NU2U: "Blood Ties", 21b/26 (TOS/AU, S/Ch, Sa, Am, Vulcan OCs, K, Mc; h/c, anx [PG13])
Gamin
wife Christine back to Vulcan to present at a clan gathering, where
both run afoul of certain ultra-conservative clan-members. This part:
Saying goodbye.
Disclaimers: Part 1A.
******
An hour later, Spock, Christine, McCoy and Kirk were preparing to
leave, lingering over their goodbyes. Most of T'Merit's immediate
family had left by then, leaving only T'Merit and T'Syrith, along with
Setek's family, to help Sarek and Amanda see off Spock and his small
but devoted entourage. Sarek took what he knew would be his last
opportunity to discuss with Spock something that still needed to be
discussed. "Spock...I hesitate to remind you of this, under the
circumstances, but you will have to bring your children back to Vulcan
for the Initiation."
"Yes, Sarek, I have not forgotten," Spock assured him, sighing.
"I trust that T'Pau will not object to officiating."
"In *this* ceremony, she has no choice," Sarek pointed out dryly.
"Oh, God--*another* Vulcan ceremony?" Christine intoned to Spock,
instinctively alarmed.
Spock looked at her understandingly, but as he was trying to think of
something to say to reassure her, Kirk spoke up. "What
is this 'Initiation'?" he asked.
"It is.similar to a Human 'christening'," Spock explained. " The
children will be officially given names and a guardian--what we call
'Fuahn-shanah'--will be selected to assume the responsibility of
caring for our children if something should happen to Christine and
me."
"Oh. And when is this supposed to take place?" Kirk asked then.
"Ideally, it should take place as soon as possible after the children
are born--or in this case, released from the artificial womb," Sarek
told him.
Kirk nodded understanding. "I'll do my best to get them back here,
but I have no idea right now what the Enterprise's schedule is going
to look like by that time, so I can't make any promises as to exactly
*when* we'll be able to come."
"I think we all understand that, Captain," Sarek assured him.
T'Syla, who was gathered with the other children at the feet of the
adults, looked up at Savir and asked, almost plaintively,
"Can we come to their Initiation, Father?"
"At the moment, T'Syla, that is not my decision to make," Savir
pointed out quietly. "It is Spock who will decide who attends. He may
want no one outside his immediate family and his chosen Fuahn-shanah
to be present."
"On the contrary, Savir, I welcome the presence of any of you who wish
to attend," Spock countered.
In the mean time, Setek, with T'Merit beside him, confronted Kirk,
drawing him somewhat aside. "Captain, T'Merit has told me of
your...behavior toward her...in addition to telling her parents and
the rest of her family," Setek began. "It is partly on their behalf
and partly on hers that I must ask you this question: what are your
intentions toward her?"
Kirk was somehow both surprised and not surprised to hear him ask this
question; both Spock and Christine had told him that Setek and T'Merit
were kindred spirits in some way beyond familial toes (though they had
not specified in *what* way), but Kirk had not expected him to be so
direct. "My intentions.don't include hurting her in any way, if
that's what you're worried about," Kirk assured him sincerely.
"I will be more specific. After spending the last few years since
T'Syrith's birth determined never to marry again, T'Merit now seems to
find *you* a reasonable prospect for a bonding," Setek continued.
"*Do* you intend to marry her, Captain?"
"I don't know yet," Kirk admitted honestly. "I don't suppose you or
the rest of her family would like it if I did."
"I cannot speak for her family," Setek returned, "but I have observed
the Humans taken as bond-mates by others of the House of Surak and
found them too worthy to condemn outright, as T'Pau and others have."
There was understanding in his eyes as he spoke.
"*I* can speak for my family," T'Merit interrupted then, facing Kirk
apprehensively. "They have indicated that they would be
agreeable...if you gave evidence of emotions toward me as strong as
Christine feels toward Spock. Amanda and Sarek have shown us that
such emotions are vital for a Vulcan/Human marriage to work."
Kirk met her eyes. "Granted. But I have to point out that Spock and
Christine have known each other for ten years, and I'm sure even Sarek
and Amanda must have known each other for some time before they
married. You and I have only had a few days together," he reminded
her carefully.
"Ten years is too long to wait," T'Merit decided, then studied his
face with an expression of anxiety shining behind her eyes. "Do you
think you would still remember me after *one* year?"
Kirk smiled, understanding what she was suggesting. "The Initiation?"
"You *could* come with Spock, could you not?"
"I think so." Kirk glanced at Spock as he spoke, and the Vulcan
nodded his approval.
T'Merit looked down at T'Syrith, who had been strangely quiet
throughout their conversation. "Would you like to come to T'Krystyn
and T'Jaim's Initiation?" she asked, though she knew the answer
already.
"Yes, Mother. I want to really *see* what they look like!" T'Syrith
responded, with more enthusiasm than was normal for a full-blooded
Vulcan child.
"I.hope...you will be able to, little one," T'Merit told her, barely
audibly, then looked back up at Kirk. "We will be here," she
promised.
