Bonds Know No Distance

[mirroredcommand]

The night was dark and deep and long in space, never ending, without a dawn to break the line between waking and sleep, day and night, beginning and end. It made existence endless, broken only by the silent running of the clocks on the wall, the movements of work, food, and sleep. Without these things, without the sureness of a schedule, time became meaningless. Even the stars could not keep him company.

So after Kirk came and 'visited', time resumed its endless patterns, moving on and on without pause or break or concept. For a man used to near-constant action, it was a form of torture more exquisite then any bit of pain or distress. More then anything, it was a torture that gave him nothing to focus his mind on anything but the swelling pain of the broken bond. It was swiftly becoming over whelming, completely and utterly. There was nothing left to keep the pain away, and with his shields designed only to block out Spock's light intrusions instead of a full on force, they were failing after being buffeted for so long. In short, he was going mad.

His expression showed little of the internal war except for the strong brow being furrowed and the age-lines at the edges of the eyes and corners of the mouth looking thicker. It was his hands that gave him away, gripping fiercely into the fabric of the bed he was reclining on. A headache was throbbing behind his eyes in time with his heart, a thick red-hot band of light that was searing like a knife into his mind. Deeper, deeper with every beat of his heart.

Every part of him was focused on maintaining the failing shields, rebuilding them as Spock had taught him those years ago. He had survived torture from Vulcans who knew precisely what to do in the mind, but could not stop this. This bond that had been forced onto him but in the end welcomed, this bond that had saved his life many times in the past, that had saved the life of his first officer and friend, this bond that had been a respite from a world where one could never relax... this bond was killing him. It would destroy him as surely as any blade to the heart.

SPOCK!

Never screamed aloud, never aloud. Instead, strong white teeth bit firmly into his lip, hard enough to send a trickle of crimson along his chin, down to his jawline. The pain, the strain, had been steadily increasing since James Kirk's visit to his cell, as if the reminder of the bond and speaking of it had started a chain reaction. He had long since started to keep his eyes closed [was it hours? minutes? weeks? centuries?] because at least this way the room would not spin. He was starting to feel that same spinning in his mind, making his world wobble like a child's toy.

It seemed hours passed this way. A day? Perhaps. He vaguely heard someone calling him, but did not dare respond. Still trapped in the arms of the enemy, he could not let a weakness be seen. The smell of food made his stomach swell and gurgle, but not from hunger. It felt like his entire body needed one thing it could not have. [a universe away]

He did not feel when he stood, instead he felt the world sway, go sideways. Could not feel the floor beneath his feet, the slap of his hand against the wall in an instinctual attempt to keep himself upright. Did not feel when the world tuned him out, blew him out like a light bulb, did not feel when the pain consumed him and his shields finally fell, did not feel when he hit the ground.

The darkness had claimed him instead.

Comments

[mirroredspock.livejournal.com]

Spock's eyes are languid pools of heat when he looks at Christopher.

You may have me anywhere you wish.

He nips at Christopher's ear.

Your body is stressed, however, and I would not wish to overtax you. Yet.

[iron-command.livejournal.com]

You are tempting me... but for now, we'll stop with this. Pike growled so quietly, a smirk on his lips.

[mirroredspock.livejournal.com]

A quiet whine of disappointment escapes, just for Christopher's ears, but Spock licks across Christopher's smirk and helps his mate to stand. He cannot quite give up the contact between them but he does step back to give Christopher more space.

[iron-command.livejournal.com]

We're going to have to break this meld at some point. But it sounded like the very last thing he wanted. The bond required contact, needed that contact to repair itself.

[mirroredspock.livejournal.com]

I will not leave you alone. They could remain in close contact, but Spock anticipated a time for privacy, for just the two of them.

[iron-command.livejournal.com]

You had better not. Pike took one last kiss before saying quietly, End the meld.

[mirroredspock.livejournal.com]

A last hot promise is pressed from Spock's mouth to Christopher's. And then Spock is sliding out of the meld, back into himself, making sure that Christopher is still intact, in all of his familiar mental spaces.

The sickbay is very bright when Spock straightens his posture and looks around.

[iron-command.livejournal.com]

Pike's eyes opened slowly, and he hissed with the brilliant light before attempting to sit up. Which, it seemed, was a poor idea as his head immediately swam violently. He let out a breath and remained prone, eyes squeezing shut against the light.

[mirroredspock.livejournal.com]

Christopher's pain is calling to Spock but now he is on guard. That one - that one who looks strangely like their McCoy.

"Release his restraints."

[dctr-mccoy.livejournal.com]

There's security in the room, and Pike was weak, still wearing those damned gloves but very weak. The other version of Spock seemed... menacing, that was the word that came to mind. Bones never thought of his Spock as a particularly warm soul but he seemed almost compassionate compared to this one.

It wasn't the fear of these two- Bones wasn't afraid of them. He didn't like the tone, the implication of being ordered to do this. "I'll release him as soon as I've told my Commander that the meld has ended, and I've verified that he's stable."

[mirroredspock.livejournal.com]

Spock examines the restraints. They do not look sufficient to counter his strength - he eyes Christopher, obviously considering simply ripping them off.

He is not trying to be menacing - it is simply his default setting.

"His systems are not yet functioning optimally."

[dctr-mccoy.livejournal.com]

"Tell me something I don't know," he muttered automatically, all sense having been shot out the window.

