Fic: Bonds of Change 1/4, Trek reboot/American Idol, NC17/18
Title: Bonds of Change 1/4
Author: Beren
Fandom: Star Trek XI / American Idol RPS
Pairing: Kirk/Spock/Uhura, Adam Lambert/Kris Allen
Rating: NC17/18
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Gene Roddenberry and Paramount Picture. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. This story also contains characters based on real people doing things they really didn't do.
Warnings: none
Summary: Trek XI/Adam Lambert/Kris Allen xover - When Kirk is kidnapped by xenophobic separatists from the planet Sonara his whole world is thrown into chaos. By messing with his DNA they cause his relationship with Spock to completely change bringing into question the two officers' roles as Captain and First Officer. Their only hopes are Attaché Allen and Protector Lambert, a couple from Sonara in a similar relationship to their own.
Author's Notes: Written for darke_wulf for help_nz. I can only apologise for how long this has taken. I just got stuck and then distracted by everything else and I have no excuse. I figured if I finally started posting it I would have to finish the last couple of scenes that seem to hate me :). darke_wulf I really hope this was what you were after.
Links to Chapter 1 elsewhere: DW | AO3
Other parts:
Part 2 LJ | Part 2 DW | Part 2 AO3
Part 3 LJ | Part 3 DW | Part 3 AO3
Part 4 LJ | Part 4 DW | Part 4 AO3
Chapter 1 New Connections
Jim lay on his side and tried to stop shivering. He wasn't cold, but every muscle in his body seemed to want to tremble at the same time. He felt like an addict, but, to his knowledge, his only addiction was the Enterprise.
The week had started so well. First contact with the Sonarians; a technologically advanced, friendly, intelligent race who seemed delighted to find the Enterprise on their doorstep, had gone without a hitch. The only slightly odd part had been that the Sonarians, as a race seemed to be obessed with music. Jim had learned about a whole other side of several members of his crew, including Spock.
What no one in the Sonarian governing body had mentioned was the small, but militant, xenophobic element of their society who wanted nothing to do with anyone from outside their solar system. One minute Kirk had been talking about possible shore leave for his crew and the next he'd been hit by a blast of something that had made everything very shiny and happy for a while.
He'd come down from the harmless, but irritating high in a cell that looked more like a sickbay and he'd been there since. His captors had given him a whole speech about how aliens were incredibly dangerous to their society and then they'd started in on him. The first thing that had gone was his uniform. Soon after that the xenophobes had started to subject him to procedures of some description, the nature of which he could only guess at. Whatever they had been doing had made him woozy and unfocused, so he hadn't had much chance to do anything except lie where he was put.
The last had been the worst. Ever since they had left him, his skin felt as if it was prickling all over, he couldn't stop shaking and, if he had had anything in his stomach, he was sure it wouldn't have been there for long. It was like the worst hangover imaginable combined with motion sickness even though he was lying perfectly still.
When the door burst inwards the noise made him moan and curl up even more. It never occurred to him to look to see who it was.
"Captain."
He knew that voice, but it took his brain a moment to catch up with the fact.
"Spock?" he said, not quite believing what he was hearing.
While he had been a captive he had lost track of time and reality and his mind didn't seem overly happy at catching back up.
"Are you injured?"
It was definitely Spock, because that was a dumb assed question if ever he had heard one.
"Worst hangover in the universe," he managed to say, trying to sound nonchalant.
Then he tried to move and discovered it could actually get worse. His sense of balance was totally off and he tried to sit up and almost pitched off the side of the bed. Strong hands caught him before he could tumble to the floor, but the world was going round so badly that he almost didn't notice.
"I believe it would be best if you did not move, Captain," Spock said, as stoic as ever.
He didn't even bother to reply, he just hung on. Spock was about the only thing in the universe that didn't seem to be moving.
"Don't ..." he heard a new voice say and then stop. "Dammit."
Jim did his best to make his eyes focus on whoever was speaking. About all he managed to see was a fuzzy shape, which his brain translated into a tall man with black hair.
"What were you about to say, Protector Lambert?" Spock asked.
"It's too late now."
"Too late for what?" Jim might not have been able to see, but he was not in the mood to be talked over.
"I was going to say, 'don't touch him'," the protector said quickly, "but we'll have to worry about that later. We need to get everyone out of the shielded zone; not all the dissidents have been found yet. Since we do not know what Captain Kirk had been subjected to, I would suggest limiting physical contact to you alone, Mr Spock."
Jim would have objected, but his first officer seemed to think it was a good idea. With apparently no effort, Spock picked him up and his stomach lurched so much he had no choice but to throw his arms around Spock's neck and hang on. It should have been mortifyingly embarrassing, but being too busy trying not to throw up kept his mind and body more than occupied.
It was chaos and Jim could not keep what was happening around him straight. He rested his head on his arm and simply trusted in his first officer and whoever Spock was with to get him out of the situation. It was an alien thing to do, but even he knew how to pick his battles.
"Emergency beam out," he heard Spock say as what sounded like phaser fire passed close by them.
They had to have cleared the shielded zone, however big it was, because Jim almost instantly felt the familiar sensation of the transporter.
"Maintain contact with Protector Lambert," Spock said efficiently and Jim just about recognised the controlled environment of the Enterprise, "I will take the captain to sickbay."
