šµšøš»š“ * Ā ššššššš£ Ā ā: š¹š°š¼š“š š. šŗšøššŗ
coldĀ mudĀ seepsĀ intoĀ hisĀ starfleetĀ issuedĀ trousers.Ā rainĀ peltsĀ fromĀ theĀ heavens,Ā aĀ constantĀ reminderĀ ofĀ theĀ stormĀ ragingĀ aroundĀ them.Ā butĀ itĀ palesĀ inĀ comparisonĀ toĀ theĀ internalĀ stormĀ of whichĀ ragesĀ onĀ withinĀ spock.
handĀ hoversĀ inĀ theĀ airĀ betweenĀ them,Ā desperateĀ toĀ findĀ purchaseĀ onĀ theĀ beingĀ beforeĀ him.Ā butĀ jimĀ canĀ seeĀ howĀ coldĀ spockĀ his,Ā bodyĀ violentlyĀ shivering.Ā heartĀ breaksĀ atĀ theĀ stateĀ ofĀ hisĀ firstĀ officer.Ā reasonsĀ notĀ totallyĀ knownĀ toĀ theĀ captain.Ā butĀ heĀ wouldĀ doĀ anythingĀ forĀ spock.Ā anything.
emphatically,Ā theĀ blondeĀ nodsĀ hisĀ hand.Ā inhaling,Ā heĀ takesĀ theĀ finalĀ stepĀ toĀ touchĀ theĀ vulcan'sĀ shoulder.Ā toĀ shareĀ whatĀ littleĀ warmthĀ heĀ hasĀ andĀ toĀ giveĀ strengthĀ toĀ fallenĀ officer.Ā Ā āofĀ course,Ā spock.Ā allĀ youĀ needĀ toĀ doĀ isĀ sayĀ theĀ word.Ā iāllĀ bringĀ youĀ home.ā
tightĀ smileĀ plucksĀ atĀ pinkĀ lips.Ā freezingĀ rainĀ fallingĀ withoutĀ mercyĀ asĀ jimĀ guidesĀ spockĀ upwards.Ā theyĀ needĀ toĀ getĀ outĀ ofĀ theĀ rain,Ā toĀ free themselvesĀ ofĀ theĀ gooeyĀ mudĀ whichĀ clingsĀ desperatelyĀ toĀ theirĀ clothes.
ātheĀ enterpriseĀ isĀ readyĀ spock.Ā letāsĀ goĀ home,Ā okay?ā
@cmndrspkā sent in:Ā āWill you guide me home?ā
š¢š Ā šš”šš«š Ā š°šš¬ Ā šØš§š Ā šš”š¢š§š Ā š”š Ā š„ššš«š§šš, Ā in Ā his Ā time Ā aboard Ā jims Ā crew, Ā the Ā concept Ā of Ā home Ā has Ā been Ā lost Ā on Ā spock Ā for Ā quite Ā some Ā time.Ā [ Ā Ā ššš Ā ššššššš Ā ššš Ā ššš Ā šššš Ā š¢šš Ā šššš Ā šššš, Ā & Ā ššš Ā ššššššš Ā ššš Ā ššš Ā š šššš Ā ššššššš Ā šš Ā šš. Ā Ā ] Ā Ā Ā theyāveĀ Ā Ā beenĀ Ā together Ā years Ā on Ā that Ā ship, Ā Ā one Ā Ā big Ā Ā family Ā asĀ Ā jim Ā had Ā liked Ā to Ā callĀ Ā it. Ā it Ā Ā was Ā Ā illogical Ā Ā to Ā Ā name Ā Ā family Ā when Ā one Ā was Ā not, Ā Ā but Ā in Ā theĀ spaces Ā in Ā between, Ā Ā the Ā Ā meaning Ā Ā was Ā Ā made Ā Ā clear. Ā Ā home Ā Ā wasnāt Ā Ā a Ā place, Ā it Ā Ā was Ā Ā not Ā Ā something Ā Ā you Ā Ā could Ā Ā pin Ā Ā point Ā on Ā a Ā map Ā : Ā Ā it Ā Ā was Ā Ā people. Ā the Ā ones Ā you Ā Ā chose Ā Ā to Ā surround Ā Ā yourself Ā Ā with Ā Ā that Ā Ā make Ā Ā life Ā Ā just Ā Ā a Ā Ā little Ā more Ā bearable. Ā Ā Ā emotionalĀ Ā Ā connectionĀ Ā Ā wasĀ Ā oneĀ Ā ofĀ Ā Ā the Ā bestĀ Ā Ā thingsĀ Ā Ā spockĀ Ā Ā canĀ Ā sayĀ Ā he Ā has Ā learnedĀ Ā fromĀ Ā šš·š“ Ā š·šš¼š°š½ Ā Ā šš°š²š“.Ā Ā
