NU2U: "Blood Ties", 26b/26 (TOS/AU, S/Ch, Sa, Am, Vulcan OCs, K, Mc; h/c, anx [PG13])
Gamin
This means IF YOU HAVEN'T YET COMMENTED, I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
(BTW, this story was, at the time I started posting it, a retired zine
novel. However, I have a new publisher who is wanting to reprint it,
so it will shortly be available *again* as a zine novel, complete with
illustrations, a "family portrait" of Spock, Christine and the babies,
and a family tree of Spock's clan [because I was told a scorecard was
needed to keep all the Vulcan OCs straight in the reader's mind]
...so more on that as I find out about it.)
Summary: Sequel to "Something to Remember" in which Spock takes now-
pregnant wife Christine back to Vulcan to be presented at a clan
gathering, where both run afoul of certain ultra-conservative clan-
members. This part: conclusion--Kirk, Spock and Christine share their
grief over T'Merit's death and begin to anticipate T'Syrith coming to
join them.
Disclaimers: Part 1A.
******
Christine had the playpen set up under one of the viewports in the
Officers' Lounge and was holding T'Krystyn so she could look out at
the stars when Kirk and Spock arrived; few people ever came to the
Lounge this early in the morning, so they were alone. As Spock neared
her and reached into the playpen to pick up T'Jaim, he saw that
Christine, too, had been crying, but
for the moment, neither he nor Kirk commented on it. Instead, they
all watched T'Jaim and T'Krystyn's reaction to the stars before them.
T'Jaim took it all in with her usual quiet, wide-eyed gaze; the stars
held T'Krystyn's attention, also, but she responded to the sight by
reaching up as if she could touch them and batting her hand against
the viewport glass, accompanying these actions with her usual happy
baby noises. "Yes, look well, children, and accustom yourselves to
the sight. If all goes as your mother and I intend, you will grow up
among those stars," Spock
told them softly.
"And hopefully, T'Syrith will have the chance to grow up with
them...among those stars," Kirk added feelingly.
All three of them thought now of T'Syrith's uncertain condition and of
T'Merit, who had not lived to bond with the one she had finally chosen
to share the rest of her life with. Spock bowed his head until his
nose nearly touched the top of T'Jaim's head; Christine drew close
against him and put an arm around him, and Kirk flanked him on the
other side, with a hand resting on
Spock's shoulder.
They stood that way for some time, each concentrating silently on
their own memories of Spock's cousins, mother and child; Spock and
Christine held their children even closer, the two Humans wept
quietly--and finally, as Spock tried awkwardly to comfort them,
kissing Christine softly and hesitantly drawing Kirk into a tight
embrace with his free arm, he, too, felt a tear trickle down his
cheek. More startling to Spock than the tear
itself was his discovery of the fact that he felt no shame for it.
Christine was the first to break the silence. "We'll keep a candle
burning in the window for her," she promised, her face still tear-
streaked.
Kirk looked up at her, nodding in understanding and appreciation.
Even Spock understood her meaning as he met her eyes, though
he also recognized the illogic of the expression. Then they parted,
and Spock and Christine put the babies back in their playpen.
"I...should be getting back to Sickbay," Christine realized
reluctantly, drawing a careful but ragged breath.
"One moment, Christine," Spock objected, reaching to wipe the
remaining tears from her face. "Are you certain you are all right?" he
asked then. His voice was controlled, but there was anxiety within
the dark eyes.
Christine nodded reassuringly, managing a small smile. "I'm fine,
Spock."
"I should be going, too," Kirk admitted, starting to leave.
Spock stopped his Captain with a touch on Kirk's arm. "Jim...
another day of leave might be beneficial to you," he pointed out
carefully. "I would appreciate your help in caring for the children."
"I really *would* feel better if you were with him, Captain,"
Christine put in helpfully.
Kirk looked from Christine back to Spock, his eyes coming to rest on
the Vulcan's pleading expression. "Two against one, is it? All
right, I surrender," he acquiesced finally. "I guess we do both need
some time."
"Perhaps you can teach me to 'play' with T'Jaim and T'Krystyn--I do
not seem to have mastered it yet," Spock suggested hesitantly.
"I'll try," Kirk promised.
"If our schedule isn't too heavy this morning, I'll send Dr. McCoy up
here," Christine offered, preparing to leave.
"That's fine, Christine," Kirk acknowledged, keeping his eyes
worriedly on Spock as the Vulcan turned back to the viewport, clearly
deep in thought as he looked out at the stars again.
"If only interacting with my children was the most difficult thing I
had yet to learn. In many ways, I am as much a child as T'Jaim and
T'Krystyn--I, too, am having to start my life anew, because of V'ger.