At any other time Jim would have added his own input to the situation, but he felt so damn tired. His skin had stopped itching at least, but Spock was still the only thing he seemed able to concentrate on and it was hard not to just relax and let everything else go away.
Spock spoke to several people on the way to sickbay, but Jim didn't have the strength to concentrate on what was said. It was only when he was placed on a biobed and Spock finally stepped away that reality slammed into him. He did not like it at all as his whole body suddenly informed him that he needed to be awake and he could not stop himself reaching out for the lost contact.
"Spock, stay right there," he heard Bone's familiar voice say, "I need to check for contagions. Jim, just try and relax, I need to examine you."
Jim found himself being pushed gently back onto the bio bed, and his brain caught up with his instincts. He wanted to reach out to Spock, but he grabbed a hold of himself and pushed that need down; it was ridiculous. His imprisonment had affected his mind and that was unacceptable.
"Jim, simple question first, how many fingers?"
It was typical of Bones to start with something ridiculously unsophisticated. What was a little worrying was the number of blinks it took Jim to focus and find the answer.
"Three."
Bones grunted, satisfied with that and then began to scan him. It was ludicrous, but Jim couldn't stop himself looking over to Spock for reassurance as the doctor's machines beeped and whined.
"Jim, it's not good to let someone mess with your DNA," Bones said after a few seconds, "but don't worry, I'll have you sorted out in no time."
He was going to say something to that, but a hypospray was pushed to his neck and after the first hiss his whole body began to relax. Muscles that had been cramped for what seemed like forever slowly began to unknot and for a few seconds all he could do was sigh in relief.
"What did they do to me?" he managed to ask eventually as Bones dosed him up a second time.
"Well you're prettier than you were," Bones said in his usual gruff tone. "Those sparkly freckles the Sonarians have bring out your cheek bones."
"They were trying to make me one of them?"
It sounded ridiculously farfetched and more than a little insane, but that kind of thing came with the captaincy of the Enterprise, or so Jim was discovering.
"Probably objected to your stubborn streak," Bones said, hypoing him yet again. "Do not move while I check the computer."
Jim was pretty sure running away this time was beyond even him, so for once he did as he was told while Bones walked away.
"You appear somewhat more lucid, Captain," Spock said, standing precisely where he had been told to stay.
"I feel it," he admitted and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Thanks for getting me out of there."
"It was Protector Lambert's team who deserve the credit," Spock told him. "Their security system is most efficient."
Coming from a Vulcan that was high praise indeed and Jim made a mental note to thank Lambert once he was back on his feet. Protectors were the Sonarian's equivalent of police, army and security force all rolled into one and Jim had met Lambert during the initial negotiations. He had liked the man and was now very glad Lambert appeared to be good at his job as well.
"How long was I gone?" he asked.
"Three days, four hours and twenty seven minutes, ship time," Spock informed him.
"Why the hell didn't they just kill me?"
It would have made much more sense to destroy the invaders rather than try and convert them as far as Jim was concerned.
"The Sonarian people object to killing of any kind," Spock explained, stepping closer; "it is a fundamental principle of their society. It would appear that they will only use deadly force as a final resort when all other avenues have been explored."
Jim let his sluggish brain process that. Trust him to walk into the middle of a civil dispute bent on using the least violent options possible. It did, however, beat being dead.
"Anyone else hurt?" he asked, going over possibilities in his mind.
"You were the dissidents' primary target," Spock told him, "and the only crew member abducted. Ensign Checkov sprained an ankle, but he was the only other casualty."
Jim laughed at that, because he needed to release the tension somehow, and Spock's deadpan delivery was faintly ridiculous. He was incredibly relieved that the rest of his crew were safe.
"I'm sure that gained him points with Ensign Philips," he said and closed his eyes for a moment.
"I believe Checkov's relationship with Philips ended mutually two weeks ago."
Jim did not bother asking why Spock felt the need to keep up with human mating rituals on the ship, he just accepted it. At least it gave him something else to think about. For some reason he could not fathom he found himself feeling less jumpy when he opened his eyes again and looked at his first officer.
Spock was a man of few words, but Jim found the Vulcan's presence comforting while Bones busied around both of them, scanning and muttering and being, basically, doctorly.
"Okay, Spock," Bones said after about half an hour, coming back from some mysterious thing he had been doing, "you can go. Whatever the Sonarians did to Jim, it's not contagious."
"Yay for the silver lining," Jim said and did his best to smile.
The looks both Bones and Spock gave him did not share his forced levity.
"With your permission, Captain, I will return to the bridge and liaise with the Sonarian security personnel, they may have more information by now."
Jim nodded at his first officer, after all it was standard procedure. It wasn't as if he was going anywhere any time soon and who knew how long it would take Bones to put him right. If any information the Sonarians had could help, so much the better.
"Keep me informed," he said and did his best to relax.
"You'll keep me informed," Bones said and glared at Spock, "I'll be the judge of what our illustrious captain needs to know."
Jim did his best to level an 'I am the captain, my word goes' look at both men, but he was pretty sure he failed.
"Of course," was all Spock said and it could have been to either of them; damn tricky Vulcan.
The next thing Jim knew he was blinking dazedly at the ceiling, as he tried to remember what had happened. Spock had gone to leave the room to return to the bridge and ... he didn't know what had occurred next.
"Jim, can you hear me?" That was Bones and he sounded worried. Since Bones could look a major disaster in the face and just grouch about it, this in turn worried Jim.