Well, not all... He called over to one of the security red shirts still in the room. "How many guys you got outside this door?"

"Three, Dr McCoy," the one nearest to him called out, not looking happy about giving that sort of information out with hostile parties in hearing distance. Bones seemed beyond caring.

"Okay, get me three more," he said, watching as the ensign began quietly into his comm devise.

Bones pressed the comm button again. "McCoy to the bridge. Please inform Commander Spock that the meld has ended."

The ensign charged with increasing security gave him a thumbs-up.

[iron-command.livejournal.com]

More cautiously this time, Pike opened his eyes. The voice was very familiar, and he turned his gaze to McCoy. So the vague memory of earlier was true. The doctor looked very much the same here, but younger. This entire crew seemed like babes, at least to his eyes. "McCoy." His tone was a command, but only that of a captain and not some psychopathic killer everyone on the ship rightfully believed he was. "Remove these." A jerk on the restraint was accompanied by a frown. Having to be in sickbay, which was dangerous even with Spock around, was insult enough without these.

[mirroredspock.livejournal.com]

Spock keeps up a guard position between anyone who might come near and his captain. The security forces on this ship appear inconsequential - though he can restrain himself from demonstrating how useless they are as it might be useful later.

"You are McCoy."

Now that Spock can see more than just Christopher on the bed, now that he is cataloging his environment, he is burning with curiosity about this... mirror universe.

[dctr-mccoy.livejournal.com]

"I am," he replied to the other Spock, looking back over at him as he took a few steps toward Pike's biobed. Clearly whatever they'd done in their meld had done the injured man some good, though not fully recovered, he'd achieved some level of stability.

Bones considered actually letting the captain go. It was a stupid move, he knew that. This one had hurt one of his own staff, as well as Spock. But they were more than protected by the security in the room... and Bones, knowing what he did about the bond situation, wondered if a closer physicality with his Vulcan might make Pike better - which, despite his feelings towards the man, was his job - to make him better.

Strong enough, even, to survive the transport home.

"I'm just going to check once more, then I'll let you go," he said to Pike, his eyes meeting the other man's. "Don't make me regret this, Captain," he said, pressing a few buttons and releasing the restraints from the bed.

[iron-command.livejournal.com]

Pike brought his wrists up and rubbed the soreness from them as he sat up, watching McCoy closely. His own McCoy would not have even released the restraints without a far heavier threat then his simple command. The thought made him smirk very slightly. "Do what you need to, Doctor." Returning the title for his own.

It did not stop the dizziness passing in his mind, the way the room swirled, but he did it from his face very well.

[mirroredspock.livejournal.com]

Spock crept closer, ready for whatever Christopher ordered, his eyes flickering around the room, taking it all in.

"How are you feeling, Captain?"

[iron-command.livejournal.com]

"I've felt better." Pike rumbled, bringing up a hand and slowly rubbing the bridge of his nose. With his bond mate here, he had little to fear from these younger versions of his crew. An entire crew of pussies.

[mirroredspock.livejournal.com]

"You will require rest in a secure location."

Spock knew that Christopher would not rest in as public a location as sickbay, even with Spock guarding him.

[dctr-mccoy.livejournal.com]

That was probably a good idea. Bones considered the best place, as clearly he didn't want them in his Sickbay anymore than they wanted to be there. "As soon as the Captain can move under his own steam, I'll find a more comfortable location for him. For you both," he added.

He hoped to fuck Nyota was more right about these two than Kirk was... had been.

Fuck...

[iron-command.livejournal.com]

Pike would rather suffer through his exhaustion then do something as foolish as falling asleep willingly in an enemy strong hold. Yet, to his own surprise, he found a certain small sense of respect for a small few members of this crew.

"Then you can find us a place now. I'll find a way to get there." He focused that impressive gaze onto the doctor's face,

[mirroredspock.livejournal.com]

Spock had tensed, ready to leap until McCoy made it clear the room would accommodate both of them. He was not leaving Christopher alone.

Rest, his Christopher needed rest.

And perhaps other comforts.

[dctr-mccoy.livejournal.com]

Fucking know-it all gold shirt goddamned command types... McCoy's face hardened for a moment, not knowing who he was really mad at.

He called the security over toward him, and talked to them quietly for a moment. "We've got a secure room being prepared for you right now. It's a private room, one we keep for guests," he said, trying to keep the disbelief out of his voice. "Give me a few minutes."

Moments later, the doors opened and one of the ensigns holding a phaser nodded at him. There was a shitload of security out there, but somehow Bones felt he could trust that these two just wanted to get somewhere away from the rest of them. "Alright, let's go."

[iron-command.livejournal.com]

The amount of security hardly surprised him, but equally displeased him. He tilted his gaze to Spock, his eyes narrowing. You won't react to them, understood? He knew that Spock would dislike those phasers as much as himself, and right now the growing headache behind his eyes told him that the last thing he wanted to deal with was reigning in his first officer.

[mirroredspock.livejournal.com]

It would be a matter of but a few minutes work to destroy these babies in red shirts, no true toughness among them. But Christopher was Spock's first concern and he could read Christopher's message as clearly as if it had been spoken aloud.

I am... behaving, Christopher.

The pain of the phasers held no fear for him but Christopher's displeasure was to be avoided. He stepped close to the man, not touching, but there in case he needed the support to walk.