"So will I," Kirk likewise assured her.
"Do you promise, Jim?"
Kirk leaned forward and embraced her tenderly. "I promise," he
reiterated, dropping then to one knee to say goodbye to T'Syrith.
"You take care of your mother."
T'Syrith nodded, then questioned doubtfully, "You will not forget?"
"No, T'Syrith. That promise was made to *you*, too," Kirk asserted
gently.
T'Syrith thought for a time, then reached out toward Kirk, identifying
by color and touch what she knew to be his cheek, and leaned forward
to plant a light kiss squarely in the middle of it--as she had felt
Christine do to her, once.
Kirk embraced her briefly, then stood up. "You'd better go say
goodbye to Spock and Christine now," he suggested.
Abruptly, the children all surged toward Christine, who was standing
for the first time since the morning after her children were born,
pushing T'Syrith along in front of them. Christine knelt with
difficulty and engulfed them all in a group embrace, knowing she would
miss them and barely able to keep herself from crying as she and they
all talked at once.
"Do not forget us, Christine."
"I won't, I promise."
"We will come back to see T'Jaim and T'Krystyn."
"I'm looking forward to that."
"We will remember you always."
Then, one by one, they touched small hands to her face in a final
mental farewell before she stood back up.
Spock and Christine then said goodbye to Spock's adult relatives,
expressing gratitude for their support and acceptance, and one by one,
they and their children took their leaves of Sarek and Amanda. Soon,
only Setek, T'Merit and T'Syrith were left. Christine embraced
T'Merit briefly and then faced her and Setek both. "I suppose I can
tell you now. Spock told me what happened to your bond-mates," she
revealed cautiously. While they were trying to decide how to react to
this, Christine reached out hesitantly to take one of Setek's hands in
hers.
"Setek.don't punish yourself. You would make a wonderful husband for
someone; give yourself that chance," she urged
softly.
Setek's first instinct was to pull his hand away. It was not this
Human's right to invade his privacy in this manner, but he could
detect no pity or insincerity within her--only concern--and found
himself unable to be really offended. Perhaps, too, her resemblance
to T'Parthe was a factor. It had been five years since his wife's
death, but somehow, it seemed only yesterday, always yesterday--no
matter how much time passed. He could still see T'Parthe's bruised
and battered body as he had found it after the blood-fever had
passed...and here was Christine, virtually T'Parthe reincarnated in
Human form. After all that had happened to her at the hands of
various Vulcans, she still showed only kindness--first to the children
and T'Merit, and now to him.
Setek pushed the memories aside, reinforcing his emotional controls
but permitting Christine to retain her hold on his hand. "If only I
could be as certain as you, Christine. Unfortunately, I cannot," he
responded finally, his voice slightly unsteady. "You are much like
her. Did Spock tell you that, also?"
"Yes. I knew there had to be *some* reason why you spent the first
couple of days staring at me."
Setek looked slightly embarrassed. "I must apologize for that. It
was only that I was startled...and I thought at first that I might
be...imagining...the similarity."
Christine nodded understandingly and strove to change the subject.
"Will you be at the Initiation?"
"If you wish it." Setek almost smiled.
"Thank you for voting to accept me."
"As Sarek said, you are worthy of acceptance."
"And *you* are worthy of having a wife," Christine told him, firmly
but gently, moving forward to briefly put her arms around him.
Her touch filled him with gratitude as well as pain as the memories
washed over him again. "No one has touched me in this manner since
T'Parthe died," he whispered.
Christine withdrew from him immediately, almost gasping in
embarrassment. "I'm sorry."
"Do not be. I did not find it distasteful," Setek reflected.
"Perhaps I will consider your suggestion. I have been too long
without a bond-mate when I find myself...wanting to respond to an
emotional display by a Human woman I have just recently met."
"If I were Human, Setek, I believe I would resent that, since I have
had similar thoughts regarding Captain Kirk," T'Merit commented, in a
tone that was closer to humor than resentment or disapproval.
Setek decided to ignore her. "I will look forward to seeing you and
Spock again--and your children," he told Christine sincerely, then
turned finally to T'Merit. "We had better go."
As T'Merit nodded and started to follow Setek out of the parlor,
T'Syrith ran back to Christine to hug her one last time before her
mother gently pulled her away.
Then there were only the four from the Enterprise with Sarek and
Amanda. Amanda was the first to move, going to embrace Christine
first, then Kirk, careful not to appear to snub McCoy in the process.
(It was only that she felt a little closer to Kirk and Christine
because they seemed to be a little more special to Spock.) "Take care
of Spock," she whispered to Kirk.
"Don't worry, Amanda. He'll be all right," Kirk promised her, as they
parted.
She paused in front of Spock, not certain at first if he would be
willing to allow her to embrace him as she had the others. Spock,
aware of her reluctance to risk embarrassing him and recalling that
Christine had already embraced Setek (making the entire situation
already too emotional to be salvaged by any special restraint on his
part), startled Amanda by stepping
forward and clumsily but sincerely putting his arms around her.