"Yeah," he said, finding that even one word was almost more effort than he could manage.
"You've had a seizure. I just want you to lie still while I run some tests."
If he'd had the energy he would have laughed at that, because moving was the furthest thing from his mind. About all he could do was look over to where Spock was hovering in the corner of the room. That made him feel a little better and, for once, he managed to follow Bones' advice.
"If the Captain is stable, I will return to the bridge," Spock said after a few moments.
It was almost exactly what the Vulcan had tried to do only moments before, but this time Spock didn't have a chance to follow through on it. As Spock turned to leave the door to sickbay opened.
"That would be a spectacularly bad idea," the somewhat short Sonarian standing in the entrance said.
Jim thought he might have met the man at one of the diplomatic parties, but his memory was a little fuzzy, so he couldn't be sure. He definitely remembered Protector Lambert who was standing directly behind the stranger though.
"Who are you and what do you think you are doing in my sickbay?" Bones all but demanded.
"Kris Allen, Dr McCoy, cultural attaché and I apologise for the intrusion, but my partner and I are here to offer our assistance. Captain Kirk, Mr Spock, please forgive us for the sudden arrival."
Greeting visitors to his ship while lying on his back, mostly helpless, was not something Jim liked, but he barely managed to make it to one elbow before collapsing back onto the bed.
"Stay put," was all Bones said, and since there was no berating with it, Jim assumed his friend knew he couldn't have moved if he wanted to.
"You have ascertained what was done to the captain," Spock said, it was not a question.
"It took some time to untangle the computer records," Allen replied with a nod, "but, yes, our experts have recovered the data we retrieved from the raid. I'm sorry, Captain, but the dissidents were trying to turn you into what we call a submissive."
Jim managed to half sit up at that; he was submissive to no one.
"Please explain," Spock said in his annoyingly reasonable tone before Jim could voice an objection.
"Of course," Allen replied, stepping further into the room, shadowed very closely by Lambert and a member of the Enterprise's security. "Submissives are a subset of our population, both male and female. Approximately one in ten thousand of our race are born with this genetic prerogative."
"What do you mean submissive, submissive to who?" Jim did his best to demand, but he wasn't really feeling strong enough to be imposing.
"To their mate, Captain," Allen said apologetically. "At a certain time in their life submissives go into heat and seek out their balance. This heat has several stages and we have very specific non-interference laws when it comes to allowing a submissive to find their match. When they find their mate the submissive offers themselves to their chosen mate and their match may accept or reject them with a touch. It is considered a great honour to be chosen and only those with a very good reason ever refuse."
Jim didn't like where this was going.
"Why would they do that to the captain?" Bones asked.
"The dissidents altered Captain Kirk's DNA and chemically forced him into heat. We believe their plan was to mate him to one of their own. Once the mating bond is formed it cannot be broken and a submissive's mate has a great deal of power over them," Allen explained.
"So how do we undo what they did to me?" Jim asked, hoping that the grave look on Allen's face didn't mean what he thought it probably did.
The way Allen looked at Lambert and then back at him did not bode well.
"We can't," Allen replied in a very apologetic tone. "What was done to you was cutting edge science, it should never have been attempted with a sentient being. Trying to undo it would most likely kill you."
Jim looked at Bones.
"We will look at the options," was all the doctor said and Jim was not overly comforted.
He slumped back onto the biobed.
"Well then, you said this heat was induced chemically, how do we un-induce it?" Bones asked, practical as ever.
For some reason, Jim didn't think he was going to like the answer to that question either.
"It's too late," this time it was Lambert who spoke and confirmed his fears, "Captain Kirk has already formed the mating bond. That is why he had a seizure."
For a fraction of a second shock flicked across Spock's face and Jim knew his first officer had come to the same conclusion he had.
"He has formed the bond with me." Again, Spock didn't ask a question, the Vulcan simply stated a fact.
"I'm sorry," Allen said and Jim almost believed him, "but the dissidents had forced you into a state where you needed desperately to bond. When someone you trusted touched you, you reacted at an instinctive level to protect yourself."
Now he did laugh, even though he barely had the energy to do so. There went his career.
"If we resequence Jim's DNA back to what it should be, the effect should be removed," Bones said.
"Doctor McCoy," Allen said in a way that made Jim go cold, "the procedures used on Captain Kirk were not a simple combination of genetic traits. The captain's original DNA no longer exists."
"Then we can use the same techniques to return his DNA to purely human."
"The hormonal response from the mating bond would kill the captain before that could be achieved," Allen said and sounded completely sure of his facts.
Jim really didn't want to be listening to the discussion. He knew the Sonarians were an advanced race, in some ways more advanced than the Federation and he was very afraid they had found one of those areas.
"Look," Lambert said as Bones and Allen held their stand off, "we can put our experts in touch with you, Doctor, but until then, Kris and I are here to help both you, Captain and Mr Spock adjust. We are a mated pair."
That made Jim flick his eyes over the two. He had had no idea.
"You're the submissive?" he asked, looking at Allen.
"No," Lambert said and surprised him, "I am."
Lambert was a good six inches taller than Allen and Jim had seen him ordering around the security force at the government building. There was nothing at all that said submissive about Protector Lambert.
"You can't tell a submissive by looking at them, Captain," Allen said with a sad smile. "Only when they go into heat can you tell. Adam and I have been mated for four years. When he found me I was engaged to a woman, so I was shocked at the time, but submissives are never wrong in their choices when given free will."
