[Kirk's Office] -- [Private Communications]

[kirktastic]

Kirk flopped into the seat behind his desk, letting out a very slow breath as he took just a second to relax. He rubbed at his eyes with the palms of his hands, then smirked. He had something to do, and now an idea on how to do it.

He picked up a padd and quickly started to type.

Private Communication to Jim, Spock, Mr. Spock, Bones, and Leonard McCoy

I have an idea about how we can not only merge everyone together as a crew, but how this ship could be run better then ever. I need to talk to the five of you in groups or singularly, but if I could at least get Mr. Spock and Jim together I'd be grateful. Whenever you guys have time give me a notification, my office is open.

Comments

Private Communication to Jim

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

Spock and I are available at your earliest convenience, Jim.

Re: Private Communication to Jim

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

Jim,

Feel free to come as soon as you have a chance. No rush, but I think it'll be worth your while if we can figure it out.

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

Jim wasn't sure what Captain Jim was up to, but he certainly was curious. He was grateful to be back on the ship. But the quiet hum of the engines only brought home to him that this wasn't home. He liked Jim. Loved him, even. And he respected him as a captain.

But being a captain was the only thing Jim had ever wanted. And he wasn't that anymore.

He and Spock made their way to Kirk's office, Jim glancing at Spock every so often, his curiosity palpable.

[sehlatbear.livejournal.com]

Spock paused outside of James' office. Jim's anxiety was rolling off of him in waves - so much of his identity wrapped up in his captaincy.

He caught Jim's hand, an incredibly forward gesture, looked up and down the hall, and offered him a quick brush of lips.

"You are no less a captain without your ship, Jim."

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

Jim smiled gratefully up at Spock, an unguarded moment. It was odd, being exposed like that--their working relationship was yet another thing they had yet to deal with--but in this moment not unwelcome.

"Maybe not," he said. "But it helps."

He grinned and pushed the buzzer.

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

Kirk grinned when he realized he could sense Spock and Jim coming before the doors even opened. What had started off as something almost terrifying in the idea of someone being in his head had turned into something that almost... pleased him. Or maybe he was just getting used to the concept of someone being in his head. Or... something. Who knew.

He leaned back in his chair, eyes bright with the knowledge of his idea. He had a good fee-- well he hoped they would like this idea.

"Come in!" He called, the doors opening for the pair.

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

Jim and Spock stepped inside, Jim's eyes seeking Kirk's automatically and smiling. His own anxieties--muted by Spock's concern--did not show. They weren't this man's fault.

"You look chipper," he said. "What's in that head of yours?"

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

"Sit." Kirk grinned even more, gesturing to the two chairs in front of his desk. "Got an idea, hoping we can make this work. I think we can." Hope we can.

[sehlatbear.livejournal.com]

Spock's posture echoed the posture of another Vulcan First Officer who often sat in the same chair. Back straight, hands folded together, face impassive.

But it was also clear that he was curious and pleased to see James.

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

"I hope we can too," Jim said, sitting, his tone amused as it was clear he had no idea yet what Kirk was talking about.

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

"We've got something going on this ship that I doubt has ever happened before." Kirk leaned on the desk on his elbows, obviously excited about his thoughts. "First off, the people in this room, along with both of our Bones, and my Spock... Six people that can trust enough other without fail. Not just... friendships, lovers, whatever." He tapped his temple. "The bonds, too."

"Also the unique situation in that you," A look direction to Jim, "Are close-enough me. We think a lot alike, and I can trust your judgment and ways of handling things to match my own. Maybe not exactly, we are different people after all, but pretty damn close."

And a look to Spock, "Same thing to you, of course. In completely the same way Spock and I have to work together, so do you two. And honestly, probably fucking better then we do right now."

He rubbed a thumb under his lower lip for a moment, then looked a bit more seriously to them. "I'm always captain here, but I'm not always awake. Or uninjured. But.. I do have the option of being in two places at once." He looked directly back to Jim, wondering if Jim would get what he was offering.

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

Jim watched him, sure, from the moment he began, what he was going to say. The certainty rose within him and grew into desire, reaching out for this chance with both hands. If he couldn't have his ship...

