opened his eyes to see his naked mate answering the wall comm next to the bed.

“This is Spock.”

“This is Lieutenant Joseph, Sir. I’m on deck seven, section A3. I have found the body of one of the Tellarites. I believe it’s the ambassador, Sir.”

Jim sat up in bed and looked to Spock whose eyebrows were raised.

“The Captain will be there soon. Spock out.”

“Why can’t you come…oh the boys,” Jim sighed then rolled out of bed and stood up. “Damn. Who the fuck is killing people on my ship.”

“I do not know. I will stay here and if I am needed than I will have Yeoman Rand come sit them,” Spock said as he walked to his mate and helped him into his uniform.

“Please put clothes on if you do that,” Jim chuckled before heading towards the door.

Jim eyed Gav’s body as Bones knelt over him and looked him over.

“How was he killed?” Jim asked.

“His neck was broken,” Bones replied, standing up. “By an expert it seems.”

Jim looked to his friend. “What?”

“Well, from the nature and location of the break, I'd say the killer knew exactly where to apply pressure to snap the neck instantly.”

“Who on my ship would have that knowledge?” Jim questioned before relaying to Spock what Bones was saying.

“I don’t know, Jim,” Bones replied.

Vulcans would have that knowledge, Spock replied. The method is called tal-shaya. It was considered a merciful form of execution in ancient times.

Jim’s eyes widened. Earlier, Spock, I broke up an argument between Gav and your father.

My father would not kill over an argument, Jim. It is not logical.

Bones poked Jim’s bump. Jim blinked. “What?”

“You and the hobgoblin are doing that mind voodoo thing aren’t you?”

Jim nodded. “Spock says that Vulcans have the knowledge to break a neck like that. I told him that I broke up a fight between his dad and Gav earlier.

“Well that makes Sarek the most likely suspect,” Bones said.

“Vulcans do not approve of violence,” Jim said.

“Jim, Spock would have killed Khan if there was no way to bring you back. I think Vulcans are capable of violence.”

Spock, if you dad had a reason, could he have done it?

Their bond was quiet for a moment before Spock reluctantly replied, If there were a reason, my father is quite capable of killing. Logically and efficiently. But he would not kill over an argument.

Acknowledged, but meet me at your parent’s quarters.

Yes, Captain.

Jim looked back to Gav’s body before shaking his head. He knew Sarek and he knew Spock was right but they still had to question the prime suspect.

“Hi, Amanda,” Jim greeted when Amanda opened the doors to her quarters.

“Hello, Jim,” she replied, motioning for him, Spock, and Bones to enter the room. “What is the purpose of this visit?”

“I am sorry to wake you, but we need to speak to Sarek.”

Amanda looked at them all before saying, “He’s out at the moment. Walking with Selik. What is wrong?”

“There has been,” Spock started but stopped when the doors to the rooms opened and Sarek stepped inside.

“Sarek, Jim needs to speak with you,” Amanda said as Sarek came to stand beside her.

“Yes, James?”

“Ambassador, the Tellarite. Gav has been murdered,” Jim told them.

Amanda gasped slightly as Sarek’s face didn’t change.

“His neck was broken, Mister Ambassador,” Bones added.

“By tal-shaya,” Spock spoke. “It is illogical, but you are the prime suspect.”

“Spock,” Amanda fussed before Sarek held his hand up for her to be quiet.

“Indeed? Interesting,” Sarek said. “I assure you that I did not kill him. For the past hour I have been on meditating with Selik on the observation deck.”

“Was Selik with you the whole time?” Jim asked. “Besides you and Spock, he’s the only Vulcan onboard.”

Sarek glanced down then shook his head. “When I came out of meditation, he was gone.”

“Do you know…Sarek!” Jim then exclaimed as Sarek suddenly dropped to the floor.

“Adun,” Amanda cried, kneeling down and holding her husband’s head. “What is wrong?”

Bones knelt down to and started scanning him with a tri-corder.

“Leonard?” Spock questioned.

“I…I think it's something to do with his cardiovascular system,” Bones said.

“Can you help him?” Jim asked.

“Let’s get him to medbay because I honestly don’t know.”

Jim sat in Bones’ office, worried about his father-in-law and hating how distraught Amanda looked. Selik was MIA on the ship as well which also worried Jim.

He looked to his mate sitting stiff next to him and took his head. “Spock?”