"But I wasn't given free will," Jim said, barely managing to hide the mix of emotions that threatened to overflow as he tried to come to terms with what he was being told.
"Neither of you were," Lambert said with just enough sympathy to guilt Jim in to realising that he wasn't the only one completely screwed over by the situation, "which is why we are here to help."
"Would one of you gentlemen please explain why this situation caused my patient to have a full blown seizure?" Bones sounded annoyed.
"Captain Kirk will require Mr Spock's presence for the next twenty hours at least, while the mating bond settles," Allen said. "Anything else results in an abandonment response."
"Abandonment means death," Lambert said with deadly seriousness.
Jim was pretty sure if he started laughing again he wouldn't stop until he passed out. In the end he decided that would be a bad move, but it was a close thing. He was bonded to Spock, for life and Bones didn't seem to have a fix to hand. He and Spock barely even tolerated each other and then there was Uhura. Bizarrely that made him feel a little better; it was possible Uhura would just kill him and put him out of his misery.
"Can this get anymore screwed up?" he asked the room in general and promptly passed out.
~*~
Kris saw Spock step forward the moment Kirk slumped on the bed. It was clear the mating bond was also beginning to affect the controlled Vulcan and Kris knew he needed to talk to the man. Their society had been dealing with submissives for thousands of years, but he was well aware it could be a culture shock to other races. The moment he had been aware of what was going on he had realised what needed to be done and he had barely needed to ask Adam, because his mate had been thinking the exact same thing. An established mated pair always mentored new mated pairs and he and Adam were the closest match to Kirk and Spock.
"Damn idiot," he heard the doctor say; "if he'd just lie still when I tell him to."
"Doctor McCoy," Kris held back as Adam stepped in, "maybe it would help if I set up the links to our experts?"
Kris in turn set his sights on Spock. They had met several times at the diplomatic events the government had set up and he had never seen the Vulcan remotely rattled by anything. Spock still appeared mostly perfectly calm, but there was just something about the other man's eyes that told Kris all he needed to know.
"Mr Spock," he said quietly as Adam dealt with McCoy, "it would aid in the captain's recovery and your equilibrium if you moved closer. Light physical contact would be best."
Spock gave him a very cool stare, but when he indicated Kirk, Spock finally moved. He could actually see some of the hard lines of Spock's shoulders relax a little when the Vulcan gently placed two fingers against the skin of Kirk's arm.
"Why is this situation affecting my physical responses," Spock asked in a completely logical tone; "I am not Sonarian?"
At least there was no denial in the question.
"When you inadvertently accepted the mating bond, Captain Kirk's brain waves adapted to be perfectly compatible with yours," Kris explained as gently as he could. "There is a low level empathic bond between mated couples; not enough to be consciously apparent, but enough for one to affect the other."
Strangely, that part of the explanation did not seem to faze Spock in the slightest.
"Similar to the Pon Farr, but faster," the Vulcan said and Kris made a mental note to ask about that when things were not so on edge.
Kris shifted his attention to Kirk for a few moments. Ever since Spock had initiated physical contact, the captain appeared to be resting more easily.
"When we first contacted your government, why did they not mention the xenophobic element to your society?" Spock very succinctly drew him from his musings.
While Kirk had been missing the Vulcan's focus had been purely on finding his captain, but now, it seemed, it was time for the questions.
"We honestly did not think they would be a threat," he replied with complete openness. "In the past the separatists have preached their doctrine and refused to interact with outsiders, but they have never acted against them. You have to understand, Mr Spock, we are not a confrontational people. What the dissidents have done is almost incomprehensible to us."
He wasn't sure Spock totally believed him.
"The separatists believe outsiders will corrupt the song of our people," he tried to explain, "the rest of us believe that the song can only become greater the more harmonies that are added to it."
"You claim to be non-confrontational and yet your planetary security service is one of the most efficient I have seen," Spock said without commenting on his explanation.
"Please do not misunderstand me, Mr Spock," Kris said with a small smile, "we are not pacifists. If violence is necessary we will use it, but we have always preferred to settle our disputes in other ways."
"Your bards," Spock said with a nod.
Kris was a little surprised, he had not expected any of the outsiders to have investigated his own planet's methodologies that closely yet.
"Exactly," he replied candidly. "Thousands of years ago, when our planet was still divided, my people decided that music was a far greater weapon than force. Planetary debates are still held in song. We believe that music calls to the soul and a song will call people to make the right decision. When a member addresses the assembly they are still referred to as a bard."
The way Spock's eyebrow lifted slightly made him think Spock was not quite of the same mind.
"Your planet still appears to be divided."
That stung a little.
"The separatists are only a very small number," he defended his people, "and even fewer still of those are advocates of violence. Members of the separatist movement aided us in finding those responsible for the acts against your people."
That appeared to be the right thing to say, because Spock nodded again.
Kris did not really understand the Vulcan. The man appeared to be emotionless on the surface and yet he had heard Spock play the most incredible music at one of the receptions. Spock was a conundrum.
"It would be best if Captain Kirk was allowed to rest for several hours," Kris decided to be practical for the moment, "I would recommend you do not move further than a few feet away during that time."
Spock acknowledged him, but did not reply and Kris decided to go and talk to Adam and Dr McCoy and allow Spock time to think things through.