thisĀ Ā Ā isĀ Ā Ā notĀ Ā Ā aĀ Ā Ā matterĀ Ā Ā ofĀ Ā lifeĀ Ā Ā &Ā Ā deathĀ Ā thisĀ Ā time,Ā Ā Ā notĀ Ā Ā likeĀ Ā Ā whenĀ Ā heĀ Ā wasĀ Ā š¬šš®šš¤Ā Ā Ā š¢š§š¬š¢šš Ā šš”šš Ā šÆšØš„ššš§šØ Ā , Ā ready Ā Ā to Ā Ā die Ā Ā rather Ā Ā than Ā Ā feel. Ā but Ā Ā in Ā an Ā effort Ā Ā to Ā connect Ā Ā more Ā Ā with Ā his Ā human Ā half Ā Ā in Ā times Ā of Ā distress, Ā Ā spock Ā Ā contemplatesĀ Ā hisĀ values, Ā & Ā what Ā has Ā changed Ā since Ā this Ā all Ā started. Ā š·š“ Ā š²š°š½ Ā š°š»šš°šš Ā š²š¾š½ššš¾š» Ā šš·š“ Ā šæš°šøš½, Ā but Ā he Ā cannot Ā control Ā theĀ cold, Ā or Ā theĀ response Ā his Ā body Ā has Ā to Ā Ā it. Ā Ā he Ā Ā does Ā not Ā even Ā recall Ā Ā the Ā words Ā toĀ jim, Ā not Ā as Ā the Ā rain Ā falls Ā & Ā spock Ā Ā losses Ā Ā control Ā of Ā his Ā own Ā Ā thoughts. Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā
carefully Ā spock Ā turns Ā at Ā the Ā brush Ā of Ā aĀ shoulder, Ā Ā looking Ā Ā right Ā at Ā jim Ā like Ā theĀ answer Ā Ā to Ā Ā the Ā universe Ā Ā laid Ā right Ā there Ā in Ā his Ā gaze. Ā his Ā eyes Ā are Ā wide, Ā & Ā Ā spock Ā resits Ā theĀ urgeĀ to Ā fix Ā hisĀ hair Ā that Ā is Ā stuck Ā to Ā his Ā forehead Ā in Ā theĀ rain.Ā there Ā isnāt Ā Ā much Ā Ā ššøš¼š“ Ā šš¾ Ā ššæš“š°šŗ Ā as Ā Ā jim Ā Ā is Ā already Ā Ā helping Ā him Ā stand, Ā theĀ rainĀ suddenlyĀ notĀ Ā the Ā biggest Ā problem Ā weighing Ā on Ā his Ā mind. Ā
his Ā Ā captain Ā is Ā talkingĀ Ā about Ā home, Ā Ā but Ā spock Ā Ā knows Ā Ā home Ā Ā isnāt Ā a Ā place. Ā Ā š·š¾š¼š“Ā šøš Ā Ā šš·š“ Ā š²šš“š Ā Ā : Ā hisĀ Ā Ā friends, Ā Ā his Ā Ā family, Ā Ā š£š¢š¦. Ā Ā it Ā is Ā Ā this Ā Ā & Ā Ā something Ā more Ā that Ā helps Ā spock Ā forget Ā the Ā rain, Ā Ā forget Ā Ā that Ā Ā he Ā Ā is Ā Ā cold, Ā Ā & Ā Ā instead Ā Ā reach Ā Ā toĀ Ā grab Ā Ā jims Ā hand. Ā it Ā isĀ not Ā instant, Ā Ā its Ā Ā a Ā Ā gentle Ā Ā gesture, Ā as Ā if Ā Ā wondering Ā if Ā Ā welcome. Ā Ā Ā fingers Ā Ā carefully Ā Ā wrap Ā around Ā jims Ā hand Ā & Ā there Ā is Ā an Ā immediate Ā sense Ā of Ā calm Ā once Ā more. Ā Ā Ā ā Ā Ā šš·š°š½šŗ Ā šš¾š. Ā ā Ā Ā are Ā his Ā Ā only Ā Ā words.Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā