Back in the Day

by J. Rosemary Moss

Genre: Star Trek (AOS/Star Trek XI); Spock-Prime, McCoy, friendship fic; fan-fiction; One-shot

Rating: PG

Summary: An answer to this challenge--Spock prime takes the time to thank an old friend.

~

Damn green-blooded hobgoblin, I thought as I stalked across campus. I couldn't believe Jim was stalling about picking a first officer, just in case Spock decided to grace us with his presence. Had Jim forgotten what that pointy-eared bastard had done? He marooned Jim on Delta Vega, where the kid damn near got eaten by some ice monster.

I paused mid-stride. In fairness, Jim had been in a mutinous rage when Spock subdued him and sent him off ship. And Spock hadn't meant for Jim to end up in real danger. The kid was supposed to stay in his pod and wait for someone from Starfleet to pick him up.

But when was the last time Jim-boy did what he was supposed to do?

I sighed as I shook my head and plunked down on the green. Maybe I was being too hard on the hobgoblin. Hadn't Spock just lost his mother and his home?

Besides, Jim had been asking for it.

I smiled a little, remembering how I had likened Jim to a prize thoroughbred with the guts and instincts of a champion. Spock had retorted that a racehorse needs to be broken in order to reach its potential. He had a point. Jim's got to learn not to take the bit between his teeth. Even now, with the rank of captain, he still has superiors to work with.

But those superiors no longer included Spock. Was the Vulcan really willing to serve under Jim? Yeah, probably. I remembered how he had resigned his commission immediately when Jim proved that he was unfit for command. He hadn't wasted any time trying to salvage his pride. That took integrity.

“Dr. McCoy?”

I glanced up to find an older Vulcan addressing me. I frowned, trying to place him. I didn't remember him from the Enterprise; he wasn't one of those shell-shocked escapees I had treated.

I started to climb to my feet, out of deference to his age and recent loss, but he placed a hand on my shoulder to stop me. That surprised me. In my brief dealings with Vulcans, I had already learned that they don't like to make physical contact. Most of them won't even shake hands.

I cocked my head at him as he took a seat on the grass beside me. “Do I know you, sir?”

“Indeed,” he answered. “We are old friends.”

I stared at him, not bothering to stop my mouth from dropping open. I knew who he was. Jim had told me about . . . about this older, time-traveling Spock. But hearsay was one thing; meeting him in the flesh was something else.

“You're—you're Spock,” I managed.

He nodded. “It's good to see you, Doctor.”

I swallowed. “You know me as a friend? No offense, sir, but your counterpart and I haven't exactly gotten off on the right foot.”

He grinned. How about that—I didn't know this damned stoic race was capable of grinning. But, of course, Spock was half-human.

“My counterpart seems to have started poorly with both you and Jim.”

I forced myself to return his smile. “Well, Jim may have goaded him. And me—I caught him at a bad moment.”

“Causing you, no doubt, to refer to him as a 'pointy-eared hobgoblin.' Or was it a 'green-blooded son of a bitch?'”

I swallowed hard at that. “Ah, you've overheard me say things like that? Back in the day, I mean?”

“Overheard you?” he asked, raising one eyebrow. “You said them straight to my face.”

I laughed, suddenly relaxing. “And you don't hold that against me? You're better natured than I thought, sir.”

“There was nothing to hold against you,” he assured me. “I trusted you with my life—and more. In fact, you did something for me, 'back in the day.' Something for which I have never thanked you. I would like to remedy that now. However, I fear it will take some time to explain.”

“That's all right, sir,” I said. Oddly enough, I was starting to savor this man's company. “I'm not due aboard the Enterprise until 0800 tomorrow.”

“That leaves us fifteen hours and twenty-three point six minutes,” he said, looking almost relieved. “That will be sufficient.”

~

Spock and I were still sitting side by side on the green when the sun rose. I should have been shocked by what he told me. If his words were true—and I couldn't bring myself to doubt them—I had carried his very soul inside me.

Apparently, that damn katra of his had almost driven me insane. But I wasn't upset about it. Hell, I even found myself wondering if there was still some vague link between us—something that survived even the changing time lines.

I shook myself, causing Spock to glance at me with concern. “Have I—what is the human expression? Given you too much information?”

I grinned. “No. But I'll never look at my Spock the same way again. Does he know about this?”

“Not yet. I thought that I had best leave that to you—you can inform him or not, as you see fit.”

I nodded. I had no idea if I'd tell him.

I felt Spock shift toward me then and place his warm, elegant, wrinkled hand over mine. “Thank you, Leonard.”

I turned and smiled at him, wishing I had more momentous words for this occasion. But somehow I knew that the words I had would suffice.

“You're welcome, my friend.”


~The End~