End of Chapter 1
On to Part 2 (LJ)
Author: Beren
Fandom: Star Trek XI / American Idol RPS
Pairing: Kirk/Spock/Uhura, Adam Lambert/Kris Allen
Rating: NC17/18
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Gene Roddenberry and Paramount Picture. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. This story also contains characters based on real people doing things they really didn't do.
Warnings: none
Summary: Trek XI/Adam Lambert/Kris Allen xover - When Kirk is kidnapped by xenophobic separatists from the planet Sonara his whole world is thrown into chaos. By messing with his DNA they cause his relationship with Spock to completely change bringing into question the two officers' roles as Captain and First Officer. Their only hopes are Attaché Allen and Protector Lambert, a couple from Sonara in a similar relationship to their own.
Author's Notes: Written for darke_wulf for help_nz. I can only apologise for how long this has taken. I just got stuck and then distracted by everything else and I have no excuse. I figured if I finally started posting it I would have to finish the last couple of scenes that seem to hate me :). darke_wulf I really hope this was what you were after.
Links to Chapter 1 elsewhere: DW | AO3
Other parts:
Part 2 LJ | Part 2 DW | Part 2 AO3
Part 3 LJ | Part 3 DW | Part 3 AO3
Part 4 LJ | Part 4 DW | Part 4 AO3
Chapter 1 New Connections
Jim lay on his side and tried to stop shivering. He wasn't cold, but every muscle in his body seemed to want to tremble at the same time. He felt like an addict, but, to his knowledge, his only addiction was the Enterprise.
The week had started so well. First contact with the Sonarians; a technologically advanced, friendly, intelligent race who seemed delighted to find the Enterprise on their doorstep, had gone without a hitch. The only slightly odd part had been that the Sonarians, as a race seemed to be obessed with music. Jim had learned about a whole other side of several members of his crew, including Spock.
What no one in the Sonarian governing body had mentioned was the small, but militant, xenophobic element of their society who wanted nothing to do with anyone from outside their solar system. One minute Kirk had been talking about possible shore leave for his crew and the next he'd been hit by a blast of something that had made everything very shiny and happy for a while.
He'd come down from the harmless, but irritating high in a cell that looked more like a sickbay and he'd been there since. His captors had given him a whole speech about how aliens were incredibly dangerous to their society and then they'd started in on him. The first thing that had gone was his uniform. Soon after that the xenophobes had started to subject him to procedures of some description, the nature of which he could only guess at. Whatever they had been doing had made him woozy and unfocused, so he hadn't had much chance to do anything except lie where he was put.
The last had been the worst. Ever since they had left him, his skin felt as if it was prickling all over, he couldn't stop shaking and, if he had had anything in his stomach, he was sure it wouldn't have been there for long. It was like the worst hangover imaginable combined with motion sickness even though he was lying perfectly still.
When the door burst inwards the noise made him moan and curl up even more. It never occurred to him to look to see who it was.
"Captain."
He knew that voice, but it took his brain a moment to catch up with the fact.
"Spock?" he said, not quite believing what he was hearing.
While he had been a captive he had lost track of time and reality and his mind didn't seem overly happy at catching back up.
"Are you injured?"
It was definitely Spock, because that was a dumb assed question if ever he had heard one.
"Worst hangover in the universe," he managed to say, trying to sound nonchalant.
Then he tried to move and discovered it could actually get worse. His sense of balance was totally off and he tried to sit up and almost pitched off the side of the bed. Strong hands caught him before he could tumble to the floor, but the world was going round so badly that he almost didn't notice.
"I believe it would be best if you did not move, Captain," Spock said, as stoic as ever.
He didn't even bother to reply, he just hung on. Spock was about the only thing in the universe that didn't seem to be moving.
"Don't ..." he heard a new voice say and then stop. "Dammit."
Jim did his best to make his eyes focus on whoever was speaking. About all he managed to see was a fuzzy shape, which his brain translated into a tall man with black hair.
"What were you about to say, Protector Lambert?" Spock asked.
"It's too late now."
"Too late for what?" Jim might not have been able to see, but he was not in the mood to be talked over.
"I was going to say, 'don't touch him'," the protector said quickly, "but we'll have to worry about that later. We need to get everyone out of the shielded zone; not all the dissidents have been found yet. Since we do not know what Captain Kirk had been subjected to, I would suggest limiting physical contact to you alone, Mr Spock."
Jim would have objected, but his first officer seemed to think it was a good idea. With apparently no effort, Spock picked him up and his stomach lurched so much he had no choice but to throw his arms around Spock's neck and hang on. It should have been mortifyingly embarrassing, but being too busy trying not to throw up kept his mind and body more than occupied.
It was chaos and Jim could not keep what was happening around him straight. He rested his head on his arm and simply trusted in his first officer and whoever Spock was with to get him out of the situation. It was an alien thing to do, but even he knew how to pick his battles.
"Emergency beam out," he heard Spock say as what sounded like phaser fire passed close by them.
They had to have cleared the shielded zone, however big it was, because Jim almost instantly felt the familiar sensation of the transporter.
"Maintain contact with Protector Lambert," Spock said efficiently and Jim just about recognised the controlled environment of the Enterprise, "I will take the captain to sickbay."
At any other time Jim would have added his own input to the situation, but he felt so damn tired. His skin had stopped itching at least, but Spock was still the only thing he seemed able to concentrate on and it was hard not to just relax and let everything else go away.
