Junior was curled on top of Spock's bed in a furry ball. Spock was holding a padd in his hand when McCoy came in. Spock took a sharp intake lowering the device to his lap then looked up with a sad, but bitter sigh. There was a weight around Spock, obviously, it was heavier than being alone. There was a ache in his chest. It felt like he would never smi again. McCoy came over to the Vulcan's side then sat down on the bed.

"They are takin' his body back to Earth for a proper burial." McCoy said.

"You were right, Leonard." Spock said.

"What?" McCoy said. "Now hold on a second. When do you agree me with me on somethin' have yet to bring up?" Spock looked over with a raised eyebrow. "I was about to ask if you thought that attendin' a funeral on the home planet of our friend would be the right thin' to do for you. Which mind you could take a week."

Spock lowered his brow with a trembling sigh.

"I mean to say . . ." Spock said. "Is that the cat was right."

McCoy stared at the Vulcan long and hard.

"Are you on somethin', Spock?" McCoy said. "Because last time I heard you didn't agree."

"He is dead." Spock said "Three days, three hours, thirty-three minutes, and forty-eight seconds after a cat jumped onto his lap."

McCoy looked over.

"Who's T'Erin?" McCoy asked.

Spock looked up, toward the doctor, his eyes wide.

"Leonard?" Spock said, his voice full of heartbreak. "What kind of heart condition do you have?"

McCoy shook his hand.

"Nothin' you should be concerned about," McCoy said. "Let me guess, she is your granddaughter."

"Negative," Spock said. "She is my daughter and she will inadventurely commit suicide by conducting Kolinahr. She is one and a half Vulcanian." McCoy's face became a long and drawn out one as he realized what this meant. "She wants to become a priestess. She wants to devote herself entirely to logic. This will void her marriage with T'fern." He raised the device back up. "I understand why I had a extreme episode. . . And why my condition has deteriorated my short-term memory."

"You are on Deglaxon." McCoy said, softly.

"I do not know the name of the pill." Spock said.

"It is used for those with Dementia." McCoy said. "I was the one who approved of it after speaking with several other admirals in the medical field." He briefly closed his eyes. "Spock, when does she become a logical Vulcan?"

"Within four day---" Spock said.

McCoy held his hand up.

"We are goin' to hitch a ride tonight." McCoy said.

Spock raised an eyebrow.

"It would take a week to get to Gol." Spock said.

"And where is she now?" McCoy asked

"Four days away being taken by the Enterprise E under Captain William Riker--" McCoy put a finger on Spock's lip.

"I love you but tone it down," McCoy said, then he lowered his finger off the Vulcan's lip. "That is irrelevant information."

"Leonard," Spock said. "I have something to share with you. . . That you may find insightful."

"Hm?" McCoy asked, raising a brow.

"But first," Spock said. "Have we done a mind meld in the recent three days?"

"Negative." McCoy said.

"May I engage on a mind meld with you?" Spock asked. "It is from Jim."

McCoy sat there, paused, looking the Vulcan in the eyes with shock and visually stumped at first. The country doctor briefly closed his eyes and opened them. McCoy's baby blue eyes looked at Spock's old, but kind brown eyes. It had been quite a while since they had last mind melded. Spock was losing more control of his emotions, and worse yet, his own memories. The emotional transference could be different. They were both in a highly emotional state. Spock could likely send McCoy collapsing to the ground in a state of shock. McCoy had decided to educate himself over Mind Melds after Spock's rather, but very emotional, transference. McCoy learned that it was unusual for a Vulcan to have that much pent up emotions. Could he black out this time? There were recorded but notable incidents where a emotional transference with a highly emotional vulcan ended up making the other mind meldee black out. McCoy didn't black out previously in his first consented mind meld. Spock was patient, awaiting the reply.

"You are very emotional, Spock," McCoy said. "We just lost Jim."

Junior stirred, raising his head up tilting his head.

"That I am . . ." Spock said. "And I am the second to recognize that."

"Good." McCoy said.

"But I am very certain you must see this." Spock said.

McCoy sighed.

"I am afraid I will black out." McCoy said.

Spock, at first, appeared to be insulted (Or was it disbelief? McCoy could never be sure with Spock's eyebrows) then bemused.

"That is illogical, Leonard," Spock said. "I would not allow that. I have enough emotional control to prevent it from happening."

Junior hopped onto Spock's lap with a purr.

"Wait a second," McCoy said. "You haven't been callin' me doctor."

"Is that alarmin' to you?" Spock inquired.

"It's damn freaky when I am used to hearin' you call me by my former profession." McCoy said.

"It is true that I have realized through telling you my regrets is that. ." Spock said, stroking Junior. Junior flopped over landing on his backside kicking his paws into the air batting them at Spock's left hand. "I have too many."

"This is your step forward to enjoying your end, isn't it?" McCoy asked.

"Affirmative," Spock said. Then he had a small smile forming on the corners of his lips. It was brief but it was gone just as it had appeared. "I have just thought of a joke. Though I am unsure the humorous part is lost . . ."

"It's not dirty like the one with the mermaid and the Deltan." McCoy said.

"Not at all," Spock said. "Why did a Andorian and a Betazoid split apart?"

"Because the betaziod likes blue people?" McCoy suggested.

"Negative," Spock said,shaking his head letting Junior suck on his fingers. "They kept accidentally getting into each others heads. The Betaziod was rather new with their new leash on psychic increased power. And the Andorian had been thinking of and unknowingly shared a full conversation without talking from miles apart. It became apparent that they, were in fact, talking to the other within the two to three hour time period they were apart."

McCoy considered it for a second there and then he belched out laughing. He slapped his knee then fell over on the bed just laughing. The laughter died down from the doctor. Spock honestly wanted to laugh but he could not. He did not see the humor in it. It was amusing,indeed, but it lacked the flavor. A certain quality to it. He straightened himself as his laughter died with one hand on his stomach. When McCoy looked over toward the Vulcan, he realized the Vulcan had not been laughing.

"Do you trust me, Leonard?" Spock asked.

"I do." McCoy said. "Well. . . you got a point." Spock tilted his head raising a brow. "We have to start somewhere in our relationship."

Spock lowered his brow.

"Do we need to redefine our relationship?" Spock asked.

"Let's just redefine it as: more than colleagues." McCoy said.

"May I?" Spock asked.

McCoy nodded.

"Yes." McCoy said.

Spock placed his right hand on the side of the doctor's face and his fingers spread out into their respective psi points. Spock and McCoy's eyes closed. The mind meld had been began. Slowly, but gradually, a smile appeared on the doctors face. For the first time in what had been three hours since Jim's death, a well worn but small smile appeared on the Vulcan's face.