There is so much...new information within me that I have yet to
assimilate...so much that I still do not comprehend," Spock observed,
sighing. He bowed his head and rested it against the viewport glass
in what was, for him, an odd expression of frustration. "My children
will experience the same conflicts that I did, and I am still
attempting to overcome mine. What kind of father will I be to them?"
Christine, still nearby, decided this time to ignore her instincts to
comfort Spock and let Kirk handle it, watching with interest, hoping
to learn something that might help her the next time Spock needed
consolation and there was only her to provide it.
Kirk went to Spock's side. "Spock, we're all children in one way or
another...either we're hurt, or we're confused, or we're searching for
something without knowing what it is---or maybe without even knowing
we're searching," he began gently.
Spock raised his head slowly. "That does sound like me--except that I
know I am searching, and I *do* finally have some idea what I am
searching for," he pointed out quietly.
"My point is that it'll *help* you, not hurt you, in being a father as
in everything else," Kirk continued kindly. "You'll know what T'Jaim
and T'Krystyn are going through when it happens, and you'll have
Christine to help you with everything else."
Spock turned back to him finally. "And you," he added knowingly.
Kirk nodded. "And me. And McCoy, too."
Spock appeared to accept this. It would be difficult having so much
to deal with at once--new wife, babies, and V'ger, too--but he would
have help enough to compensate for his shortcomings.
"Every day, I seem to learn something that contradicts what I have
been taught as a Vulcan," he admitted finally. "But every day, it
also seems to become.somewhat less difficult to accept."
Kirk smiled at him reassuringly. "You're making progress, then."
"I trust so. Sometimes it is difficult to tell."
Kirk directed his attention back to the playpen, where T'Jaim and
T'Krystyn were happily entertaining each other. "Come on--lesson one:
never ignore babies unless they're asleep. And even
then, you have to check on them."
T'Jaim, lying on her stomach, pushed herself up and began to crawl--
she had just become able to recently--becoming very excited when Spock
reached to pick her up again, almost as excited as T'Krystyn when Kirk
picked her up, both laughing noisily and waving their arms.
"Spock.does it still bother you that not all your clan accept
Christine and the babies?" Kirk asked curiously.
For whatever reason, Spock noted, even the question did not disturb
him now. "I believe it ceased being a cause for concern after we
returned to the Enterprise," he reflected calmly, meeting
Kirk's eyes. "Except for my mother, my family...my only true
family...do not live on Vulcan and are not blood relatives. My true
family accept me, my wife, and my children as a part of them, even
though my children and I are of alien and 'impure' blood. My true
family follow the philosophy of IDIC--even though they are Humans.
This is enough for me, Jim."
Kirk nodded understandingly, turning to T'Krystyn and lifting her into
the air, wiggling her playfully from side to side. "You hear that,
T'Krystyn? Your father's *learning*," he told her delightedly.
Spock raised an eyebrow curiously at the sight and imitated the
gesture cautiously with T'Jaim. "Do you hear that, T'Jaim? Your
Uncle Jim is *teaching* me!"
The babies and Kirk both laughed in response.
Christine smiled to herself as she turned finally to leave,
satisfied. Spock might have a long way to go toward integrating his
Vulcan and Human halves to a degree that satisfied him (and those
around him, a factor that remained of almost equal importance to him,
she knew), but it was also true that he had come a long way since the
clan gathering at which she was
presented as his wife. He seemed to have overcome his need for their
approval and to gradually be learning more respect for his own
emotions.
She glanced back one last time and heard Kirk coaching him again on
how to talk to T'Jaim and T'Krystyn, heard Spock made several awkward
but sincere attempts to follow Kirk's instructions, and she knew he
and the babies would be in good hands while she went about her duties
that day. One of the last
sounds she heard before she moved out of earshot was Spock's soft,
embarrassed, but determined voice again struggling with the "obscure
Earth dialect" Kirk and McCoy had taught him:
"Oochy-woochy-koochy-koo...oochy-woochy-koochy-koo."
And the final sound, which Christine recognized in a momentary
empathic union with Spock as being music to both their ears, was
T'Jaim's lilting, delighted baby-laughter echoing in response through
the still-empty Officers' Lounge.
AND THAT'S ALL SHE WROTE!!*******
My ST:TOS Fan-Fiction can be found here:
GAMIN DAVIS' SPOCK TREKS
http://spocktreks.bravehost.com
(Kirk & Spock Friendship, Spock/Christine
and pre-TOS Spock fan-fic, plus Art, Poetry,
Filks and a Listing of my Available Zines