Spock spoke to several people on the way to sickbay, but Jim didn't have the strength to concentrate on what was said. It was only when he was placed on a biobed and Spock finally stepped away that reality slammed into him. He did not like it at all as his whole body suddenly informed him that he needed to be awake and he could not stop himself reaching out for the lost contact.
"Spock, stay right there," he heard Bone's familiar voice say, "I need to check for contagions. Jim, just try and relax, I need to examine you."
Jim found himself being pushed gently back onto the bio bed, and his brain caught up with his instincts. He wanted to reach out to Spock, but he grabbed a hold of himself and pushed that need down; it was ridiculous. His imprisonment had affected his mind and that was unacceptable.
"Jim, simple question first, how many fingers?"
It was typical of Bones to start with something ridiculously unsophisticated. What was a little worrying was the number of blinks it took Jim to focus and find the answer.
"Three."
Bones grunted, satisfied with that and then began to scan him. It was ludicrous, but Jim couldn't stop himself looking over to Spock for reassurance as the doctor's machines beeped and whined.
"Jim, it's not good to let someone mess with your DNA," Bones said after a few seconds, "but don't worry, I'll have you sorted out in no time."
He was going to say something to that, but a hypospray was pushed to his neck and after the first hiss his whole body began to relax. Muscles that had been cramped for what seemed like forever slowly began to unknot and for a few seconds all he could do was sigh in relief.
"What did they do to me?" he managed to ask eventually as Bones dosed him up a second time.
"Well you're prettier than you were," Bones said in his usual gruff tone. "Those sparkly freckles the Sonarians have bring out your cheek bones."
"They were trying to make me one of them?"
It sounded ridiculously farfetched and more than a little insane, but that kind of thing came with the captaincy of the Enterprise, or so Jim was discovering.
"Probably objected to your stubborn streak," Bones said, hypoing him yet again. "Do not move while I check the computer."
Jim was pretty sure running away this time was beyond even him, so for once he did as he was told while Bones walked away.
"You appear somewhat more lucid, Captain," Spock said, standing precisely where he had been told to stay.
"I feel it," he admitted and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Thanks for getting me out of there."
"It was Protector Lambert's team who deserve the credit," Spock told him. "Their security system is most efficient."
Coming from a Vulcan that was high praise indeed and Jim made a mental note to thank Lambert once he was back on his feet. Protectors were the Sonarian's equivalent of police, army and security force all rolled into one and Jim had met Lambert during the initial negotiations. He had liked the man and was now very glad Lambert appeared to be good at his job as well.
"How long was I gone?" he asked.
"Three days, four hours and twenty seven minutes, ship time," Spock informed him.
"Why the hell didn't they just kill me?"
It would have made much more sense to destroy the invaders rather than try and convert them as far as Jim was concerned.
"The Sonarian people object to killing of any kind," Spock explained, stepping closer; "it is a fundamental principle of their society. It would appear that they will only use deadly force as a final resort when all other avenues have been explored."
Jim let his sluggish brain process that. Trust him to walk into the middle of a civil dispute bent on using the least violent options possible. It did, however, beat being dead.
"Anyone else hurt?" he asked, going over possibilities in his mind.
"You were the dissidents' primary target," Spock told him, "and the only crew member abducted. Ensign Checkov sprained an ankle, but he was the only other casualty."
Jim laughed at that, because he needed to release the tension somehow, and Spock's deadpan delivery was faintly ridiculous. He was incredibly relieved that the rest of his crew were safe.
"I'm sure that gained him points with Ensign Philips," he said and closed his eyes for a moment.
"I believe Checkov's relationship with Philips ended mutually two weeks ago."
Jim did not bother asking why Spock felt the need to keep up with human mating rituals on the ship, he just accepted it. At least it gave him something else to think about. For some reason he could not fathom he found himself feeling less jumpy when he opened his eyes again and looked at his first officer.
Spock was a man of few words, but Jim found the Vulcan's presence comforting while Bones busied around both of them, scanning and muttering and being, basically, doctorly.
"Okay, Spock," Bones said after about half an hour, coming back from some mysterious thing he had been doing, "you can go. Whatever the Sonarians did to Jim, it's not contagious."
"Yay for the silver lining," Jim said and did his best to smile.
The looks both Bones and Spock gave him did not share his forced levity.
"With your permission, Captain, I will return to the bridge and liaise with the Sonarian security personnel, they may have more information by now."
Jim nodded at his first officer, after all it was standard procedure. It wasn't as if he was going anywhere any time soon and who knew how long it would take Bones to put him right. If any information the Sonarians had could help, so much the better.
"Keep me informed," he said and did his best to relax.
"You'll keep me informed," Bones said and glared at Spock, "I'll be the judge of what our illustrious captain needs to know."
Jim did his best to level an 'I am the captain, my word goes' look at both men, but he was pretty sure he failed.
"Of course," was all Spock said and it could have been to either of them; damn tricky Vulcan.
The next thing Jim knew he was blinking dazedly at the ceiling, as he tried to remember what had happened. Spock had gone to leave the room to return to the bridge and ... he didn't know what had occurred next.
"Jim, can you hear me?" That was Bones and he sounded worried. Since Bones could look a major disaster in the face and just grouch about it, this in turn worried Jim.
"Yeah," he said, finding that even one word was almost more effort than he could manage.