She could feel in the tension of his muscles the tiredness and
emotional stress that remained within him, tightly controlled but
still evident, and it filled her with renewed empathy for what he had
been through. "Poor Spock--this hasn't exactly been a vacation for
you," she noted softly, holding him tightly. "But it'll be all right
once you get back on the Enterprise."
"Yes, Mother, it will," Spock admitted quietly. Just the thought of
going back and resuming what he had come to consider normal life with
Kirk, McCoy and Christine (soon to be joined by their children) sent a
thread of contentment through him, penetrating the inner tension that
lay just beyond his façade of control.
"I love you," Amanda whispered then.
Spock could only tighten his embrace in response. He had spoken those
same words to her, finally, a few days ago, and he knew she would
understand that it was too difficult for him to repeat them in Sarek's
presence. Instead, he said softly, "Take care of yourself, Mother."
"I will," she promised. Then they parted.
Finally, Spock and Christine faced Sarek. Spock decided to speak
first, but he realized in embarrassment that he did not know what to
say. "Sarek...your support of Christine at this time has been--"
Sarek shook his head discouragingly at his son's hesitant but sincere
attempt to express gratitude toward him. "I only did that which was
logical, Spock. There was enough dissent from other quarters," he
returned calmly.
Spock's expression remained controlled, though inwardly, he could not
help feeling rebuffed. "Nonetheless, your speech on her behalf was
most profound, and we did appreciate it," he persisted, though now
with little hope that Sarek would simply accept his thanks without
some logical disclaimer.
"It was my duty," Sarek replied simply.
//At least, he was brief,// Spock reflected. As he withdrew to Kirk's
side, he told himself again that all that mattered was that Sarek had
finally begun to show signs of accepting Christine, keeping his
earlier promise to help her become accepted by as much of their clan
as he could--even if he still could not entirely accept Spock;
however, it seemed to do little good. Spock noted, not for the first
time, that logic did not console--it only
explained; sometimes it did not even do *that* completely, offering
only the Vulcan view of matters that he found increasingly two-sided.
And for Spock, more and more often now, that was not enough.
In the mean time, Sarek spoke to Christine--with considerably more
gentleness than he had shown toward Spock, the latter noted with
relief. "I regret that your stay here was not more pleasant," he
apologized. "If I had thought it even remotely possible that a
Vulcan, even T'Pera, could consider such actions, I would have
monitored her activities before your arrival and during your stay more
closely."
Christine suddenly felt very tired as memories of what she had endured
were re-awakened within her, but she tried to smile reassuringly at
Sarek, anyway. "It doesn't matter now, Sarek. It all seems to have
turned out all right--the babies are safe, and that's all that's
really important," she told him. "Besides...there *have* been good
times. I'm trying to concentrate on *them*."
The turmoil that Spock now sensed within her through their bond was
seen by Sarek in her eyes. "I look forward to seeing my grandchildren
when you return."
Though he seemed sincere, Christine could not help thinking of Spock's
dire predictions that their children would never be accepted, even by
Sarek, if they turned out to be less Vulcan than Spock. She pushed
these thoughts aside and responded evenly, "We'll bring them."
"Your presence has honored my home," Sarek concluded formally, then
glanced sidelong at Spock. "You, too, have shown
admirable...restraint...considering the circumstances, Spock," he
admitted.
Spock thought he detected a trace of reluctance in his father's voice,
as if he were choking on the compliment, but all that mattered was
that Sarek's final words were an attempt to make peace between them.
He bowed his head silently in acknowledgement as Christine came back
to his side.
Sarek turned at last to Kirk and McCoy. "I share Amanda's gratitude
to both of you for being here for Spock and Christine during this
difficult situation."
"It was our pleasure, Sarek," Kirk assured him.
Sarek nodded in acceptance of this and raised his hand in the Vulcan
salute. "Peace and long life," he said then, to all of them.
Kirk activated his communicator. "Enterprise, Kirk here. Four to
beam up," he said quietly. Then, as they began to de-materialize,
those who could--all but McCoy, who had always had trouble with the
gesture--silently returned the salute.
When they were gone, Sarek observed, "That was quite an emotional
scene."
"I didn't notice you objecting," Amanda noted wryly.
"I thought it inappropriate," Sarek returned quietly, heading out of
the parlor and toward his study. "I have found that Humans, like
children, must sometimes be indulged."
Amanda followed him, reflecting that it was a good thing for Sarek
that she could hear the traces of humor in his voice. "The house is
going to seem awfully empty with them gone," she opined.
Sarek paused briefly before the door of his study. "I know," he
admitted finally, turning to her with a near-smile on his lips.
"But when they return, T'Jaim and T'Krystyn will be with them."
As they shared that pleasant thought, Sarek stepped into his study and
went to the meditation chamber. And Amanda, smiling to herself, went
outside and down into her garden to engage in her own form of
meditation-reflecting, as Christine had tried to, on her more pleasant
memories of the last two weeks.
END PART 21B
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,
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