He nodded a McCoy (http://kirktastic.livejournal.com/19801.html?thread=822361#t822361) belatedly, then turned back to Kirk.

"Are you certain?" he asked softly. "Can you share command, Jim? Can your crew serve both of us?" His tone was merely inquisitive--he was by no means rejecting the offer. Merely asking Jim to think about the magnitude of what he offered before he accepted, grasping at something resembling his life in a world by turns too familiar and too the opposite for comfort.

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

Kirk glanced to Bones, returning the smile (http://kirktastic.livejournal.com/19801.html?thread=822361#t822361) only briefly. He looked back to Jim and nodded.

"That's some of what we need to figure out but..." He was cautious in his next words, "I was thinking about it before Risa, at least inklings of it or something like that, but... during it, recently... it just makes more and more sense. It wouldn't be necessarily easy at first, or even remotely easy... not for this crew, or either of us. But I think we could make it work."

His gaze went more serious, "In my mind, it means I never stop being the captain of this vessel for a moment. It does however mean that there's some who is a near equal to me that can handle things if, when, something came up when I couldn't. There's a billion decisions to make during the day, and a billion more at night I'm not awake for. And even though Scotty's our next-up for being captain on this ship, I don't think he wants it, if say, Spock and I were gone or injured."

Obviously, he really had been thinking about it. "You and I... would need to figure it out in more detail, but I think we'd be stupid to pass up an opportunity."

[country-doc.livejournal.com]

McCoy pressed the chime and entered the office, catching onto the end of Kirk's sentence as he did so. "Sorry I'm late." He nodded to them all before heading over to Spock and Jim, standing alongside them with his hands clasped behind his back. No doubt he'd pick up on what was being discussed soon enough.

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

Jim smiled up at Bones briefly.

"It's a logical arrangement," he said to Kirk, his mouth quirking up on one side as he said it. But his mind was racing.

Was he all right with something like this?

The youngest captain in Starfleet history--still the youngest now, in his universe anyway. Older than this man, who yet had every right to the command he held. Jim was not interested in usurping that authority in any way. But he knew what this meant. It meant moving from no position to a subordinate one. It meant beta shift stuff, signing off on routine orders, minor course corrections. Unless something happened Jim didn't want to wish for, it meant taking a back seat to a younger man with less experience.

It meant a chance to belong on the bridge, in some capacity. And the other Jim was perceptive enough--or self-knowing--to offer him that chance in a position that as closely resembled his own as he could. Jim was qualified to run any station of the Enterprise, at least on his own ship. Kirk could have offered him Navigation or Communications or any of a number of shifts.

He smiled wryly. "I suppose it would mean wearing your ugly uniform."

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

Kirk couldn't help a faint laugh, "Seriously, they aren't that different then yours!" But he schooled himself into just a smaller smile. "I know, or at least can guess, what it means for you. In both good and bad. If you don't like this idea, there's an amazing amount of things the both of you could be doing. The science labs are working non-stop, things we end up doing or with on our own missions and tons of stuff from Starfleet itself. I don't doubt what you can do, Jim... if you're anything like me, you can probably run half the ship on your own or more. I was supposed to be a tactical officer, originally." He rubbed the back of his neck slightly - he had completed skipped that.

He looked to McCoy and nodded, "You too. Means there's always a doctor on duty with your knowledge, your skills, so Bones isn't being woken up in the middle of the night and not able to get there in time, or... hurt, again." A shiver passed through him.

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

Of course, Jim was a lot like Kirk, but with several years' experience serving in various capacities aboard ships like this. There wasn't a question about what he could do.

But unlike Kirk, maybe, he'd always known he'd command. And he'd had occasion to find out just how galling having that command taken away or undermined was. Had Kirk? It was clear to Jim that it was something they'd both have to deal with, as they were likely to have similar concerns.

He saw no reason they could not, however.

"I'll take it," he said, and glanced at his crew, his bondmates, waiting for their answer.

[country-doc.livejournal.com]

McCoy had caught onto the conversation by now and nodded at Kirk's suggestion.

"Sure thing." He was more comfortable about the idea of a subordinate position than Jim was - he liked his old place as CMO, of course, but as long he was still spending his time down in sickbay (his or otherwise), he wasn't too bothered as to the circumstances or position. It might take some adjusting to, but he'd cope with it.