"You've had a seizure. I just want you to lie still while I run some tests."
If he'd had the energy he would have laughed at that, because moving was the furthest thing from his mind. About all he could do was look over to where Spock was hovering in the corner of the room. That made him feel a little better and, for once, he managed to follow Bones' advice.
"If the Captain is stable, I will return to the bridge," Spock said after a few moments.
It was almost exactly what the Vulcan had tried to do only moments before, but this time Spock didn't have a chance to follow through on it. As Spock turned to leave the door to sickbay opened.
"That would be a spectacularly bad idea," the somewhat short Sonarian standing in the entrance said.
Jim thought he might have met the man at one of the diplomatic parties, but his memory was a little fuzzy, so he couldn't be sure. He definitely remembered Protector Lambert who was standing directly behind the stranger though.
"Who are you and what do you think you are doing in my sickbay?" Bones all but demanded.
"Kris Allen, Dr McCoy, cultural attaché and I apologise for the intrusion, but my partner and I are here to offer our assistance. Captain Kirk, Mr Spock, please forgive us for the sudden arrival."
Greeting visitors to his ship while lying on his back, mostly helpless, was not something Jim liked, but he barely managed to make it to one elbow before collapsing back onto the bed.
"Stay put," was all Bones said, and since there was no berating with it, Jim assumed his friend knew he couldn't have moved if he wanted to.
"You have ascertained what was done to the captain," Spock said, it was not a question.
"It took some time to untangle the computer records," Allen replied with a nod, "but, yes, our experts have recovered the data we retrieved from the raid. I'm sorry, Captain, but the dissidents were trying to turn you into what we call a submissive."
Jim managed to half sit up at that; he was submissive to no one.
"Please explain," Spock said in his annoyingly reasonable tone before Jim could voice an objection.
"Of course," Allen replied, stepping further into the room, shadowed very closely by Lambert and a member of the Enterprise's security. "Submissives are a subset of our population, both male and female. Approximately one in ten thousand of our race are born with this genetic prerogative."
"What do you mean submissive, submissive to who?" Jim did his best to demand, but he wasn't really feeling strong enough to be imposing.
"To their mate, Captain," Allen said apologetically. "At a certain time in their life submissives go into heat and seek out their balance. This heat has several stages and we have very specific non-interference laws when it comes to allowing a submissive to find their match. When they find their mate the submissive offers themselves to their chosen mate and their match may accept or reject them with a touch. It is considered a great honour to be chosen and only those with a very good reason ever refuse."
Jim didn't like where this was going.
"Why would they do that to the captain?" Bones asked.
"The dissidents altered Captain Kirk's DNA and chemically forced him into heat. We believe their plan was to mate him to one of their own. Once the mating bond is formed it cannot be broken and a submissive's mate has a great deal of power over them," Allen explained.
"So how do we undo what they did to me?" Jim asked, hoping that the grave look on Allen's face didn't mean what he thought it probably did.
The way Allen looked at Lambert and then back at him did not bode well.
"We can't," Allen replied in a very apologetic tone. "What was done to you was cutting edge science, it should never have been attempted with a sentient being. Trying to undo it would most likely kill you."
Jim looked at Bones.
"We will look at the options," was all the doctor said and Jim was not overly comforted.
He slumped back onto the biobed.
"Well then, you said this heat was induced chemically, how do we un-induce it?" Bones asked, practical as ever.
For some reason, Jim didn't think he was going to like the answer to that question either.
"It's too late," this time it was Lambert who spoke and confirmed his fears, "Captain Kirk has already formed the mating bond. That is why he had a seizure."
For a fraction of a second shock flicked across Spock's face and Jim knew his first officer had come to the same conclusion he had.
"He has formed the bond with me." Again, Spock didn't ask a question, the Vulcan simply stated a fact.
"I'm sorry," Allen said and Jim almost believed him, "but the dissidents had forced you into a state where you needed desperately to bond. When someone you trusted touched you, you reacted at an instinctive level to protect yourself."
Now he did laugh, even though he barely had the energy to do so. There went his career.
"If we resequence Jim's DNA back to what it should be, the effect should be removed," Bones said.
"Doctor McCoy," Allen said in a way that made Jim go cold, "the procedures used on Captain Kirk were not a simple combination of genetic traits. The captain's original DNA no longer exists."
"Then we can use the same techniques to return his DNA to purely human."
"The hormonal response from the mating bond would kill the captain before that could be achieved," Allen said and sounded completely sure of his facts.
Jim really didn't want to be listening to the discussion. He knew the Sonarians were an advanced race, in some ways more advanced than the Federation and he was very afraid they had found one of those areas.
"Look," Lambert said as Bones and Allen held their stand off, "we can put our experts in touch with you, Doctor, but until then, Kris and I are here to help both you, Captain and Mr Spock adjust. We are a mated pair."
That made Jim flick his eyes over the two. He had had no idea.
"You're the submissive?" he asked, looking at Allen.
"No," Lambert said and surprised him, "I am."
Lambert was a good six inches taller than Allen and Jim had seen him ordering around the security force at the government building. There was nothing at all that said submissive about Protector Lambert.
"You can't tell a submissive by looking at them, Captain," Allen said with a sad smile. "Only when they go into heat can you tell. Adam and I have been mated for four years. When he found me I was engaged to a woman, so I was shocked at the time, but submissives are never wrong in their choices when given free will."
