Snippet 5c

"I don't know. I can't read those guys when push comes to shove," Jim said gruffly, shrugging. "I mean - I respect 'em both, but sometimes I just wish they'd tell me more about what's going on. It'd probably give me an actual reason to stop doing what they don't want me to do." He glanced over at Zach again with a slight frown. "...are you still talking to Dr. Leshar, by the way? Or do you call him Luke now?"

"Dr. Lesh'ar is a wonderful addition to the community," Spock replied. "And his conversation is quite intriguing."

"You've got a crush on him," Jim immediately teased, grinning at him. "Admit it. You just fantasize about spending countless boring hours with him discussing Shakespeare and quantum physics."

Spock gave him a look. "Do not tease me, Jim. It is not a proper method of communication."

"Hey, you can admit stuff to me," Jim said, giving him a look in return. "It's not like I'm gonna tell anybody...and it's not like I can't guess the truth anyway. Just admit it - you like spending time with him. There's nothing wrong with that. He's not much older than you anyway...just four or five years, right?"

Spock raised an eyebrow at him. "Merely because I find him intriguing does not mean I have a crush on him."

"In your book, it kind of does," Jim said, still grinning. "You NEVER smile as much as you do when you're around him. It's deducible logic, Zach."

Zach looked over at him, narrowing his eyes. "Have you been spying on us, Jim?"

Jim kept his eyes very deliberately straight ahead. "...ahhh...no. Just - couldn't help but notice, is all. You're really obvious about it, Zach." His smile was unable to exclude the guiltiness he was obviously trying to hide.

Zach continued to stare at him.

Jim sighed, finally giving in. "All right. So I might have lagged back a couple times we went to visit. So what? I didn't have anything better to do."

Zach sighed, looking away. "I might have known it was you."

"Me what?" Jim stared at him. "Did you know someone was there?"

Zach pointed to his nose.

"You could - oh, damn," Jim grumbled, turning and starting to walk at a regular - and very grumpy - pace again. "You could've warned me."

Spock raised an eyebrow. "You believe it would have stopped you?"

"No. But, still - it would have spared me this moment here," Jim said, glaring back at him. "Who's blood do you have to suck to get an honest vampire around here?"

"Vampires are sometimes overly honest."

"Yeah?" Jim said, looking back to give him a challenging look. "So what do you think Dr. Lesh'ar would do if he found out that's what you were? Think he'd still talk to you?"

Zach looked away, and Jim could tell that it was a subject he would prefer to avoid. "I am not certain."

"I'd be interested to see," Jim intoned, putting his hands in his pockets again. "I mean - you don't think he suspects, do you? You know - that there are creatures like that out in the world?"

"He seems open to the idea, and yet not willing to believe it." Zach replied, looking at him again. "McCoy covers it quite thoroughly."

"That's Bones, for ya," Jim said, shaking his head. "I never would've guessed that he'd be even remotely involved in this stuff. He's just too...smart about the world. And way too cynical."

"He doesn't trust easily." Zach clarified. "A wise decision."

"Yeah, well, someone's got to make him happy sometime in his life," Jim scoffed. "He sees everything from a sarcastic and pessimistic point of view. I don't know how he survives it."