[sehlatbear.livejournal.com]

"I find it to be an acceptable solution. It is quite logical, in fact."

A return to research, to some habit and routine of days would be most welcome.

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

Kirk leaned over more to Jim and said quietly, "...we're going to have figure out a lot between us." Serious but.. willing to work with his counterpart. He watched Jim's eyes, hoping the other would understand.

[dctr-mccoy.livejournal.com]

"I'm going to be the devil's advocate here, Captain," Bones called out from his corner, looking at Kirk. "What happens when there's a conflict, a difference of opinion? What sort of plans would you have to resolve that sort of problem, be it from the sickbay or the bridge?"

Bones was nearly certain that the men in this room would always be able to talk to each other and come to any resolution like gentlemen (and tried to let them known that through whatever they could glean from this thoughts), but he couldn't leave the question unasked.

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

Jim nodded, his eyes serious as well. He was entirely aware of the difficulties; he was Jim and Jim was him and that meant that whatever compatibility that lent them in bed might not spill over into a working life that involved, in a word, command. Command was a singular proposition, by necessity a lonely thing.

"If it it doesn't work, Jim, I'm man enough to admit it and walk away," he said. "If you can say the same--without the walking away part--then I think we can figure it out."

He looked up at McCoy as he spoke, nodding. He had a point.

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

Kirk looked to Bones, then glanced to Jim and McCoy, "...Both would have to accept that you and I are still Captain and CMO of this ship, that in the end our word would be the final one." He looked back to Jim, "But I think you and I should be able to work together on things, and come to an agreement before it came down to making it an order."

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

Jim nodded, his demeanor still quietly businesslike. "I'm willing to try," he said. "Especially with guidelines set out in advance--a comparison of styles, perhaps, so we both know how our thought processes really do match."

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

"Maybe you should come up to the bridge for a while? Some time for us to get used to how we do things?" Kirk suggested, leaning back a little bit.

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

Jim nodded. "I would welcome that in any case," he said. He smiled a little now, no less serious but pleasantly hopeful.

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

"Good." Kirk relaxed, smiling in return.

He looked to his Bones with a more serious expression, "..are you okay with this?" He asked quietly. Everyone needed to be in agreement or he wouldn't be okay with it.

[dctr-mccoy.livejournal.com]

He nodded. "I am," he said quietly, meaning it.

He trusted these men with a hell of a lot, and in the end, he trusted Kirk with his life. "I'm on board."

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

"I've just one more person to talk to." Kirk murmured, knowing it would be obvious. There was only one of the six missing from the room. "If he agrees, Jim... you and I will have to talk."

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

Jim nodded again. Everyone had to be in agreement, or this wouldn't work. The crew could be convinced to follow his orders, of that he was sure. Especially since he did not anticipate giving any their other captain would not. But Spock, and McCoy, were in a position both professionally and personally to raise objections. And they would be within their rights to do so.

Maybe they would even be right to do so.

"Of course," he said to both requirements. He smiled wryly. "I have nothing but time."

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

"Well, until I can talk to Spock, that's all for now." Kirk grinned to the small group, but he gave a wink towards Jim. He was good, on shift, but that didn't stop him from flirting on occasion.

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

Jim was worse than he was, Jim reflected, smirking lightly in return. Then again, Jim wasn't usually in a position to watch himself operate. He might have been surprised.

"Then we'll let you get back to your duties," he said, rising.

[dctr-mccoy.livejournal.com]

Bones headed down to Kirk's office, entering after he'd pressed the chime. "Hello gentlemen," he said, nodding at everyone before giving Kirk a small smile and stood over to the side, leaning against the wall.

Private Kirk/Bones

[dctr-mccoy.livejournal.com]

It's quiet here now, knock on wood. Call me when the others are ready and I'll pop on over.

Re: Private Kirk/Bones

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

Come on up, Bones. (http://kirktastic.livejournal.com/19801.html?thread=817753#t817753)

[country-doc.livejournal.com]

I can make it up there now, if that would suit you.

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

Come on up, McCoy. Your captain and FO are already here.