Spock pulled his hand away and stood up. “I will contact the bridge for a status report.”

“Spock…”

“Please wait here and rest,” Spock told him before leaving the office.

Jim groaned and slouched down in his chair. He felt the babies move about and he pressed a hand to his bump. “Don’t you two start with me.”

He felt a little kick to his side and smiled. “Can’t wait to meet you two. I hope your sa-mekh-al will get to meet you as well.  He’s really nice. Scary looking, but nice.”

He’ll be alright, Spock, Jim assured his mate before huffing that Spock was blocking him a bit.

Jim shook his head then look up when the office door slid open and Spock came back in.

“How’s our ship?”

“The ship’s hull shows signs of tri-tritanium,” Spock replied.

“Our ship?”

“Negative, our shadow. The alien ship.”

“Oh, so what else about the ship? The alien one.”

“It has a clocking abilities that are not like Romulans or Klingons. Uhura has also picked up the last part of a transmission. Like the one from before. She put the recorder and the directional locator on it immediately and found the directional locator indicated a reception point somewhere within the body of our ship.”

Jim arched his brow. “A personal receiver? Somebody on board is in contact with that vessel?”

Spock looked to his mate. “Selik.”

“But why though?” Jim questioned.

“I do not know. Chekov could not decode the transmission. It is in no known code. There's no detectable pattern. No standard references apply.”

“Are any conclusions possible from the information?” Jim asked.

“Negative,” Spock said.

Jim ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “Murder? Someone out there playing tag?”

“Pike ordered Lieutenant Uhura to tighten the field to the interior of the ship when the alien vessel starts transmitting again.”

“That’s good,” Jim said with a nod. “I want to know who on board the Enterprise is receiving.”

“If it is Selik, then I suggest…”

“Its not him, Spock. Just…focus on your father right now.”

“My father…” Spock stopped as the doors opened and Chapel motioned for them to follow.

“How is he?” Jim asked as they came over to Sarek’s bedside. He was awake and sitting up slightly. Amanda sat next to him and held his hand.

“From the readings it looks to be a malfunction in one of the heart valves,” Bones replied. “Similar to a heart attack in humans, but with Vulcan physiology, it’s impossible to tell without an operation.”

Bones looked to Amanda. “Has he had any episodes like this before?”

“Yes,” she said. “There were three others. Two before on New Vulcan and the third earlier.”

“I did not inform you of those attacks, adun’a,” Sarek said. “How did you know?”

Amanda gave her husband a look. “Please. We’ve been married and bonded over thirty years, I know you better than you do. Also your physician tells me everything.”

“Amanda,” Sarek sighed before shaking his head. He looked to Bones. “My physician prescribed Benjisidrine for the condition.”

“Doctor, do you propose surgery for the heart defect?” Spock asked.

Bones rubbed the back of his neck. “I'm not sure. It's tough enough on a human. On a Vulcan, an ordinary operation's out of the question because of the construction of the Vulcan heart.”

“I suggest that a cryogenic open-heart procedure would be the logical approach,” Spock suggested.

“Yes, unquestionably,” Sarek agreed.

“Could that work?” Amanda asked.

“Yeah Bones, what about it?” Jim questioned.

“Oh, is someone asking me something? The doctor?”

“Bones,” Jim sighed.

Bones sighed. “Well, the procedure they're discussing would require tremendous amounts of blood for the patient. Chapel, how’s our supply of Vulcan blood?”

Chapel walked over looking a little surprised. “I knew before that our supply was low, but now…its like our supply has been restocked. I believe we have enough for Sarek’s operation.”

Bones blinked.

“My blood type is T-negative. Somewhat rare, even for a Vulcan. You have T-negative blood?”

“As Spock is our only Vulcan on the ship and that is his blood type, yes,” Chapel replied. “And again, our supply is now fully stocked somehow.”

“Fascinating,” Spock and Sarek said at the same time.

“Well if you have enough blood, do the procedure,” Amanda said.

“I’ve never really operated on a Vulcan before,” Bones admitted. “Sure I fix up Spock’s cuts and stuff, but nothing this major.”

“We all have faith in you, Leonard,” Amanda told him, reaching her hand out and patting his arm.

“Thank you,” Bones smiled at Amanda before looking to Chapel. “Gets some nurses together and let’s prep him for surgery.”