"But I wasn't given free will," Jim said, barely managing to hide the mix of emotions that threatened to overflow as he tried to come to terms with what he was being told.
"Neither of you were," Lambert said with just enough sympathy to guilt Jim in to realising that he wasn't the only one completely screwed over by the situation, "which is why we are here to help."
"Would one of you gentlemen please explain why this situation caused my patient to have a full blown seizure?" Bones sounded annoyed.
"Captain Kirk will require Mr Spock's presence for the next twenty hours at least, while the mating bond settles," Allen said. "Anything else results in an abandonment response."
"Abandonment means death," Lambert said with deadly seriousness.
Jim was pretty sure if he started laughing again he wouldn't stop until he passed out. In the end he decided that would be a bad move, but it was a close thing. He was bonded to Spock, for life and Bones didn't seem to have a fix to hand. He and Spock barely even tolerated each other and then there was Uhura. Bizarrely that made him feel a little better; it was possible Uhura would just kill him and put him out of his misery.
"Can this get anymore screwed up?" he asked the room in general and promptly passed out.
~*~
Kris saw Spock step forward the moment Kirk slumped on the bed. It was clear the mating bond was also beginning to affect the controlled Vulcan and Kris knew he needed to talk to the man. Their society had been dealing with submissives for thousands of years, but he was well aware it could be a culture shock to other races. The moment he had been aware of what was going on he had realised what needed to be done and he had barely needed to ask Adam, because his mate had been thinking the exact same thing. An established mated pair always mentored new mated pairs and he and Adam were the closest match to Kirk and Spock.
"Damn idiot," he heard the doctor say; "if he'd just lie still when I tell him to."
"Doctor McCoy," Kris held back as Adam stepped in, "maybe it would help if I set up the links to our experts?"
Kris in turn set his sights on Spock. They had met several times at the diplomatic events the government had set up and he had never seen the Vulcan remotely rattled by anything. Spock still appeared mostly perfectly calm, but there was just something about the other man's eyes that told Kris all he needed to know.
"Mr Spock," he said quietly as Adam dealt with McCoy, "it would aid in the captain's recovery and your equilibrium if you moved closer. Light physical contact would be best."
Spock gave him a very cool stare, but when he indicated Kirk, Spock finally moved. He could actually see some of the hard lines of Spock's shoulders relax a little when the Vulcan gently placed two fingers against the skin of Kirk's arm.
"Why is this situation affecting my physical responses," Spock asked in a completely logical tone; "I am not Sonarian?"
At least there was no denial in the question.
"When you inadvertently accepted the mating bond, Captain Kirk's brain waves adapted to be perfectly compatible with yours," Kris explained as gently as he could. "There is a low level empathic bond between mated couples; not enough to be consciously apparent, but enough for one to affect the other."
Strangely, that part of the explanation did not seem to faze Spock in the slightest.
"Similar to the Pon Farr, but faster," the Vulcan said and Kris made a mental note to ask about that when things were not so on edge.
Kris shifted his attention to Kirk for a few moments. Ever since Spock had initiated physical contact, the captain appeared to be resting more easily.
"When we first contacted your government, why did they not mention the xenophobic element to your society?" Spock very succinctly drew him from his musings.
While Kirk had been missing the Vulcan's focus had been purely on finding his captain, but now, it seemed, it was time for the questions.
"We honestly did not think they would be a threat," he replied with complete openness. "In the past the separatists have preached their doctrine and refused to interact with outsiders, but they have never acted against them. You have to understand, Mr Spock, we are not a confrontational people. What the dissidents have done is almost incomprehensible to us."
He wasn't sure Spock totally believed him.
"The separatists believe outsiders will corrupt the song of our people," he tried to explain, "the rest of us believe that the song can only become greater the more harmonies that are added to it."
"You claim to be non-confrontational and yet your planetary security service is one of the most efficient I have seen," Spock said without commenting on his explanation.
"Please do not misunderstand me, Mr Spock," Kris said with a small smile, "we are not pacifists. If violence is necessary we will use it, but we have always preferred to settle our disputes in other ways."
"Your bards," Spock said with a nod.
Kris was a little surprised, he had not expected any of the outsiders to have investigated his own planet's methodologies that closely yet.
"Exactly," he replied candidly. "Thousands of years ago, when our planet was still divided, my people decided that music was a far greater weapon than force. Planetary debates are still held in song. We believe that music calls to the soul and a song will call people to make the right decision. When a member addresses the assembly they are still referred to as a bard."
The way Spock's eyebrow lifted slightly made him think Spock was not quite of the same mind.
"Your planet still appears to be divided."
That stung a little.
"The separatists are only a very small number," he defended his people, "and even fewer still of those are advocates of violence. Members of the separatist movement aided us in finding those responsible for the acts against your people."
That appeared to be the right thing to say, because Spock nodded again.
Kris did not really understand the Vulcan. The man appeared to be emotionless on the surface and yet he had heard Spock play the most incredible music at one of the receptions. Spock was a conundrum.
"It would be best if Captain Kirk was allowed to rest for several hours," Kris decided to be practical for the moment, "I would recommend you do not move further than a few feet away during that time."
Spock acknowledged him, but did not reply and Kris decided to go and talk to Adam and Dr McCoy and allow Spock time to think things through.
End of Chapter 1
On to Part 2 (LJ)